AdventuresInMissingThePoint.com

Earth Day is a pagan’s Christmas: no more special than any other day, but yet a universally recognized celebration.  Last year I wrote that the best way to go green is to stop buying stuff.

This year I’ve been reflecting on growth.  Specifically, that many businesses depend on growth in their business model.  From a business perspective, this is great. Especially when it is done with re-investments from previous sales: organic growth.  From a materials perspective, this is not good.  In this model, there is an inconsistency in assuming that the Earth is full of infinite resources.

I also see it in investment ads: contribute as much as possible to your XYZ fund!!  (Why? There are much more wise methods to calculate your contributions.)  The public schools are currently getting killed because they set their budget as a percentage of real estate value.  I assume this was an attempt to maximize the amount of the school systems’ income, but a flat tax would have kept them from their current problem.

More, bigger, easier!

When is enough?  Currently, I can’t tangibly figure out this calculation based off of resource depletion.  My current angle is figuring out when my marginal returns decrease, and stopping myself there.  Most people call this a budget.  Other people call it being a cheap, lame-ass.

A budget allows yourself to reflect and figure out what’s enough, and to keep from excessive use of the Earth’s mass and energy.