The Invisible Cost: Pollution as the Missing Line Item Ang Invisible Cost: Pollution bilang ang missing line item Every profitable company has a balance sheet. Assets. Liabilities. Equity. Revenue. Expenses. But there's one line item that's been missing for centuries: . the cost of pollution Ito ay hindi isang overview. Ito ay isang pangunahing defect sa kung paano gumagamit namin ang value. At ito ay hindi lamang tungkol sa mga korporasyon - ito ay tungkol sa lahat ng aming sistema ng ekonomiya. Tingnan natin kung paano kami ay dumating dito at bakit ito mahalaga ngayon. Part 1: The Historical Context—From Ignorance to Irresponsibility Part 1: Ang Historical Context - mula sa Ignorance sa Irresponsibility 1- The Age of Ignorance (Pre-20th Century-1950’s) Para sa karamihan ng kasaysayan ng tao, hindi natin alam. Industrialization ay nilikha ng kapangyarihan, mga trabaho, at progreso. Ang asap mula sa mga pabrika? isang tanda ng kapangyarihan. Ang mga basura sa mga lumipas? Unavoidable. Ang pollution sa air? Invisible. The Accounting Reality: - Factories produced goods → Registered Income - Mga materyales na nabibilang → mga gastos na itakda ang pollution ay ginawa Nothing recorded Hindi ito malicious. Ito ay ignorance. Hindi namin alam ang mga gastos sa dugo na panahon. Hindi namin may kasanayan. Hindi namin may mga tool upang matugunan ang epekto. The Balance Sheet: Assets: Factory, Equipment, Inventory Liabilities: Loans, Payables Equity: Owner's Capital Revenue: Sales Expenses: Materials, Labor, Overhead Pollution Cost: [Missing] 2- The Age of Knowledge (20th Century) By mid-20th century, alam namin. Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" (1962) ipinakita pesticide damages. Ang Cuyahoga River nagsimula ng pag-iisa (1969). Smog namatay ang mga tao sa London (1952). Nagkaroon kami ng kasanayan. Nagkaroon kami ng mga dokumento. The Accounting Reality: - Factories produced goods → Registered Income - Mga materyales na nabibilang → mga gastos na itakda ang pollution ay ginawa Still nothing recorded Ibig sabihin, not counted... hindi ibig sabihin kapuri-puri ka dahil marami kang tinapos na kurso. Dahil ang accounting para sa pollution ay may: Why? Reduced ang profits Ang mga presyo ng stock ay - Gawin ang mga industriya na mas mababa sa competition - Kailangan ng malaking capital para sa cleaning Kaya hindi kami. Kami ay lumikha ng mga regulasyon (sometimes). Kami ay lumikha ng mga limitasyon (mga karaniwang mababa). Kami ay pinatay ang mga polluters (rarely). Ngunit hindi namin inilagay ang pollution sa balance sheet. 3- The Age of Responsibility (21st Century) Ngayon, hindi tayo maaaring sabihin ng pag-ignorance. kami ay may: - Satellite imahe na nagpapakita ng global pollution - Real-time monitoring ng kalidad ng air Mga ocean plastic tracking - Climate Models upang predict ang mga epekto - Pag-estimatize ng gastos sa cleaning The Accounting Reality: - Ang mga pabrika ay gumagawa ng mga kalakal → Registered Income - Mga materyales na nabibilang → mga gastos na itakda ang pollution ay ginawa Still nothing recorded Kami ay nagtatrabaho, kami ay nagtatrabaho, kami ay nagtatrabaho. But we still don't account. Part 2: The Accounting Problem—Externalities and Balance Sheets Part 2: The Accounting Problem—Externalities and Balance Sheets What Are Externalities? Sa ekonomiya, ang isang is a cost or benefit that affects a third party who didn't choose to incur it. Pollution is a . externality negative externality The Classic Example: - Factory produces goods → Sells them → Record Profit - Factory emits pollution → Air / tubig / ground damaged → Cost borne by society - Ang Society ay nagbayad para sa: Healthcare, cleaning, environmental damage, climate change The Accounting Problem: Ang pabrika's balance sheet ay nagpapakita ng profit. ang "balance sheet" ng kumpanya ay nagpapakita ng utang. Ngunit walang koneksyon. Walang accounting link. Walang paraan upang balanse ang mga aklat. The Missing Liability Sa proper accounting, kung ikaw ay lumikha ng isang gastos, ito ay dapat maging isang responsibilidad. Ngunit gastos ng pollution ay: - ang Kailangan mo bang gawin ang mga ito?When will it show up? Uncertain - ang : Who pays? Everyone? No one? Distributed - ang : Costs appear years or decades later Delayed - ang : Walang merkado para sa clean air/water/soil Unpriced Kami ay nagtatrabaho sa kanila bilang Zero responsibility, zero cost, zero responsibility. zero. The Real Balance Sheet (What It Should Show): Assets: Factory, Equipment, Inventory Liabilities: Loans, Payables, Pollution Liability Equity: Owner's Capital Revenue: Sales Expenses: Materials, Labor, Overhead, Pollution Cost Net Income: [Lower] The Actual Balance Sheet (What It Shows): Assets: Factory, Equipment, Inventory Liabilities: Loans, Payables Equity: Owner's Capital Revenue: Sales Expenses: Materials, Labor, Overhead Net Income: [Artificially High] Why Intangible Asset Accounting Doesn't Work for Pollution You might think: "But accounting does handle intangible items. Companies have goodwill, patents, trademarks, brand value. Why can't we account for pollution the same way?" Narito ang critical difference: Current accounting treats intangibles as assets, not liabilities. And it only works when they can be valued and amortized. How Intangible Assets Work in Current Accounting: Intangible Assets (What We Account For): Goodwill: Ang halaga ng mga kumpanya na inihahanda sa itaas ng kanilang mga assets Patent: Exclusive rights sa mga inventions - Trademarks: Brand recognition at value Software: Mga Teknolohiya sa Pagbuo - Customer Relationships: Pagkuha ng mga customer bases The Accounting Treatment: Intangible Asset → Recorded as Asset → Amortized over time → Reduces value gradually Example: - Ang kumpanya ay bumili ng isa pang kumpanya para sa $ 100M - Ang tangible assets: $60M - Goodwill (intangible): $ 40M - Goodwill recorded bilang asset, amortised sa loob ng 10-40 taon - Ang bawat taon: Deposit expenditure ay nagbabago ng asset value - ang : Asset value decreases, but it was paid for, so it balances Balance Why This Works: - Intangible assets have (Ang isang tao ay nagbayad para sa mga ito) value - May mga dapat (Ang presyo ng pagbili, market value, evaluations) valued - ang (decline in value over time) amortize - ang (asset = kung ano ang ibinigay para sa kanya) balance Why Pollution Doesn't Fit This Model: Pollution as a Liability (What We Don't Account For): - Air pollution: Damage sa atmosphere - Pollution ng tubig: Pollution ng mga sistema ng tubig - Pollution ng lupa: Degradation ng lupa - Ang pagbabago ng klima: Global environmental costs The Accounting Problem: Pollution Created → No Value Paid → No Asset Recorded → No Amortization → Liability Never Recorded Bakit ang kasalukuyang Intangible Accounting ay Fail: 1. Pollution is a Liability, Not an Asset - Immaterial na accounting (Ang mga halimbawa ng value) assets Ang pollution ay isang (Ang pagbabago, ang pagbabago, ang pagbabago) liability - Ang iba't ibang accounting treatment na kinakailangan 2. Pollution Has No Purchase Price - Ang mga intangible assets ay tinatanggap dahil ang isang Para sa mga paid ang pollution ay - ito ay isang by-product, hindi isang pagkuha no purchase price Walang transaksyon sa base valuation 3. Pollution Can't Be Easily Valued - Ang mga intangible na assets ay maaaring i-evaluate, i-compare, market-tested Ang mga gastos ng pollution ay: - Uncertain (when will damage manifest?) - Distributed (who pays? everyone? no one?) - Delayed (costs appear years later) - Unpriced (no market for clean air/water/soil) 4. Pollution Doesn't Amortize - Ang mga intangible asset ay nagbabago sa halaga sa panahon (amortisasyon) ang pollution sa loob ng isang taon na ang nakalipas (Gets Worse, Not Better) accumulates - Ang modelo ng amortization ay nangangahulugan ng pagbabago ng halaga - pollution ay nangangahulugan ng pagbabago ng gastos 5. Pollution Doesn't Balance - Immaterial na assets balance dahil ang mga ito ay binabayaran para sa - Pollution ay walang katumbas na pagbabayad o asset - Lumikha ng imbalance: gastos na itinatag, hindi na itinatag The Fundamental Mismatch: Intangible Asset Model: Purchase → Asset Recorded → Amortized → Value Declines → Balances Over Time Pollution Cost Model (What We Need): Pollution Created → Liability Should Be Recorded → Cost Accumulates → Never Balanced Current accounting structure for intangible assets is simply not appropriate for global pollution and its consequences because: - Ito ay dinisenyo para sa assets, hindi liability - Kailangan ito ng mga presyo ng pagbili at mga pag-evaluation na hindi magagamit para sa pollution - Ito ay nangangahulugan ng amortization (pumunta sa halaga), ngunit ang pollution ay kumukuha (pumunta sa gastos) - Ito balances sa pamamagitan ng pagbabayad, ngunit pollution ay walang katumbas na pagbabayad We need a new accounting framework for pollution—one that recognizes it as a liability, values it through damage assessment, and balances it through cleanup funding. The Global Balance Sheet Imbalance Ito ay hindi lamang tungkol sa mga individual na mga kumpanya. Ito ay tungkol sa global balance sheet. Global Assets (What We Count): - Mga pabrika, infrastructure, teknolohiya Mga Natural Resources (mineral, petroleum) Ang Human Capital, ang Knowledge Mga Financial Assets Global Liabilities (What We Count): Ang Debt ng Government ang corporate debt Ang personal na utang Missing Global Liabilities (What We Don't Count): - Pollution damage to air, water, soil Ang pagbabago ng klima ay gastos Ang biodiversity ay Mga Impact sa Health Mga gastos sa future cleaning The Imbalance: Ang aming global balance sheet ay fundamentally unbalanced. Kami ay nag-record ang mga assets (wealth created) ngunit hindi ang mga liabilidad (pollution costs). sa mga siglo. massive accounting error Part 3: Asset-Backed vs. Non-Backed Wealth Part 3: Asset-Backed vs. Non-Backed Wealth Traditional Accounting: Asset-Backed Wealth Traditional accounting rules have been built on asset-backed wealth, assuming wealth is backed by assets and is balanced by them: - Gold Standard: Currency backed ng gold - Asset-backed loans: Debt backed by collateral - Ang halaga ng kumpanya: Ang presyo ng stock na sumusuporta sa assets at mga resulta The Principle: Value = Pinagsasama ng isang bagay na tangible. Assets balance liabilities. Lahat balances. The Accounting Equation: Equity = Assets - Liabilities This works when: - Ang mga assets ay tangible (golden, land, equipment) - Ang mga obligasyon ay kilala (loans, payable) - Value is backed by something real Modern Reality: Non-Backed Wealth Ngunit dito ang problema: Most modern wealth isn't backed by assets. Fiat Currencies: - US Dollar: Hindi backed ng gold mula noong 1971 - Euro: Hindi backed ng anumang physical na asset - Karamihan ng mga currencies: Tumutulong sa pamamagitan ng government promise, hindi mga assets Cryptocurrencies: - Bitcoin: Not backed by any asset - Ethereum: Not backed by any asset - Karamihan ng mga cryptocurrencies: Tumutulong sa network value, hindi assets Digital Assets: - Stock: Karamihan ay na-evaluated sa multiples ng assets - NFTs: Valued by demand, not underlying assets - Intellectual Property: Na-value sa pamamagitan ng potensyal, hindi ng mga physical na assets The New Accounting Reality: Value ≠ Backed by Assets Value = Backed by Trust, Demand, Network Effects, or Nothing The Accounting System's Identity Crisis Ang aming accounting system ay binuo para sa asset-backed wealth. Ngunit kami ay nakatira sa isang non-backed mundo. Question 1: What Backs Value? - If currency isn't backed by gold, what backs it? - If stocks trade at 10x book value, what's the real value? - If pollution costs aren't on balance sheets, are balance sheets accurate? Question 2: How Do We Balance? - Kung ang mga assets ay hindi tangible, kung paano namin hinihintay ang mga ito? - If liabilities are uncertain (pollution), how do we account for them? - If value is based on trust, what happens when trust erodes? Question 3: Is Our Accounting System Obsolete? - Built for physical assets → Now we have digital assets - Built for known liabilities → Now we have uncertain externalities - Built for asset-backed value → Now we have trust-backed value Part 4: Valuing Pollution—The Path to Balance Part 4: Ang Valueing Pollution—Ang Path to Balance The Goal: Not Blame, But Balance This isn't about pointing fingers as we’re all guilty, corporations and consumers. It's about Kung maaari naming i-evaluate ang mga damages ng pollution, maaari naming lumikha ng katulad na kapangyarihan upang i-fix ito. balancing the books The Principle: Pollution Damage Value = Cleanup Funding Requirement If pollution has cost $X trillion in damage, we need $X trillion to clean it. Not as punishment. Not as blame. As balance. How to Value Pollution? 1: Cost of Cleanup - How much to remove CO₂ from atmosphere? → Value of CO₂ pollution - How much to clean ocean plastic? → Value of plastic pollution - How much to remediate soil? → Value of soil pollution 2: Cost of Damage - Healthcare costs from air pollution → Value of air pollution - Agricultural losses from soil contamination → Value of soil pollution - Ang mga gastos ng adaptasyon sa pagbabago ng klima → Value of climate pollution 3: Market-Based Pricing - Carbon credit prices → Value of carbon pollution - Environmental credit markets → Value of various pollutions - Insurance costs for climate risk → Value of climate pollution 4: Replacement Cost - Cost to Replace Lost Ecosystems → Value of biodiversity pollution - Cost to restore natural systems → Value of environmental pollution The Global Pollution Liability Estimate While exact numbers are debated, estimates suggest: Climate Change Costs: - Historical emissions: Trillions sa mga damages - Future adaptation: Trillions higit pa - Total: Ang mga estimates ay nagkakahalaga mula sa mga dekada hanggang sa hundreds ng trillion Air Pollution Costs: - Healthcare: Hundreds of billions to trillions annually - Lost productivity: Hundreds of billions annually - Total: Trillions over decades Water Pollution Costs: - Cleanup: Hundreds ng bilyon sa trillions - Ang mga epekto sa kalusugan: Hundreds of Billions - Ecosystem damage: Trillions (unquantified) Soil Pollution Costs: - Remediation: Trillions sa buong mundo - Agriculture losses: Hundreds ng bilyong bawat taon Mga pahinang tumuturo: Trillions Ocean Pollution Costs: - Plastic cleaning: Hundreds ng mga bilyon - Ecosystem damage: Trillions (unquantified) - Ang epekto ng kalakalan: Hundreds of billions Total Global Pollution Liability: Estimates vary widely, but most analyses suggest in cumulative pollution costs globally. This is the sa aming global balance sheet. hundreds of trillions missing liability The Accounting Solution: Pollution as a Global Liability Step 1: Acknowledge the Liability Global Balance Sheet (Current): Assets: $X trillion Liabilities: $Y trillion (debt, payables) Missing: $Z trillion (pollution costs) Global Balance Sheet (Accurate): Assets: $X trillion Liabilities: $Y trillion + $Z trillion (debt + pollution) Step 2: Create Matching Wealth Kung ang pollution liability = $Z trillion, kailangan namin ng $Z trillion ng kapangyarihan upang i-balance ito. to match the liability that we forget to write on the books for centuries. new wealth creation Step 3: Fund Cleanup The $Z trillion in new wealth funds: Ang mga kabataan ng carbon capture - Ocean cleanup operations Mga Remediation - Air purification ang reforestation - All earth cleaning technologies The Balanced Equation: Pollution Liability ($Z trillion) = Cleanup Funding ($Z trillion) Part 5: The Currency Solution—Non-Backed Wealth for Non-Backed Liabilities Part 5: Ang Solusyon ng Currency - Non-Backed Wealth para sa Non-Backed Liabilities The Paradox Kami ay may: - ang (fiat, crypto) upang lumikha ng kapangyarihan Non-backed currencies - ang (ang gastos ng pollution) lumikha ng utang Non-backed liabilities Ngunit kami ay nagtatrabaho sa mga ito sa: (traditional system) - Asset-backed accounting (Ang Debt, Taxes, ang mga kinakailangan ng ROI) - Asset-backed funding The Mismatch: Ang mga problemang hindi na-backed ay kailangan ng mga solusyon na hindi na-backed. How Non-Backed Currencies Can Balance Non-Backed Liabilities Traditional Approach (Doesn't Work): Pollution Liability → Need Funding → Borrow Money (Debt) → Can't Repay → System Fails New Approach (Could Work): Pollution Liability → Create Non-Backed Wealth → Fund Cleanup → Balance Achieved If pollution liability isn't backed by assets (it's an externality), the funding to fix it doesn't need to be backed by assets either. It just needs to be The Key: calibrated to value. The O Blockchain Model: Calibrated Wealth for Calibrated Liabilities O Blockchain ay nagbibigay ng isang solusyon: that's: water price-based global currency system - Hindi backed ng mga assets (unlimited supply) - Calibrated sa value (price ng tubig sa bawat lokal na merkado) - Maaari na lumikha ng kapangyarihan para sa public good (pollution cleaning) - Hindi kinakailangan ng utang, ROI o trust / trust upang maging malaki at matatagpuan How It Works: 1. Acknowledge Pollution Liability I-calculate ang global pollution cost - Rekord bilang pasyente sa global balance sheet Huwag mag-atribusyon ng kasalanan—atribusyon ng halaga 2. Create Matching O Coin Wealth - Generate O coins equal to pollution liability value - Calibrated to water price (stable, universal) - Hindi debt - bagong pag-uulat ng kapangyarihan upang i-balance ang missing line item! 3. Fund Cleanup Operations - Allocate O coins to earth cleaning projects - Carbon capture, ocean cleaning, reforestation, at iba pa - Proyekto na pinapayagan sa pamamagitan ng pagpatay ng kapangyarihan, hindi ng utang - Pag-financing ay batay sa paghahatid at pagganap. 4. Balance the Books Pollution Liability (Historical) = O Coin Allocation (Cleanup Funding) The Accounting: Global Balance Sheet (Balanced): Assets: $X trillion Liabilities: $Y trillion (debt) + $Z trillion (pollution) Equity: $X - $Y - $Z trillion Cleanup Funding: $Z trillion (O Coin allocation) Result: Pollution liability matched by cleanup funding Why This Works 1. Matches the Nature of the Problem - Pollution is non-backed (externality, not asset) - Ang funding ay hindi na-backed (O Coin, hindi na-backed ng asset) - Both are calibrated to value (water price, cleanup cost) 2. Doesn't Require Blame or Responsibility - Not about punishing polluters - Not about assigning fault - About balancing the books 3. Creates Sustainable Funding Walang utang (hindi kailangan ng pagbabayad) - Walang mga takbo (hindi kinakailangan ng political will) - Not ROI (doesn't need profit) - Just balance (liability = pinansiyal) 4. Aligns with Modern Currency Reality - Fiat currencies ay hindi asset-backed - Cryptocurrencies ay hindi asset-backed - O Coin isn't asset-backed Lahat ng mga value-calibrated Part 6: Rethinking Accounting for the 21st Century Part 6: Pag-iisip ng Accounting para sa 21st Century The New Accounting Principles Ang halaga ay dapat suportahan ng assets Old Principle: Ang halaga ay maaaring i-calibrate sa universal measurements New Reality: Ang mga obligasyon ay dapat na sigurado at i-quantitize Old Principle: Uncertain liabilities (pollution) can be estimated and matched New Reality: Ang pagbabago ng kapangyarihan ay nangangailangan ng assets o debt Old Principle: Wealth can be created through algorithm calibration New Reality: Ang balance sheet ay dapat mag-balance ng assets at liabilities Old Principle: Ang mga balanse ay dapat i-balance ang lahat ng gastos (kabilang ang mga externalities) sa lahat ng kapangyarihan (kabilang ang calibrated currency) New Reality: The Updated Global Accounting Equation Traditional: Equity = Assets - Liabilities Updated: Equity = (Assets + Calibrated Wealth) - (Liabilities + Externalities) Nasaan ang: Currency created through value calibration (O Coin) - Calibrated Wealth: Ang mga gastos ay hindi sa mga tradisyonal na balanse (pollution) - Externalities: Externalities matatagpuan sa pamamagitan ng calibrated wealth - Balance: The Global Balance Sheet (Corrected) Assets: - Physical assets (ng mga pabrika, infrastructure) - Natural resources - Human capital - Teknolohiya at Knowledge Liabilities: Tradisyonal na utang (government, corporate, personal) - - Pollution costs (newly recognized and finally recorded!) Equity: Tradisyonal ang equity - - Calibrated wealth for cleanup (O Coin allocation) Balance: Assets = Liabilities (including pollution) + Equity (including cleanup funding) Conclusion: Balancing the Books for Future Generations Conclusion: Balancing the Books for Future Generations Sa loob ng mga siglo, ang pollution ay ang hinaharap na item. unang mula sa paniniwala. pagkatapos mula sa pagpipilian. ngayon mula sa kinakailangan - dapat nating gawin ito. This isn't about blame. It's about Kung ang pollution ay nilikha ng $ Z trillion sa gastos, kailangan namin ng $ Z trillion upang i-fix ito. balance Ang aming accounting system, na binuo para sa asset-backed wealth, ay nagtatrabaho sa hindi-backed realities. fiat currencies. Cryptocurrencies. Pollution externalities. Ang lahat ay hindi-backed. Ang lahat ay kailangan ng bagong accounting. O Blockchain ay nagbibigay ng isang paraan: Ang tubig ay isang presyo-based currency na maaaring lumikha ng kapangyarihan upang matugunan ang gastos ng pollution. Hindi utang. Hindi mga takbo. Hindi ROI. Just balance with stability. calibrated wealth based on basic human needs(water) The question isn't whether we should account for pollution. We must! The question is: How do we value and fund the cleanup? Sa pamamagitan ng calibrated, non-backed currency na matatagpuan sa non-backed nature ng pollution liability, maaari naming kumustahan ang mga libro ng alam. Para sa ating sarili. Para sa mga future generations. Para sa planeta. Walang pag-tax ng kasalukuyang o next generations! The missing line item has been found. Now let's balance it with technology! O International ay isang French Non-Profit Association dedicated sa disenyo, paglikha at pag-promote ng isang stable digital currency system batay sa global na mga presyo ng tubig. https://o.international ## References & Further Reading - Externalities sa Economics (ang iba't ibang mga aklat ng ekonomiya) - Environmental Accounting (EPA, akademikal na pananaliksik) - Carbon Pricing at Markets (IEA, World Bank reports) - Historia ng Fiat Currency (Federal Reserve, mga ulat ng Central Bank) - O Blockchain: Water-Based Currency System (o.international) Note on Data: Ang mga estimate ng gastos ng pollution ay nagbabago nang malaki sa metodology, timeframe, at sikat. Ang artikulong ito ay gumagamit ng mga konseptual na frameworks sa halip ng mga spesifikal na mga numero upang makuha ang mga inexact na claim. Para sa mga spesifikal na estimate ng gastos, i-consult environmental economics research at climate impact studies. Ang mga estimate ng gastos ng pollution ay nagbabago nang malaki sa pagitan ng methodology, timeframe, and scope. Ang artikulong ito ay gumagamit ng mga konsepto frameworks sa halip ng mga spesifikal na mga numero upang makuha ang mga inaccuracies. Para sa mga spesifikal na estimate ng gastos, tingnan ang environmental economics research at climate impact studies. Note on Data: Ang artikulong ito ay inilathala sa ilalim ng HackerNoon's Business Blogging program. Ang artikulong ito ay inilathala sa ilalim ng HackerNoon's Business Blogging program.
