On a steel-gray morning in the city, I sat nursing a coffee at a corner diner, pondering the dark side of the economy. The people passing by the window were blissfully unaware of the true cost of what they were paying for. To them, price was just a number, oblivious to the truths lurking behind it.
Truth. It’s the dirty secret this city holds. Neither the black smoke belching from factories nor the layers of plastic smothering the ground reflect in their prices. No one calculates what’s lost in exchange for money, but the earth pays the price quietly, yet inevitably.
We call it “external costs.” Damage to the environment, social inequalities, none of these are woven into the price tags. Attempts like carbon pricing and true cost accounting are out there, but solutions are still groping in the dark. Policymakers, businessmen, and consumers alike need the courage to face this reality if anything is to change.
Amid the city’s clamor, a proverb haunts my thoughts: “You can’t serve a stuffed loaf all at once.” The economy works the same way. Today’s abundance breeds tomorrow’s scarcity. We must not forget this, taking it one step at a time. Not trying to solve everything at once, but moving in the right direction bit by bit. That may be the only thing we can do.
