Monetary Reform to facilitate Transition to Steady State Economy

Good comment from Jason Dow on the Post Carbon Institute blog: "The issues as I see it is the macro economic model that the energy system supports is based on constant growth in consumption. It is the primary headwind slowing transition for this model to keep the lights on and to keep people employed must pay their bills from their revenues. So today we have technology capable of reducing consumption yet still not capable of completely taking over. This brings me to my point, when we look at the systemic factors blocking the transition one of the primary pillars is growth, and one of the primary drivers of growth is the way money comes into existence as debt so logically if we can transform money to debt free money,( the government creates credit and spends this into the economy) this has the potential to act as a pressure valve over time to absorb some of the rougher edges of transitioning off consumption based economics towards a steady state economic paradigm where progress is measured by a multitude of factors and not just the gross volume of money changes hands across the economy. So if we want this energy revolution, we will need to revolutionize how money comes into existence that will enable the policies to absorb as much of the shock of the transition as possible for people will not tolerate being thrown into poverty, or mass chaos, we will need a mechanism that allows us to transition from a consumptive based system to a cradle to cradle circular economic system and money will play a fundamental role."

A People's Agenda from 1995

A People's Agenda by Hiralal Desarda, March 28, 1995: I. Disband World Bank, IMF and the Bretton Woods systems and stop so called structural adjustment programs forth with. II. Repudiate all debt; halt repatriation of profits, revoke all economic sanctions against all nations and end discrimination on the basis of Race, Religion, Gender and other inequalities. III. Suspend the hydrocarbon based energy model and invest in alternative bio-solar energy systems and renewable technologies which are environmentally sound, sustainable and socially just. IV. Prohibit MNC's from running businesses in countries other than their own and hand over their present assets to local agencies of the people. V. Promote alternative lifestyles of consumption, production and transport. This meat-eating, tobacco smoking, alcohol guzzling, private automobile addicted and energy intensive gadget dependant life pattern of the present day dominant industrial and urban society must be radically reduced in a very conscious and rapid manner for our planet and peoples to survive. VI. Work for values of family and sexual morality and restraint. VII. Respect for all life forms, unity of life and harmony with nature. In short, total nonviolence should be the basis of all human and social activity.

Steady State Economy graphic