Abridged Edition · 2025
Time for a Restorative Economy
A journey from the "cowboy economy" of endless extraction toward a system that restores what it takes — equitable prosperity within Earth's carrying capacity.
"The transition to a restorative economy is being advocated by people, not by corporate elites. It's time we listened to them."
Contents
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#1
Turning Back the Resource Clock
From cowboy economy to spaceman economy — the ideas driving a restorative shift.
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#2
Signals of a Restorative Economy
From cooperatives to Kobumi, Javara, Sigi, and Alam Siak Lestari — voices from the field.
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The Restorative Spark of Millennials
A new generation reshapes work, food, and community around regeneration.
Read chapterWhy this matters
Six of nine planetary boundaries have already been breached.
A 2023 study in Science Advances confirmed what many communities have long lived: Earth's life-support systems are weakening. The extractive "take-make-dispose" model is no longer sustainable — a restorative alternative is overdue.
Circular by design
Extraction and pollution limited; stocks maintained, not depleted.
Regenerate nature
Restore soils, forests and waters — not just reduce harm.
Democratize the economy
Universal public services, community stewardship, shared prosperity.
Within planetary limits
Success measured by wellbeing, not raw output growth.