Earth Capitalism

Today a deepening global recession is causing economic hardships for all kinds of businesses. Earth Capitalism attributes the crisis to inappropriate macroeconomic policies and excessive expansion of financial institutions in blind pursuit of profit, lack of self-discipline among financial institutions, and the failure of supervision and regulation to keep up with financial innovations. Collectively, these are some of the main causes of the current global economic malaise. Petit argues that human greed and insatiability are the true source of disparities around the world. Greed is the reason why we are depleting the Earthrs"s natural resources and destroying its ecosystems. He argues that instead, a good life should be based on balanced give-and-take. When we take something from society or the Earth, we have to maintain a balance by giving something equivalent back. Happiness is founded on gratitude for what one has, and one should engage in an overall appraisal of life, not what one lacks. He believes the same principle should be applied to management of the Earthrs"s natural resources and goods. The current global crisis impels us to create a responsible capitalism, one that benefits all living beings on this planet. It reminds us to live a simpler life based on true well-being and life-satisfaction, but simple living is not about living in poverty. As its subtitle suggests, Earth Capitalism rs"s contributors present leading edge economic concepts, business models, and best practices that show the path toward creation of responsible capitalism-a viable scenario emerging from the current global economic and financial crisis.Patrick U. Petit is an international mediator and representative to the United Nations of the Goi Peace Foundation. He has initiated and set up more than thirty peace building and peacemaking events in collaboration with regional and global Intergovernmental and Civil Society Organizations, as well as Parliaments and Parliamentary Assemblies. He is the editor of Earthrise: The Dawning of a New Civilization in the 21st Century , as Shaping the Culture of Peace in a Multilateral World , and Creating a New Civilization through Social Entrepreneurship .Bill Gates is the founder of Microsoft and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Known as one of the pioneers in the personal computer revolution, he is the author of two books The Road Ahead and Business @ the Speed of Thought .