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    Commons economy posts

    How can we get our clothes from sustainable and non-corporate sources?

    This is an interview with Jessica Smulders-Cohen of Greater London Fibreshed, who are trying to build a network of small-scale clothes manufacturers using natural materials produced in the UK. Read more

    Why global capital fears Brexit

    Despite its admirable qualities, the authors urge people not to lose sight of the fact that the “the main impetus behind the European Economic Union was the desire of big business to compete with the US” in economic terms. Read more

    The EU referendum from an environmental perspective: are you willing to be challenged?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 20-Jun-2016 | 5

    Almost all of my friends, and people whose opinions I respect, are intending to vote ‘Remain’ on Thursday. Here are the four main reasons I hear: Read more

    The Ecological Land Co-op has purchased more land to create ecological smallholdings

    Here’s a quick overview of what the Ecological Land Co-op does, before going on to their latest news. The problem that they were formed to solve is that many people who would like to build a home made from local, sustainable materials, Read more

    My meeting with EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom and corporate representatives, and the rules they want to impose on us

    Linda Kaucher of Stop TTIP | 23-May-2016 | 2

    At the end of April, I went to a Trade Commission ‘civil society dialogue’ meeting Brussels in which Trade Commissioner Cecelia Malmstrom was seeking input on how to push forward the WTO globalisation agenda via the mechanism of the EU. Read more

    Re-thinking liberalisation – to counter corporate takeover

    Linda Kaucher of Stop TTIP | 12-May-2016 | 1

    ‘Liberalisation’ – sounds like a good thing, right – like ‘freedom’? It’s rarely named or explained, but underpins the trade agenda and ‘globalisation’. It allows corporations to become mega-transnationals. Read more

    Do you want to co-own a community wind farm – from £50?

    Dan McCallum of Awel Co-op | 10-May-2016 | 0

    We are really excited to be re-opening the Share Offer for our community windfarm. We raised £734k from our first Share Offer before Christmas and now want to hit the £1,000,000 target. Read more

    Ha Joon Chang: ‘increasing corporate power is at the heart of TTIP’

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 08-May-2016 | 0

    Ha Joon Chang, author of 23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism and Economics: The User’s Guide explains that TTIP is not about ‘free trade’ – trade is already more-or-less free. TTIP is about helping corporations to sue countries if they dare to do anything – anything at all – that can be shown… Continue reading Ha Joon Chang: ‘increasing corporate power is at the heart of TTIP’ Read more

    Can you think about sending this letter (or something similar) to your MP about TTIP?

    Linda Kaucher of Stop TTIP | 27-Apr-2016 | 0

    Can you take 10 mins to send this letter, or something very similar, to your MP? People have been asking MPs some of these questions and getting silly answers, which suggests we are hitting a nerve – so we need to keep on hitting it. Read more

    The 6 main approaches to changing the world; which one do you subscribe to?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 23-Apr-2016 | 2

    We received an email recently with these sentences: ‘This idea of those evil corporations is mistaken because we are all involved in society and economy. There is no us and them we are all part of it and need to take responsibility for that.’ Read more

    Public support for TTIP has plummeted in Germany and the US to 17% and 15% respectively

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 22-Apr-2016 | 0

    A report for the Bertelsmann Foundation has shown plummeting support for TTIP in Germany and in the US – down to 17% in Germany and 15% in the US, with 18% of Americans and a full third of Germans saying that it is ‘a bad thing’. Read more

    If the BBC advertises Tesco, why is there a licence fee?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 13-Apr-2016 | 3

    Just listened to a ten-minute advert for Tesco on ‘You and Yours’ on Radio 4, masquerading as news. I have some questions: Read more

    How the CEOs of Europe’s biggest corporations write EU policy

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 09-Apr-2016 | 8

    There’s an organisation based in Brussels called the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT). It’s a club – invitation only, not transparent, not democratic – just a private club. Read more

    Should the TV licence fee be scrapped?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 26-Mar-2016 | 4

    It’s a tricky one. The argument for the licence fee (and one that I used to subscribe to until I watched the Panorama corporate propaganda piece – see below) is that the Beeb produces drama of a quality not found anywhere else. Read more

    More on the EU referendum from a low-impact perspective: is another Europe possible?

    Is the European Union an empty vessel into which any political content may be poured? Can it accommodate not just neoliberal conservatism but also Keynesian social democracy, hard-line greenery and even pro-nationalisation democratic socialism? Read more

    The EU referendum from a low-impact perspective

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 13-Mar-2016 | 6

    We’ve got a referendum coming up in June that Cameron didn’t want, but was forced to promise at a time when it looked as though votes lost to UKIP might have cost him the election. His arguments now are largely based on the number of jobs that could be lost if we leave. Read more

    Artists against TTIP, and how the new ICS differs from ISDS (spoiler – not much)

    Linda Kaucher of Stop TTIP | 03-Mar-2016 | 3

    ‘Corporate interests have got to stop coming first’ – well said, Juliet Stevenson. A group of artists including actors Ruth Wilson, Andrew Scott and Juliet Stevenson and designer Vivienne Westwood are fronting a campaign (artistsagainstttip.org) to raise public awareness of the trade deal TTIP Read more

    ‘Trade Secrets’ legislation: another little piece of the corporate takeover that most people won’t know about

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 19-Feb-2016 | 0

    EU Trade Secrets legislation will criminalise whistleblowers and journalists who expose corporations and their products or services. It’s another in a long list of steps aiming to put corporations above the law, but the rest of us very much under it. Read more

    Read this German MP’s account of the TTIP reading room and decide what you think about TTIP ‘transparency’

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 13-Feb-2016 | 1

    So, you all know about TTIP? Here’s a link if you don’t, plus see the posts to the right. It’s a proposed ‘trade deal’ that is designed to give more of our economy to the corporate sector. It’s supposed to be ‘transparent’, but of course it’s completely secret. Read more

    Custard creams and the ‘network of global corporate control’

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 08-Feb-2016 | 19

    I bought a packet of custard creams the other day, and saw that they were made by a company called Crawfords. I wondered who Crawfords were and who ultimately owns custard creams. I have a general feeling that a small cartel of giant corporations owns more-or-less everything branded Read more

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