It’s been a month since the explosion on an oil rig set off the unprecedented environmental disaster that is occurring in the Gulf of Mexico, and I’ve been so heartsick and overwhelmed, not to mention not-well-enough informed, beyond what I read in the media, to write about it.

But it’s time to write something. I want some good to come from this catastrophe, and all I can think of is how wise and wonderful it would be if this served as the catalyst for the U.S. to utilize the ideas in Peter Barnes’ critically important book, Capitalism 3.0, and to adopt the 28 words penned by Robert Hinckley in his corporate code of citizenship that allows corporations to pursue profits, “…but not at the expense of the environment, human rights, public health and safety, dignity of employees or the welfare of the communities in which the corporation operates.”

Please read Barnes’ book and spread these ideas. These thoughtful men have provided a template for a true solution to so many problems and potential disasters. If the oil spill serves as the motivation for a considered reassessment of how we conduct a healthy capitalism for all — humans, non-humans, and the environment — then perhaps we can live with the dire consequences and move toward a healthy future.

Zoe Weil
Author of Most Good, Least Harm

Image courtesy of NASA Goddard Photo and Video via Creative Commons.

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Filed under: books, changemakers, citizen activism, Environmental Preservation, social justice, systemic change, third side thinking | Tagged: books, capitalism, changemakers, citizen activism, corporate responsibility, disasters, Environmental Preservation, Gulf of Mexico, oil spills, social justice, systemic change | Comments Off