More Fun, Less Stuff

More Fun, Less Stuff

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Where is Obama’s Herman Daly?

I’m watching Obama work his butt off to make things happen, but there’s a big problem. He hasn’t got any radical solutions, at a time when we need radical solutions. He can’t please all of the people all of the time, and more MOR solutions mean we’ll get Clinton-esque MOR solutions.

Well of course, he could never be radical even if it were in his personality, or John McCain would be president now. But I’m bummed mainly by one thing, which for me colors his actions on energy, economy, development, everything:

His dependence on Lawrence Summers.

I have two words for Lawrence Summers:   Herman Daly.

If Obama were a true visionary, truly unique and not MOR , he’d have been consulting with Daly, and not Summers. If we’d followed what Daly wanted of the World Bank decades ago, we wouldn’t be in this fix right now.  Daly is am environmental economist, a proponent of steady state economics, which is likely our only chance for the future.   (If you haven’t read Daly’s book Beyond Growth – read it. He wrote it more than 20 years ago, and it’s now critical that we “get it”.)

I’ll write more on this in the coming weeks, as I’m working on a book on the topic and I want to post here for input and feedback. If you’re a fan of steady state econ, tell us more please.

February 22nd, 2009 | Tags: , , , , | Category: Economics, Green, Steady State Economics | Leave a comment

Idiocracy, In The Future? Or Now

It was just too hilarious, I had just gotten finished watching Sarah Palin “interviewed” by Katie Couric, and then flipped the channel to find the Mike Judge movie Idiocracy was playing on HBO.  That’s the movie where people have become truly moronic in the future, with a professional wrestler as President.  I wonder if John McCain has seen it.

September 26th, 2008 | Tags: , , | Category: Politics | Leave a comment

You Mean YOU Didn’t Make $XX Million Last Year?!

My friend Greg Cryns has a great post linking to some articles about the nice men (and yes, they are all men) we are rushing to help because they so badly need welfare to make sure their mid-six-figure country club dues get paid this year.

Bank CEO salaries – OMG

I just thought it was interesting that along with its current drumbeat to bail out Wall Street, CNBC ran a special not too long ago called “Untold Wealth: The Rise Of The Super Rich” – complete with the episode about how hard it is being a billionaire.  Just makes you want to cry.  Just when you think you have it bad, there is always someone worse off than you,… or, something.  There’s a link to a NY Sun article there too called “Take The Money And Make More”.  Should be, “Take Everyone’s Money and Take More”.  Wonder if they’ll do a show about the “Fall Of The Super Rich”, but somehow I doubt it.

I have an extra pitchfork I can lend to whoever wants it ;)

PS, I also had to laugh at Larry Kudlow telling Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) that he’s for free markets “except in just a few cases” – like just the times when he’s a little bit pregnant.  You probably won’t see a link to that interview on his web site.

Wondering what this bailout will do to efforts to invest green…

September 25th, 2008 | Tags: , , , , , , | Category: Money | Comments (1)

Can We Just Stop?

Here’s an idea;

Stop buying stuff.

Even green stuff.

I just saw a new product listed on CNET, for something called “Lunchopolis”. I hesitate to even link to it, since it’s just one of the things I think are all wrong with the way we are approaching changing our lifestyle.

It’s a new product being advertised as “green”, and is really not.

A new lunch box, expensive, plastic, which isn’t all that much different from the $9 reuseable lunch box you buy at the local big box store, or if you’re really goo, at the thrify store, except that it comes with its own Tupperware.  Oh, did I mention it’s expensive?

OK, where’s the green here?  I mean, anything different from using, say, any old $9 lunch box and your own reuseable plastic containers?

I don’t get it. Except that, one more product, not using any recycled materials, made in another China factory, with all it’s power implications, and simply glomming onto the “green” desires of moms and dads everywhere. I’m sure you’ll find it at your local Whole Food$, where they offer you products that let you feel better about your purchases. Not telling you that you might need to reduce your purchases, just that you can feel better about all the stuff you buy.

We need to be wiser than this, in order to stop global warming. Buying more stuff, no matter how prominent the “green” label, is not what we should be doing. Not uying more stuff AT ALL, except where necessary, is what we should be doing.  Are we? Wiser?

I mean, can we stop? Can we just stop?

That’s really our only chance. Not to more “buy green” stuff.  Just at least to stop being fooled, for a start.

August 31st, 2008 | Tags: , , , , , , | Category: Green | Comments (1)