New Societies
There are lots of alternative societies already existing around the world that affect the economy in different ways, many of the more local foci are having an extremely positive effect on their societies.
So how do we measure that?
A compelling read for me, was Atlantic Monthly's article "If the GDP is up, why is America down?". Originally published 1995, it was reprinted , which compared the concept of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to GPI (Genuine Progress Indicator). It pointed out that measuring all money spent in a society, or system, did not tell us anything about the values or well-being of a society, or if they were being met. It is a purely mechanistic measurement based on numbers.
A few years back, I wrote an article on new ways of living "A Life Worth Living", in which I outlined various ways of constructing, and evaluating, sustainability and happiness in a shared system. I point out that a stronger economy is possible if people and planet's well being is inherent and embedded within the system.
"Business is such an important infrastructure to all our lives – whether voluntarily or by default – that if we can start to inject it with conscious awareness and positive intention, I think what’s possible goes beyond what we can even imagine in this moment. I suspect our potential is limitless. And that’s very exciting!"
The ideas include Job Sharing, Time Banking, Re-perceiving Growth away from size to quality of life, Stewardship of resources vs. 'owning' them, Local farming = Stronger local communities and community resilience, accessible communal Healthcare, Protecting Future, Legalized protections of Nature in relation to business, Recognizing sentience and inherent sacredness of life, Creative Intelligence and Innovation, Falling in love with life.
Local urban-farming is highlighted by Berkeley's famous restaurant Chez Panisse, who developed a local sustainability food project with a local school for growing on site; "Edible Schoolyard Project".
The concept of happiness is also in my article on "Why a new California?" in which I cite the Good Country Index (created by Simon Anholt: measures what each country is contributing to the common good of humanity and of the planet) and the Happy Planet Index (founded by New Economics Foundation: measures how well a country is doing in achieving long, happy, sustainable lives.).
I am just now reading a book "Democratic By Design" by Gabriel Metcalf - one of the co-founders of City Car Share and San Francisco Housing Action Coalition, who has authored books and articles on the subject of social innovation. He "earned a Master's degree in city and regional planning from the University of California, Berkeley College of Environmental Design."
His ideas for creating a more sustainable and diverse living & working system are available on his organization site "SPUR", focussed on innovative urban planning. It's an easy and compelling read. I highly recommend it.
No matter how we do it, diversity is our strength and all these different ideas that are coming into public awareness, in local living, are the new 'forest'. Let's protect it, let's nurture it, let's flourish with it.
