April 2012

Accounting for a crowded but sustainable planet

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We need to change the way we account for things as we hit the resource wall. We cannot continue to regard, from an accounting point of view, resources as infinate.
Her’s an attempt to form a sustainable approach:
In my last post I argued that:
Technology is a collection of inventions and capabilities to solve a problem or need.
Work is the application of technology to deliver a solution to the problem or need.
Sustainable technology is a collection of inventions and capabilities to solve problems in a way that preserves financial, natural and mineral capital. Sustainable work applies sustainable technology to delivering the services required to live.
Let us take a group of people and for sake of argument let us take a village of 100 houses with 300 residents, some under age. High up on the list of required services would be  – not in any order  – access to 1) housing 2) food 3) security, 4) clothing.

A philosophical exploration of what “sustainable” and “technology” are

What we call technology is actually a narrow practice including mechanics, electronics and computer science. This confusion is hampering human development, especially when the expectation is on not developing financial and social technology but demanding mechanical solutions when simple agreements could suffice. Modern technology is failing, we are not addressing the challenges in front of us. For some reason, our very use of language is holding us back and preventing us from thinking clearly.Read More »A philosophical exploration of what “sustainable” and “technology” are

The answer is the circle. The question is going to get thrown at you any time soon.

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Photo: Meridith_farmer on Flickr

In the conference room, standing barefoot in a circle, holding hands together we wait for Medicine Story to speak:

“In the old ways, the tribe does everything in a circle.”

“The circle is what keeps us together, and in keeping together we survive.”

Read More »The answer is the circle. The question is going to get thrown at you any time soon.