A Resource-Based Economy is a system in which natural, man-made, machine-made and synthetic resources are available without the use of money, credits, barter or any other system of debt. All resources become the common heritage of all of the inhabitants, not just a select few. The premise upon which this system is based is that the Earth is abundant with plentiful resource; our practice of rationing resources through monetary methods is irrelevant and counter productive to our survival. Modern society has access to highly advanced technology and can make available food, clothing, housing and medical care; update our educational system; and develop a limitless supply of renewable, non-contaminating energy. By supplying an efficiently designed economy, everyone can enjoy a very high standard of living with all of the amenities of a high technological society.

Consider the following examples: At the beginning of World War II the US has a mere 600 or so first-class fighting aircraft. We rapidly overcame this short supply by turning out more than 90,000 planes a year. The question at the start of World War II was: Do we have enough funds to produce the required implements of war? The answer was No, we did not have enough money, nor did we have enough gold; but we did have more than enough resources. It was the available resources that enabled the US to achieve the high production and efficiency required to win the war. Unfortunately this is only considered in times of war.

To further clarify this concept consider this example. If a group of people were stranded on an island with enormous purchasing power including gold, silver and diamonds, all this would be irrelevant to their survival if the island had few resources such as topsoil, trees, food or clean air to sustain their existence. It is when population exceeds the productive capacity of the land that problems such as crime and violence emerge. On the other hand, if people were stranded on an island that was abundant with natural resources producing more than the necessary food for survival, then a monetary system would not even come about.

A resource-based economy would utilize existing resources from the land and sea, physical equipment, industrial plants, etc. to enhance the lives of the total population. In an economy based on resources rather than money, we could easily produce all of the necessities of life and provide a high standard of living for all.

Our proposals would not only add to the well being of people, but they would also provide the necessary information that would enable them to participate in any area of their competence. The measure of success would be based on the fulfillment of one’s individual pursuits rather than the acquisition of wealth, property and power. At present, we have enough material resources to provide a very high standard of living for all of the Earth’s inhabitants. By overcoming scarcity, most of the crimes and even the prisons of today’s society would no longer be necessary.

The belief that advanced technologies would lead to an improvement in the quality of life for most people is not the case in a monetary system. More and more companies are discovering the tremendous benefits of automation, i.e. increased productivity and fewer human liabilities. The major corporations’ first concern is profit. This narrow vision will ultimately result in the demise of our economic system. With more people, and more automation, we will not have the purchasing power necessary to sustain it. If the monetary system continues to operate, we will be faced with the condition of more technological unemployment (today referred to as downsizing).

In a resource-based economy, a new era of abundance could be introduced through the construction of The Venus Project's proposed experimental city, where the most sophisticated automation and other technologies would be infused directly into the social complex for the sole purpose of making society more humane for everyone. We can wait for the future to arrive and become hapless victims of circumstances beyond our control, or we can actively create a better future for ourselves and for all the world's people! Join with us and help turn The Venus Project's vision of a better tomorrow into a reality TODAY not only for yourself and your children's future, but for the very future of humankind on this tiny, fragile, and precious Home-Planet Earth.