comments:
In short, don't worry about doomers. Build organizations that build useful things sustainably and equitably. To be more specific: join, or build, cooperative, decentralized, post-capitalist, sustainable organizations that achieve some part of the mission. Even more specific: Post-capitalist: Post capitalism is already here, it's just not evenly distributed yet. For many industries, capital (or land, or labor) are not the decisive factors of production, knowledge/technology is. Capital is also largely owned by institutional investors (pensions, index funds, mutual funds) that usually delegate their voting power to management. They want their return and don't mount proxy battles, they just sell their shares if they disagree with management. Corporate raiders do exist, but there's simple ways to defend against them when incorporating. And therefore shareholders often - in many modern corporations - do not get the voting rights they traditionally would in a classic corporation. Typically this achieved through by-laws that delineate different share classes with different voting rights per class. This is for example how Google or Facebook are structured, giving their founders and chosen insiders absolute control and capitalists very little. This isn't solarpunk though, as unquestionable centralized control by experts is a technocracy rather than democracy. And so... Cooperative: One way to ensure 1 member, 1 vote; external investment capital might be allowed with a share class, but it doesn't increase voting power. Cooperatives can be for-profit (the mission also involves growing the scope of the organization through re-investment of retained earnings... and maybe member profit sharing if it's warranted) or non-profit (solely mission focused at the expense of limiting growth). Also note that cooperative doesn't necessarily mean worker cooperative. Many cooperatives are community-owned or customer-owned. Without external shareholder voting power, member voting is the essential democratic check on the power of management to enrich themselves at the expense of the long term viability of the organization, and thus the mission. Decentralized: Top management sets the strategy, mission, and structure, but day to day operational decisions of the organization are with the front-line employees and managers. Better for the mission, better for the organization, better for the communities they operate in. Sustainable: A for-profit cooperative organization achieves a profit to absorb risk, cover the costs of capital and retains earnings to re-invest in the organization, primarily, or to distribute those profits back to members in the community. It does so while eliminating waste through modern practices ... e.g. lean product and process techniques, net-zero carbon emissions, closed-loop ecosystems / circular economies, energy conservation, etc. plus it handles economic externalities: it provides support for the communities it co-exists with, buys carbon offsets if it can't be truly net zero, and provides affordability accommodations. Of course, all of this is "ideal"; it's ultimately up to members to keep management honest and on track with sustainability objectives. Some examples: - Food production cooperatives with the modern technology & power to offer an actual progressive alternative to standard agriculture: https://www.amazon.com/First-Generation-Farming-coordinated-agribusiness/dp/B0GBR2ZBCF - Platform cooperatives: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dBOygqO0zc - Technology cooperatives: https://tech-coops.xyz/ - Energy cooperatives: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_energy_cooperatives - Student-run exchange & leadership cooperatives - e.g. https://aiesec.org/ - Almost any area of the economy that could use a bit more democracy, decentralization, and technology to serve customers & the community better.,.. , and has a competitive opening. How should a person (with nearly unlimited capital) invest their money to achieve these goals even faster? Invest in non-profits that align to your mission, for-profit cooperatives that allow external investment, or find like-minded individuals and seed fund your own co-operative ventures.
First Generation Farming by Chris Newman: https://a.co/d/0c7XQQKV Edit: Nevermind, saw "farm" and assumed you wanted to farm.
Anyone do a comparison between the 2 on the Amazon app? Amazon ai comparison just told me: Recommendation: The https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GBR2ZBCF Chris Newman edition is the original work, backed by real-world farming experience and strong reader praise. While it's priced higher and shorter, readers consistently call it honest, practical, and invaluable. The other version is best avoided based on the overwhelming reviewer concern about its authenticity.