STWR - Share The World's Resources

A recent study has shown that our brains respond more positively when a poor person receives a financial reward than when a rich person does. Does this mean that humans have a natural aversion to inequality and a desire to share? By Sam Pizzigati.

The spread of consumer culture over the last fifty years has led to a convergence of environmental and social problems around the world. Thankfully, the transformation to a more sustainable way of living is not only possible, but has already begun, says a report by the Worldwatch Institute.

Instead of a monoculture of mega-banks deemed too big to fail, the financial system should form a highly diverse ‘ecology’ of institutions that are adapted to the complexity and long-term goals of the economy, says a report by the New Economics Foundation.

Despite a historic financial collapse, politicians are adopting a ‘business-as-usual' approach to managing the economy. What is urgently needed instead is a radical, step by step transition to a green economy that delivers healthy and equitable lives, outlines a report by the New Economics Foundation.

While policymakers struggle with what a structural overhaul of the current economic system might look like, a number of citizen-led projects around the world already point the way toward more just, ‘non-market’ alternatives, says a report by Other Worlds.

The belief that the primary purpose of companies is to maximise profits for shareholders has been called into question by the economic crisis. Mutual and employee-owned models of business offer an alternative vision where democratic companies drive a happier and more sustainable economy, says a report by Demos.

As the global and multidimensional character of environmental problems becomes clear, governments should cooperate to prevent the ‘tragedy of the commons’. This requires taking an holistic approach to sharing natural resources, says a report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.