Energy Options Impact on Regional Security, Jan 1, 2010
Everyone desires a secure life. Yet the security of more and more regions is undermined by unreli... more Everyone desires a secure life. Yet the security of more and more regions is undermined by unreliable and unequal availability of basics such as energy, water, food, natural resources, funds, co-operation, trust and hope for the future. Shocks such as the credit crunch, infectious diseases, climate instability and ecological collapses are converging towards a 'planet crunch' where security would become a fond memory. Traditional policy-making, that manages problems separately and incrementally, offers only the illusion of protection against impending unaffordable and irreversible shocks affecting all people. Future security anywhere requires all facets of security everywhere. This 'global security' ambition can be sought with a new era of policy-making that encompasses the indivisibility, scale and urgency of all planet crunch issues. This paper offers a selection of seven simple 'policy switches' (or 'leverage points' in complex systems). Each policy switch offers an expanded vision of people's role on Earth and a whole-system change to implement it. Together the switches define a practical strategy for global security, for a serious attempt at revival of co-operation, ecosystems and prosperity.
Sustainable Energy Production and Consumption, Jan 1, 2008
Energy security, climate stability, sustainable development, economic growth and national securit... more Energy security, climate stability, sustainable development, economic growth and national security are codependent goals; either all will be achieved or none. This global security goal--set will remain elusive with prevailing 'patchwork' policy--making. Irreversible failure with one or more of the goals may be avoidable with a non-reductionist approach to global complexity, using systems thinking and systemic interventions at leverage points, of which two are proposed. (1). Weapons spending can be deducted from Gross Domestic Product to define a 'Gross Peaceful Product' with which nations could align goals for growth and security. (2). Other global security goals can be approached by a preventive insurance scheme. Significant producers would pay an obligatory premium on all products (including fuels) according to the risk that they become waste in the air, land or water. Premiums would be invested in the capacity of nature, industry and society to reduce that risk. This market--based 'precycling insurance' would make many prescriptive instruments redundant. In particular, emissions capping debates need no longer delay international climate agreements.
If global problems such as climate change and waste remain unresolved, society can choose either ... more If global problems such as climate change and waste remain unresolved, society can choose either to continue attempting to incrementally reduce wastes and lessen impacts, or to consider a more ambitious approach that paradoxically may be easier to implement. This paper suggests how an approach designed to prevent waste and other global impacts could be based upon the established practices of precycling, circular economic policy and recycling insurance. A new economic instrument called 'precycling insurance' is proposed, so that decision-making can be led by the market rather than by prescriptive regulation or educational campaigns. The approach gains relevance now that China is developing a national 'Law on the Promotion of the Development of Circular Economy'.
Global challenges cannot be addressed with a reductionist thinking that tries to solve
problems ... more Global challenges cannot be addressed with a reductionist thinking that tries to solve problems separately. Everything is connected so that the right way of dealing with the world is acting with a systemic vision. This shift will not be easy due to inertia and tradition but is absolutely necessary in the 21st century.
Energy Options Impact on Regional Security, Jan 1, 2010
Everyone desires a secure life. Yet the security of more and more regions is undermined by unreli... more Everyone desires a secure life. Yet the security of more and more regions is undermined by unreliable and unequal availability of basics such as energy, water, food, natural resources, funds, co-operation, trust and hope for the future. Shocks such as the credit crunch, infectious diseases, climate instability and ecological collapses are converging towards a 'planet crunch' where security would become a fond memory. Traditional policy-making, that manages problems separately and incrementally, offers only the illusion of protection against impending unaffordable and irreversible shocks affecting all people. Future security anywhere requires all facets of security everywhere. This 'global security' ambition can be sought with a new era of policy-making that encompasses the indivisibility, scale and urgency of all planet crunch issues. This paper offers a selection of seven simple 'policy switches' (or 'leverage points' in complex systems). Each policy switch offers an expanded vision of people's role on Earth and a whole-system change to implement it. Together the switches define a practical strategy for global security, for a serious attempt at revival of co-operation, ecosystems and prosperity.
Sustainable Energy Production and Consumption, Jan 1, 2008
Energy security, climate stability, sustainable development, economic growth and national securit... more Energy security, climate stability, sustainable development, economic growth and national security are codependent goals; either all will be achieved or none. This global security goal--set will remain elusive with prevailing 'patchwork' policy--making. Irreversible failure with one or more of the goals may be avoidable with a non-reductionist approach to global complexity, using systems thinking and systemic interventions at leverage points, of which two are proposed. (1). Weapons spending can be deducted from Gross Domestic Product to define a 'Gross Peaceful Product' with which nations could align goals for growth and security. (2). Other global security goals can be approached by a preventive insurance scheme. Significant producers would pay an obligatory premium on all products (including fuels) according to the risk that they become waste in the air, land or water. Premiums would be invested in the capacity of nature, industry and society to reduce that risk. This market--based 'precycling insurance' would make many prescriptive instruments redundant. In particular, emissions capping debates need no longer delay international climate agreements.
If global problems such as climate change and waste remain unresolved, society can choose either ... more If global problems such as climate change and waste remain unresolved, society can choose either to continue attempting to incrementally reduce wastes and lessen impacts, or to consider a more ambitious approach that paradoxically may be easier to implement. This paper suggests how an approach designed to prevent waste and other global impacts could be based upon the established practices of precycling, circular economic policy and recycling insurance. A new economic instrument called 'precycling insurance' is proposed, so that decision-making can be led by the market rather than by prescriptive regulation or educational campaigns. The approach gains relevance now that China is developing a national 'Law on the Promotion of the Development of Circular Economy'.
Global challenges cannot be addressed with a reductionist thinking that tries to solve
problems ... more Global challenges cannot be addressed with a reductionist thinking that tries to solve problems separately. Everything is connected so that the right way of dealing with the world is acting with a systemic vision. This shift will not be easy due to inertia and tradition but is absolutely necessary in the 21st century.
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problems separately. Everything is connected so that the right way of dealing with
the world is acting with a systemic vision. This shift will not be easy due to inertia and
tradition but is absolutely necessary in the 21st century.
problems separately. Everything is connected so that the right way of dealing with
the world is acting with a systemic vision. This shift will not be easy due to inertia and
tradition but is absolutely necessary in the 21st century.