It's Not a Great Mystery

The first link: 

Protecting nature is vital to escape 'era of pandemics’ – report | Wildlife | The Guardian

A report issued by a scientific group which was convened by the  Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services includes the following conclusions (among others):

1.  the increasing number and frequency of pandemics is due in large part to anthropocentric damage to natural ecosystems;

2.  in addition to reaction to pandemics, prevention is crucial; and,

3.  leading experts in ecology, wildlife biology, epidemiology, and similar fields have made the above points clear, but there has been little government action.

Here's a link to the report:

IPBES Workshop on Biodiversity and Pandemics Report_0.pdf

The Executive Summary starts on page 2, and in it, needed actions are capsulized.

Politicians have been tinkering around the edges of the pandemic problem for decades.  Emphasis almost always is on a reaction to an outbreak.  Not enough effort is put into prevention.  That involves significantly reducing our negative impact on the natural environment.  We have to stop pretending we're doing that already.  Not only politicians have to stop; all of us must.

Suggestion:  bookmark the above three links; continually build your eco-library.  [If you've never done "library research" prior to the advent of the internet, you may not fully realize how fortunate we are to have such a tool:]

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Not only my opinion.  Happy Trails

American Totalism

This speaks for itself, and we have only ourselves to blame.

 American Totalism: Technology, Economy, and Nationality (steadystate.org) 

It's past time for a new paradigm.  Tick-tock.

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Not only my opinion.  Stay Well

"Neither private property nor state-owned property is sufficient to guarantee equality and liberty for all"

Innovative solution Number One---

The Case for 'Universal Property' - Scientific American

In 2001, Peter Barnes came up with a brilliant idea:  universal property, and how to use it.  It sounds much like "public" property, but it's more than that.  The problem with public property is that the government acts as if the government owns it (& the revenues from it), rather than everyone.

In the article at the link above, you'll find a proposed practice which could contribute significantly to reducing anthropocentric greenhouse gases, AND could also reduce poverty while giving more than half the population of the world some degree of economic security.  Implementation of it cuts across political party lines and ideological divisions.

Some, perhaps many, Oligarchs probably already oppose the idea.  Most likely, that's because they view air, most water, and a good deal of land as waste sinks which are theirs to use at no cost.  Some Main Street people believe the same thing.  That view is not reasonable, and must be opposed.

Paying for the use of universal property and distributing the proceeds to everyone is a stunning idea, and makes perfect sense.

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Not only my opinion.  Stay Well

The Dynasty That Never Was, PLUS - It's Time to Dump Neoliberalism Forever

 Trump hates being Old News.  No one pays much attention to him anymore.  Lately, most of the focus has been on the Neoliberal & his Team.  That's great.  Trump should be totally shunned.  His mental illness is now more visible than ever before.  The more he blabbers about the election, & the more he virtually ignores the raging pandemic, the crazier he looks.  Even Repubs finally are taking note... jumping ship, resigning on their own, making public comments criticizing the Cult Leader.  It's about time.

Trump soon will leave in disgrace.  He'll still be around politics, making noise now & again; but that only will appeal to, at most, about 20% of the USA population... perhaps less.  The man-child finally is Old News.

The biggest testament to the political ignorance of Trump True Believers is their calling Biden a "socialist" (or a puppet of socialists).  Apparently, they know essentially nothing at all about neoliberalism (which isn't "new", or "liberal").  

I think we're the only country in the entire world with a majority of folks who don't have a clue about that ideology.  Everyone else gets it.  Plus, except for Oligarchs (& their puppets), everyone else despises it.  At least it's finally getting mentioned once in awhile in American public discourse.  Again, it's about time.

In my view, until this country fully understands neoliberalism, we will continue to have:  rule by Oligarchs/Plutocrats (whether Repub or Dem), gross inequality, perpetual war, the American "Empire", American hegemony, monopoly-crony-casino capitalism, increasing shrinkage of the middle class, increasing poverty, increasing privatization (which means high fees for "public" services), stagnated wages, less of a social safety net, more pandemics, more suicides (especially among veterans & other young people), more social unrest, more ecological devastation, more mega bank fraud, more propaganda, etc., ad nauseam.  

It's way past time for a paradigm shift which dumps neoliberalism forever.  Except for the Super-Rich, that ideology has been an utter failure.

More and more people around the world - especially in Europe, Canada, a significant portion of South America, parts of Africa, parts of Asia, & elsewhere - are realizing that we all must change our impact on the natural environment.  This is truly a turning point in human history.  Let's make it a good one.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Pandemic, the Economy, Politics, and the Ongoing Income Inequality in the USA

 The Rich Are Cheering Wall Street’s Latest Records. Americans of Modest Means Are Draining 401(k)s. - Inequality.org

The bottom 50% of income earners in the USA hold only 0.6% of the country's stock holdings.  The poorest 90% hold only 11.8% of the nation's stocks.  The richest one percent hold 52.4% of all stocks.  That's all according to the Fed Reserve.

Due to the pandemic, the Super-Rich are doubling and tripling their incomes.  Those people of modest means are draining their 401k accounts just to pay the bills.  Meanwhile, the politicians have stopped providing relief... or even talking about it with each other.

As I've pointed out in the past, the Great Depression of the 1930's was not so named until halfway through it.  For about five years, people believed it was just a short-term glitch that would disappear very soon.  It should be clear by now that currently we are in a full-blown economic Depression.  Politicians, in particular, need to wake up to that fact.  GDP (loved by the Powers-That-Be as a measure of national well-being) in the USA fell by just shy of 33% in the Second Quarter of this year.

I'm getting the impression that a majority of people believe the vaccine will correct the situation.  For a variety of reasons, don't count on it.  One of those reasons is this:  the covid virus mutates rather quickly.  Another reason:  no vaccine in history ever has been so RUSHED as this one.  Despite the reassurances of everyone involved, that means there's perhaps a 50-50 chance of a monumental problem.  Another reason:  it's highly likely that many small businesses have closed for good.  Vaccine or not, they won't be back.  That's mainly due to dithering or dogmatic politicians.  Another reason:  millions of our fellow Americans still believe covid is no big deal.  That's a serious hindrance to getting back to some sort of "normal".  

If ever again, "normal" is most likely 2-5 YEARS down a rough road ahead.  Why do I say that?  Because of my academic education and field experience in biology, human ecology, and environmental geography.  Is the "2-5 YEARS" prediction guaranteed?  Of course not, it's an educated guess.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Modern Circular Economy - a Practical Study, AND - The Extraterritorial Commons, Corporate Responsibility, & Governance

 Sustainability | Free Full-Text | Modern Circular Economy: Corporate Strategy, Supply Chain, and Industrial Symbiosis | HTML (mdpi.com)

Published this month in the journal, Sustainability.

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Sustainability | Free Full-Text | The Commons, the Common Good and Extraterritoriality: Seeking Sustainable Global Justice through Corporate Responsibility | HTML (mdpi.com)

Published this month in Sustainability.

This second journal article introduces the innovative concept of the "extraterritorial commons" in relation to corporate responsibility, justice, and extraterritorial governance.  It's a much-needed discussion.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

What is Not Recognized by Too Many People

Ecology, Crisis, linear "solutions", complexity, chaos, biophysical cascades, carbon sinks, interdependence, synergy, order -  the essay at the link below is concise, cogent, and a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the socio-eco-econ Crisis which, unfortunately, is accelerating.

[NOTE:  I left two comments at the end of the article below.  The longer one details what we are facing in regard to human perception of these "wicked problems".]

 Thresholds, cascades, and wicked problems | MAHB (stanford.edu)

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Not only my opinion.  Stay Well

Climate Damage, Ecosystems, Predators, Scavengers, & Laws of Ecology

 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/otters-show-how-predators-can-blunt-climate-damage/

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/we-should-embrace-scavengers-and-predators/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-017-0421-2

The above articles demonstrate the veracity of:

1.  Barry Commoner's 1971 book, The Closing Circle, especially his First Law of Ecology - "Everything is connected to everything else."; and,

2.  the complexity and value to humanity of ecosystems are equal to or greater than any complexity/value of the technological world.

[NOTE:  In the mid-1970's, I used The Closing Circle as the textbook for an Advanced Ecology course I taught at South Kitsap High School (one of the top high schools in the State of Washington at that time).  I found it then, and still do today, to be one of the most informative books ever written on Human Ecology in particular, and Ecology in general.  It was written for lay people, and in my opinion, should be required reading for every student everywhere.]

Professor Commoner's Four Laws of Ecology---

1.  Everything is connected to everything else.

2.  Everything must go somewhere.

3.  Nature knows best.

4.  There is no such thing as a free lunch.

Currently we are in a socio-eco-econ Crisis which threatens the very existence of organized human society.  Many researchers are working hard to find and broadcast solutions to said crisis.  Too many politicians are not doing enough to implement those solutions.  They talk about it a lot, but do little or nothing.  The same might be said of lay people.  That must change, and soon.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Covid-19, Global Economy, Ecosystems, and Circular Economy Strategies

 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344920304869

Title:  "A critical analysis of the impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy and ecosystems and opportunities for circular economy strategies".

From the journal, Resources, Conservation, & Recycling.

At least read the conclusion.  The whole piece is a good analysis of a crucial situation.

Again, I don't believe that the Circular Economy approach is the full answer to the socio-eco-econ Crisis we're in, but it is popular.  Perhaps it's a good First Step toward a version of Ecological Economics which will truly address the problems of unlimited growth and overconsumption.

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Not only my opinion.  Stay Well

All Politicians Should Pay Attention to This

 https://www.uvm.edu/gund/news/can-regenerative-agriculture-save-american-farms

I've watched the number of family farms in the USA shrink for over sixty years.  Their replacement, industrial agriculture, is harming soil, water, air, plants, animals, and the ecosphere in general.  This has to stop if we are to thrive as ethical, sensible, and practical beings.

We humans tend to take air, water, and food for granted.  Fortunately, over the last half century or so, we've started to realize that's a mistake.  We're finally beginning to edge toward some version of ecological economics and sustainability.  Let's hope that continues.

At the link above is a brief description of a policy which should be supported and promoted by politicians everywhere.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Watch the Moving Bar Graph (at the link below)

Here's an email I sent to family and friends.  We all need to get serious about this subject.  Tick-tock---

https://twitter.com/CarbonBrief/status/1120715988532629506?s=20

And that's not even considering methane emissions, which are increasing exponentially.  Methane is multiple times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas.

Time for an attitude & lifestyle change.

Climate Change is now locked in for decades.  All we can do is work toward making sure it doesn't get TWICE (or more) as bad as now.

In the mid-1970's when I lived next to Puget Sound, the highest temp in summer was about 85 degrees.  14 yrs ago, it reached 100 degrees more than a few times during summer.

15 yrs ago, when I lived on 38 acres near Red Bluff, CA, 114 degrees during summer was not uncommon.  All the above was prior to the current, fairly rapid thawing of permafrost tundra in Arctic regions... which is releasing tons of methane into the atmosphere.

Bottom line:  if we (& that means all of us, not just tree-huggers like me:) don't change our lifestyle, our overconsumption, our agriculture, & industrial production, Nature will.  That's guaranteed.  If you truly care about your kids, grandkids, & their future kids, do all you can to support a shift to some version of Ecological Economics.

Trump & Crew will be gone before long.  It's time to repair the damage they've done to our habitat, and to our future.  It's also time to watch Biden like a hawk.  He's so much better than Trump, but firmly in the back pocket of the Financial Sector, and not exactly Mr. Sustainability.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The USA Ongoing Election, Gaslighting, and Empire

 Trump & Crew are either brainless, or are being deceitful.  Some mail-in votes are allowed to be postmarked as late as election day.  It may take up to a week before they get counted.  That's not fraud.  Hello.  Different States have different rules (see links below), and different Counties have different procedures.  Our Oval Office [Mafia-like] DON knows all this.  A short while ago, his legal team could not produce one single instance of mail-in voter fraud during a Court Case.  Nevertheless, The Don continues to sell the Big Lie to his supporters; and apparently, many of them believe it... with no proof.  Incredible.

Here's an official in Clark County, NV explaining things---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcpMxX-SO6Q

He shows a lot of patience in the Q&A.

Here's when different States begin processing ballots---

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/politics/mail-in-voting/

Here's Bernie's take on it all well before the election---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9DNGSQvvz8

More or less on the mark so far... thanks to Trump's idiotic claim of victory, & then filing lawsuits before all the votes have been counted.

Though he's nearly 4 million votes BEHIND in the popular vote, Trump has received a lot of votes mainly because of this:  his policies reflect a nationalistic neoimperialism that resonates with folks who believe the USA should rule the world.  Not conquer the world in the old sense of "rule", but control the globe by being its police force, by financial boycotts/sanctions, by controlling natural resources in other lands, by assassinations, by military threats & interventionism, by spying on allies, etc.  

Whether they admit it (or are even aware of it) or not, those folks seem to favor the idea of EMPIRE.  It makes them feel secure.  They think it will make their economic/financial situation secure as well.  People like that are drawn to the "strong-man", bullying, crass type of Big Daddy "leader".  That's especially true if he wraps himself in the American Flag and professes adherence to the belief in Big-Daddy-in-the-Sky-Who-Promises-Apple-Pie-By-&-By, which is an utter misinterpretation of the Holy Bible.  

Yes, obviously the above is an opinion.    I base it on History and a keen interest in USA politics.

Everyone Be Well

p.s.  No voter fraud has been shown in the election thus far.  Trump, as usual, is gaslighting; he's just blowing smoke.  The Mob lawyer, Roy M. Cohn, taught him long ago: if you repeat a lie over & over, people will come to believe it.  And that's Trump's primary modus operandi.  Surely everyone knows this by now, eh?

In 2020: On the Circular Economy, Infrastructure, and Sustainability

 The two journal articles at the links below give great insights regarding present and future efforts toward a sustainable world.  [Again, sorry about the copy-and-paste-on-another-page links, but I have no control over that.  As far as I know, that's a Google-Blogger-Blogspot glitch.]

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1.  Title - "Circular Futures: What Will They Look Like?"

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092180091931972X

2.  Title - "Infrastructure Is Key to Make Cities Sustainable"

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/20/8308/htm

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I've noticed on Twitter and elsewhere online that some environmental activists don't understand what's taking so long in regard to a shift to sustainability.  They are a bit frustrated.  I'm guessing these are mostly young people.  No offense intended.  As an old man who has been in this and a couple of related fields for many years (starting in 1970), I offer the following.

First, along with many others, I fully recognize that time - relative to the socio-ecological-economic CRISIS we're in - is short.  The pace of research reflects that; the pace of implementation in most areas of the world does not.  There are many reasons as to why.  In my opinion, here are only two of those reasons, as follows.

1.  Changing Spaceship Earth to genuine sustainability requires a major shift in attitudes, ethics, lifestyle, production, and consumption.  Resistance abounds.  Ignorance abounds.  Propaganda abounds.  Overcoming all that requires patience, and most of all, persistence.

2.  One of the biggest obstacles (perhaps THE biggest) is the fact that mega money largely controls politics.  The overwhelming majority of national politicians are selected, groomed, and financed by the Super-Rich Upper Crust.  Surely by now this is common knowledge.  Unfortunately, most of the Super-Rich are faux "Green".  They've more or less been forced to talk the talk, but have little to no interest in anything ecological or sustainable.  They're short-term thinkers.  Until we get big money out of politics, little will change other than the Crisis getting worse and worse.

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Not only my opinion.  Stay Well, & Persist

Preventing the Circular Economy (CE) Concept From Disintegrating

 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344917302835?dgcid=raven_sd_recommender_email

In the journal article at the link above, the authors maintain that the CE concept may be in danger of collapse due to a lack of agreement among scholars & practitioners as to exactly what it means.  As a result, they say, certain important elements (e.g., social equity, sustainable development) of CE are slighted in planning.  [Keep in mind, this article was published almost three years ago.]

 After a detailed description of the paper's research methods, the article then presents "the first comprehensive and systematic analysis of CE definitions...".  Essentially--- solicited, written, and qualitative definitions of 114 CE terms/elements were coded, analyzed, and quantified.

Section "4. Conclusion" reveals the important results, and should be read by those working with the CE concept.  A few examples of the results follow:

1.  a much needed definition of CE;

2.  the suggestion that some of the authors of the solicited definitions have no idea what CE is really about; and,

3.  some of those authors entirely equate CE with recycling.

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In my view, the article contributes to reducing the lack of coherence in the CE arena.  I still maintain, though, that CE appears to be solidly wedded to the concept of "unlimited economic growth".  As such, it ignores the role of entropy in the biophysical world, and the common sense observation that Spaceship Earth is finite.  Relying on Julian Simon's contention that human inventiveness and production efficiency will overcome any obstacles is not realistic.  Nevertheless, given current political climates around the world, CE may be a good FIRST STEP (& only that) toward a genuinely sustainable habitat.  But first, CE researchers, policy makers, and practitioners need to cohere on what constitutes the Circular Economy.  If they don't, the concept likely will dissolve, fade away, or become nothing more than circularity for the sake of circularity.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Social Dimension: "I" and "We"

 At the link below is a book review that is well worth the read.

https://www.sciencemagazinedigital.org/sciencemagazine/23_october_2020/MobilePagedArticle.action?articleId=1631113&app=false#articleId1631113

In terms of racism, for many Caucasian people I don't think it's skin color so much that causes them distaste and fear.  I think it's the (unwarranted) fear of losing their culture.  They don't seem to understand that any particular group culture can be preserved in a multicultural society.  Even within a single "Race" different ethnic groups have done so.  Here in the USA, the Germans, Italians, Jews, Irish, Russians, and others have all done it.

As a former Biology and Ecology teacher, the uproar over the concept of human "races" is odd to me.  In the taxonomy and phylogeny of the human, any subdivision [Kingdom-Phylum-Class-Order-Family-Genus- Species-Variety] below species is pretty much meaningless.  In other words, what matters is the species level; and all of us belong to Homo sapiens.  To any reasonable & rational person, physical differences (e.g., skin color) are of no significance; but often, cultural differences do matter in one way or another.

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Not only my opinion.  Stay Well

The Election Here in the USA

 This election is not about anything the Deceitful Don talks about. Instead, it's about democracy, decency, divisiveness, deceit, the bad side of tribalism, hate, & ignorance. Renowned reporter Risen nails it here---

https://theintercept.com/2020/10/21/trump-presidency-summary/

As a psychological gaslighter, almost everything Trump says is a lie... and a blatant lie.  Whatever he says (99% of the time), the exact opposite is true.  It's a genuine tragedy for us and the world.  What makes it comical as well is that his lies almost always are obvious.  Yet he persists in lying.  He appears to be about as psychologically developed as perhaps an eighth grader.  How can I say that with any authority?

A wise man once said:  you don't have to be a master carpenter to recognize a shack.  Trump is a psychological shack.  Anyone who isn't one of his cult members can see that.  Vote accordingly.

Reminder:  I'm not a Republican or a Democrat.  I don't care much for Biden, but he's orders of magnitude better for the world than is Trump.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

"A Life on Our Planet"

 https://steadystate.org/a-life-on-our-planet-a-tentative-step-toward-mainstream-steady-statesmanship/

Attenborough, biodiversity, and the Steady State Economy - how they're all linked.  Even at 93 years of age, this man is a warrior for the ecosphere.  What a life well spent... and not done yet.

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Be Well

Breaking Monopolies, Reducing Rentier Power re Rent Extraction, and the Connections to Resource Use & "Growth"

 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800919304203

    Title - "The Threat of Rent Extraction in a Resource-constrained Future"

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There are many different types of "rents".  Don't think only in terms of living space rent.  For example, there's the renting of your labor.  There's the renting of land for purposes other than residential housing, and there are a number of other types.

The author of the above journal article proposes that private rent extraction is "a barrier to the goal of transforming economic institutions so that society can flourish within planetary boundaries [limitations]".  She maintains that concentrations of private rentier power create an imperative for unlimited growth.

For the most part, I believe that's correct.  I also believe such thoughts would be rejected outright by many people here in the USA, but not as much in Europe and elsewhere.  Why?  People here rightly would view it as democratic socialism, and they seem to have a completely black/white view of socialism v. capitalism.  To them, any form of socialism is evil (so to speak).  They tend to ignore the fact that public roads, public water systems, public parks, the VA Health Care system, USPS, public art museums, and a plethora of other public institutions are all examples of democratic socialism in action.  In short, we have a mixed economy, as do most countries of the world.

Via Edward Bernays style molding of the public mind, private and public Oligarchs in the USA have convinced too many people that Monopoly-Casino-Crony Capitalism is the same as the capitalism of Adam Smith, their economic hero.  It's not even close.  Except in the realm of very small business, Smith's capitalism no longer exists.  He did not favor monopolies, mega biz, or any kind of Oligarchy.  Rather than praising so-called "Masters of the Universe", he viewed them unfavorably.  Today's Oligarchs claim the opposite; they're wrong.

People in the EU (& Norway and Iceland, which are not formally in the EU), tend to be much more open-minded regarding economic/political ideology.  [Example: in Europe there's a political/economic philosophy known as Libertarian Socialism.  In the USA, that would be considered an oxymoron.]  Even though all those countries have enclaves of narrow-mindedness in that regard, overall they're much more flexible than the USA.  Point being:  transforming society from neoliberalism to some form of ecological economics is a tough row to hoe, but especially so in the USA.

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The article cited above deserves sincere consideration in the effort to create a world more equitable, more ecological, and more in line with the needs of all people, instead of only the privileged few.

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Not only my opinion.  Stay Well

Various Considerations in Ecological Economics and Sustainability

 1.  Increased efficiency and curtailing the expansion of material stocks in the UK:

        https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344920302780#bib0035

    Title - "Stock-flow relations in the socio-economic metabolism of the United Kingdom 1800–2017".

Socio-economic metabolism refers to a society's use of biophysical resources (i.e., energy and materials), a key factor in the sustainability arena.

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2.  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629615300827

    Title - "How long will it take? Conceptualizing the temporal dynamics of energy transitions".

When I last taught Ecology (at the college level, in the 1990's), the conventional wisdom was:  it takes about forty years for a society to change from one primary energy source to another.  That is being re-evaluated.

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3.  The term, "economic growth", sounds really great, but is it?  When thinking about the topic, too many people have faulty assumptions and tend to ignore two of the main effects of econ growth:  income inequality, and gross pollution of our biosphere.

    

    https://steadystate.org/who-does-economic-growth-serve/

    The author, Brian F. Snyder, is an assistant professor of environmental science at Louisiana State University.

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Not only my opinion.  Stay Well

Sustainability re: transport industry, decarbonization, lithium, magnesium, energy, & a decent living, Plus commentary on world efforts

 2020 research - Two important views---

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211467X20300961

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378020307512

At least read the Abstracts and Conclusions.

Commentary on world efforts---

Public officials, researchers, the business community, & others in the EU (in general) - especially in Germany, Ireland, Denmark, The Netherlands, Austria, & Portugal (mea culpa if I left out a country) - AND in other parts of the world are working hard to develop & implement sustainable policies geared toward saving organized human existence on this planet.  Kudos to all of them.

With some significant exceptions, the USA is light-years behind in those efforts.  As we all know, that's especially true for the last four years or so, particularly in the national government.  The current Administration is working hard to reverse gains made in the sustainability arena.  That, along with other egregious actions, has made the USA an object of pity - as well as a laughingstock - in the eyes of most of the world.  On top of all that, our "Leader" has some chance of getting re-elected shortly.  It's truly mind-boggling.  His chances of re-election should be extremely close to zero... or ZERO.  Thanks to Edward Bernays style molding of the public mind plus a huge dose of ignorance, those chances are higher.  It's all very Orwellian.  Life is full of paradoxes, eh?

The human dilemma we face consists of a socio-ecological-economic catastrophe which already has started, coupled with an ongoing belief by too many in the practices of unlimited growth, overconsumption, and overexploitation of resources.  In far too many ways, we've become too anthropocentric, as opposed to ecocentric.  Fortunately, that's beginning to change.  Keep in mind, though -

TICK-TOCK.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Key question in late 2020: what does a review of Circular Economy research show regarding CE's potential performance re the environment, sustainability, & consumers?

"The narrative of sustainability and circular economy - A longitudinal review of two decades of research", December, 2020---https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344920303906

"Circularity for circularity's sake? Scoping review of assessment methods for environmental performance in the circular economy", September, 2020---https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352550920305236

The two journal articles at the links above arguably could be called the "Bible" of the current state of Circular Economy (CE) research and CE's potential performance regarding environmental problems, sustainability, and consumers.  At least, the two articles together are the "short form" of that Bible.  ["Short form" only because they are not book-length.]

If your interest in CE is not particularly in-depth, but still significant, at least read both Abstracts and Conclusions in these articles.

In my view, while the CE concept is popular and somewhat "Green", it's not sufficient in terms of its ecological and bioeconomical characteristics.  Those aspects of CE appear to be not totally lacking, but also not sufficient enough to address the overall Socio-Eco-Crisis that is upon us.

The Circular Economy concept is a young field of research, still evolving.  It may be that as it matures, it will serve as a good first step toward a complex solution to the human predicament.  As it stands now, however, it's not enough.  Currently, it's beginning to look like "circularity for circularity's sake", and not much else.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

p.s.  Diagram is from the Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere (MAHB) at Stanford University.  https://mahb.stanford.edu/

Evolution of a Food Network as Urban Commons in Portugal

 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800919308262

At the link above, the authors of a journal article dissect and analyze the qualities of an urban food network as a "commons" in Portugal.  A particular group of "prosumers" founded the network, and saw it through until its demise.  Though it eventually ended (for numerous reasons), it gave birth to other new food networks.  Along with Germany and several other European countries, Portugal is front and center in the search for ecological solutions to the human predicament in which we find ourselves.  Kudos!

Our current, globalized food supply system is fragile at best.  Especially during an emergency event such as a pandemic, that supply chain is often broken.  Humanity would benefit greatly from urban food networks... which go way beyond urban gardens.

Decades ago, a popular book by E.F. Schumacher, Small is Beautiful, had the subtitle: a study of economics as if people mattered.  The book stressed the importance of locally based economics, sustainability, and the appropriate use of technology.  In general, it eschewed the very idea of corporate globalization and neoliberal economics.

Unfortunately, after a relatively brief time of popularity (in the 1970's), the ideas presented in that text faded away in the minds of policy makers.  What a shame.

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Not only my opinion.  Stay Well

RE: Sustainability - Proposed Policies for Correcting the Human Predicament

 https://theconversation.com/limits-to-growth-policies-to-steer-the-economy-away-from-disaster-57721

The essay at the link above covers the following subjects:

1.  measuring progress,

2.  resource caps,

3.  work and time,

4.  public spending,

5.  banking and finance (and the built-in "growth imperative"),

6.  the population question,

7.  poverty (a rising tide will SINK all boats),

8.  hindrances.

Though the discussion is somewhat brief on each item above, many links to related pages are embedded in the article.

The piece is thought-provoking and, in my view, should be considered by all who are interested in mitigating the current human predicament.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

p.s.  Diagram is from the Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere (MAHB) at Stanford University.  https://mahb.stanford.edu/

In the EU, "Is this the end of end-of-waste?", re the Circular Economy in 2020

 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344919305622?dgcid=raven_sd_recommender_email

At the link above, there's a brief review of the status of the end-of-waste policy in the EU.  End-of-waste is a crucial concept in the whole idea of the Circular Economy.  The EU is having a problem with implementation of the concept.  The authors of the article, Johansson and Forsgren, suggest a new approach involving the "space between waste and products".

[NOTE:  I've used this blogger venue for a bit over thirteen years.  Sometimes it allows active links to be posted, and other times the reader (you) has to copy the link here and then manually post it on a new page.  As far as I know, I have no control over which type of link posts here, i.e., an "active" one or a "copy & paste" one.  I suspect that Google only allows active links for those which go to sites owned by Google (e.g., YouTube), but I really don't know.  Point being:  apologies for all the "copy & paste" links in these posts; I can't do anything about it.]

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Happy Trails

Tribute to Basquiat, Philosophy, and Activism

 We humans keep striving to be human.  Still, we remain a paradox in many ways.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

From Transnational Institute: Commentary on Public Banks and "Green" Funding

 https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/24844/1/How%20Public%20Banks%20Can%20Help%20Finance%20a%20Green%20and%20Just%20Energy%20Transformation_Marois_TNI_2017.pdf

As examples, two banks are discussed:  Germany's KfW; and Costa Rica's BPDC.  The report is both interesting and informative; it covers the good side of the issue and the shortcomings.  At least read the "Conclusion...", starting on page 12.

Green projects, like everything else, have to be funded.  Public banks should be involved because, in general, they're more accountable than the private banks.  Plus, public banks are much more democratic, and again in general, more concerned with the public good.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Complete Bioeconomics & Degrowth Look Like This

 Most of the Bioeconomics of today is not that of Georgescu-Roegen, the founder of the concept.  Why?  Because the "updated", new century versions are incomplete, and they seem to eschew "degrowth".  There's much more to bioeconomics than just bioenergy, which seems to be the main (or only) focus today.  Plus, the original bioeconomics promoted the idea of degrowth.

In the article below, the ecological and political economist, Giorgos Kallis (one of today's leading champions of degrowth), presents specific policies which would make possible a thriving society without economic growth.

https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/can-we-prosper-without-growth-10-policy-proposals/

Are some of these policies "radical"?  Frankly, yes; but that's the approach needed if we are to get through the ongoing Social-Ecological Crisis now upon us.  If we are to survive and thrive, we must discard the Edward Bernays style propaganda to which we've been subjected for decades.  The neoclassical/neoliberal economists have bamboozled us.

Unlimited Growth + Overconsumption + Inequality + Materialism = a rat race which is destroying not only our habitat, but us as well.  A paradigm shift in Ethics is in order.  Common sense and empirical evidence scream for it.  The main obstacle appears to be the sacrosanct vision of constant, perpetual Growth.

Tick-tock.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Real Scoop on Interest Rates and Nominal GDP "Growth"

 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800916307510

The research at the above link is somewhat of a blockbuster.  With an empirical approach, it shows that "...conventional monetary policy as operated by central banks for the past half-century is fundamentally flawed".  Among other things, the research demonstrates that low interest rates do not cause economic growth, and "if policy-makers really aimed at setting rates consistent with a recovery, they would need to raise them".

This study has been available for over two years, but apparently, largely ignored.  It also delves into the effects of "quantities" (e.g., QE) on an economy, and further, why environmentally sustainable projects are better for the economy as opposed to growth for growth's sake.  In short, the study provides solidly based evidence that neoliberal economics has failed overall.  Of course, that same economic path has benefitted the Upper Crust immeasurably... which is probably why this study has been mostly ignored by the Powers-That-Be, both public and private.

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Not only my opinion.  Stay Well

"What is the Bioeconomy?"

 https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/8/7/691/htm

Via a scholarly review of over 450 journal articles, the piece at the link above identifies and discusses three approaches or "visions" of the bioeconomy:

    1)  a bio-Tech vision;

    2)  a bio-resource vision; and,

    3)  a bio-ecology vision.

Two or more of these different approaches sometimes are implemented in combination with each other.  As you might surmise, the first two are primarily concerned with technological "fixes".  The bio-ecology approach is, in my opinion, the closest to the view of Georgescu-Roegen, the founder of bioeconomics.

Despite early theoretical work done in this discipline, the more recent research has evolved in such a way as to attract a broad range of sciences, and a heavy technological flavor.  To have a significant, long-term, and global impact on future human endeavors, Bioeconomics needs to further identify its scope and purpose, and its adherents need to consider the following.

Our primary focus should not be more technological fixes, but rather, the adoption of Ecoethics and striving to live within our means (as aggregate humanity).  The elephant in the room is Unlimited Growth.  It's not sustainable... period.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

"An urgent call for circular economy advocates to acknowledge its limitations in conserving biodiversity"

 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969720321185?via%3Dihub

All I have access to is the Abstract... found at the link above.

Below is a graphic from the Abstract---

As mentioned in previous posts, the Circular Economy (CE) concept is fairly popular in various parts of the world.  It's a mistake, however, to think that it's the best ecological approach to solving our multi-faceted Eco-Crisis.  It's not even close to that.  In fact, it's only slightly "greener" than the "circular" concept claimed by neoclassical/neoliberal economics years ago... which wasn't circular at all.

As cited in other article links previously posted on this blog, CE has numerous problems in the ecological arena.  Biodiversity impact is one of them.

In my view, only non-ecologists would believe that Tech innovations and "substitutions" eventually will "decouple" an economy from reliance on natural resources found in highly complex (and irreplaceable) ecosystems.  I imagine it can be done to some limited degree, but not without disastrous impacts on the Mother of all Ecosystems (so to speak), Spaceship Earth.  Such an attempt on a global scale would be folly.

The CE concept is in need of some adjustments, and in need of collaboration with Bioeconomists, Ecologists, and others in similar fields.  A greener version of Neoclassical Economics is not going to save organized human existence on this finite planet.

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Not only my opinion.  Stay Well

In General, Is This Close to the Bioeconomics Being Pursued in Europe?

I haven't had time to study the article at the link below, but thought I would post it with the title question.  While I'm reviewing the piece, does anyone know the answer to the question?  [I'm guessing the answer is Yes.]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212567114000677

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You will have to scroll down when you get to the page in order to access the pdf text - "Download full text in PDF".

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Be Well

"The Blue Skies of Neoliberalism"

Two Reasons Why Banks Should be Public Utilities, Not Private Businesses

 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1057521914001070

Those of us who for years have maintained that this happens have been looked upon as "strange".    Well,  here's empirical evidence... as incredible as this may seem, it's the 1st scientific study of the issue.  Keep in mind - we're not talking about a Central Bank here; rather, it's individual private banks that do this.

At least read the Abstract at the link above... it's short.

Wouldn't you love to collect interest payments on something you created out of "thin air"? 

This is one reason why banks should be publicly owned - public utilities - not private institutions... better accountability if publicly owned.

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The other reason why banks should be public utilities is as follows.

Technically and legally, when you make a bank "deposit" into your "account", what you're really doing is loaning the bank some of your money.  The bank takes on a "debt obligation", and the money deposited essentially becomes theirs.  The bank owes you money, but not that specific money.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC0G7pY4wRE

Plus, thanks to a policy of the G20 Financial Stability Board, thirty mega banks can convert the loans made to them by "depositors" into equity shares in the bank in the case of a financial crisis.  That's true even if the bank is failing during a crisis.

In the USA, some people think - so what?  Who cares?  Our money in banks is protected by FDIC funds, right?  Yes, but here's the catch:  the FDIC fund total varies, but is in the billions (much less than one trillion); the total amount of "deposits" in U.S. banks also varies, but usually is close to $15 trillion.  Do the math.

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Banks, especially mega banks, are a big cause of gross inequality in this country.  We need public banks, and a banking model similar to the one in Germany... an emphasis on small, local banks.  Germany probably has the best banking system in the world, and the USA most likely has the worst.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well