A toast to 2025 and the purpose of a lifetime
A toast to 2025 and the purpose of a lifetime “I see through things as well as through my eyes, the dreamed cities. It is they that were real. Things are merely the quivering spectacle of themselves reflected on the waters of my gaze. Only that which was never struck by reality truly exists in […]
In a personal capacity, I, Frederic Coustols
“In a personal capacity, I, Frederic Coustols, believe that a more humane economy can enrich the gentle rises and falls of the Alentejo landscape reminiscent of the Quattrocento. This place provides the perfect context to experience the grace of time. Using this concept, Calmness can drive innovation—a holistic vision for abundance and beauty for fulfilment.” […]
Suggested reads while entering 2025
1 The world-ending Fire by Wendell Berry Penguin Editions 2 The price of Inequality by Joseph E. Stiglitz Bertrand Editora 3 Aftermath, The cultures of the Economic Crisis by Manuel Castells, João Caraça, Gustavo Cardoso Oxford 4 The Biosphere by Vladimir Vernadsky Synergetic Press, inc 5 The Next Economy by Paul Hawken Holt, Rinehart and […]
Sustainable Finance Takes Centre Stage in Geneva
image & text © Le Temps “From Monday to Thursday, the Building Bridges conference will spotlight a wealth of investment solutions focused on nature, climate, and biodiversity. For this 5th edition, the Geneva-based event continues its mission to raise awareness and aims to convert finance professionals, while fostering cooperation between the financial sector and International […]
Future Perfect
“Sustainable development has to be looked at from a global and integrated perspective or it will be doomed to fall into the contradictions among the excessive specializations. The conceptual structure that thermodynamics grants when applied to Earth as a thermodynamic system, to the living being as a conserver of energy and to the social and […]
Baruch Spinoza’s God
“Deus sive Natura — God or Nature” Baruch Spinoza When Einstein taught at many universities in the United States, a recurring question students often asked him was always the same: “Do you believe in God?” Einstein always gave the same answer: “I believe in Spinoza’s God.” For those who are unfamiliar with this, it might […]
Towards a Sustainable Future
“Socialism collapsed because it did not allow the market to tell the economic truth. Capitalism may collapse because it does not allow the market to tell the ecological truth” Oystein Dahleformer Esso Vice Presidentfor Norway and the North Sea observed As Westerners, we are speeding along life’s superficial pathways, numbed by relentless advertising and reluctant […]
Context and Growth
“Let’s start telling the truth: competitiveness is a meaningless word when applied to national economies. And the obsession with competitiveness is both wrong and dangerous” Paul Krugman In the grand narrative of human history, economic progress has often been synonymous with exponential growth and technological advancement. However, as we approach a new era, the flaws […]
Current Challenges
“Social apathy, characterized by a disengagement or indifference towards environmental issues, poses a significant obstacle to progress. It perpetuates a cycle of inaction, hindering efforts to address the pressing ecological crises we face” In our current landscape, we face pressing challenges that demand our immediate attention, spanning from societal apathy towards environmental concerns to the […]
Need for Change
“Just as a captain refusing to alter course risks catastrophe, so too do we, by ignoring the need for systemic change” The imperative for change is undeniable, necessitating a fundamental course correction in our collective trajectory. It’s paramount to recognize the urgency of action, akin to a sea captain acknowledging the impending disaster and steering […]
