In A Perfect World, Capitalism Would Actually Work.

Capitalism is often vilified as the source of most modern evils, from the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer to inequalities in environmental health. The problem is we don't live in a perfect capitalist society so capitalism is as flawed as the system that supports it. There's really no such thing as a perfect capitalist society though. According to Adam Smith in his The Wealth of Nations, in true capitalism every man pursuing solely what is best for himself will result in what is best for society. True capitalism means everyone has; perfect access to information, perfect access to all goods and services, free movement of goods and labor, no external factors like taxes or subsidies affect prices, and all goods and services are economically quantified and accounted for.

None of these parameters are true in our current economy. Environmentalist often focus on the last aspect of capitalism, the idea that all goods and services are economically quantified and accounted for. Environmental resources like metals, minerals, wood, water, air, and soil, along with environmental services like water and air purification and soil production, are often severely undervalued or not valued at all. The cost of polluting the air and the water are born by society at large, not by the company which does the polluting.

The secret to a sustainable society according to Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, and L. Hunter Lovins in their book "Natural Capitalism; Creating the Next Industrial Revolution," lies in giving natural resources their fair value - hence 'natural capitalism.' How would this work? Put simply, stop subsidizing industries that harm society (like giving oil companies millions in tax breaks every year and selling large scale industrial agriculture heavily subsidized water) charge a reasonable prices for limited resources (like expanding 'pay as you drive systems' including more tolls, higher parking fees, or including the cost of insurance in gasoline so more driving costs more, all working to reduce driving and limit the expansion of asphalt) and close the resource loop by making industries responsible for all of their waste.

All of these practices would encourage business to take natural resources into account in all their economic calculations, and lead to innovation in industries that realize there is an economic benefit to preserving the natural resources they rely on. The other main reason industries have been slow to adopt high efficiency resource saving practices, is that they are too focused on short term profits, and are unable to see the multiple benefits of holistic solutions. Factories with outdated generators could install new ones that use half the energy and would pay themselves back in a year and 5 times over in their entire lifetime, but they aren't upgraded because stakeholders will only accept a payback of 6 months. Industries fail to realize that by constantly moving their production centers to countries with the cheapest labor they impoverish their own customers and cripple their ability to innovate new technologies by never developing a strong base from which to grow. Instead of competing to produce the best product, they are competing to produce the cheapest. This works well for a short while, but it is a race to the bottom which everyone will loose.

A more holistic approach, realizes that well thought out solutions solve multiple problems, which in the end is more cost effective. Take efficient buildings for example. Investing in small amount of efficiency, like better windows can be expensive and barely pay itself back. But with a holistic design, a building can become much more efficient and economical. For example, the Rocky Mountain Institute spent a good deal of time and money designing their new office. Despite the larger initial cost, because it was so well designed the final building ended being cheaper to build then a standard design due to reduces materials. It was so efficient, even though the center was in the Rocky Mountains where temperatures can easily reach -40 degrees in winter, the only heating system for the 4,000 structure was two small stoves, and the Institute was able to grow bananas there!

The book cites in-numerous other success stories of companies, communities, governments, and individuals that used creative new approaches to economic and resource and created amazing innovative solutions which saved money, resources, and improved standards of living. Natural capitalism can help people break out of the old business as usual models, and reconsider new solutions to old problems. It is a fascinating read, and for anyone who thinks sustainability is hopeless or pointless, you will find the solutions in this book incredibly inspiring.

In a Completely Sustainable World, We Could All Consume More?

Most modern day environmentalism and sustainability efforts are tied to efficiency; reduce, reuse, recycle. According to these mantras, being green means self sacrifice - you have to use less electricity, less water, drive less, and consume less, all steps to make your environmental foot print 'less bad.' 'Less' is not really the most fun or inspiring way to live life. So what if you could consume as much as wanted and feel like all your consumption is actually improving the planet rather then harming it? According to Bill McDonough and Michael Braungart, you could.

The key to creating a future in which human beings lives are improved along with the natural environment, as described in McDonough and Braungart's book "Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things," is to realize that industry and the environment do not have to be opposed. Why do humans have such a large negative impact on the Earth? Most people contribute it to our large population which is overwhelming natural systems. Ants also build cities (colonies which are expansive complexes with specific locations designated for diverse tasks), farm their food (some raise aphids, others nurture fungus colonies), and wage war against other ant groups. The total mass of all the ants in the world is greater then the mass of all people in the world, so why aren't ants ruining the planet? All of the activities that ants do actually serve to improve the planet,  not harm it, and they are in fact a crucial factor in maintaining soil health and litter removal. So why can't people, be more like ants?

Take for example furniture upholstery. Most textile factories us a large number of diverse chemicals and toxins in their manufacturing process, including cobalt, zirconium and other heavy metals. Fabric trimmings are often considered hazardous waste which is difficult to dispose of, and clean water consumed for the process is released as toxic-sludge. While the fabric is being used, toxic particles are abraded into the air and breathed in by the people sitting on it. When the fabric has served its purpose, it is either land-filled or incinerated, depositing its remaining toxins in the air or soil. Is this really the best way to make furniture?

The authors of 'Cradle to Cradle' helped create a different approach. They designed a fabric made from wool and ramie which together made a strong comfortable fabric. They then selected finishes and dyes that only had positive qualities - 38 of them compared to the almost 8,000 chemicals commonly used in the textile industry. While all of this required an expensive and laborious research process, the end product was higher-quality and more economical. When the fabric went into production, regulators came to test the effluent, and found the water quality leaving the factory was actually higher then water quality entering the factory. Areas of the factory that had previously stored hazardous-chemicals were converted to recreational rooms for employees. The fabric did not release any harmful chemicals due to abrasion from normal use, and when people were finished with it, they could throw it onto the soil or compost pile and it would actually contribute nutrients and improve soil quality.

This concept of a 'cradle to cradle' design process, which takes into account all factors in the life cycle of a product rather then just production and sale, can be applied to all types of products, and can lead to industries that provide valuable goods at reasonable prices while making the world safer for consumers, producers and nature alike. Recycling is a good idea, but most goods that are recycled are not designed with recylability in mind. This means these products may be recycled, but they are often downcycled to a product of inferior quality until they must eventually be disposed of, and often require extra chemical inputs to compensate for their impurities. If products were designed to be fully recyclable, either as plastic or metal that can be continually reused as a high quality material and kept in the industrial loop, or as a completely biodegradable substance that can enhance environmental health, then consuming more would never mean damaging your health, community, or environment. A system of production and consumption that leads to more economic growth, more available resources, more healthy and happy people and a more healthy environment. 'More,' now that's a lifestyle people can get excited about.