I recently attended the "Envisioning a Fairer Future" conference hosted by the Nelson Institute in Madison, WI. Among many noteworthy presentations (see
this link for the list of speakers), was one by Dr. Juliet Schor from Boston College. See a synopsis of Dr. Schor's recent book
Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth here. Dr. Schor details a new way forward for our economy: "plenitude" - which "calls attention to the inherent bounty of nature that we need to recover. It directs us to the chance to be rich in the things that matter to us most, and the wealth that is available in our relations with one another. Plenitude involves very different ways of living than those encouraged by the maxims that have dominated the discourse for the last twenty-five years. It puts ecological and social functioning at its core, but it is not a paradigm of sacrifice. To the contrary, it involves a way of life that will yield more well-being than sticking to business as usual, which has led both the natural and economic environments into decline." This is a hopeful book, and highly recommended. See and hear Dr. Schor speaking on this topic on YouTube at
this link.
