Institute for a Resource Based Economy…
…is some dope shit (and by that, yes, I do mean “fuck introductions”). They promote a new economic system that connects the environment and our economy to achieve a sustainable society. This system, labelled a ‘Resource Based Economy’, challenges our current growth economy and proposes a steady-state economic model based upon our scientific understanding of our planet and the resources and ecosystems which we depend on for our survival.
At IRBE we recognize that human beings cannot indefinitely grow our economies and our consumption given the limitation of a finite planet with finite resources. The evidence is clear that we are up against actual barriers to growth whether we speak about fossil fuels, mineral resources, deforestation, species extinction, ocean acidification and more.
IRBE has run an overview and discussion series featuring Chris Martensen’s “Crash Course” on the current global economic situation, and it’s home-hitting implications. They’ve featured the like of Bernard Lietaer, Jacqui Dunn, Charles Eisenstein, and a couple of 3D printinggenie’s asses named Rory and Adam.
Their event last night “Money and Sustainability” was a promising look at the possibilities of complementary currencies to ease the inherent fluctuations of the current model, as well as transition to a more sustainable way of living. Through real-world examples the authors explain how thousands of communities across the globe are reassessing and re-engineering money with astonishing social and environmental results. These strategies do not replace the conventional monetary system, but work in parallel with it, providing new options and resources that promote sustainable abundance and cooperation. In fact, since 1980 the number of cooperative currencies has increased from a mere handful to more than 4,000 mature systems today.
I picked up 4 free DVDs from the table set up there by IRBE’s sister organization, Zeitgeist Toronto. They were:
(2008) The movie that sparked the Zeitgeist Movement, director Peter Joseph discusses the monetary and banking systems, the social values they enforce, and a more sustainable hypothesis for the future from a scientific perspective. Featuring Jacques Freso. (2hr 3m)
(2011) The 3rd and latest Zeitgeist film Moving Forward presents a case for a transition out of the current socioeconomic monetary paradigm which governs our global society.
This subject matter takes a different perspective from those of cultural relativism and traditional ideology (nationalism, religion, etc) and moves to relate the core, empirical “life ground” attributes of human and social survival, extrapolating those immutable natural laws into a new sustainable social paradigm called a “Resource-Based Economy”.
History – Zeitgeist: Moving Forward was released in 60+ countries and in 25+ languages on This large scale release was not associated with any major distributor, and sold out in Toronto’s Bloor (now Hot Docs) and Underground Cinemas. (2hr 45m)
From space systems engineer writer/director’s youtube video of Awakening:
“Awaken to the world around us, the problems we face, why they exist, and how to truly solve them once and for all. Please rip, share, push and promote this video. Make this viral, and educate the world! There are many groups and organizations around the world working to make it a better place. Here’s a very small list that I’d like to share…” (31 min)
“The Rise of Our Social Immune System”
A mix of documentaries and a lecture on one disc, compiled by Zeitgeist Toronto
Humanity Ovedue –Short Documentary exploring the current state of the world and some of the social, environmental and economic changes which could be put into place to create a better quality of life globally. Interviews from Occupy London, The Eden Project and Ben Mcleish and Will Dixon from The Zeitgeist Movement. (16m 12s)
Crossroads: Labour Pains of a New Worldview – A documentary exploring the depths of the current human condition and the emergence of a worldview that is recreating our world from the inside out. Crossroads* places evolutionary context to today’s escalating social unrest, natural disasters, and economic failures. It illuminates the footsteps of an integrated worldview, penetrating its way through the power of social networks to the forefront of our personal and collective awareness. (1hr 4m)
Peter Joseph @ TEDXOjai:The Big Question: Environmental Misalignment –
This talk examines todays economy in light of our environmental misalignment and the value war of personal want and industrial/corporate “rights” and the finite carrying capacity of the Earth, and the dire interrelatedness between poverty, mental health, and overall levels of social prosperity. (10m 25s)
Charlie Kaufman’s “We Are All One” (Excerpt) – (2011) In front of a sell-out Theatre at the BFI in London, Charlie Kaufman delivered the final lecture in BAFTA’s Screenwriter’s Lecture Series. This is an excerpt from the 70 minute speech. (5m)
Their sign read:
FREE (awesome) DVDS
Simply because you feel something does not make it so.