dragonofeternal

Economics has been defined as how self-interested actors compete in response to scarcity. In this short book, Indigenous botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer argues for an alternative model of human economy inspired by the abundance and interdependence found in nature.

Scarcity in the human world is largely manufactured: There actually is enough for everyone, we just act like there isn't. Hoarded resources are wasted, like unpicked berries whose seeds are never scattered. While reading Kimmerer's thoughts on artificial scarcity, I found myself also thinking about the interpersonal scarcity mindset which leads people to cling to damaging relationships because they're afraid they'll never find anyone else. The commonality is a refusal to see the abundance that's right in front of you.

The impersonal competition of capitalism is contrasted with gift economies which build community and reciprocal relationships rather than cutting them off; status is gained by how much you give away rather than how much you keep for yourself. Birds and people enthusiastically gather around the serviceberry tree because of how generously it gives to them—and through animal seed dispersal and human husbandry, the plant gets it all back and more. (This discussion reminded me again that I want to re-read David Graeber's Debt. In gift economies there is an obligation incurred, but it's ongoing, mutual, and unquantified.) Gift economies do already exist alongside the money economy at small scales, and I appreciated the mention of digital economies, where information is what's exchanged. It made me think of how fandom can function as a gift economy, with creative works and resources being shared without expectation of a fixed payment—but the community can only continue to function if others are also sharing in kind or at least offering recognition and support.

One framing that was new to me was the comparison of colonizer capitalism to environmental succession. Disturbed natural environments like clear-cut forests are first taken over by fast-growing species that rapidly consume resources, but this constant competitive growth is unsustainable and is eventually replaced by a more stable ecology of interdependent species. We live in a disturbed environment, but that doesn't mean that stability isn't in the future.

The book is an expansion of a previously-published long-form essay, and it's only 100 pages, so obviously it can't offer a comprehensive exploration of these ideas, but I found it an inspiring and hopeful read. (If you like this, definitely read her essay collection Braiding Sweetgrass!)

I bought this book from the bird sanctuary gift shop on our trip to Rhode Island; I'm trying to keep my personal library under control, but I figured the profit went to a good cause. I want to keep the book because I think I'll re-read it, but I'm also tempted to get another copy and put it in a Little Free Library.