René Passet : « Il faut prendre du recul pour voir qu’un autre monde est en train de naître
Basta ! : Notre manière de penser l’économie dépend de notre perception du monde. Et varie totalement en fonction des époques et du progrès technique. Dans votre dernier ouvrage, vous proposez de relire l’histoire économique à la lumière de ces mutations. René Passet [1] : Ceux qui voient le monde comme une mécanique, une horloge, ne considèrent pas l’économie de la même façon que ceux qui le voient comme un système énergétique qui se dégrade. Peu à peu la rationalité l’emporte, et la science se laïcise. Avec la machine à vapeur apparaît une nouvelle représentation du monde... En 1824, le physicien Sadi Carnot découvre les lois de la thermodynamique : le principe de conservation et le principe de dégradation. Ce passage d’une représentation mécanique du monde à la société énergétique a-t-il un impact sur la vie des idées ? Le mouvement des idées part alors dans trois directions. Vient ensuite le temps de l’immatériel et de l’information... Vous n’êtes pas très optimiste…
Scientists on 'Sixth Extinction' ... Say It Could Kill Us
Even conservative calculations show the world is in the midst of a sixth mass extinction that's being caused by our species — and is likely to lead to humanity's demise if unchecked, scientists reported Friday. The scientists' analysis, published in the open-access journal Science Advances, follows up on more than a decade's worth of warnings about a rapid loss of global biodiversity. Many experts say the loss has risen to the scale seen during five previous global extinction events — the most recent of which occurred 65 million years ago when the dinosaurs died off. The claims provide the theme of Elizabeth Kolbert's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "The Sixth Extinction." Related: Extinction Could Get Worse by 2200, Scientists Say Based on those figures, the extinction rate since 1900 has been eight to 100 times higher than the expected background rate, the researchers said. Flash Interactive: See When Species Rose and Fell Related: Pope Francis Urges Revolution to Save Earth
UC-Berkeley-Mycology-Matrix-Composites-ASC-Conference-Paper-13-May-2013-2.pdf
Finally, a breakthrough alternative to growth economics – the doughnut | Economic policy
So what are we going to do about it? This is the only question worth asking. But the answers appear elusive. Faced with a multifaceted crisis – the capture of governments by billionaires and their lobbyists, extreme inequality, the rise of demagogues, above all the collapse of the living world – those to whom we look for leadership appear stunned, voiceless, clueless. Even if they had the courage to act, they have no idea what to do. The most they tend to offer is more economic growth: the fairy dust supposed to make all the bad stuff disappear. You can see the effects in a leaked memo from the UK’s Foreign Office: “Trade and growth are now priorities for all posts … work like climate change and illegal wildlife trade will be scaled down.” We cannot hope to address our predicament without a new worldview. Raworth points out that economics in the 20th century “lost the desire to articulate its goals”. The central image in mainstream economics is the circular flow diagram.
Depuis cette nuit, la Terre vit sur ses réserves
Il aura fallu moins de huit mois à l’humanité pour consommer toutes les ressources naturelles renouvelables que la planète peut produire en un an, selon le Global Footprint Network. L’humanité vit désormais au-dessus de ses moyens. En moins de huit mois, elle a déjà consommé toutes les ressources naturelles renouvelables que la planète peut produire en un an. L’organisation non gouvernementale Global Footprint Network réalise ce calcul depuis une vingtaine d’années. Grâce à des données fournies par les Nations unies, elle compare l’empreinte écologique, qui mesure l’exploitation des ressources naturelles de la Terre par l’homme, avec la biocapacité de la planète, c’est-à-dire sa capacité à régénérer ses ressources et absorber les déchets, comme les émissions de gaz à effet de serre. Toujours plus précoce, cette date avance de trois jours par an, en moyenne, depuis 1970. « Cercle vicieux » Lire aussi Tout comprendre aux négociations climatiques Prise de conscience Nathalie Picard
19 Places That Actually Exist In Australia
Patent US8227225 - Plasticized mycelium composite and method - Google Patents
The present invention generally relates to a mycelium composite and a method of making the same, and more particularly to a method of making composite parts that include a mycelium component and a plasticizer. Plastics and plastic foams have been widely used in a multitude of industrial and consumer applications. Specifically, urethane plastics, foams and elastomers, as well as other like petroleum-based products have been used in the automobile industry, for example, for outfitting vehicle interiors. Given the non-biodegradable nature of these materials, as well as the limited availability and time-intensive process for renewing these resources, the interest in biodegradable or “green” components has steadily increased. One aspect of the present invention includes a method of making a plasticized structure, including dissolving a soluble polymer in a liquid thereby forming a polymer solution of polymer particles. Mycelium is often referred to as the vegetative component of a fungus.
Meet the doughnut: the new economic model that could help end inequality
They say a picture speaks a thousand words, so here’s the state of humanity in a single image. It’s the “Doughnut” of social and planetary boundaries and it could just turn out to be the compass we need for creating a safe and just 21st century. The hole at the Doughnut’s centre reveals the proportion of people worldwide falling short on life’s essentials, such as food, water, healthcare and political freedom of expression – and a big part of humanity’s challenge is to get everyone out of that hole. At the same time, however, we cannot afford to be overshooting the Doughnut’s outer crust if we are to safeguard Earth’s life-giving systems, such as a stable climate, healthy oceans and a protective ozone layer, on which all our wellbeing fundamentally depends. Safe and just space If getting into the Doughnut’s safe and just space between these social and planetary boundaries is humanity’s 21st century goal, then – it comes as no surprise – we have a big job ahead. Progress for everyone
