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Why a Parallel Currency?

February 28, 2025

Money is fluid, it has perceived value, and can be manipulated subjectively toward stupid stuff or toward important stuff.

With a separate parallel currency it would be possible to buy basic human needs, Worldwide. The closed loop of a parallel currency dedicated to providing basic human needs can produce whatever amount of money necessary to fulfill human needs, (food, shelter, education and healthcare). This money will circulate generally after its initial use but when it reaches a bank it is destroyed. It cannot be invested or saved. It will not create inflation. Savings will also be possible for taxpayers, because most social services will no longer need to be paid through taxes. The currency that is presently used in each country will continue to function as usual, toward profit making and investment. The result is two currencies functioning simultaneously, in parallel. The intent is to treat Human Needs as essential, as a Right. And to be able to afford them.

Why is this necessary?

Present economic functioning emphasizes profit making, competition and investment. This has served humanity by creating the industry and wealth that made nations prosperous. But now, the aggregation of value (money) in the hands of a very few has evolved creating a small middle class and large percentage of people living paycheck to paycheck or in poverty. This is the situation that we experience presently in the USA. It is also evident in most developed countries worldwide.

This evolution of unequal societies through the present functioning of the economy worldwide is putting pressure on the majority of Human populations, resulting in wars, migrations, stress, populist uprisings, anger and frustration.

It is important to realize that economics is a belief system like religion. Not everyone wants to be a Christian, or a Muslim or a Hindu or sometimes, be part of any religion. But they can, if they want, choose a religion from many different ones because not everyone is served emotionally and spiritually by the same religious philosophy. So religions have over many, many years split into various forms to accommodate most World populations. This process has not yet been accomplished with World Economics.

A row of plants growing out of a pile of dirt.

We all have to participate in the way economics has evolved from beginnings designed to benefit only royalty and bankers to the present economic inequality. As participants in the “Economic Belief System” we need to have alternatives. There are no other choices for people to make, like in religion, no different kind of economy available or a way of opting out. No other options than the formula of competition and profit making are available. The result of this economic formula over time is to send value into the hands of a few and make the rest of the population pay for their lifestyle. We are seeing this now all over the World. And we are experiencing the stresses that unequal societies bring, poverty, migrations, wars, political upheaval, confused populist movements, dictatorships, etc.

Our proposal of a Worldwide Parallel Currency is a way to offer choice within the World Economic System. A way out of poverty, a way toward more equal societies, a way for everyone to access basic food, shelter, education and healthcare as a birthright. A separate parallel currency can provide this option leaving existing currencies to their present functions but resulting in less harm to people and nature.

In other blogs I have addressed how the parallel currency can be organized to function efficiently.

A man is climbing a wooden pillar with a rope.

A cardboard box filled with canned food and a bottle of water.

A man is sitting on the ground holding a cardboard sign that says `` will work for food ''.

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The Role of Women in the Economy and the Need for a Parallel Currency

March 13, 2025

Explore women’s impact on the economy and the concept of a parallel currency. Learn how these ideas shape sustainability and equitable financial systems.

A Government is not a Business

March 7, 2025

The purpose of government is not to make profit, it is to protect and defend its citizens. Government is not a platform from which a business deal is made. It is carefully structured to sleuth out the most important needs of all its citizens and provide for them. When it operates as it is built to do, its citizens are generally content. When it is gamed, in bad faith, for personal power and wealth, things fall apart and the government and its citizens have to move to defend themselves. The necessity to do this should never have evolved. But a well functioning government depends on people working in good faith, who are honorable, who seek truth and have guiding morals. As we know, sometimes people get into positions of power who don't have these qualities. The unfortunate development of political positions being won by individuals who have the most money to spend has placed a significant number of people in Congress and some Presidents in the White House who have no moral compass. We see the influence of unimaginable amounts of money on campaigns. Made worse when corporations were found to be citizens. Let's dive down the rabbit hole of history. In 2010, when Obama was president, the Supreme Court found in the case called Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that corporations have 1st amendment rights to free speech and political spending. They named this “ corporate personhood” which holds that corporations are associations of people and have certain constitutional rights. This allows, among many other things, corporations to make independent political expenditures and allows corporations to spend unlimited funds on elections. Also, a corporation is allowed to exist in perpetuity. Even Voldemort would have envied this! So, here we are. Both Democratic and Republican administrations have pushed more and more power and wealth into the hands of the few and in turn the recipients of this largesse have shown their gratitude by paying into more and more autocratic governments that will continue to protect their economic and business advantages. This is not hard to see. It is very hard to live through. And even harder to reverse. But this has been done before and can be done again. Good government is not a given. It has to be watched carefully (thank goodness for bureaucrats). But everyone needs to play a part and feel they can be effective. At Renew the Earth, renew the-earth.org, we have been developing over the past 20 years a concept that allows choice within our World Economic System. We call it a Parallel Currency. This separate currency can only be used to provide basic human needs, food, shelter, education and health care. It cannot be invested or hoarded and will not cause inflation because it is destroyed when it reaches a bank. Susan Caumont, President, Renew the Earth

Measuring Success Beyond Money: A New Way to Define Wealth

February 14, 2025

Introduction: Rethinking the Meaning of Wealth In traditional economic systems, success is measured primarily by Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ), stock market performance, and financial wealth. These indicators focus on money flow and profit generation but often fail to reflect the true well-being of people and the environment. At Renew the Earth, we believe that an economy should not only be about financial transactions but also about human welfare, sustainability, and equitable resource distribution. This article explores why our current measurement of success is flawed and presents a new framework for defining wealth in a way that serves both people and the planet: a parallel currency, which is one currency that provides basic needs to all humanity and runs next to all other existing currencies.

Breaking the Cycle: Why Market Economics Alone Cannot Save Democracy

January 22, 2025

Balancing Markets to Protect Democracy Market economies have driven progress and innovation for centuries, but they also have inherent flaws that, if left unchecked, can erode democratic values. At Renew the Earth, we advocate for a supplemental system—a parallel currency focused on fulfilling basic human needs like food, shelter, education, and healthcare. By addressing the shortcomings of market capitalism, this approach could safeguard democracy and ensure a more equitable future.

Energy Currency: Bridging the Gap Between Economic Justice and Environmental Sustainability

January 16, 2025

Overcoming Inequality Economic inequality and environmental degradation are two interconnected global crises. As wealth becomes increasingly concentrated among a small minority, millions of people struggle to access basic needs such as food, shelter, healthcare, and education. Simultaneously, the planet faces unprecedented challenges, from climate change to biodiversity loss, largely driven by the overexploitation of resources for profit. At Renew the Earth, we believe in a transformative solution: the introduction of an Energy Currency—a parallel economic system designed to prioritize human and environmental well-being. The Limitations of Traditional Economic Systems Modern market economies , while efficient in driving profits, often fail to distribute resources equitably . Wealth generated through financial speculation rarely circulates back into the real economy to benefit communities. Instead, it exacerbates inequality, leaving many without access to essential services. Moreover, the focus on continuous growth comes at the expense of the planet’s health. Unsustainable practices—such as deforestation, pollution, and overuse of natural resources—accelerate climate change and threaten the survival of countless species, including our own. Without intervention, these dual crises will only worsen, pushing societies toward economic instability and environmental collapse.