The Transformational Power of Complementary Currencies: Charles Eisenstein on Money

 The link from one of my favourite websites - Reality Sandwich http://www.realitysandwich.com/video/eisenstein_money_1

Here is a link  to a fascinating video that talks about how our economy has reached a point where it cannot grow anyone. We have monetized nearly everything and we are running out of the natural resources that the economy needs to grow. Charles Eisenstein touches on the need for a zero growth or 'steady state' economy, which was taught to me as part of my ecological economics class last semester. It questions the fundamental need for growth and calls for a halt in growth of the global population. If the population stays constant and we can have a more equitable distribution of wealth then there is no need for a growing economy.

Eisenstein also points out the faults in how we currently evaluate wealth. If a country mobilizes for war, or rebuilds a devastated city after a natural disaster, its GDP goes up. If a community decides to form a child care coop to look after their children, and also decides to cook for one another, the GDP will go down because less is being spend on babysitters and restaurants. In both situations the quality of life is negatively correlated to the amount of GDP that is created by each action.

Eisenstein also describes humanity as taking an evolutionary step out of infancy and into one of adulthood. He accepts that there was a time when mother earth fed us like a child, according to our needs and without question, but that we have moved out of this stage of infancy and must now develop a different type of relationship with her.  We must now form a relationship with earth that is not just one of taking but also one of giving, as is essential to any mature, successful relationship.  By forming a co-creating partnership with lover earth we are able to live in harmony and move away from this era of degradation and decline.