Healthy Money, Healthy Planet

"Healthy Money, Healthy Planet: Developing Sustainability through New Money Systems" (ISBN 1877333298 is a book by Deirdre Kent, first published in 2005, that looks at the issue of money creation through interest-bearing debt.

Kent 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. She explains how most of our money is created by private banks, out of thin air as interest-bearing debt. This, it is argued, has led to a massive and crippling increase in debt world-wide, and a subsequent concentration of wealth and power in a small percentage of the population.

An alternative to these dysfunctional money systems is said to exist and Kent presents a case for reform, looking 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.

See also

* Debt-free money
* Fractional reserve banking
* Full-reserve banking
* Monetary reform
* Money supply
* Bank regulation
* Inflation
* Islamic banking
* Fiat currency
* List of finance topics
* List of economics topics

External links

* [http://cpp.co.nz/products/published/books/booksocial/healthymoneyhealthyplanet Healthy Money, Healthy Planet] , Craig Potton Publishing.
* [http://localcurrencies.blogspot.com/ Healthy Money, Healthy Planet weblog] .
* [http://www.globalideasbank.org/ Global Ideas Bank] Use this site's search engine to access all kinds of innovative ideas on community currencies.
* [http://www.neweconomics.org/ New Economics Foundation] An independent think-tank that gathers information on new economics.
* [http://www.rprogress.org/ Redefining Progress] A California-based institute that works to highlight the inadequacies of GDP, and proposes the use of the Genuine Progress Indicator instead.
* [http://www.appropriate-economics.org/ Appropriate Economics] A website that promotes complementary currency systems.
* [http://www.ithacahours.com/ Ithaca HOURs Online] Information on Ithaca HOURs, plus a starter kit for anyone wanting to begin a local currency.
* [http://www.bartercard.co.nz Bartercard New Zealand]