James Samuel

I put facilitating the buying and selling of land, in the same basket as brokers trading on the stock market. Neither contribute much to the general well-being of the community in which they operate. I don’t believe that any cash benefit to the community, of selling Waiheke land (and homes) to the highest bidder, has outweighed the detrimental effects of the changes that have come about, albeit as unintended consequences.

Talk of sustainability is largely futile while we have a global monetary system whose very design widens the gap between rich and poor and forces continual economic growth. To struggle for social justice and reversing of the destruction of our habitat without introducing a diverse and benign money system is largely misdirected effort.

I am most curious what happens when we come across new information, that once understood, begs a change of habit and some new actions. I’ve noticed in myself and others, that information alone is rarely enough to change how we act from day to day. So what does make the difference?

A few bits of data, with links, to help us get a clearer picture of the landscape. It seems to be part of my role, to feed information, and that includes data to show that yes, we are indeed on a path that is leading to breakdown of society as we know it.

I was seeking some background data in preparation for giving a talk at the Heart Politics gathering on Friday. I found this amazing list of debt data on Wikipedia. At a glance it is clear that there is trouble afoot. Already we are seeing the list of countries in economic crisis growing – Iceland, Ireland, Greece, [...]

New community currencies are popping up like wildfire, as you would expect in these interesting times! A voucher system called LOAVES (Local Origin Ashhurst Voucher Exchange) is soon to be launched in the Manawatu. The people behind it have done their homework to ensure they give it every chance of success.