The EcoKnowMe: If the Economy cared for People and the Planet (my intro, edited)
If you are reading this, you probably consciously or unconsciously know that you are a part of the 'Economy'. What is the 'Economy' and how do you feel about it? Can you point to it? Or is it an idea we all believe in and pretend is real? Sure, there is a stock market, multi-national corporations and resources and services being exchanged all over the world, everyday. That's the economy, right? The collective movement of goods, services, information and all kinds of value exchanged inter-personally or internationally? I get it. It is both real and conceptual but in order to talk about all these activities, we need a vocabulary to describe what we do with each other and agree to rules on how we exchange stuff.
I'm not an economist, but I live in the world like everyone else and I am trying to understand this system I have been born into and make the most of it, but in my few decades on this Earth, there are many things I do not understand but presume can be and even improved in my lifetime. One such idea is the Economy itself and after years in private school, university and various courses in Yoga, Permaculture and the like, I felt conflicted. So many alternatives and solutions seem to be already available that help people to meet their basic needs without needing to subscribe to a system that demands that you hand over your best hours, peak mental performance and life energy towards either a job or career that neither fulfill you or take care of your health or best interests... all while raping the planet to give you things you don't need or try to make you happy but are somehow meant to compensate for the crummy deal you've agreed to. Sounds great right?
Does your country care about you and your Dreams? Do you get to enjoy a healthy environment, reasonable housing and access to affordable nutritious food? Is it easy to just exist or are you expected to pay for even the most basic needs which increase in price each year? Are you empowered or imprisoned?
These are the questions that make me pause. After taking a Permaculture Design Course with Geoff Lawton at the Permaculture Research Institute in Australia, I was faced with many ideas that conflicted with my previous world views. After taking the course and beginning the process of digesting the ideas presented, I was confronted with the realization that life is not that difficult and the problems can actually be solutions. You name it. Climate change, food insecurity, collective health, pollution and countless other problems all seemed to be resolvable thanks to this new design science I had been empowered with and now felt confident could be applied to the many ails facing humanity today,
So, I came up with this silly idea called the EcoKnowMe. The Eco is for Ecology, environmentalism, Earth Care etc and the acknowledgement that the economy is actually an extension and exploitation of the the natural ecology which sustains us. Know for Knowledge or a knowledge based economy rooted in the exchange of the most empowering ideas to help humanity meet its needs through education and openness. Me is a twist on the 'my' of the 'Economy' It means to shift the focus from ownership and ego based pursuits and redirect those energies to one of personal stewardship, life-long education and personal improvement. Your greatest Wealth with always be your Health and Wisdom accumulated over a lifetime of Self-Actualization. There is only one 'You' so you might as well enjoy dealing with your own uniqueness and find a way of using your skills and special talents to help others. We are all connected and our ability to relate with one another harmoniously dictates how well things will go for everyone. If we are fighting over natural resources just to make ends meet, things will turn sour pretty quick. If we learn to meet our collective needs in a way that doesn't damage or exploit the environment or our humanity, that could last forever. Hence, Perma-culture. This probably all seems like a pie-in-the-sky idea and I just ask that you apply the same criticism to the ideas we already unwittingly subscribe to each day, hoping for a better alternative. We live our lives as though if the economy is failing, so to shall we. But it's not the economy is it? It's the people and environment we depend on. After finding Steemit, I decided I would redirect my interests energies and passion towards a project that might be as silly and unrealistic as the so called 'economy' that somehow expects infinite growth on a finite planet. So, I intend to use this platform to share my ideas, dreams, intent and vision for the future while hoping to inform the masses of the many cool and inspiring solutions I've come across over my years of searching and study as it relates to health, home, humanity and any number of topics (yes this is me keeping it open ended in order to leave space for infinite possibilities, yes it's vague, but let's just see where this goes shall we?). So here's the idea I've been chewing on.... I hope to see if I can redirect my interest in social media to this platform and see if I can both help spread good ideas, but also help others do the same. If I make a bit of cash, the idea is to limit my cut to 20% and redistribute the other 80% to like minded causes in order to strengthen a global movement towards a more sustainable and sane future. Though I must admit I am new to Steemit so I'm not sure how to do all that, yet.
I promote the works and good ideas of myself and others and try to create the world I wish to see by making the old one obsolete. I meet my needs and teach you how to do the same. No, I don't want to be a millionaire nor do think we all need to be dripping in bling in order to feel content, but I do think it is reasonable for all people to have a decent life with opportunities to realize their potential. All we need is a decent place to live, clean air, water, good food and good health to pursue our interests and passions. Let me give an example of one idea that changed the game for me to give you a sense of where I am going here.
Earthships. Created and refined by renegade architect Micheal Reynolds from the USA, Earthships are the product of his development of 'Biotecture' an alternative to Architecture which places more consideration on the forces acting on buildings and the people who occupy them. Think about it. A house has enough water raining on it each year to meet its water needs, enough solar energy to meet its heating and cooling and probably power needs. If you include grey water processing and black water management, you can grow food, air, medicine while cleaning water so it can reenter the environment in a manageable state. This is exactly what Earthships do, all while using recycled and reused materials like tires and bottles.
There is a great documentary called 'Garbage Warrior' that explores this idea and Micheal Reynolds journey to gain acceptance to his ideas and municipal permission to build his structures. My favorite part of the Documentary, is when a family is interviewed and they discuss how they built their home and how their young daughter fully understands how the house works and takes care of them. But the sweetest part came when the father described the feeling he had waking up each morning knowing that there were thousands of gallons of harvested rainwater, food growing in the botanical cells and garden, no power bill, no mortgage, no heating or cooling bill and a safe comfortable environment to raise his family. If he lost his job, he knew he could survive. The house took care of him and his family. Everyone has a home, of sorts, but few of us can say that we are actually taken care of by the structures or landscapes we occupy. Earthships and Permaculture are two ideas I have mentioned and if you dive into those rabbit holes you might see what I mean in terms of their paradigm shifting powers.
I hope to share more ideas on this platform and inspire others to do the same.
I think a better world is possible and with enough support maybe we can stop thinking in terms of our involvement in the 'Economy' and more in terms of the EcoknowMe. They are both imaginary... What kind of World do you want to imagine?
As Pablo Picasso once said 'Everything you can Imagine, Is Real". Look forward to seeing where this goes,
Happy Dreaming, Co-Creators :)
http://www.geofflawtononline.com/
Welcome to Steemit @ecoknowme :)
Make sure to participate in this weeks giveaway to get known in the community!
Here are some helpful tips to get you started: