permaculture

["Wim A. de Bruyn" <WdeBruyn@mail.dma.be>]

                                         Definition of ecological

Ecological is defined in the Webster's as : of or by ecology.  Ecology is
defined in the Webster's as : 1. the branch of biology that deals with the
relations between living organisms and their environment.  2. in sociology,
the relationship between the distribution of human groups with reference to
material resources, and the consequent social and cultural patterns.  The
origin of ecology is Greek : oikos.  It  meant house.  Because of the
second definition, ecology is linked with economy, since economy is the
science to share the limited resources to satisfy the unlimited demands of
people.  Ecological is an adjective that incorporates adjectives connected
with a characteristic of nature, such as natural, biological, organic,
biodegradable.  Ecological puts these adjectives in the context of managing
the natural resources while living with them, from them, among them,
through them, by them, because of them or living in whatever bond between
nature and human nature that can be expressed by prepositions.
<p>


                                     What is an ecological product ?

Producers will define what ecological products are.  They will have to give
this definition because they will have to prove scientifically why and to
what extent their products are ecological, i.e., why and to what extent
their products keep nature in perfect condition and human nature sound.
They will have to give these proofs because consumers will need them to
justify to the state that they deduct the costs of these ecological
products from their taxable income, as money spent on products that kept
nature in perfect condition and human nature sound. <p>

Producers will justify their claims with a cradle to grave analysis.  This
analysis shows the costs of production with ecological goods or services.
The total of these costs will be expressed as a percentage of the sales
price of the product.  This percentage represents the costs which the
consumer can declare as costs to be deducted from taxable income.  <p>

Every improvement in the ecological quality of a product will be expressed
in an improvement of the tax deductible percentage of the price.  All these
improvements will have to be proven scientifically.  The competition to
increase the ecological quality of products will therefore also cause an
improvement in the scientifc methods to demonstrate why or how the goods
and services, tools, techniques and processes that will be developed to
build an ecological industry, do keep nature in perfect condition and human
nature sound. <p>

Assume that a US car manufacturer claims that his car is for 50%
ecological.  The Japanese car manufacturer who claims that his car is for
70% ecological will have to put some very clear and solid proofs on the
table to convince the US government that 70% of the costs of the Japanese
car can be deducted from the taxable income of the US purchaser.  The
government will not tell producers what is ecological, they will verify the
claims of producers that they improved the ecological quality of their
products with the new techniques, goods and services they will have
developed to achieve the goal of making 100% ecological products.  <p>

All the cradle to grave analyses will form lists of specifications of
ecological products.  These lists can be composed by activity or industry.
All these list together will form the basis to administer the development
of an ecological industry.  <p>

The desired quality of products has been, are and will be defined by the
only people who can define this quality, the people who spend their money,
time and energy to search for, think up, design, develop and make
improvements in the quality of their products : the producers.   The tax
deductibility of the ecological costs of living creates the demand for
ecological products that will drive producers to find the desired
ecological quality of their products ; 100% ecological.  Ecological
products will be defined as safe cars are defined ; always better.  <p><br>


With sincerity and its feelings,

Wim A. de Bruyn
Founder
ZERO, association of consumers keeping their integrity with their income
45 rue Alfred Giron
B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
Tel. : **32 (2) 648 56 95
e-mail : WdeBruyn@mail.dma.be
ZERO web site : http://freezone.exmachina.net/ZERO