Sunday, December 18, 2005

More people give positive feedback

I have received a Christmas card from Sue Kedgley , Green MP, with the words "Great book
Deirdre". Then yesterday I saw Emily Williams at a party who said she had read it now
as well as Gary and she could understand it all and very much liked it. She was surprised she had enjoyed a book on economics so much. Then last night there was a phone call from a Democrat friend of Malcolm's in Oamaru
who was just delighted, couldn't believe Malcolm's partner was 'so
clever'.

So that's good. It is nice to have all those comments come back personally.

Friday, December 02, 2005

Deirdre Kent


Deirdre Kent
Originally uploaded by localcurrencies.
Hi everyone. I thought I would add another photo, mostly to have practice with uploading photos from my flickr site. If one gets out of practice things tend to get forgotten.

The Methodist paper reviews the book

Review in Touchstone, the Methodist Church’s newspaper, November 2005

Healthy Money Healthy Planet: Developing Sustainability through New Money Systems
Reviewer: Rinny Westra

YOU CANNOT SERVE God and Money, said Jesus. But whether we like it or not, those of us who claim to serve God also tend to serve what the author describes as “dirty money”. This is the money created as interest-bearing debt by private banks, but with the approval of the Reserve Bank.

It is this money creation that drives economic growth, and that commits us to a growing rather than a sustainable economy. In such a system there are always losers, because people and firms must go further into debt to avoid economic collapse. Consequences include the growing gap between rich and poor, the horrific indebtedness of the Third World, and the degrading of the environment.

The author spends the first part of the book outlining the dire situation that the dogmatic commitment to ‘dirty money’ is driving us into. Unlimited economic growth on a planet with finite resources does not make sense.

The author does not leave it there. The second part of her book outlines ways in which ‘healthy money’ i.e. money that is not interest-bearing and that serves solely as a means of exchange, can be created.

She recommends local currencies that are complementary to the official currency. These include initiatives like Green Dollars (less popular now than they were in the 1980s and 1990s) and commercial barter through schemes like Bartercard. She presents lots of constructive detail from all over the world in this part of the book.

Much research has gone into this, and the vision that she creates is a compelling one. She bases economics on ecology, and brings reality to what is often an arid discipline that is far removed from the realities of life.

Did you know that according to the standard measurements of GDP ‘Being pregnant, chasing toddlers and breast feeding do not add to the GDP, but looking after other people’s children in a day-care centre does.’ That “If we hang our washing on the line we do nothing for the economy, but by placing it in the dryer we are helping.”? (P72)

As someone who has spent a brief time teaching economics, I would have appreciated this book, as well as Marilyn Waring’s Counting for Nothing, as offering an important alternative to the irrational commitment to economic fundamentalism (‘there is no alternative’) that has been so dominant in the economic and business discourse of the past two decades. May it help reshape our thinking, our money system and our dog-eat-dog society.

This book also has appendices listing useful websites and organisations, as well as a very good glossary.

Saturday, November 26, 2005

NZ Green Party magazine reviews the book

HEALTHY MONEY HEALTHY PLANET
Reviewed by Brian Westbrooke for Te Awa, The River, Magazine of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

We often think of money as something tangible like notes and coins. A moment’s reflection provides a reality check. Most money, from our bank account balances and mortgages to our wages and EFTPOS transactions at the supermarket, is imaginary and electronic. Only 2% of New Zealand’s money supply is state issued currency. All other money is based upon private debt, a pyramid of mortgages, loans and overdrafts created by banks.

Deirdre Kent’s Healthy Money Healthy Planet offers an accessible and readable critique of our monetary system and a comprehensive review of alternative currencies and community banking systems from a New Zealand perspective.

Part One describes the organisation of our diseased monetary and banking institutions, explaining how banks create money through the money multiplier effect in an easily understandable way. The author shows why our monetary system, based upon interest bearing debt, will collapse unless more money is continually created, and how this money supply expansion creates relentless pressure for economic growth.

Over the term of a typical housing mortgage, for example, a borrower will, with interest, repay more that twice the amount borrowed.

Banks do not directly lend the interest component of these repayments into existence. For borrowers to meet their commitments, new debt money must be continually be created elsewhere in the financial system. Borrowers must ceaselessly engage in competitive economic activity to produce goods and services in a struggle to obtain such money from others. Paradoxically, our monetary system creates a continual scarcity of money for many whilst also propelling expansion of the total money supply.

The book reveals that New Zealand’s money supply has grown phenomenally since banking industry deregulation in the 1980s. Household mortgage debt, constituting over 60% of our money supply, grew from 3.7 billion in 1978 to 81 billion in 2003, a rise of more than 2000 percent over 25 years! The money upon which our economy relies largely created through an increasing housing debt burden (and rising house prices)

The second part of the book examines alternative healthy currencies and community banking systems from around the world that produce more socially and economically desirable outcomes.

Kent argues that the first step towards a healthy monetary system is the development of local currencies and banking systems based upon mutual exchange. These would not be founded in interest bearing debt, and would exist alongside national and international currencies.

Although it does not offer a simple panacea for our problems, monetary reform is crucial to the creation of a substantial society. Healthy Money Healthy Planet is a very useful starting point for those who wish to know more about our diseased monetary system and alternatives to it.


For more information go to: www.le.org.nz?tiki-index.php?Page=SustainableMoney

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Comment from Daniel Evans of barter-software.com

Well it is good to know the book is being read now by at least one commercial barter company. Daniel Evans, who has just sold Ozone New Zealand, but is the Chief Information Office of XO Limited, a software development company based in Auckland, New Zealand, writes one day:


"I have actually read your book - and passed it onto the local Ozone operator here. It is very impressive. Quite a few people seem to be handing it around. " In a later email he says:

"Yep - Jo gave me the book. In turn I bought some copies and gave them to Seeby Woodhouse (the Ozone owner for NZ) and Josh Webb (his partner) and the Ozone franchise owner for Australia and another green-dollar person in Australia.. (or rather someone who wanted to start their own exchange).

It was very interesting."

Daniel's company has developed software for use by comercial barter companies and LETS systems.

I also discovered today that the owner of an organics shop in Wellington has read it too.

This review would put off most readers!

A review in the Nelson Mail on Thursday 20 October 2005 was fairly dreadful. Here it is:

A New Look at Money

This book deserves to be read and discussed, but that is an unlikely fate.

We like making money, spending money and having money in the bank. But when it comes to talking about money, most of us tend to go glassy-eyed. So money gets left to those who control it - and that, says Deirdre Kent, is a tragedy.

She argues that banks don't lend money that they borrow, but instead create it by making an entry on both sides of the balance sheet. Money based on interest is bad and she says measuring a nation's wealth by its gross domestic product is unhealthy.

Her reasoning is somewhat involved, but for those who get this far, she changes tack and reviews a list of alternative money systems.

Unfortunately, while many of these systems appear to have merit, for various reasons most have fallen by the wayside.

Writing a book such as this as if it were a dissertation for a PhD may not be the best way to win the public's hearts and minds. It badly needs a lighter touch for the general reader, and many more human interest stories to counterbalance the earnestness.

The latter chapters on non-banking institutions - such as the PSIS, building societies and credit unions - are more interesting. There is even a fleeting reference to plans for a Nelson bank that were shelved when Kiwibank came along.

Kent finishes the narrative (but not the book) with a gung-ho action plan. The book finishes with notes, references and an index that together take up more than 60 pages.

- John Ewan.

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Helen Dew (NZ) and Stephen De Meulenaere in Bali

Stephen is a Canadian working for Strohalm, an organisation from the Netherlands. He works in local currencies. See www. strohalm.ne to see what he is up to. He is a mine of information. Recently Helen Dew of Living Economies in New Zealand had to go to Bali for her son's wedding and it was an ideal opportunity to take my book to Stephen.

Stephen De Meulenaere's comments

It was very nice to meet Helen when she was recently in Bali, who so kindly brought me your book to give to me! I have had a chance to read the book through, cover to cover when I was working in a poor rural village on the side of the massive Merapi Volcano in Yogyakarta City, central Java Island, where we are working to implement our Voucher Circulation System.

I'm very impressed with the book, the quality of the cover and paper, and the nicely written text. I see that you have included all of the suggestions that I made, and I agree completely with all that you say throughout the book, and about the areas where I have been involved, Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico and Argentina.

Comment from Gwyneth Wright of the Womens Loan Fund

Dear Deirdre

Thank you for sending me a copy of your book. I am delighted to have it and to share it with as many people as I can engage in conversation about the serious subject of money.

It is so well written that is is easily accessible and readers can get into the subject from many different angles, and so the book is immensely valuable in arousing interest.

Your work in making people think about the banking system and the creation of credit i.e. debt and to ponder on alternative systems. We in the Women's Loan Fund movement are aware of the destructive and growth-inducing effects of charging interest. In our own small way we are showing how those with a surplus of capital can enter into partnership with those who can use it productively. We take pride also in the fact that we keen money in the community that would otherwise be siphoned off – and probably up to no good in the global scene.

Your seminal work is of great worth to all of us who look for a better way – one that will look after people, so many of whom are caught in a virtual slavery to a system that should be working for, not against them. Thank you for undertaking it. It is a gift indeed.

With love and many good wishes

Gwyneth Wright (Thames)

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Book launched in Christchurch, AGM of Living Economies

Well I have just returned from a trip to Christchurch. Not only did we have another successful occasion where my book was launched but we had two excellent days of the Living Economies AGM. See www.le.org.nz for Living Economies. We have a new person on our board Carolyn Hughes and that is great as she is good value. She is a member of the Motueka Green Dollar group and has read my book. She has business background, particularly trade. And we had a student from Dunedin who is wanting to start a 'scarfie dollar.' We discussed his proposals and gave him advice. However right now most people are fairly preoccupied with the General Election and the results will be known on Saturday. The book launch was at Environment Canterbury, part of the offices of the Regional Council there and attracted almost as many people as the Waikanae one. Several bought the book. I also went out to breakfast with my sister Jill and present at the cafe was a university lecturer and Green Party campaigner who was interested. All sorts of people will read it. And I had an interview with Liz Griffiths who with two others does a radio programme on Plains FM called Earthwatch. It will be on at 10pm on a Wednesday night.

I also have an appointment in November with the marketing manager of the University of New South Wales bookshop. He sells books to sustainability courses.

I am going out to dinner tonight and the host, Souith African Yaj Chetty, has asked me to bring a copy of my book to sell to one of his friends. That is great now that people have read and can recommend the book. I had a lovely email from Miguel Hirota in Japan today. He has just written a book on money too.

He said:
" I'm not sure whether you have already received some feedback from your readers or not, but I find your book to be quite important for the development of complementary currencies in the world. I hope to have more chances to work for this purpose..."

Monday, September 05, 2005

Feedback from a LETS activist

It is great to hear that so many New Zealand LETS schemes are now going online and otherwise improving the functioning of their systems. I talked to a Wanganui activist recently who was very enthusiastic. And here is feedback from someone in LETS who has read the book. With two time dollar systems starting in Christchurch, things are really looking up.

“I’m finding Deirdre’s book thorough and enlightening. I’m learning heaps! Before this my understanding of economies was minimal. Congratulations on a thorough work.”

Ron Sharp
LETS activist, Riwaka, Motueka

Speech made by Helen Dew at the launch of the book

HMHP Launch speech – Helen Dew – 09.07.05

Deirdre, when one considers your background in maths and your fascination with figures it’s hardly surprising that you’d write a book about money!

The merging of this interest with your long standing commitment to environmental and social issues, as well as your tendency to question commonly held assumptions, have underpinned your determination to look beyond symptoms of dysfunctional systems to their root causes.

In the course of your very thorough research for HMHP you have gained considerable co-operation from an impressive network in the monetary reform community.

Through your dedication to learning and writing you have gained the well earned respect of many at the forefront of the currency movement, amply demonstrated by the very positive comments about HMHP already made by national and international authorities. NZ’s Prue Hyman said that your book “should be read by everyone concerned about social justice and the survival of the planet and humanity.”

I also quote Margrit Kennedy, whose 2001 visit to NZ inspired you to focus on this most important work: the transformation of the money system, to enable exchange systems that work positively for people and planet. In her message of congratulations to you Margrit wrote: “Deirdre’s book is ‘economics for everyone’ in the very best sense”

In Healthy Money, Healthy Planet you have explained in clear and convincing manner the inescapable connection between the design of the money system and intolerable pressures being placed on the environment and society.

In his forthcoming report to the Club of Rome, member Stefan Brunnhuber says “The money system is the most overlooked topic within the sustainability debate.”

I believe that HMHP will not only make a powerful contribution to increased monetary literacy, but by your comprehensive coverage of creative and tested exchange options you will also engender among your readers hope for a secure and sustainable future for generations to come, and access to the tools to make this possible.

Deirdre, getting HMHP published has taken skill, determination, commitment and courage! You can take pride in having created a reliable and vital resource in the drive for necessary re-localisation as communities grapple with the effects of ‘peak oil’.

I congratulate you and all who have contributed to the creation of this most important book, and now take great pleasure in declaring HMHP launched.

Deirdre, I sincerely trust that your book will prove to be a significant catalyst towards a paradigm shift in thought, action and outcome in the economic, environmental and social realm in New Zealand and beyond, translating the title of your book into reality!

Here’s to Deirdre, and to the success of Healthy Money, Healthy Planet!

Comment from a Democrat

Having read the 1st three Chapters of 'Healthy Money, Healthy Planet' by Deirdre Kent which I bought at Conference, I urge all members to buy a copy and pass it on to a couple of vulnerable voters with time to read at least a few chapters before the election.

This looks like being the best exposition of the defects in the present monetary system, and the solution to the problems, that I have read. It's readable, far more accessible to the average reader than Rowbotham's book and centred on NZ with plenty of complimentary references to the Democrats.

Allen Cookson
Oxford Canterbury



And later....John and I would like to wholeheartedly endorse that, having also got a third the way through Deirdre's book (we take turns). It's readable, direct and clear.

We plan to pass it on as soon as we have finished it. Definitely get a copy if you can.

Katherine

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Comment from Tim Inkpen, Canada

Thank you Deirdre for such a wonderful book! I've just finished reading your work. It packs quite a punch. It is a powerful and rich critique of our monetary system. Your style is very accessible. You are able to take very complex issues and make them understandable to an average reader without becoming boring or dull. This is a rare gift. together with "Reinventing Money" by Thomas Greco and "The Future of Money" by Bernard Lietaer your work should become a standard text in a curriculum for alternative economics.

Sunday, July 17, 2005

With a doctor and an economics teacher


DSCN1317_1.jpg
Originally uploaded by localcurrencies.
Dr Viola Palmer, Deirdre, Mary Harray. We were all friends from Tauranga days. Mary was an economics teacher for many years and has followed the book with interest. Viola works as a GP and is the spokesperson for GALA, Group Against Liquor Advertising.

Watch for North and South article August 11th

A North and South journalist Jane Tollerton has written an article on two sisters whose books were published the same week. My sister Rachel McAlpine has written her fourth novel, called Humming and it is now on the best seller list for fiction for New Zealand.
  • Humming
  • It will make you laugh. Set in Golden Bay and involves a famous artist, a tai chi teacher and many others.

    Wednesday, July 13, 2005

    Publisher's media release focusses on pressure for economic growth, spiralling debt and alternative money systems

    MEDIA RELEASE

    Healthy Money, Healthy Planet:
    Developing sustainability through new money systems

    By Deirdre Kent * $34.99 * Published June, 2005 * 320 pages * Craig Potton Publishing
    Review copies available * contact Phillippa Duffy * phillippa@cpp.co.nz * Ph 03 548 3553


    Healthy Money, Healthy Planet argues that much of the relentless pressure for global economic growth, which results in so much environmental and social damage, is due to our money system.

    At a time when superstars, such as actor Brad Pitt and U2 singer/songwriter turned third-world debt-relief advocate Bono, are encouraging world leaders to consider collective approaches in relieving Africa’s spiralling debt crises, it is timely that New Zealanders look at their own monetary systems and its impact on our society. How often do we hear or read reports on increased household debt in New Zealand or new research into the impact and burden of student loans, and think only of the consequences, rather than any of the systemic causes?

    Deirdre Kent, in Healthy Money, Healthy Planet, goes some way to addressing this, offering the reader accessible information to better assess and consider what some of these contributing factors are. In Part 1: ‘Sick Money’, Kent outlines the money multiplier effect and how banks create money through interest bearing debt. She then goes through the consequences of this: a growing debt spiral; a widening gap between rich and poor; the transfer of money overseas; and resultant instability.

    We all deal with money in different forms every day – whether it’s through handling cash, using credit, personal loans and credit cards, understanding our or our children’s student loans, or taking on a mortgage. This book gives the ordinary New Zealander, those without an economics or finance background, an opportunity to really understand the mechanics of New Zealand’s monetary system and the impacts it has on our society. Some of what Kent discusses will be controversial, some worrying, and some illuminating. However, rather than just focussing on the negative impacts, Kent spends much of the book looking at solutions and alternatives such as barter and community-based currencies. In Part 2 ‘Healthy Money’, ideas and examples are offered on how we can make individual and community-based decisions to limit our reliance on, and exposure to, the damaging aspects of a spiralling debt system. The chapter on ‘Privately Issued Currency’ includes an interesting recap on the Chathams Islands Notes issued for the Millennium, their use on the island, and the ensuing media and public attention and resultant Reserve Bank action.

    Deirdre Kent has been an environmental activist, a maths teacher, a Values Party candidate, a city councillor and a full-time campaigner as Director on ASH (Action on Smoking and Health). Her passion is to inform people how the money system we have inherited contributes to world-wide environmental and social problems and to promote monetary literacy to avert further degradation. She is a trustee of Living Economies (www.le.org.nz), an organisation set up for this purpose.

    Deirdre Kent is available for interview. Contact Phillippa Duffy, Craig Potton Publishing to arrange an interview or seek more details for review purposes.

    END

    Monday, July 11, 2005

    A book about Green Monetary Reform and Green Economics

    This book looks at the world's money system and its social and environmental consequences. It outlines how money is currently created as interest-bearing debt by commercial banks and reflects on the history of this process. Then it summarises all the appalling financial and environmental social effects of creating money in this way and asks what to do. Graphs show the rise in debt in several sectors including corporate, housing, student and credit card debt. To complete the section one on unhealthy money, there is a chapter on unhealthy globalisation, one on economic mismeasurement and one on answering the critics.

    The second part of the book, larger than the first, starts to provide some solutions. It revisits the concept of money and outlines the reasons for complementary or local currencies. Many chapters then describe the various local currencies which have been used over the centuries and round the world at the moment, including LETS, commercial barter, timebanking, currencies with a circulation incentive. There are two chapters discussing why some local currencies are more successful than others, one on biomicry in organisational structures, one on community banking in New Zealand before a final chapter looking to the future and suggesting options for action.

    It is completed with a bibliography, a list of organisation and websites and an index.

    So this is a comprehensive book on green monetary reform and green economics for the information age.

    Green economics in bookshop windows

    First, if you want to read about the book, go to Archives, then click on June. It is just that at the moment I have limited skills writing this website and I don't want to frustrate first time users who don't want to see a whole lot of photos of my booklaunch but want to find out about the book. OK, yesterday I discovered that Bennetts Government Bookshop has my book in the window. Bennetts is right near Parllament so all the government servants and politicians and lobbyists use it a lot, as they sell Hansard there and political books. This means green monetary reform is in the news. I had to order more books today as I have sold 50 already and the publicity has barely begun. I am off to a conference in Nighthawk, Colorado on 27th July and will be away for three weeks.

    Sunday, July 10, 2005

    Some of the grandchildren for whom the book was written

    Hamish charged everywhere pushing a trolley full of blocks and toys. That's my daughter Rachel with the children.

    Proud author


    Proud author
    Originally uploaded by localcurrencies.
    It was so nice to hear people say good things about my persistence and stamina throughout this project.

    Malcolm Murchie introduces speakers

    My partner Malcolm Murchie, a long time monetary reformer, acts as the MC and says he is very proud. He refers to many published authors among the guests.

    With granddaughter Tereana

    Tereana goes to boarding school and is in my custody. She did the housework beforehand and afterwards to earn money.

    Derek Wilson, Susanna Kent and Daniel sell books

    Derek wrote a big book called the Five Holocausts, outlining the problems faced by humanity. A retired architect he often writes to the paper. He is a board member of Pacific Institute for Resource Management which publishes Pacific Ecologist.

    Anna and Finlay Thompson with baby

    Finlay was a lecturer in Maths at the time he and I were working in the organisation we founded called NZ Banking Reform. Together we read and researched about the money system, visited the Reserve Bank and organised forums. Finlay's brother Alistair runs the www.scoop.co.nz website

    Deirdre Kent and Helen Dew

    Well my 7 year old grandson Daniel actually took this. Hence the angles look a bit wobbly. Helen Dew of Living Economies drove over from Carterton for the launch.

    Economist Prue Hyman with Jill Abigail


    Book launch very successful

    What a wonderful celebration day, at our place in Waikanae. The photos tell the story. A book which took from 1997 when it was first dreamed up, 1999 when I put my computer down in a cold basement garage in Highbury, Wellington and dressed myself in hat, mittens, thick socks, big slippers and covered myself with a rug. I worked like this all winter until we had an office built upstairs. Then for four more years till publication. My friends and colleagues were delighted that it has come to fruition. MC at the event was my partner Malcolm Murchie, who drew attention to several published authors in the room and spoke of my persistence in the task. Helen Dew of Living Economies formally launched the book into the world. The contents of her speech are in a separate posting. Then my sister Rachel McAlpine, who has taught and published on writing and has just published her fourth novel, spoke of the way I had taken advice on writing and of the difficulty of getting a book published, as she advises many in this sometimes fruitless pursuit. Prue Hyman, the feminist economist who commends the book, spoke of its significance for those who want social justice. Family and friends enjoyed this occasion and made me feel proud, as the photos show. It was a great opportunity to thank all those who had supported me. I am running out of books to sell and must order more. I never dreamt I would sell 50 so quickly.

    Tuesday, June 28, 2005

    Books going to Whitcoulls July 7

    Good news today. Whitcoulls has ordered and Bennetts, the Whitcoulls Government Bookshop on the corner of Lambton Quay and Bowen Street has ordered a lot. They will be in there on July 7 so after that the books will go out for publicity and review purposes. Helen Dew of Living Economies says she is selling steadily too. And my launch will be at our home on July 9, so I now need to prepare for this.

    Meanwhile the local currencies conference which was to have been held in Denver 1-5 August has been postponed due to the illhealth of the organiser. Fortunately others have scheduled one for the few days beforehand at Louisville, Colorado. I will be going to that!

    Thursday, June 23, 2005

    The Cover of the book


    The Cover of the book
    Originally uploaded by localcurrencies.

    In case you can't read it, the subtitle is Developing Sustainability Through New Money Systems.

    Tuesday, June 21, 2005

    Deirdre Kent


    Deirdre Kent
    Originally uploaded by localcurrencies.

    How to order the book

    You can either buy the book from the organisation of which I am a trustee, Living Economies or from Craig Potton Publishing. If you live overseas it would be easier to use the publisher's website.



    Comment from Hazel Henderson

    A clear well-researched analysis of the dysfunctionality of our crisis-prone money systems. A wide array of case studies and viable options for reform are presented from global to local. Kent has provided a multi-disciplinary roadmap for shaping healthy, homegrown economies linked worldwide by a financial architecture based on principles of fairness, diveristy, social and ecological sustainability.


    HAZEL HENDERSON, author of Building a Win-Win World and Paradigms in ProgressTEXT
    TEXT

    Comment from Richard Douthwaite

    This is the most comprehensive book on community banks and complementary currency systems I know. Not only that – it is packed with fascinating information and is a delight to read.


    RICHARD DOUTHWAITE, author of Short Circuitand The Growth Illusion

    Comment from Stefan Brunnhuber

    Congratulations! The money system is the most overlooked topic within the sustainability debate. This book is right in line with our argument which is going to be published as a Club of Rome report, 2005.


    STEFAN BRUNNHUBER, psychiatrist and economist, co-author with Bernard Lietaer of Our Future Economy

    Comment from Prue Hyman

    Deirdre Kent's book should be read by everyone concerned about social justice and the survival of the planet and humanity. It particularly indicts the orthodox and 'sick' monetary system as responsible for much of the failure of the world economy to deliver decent living standards to all and advocates 'healthy' and varied local currencies. Full of fascinating histories of earlier and current alternative money systems in New Zealand and elswhere, it is a compelling read.


    PRUE HYMAN, Victoria University feminist economist

    Comment from Margrit Kennedy

    Deirdre Kent in this powerful book provides a much-needed overview and critical evaluation of the reasons for changing our monetary beliefs and the theoretical as well as practical solutions which exist on a global scale. Without losing clarity and simplicity necessary to reach the layperson she has been able to include the complex issues surrounding the topic of money often ignored by the experts. This book is truly worthwhile reading for everybody who finally wants to understand contradictory developments caused by our moonetary system. It is 'economics for everyone' in the very best sense.

    MARGRIT KENNEDY, author of Interest and Inflation free Money.

    What people are saying about the book

    Beautifully done!! It is without question a very important piece of work that will help enormously in community sustainability.


    ELIZABET SAHTOURIS PhD, author of Living Systems in Evolution



    Deirdre Kent's book shoudl be read by everyone concerned about social justice and the survival of the planet and humanit.


    PRUE HYMAN
    Victoria University feminist economist

    This is the most comprehensive book on community banks and complementary currency systems I know. Not only that - it is packed with fascinating information and a delight to read.


    RICHARD DOUTHWAITE
    Author of Short CircuitandThe Growth Illusion.

    Healthy Money Healthy Planet

    Healthy Money Healthy Planet: Developing Sustainability through New Money Systems, by Deirdre Kent. Published by Craig Potton publishing June 2005.

    Healthy Money Healthy Planet offers some solutions to a range of environmental and social problems throughout the world. The pressure for continuing economic growth has caused widespread environmental damage from overuse of natural resources and destruction of habitats. Social problems are created by rapidly increasing debt in the form of mortgages, credit cards and student loans, and the concentration of wealth and power.

    Deirdre Kent mainatains that many of these probemes result from the creation of most of the country's money by private banks as interest-bearing debt, and that some central bankers, economists and politicians appear to be keeping the public in ignorance about the origins of money.

    In order to reverse this trend and help develop more sustainable communities, Healthy Money Healthy Planet looks at complementary economies and monetary systems which have been tried in various countries, including New Zealand, and suggests how they could be implemented in the future. These include changes to the taxation system, community banking, commercial barter, voucher schemes and currencies with a circulation incentive.


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