Sustainable Economy

The Sustainable Economy Working Group was formerly called Community Reinvestment. The name was changed to encompass a broader perspective and to focus more on the issue of sustainability. A sustainable economy is an economy which is based upon the three pillars of sustainability: social, environmental, and fiscal. If any one of the pillars isn't sustainable, then none of it is, and the economy collapses.

We now have an economic system which is becoming more and more unequal, unfair, unstable, and unsustainable. Our goal is to transition toward a society which becomes more and more fair and economically equal over time, so that it is more stable and sustainable. Our goal is to create an economy that works for everyone. Our success is measured in improved quality of life for all and reduced economic disparity between people, as well as a more sustainable environment.

The corporations on Wall Street and the lobbyists in Congress and K Street have no interest in creating healthier planet, or a healthier populace, or even a healthier economy. Their only interest in maximizing short term profits. In fact, stock exchanges around the world are all geared toward short term profits. It is a world-wide rigged system. Therefore we need a world-wide strategy to change the system so that it works for the people, the 99%, instead of only for the 1%. The Wall Street stock exchange itself is a fortress, protected more tightly than any bank, so maybe instead of trying to scale the walls and break down the barricades to Wall Street it is better to undermine it from within by starving its funding, namely to make the harmful corporations on Wall Street unprofitable, and lower their stock value, while redirecting that money to do some good.

How about taking money out of the hands of irresponsible multinational corporations, which have no commitment to either ethical values or to our local economies, and putting that money into the hands of socially responsible companies (social enterprises/green businesses) to improve our quality of life, and our own local businesses to employ members of our local communities and to build up the tax base of our local communities?

Ways to make the economy more sustainable:

1. Set of ethical business practices to evaluate businesses by.

2. Harmful companies to boycott and divest from.

3. An interactive shopping guide, Responsible Shopper, from Green America helps you figure out which companies to buy from and invest in.

4. A searchable directory of ethical businesses at Green America's National Green Pages to buy from and invest in.

5. Green Business Seal of Approval from Green America.

6. Directories of local businesses to support. (Buy Local)

7. Socially responsible business associations for businesses to join.

8. Ethical economic models to explore.

9. Ethical business legislation ideas to promote ethical businesses and penalize harmful businesses.

10. Organize a day to divest-reinvest, such as Community Reinvestment Day. People can choose to either divest from all corporations on Wall Street or only from particularly harmful corporations. Encourage supporting socially responsible investment firms for those wishing a more traditional route.

11. Feature and honor people who make public announcements of divesting in Wall Street harmful businesses and investing in ethical businesses and local businesses on Main Street.

12. Collaborate with local banks, and credit unions to form special funds for community reinvestment. The local bank or credit union would make loans from these funds to local businesses and non-profits that meet certain criteria of ethical behavior, such as serving the local community. The community investors would receive a financial return on their investments.