To appreciate the credibility of Cosmic Accounting, it helps to consider the source from

where it arose.

Energy-economics-accounting (in the wholistic form that Cosmic Accounting is) was first put forward by Buckminster Fuller (1905 - 1983).

Buckminster Fuller was someone who devoted the bulk of his lifetime inquiring into the question - ‘what would it take to make humanity a success in the universe’? This is an extraordinary question not asked by many people. As the saying goes ‘who asks the most beautiful question, always the most beautiful answer’.
Fuller had a very good starting place to begin his inquiry into what it would take to manifest global success. As a young US Navy Cadet during World War One, Fuller was able to witness emerging technologies (such as refrigeration) and the newest manufacturing methods that industrialised warfare employed. He was able to extrapolate into the future and see the power and applicability that these developments could have on the production of real, useable ‘wealth’ for all humanity. At the time of WW1 Fuller held a commission as captain of a US Navy vessel.
R. Buckminster Fuller
Significantly, at this very early stage (in global affairs), Fuller, as Captain, was trained to think globally, for the oceans were at that time the world’s vital lines of supply, and whoever controlled the seas, controlled the world!

From this very informed starting position, and by this stage starting at age thirty-two (1927), Fuller applied his inquiry to global world resources and all relevant factors (in his opinion) that would impact upon the global success of humanity. These factors included the nature of human power structures, money and economics, trends in population growth, developing technology and infrastructure, the general trends of all human history, maths and science, species extinction and global ecology, energy, the location and availability of metals, the periods required for metal recycling, etceteras.

The fruit of this enquiry on behalf of humanity has fallen in many different ways. These include the invention of the geodesic dome, the dymaxion map (the most accurate flat map representation of our spherical globe), synergetic mathematics, the idea of a global world electricity grid, numerous books, articles, films. In his famous very lengthy talks to university students Fuller has inspired thousands of next generation thinkers and leaders.

The Dymaxion Map-Updated With Satellite Imagery
Geodesic Dome
Fuller did not go unrecognised for all his accomplishment. He was awarded forty-seven honorary doctorates from universities across the US and internationally in his lifetime. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, he was awarded the Gold Medal in Architecture from the American Association of Architects, and he was recognised as the world’s leading futurist.

Buckminster Fuller posing before a domed building.
Posthumously Fuller has been honoured with the naming of a whole branch of newly discovered molecules of Carbon ‘Buckminsterfullerines’ that naturally take the geometrical form of his invented geodesic domes (indicating how in alignment with ‘nature’ Fuller’s thinking really was).

In 1981, close to the end of his life, Fuller wrote his seminal work, the book ‘Critical Path’. From all Fuller’s years of experience, research and inquiry, Critical Path lays out the salient factors to consider, and a particular path that would lead to humanity becoming a comprehensive success in the Universe!!!

The next stage:
In 1983 Malcolm Greenstuart undertook advanced training in California in a led inquiry into the question 'what is it to be a human being ?' From this inquiry, Greenstuart was left with the question 'what would it take to make a world that works for everyone?' Soon afterwards Greenstuart discovered Critical Path and the work of Buckminster Fuller. Greenstuart had the fortunate opportunity to hear Buckminster Fuller speak while he was in California, and it so happened that this was Fuller’s last public address, as he died a-week-and-a-half later.

Armed with two copies of Critical Path, Greenstuart returned to Australia. After reading and re-reading Critical Path many times, the picture that Fuller was painting finally emerged and Greenstuart ‘got it’. In this picture, Greenstuart could see a way forward, he could see a pathway toward a world that works for everyone.

Perhaps because of the advanced education Greenstuart has received, he did not let this vision go. Instead of being defeated by the enormity of tackling the seemily impossible steep path ahead, Greenstuart started taking the steps to see this vision become reality.

It is in the introduction to Critical Path that Fuller first suggests to make energy - kilowatt hours of electricity - the currency, and to move this energy-money-currency around the world via a globally interconnected electricity grid. Furthermore, the source of this energy (Fuller takes the stand) is wholly derived from renewable energy sources.

Later in the book, Fuller paints the whole picture and the supporting frame of what has become to be known as...
Cosmic Accounting.
But it’s all very well to read a good idea in a book

and is the idea really viable or just one man’s crazy thinking?

Greenstuart undertook to verify for himself whether the idea that Fuller was proposing held up to external scrutiny and really made social and technical sense.

To cut a long story short (over about fifteen years), Greenstuart studied electrical engineering as a primary form of education to determine the technical possibility. Encouraged by what he learned at university and inspired by the vision of Fuller, Greenstuart went on to pioneer renewable energy systems in Australia, and ran the first project that grid-connected photo-voltaic cells to the electricity grid system.

Upon further reading and absorbing world events and partaking in humanitarian studies, including a stint in the Arts Dept. of Melbourne University inquiring into conventional and alternative economics, and after another visit to the Buckminster Fuller Institute in California in 1996, Greenstuart was satisfied that the idea of Cosmic Accounting really held up and made sense, and furthermore was achievable. He went on to write the book ‘Cosmic Accounting’ that explicitly paints the opportunity and the picture of the new economic system ‘Cosmic Accounting’ so that other people would ‘get it’ (something that the book ‘Critical Path’ does not do).

A time for Accolades
Cosmic Accounting has now received rave reviews and from very broad sources. From senior practising economist/accountants, senior academics, lay people and students. Feature articles based on Cosmic Accounting have been printed in the CSIRO Sustainability Network Newsletter.

Greenstuart now stands for much larger solar power stations that would be located in the desert. If built it would give away the generated electricity for free across the electricity grid, consistent with the changed parameters and operational norms of the new economic/social system, Cosmic Accounting - a significant, real step toward this new system.

 


Now that we know the history we can push forward in the present, make a world that works for every one so that we can indeed have a bright future.
site created by: Jonathan Fisher 2005