Life, Money & Illusion

Living on Earth as if we want to stay

by Mike Nickerson
448 pages

In the early 1990s the environment was a popular issue. The United Nations
had published "Our Common Future," confirming that the human family was
stretching the Earth's ability to provide for us, and recycling operations
were mushrooming everywhere. So too, it seems, were efforts to reduce and
reuse. As unnecessary consumption declined, we went into recession.

It was the realization that reduction and reuse were opposed to society's
goal of perpetually expanding production and consumption that inspired,
author Mike Nickerson to write his third book "Life, Money & Illusion."
Nickerson and his partner Donna Dillman have been traveling across Canada
facilitating discussions highlighting the shift in goals necessary to secure
the future and were in _______________ [when]________ .

Nickerson first encountered sustainability as a co-director of the Institute
for the Study of Cultural Evolution. The organization's study of the
aspirations and concerns of citizens' groups culminated in 1974 with the
point form summary, now known as the Guideposts for a Sustainable Future.
The background detail of the study was published in 1977 under the title
"Change the World I Want to Stay On," In 1990, he completed production of
the "Guideposts for a Sustainable Future" video along with an accompanying
workshop kit. In 1993, his second book, "Planning for Seven Generations,"
was published in paperback. "Life, Money & Illusion," was published in June
2006.

In the book's title, "Life" refers to the biological processes by which
living things maintain themselves over time, "Money" to the present economic
ideology that says that as long as the volume of money changing hands
increases, all will be well. "Illusion" refers to the fact that these two
perspectives are directly opposed in terms of how they would solve current
problems.

Mutual provision (economics) is everything people do for each other. Whether actions are taken for love, barter or money, they enable people to provide
for each other. In "Life, Money & Illusion," Nickerson tracks how economic
patterns change as the communities they serve grow from extended families,
through local populations and nations, to global civilization. While there
are advantages to large-scale production, the potential for participants to
become alienated increases with the size of the system. With alienation
comes a loss of sensitivity toward other people and the natural world.

"A fundamental shift has taken place in humanity's relationship with the
Earth. Throughout history, the amount of fish that people could catch was
limited only by how much time and equipment we invested in fishing. Today,
the amount of fish we catch is limited by the number of fish in the sea. We
face similar limitations with forests, food lands, fresh water, fossil fuels
and the Earth's ability to absorb waste. This shift requires an equally
fundamental change in the way we manage our societies," writes Nickerson.

"Life, Money & Illusion" outlines many practical ways for reorganizing
mutual provision to accommodate our "full" Earth. They include: well-being
measurement, where social and environmental indicators are used, in addition
to traditional economic ones, to guide policy formation and to help
reconnect our large system directly to its social and environmental impacts;
tax-shifting, where taxes on problem-causing activities are increased, while
taxes on income are decreased; alternatives to our debt-based monetary
system; and encouraging people to seek fulfillment by enjoying what living
offers, rather than through material accumulation.

Nickerson says that "It will take widespread popular assertion before
sustainability is adopted as society's goal. Material expansion presently
brings great wealth to those with fortunes to invest. They secure their
fortunes by controlling the commercial media and thereby, how most people
view the world. In addition to the obstacle of vested interests, is the
obstacle of widespread denial. The problems of pollution, resource
exhaustion and social disintegration are big and frightening. People don't
want to face them. As a result, most are inclined to accept the reassuring
message that all they need to do is earn and spend more money and all will
be well."

By providing cause for hope, and outlining steps that can be taken to adapt,
"Life, Money & Illusion" aims to get past pessimism and gather support for
admitting that we humans now fill the Earth. With a clear goal and steps for
moving in that direction, the physical maturity of our society is no more
frightening than the responsibilities of adulthood are to a teenager."

"Growth based economics are well past their "best before" date in the
developed world. If we are to pass the Earth on to our children's children,
we have to change direction. "Life, Money & Illusion" outlines a popular
education campaign to introduce the choice between "grow-until-we-drop"
economics and the economics of sustainability. It is a Question of
Direction."

"We know which way to proceed to secure, healthy lives seven generations
from now. "Life, Money and Illusion" invites you to apply your will to the
lever that will ultimately tip the balance and start us moving toward a
sustainable future."

Together, Nickerson and his wife administer the Sustainability Project, a
non-profit organization that aims to clarify the goal of sustainability. To
support his studies and writing, Nickerson designs and builds custom
furniture. They live on 160 acres, just west of Lanark, ON.

Mike Nickerson's Sustainability Project web site is at
www.SustainWellBeing.net