When the children were small a favorite pastime for a rainy morning at the cottage was reading to them in bed. Anne loves reading anyway and the children were enthralled with tales of Pern in Anne McCaffery’s books. Remembering back I think of a society where the most important characters were master musicians. The most important aspect of society was music, not money. What a change from our world where children aspire toward what they see as the basis for life, i.e. career, employment, commerce, business, industry, in fact – money.

Doug Skeates We have developed a society based on monitory resources, be it industry, business, government or whatever, but dollars and cents cannot be breathed, eaten or drunk. Undoubtedly money is a valuable tool of trade allowing access to that which is really important for society’s development or in fact the very survival of the human race. While money does facilitate payment for the supply of goods and services we need, of itself it does not sustain us.

Unquestionably society’s first concern is the air we breathe. Through the process of photosynthesis green vegetation absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere to produce oxygen. Visitors from the city have commented on the fresh air we breathe in the country side. There is increasing incidence of respiratory illnesses that city doctors are encountering as well as several hundred premature deaths experienced in Toronto annually due to emissions from vehicles and industrial pollution. We can’t buy air but we are paying dearly for the misuse of the atmosphere.

Potable water is essential to life. Cooking and drinking water is basic to our daily lives. Society requires fresh water pumped from the Great Lakes while many rural families depend on wells. Where we lived in Thailand our year’s supply of potable water drained from the roof via the eaves to be stored in tanks filled in the rainy season behind the house. Nature can provide the fresh water we need.

Mankind, or at least those of us living in the western world, expects to have three meals a day. Food is basic to life. It is encouraging to read of efforts to cultivate roof top gardens in cities, using soil, water and sunlight provided by mother nature. The element required from us is a supply of elbow grease. We can reduce our dependence on provisions from the general store which necessitate a stop at the bank on route to pick up groceries.

We need an energy system which provides us with heating and cooling. Nature produces biomass from forest lands. With sufficient conservation initiatives we are able to reduce our need for purchase of costly energy. Our current requirement for transportation fuels may eventually be met through cellulosic biodiesel fuel from wood for trucks and hydrogen for cars as well as generation of renewable, less polluting sources of oil. All are products of nature without worry about fossil fuel spills in the Gulf of Mexico.

Society has demonstrated our capability to influence climate change - to our disadvantage. Using the current system based on fossil fuels we are seeing increasing average global temperature. There are natural means for moderating microclimate in and around our homes hence impinging on global temperature change.

There can be no thought of completely changing our materialistic society into natural capitalism. What is happening is the attainment of a balance between the two systems. We are starting to see movement toward greater self sufficiency, one family at a time. The recent near collapse of our financial world is encouraging people to develop alternatives.

While not as convenient as money, many people are putting more effort into production of food, growing vegetables in the back yard or on flat roofs. Others are utilizing rain water from the roof to water lawns or gardens. There is a move toward greater dependence on energy through solar panels. The incidence of producers of wood fuel is increasing while many are increasing home insulation.

On the global scene there are great strides toward alternative natural energy sources. We can’t continue to depend strictly on money supplying all our needs while nature is right there at our finger tips to take up the slack.