It’s the end of the world as we know it . . . and I feel fine.

Did you think the end of the world was coming?

So May 21, 2011 – came and went, and the world didn’t end. That was the “doomsday” date predicted by some in which the Biblical rapture would happen. However, I just finished reading a very scary book titled The Day After the Dollar Crashes and if you read this book, you may indeed think that the world is going to end!

The book weaves together some common socio-political themes regarding our economy, capitalism, and the environment. Basically the book conveys that the United States has too much debt (as do most other developed nations of the world). The amount of money needed every day to operate the government and fund all of its associated programs exceeds our annual economic output (GDP or Gross Domestic Product). But GDP, as calculated by the U.S. Government, is misleading. This humongous debt is a tremendous burden not only to a country, but to society and individuals (BTW – this is a big “Dave Ramseyism”).

Also in the book is the concept of losing farmland and forests to development, which contributes to environmental degradation which in turn leads to lack of clean air, food, and water. Increased population places more demands on the environment, and then we lose even more forests and farmland to development. This cycle is also ultimately unsustainable.

So what will happen?

The book claims it’s the end of the road for the U.S. Dollar and that bankruptcy for the U.S. is not far off. Furthermore, that the world is on the verge of a revolution due to our unsustainable way of life.

Is it?

In college I studied geography, which is the study of the inter-related nature of all things – the physical environment (plants, terrain, etc.) in which we live, the people that inhabit that particular environment (demographics), and their culture. (See? Geography is more than just “What is the capital of Alaska?”!) Population growth puts demands on the environment and natural resources. When grassland or forest is paved over for development, this contributes to flooding and runoff because impermeable concrete does not absorb water. Trees that are cut down don’t absorb CO2 and can’t produce oxygen. In a vicious cycle, clear-cutting forests results in faster runoff which leads to increased erosion and even further environmental degradation.

According to the book, we are now learning, on a global scale, that our economy and the environment are intertwined (duh!). We are living a debt-fueled lifestyle while depleting the planet’s resources. The book asserts that the Western model of consumption, polluting, and selling off of our natural resources for profit is no longer sustainable.

Now in light of my background and education, what’s also ironic (there’s that divine orchestration again) and interesting is that the other night I attended a video lecture by Daniel Pink. One of the points in his lecture was that organizations are seeing the end of the profit motive. In other words, there is an almost spiritual shift occurring where people are no longer motivated by money. Instead, people want to be part of something bigger, and do what’s purposeful. I think this is evidenced by the rise in the number of non-profit organizations, and also in the number of life coaches and spiritual healers.

Finally, the book suggests adopting sustainable ecological practices on a global scale. This is doable if people agree (read Gaia for more information). Technology is a way of keeping people connected. It has given rise to the birth of a phenomenon known as “flash mobbing” – where people dance and move together in sync. People are doing this for a greater purpose. They want to connect, and be part of something larger. Could that be a precursor to the global revolution and evolution that will happen The Day After the Dollar Crashes?

As you can see, all of these themes are related. I could go on, but that will have to be the subject of another blog post. Stay tuned. So now I ask you:

What’s your take?

Are these seemingly unrelated things related?

Is our monetary system and way of life on the verge of collapse?