Money vs. Nature. Who loses?

[keitawolfy]

A lot of people simply don't live in the real world. They think they do, and they have all kinds of paperwork to back up their claims that their vision of reality is the correct one...but ultimately, there are a few things they're overlooking, or they simply choose to ignore it. I'm not exactly sure which it is. Each time I run into such a person,

Comments

[dreamsinanime]

Hear, hear! I like your monetary argument for the wetland. It actually has tons of value in the conventional money-based worldview then.

FYI There ARE economists working on ideas for sustainable economic systems as opposed to the current infinite growth one. I've read their articles in scientific american. Nobody's listening to their ideas much just yet, but they're out there.

the big problem I see is a myopic focus on quarterly profits. Nobody takes the long view. I think teaching people to think in the long-term, and have the wisdom to value the long-term payoff of things rather than short-term gains, is perhaps the most valuable lesson people need right now. Only a select few seem to care about what will happen even 1 year from now.

[keitawolfy]

I know there are alternative economic models out there. I've read about them myself, although not in great depth. One of my favourites is eco-economics. Some variations of that model leans heavily in the direction of socialism, but eliminates much of its top-heavy administrative dysfunction.

I agree that the focus on quarterly profits and other economic indicators recieve too much attention. It all comes doen to "get rich quick" and "instant gratification".