Press "Enter" to skip to content

The Money Tree | Paul Cushman | TEDxBasel


[Music]

[Music] [Applause]

[Applause]

[Applause] so what’s not to love about capitalism

so what’s not to love about capitalism

so what’s not to love about capitalism it’s created enormous wealth brought

it’s created enormous wealth brought

it’s created enormous wealth brought whole countries to prosperity and

whole countries to prosperity and

whole countries to prosperity and delivered millions from poverty but what

delivered millions from poverty but what

delivered millions from poverty but what our economy values highest these days is

our economy values highest these days is

our economy values highest these days is oil gas diamonds lithium and so on all

oil gas diamonds lithium and so on all

oil gas diamonds lithium and so on all extracted an enormous environmental cost

extracted an enormous environmental cost

extracted an enormous environmental cost currently our economy is waging war on

currently our economy is waging war on

currently our economy is waging war on our environment so as we search for

our environment so as we search for

our environment so as we search for sustainability looking for ideas that

sustainability looking for ideas that

sustainability looking for ideas that will help us balance the needs of the

will help us balance the needs of the

will help us balance the needs of the environment and the economy shouldn’t we

environment and the economy shouldn’t we

environment and the economy shouldn’t we first ask ourselves what on planet earth

first ask ourselves what on planet earth

first ask ourselves what on planet earth is most valuable to humans I’d argue

is most valuable to humans I’d argue

is most valuable to humans I’d argue it’s air without it we’d all be dead by

it’s air without it we’d all be dead by

it’s air without it we’d all be dead by the time this little TED talk is over

the time this little TED talk is over

the time this little TED talk is over now the good news is air and the

now the good news is air and the

now the good news is air and the atmosphere are very valuable to Planet

atmosphere are very valuable to Planet

atmosphere are very valuable to Planet Earth – meaning that we would create

Earth – meaning that we would create

Earth – meaning that we would create alignment with our environment if we

alignment with our environment if we

alignment with our environment if we chose to make air the most valuable

chose to make air the most valuable

chose to make air the most valuable element in our economy now creating an

element in our economy now creating an

element in our economy now creating an economy around fresh air isn’t actually

economy around fresh air isn’t actually

economy around fresh air isn’t actually as complicated as it sounds trees make

as complicated as it sounds trees make

as complicated as it sounds trees make air they also clean it of pollutants and

air they also clean it of pollutants and

air they also clean it of pollutants and so by extension trees would become the

so by extension trees would become the

so by extension trees would become the most valuable commodity within this

most valuable commodity within this

most valuable commodity within this economy ok so they’re valuable but how

economy ok so they’re valuable but how

economy ok so they’re valuable but how do you integrate them into the existing

do you integrate them into the existing

do you integrate them into the existing global financial system it’s not as

global financial system it’s not as

global financial system it’s not as though you can trade a forest on the new

though you can trade a forest on the new

though you can trade a forest on the new york stock exchange

york stock exchange

york stock exchange no but debt is fully integrated into the

no but debt is fully integrated into the

no but debt is fully integrated into the global financial system it is very well

global financial system it is very well

global financial system it is very well established

established

established it pays interest its traded in every

it pays interest its traded in every

it pays interest its traded in every stock market and bank on the planet and

stock market and bank on the planet and

stock market and bank on the planet and we’ve got boatloads of it a hundred and

we’ve got boatloads of it a hundred and

we’ve got boatloads of it a hundred and fifty two trillion dollars to be precise

fifty two trillion dollars to be precise

fifty two trillion dollars to be precise so simply by equating the amount of

so simply by equating the amount of

so simply by equating the amount of trees that we have with the amount of

trees that we have with the amount of

trees that we have with the amount of debt that we have we would value all of

debt that we have we would value all of

debt that we have we would value all of the forests on planet Earth

the forests on planet Earth

the forests on planet Earth at a hundred and fifty two trillion

at a hundred and fifty two trillion

at a hundred and fifty two trillion dollars and this is where the idea

dollars and this is where the idea

dollars and this is where the idea starts to kick into high gear so mr.

starts to kick into high gear so mr.

starts to kick into high gear so mr. president you would like to reduce

president you would like to reduce

president you would like to reduce national debt plant trees and lots of

national debt plant trees and lots of

national debt plant trees and lots of them don’t believe me it’s that simple

them don’t believe me it’s that simple

them don’t believe me it’s that simple we’ll try this I calculated that if

we’ll try this I calculated that if

we’ll try this I calculated that if trees do equal debt then the Amazonian

trees do equal debt then the Amazonian

trees do equal debt then the Amazonian rainforest would turn Brazil’s 760

rainforest would turn Brazil’s 760

rainforest would turn Brazil’s 760 billion dollar national debt into a

billion dollar national debt into a

billion dollar national debt into a thirteen trillion dollar surplus

thirteen trillion dollar surplus

thirteen trillion dollar surplus overnight we would put the logging

overnight we would put the logging

overnight we would put the logging operations around the globe into reverse

operations around the globe into reverse

operations around the globe into reverse gear by creating a new financial model

gear by creating a new financial model

gear by creating a new financial model but simultaneously boosts national

but simultaneously boosts national

but simultaneously boosts national economies at the same time as removing

economies at the same time as removing

economies at the same time as removing carbon from the air all right so you’re

carbon from the air all right so you’re

carbon from the air all right so you’re thinking hmm cute idea but you can’t go

thinking hmm cute idea but you can’t go

thinking hmm cute idea but you can’t go change in the global monetary system yes

change in the global monetary system yes

change in the global monetary system yes you can

you can

you can we’ve done it before have you ever heard

we’ve done it before have you ever heard

we’ve done it before have you ever heard of the gold standard in the 1930s we

of the gold standard in the 1930s we

of the gold standard in the 1930s we changed the global monetary system no

changed the global monetary system no

changed the global monetary system no longer using the value of gold and

longer using the value of gold and

longer using the value of gold and instead we invented a new one could fiat

instead we invented a new one could fiat

instead we invented a new one could fiat money in part using regulations and

money in part using regulations and

money in part using regulations and ideas created here in Basel so if we can

ideas created here in Basel so if we can

ideas created here in Basel so if we can change the global monetary system

change the global monetary system

change the global monetary system shouldn’t we first give consideration to

shouldn’t we first give consideration to

shouldn’t we first give consideration to ideas capable of balancing the needs of

ideas capable of balancing the needs of

ideas capable of balancing the needs of the environment and the economy and if

the environment and the economy and if

the environment and the economy and if we do that then maybe just maybe we’ll

we do that then maybe just maybe we’ll

we do that then maybe just maybe we’ll all start to see that money does grow

all start to see that money does grow

all start to see that money does grow on trees thank you very much

on trees thank you very much

on trees thank you very much [Applause]

”

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *