· 5 min read
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe," wrote naturalist John Muir. Today, this interconnectedness takes on new meaning as we witness the emergence of a global weaving of value exchanges, where each thread represents a flow of positive impact.
Imagine a vast loom where each thread represents an exchange flow, each knot a creation of value. We are witnessing the birth of a new global weaving, simpler and more direct, where value emerges from positive impact on our world.
This weaving takes shape through decentralized registries that radically simplify exchanges between nations. Like the ancient Silk Road that once connected East and West, these new digital infrastructures create bridges, but this time to exchange verified positive impacts.
As Marco Polo once observed of the sophisticated paper money system of medieval China: "All these pieces of paper are issued with as much solemnity and authority as if they were of pure gold or silver." Today, we see a similar revolution in value, but instead of paper currency, we're dealing in verified positive impacts.
The BRICS nations are pioneering this transformation. Rich in natural resources and social innovations, they are developing systems to directly value their contributions to ecosystem preservation. A preserved hectare of Amazon rainforest, a regenerative agricultural technique, an inclusive social innovation - each positive impact becomes quantifiable and exchangeable.
"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better," Einstein once said. This wisdom resonates with how these new exchange systems draw inspiration from natural processes. Just as nature creates value through interconnected ecosystems, these new economic structures generate value through verified positive impacts.
The beauty of this new system lies in its simplicity. By making positive externalities visible and tradeable, it naturally creates incentives for a more sustainable economy. As ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu noted, "The greatest excellence is like water" - the new system flows naturally toward beneficial outcomes.
This weaving redefines links between nations:
- Positive impacts become a new form of wealth
- Exchanges organize around verifiable effects
- Technology simplifies traceability and trust
Consider India, where ancient water management practices, once verified and tokenized via decentralized registries, can become a direct source of exchangeable value. As Mahatma Gandhi observed, "The Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed." This new system finally allows us to value preservation over exploitation.
China, meanwhile, can value its renewable energy advances not just as products, but as verified positive impacts on climate. Each ton of CO2 avoided becomes an exchangeable unit of value. As the ancient Chinese proverb states, "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."
The Brazilian anthropologist Viveiros de Castro reminds us that "The forest is more than just a collection of trees; it's a whole world of relationships." Similarly, this new economic weaving is more than just a collection of transactions - it's a web of positive impacts strengthening our global ecosystem.
Technology serves as an enabler here, not a master. Decentralized registries and artificial intelligence simply make visible and exchangeable what has always had value: the preservation of our world and the wellbeing of its inhabitants. As Native American Chief Seattle famously said, "All things are connected like the blood that unites us all."
We are witnessing the emergence of a new economic language, where value is no longer abstract but directly linked to created positive impacts. As anthropologist Marcel Mauss noted in his study of gift economies, "What we exchange is not just objects, but parts of ourselves." This transformation promises to redraw the map of global exchanges, based not on extraction but on regeneration.
The future of international exchange thus appears as a subtle weaving where each thread contributes to creating a more sustainable world. As the Vedic texts teach us, "The world is one family" (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam). The simplicity of this system is its strength - by making positive impact creation directly exchangeable, it naturally aligns economic interests with the preservation of our planet.
"We can't impose our will on a system," systems theorist Donella Meadows wrote. "We can listen to what the system tells us, and discover how its properties and our values can work together to bring forth something much better than could ever be produced by our will alone." This wisdom perfectly captures the essence of our new economic weaving - a system that listens to both nature and human needs, creating value through harmony rather than force.
The future beckons us to become conscious weavers of this new economic tapestry. As we thread these new connections between nations, cultures, and ecosystems, we create not just a new economic system, but a new way of being in relationship with our world and each other.
This article is also published on the author's blog. illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Sustainability & Energy writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.
