Blinks (blogs/links)
Note to Eckart
May 05, 2009
Hi Eck, I wish you could see the world right now,
Obama has been elected! BUT a worldwide crisis is happening, estimated to cost 5.700.000.000.000 (five point seven trillion) dollars. General Motors is almost bankrupt and the Hummer is going down with it. In the Netherlands, financial institutions such as ING had to be saved from bankruptcy by the government, using 21.6 billion euro. Unemployment is expected to rise to 1 in 10 persons in the OESO countries next year.
Nobody knows exactly what these numbers mean. And nobody knows where this is going. In general we are experiencing a 'silence before the storm'. Everybody is waiting for the big smash. And the effects of the financial crisis are slowly becoming visible.
Oh and by the way, a giant rubbish dump has been discovered, twice the size of the continental United States, FLOATING in the Pacific Ocean. They call it plastic soup because it consists of tiny bits of plastics floating around for the next hundreds of years... and it's still growing. Yet another sign that we are on the wrong track.
Now this would be a good time to come up with a long term solid plan to save the economy as well as the earth. For example by applying your idea of shifting taxes from employment towards natural resources. Many people believe that the crisis marks a turning point. We're waiting for a traffic light and when the light turns green, which way do we go? Back on the same track of needless consumption of goods to get the machinery of the global economy going again? Or indeed, on a track towards reduction of our CO2 footprint, less material and more immaterial consumption?
I don't normally believe in spirits but your spirit is certainly still around us.
Couldn't you just hoover around a couple of big shot leaders for a while and whisper some useful tips into their ears? Or even switch off the lights at the Copenhagen conference or something?
Definitely we are in need of a Deus Ex Machina.
I'll keep on dreaming of scenarios. I wish you were here
Fem
- - Femke Groothuis - -
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Reacties
Lisette Schuitemaker hierover:
ah, Femke, yes, I too wish he was here too to witness what’s happening: an article in one of our best NL newspapers on Totnes and the Transition Town initiative = how to live beyond oil; an article on a book by Van Johnson whom I am sure he’s met in US Social Venture Network and who is now in an Obama thinktank for the New Green Deal. Jim Garrison has revived the State of the World Forum and Brazil, one of Eck’s favorite countries who understood his BSO cell-division concept so well, is joining that effort big time and will host the event in 2010. With this the Global Transition Initiative has arisen, as a 10-year plan to instigate and enable greater coherence for systemic impact in the transition to better futures. The underlying concept is 2050 in 2020, which means we need to have made the reductions now being planned by governments for ‘50 in ‘20. I see a concerted effort that is even trickling down into mainstream society, such as the traditional newspapers. Not everyone is on board yet, but never doubt that a dedicated group of citizens can make the change ;)) Here’s to you, Eckart, you’ve no idea how much you have inspired me and still continue to do so. Love, Lisette
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