Raj Patel, author of The Value of Nothing, examines the concepts of freedom and liberty in relation to the free market economy. He suggests Nobel laureate Elinor Ostrom's notion of collaborative governance known as "the commons" may be a better alternative to resource management.

If economics is about choices, who gets to make them? Activist and academic Raj Patel says that prices often mislead us, and he reveals the "hidden costs" of goods. To demonstrate his argument that the free market and corporations distort price and value, Patel suggests that the true price of a hamburger would be $200 if we factor in the hidden environment and health costs.

Naomi Klein author of "This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate" speaking;

at the event The Nation LIVE!! at Town Hall Seattle October 15, 2015.

Kate Raworth flips economic thinking on its head to give a crash course in alternative economics, explaining in three minutes what they'll never teach you in three years of a degree. Find out why it's time to get into the doughnut...

Watch the video,Introducing 'The Doughnut' of social and planetary boundaries for development YouTube here.

Kate is an economist focused on the rewriting of economics to make it fit for addressing this century's realities and challenges. She is the creator of the doughnut of social and planetary boundaries which, since being first published by Oxfam in 2012, has gained widespread international recognition and influence in reframing sustainable development, including shaping the United Nations' post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals. She is currently writing Doughnut Economics: seven ways to think like a 21st century economist, to be published by Random House in Spring 2016.

Kate is a senior visiting research associate and lecturer at Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute, and a senior associate of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. She has presented doughnut economics widely – from the UN General Assembly to the Occupy Movement – and her writing has featured in The Guardian, The New Statesman, Resurgence, Nature Climate Change, and Wired. She has been named by The Guardian as "one of the top ten tweeters on economic transformation”.

Over the past two decades she was senior researcher at Oxfam, co-author of the UN Human Development Report, and a fellow of the Overseas Development Institute in Zanzibar. She holds a first class BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics and a MSc in Economics for Development, both from Oxford University.

Kate blogs about Doughnut Economics at www.kateraworth.com and tweets @KateRaworth.

Introduction by Mindy Lubber, President of Ceres.

From the rapid depletion of natural resources like water to increased energy demands to growing public awareness of climate change impacts, sustainability mega-trends expose businesses to risks - yet they also offer tremendous opportunities. Addressing these trends will require profound shifts in the way investors and businesses plan, operate and compete in the global economy.

More companies tying compensation into sustainability goals as sustainability becomes mainstream.

Published on May 13, 2014

Hear from Paul Gilding (Environmentalist and Author; Former Executive Director of Greenpeace International),
Mary O'Malley (Vice President, Environment and Sustainability, Prudential) and Andrew Winston (Author of 'The Big Pivot') from the opening plenary at the Ceres Conference 2014 held in Boston on April 30

Naomi Klein didn't think climate change was her issue but when she realised the close link between environmental destruction and inequality, everything changed.

In Naomi's home country, the Canadian government granted virtual free rein to companies seeking oil in Alberta's tar sands, creating a boom town in Fort McMurray. Like large numbers of activists across the world, the indigenous population in Alberta protested the environmental damage. How can we connect the dots among movements around the world to tackle climate change and inequality at the same time?

HELP BUILD AN ORGANIC NETWORK OF RESISTANCE. BECOME INVOLVED, SPEAK OUT.

Judith Rodin advises:  preparing for the future means building better cities. New York; Athens; Wenzhou; Boston; Oslo; Dhaka; New Orleans; Nairobi. In recent years, dozens of cities across the globe have beenhit by large-scale catastrophes of every kind: natural disaster, geopolitical conflict, food shortages, disease and contagion, terrorist attacks. If you haven't been directly touched by one of these cataclysms yourself, in our interconnected world you are sure to have been affected in some way. They harm vulnerable individuals, destabilise communities and threaten organisations and even whole societies.

We are at greater risk than ever from city-wide catastrophe, and as the severity and frequency of these disasters increase, we must become better at preparing for, responding to and recovering from them. Why did more girls than boys drown in Japan's 2011 tsunami, and what does the case of Haiti's humanitarian aid tell us about the future?

Dr Judith Rodin, President, Rockefeller Foundation, author of The Resilience Dividend, and one of the world's leading public thinkers, brings together ground-breaking research to help build a radical future in which individuals, companies and entire societies avert disaster by creating more dynamic, more resilient cities. To order her book from Amazon, just click on the image or visit your local book store. Streamed live on Jan 20, 2015

Creating a circular economy: the challenges and opportunities for business

As the adverse effects of climate change are felt and the scarcity of raw materials increases, business as usual is not an option. Radical action is required and business is best placed to drive it. Controlling its waste, using cleaner energy sources and collaborating with NGOs and governments are some of the ways companies can help build a circular economy Published on May 14, 2013 by the Guardian.

Public Forum: The Possibilities for a Public Bank in Seattle recorded December 10, 2014 at University Temple United Methodist Church in Seattle. Published on Dec 13, 2014

Moderator is Way ne Lau, Executive Director, Rainier Valley Community Development Fund.

Introduction by Senator Bob Hasegawa, Washington State 11th District. The Senator emphasizes that we aren't going to fix all of these problems overnight, but what we do today is for our children and grand children, or it had better be. 

Panel members:

Council member Licata: Championed paid sick leave and safe time for all fulltime employees of businesses in Seattle. Publisher of local papers and services.

Karl Beitel, Director, Public Bank Project.  Mr. Beitel gives an amazing summary of the historical context of the public bank concept and the underlying decisions that weighted privatization over public interests. Exceptional presentation. 

Dr. Thomas Keidel, Federation of German Banks.

Gwendolyn Hallsmith, Executive Director of the Public Banking Institute and author Creating Wealth: Growing Local Economies with Local Currencies.  Click on image to order from Amazon or visit your local bookstore.