posted 10 years ago
Ah... this is a juicy one!
First of all, a few thoughts on language:
--Confession: I have no idea what a "consomactor" is. Phew, glad we got that out of the way... perhaps it means something along the lines of "voting with your dollars?" I have long bemoaned the term "consumer" because that title fails to recognize all the other things that one does beyond just eat (if we're talking about a food system) or buy (if we're talking about the economy in more general terms). If I'm ever at a conference or reading an article and someone refers to me as a "consumer," I tend to bristle... I prefer to think of myself as an engaged citizen, with a range of responsibilities and roles far beyond my capacity to consume.
--The word "sustainable" means any number of things, depending on who is saying the word, so I like to be specific there, too. In the more traditional business world, "sustainable" usually just means that the thing in question will keep on going... as in the business will still be there, you will continue to earn great returns on your investments, etc. I suspect you mean something more comprehensive, that includes attention not only to business bottom lines but also the ecosystem and communities within which these ventures operate?
--And my oh my... let's dig into SHOULD a bit. I prefer not to attempt to answer what anyone "should" do, because to assume that I know the answer would be to assume that I know far more than I believe I, or anyone really, ever can know, and how anyone will answer for themselves will depend on a great number of factors. In response to "what SHOULD I (or anyone) do?" questions, I will tend to respond with more questions: What is the outcome you are most interested in achieving? What is your unique realm of influence? What is it that you feel called to do about the situation? What are you passionate about, and love doing? In just the same way that we're gonna need a biodiversity of food species to get us through whatever climate weirdness is coming (and in many ways, already here!), we're going to need a biodiversity of roles and activities to get us where we want to go, and I don't make any assumptions about where that might be for anyone.
Now, some actual answers to a couple of your questions, at least: (and I love what Eric wrote: Yes! Needing -- and buying -- less is a very important piece of the puzzle, and connected to your question here about wealth!)
From my perspective, the present financial system is a wonderful mix of approaches that range all over the spectrum of, on one side, some really entrenched models that don't necessarily fit with some of the more interesting and innovative ways to solving social and environmental problems, and that often serve to perpetuate some rather frightening (to me) ecological and social trends... and on the other side of the spectrum, it includes some really innovative and exciting models that have been designed by people who are trying to democratize both the ability to invest in small, values-based ventures AND raise money for them.
My particular approach to helping people who want to invest OR raise money for their ecologically- and socially-restorative projects has been to illuminate the full range of existing options so that people can make informed decisions about how they want to engage... IN THE CURRENT SYSTEM, with the various options available, depending upon how the various fundraising tools match with their unique values and situations.
Often, in the case of some of the more traditional, entrenched financing structures, I end up helping people understand potential pitfalls so that they can use these tools to their advantage, rather than ending up going down a slippery slope with potentially adverse results... based on their goals. In the case of the newfangled options, my work often involves revealing that these techniques exist at all, and then helping determine a good match.
So that's mostly where I'm coming from. Many other people are also involved in creating the new investing / fundraising models, or changing the laws around what's possible, or increasing financial literacy and providing business training so that people are better able to access the full range of financial opportunities, or creating new types of business entity structures that can take a wider range of stakeholders into account...
As far as redefining growth... I'd ask first why we care about growth at all before attempting to redefine it... the obsession with exponential growth forever (whether we're talking about economic growth, farm output, or even spiritual growth) sounds a lot like cancer to me... though I like where I think you're going with that question, say more? I suspect it's connected to your question about wealth. Such great questions, and so exciting to start busting up some assumptions...
Regarding what we "should" buy or support with our dollars, it feels important to say that if we are in a position to make choices to spend more in order to shop according to our values -- whatever they might be -- then we are in a privileged position. And because of our current economic state, many people are not in a position to make such choices. I usually choose to shop according to my values, and sometimes I choose to let that "job" slide a bit because I'm focusing my efforts on other priorities. There are so many ways to be part of the solution!
.......I have probably revealed quite plainly that I'm not exactly a revolutionary. I think of myself more as a guide to options that exist, now, for people who want to get something done (start a farm, a small business, an art project, etc) that will, by their estimation, make the world a better place.
Thanks for letting me dig into some of your questions!
Elizabeth