Despite the threats of global climate change, widespread resource depletion, and nuclear proliferation the sole measure of most things in the global capitalist system is whether or not they make a profit. Furthermore, the peoples of the world seem to be facing a crisis of hope---perhaps rightly so. What if there were a secondary "economy" that measured not profitability but the potential to create hope for the future? It seems impossible but the Hope Meter Project could accomplish this with a simple Stumble Upon mashup.

• It would have many secondary benefits as well:
• It would serve as a space for global debate on issues that face the world.
• It would create a support network for those experiencing existential crisis (a New York Times article on the growth of "ecopsychology" recently highlighted this need)
• It would serve as a hub for organizing around various issues.
• It could also prove useful for schools organizing debate teams.
• One could refer to a product/site's hope ranking as evidence of its social currency.
• The idea itself could be the first of a whole new kind of collaborative tagging.