"Religion without science is blindness, science without religion is deafness" A. Einstein
In our efforts to achieve "the triple bottom line", we see energy budgeting to be the essence of management:
Solar energy is the fuel for ecological activity.
Effective management is measured by the level of health:
SustainABILITY (sustaining life)
Success is expressed in the thriving of LIFE (biodiversity increases).
Failure is expressed in the loss of LIFE (biodiversity decreases).
Agriculture uses sunshine, technology, biological and social capital to support productivity.
Effective management is measured by volume and quality:
ProfitABILITY (sustaining civilization)
Success is expressed in the sustaining of civilization (growing, wealthy city based human communities)
Failure is expressed in the failure of civilizations (history teaches us that over 20 civilizations have failed when agricultural practices consumed their biological foundations.)
Primary produce is the fuel for commerce. (Financial viability)
Effective management is measured by purchasing power:
TaxABILITY (sustaining power structures)
Success is expressed in law and order and the thriving of cultural values.
Failure is expressed in the loss of these and is manifested in as many different ways.
The concept of "enviro-commerce" that we are promoting is based on the premise, that what nature supplies does have a cost attached that needs to be factored into commercial equations.
It is for this reason that we include "enviro-levies" or "eco-contributions" in our pricing. This is also the reason that at an operational level we give precedence to the building of biological foundations (healthy soil biota and a balanced functioning of the four fundamental eco-system processes) over physical infrastructure.
We invite you to read Allan Savory's presentation on "triple bottom line" given at a sustainable business symposiom in Eugene, USA November 1999. Go to: http://www.HolisticManagement.org Go to: ON LINE LIBRARY / Find: PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS / Look for: TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE - REALLY
