Values, Money, Wellbeing & Earth (Past)

As Doughnut Economics and Wellbeing Economy Alliance implement programs for sustainable living locally, nationally, and globally, we may experience indifference and even political resistance from nearly 6 billion people. 

Idealists seeking to improve the economic system need to understand the underlying needs and value systems of people that lead to behaviors of competition and apparently not caring about each other, Earth, and future generations.   

This can help idealists generate hope through compassion, empathy, creativity, and wisdom that can sustain their long-term actions on an evolving planet.

SURVIVING:  Nearly 2 billion people on Earth, are struggling to survive with little water, food, and shelter. They live day-to-day, and it has been said they“can't afford to care” about sustaining the Earth.        

STRIVING:  Another 2 billion people, are struggling to succeed to find work and transportation. They live week-to-week, and “can almost afford to care, but don’t care" about Earth's wellbeing and the rest of humanity. 

SUCCEEDING:  Another billion people are involved in climbing the ladder of success, and vote for those who support cheap gasoline. They "can afford to care about Earth but don’t".   They are often distracted, competing to succeed, and live for weekends and vacations.  Unless they are in a caring profession, there is no financial incentive to have empathy.

ADVANTAGED:  The sixth billion people are the wealthy of the world, and are highly status-oriented and competitive.  They vote for low taxes and high military spending to preserve their advantages.  They produce the highest CO2 emissions, and "can afford to care, but don’t care" about Earth and future generations. They seem to lack empathy and have little interest in others' development and wellbeing.  

CARING: These 2 billion, are workers in NGOs and nonprofits, health and human services, education, government, journalists, and independent activists and researchers.  They are YOU, the caregivers for Earth and humanity.  Some are working for good with little financial compensation. They may attend many conferences but often don’t collaborate well because they have to compete for attention, positions, resources, and recognition.  Others may be philanthropists.  These people "can afford to care and do care" about Earth and future generations.

 Join us for a series of monthly conversations.  We will explore Values, Money, Wellbeing & Earth to clarify: 

1. Where do our values come from?
2.  How much money is enough?
3. Why do billionaires need more billions?
4. How many trillions will Elon Musk and his space clients take to Mars, leaving the Earth a junkyard, and the oceans a plastic-filled cesspool?
5. How can we achieve peace, so resources now going to militaries of the world be used to transition to clean energy systems and fund human needs and Earth's needs?
6. How do we get governments to stop subsidizing fossil fuel industries and subside humanity in the transition to clean energy systems?
7. With Empire and Commonwealth becoming dirty words, does Royalty have a role in today’s world?
8. How do we work to do away with the huge variation in lifestyle between the rich and the poor?
9. Has the time for Universal Basic Income arrived?
10. Many young people can not afford to buy a home.  Rents are growing much faster than worker income.  
11. How do we convince the wealthy of the world to share their wealth for the good of Earth, humanity, and future generations? 
12. How can we evolve wisdom, empathy, collaboration, and creativity through Wisocracy for future generations to experience a thriving planet Earth?

You can see more here. 

Two important articles:

• Upper-class traitor Chuck Collins on how "wealth hoarding" will create more Trumps by Chauncey Devega

• Excess concentration of wealth threatens US democracy by Rep. Rebecca Kislak