Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Effectiveness of #OccupyWallStreet

The heat is on. A movement that did not exist a month ago has become global. People from all walks of life are joining forces despite of different motivations they may have. Indignation and rage may come from unemployment, high education debts, loss of pension funds, lack of job opportunities for young workers. It can also be that indignation comes from the Too Big To Fail principle which led to the alleged injustice of "socializing debts and privitizing profits."

My concern is if this movement is aimed in the right direction. If the global economy is the greatest problem we have, or if there are other problems that require our immediate and decided attention. I refer to the natural environment.

Since 2005 we have been using more natural resources than nature itself can replenish, which means we are "eating" the interests and the principal. Unlike with finances, we cannot print more planet or devaluate it if we are running low on liquidity. We have what we have. Nature, as a matter of reminder from elementary school Biology lessons, cleans the air and water and fertile soil provides the food we eat. Hamburgers grow on soil.

If #OccupyWallStreet is a movement that is bonding people through rage with the world economy, I wonder how they will react when they realize what is going on with our global natural ecosystem. Not even the rich will survive in a world devoid of forests or fisheries or clean, free-flowing water.

My point is: gearing a global movement towards a paradigmatic change of our economy, failing to address the environmental issues as a top priority, is like being on a fire brigade fighting a fire and placing the ladder against the building that is NOT on fire.

Sooner or later we will find out that the economy is 100% linked to natural resources. Put first things first.

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