Two Alternatives

Alternatives

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Environmental degradation is directly linked to society. Many of the things that people do to the environment have social consequences- such as in the situation of the Carteret Islanders when global warming caused by high emissions of carbon dioxide leads to island disappearance and people seeking refuge (Sun Come Up 2011). When humans make choices that are intended to benefit the environment, they must also consider how this will affect society (Lecture 2 Week 10 2021).

Economic Democracy

Promoting Equity and Sustainability

An economic democracy is a system where businesses are worker-owned and are designed to benefit everyone involved, not just create profit for those at the top (Lecture 2 Week 10 2021). Since workers wield the decision-making power, they can set fair wages and work hours, elect leaders, customize benefits such as insurance. These factors do not only benefit workers on a personal level- but also on a societal level. This encourages involvement in teams, in organizations and communities, and a connection to the business creates trust, meaning, and gratification from work (Lecture 2 Week 10 2021). The personal connection that people have to the products and services they produce at work as well as the fact that this directly impacts their communities encourages them to do whatever is needed to keep the business sustainable- there is no pressure to increase profits insanely for the sake of a CEO's salary- instead the purpose of all businesses is to keep communities healthy and workers on an individual level meeting their own and societal needs (Lecture 2 Week 10 2021).

Re-Municipalization

Reclaiming Public Services

Re-municipalization is when public services (such as water, waste management, and recycling) that have been in the control of private firms are reclaimed by the public. This gives them the power to fix issues such as lack of maintenance, high prices, and poor water quality- all of which have an especially degenerative effect on the health and wallets of the poorest members of society. This kind of change allows communities to manage public services in such a way that benefits the environment and citizens. Imagine the effect that a reclaiming of water services could have on a coal-mining town in West Virginia where the water is poisoned with heavy metals that corrode pipes, seep into rivers and soil, and harm the health of citizens (Hedges & Sacco 2012). Re-municipalization could be an solution to environmental and social problems caused by privatized public utilities and is already taking place in many cities all over the world- such as Berlin (as seen in image).