The very same process that has put us in the forthcoming energy troubles, will extend – however adjusted – life as we know it for our (great) grand children: market economy. When the need is on its highest the consumer market will – boosted by virtual communities – organize herself and decides which companies are ‘good’ enough to provide her and which have to leave the (inter)national stage.
The sustaining commodity suppliers will exchange cumulative greater parts of their advertisements budgets for investments in innovative environmental bettering solutions. In their turn consumers reward the good guys by buying their day-by-day goods from them.
Virtual societies, present on the internet AND using other traditional marketing techniques (from tv commercials up to labelling hallmarks) are the constant and ever active combining bridge between consumers and producers. Those who don’t/won’t ‘Walk their Talk’ – which efforts doesn’t lead to (any) results – are (to be) condemned. This goes as well as for the companies as for the virtual organisations. Competitors enough with the same product, quality and market presence.

---

Many argue mankind’s activities make mother Earth sick. I do believe that from only one point of view: mankind’s. Our planet’s ‘mission’ is to sustain life/alive – either more or less aware (“Gaia”) or not. Besides a planet wide cataclysm that rules out all life forms, there will be always organisms in some form of way. How poisoned our seas and skies will become. The fields around Chernobyl – although mutilated to the bone – flourish with life.

We are nothing and all at the same time
This observation I think is essential to stay our planet’s top species in terms of intelligence and impact. Just as important as money is, or love for that matter, it must become commonly accepted that mankind continuously has to balance its presence and existence. The more we ask with our way of life, the more we have to give in return. This starts at grammar schools: there are more suns in this universe than there are sand grains on our planet. We are living on just one pale blue dot circling around our own sand grain. We are insignificant and marvellous at the same time in the awe of enormity – not to say “God” – we can see and experience: this Universe. Life-doesn’t-need-us-at-all.

The western dominance
But still… we want at least a life for our (grand)children we enjoy and probably better. The majority of us struggles for a better life today one year later. This individual urge for progress is undeniable a characteristic of the species we have become after eras of evolution. “Field experiments” in the last 6.000 years point that (this) human nature is at its best with a societal model that is structured by (guided) market economy and parliamentary democracy. The majority decides the course of all. Undebateable.

Less consuming to decrease our footprint on Earth is – however sympathetic – not an option in our societies. Undebateable.

But then what…?
Seen from the perspectives mentioned all above, our societies are also a stakeholder’s paradise. In order to maintain life as we know it, we have to add just one stakeholder on top of all. Some-“body” we all are held accountable for: Earth. In plain market economy terms: our way of life has a price. We-have-to-pay; with that we find important, with that we are good at: money making creative toolmakers we are indeed.

Adding awareness
“It is the economy stupid!”, a liberal oriented cigar smoking powerful man once said. It is a family board game on which money shifts from one side to the other: consumers and producers. Interesting is that every producer’s employee is also a consumer. Opion leaders like Naomi Klein and Noam Chomsky argue we are sheep like, unaware followers of life styles the companies want us to believe. I thing we are not all that unaware. Inside the frame of presented life styles we know what kind of quality we want, we know where to buy the desired product and we know what we want to do with it. Even if it’s for a neighbour jealous making purpose: to say we are complete unaware is besides the process. This opens the door for a higher form of awareness –

Buying that particular brand or product, made or imported by that particular company, serves (also) a sustainable goal. ‘Cause the company invests a part of the communications budget or profit in projects serving our common stakeholder Earth in relation to life as we know it.

They not differ at all anymore
We are able to choose products of our likings because the very same free market principles in the business to business-field have equalized the same products of different companies in terms of Quality, Price and Accessibility. The story behind becomes more and more the only competitive factor in the battle for the customer’s favour.

Walk the Talk or else…
Companies rule the western dominated world but by given mandate of their customers. We. We are on the threshold of a new era in which known processes like market economy, stakeholder accountability and marketing communications are to be used not only for the individual customers satisfaction, but also for the good of us all. If one’s efforts are not continuously good or integer enough, the powerful consumer force shifts in favour of the colleague producer. Walk the Talk.

Make also money out of it
In the beginning the internet plays the central part for communities around higher goals. These will also attract companies; to gain customers, but also to really make a difference in order to sustain on the long term. These virtual communities act as marketing departments for those companies, but also as their watchdogs. “Buy theirs, their money is well spend on our mutual goals. Here are their results.”

These communities will extend their communication efforts also in the real world (print and R/TV media) if they are in their turn successful. Later on high tech investments in, for instance, renewable energy methods & (re)sources will be shared with the community as a whole and with the individual members. Money as booster – like it has always been – but now extended for “the good”. Be a shareholder too in developing life as we know it.

Who starts?
It starts small. Probably supported by the intrigued and also curious support of business leaders like Richard Branson. “Does this work?”

But as always: proven success attracts others. Other communities with the same of slightly different sustainable missions. Also competing with each other – or cooperate or take-overs. Just like the life circles show of companies today. Other communities will arise – to watchdog the watchdogging role of these initial communities. Just like we have watchdogs today: the antiglobalists. It starts small – but once lightened we’ll see the same development we’ve been into since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Only now mother Earth is added next to products & profit: the postmodern economy has been rooted.

Make it so.

Richard Reekers
Initiator of Future Society NewDay.nl