My recent article on how come capitalism is an extractive practice, and the later explainer of how it degrades real capital got, for me at least, a lot of interest. Very few, however, asked what could be done about it. Once you know the problem you are a long way to solving it. There are several ways to turn the extractive nature of capitalism around, and they are surprisingly simple. Read on!
Continue reading “Simple quick fixes to capitalism you never knew could be done”Category: All Recent Updates
Introduction to Circular Economy now in German
We are pleased to anounce the German arm of our Circular Economy Training is getting up to speed with the release of the German version of our FREE downloadable booklet.
If you prefer talking about the circular economy in German, this is for you. Get yours here!
Stockholm investment dialogue report
We had a great event last week, with researchers, investors, impact investors, SDG activists, a bank and a wide range of other stakeholder types represented. The aim was to share the journey that we at Re Equity Partners have taken over the last four years from the idea to create a fund to invest in regeneration and peace to the investment framework we have today.
Continue reading “Stockholm investment dialogue report”Energy Slaves
Reposted from the site for teachers maths4sustainability. This particular problem might be of interest to regular readers – it presents the idea of energy slaves which is one of the biggest challenges facing circular economy.
Continue reading “Energy Slaves”The circular economy can be part of a culture of peace.
Simply put, the circular economy is one where biological materials are harvested and returned in a way that preserves, indeed regenerates, eco systems. Materials taken from below the earth, like minerals, stay in circulation. However, the notion could contain more. With eco systems preserved and with a high availability of minerals peoples’ basic needs could be met and a new era ushered in where there is enough for everyone. The circular economy – if introduced right – could help bring peace.
Consider the following:
- From a starting point where we recognise people need peace, the circular economy can be set up to provide a basis for a world with a culture of peace.
- By making resources abundant and available to all, the ability to make a decent living within natural limits comes into everyone’s grasp.
- A culture of peace is even a culture of peace with each other. By eliminating the need to struggle all day every day just to meet basic needs gives people more time for personal growth, to find peace with themselves.
- Much of the conflicts in society are eliminated when peoples’ basic needs are met.
Father Greg Boyle
Nothing stops a bullet like a job.
By harvesting biological material responsibly, and keeping minerals in circulation the circular economy reduces the burden on the Earth and indeed lays the ground for the ability for future generations to be able to fulfil their needs.
The Circular Economy provides the opportunity for everyone who needs a job to have one. Once gone, the fossil energy we use to extract, move and dispose of stuff will need to be replaced by the work of many hands.
The Circular economy is one which provides basic security in harmony with the Earth. Security of the basics – including the opportunity to find meaningful work – is a good start towards peace.
From the introductory booklet available from the Academy of Invest in Peace
The Circular Economy provides the opportunity for everyone who needs a job to have one. It ensures that resources are abundant for needs and eliminates the need for people to struggle against each other to make ends meet. People get time and space to find peace in themselves, and live in a way that is in peace with the Earth, eliminating one of the major causes of conflicts between people.
Learn more about the circular economy by visiting the academy
Investment dialogue focusses on the Fund of preserve, restore & fund
Stockholm 3rd October 18:00 – 21:00. Fund Managers RE Equity and partners are launching a series of dialogue evenings around how to fund the ambitions of the SDG and beyond.
The evening ties in with the recent video from Greta Thunberg and George Monbiot urging us all to concentrate on Preserving Nature, Restoring its carbon sequestration functionality (among other things) and Funding regenerative society.
Continue reading “Investment dialogue focusses on the Fund of preserve, restore & fund”What does Bathtub Economics say about green growth?
Writing in the Swedish daily, SVD, on 7th July, Johan Rockström set out some bitter truths (my translations):
- Green growth – that is to say the economy grows whilst extracting less from and reversing damage to natural systems – is nigh on impossible.
- It is questionable whether the goal of maximum 1.5 degrees increase in global warming can be achieved.
Let us examine these points from a circular economy and bathtub economics point of view.
Continue reading “What does Bathtub Economics say about green growth?”Towards a circular economy vision
I believe we need to start to envision what a circular, low-impact, bio-based society will look like in order to usher in the fossil free era.
Indeed the Swedish Government have already declared in January 2019 that they aim for Sweden to be circular and bio-based and resource effective.
I guess we need the circular vision at four levels:
- The circular house
- The circular neighborhood
- The circular municipality
- The circular country
- The circular nation
Below is a first sketch of what a circular house might look like:
- Close to the necessary services (Cycling – ebike – distance?)
- Part of a circular neighbourhood
- Captures energy, water
- Is energy effective
- Recycles nutrients
- Is part of food provision, too
- Lots of reparable items
- Or compostable items
If we have the circular house then we need local businesses that serve houses and apartments a n d supply all that is needed for the transition. This could be huge business.
Find out more about the circular economy by reading articles here or visit our circular economy school online at the Academy of Investors in Peace.
The Academy of Investors in Peace Launches
Starting this week the Initiative Investors in Peace, founded by the Swedish Sustainable Economy Foundation and several other institutions, is launching its online Academy of Peace. The first courses centre on circular economy as a way to approach peace with the Earth.
For the opening period, all courses are offered free of charge.
Visit the online Academy here academy.investorsinpeace.com
A simple macroeconomic model based on Modern Monetary Theory (and published in 2014 in a peer-reviewed journal)
Excellent mathematical treatment of MMT and why it is fully viable. Enjoy this from Dirk Ehnts.de
There is a lot of talk about how MMT would lack a “model”. Some commentators on Twitter even claim that MMT would have “no model” and that they just created one themselves. Others believe that stock-flow consistent (SFC) models are basically SFC models. All of that is not quite right!
I think that the only model that can really claim to be a “MMT model” is the one I published in a peer-reviewed journal in 2014. The article in the International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education (IJPEE) was named “A simple macroeconomic model of a currency union with endogenous money and saving-investment imbalances” (link). With hindsight, it was not a good title, since there is nothing specific about “currency union” or (private!) “saving-investment imbalances” in the model. It is really a replacement of the IS/LM-model and nothing else. The working paper version is accessible freely and was…
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Stephen Hinton Consulting 