I thought Obama's speech today was excellent - and there seemed to be a great feeling across the country, with everyone excited to witness such an historic event. It inspired me all the more to keep working to rebuild an America that is responsible and respected, one that is leading toward sustainability and not simply pressing harder on the gas pedal in the wrong direction.
The stimulus package is incredible in so many ways, for creating jobs and re-sparking the economy by funding the shift to a clean, green energy system and economy. I'm continuously surprised and pleased at how far we've come in such a relatively short time (as a product of many years of dedicated work by many people) - it is hard to believe (and fantastic and overdue) that these concepts are being put into action at the highest level, and in support of action at all levels. But still there are some important and fundamental 'blind-spots' with regard to the design of our society and economy, how we go about meeting our needs, and how we confuse the pursuit of well-being with economic growth. The Green America team has released 7 good, concise steps that will get us further down the path we now need to follow, check them out in this piece:
Everyone now understands that the economy is broken.
While many name the mortgage and credit-default-swap crises as culprits, they are only the most recent indicators of an economy with fatal design flaws. Our economy has long been based on what economist Herman Daly calls "uneconomic growth" where increases in the GDP come at an expense in resources and well-being that is worth more than the goods and services provided.
When GNP growth exacerbates social and environmental problems—from sweatshop labor to manufacturing toxic chemicals—every dollar of GNP growth reduces well-being for people and the planet, and we're all worse off.
Our fatally flawed economy creates economic injustice, poverty, and environmental crises. It doesn't have to be that way. We can create a green economy: one that serves people and the planet and offers antidotes to the current breakdown... read more »
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