Open letter to Extinction Rebellion

From genesis.re

We do not need more awareness - let's assume everyone is already aware.

So what do we do now?

Declaring (emphasis on "declaring") state of emergency but what does it mean?

I can declare that I do not agree with the current state of the matters but it doesn't change anything.

So here is the plan[edit | edit source]

  • Market prices for water
  • Market prices for CO₂ (energy)
  • Market prices for animal products
  • Market prices for single use plastic
  • Market prices for waste (ensuring longevity of the products, opposite of planned obsolescence)

Existing examples[edit | edit source]

  • How on Earth meat is so cheap? Go figure the cost of 1kg of beef in a local supermarket and compare it to 1kg of vegetables. How is that even possible?
  • Why flying around Europe is so cheap, RyanAir low season £19.99, why trains in the UK are so expensive? (we are told trains are eco-friendly while flying generates CO₂)

Let the markets do the work[edit | edit source]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_hand - "The idea of trade and market exchange automatically channeling self-interest toward socially desirable ends."

There will be a temporary (emphasis on "temporary") setback in pure financial terms.

Prices of certain goods are likely to go up, that in turn may encourage people to grow their own food, subsequently reducing dependency on the money.

I remember 5p charge for plastic bags and how it affected my behaviour. In many countries, there is €0.20 deposit for bottles.

Economy (gamification, incentives) is a powerful force, too bad we currently account only for a number. Too make things worse, it is required by law to make profit for shareholders. We need to change the game, see Triple Bottom Line: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_bottom_line

Paradigm shift[edit | edit source]

  • Systematic change
  • Changing incentives

We need support from the government. If not, it's us who can become the government, see Global Political Party

We can become the government. Let's create an actionable plan of what we want to improve.

Market prices water, CO₂ (energy), animal products, single use plastic and waste.

Money makes the world go round, let's use the economic forces to our advantage.

Additional references[edit | edit source]