Written by Jim Cummings.
OK, so you’re totally on board with The Resilient Investor‘s goal of being “ready for anything”—you’ve clarified your own idea of where the world seems to be headed, while also realizing that you don’t really know when or how one of the countless wild cards in play might change the game in fundamental ways. You get that focusing significant energy Close to Home will pay off no matter how the future unfolds; perhaps you’re also committed to pushing our society in those enticing Evolutionary directions.
And yes, you recognize that there is a chance of painful disruptions to life here on American Easy Street. Maybe you think any hiccups are unlikely to be severe . . . or you harbor a secret dread that’s too nebulous to really figure out how to address. You certainly aren’t into being a serious Prepper, stockpiling supplies, fine-tuning a “go-bag,” and overlaying that kind of dire filter onto your day to day life. If it comes to that, you figure we’re all toast, or we’ll all be in it together, and there are better ways to spend your time in the here and now. But you also have a niggling sense that you could be a little more prepared for a societal speed bump: it’s not so hard to imagine some sort of grid snafu (cyber-attack or solar flare) or regional weather or terror event that could make things rough for a week, or maybe even a few. Just-in-time supply chains, vulnerable water supplies, our reliance on fuels and electricity. . . yeah, there are a few weak links out there.
While we’ve pointed to writers and resources that aim to help you prepare for various Breakdown scenarios, if you don’t really identify as a “Doomer,” you’ve probably held off on digging into all that very deeply. Well, here’s a less-scary entry point for those of you that have been thinking you really consider doing something: a well-curated collection of The Best Emergency Preparedness Supplies from the good folks at Sweethome/Wirecutter.
Tags: close to home strategy, resilience, tangible assets
Written by Resilient Investor.
This essay by Australian economist John Quiggin offers an overview of several factors that make a Muddle Through Up future plausible, and thus reinforce the Dealer response to our times. In particular, Quiggin looks at ways we can successfully share the economic prosperity pie to include today’s excluded populations while living within the planet’s ecological limits. Read essay.
Tags: global, justice, sustainable global economy strategy
Written by Resilient Investor.
This Q & A with Joseph Keefe, president and CEO of Pax World Management (an SRI pioneer), speaks to the value of SRI as a positive force in business and for the planet, as well as offering strong financial performance for investors. Keefe makes the case for SRI as the obvious choice for moving the global economy in a more sustainable direction. Read interview.
Tags: ESG, financial assets, investing, SRI, sustainable global economy strategy
Written by Resilient Investor.
Hans Rosling is not as much of a big-picture philosopher/analyst, like many of our D-type thought leaders, but rather offers dramatic visual representations of our recent history, making the point that by nearly every measurable criteria, human society has been steadily improving. He’s a professor of international health, and a wizard at presenting statistical data in ways that delight and inspire.
Video: 200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 minutes
The best introduction to his overall message; from a BBC special.
See all his TED talks here.
Video: How Not to be Ignorant About the World
In this video, Hans Roslings shares charts on global population, health, and income to demonstrate that many of our ideas about the state of the world are wrong. His son Ola provides guidance on four ways to become less ignorant about the world in which we live.
Tags: global, health
Written by Resilient Investor.
Book: Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution
Co-authored by Paul Hawken and Amory and Hunter Lovins, the book advocates the triple bottom line of profitability, environmental awareness, and social responsibility as a way that businesses can achieve greater operational efficiency. The book is available in hard copy ,or in free downloadable chapters.
Tags: financial assets, sustainable global economy strategy, workplace
