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SUSTAINABLE LIVING |
| Sustainable living in a modern world with modern expectations is a difficult, but achievable balance that doesn't mean going back to living in a cave! The first step is to truly understand that 'just because we can, doesn't mean we should'. |
1. Firstly, we must ask a simple, yet important question. Do we want an economy that works primarily for the profits and privileges of large banks, corporations and a political elite, or an economy that works to improve and maintain the quality of life of the citizens it should serve?
2. It is utter nonsense to view GDP as the barometer of economic health. We have been conditioned to believe this is the 'yardstick' for 'doing well'.
3. Quality of Life must be the new indicator of an economy's health, not GDP. Whereas GDP is the value of total transactions in an economy over one year, QaL will be a value based on the number of hours a person must work each week in order to cover the basic costs of a modest lifestyle – home, food, heating and energy.
4. Growth is another false measure of economic health. In a sustainable economy we need minimal growth, consistency and long-term stability. The current developed world economies are based on debt and debt repayment. Since debt repayment and tax collection is a percentage of the capital loaned, the banks and governments constantly push for increased debt and growth in annual GDP as the easiest methods for them to increase their incomes year by year. This is an economic model best suited to a feudal system of control and robbery, not one that nurtures the conditions for family and community life to flourish. We need price stability and low inflation trending towards zero growth.
5. A low cost economy relies heavily on the provision of basic essentials - home, food, heating and energy, at affordable prices. The key to this is the provision of low cost land, public support of low energy self-build housing programs, national self-sufficiency in the supply of water and staple diets, and energy independence through carbon neutral renewable energy.
6. The easier the basic living costs can be covered, the freer we are to make choices about what we do and how we live. In the end, a sustainable economy is about setting people free to focus on their skills, their passions, their interests and their families.
7. Only with a low cost sustainable economy can the individual begin to discover themselves and find their true place in this world.
8. A properly managed, sustainable economy is actually the only way we can maintain a modern life-style in a balanced way. The key is to end the obsession with debt financed, constant-growth economics.
9. A sustainable economy relies heavily on the development of regional economies that can supply local markets with goods and services produced as geographically close as possible. The philosophy being buy local produce before you buy regional produce before you buy national produce, before you import – the transaction of last resort!
10. An environmentally balanced economy is one that ensures that products can only be sold if the production, distribution and disposal processes conform to acceptable recycling practices and zero-loss resource management. We must not pollute or lose finite resources for the sake of a short-term financial gain.
11. A sustainable economy doesn’t require two adults working full-time just to support a family. It allows parents to decide their own work-life balance and allows both parents to share the roles of parenthood. It allows parents to choose to bring up their own children rather than be forced to put them in the hands of expensive child-care.
Practical steps to sustainable living;
* Start buying from local producers as much as you can.
* Reduce your reliance on processed foods.
* Slowly increase your use of basic raw ingredients.
* Stop buying anything other than base ingredients and necessities from supermarkets.
* Re-train yourself and reduce your list of ‘necessities.
* If you really, really want to buy bottled water, buy from sources as geographically close as possible.
* Never ever buy wine from another country if your country of residence produces a good selection of wines. Never buy wine from another continent if there are more than enough good wines from your home continent. This is an example that can be applied to many of your purchases and really does help to significantly reduce the pollutants and greenhouse gases associated with unnecessary long-distance transportation.
An economy must work to improve the lives of the people rather than people working just to improve the economy.
INCOMPLETE - WORK IN PROGRESS. |
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The most important reforms are described with full details of policy and financing in the section [ principles of change | A MANIFESTO FOR CHANGE ]. These reforms are absolutely necessary to initiate positive reform of our political systems. Policy in all areas of state involvement needs urgent attention but must be part of an ongoing process of consensual change through a system of direct democracy and consultative referendum.
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We are NOT a political party
but a movement for social economic reform. We want to help restore
democracy in Europe and put public money and political power back in
the hands of all citizens. We want an economy that works for
the people and not for the ruling elite. Simply
spread the word to become part of the movement and together we can
be the catalyst for change.
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| live 2b3
...and help build a better world.
A social economic model for sustainable living in a people and resource based society
- it's time for change.
Written by: Michael Livingston Seagull |
| info@live2b3.org |
http://www.live2b3.org |
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