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sustainability

  • UpTrust AdminSA•...

    Is energy the true currency?: Energy spiritualists

    The oldest curriculum The Vedic tradition calls it prana — the breath that animates all living things. The Chinese call it qi — the vital force flowing through body and world. The Lakota call it wakan — the sacred power pervading nature....
    comparative religion
    sustainability
    cultural anthropology
    environmental philosophy
    energy economics
    Comments
    0
  • UpTrust AdminSA•...

    Is energy the true currency?: Degrowth

    The date we went into debt In 2022, Earth Overshoot Day fell on July 28. That is the date humanity consumed more biological resources than the planet regenerates in a year....
    sustainability
    energy policy
    degrowth
    ecological economics
    Comments
    0
  • as seen on tv•...

    Dead shopping malls are coming back. But not the way you’d expect. (This is about taxes).

    See that empty shopping mall over there? The one that died during Covid 19? It has a huge footprint, but generates little to no tax revenue to fund the city. Not property taxes, not sales tax on purchases, not even income taxes for the state. It’s like a black hole....
    economics
    urban planning
    public policy
    real estate
    sustainability
    Comments
    0
  • Eric Stevens•...

    The Material Economics Doctrine

    The bioeconomy isn’t a utopian idea. It’s a response to a system that got more expensive and more fragile. Freight costs rose. Insurance rose. Inventory ties up capital. Overseas labor isn’t cheap anymore. Climate disasters aren’t rare events....
    economics
    sustainability
    industrial engineering
    Comments
    0
  • Eric Stevens avatar

    An Introduction. My name is Eric Stevens 

    I want to be clear about who I am and why I am here.

    I recently published my book, Evolution Mine: Genesis.
    You can read it for free here:
    https://nowweevolve.com/view-the-book

    I made it free on purpose. The idea matters more than the money.

    For the last 15 years, I have been working inside the systems most people only argue about from the outside. Global trade. Manufacturing. Supply chains. Policy. Commodities. Labor. Capital flow.

    I helped Vietnam enter the World Trade Organization in 2007, ironically on my birthday. I have worked with governments, factories, military-adjacent systems, and private industry. I have seen how decisions made far from communities quietly reshape jobs, materials, and power at the local level.

    Most of my life was spent in Los Angeles. I recently moved to Dallas, where the political and cultural polarization is impossible to ignore. The fights feel louder. The solutions feel thinner.

    I am a father of six. I am married to an incredible Salvadoran woman. I am politically independent, not because I avoid responsibility, but because I do not believe any single ideology owns the truth.

    What I am building is not a movement in the emotional sense. It is an economic one.

    Our society talks about systems as if they are beliefs. They are not. Systems are built on inputs. Commodities. Materials. Energy. Logistics. Whoever controls those controls everything downstream.

    That insight sits at the center of everything I do.

    Through these platforms, I am working on one integrated effort:

    Now We Evolve
    https://nowweevolve.com

    The Bioeconomy Foundation
    https://thebioeconomyfoundation.org

    American Fiber Group
    https://theamericanfibergroup.com

    Together, they focus on one question most debates avoid.

    What happens if we change the materials the economy depends on?

    Hemp and bamboo are not symbols. They are commodities. They grow locally. They scale horizontally. They support regional processing. They anchor manufacturing close to communities. They change money flow, job creation, and who holds power.

    This work is not anti-capitalist or pro-corporate. It is pro-reality.

    If you want different outcomes, you do not argue harder. You replace the inputs.

    That is what I am here to discuss.
    Not outrage. Not slogans.
    Industrial math, material systems, and practical paths forward.

    If that resonates, you are in the right place.

    https://www.thebioeconomyfoundation.org/start
    Eric Stevens•...
    JP, First and foremost, our careers run in parallel. I appreciate the thoughtfulness of your questions, and frankly, it’s refreshing to engage colleague to colleague where apples are apples....
    economics
    sustainability
    manufacturing
    supply chain management
    industrial engineering
    Comments
    0
  • Eric Stevens avatar

    If people cannot change the commodities society depends on, then protest alone will never produce lasting change.

    Protest is good at signaling pain.
    It is not designed to reroute capital.

    That’s not a moral judgment. It’s a structural one.

    Modern power does not primarily respond to outrage. It responds to demand signals, procurement contracts, financing structures, and commodity dependency. As long as the same materials flow through the same systems, the same outcomes repeat, regardless of who is in office or what slogans trend.

    This is why so many movements burn hot and fade.
    They change language, but not inputs.
    They change narratives, but not supply chains.
    They raise awareness, but leave money flowing exactly where it always has.

    Real change begins when money moves differently.

    Jobs follow commodities.
    Communities follow jobs.
    Political behavior follows economic reality.

    My work focuses on building that missing middle layer, where social intention becomes economic participation. Through platforms like nowweevolve.com and thebioeconomyfoundation.org, I’m working on redirecting consumer demand, public funding, and private capital toward regenerative materials and domestic production systems that create real work, especially in rural communities.

    This isn’t anti-protest. It’s post-protest.

    If we want durable change, we have to give people a way to participate economically in the solution. Not just speak, but buy, build, fund, and work their way into a different system.

    Social change scales when money flow changes.
    Everything else is commentary.

    Eric Stevens•...
    Steve, I agree with you completely on the price reality, and I want to extend the solution one layer deeper because this is where it actually becomes feasible. The missing piece is not just consumer willingness. It is industrial siting and rural development incentives....
    economics
    sustainability
    manufacturing
    industrial policy
    rural development
    Comments
    0
  • Eric Stevens avatar

    If people cannot change the commodities society depends on, then protest alone will never produce lasting change.

    Protest is good at signaling pain.
    It is not designed to reroute capital.

    That’s not a moral judgment. It’s a structural one.

    Modern power does not primarily respond to outrage. It responds to demand signals, procurement contracts, financing structures, and commodity dependency. As long as the same materials flow through the same systems, the same outcomes repeat, regardless of who is in office or what slogans trend.

    This is why so many movements burn hot and fade.
    They change language, but not inputs.
    They change narratives, but not supply chains.
    They raise awareness, but leave money flowing exactly where it always has.

    Real change begins when money moves differently.

    Jobs follow commodities.
    Communities follow jobs.
    Political behavior follows economic reality.

    My work focuses on building that missing middle layer, where social intention becomes economic participation. Through platforms like nowweevolve.com and thebioeconomyfoundation.org, I’m working on redirecting consumer demand, public funding, and private capital toward regenerative materials and domestic production systems that create real work, especially in rural communities.

    This isn’t anti-protest. It’s post-protest.

    If we want durable change, we have to give people a way to participate economically in the solution. Not just speak, but buy, build, fund, and work their way into a different system.

    Social change scales when money flow changes.
    Everything else is commentary.

    TubaBrewerSteve•...
    I don't disagree with a word you say. But, I will point out that a 24 pack of double-roll bamboo toilet paper from Amazon is nearly 4x the price of the same number of double rolls of Kroger store brand ($28 vs. $7.50)....
    economics
    consumer behavior
    sustainability
    market competition
    Comments
    0
  • MossyMoni•...

    Welcome!

    Hello fellow plant lovers, My name is Monica and I created this group for those who, like myself, love all things gardening, growing and have spiritual connections to plants and herbs.  As an introduction, I am a green witch, flower artist and writer....
    spirituality
    gardening
    writing
    art
    sustainability
    Comments
    0
  • T

    Relational Tech Project. Just found out about this initiative and (without having had more than a skim so far) was reminded of my recently created UpTrust account, so this will be my first post. Hi to all who may see this!

    https://relationaltechproject.org/

    "We can build what we need

    Many of us wish our neighborhoods were more connected. We want to live in neighborhoods where we learn from the creativity, care, and skills of our neighbors — and share our gifts too.

    We've been told a perfect app or platform would help us, but that hasn't panned out. The hard truth is that no one is coming to save us.

    The good news: we can build what we need!"

    https://relationaltechproject.org/
    Maukahale•...

    Following, excellent initiative. Of course tech needs power and so power independence is key to keeping it going and free from outside interference 

    technology
    sustainability
    energy independence
    Comments
    0
  • Recyclamation•...

    Collage Art + Creative Reuse in Windsor, NC

    Hi, all. I’m Laura, a collage artist and entrepreneur in Eastern North Carolina. I create whimsical mixed-media work (mostly from reclaimed paper), and I’m also in the middle of opening RECYCLAMATION Thrift in Windsor, NC – a creative reuse space + community thrift store built...
    entrepreneurship
    community development
    art
    creativity
    sustainability
    Comments
    1
  • sness•...

    Want to join a co-living community?

    I'm not sure if posting this here is appropriate...but I'm going to err towards using this space as I would Facebook, only for non-promotional things (aka only things I want to post instead of things my company wants me to ;). Admins, take it down if not welcome!...
    real estate
    community living
    sustainability
    relocation
    Comments
    3
  • J

    Creative thinking vs winning an argument. Creative thinking needs to be taught and valued as highly as smart thinking, right thinking, and ethical thinking.  

    I wonder if we've been trained - consciously and unconsciously - to converse in formats that can be intimidating and arguable ... inviting responses that are judging, which can then be judged back and forth:  smart or stupid, right or wrong, ethical or corrupt ... that binary thing we do.  I propose that this creates anxiety and intimidates creative brainstorming, mutually respectful musing, generous listening, genuine questioning, seeking connection and curious questions?  

    I can be as guilty as the next person - fishing for affirmation by winning a point in conversation ...   

    #DeepTakes

    jordanSA•...
    such a good point! I just want to add that it's possible to frame creative thinking as the "explore" side of the explore/exploit dynamic. And by its nature, exploring is going to appear less worthwhile than exploiting by most metrics....
    rationality
    sustainability
    creative thinking
    exploration and exploitation dynamics
    Comments
    0
  • forrestbwilson avatar

    Trump, Stargate, and Vaccines for Cancer. I'm cringing reading articles and seeing videos showing Trump, Sam Altman, and Larry Ellison speaking about using A.I. to develop vaccines for cancer.

    I have something I call "The Farmer's Market rule." I spoke about this on the Vendy podcast with Jordan. It is a metaphor for working with coaches, facilitators, and wellbeing practitioners.

    When I go to the farmers market, I don't just look at the food people are selling.. I also look at the people selling the food.

    I ask myself, "Do I want to look like this person who is selling me this food?"

    I do the same for facilitators, trainers, and Wellbeing practitioners: "Does this person live in a way I want to embody more fully in my life?"

    I would not go to Altman, Trump, or Ellison for Wellbeing guidance + wisdom. Maybe for advice and wisdom in other domains and themes.

    We really need leaders who are embodying Wellbeing to lead our planetary and national wellbeing initiatives. I cringe when I see people who I judge as disembodied pioneering these explorations. It feels like a recipe for disaster with the possibility to cause a lot of harm to a lot of people.

    https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-mrna-vaccine-cure-cancer-ai-2018701
    jordanSA•...
    Yeah this feels so true and important. For me the same goes for Elon. I love Tesla, I love the cars and the impact they've had on energy, I love the way he's pushed the renewable energy conversation into sexy realm instead of nerdy hippies, I love SpaceX and am in awe of what...
    leadership
    technology
    sustainability
    business and entrepreneurship
    Comments
    0
  • josefine•...

    Wholesomeness culture

    I was listening to a cool album Dara and Forest recommended called ten days, and as I was listening to it I had this surge of: ahh yeah, wholesomeness is so cool, I wish it was a bigger trend....
    pop culture
    sustainability
    healthy living
    local business support
    Comments
    14
  • R

    What's your view on EMFs? What do you belief about EMFs? I keep hearing seemingly reputable people warning about them. My husband says the argument isn’t scientifically sound. If you think EMFs are harmful, why, and how do you reduce exposure? I use wireless headphones a lot- my phone not so much.

    jordanSA•...

    wow! carless town… hard to imagine. I’m excited to see that. How is it for you traveling back and forth to the USA? Do you appreciate/miss aspects of car culture?

    urban planning
    travel
    sustainability
    transportation
    car culture
    Comments
    0
  • jordan avatar

    When it comes "the global warming debate," there are often third ways that are ignored. Often the framing is global warming and climate deniers or something like that.

    but it seems like there are obviously multiple perspectives here, and these two black and white boxes keep us from really seeing potential solutions.

    Bjorn Lomborg for example believes in man-made climate change, but also doesn’t like the alarmism. Although he cherry picks data like he accuses others of, he also I think rightfully points out lots of flaws in the arguments that help us identify solutions. Much of the hurricane damage increase over time is because we’re building bigger and more expensive houses in hurricane alleys; for this problem, we can stop building there; everybody stopping flying altogether until 2100 delays increases the increase by a few weeks, so stopping flying isn’t the solution. Often the solutions are smaller, more local, less sexy: want less polar bears to die? Increase regulation on poaching. (Polar bear populations are up over the past decade because of this, apparently). I would love to identify and popularize these solutions, so they are spoken in the same breath as global warming rather than it being all gloom and doom and end of the world.

    There are real tricky questions about what we’re trying to preserve and for whom, as well. If all we care about are humans and climate migration, then building infrastructure in places like Haiti and even evolving to coal power would be more helpful.

    blakeSA•...
    I like all this too, and it feels useful to switch lenses and look at what could be missing in this perspective. What jumps out at me from there is: Here’s one way I can hear the gist of this argument: "Hey everyone, yes humans destroying the earth is bad, but hey!...
    public policy
    emotional well-being
    sustainability
    climate change
    environmental issues
    Comments
    0
  • jordan avatar

    When it comes "the global warming debate," there are often third ways that are ignored. Often the framing is global warming and climate deniers or something like that.

    but it seems like there are obviously multiple perspectives here, and these two black and white boxes keep us from really seeing potential solutions.

    Bjorn Lomborg for example believes in man-made climate change, but also doesn’t like the alarmism. Although he cherry picks data like he accuses others of, he also I think rightfully points out lots of flaws in the arguments that help us identify solutions. Much of the hurricane damage increase over time is because we’re building bigger and more expensive houses in hurricane alleys; for this problem, we can stop building there; everybody stopping flying altogether until 2100 delays increases the increase by a few weeks, so stopping flying isn’t the solution. Often the solutions are smaller, more local, less sexy: want less polar bears to die? Increase regulation on poaching. (Polar bear populations are up over the past decade because of this, apparently). I would love to identify and popularize these solutions, so they are spoken in the same breath as global warming rather than it being all gloom and doom and end of the world.

    There are real tricky questions about what we’re trying to preserve and for whom, as well. If all we care about are humans and climate migration, then building infrastructure in places like Haiti and even evolving to coal power would be more helpful.

    jordanSA•...
    Thanks y’all, I wanted to come back to this and mention that I’ve been using the "let’s aim to protect 80%+ of the Earth’s land for environmental stewardship" frame since this convo and people are loving it....
    environmental conservation
    sustainability
    eco-futurism
    Comments
    0
  • jordan avatar

    I want a new archetype for libertarian well-being activist. Maybe it’s an old archetype and some German philosophers have been talking abt it for centuries…

    My climbing gym is called Crux; the original location is moving because the rent is too high, and the landlord won’t work with the climbing gym…

    The gym is in a part of the city that used be considered south, but now is centralish. I think all of austin loses when we lose places like this. We lose our character and our well being.

    I want the landlord to be the libertarian well-being activist. My mom does this for the Relateful Studio. I didn’t ask and no one makes her; hardly anyone knows and she doesn’t get any tax benefits; we still pay her a good bit each month but it’s under market. She’s doing exactly what she wants to be doing with her money and investments: supporting her son’s vision.

    The climbing gym landlord isn’t a bad guy, probably. Maybe he has loads of debt; maybe he has a wound from childhood that he’s trying to heal, but
    Is the climbing gym landlord doing exactly what he wants?

    I want endosymbiosis activists; where what they do is good for the whole and them, and they sacrifice neither. I want this to be a meme, that people strive to be. I want them to brag about it in their hearts, and try to remain undiscovered. I once heard that in Judaism the best mitzvahs are the ones no one knows you did.

    jordanSA•...
    I appreciate this clarity. Although this makes sense in the "capitalism ftw" I think this is where unconscious capitalism is actually immature, and in the long run unsustainable. Essentially bc of short-term thinking....
    sociology
    economics
    sustainability
    urban development
    Comments
    0
  • jordan avatar

    When it comes "the global warming debate," there are often third ways that are ignored. Often the framing is global warming and climate deniers or something like that.

    but it seems like there are obviously multiple perspectives here, and these two black and white boxes keep us from really seeing potential solutions.

    Bjorn Lomborg for example believes in man-made climate change, but also doesn’t like the alarmism. Although he cherry picks data like he accuses others of, he also I think rightfully points out lots of flaws in the arguments that help us identify solutions. Much of the hurricane damage increase over time is because we’re building bigger and more expensive houses in hurricane alleys; for this problem, we can stop building there; everybody stopping flying altogether until 2100 delays increases the increase by a few weeks, so stopping flying isn’t the solution. Often the solutions are smaller, more local, less sexy: want less polar bears to die? Increase regulation on poaching. (Polar bear populations are up over the past decade because of this, apparently). I would love to identify and popularize these solutions, so they are spoken in the same breath as global warming rather than it being all gloom and doom and end of the world.

    There are real tricky questions about what we’re trying to preserve and for whom, as well. If all we care about are humans and climate migration, then building infrastructure in places like Haiti and even evolving to coal power would be more helpful.

    jordanSA•...
    Tell that to Mcdonalds, Starbucks and so on… I've fantasized about Subway (used to be the world's largest chain with 37,000 locations, now McDonald's is largest) stopping using plastic bags......
    business practices
    sustainability
    corporate responsibility
    environmental impact
    Comments
    0
  • jordan avatar

    When it comes "the global warming debate," there are often third ways that are ignored. Often the framing is global warming and climate deniers or something like that.

    but it seems like there are obviously multiple perspectives here, and these two black and white boxes keep us from really seeing potential solutions.

    Bjorn Lomborg for example believes in man-made climate change, but also doesn’t like the alarmism. Although he cherry picks data like he accuses others of, he also I think rightfully points out lots of flaws in the arguments that help us identify solutions. Much of the hurricane damage increase over time is because we’re building bigger and more expensive houses in hurricane alleys; for this problem, we can stop building there; everybody stopping flying altogether until 2100 delays increases the increase by a few weeks, so stopping flying isn’t the solution. Often the solutions are smaller, more local, less sexy: want less polar bears to die? Increase regulation on poaching. (Polar bear populations are up over the past decade because of this, apparently). I would love to identify and popularize these solutions, so they are spoken in the same breath as global warming rather than it being all gloom and doom and end of the world.

    There are real tricky questions about what we’re trying to preserve and for whom, as well. If all we care about are humans and climate migration, then building infrastructure in places like Haiti and even evolving to coal power would be more helpful.

    jordanSA•...

    Also this is amazing:

    [object Object]

    environmental conservation
    sustainability
    protected areas
    Comments
    0
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