Earth Business

Prototype EB1:

Prototype EB1

There’s no way around it: global market indices are the Earth’s business. The economic and business activities that markets represent are consequential to the health of the Earth’s biosphere that keeps life flourishing from generation to generation. World markets are the are biggest clearing houses for resources and energy used by human civilization. They are the main hubs and where the action is at. And they matter to the sustainability of life-supporting systems at the planetary level, the level where sustainability matters most.

At a time when the world is struggling to resolve major sustainability challenges, it is a problem that the business pages of newspapers and websites spotlight the latest market and stock indices while keeping health indicators for the biosphere out of plain view. These planetary vital signs are eclipsed and in the dark. The separation of information about profits and the planet is not environmentally sustainable or socially responsible.

Check out a business report on the radio, regular podcast, in the business section of a well-known newspaper, or at a stock market portal. There’ll be no surprise to get a spotlight on market closing values for America’s S&P 500 composite index, or Tokyo’s NIKKEI 225, another composite index that gets a lot of attention. But far more likely than it is to get an update on indices like these, there’ll be darkness and silence on yesterday’s reading for CO2 level in the atmosphere. There’ll be no report on the state of the air from Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) near the middle of the world’s largest ocean and 3,400 metres above sea level. Levels of humanity’s chief planet-heating gas keep accelerating higher and business watchers get market updates with essentially zero reminders that the whole commercial and human enterprise is speeding away from sustainability.

Convenient or not, vital signs like MLO CO2 should be in the mix with the NASDAQ, DAX and HANG SENG. It should be top of mind and discussed daily. It should be on the same page as the world’s leading indices and stocks. And they should never be separated out and silenced again.

Initial requests for traditional media publishers and broadcasters has yet to broaden the spotlight on market indices to planetary health indices. People aren’t used to it. The purpose and need for this information is not on people’s mind. To change that, we’re launching the Earth Business Initiative. This “Earth Business” page is the first attempt to illustrate and introduce the initiative. It is a prototype resulting from the efforts of three people.

Dr. Rick Kool insisted on the important need to integrate CO2 readings on business pages, not just weather pages. I created CO2.Earth, produced Prototypes 1 and 3 that are found on this page. And I reserved “Bizz.Earth” as a future online hub for getting Earth Business information and products. Adam Davey, principal for NumberLens, produced Prototype 2 plus the underlying code and an API that automates online updates. Rick and I are in Canada. Adam is in the United Kingdom.

At the top of this page, “Prototype 1” is a static graphic that illustrates how daily average CO2 readings can be integrated with world market indices. Below, Prototype 2 uses an API to enable updates on a webpage throughout the day. The underlying code can be added to any webpage to show the updates. At the bottom, Prototype 3 is version of Prototype 1 with additional indexes. Future possibilities include longer listings such as those on the following webpages:

Yahoo! Finance World Indices: https://finance.yahoo.com/world-indices
World Bank Indicators: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator?tab=all

This introductory article and the early prototypes show the early beginnings of the Earth Business Initiative. For now, the simple point we are making is this: Business pages that trumpet economic indicators are silent and devoid of planetary vital signs information. The silence and separation is ultimately unhealthy and unsustainable for business, the world economy, human civilization and the biosphere.

The question to ask is this: Do you now see the silence on planetary vital signs that we see on the business pages of the world? If yes, what can you do to help others see the problem and start to resolve it with the sorts of information presented here? Will you share this page with leaders you know, or on social media? Do you have a business publication, online or off, with a place for Earth Business information? Or do you want to be more involved and join us in our volunteer initiative by assisting with design, technology, writing, marketing, strategy? We’re open to comments, suggestions and offers of help at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. [this needs to be set up]. There’s definitely much to figure out, and there’s plenty of small and large opportunities for people who want to share the exciting journey we have just begun.

Regards,

Mike McGee

Prototype 2:

Prototype 3:

Prototype EB3