A discussion of progress from:
http://www.progress.org/
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REDEFINING PROGRESS
Progress, for most people, enhances their quality of life --
for their families, their communities, and their future.
Economic factors are important, but somehow we have settled
on measuring only economic growth and calling that growth
progress.
"The official definitions of progress confuse MORE with
BETTER, COSTS with GAINS, BORROWING with EARNINGS, and
MEANS with ENDS. To achieve real progress we must learn
to distinguish these again."-- Redefining Progress in the
Atlantic Monthly, 1995
We think and act as if our economy, our environment, and
our society's needs are at best unrelated realms.
Sometimes we put them at odds with one another. We act as
if environmental gains must bring economic losses, as if
social gains must limit economic growth. Redefining Progress
seeks to shift the prevailing definition of progress, from
one based exclusively on a growing economy, to one that
resonates with people's sense of the quality of their
lives. We believe that, as it stands today, our society faces
a troubling future. By using traditional financial measures
as our primary compass, we steer society on a course that
all too frequently points us away from progress.We believe
real progress is possible--but first we have to clear away
the false notions about economic progress that stand in the
way.
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jeff's commments:
For me this is partially a language issue involving many words
such as: wealth, success, and religon. Progress is a small part
of the big picture, but that does not make it less important.
Another element which i feel fits is the concept of process.
One persons progress might be a step back for someone who has been
thinking about it for a number of years. They share the same attitudes
and are pointed in the same direction, but are at different points along
the path. This says absolute definitons are not possible, only a
shared process, and that is what the PATH part of ecopath is saying.
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Jeff Owens ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Zone 7, http://www.teleport.com/~kowens
Underground house, solar energy, reduced consumption, no TV
