Earth Trust

Ecological economics and the ownership and treatment of land:
the Earth Trust

By David Haenke

Part 8 of 8 Ecological Economics and Bioregionalism, a cornerstone document for creating a regenerative economy.


I realize that what I have said thus far about a new
overall praxis of economics does not include the fundamental
question of ownership of the land as presently defined in the
capitalist and socialist models. It is an abomination for any
system to carry on the belief that ownership, either by
individuals, corporations, or the state, includes the right to despoil
any part of the Earth.

My personal belief on ownership and enterprise is that
neither individuals nor the state can truly hold title to
anything, but that the whole Earth and everything on it is
a commons which belongs to no one but the Earth, GAIA. I
here acknowledge its implicit existence and call it into
being simply by naming it: The Earth Trust.

Any human activity needs to be seen as carried out under
an implicit ecological lease covenant from the Earth, which
expires with our personal, collective, or corporate life.
(No more "immortal" personal or corporate holdings.)
This of course is a heterodox view in the "civilized" world,
and is recognized by few, First Peoples, Bioregionalists,
and some Greens.

No matter what we believe about ownership, the best we
can do now is stick to the ecological evaluation and modality
of economic activity and ownership. There is no evidence to
support that either ownership by individuals, or the state,
will protect and adequately care for the land in any given
political-economic system with any degree of consistency or
certainty. Using ecological economics as best we can under
the present dysfunctional systems we will just have to do
the best we can in mitigating the damage caused by present
nations’ concepts of ownership rights.

Something to hold in mind and work for through the generations:
Establish the Earth Trust under the Ecological Covenant of Earth.