Creating a peaceful economy

Oil and peace don’t mix

Oil, Power, and War describes how controlling oil resources is the cause of major wars, and the impacts on world economies. This new book by the Shift Project, a European think tank on energy resources, provides the historical context to avoid a war with Iran. Diplomacy and respect of international agreements are superior alternatives to never ending oil wars. Peaceful solutions are needed to deal with the climate emergency.

The U.S. economy is built around false ideas. Abusing natural resources, as if the planet was created to meet human needs with the exclusion of other species, has led to mountain top removal, water and air pollution, and disruptions in the climate system. Deforestation and taking fossil fuels out of the ground has inherent pollution and carbon emissions. Consequences are ignored in a market economy, threatening life on the planet.

In a market economy, the gross domestic product and unemployment rates are measures of economic growth. Peace, public health, happiness, food security, education, equality, and environmental justice are ignored.

Arkansas ignores the climate emergency

The recent massive floods in Arkansas were “solved” with a state emergency declaration. Gov. Hutchinson wants a federal review of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers management of Oklahoma flood-prevention reservoirs. He claims the floods were preventable.

Arkansas is not prepared. Rising temperatures and humidity from the new climate are causing floods. Tributaries from Ohio and other states are increasing the volume of the Arkansas River. Arkansas levees are designed to protect navigation of barges, not communities.

Booming landfills

Landfills are sites for waste materials and discarded products. Waste removal services, known as waste management, are a booming export industry. Mountains of trash end up in Jakarta, Lebanon, and many other countries. China was imported U.S. scrap paper to make cardboard. The containers returning to China were sold by weight, but the watered-down paper containers killed the exports to China. Now China is coming to the Arkansas Sun Bio mill to ship our forests as cardboard.

Circular economy (CE)

The alternative to landfills is to re-use and re-cycle materials and products. Case in point: The Eureka Christian Health Outreach Thrift Store is a great success story for Eureka Springs, Ark., and nearby towns. With a great team of volunteers and management, this community center provides low-cost, lightly used quality products donated by local people and businesses. The ECHO Ministry welcomes everyone. Weekends are busy with visitors to Eureka Springs and those looking for unique items.

A circular economy is a radically different economic model, regenerative by design, using systems thinking to turn waste into raw materials. Designing quality products using recycled materials, manufactured without carbon emissions, pollution, or waste, makes re-use and re-cycling a superior alternative.

A circular economy starts with quality re-usable and re-cyclable designs. The goal is to eliminate material waste and re-create value. Value is defined by the end customer, measured by the price customers are willing to pay. The “value circle” is a smart way to create quality jobs, products, and services.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation (www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org) is a U.K. charity, seeking to inspire a generation to re-think, re-design, and build, circular economies.

World beyond war

Wars must be avoided. A World Beyond War (www.worldbeyondwar.org) is an international leading organization seeking peaceful solutions. Please join the free webinar “Divest from the war machine – Don’t Bank on the Bomb,” on Tuesday, July 2, at 7 p.m. CDT. “Grassroots-led war divestment campaigns are springing up all over the world, from students organizing to divest university endowments from weapons manufacturers and war profiteers, to municipalities and states coming together to divest public pension funds from the war machine. On this webinar, we’ll talk about the strategies and tactics needed to run a successful divestment campaign.”

Creating peace requires people demanding respect and compassion for our brothers and sisters. We are living during the most important time in human history. Let’s rise to the challenge and create world peace.

Dr. Luis Contreras