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Steady-state economics


£3.3 trillion fossil fuel subsidies

£3.3 trillion fossil fuels subsidies by G20 countries since Paris Climate Agreement

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All governments, including the UK, are telling us that they’re laser-focused on reducing carbon emissions. How are they doing? The chart above shows how they’re doing (source: Our World in Data). There’s a tiny flatline around 2020, but that’s because of the Covid lockdowns.

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WWF report on wildlife

WWF shocking report on wildlife, and why the response will be inadequate

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It’s been a while since wildlife—not just a species here or there but wildlife at large—has been front and center in the news. Usually the biggest environmental news pertains to climate change at the global level, or local pollution problems such as lead in the water pipes. “Biodiversity” gained traction as an issue in the

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Brian Czech of CASSE : why green growth is an oxymoron

Interview with Brian Czech: the impossibility of a perpetually-growing economy

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Today I’m talking with Brian Czech, the president of CASSE (Centre for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy). He served in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 1999-2017, and as a visiting professor of natural resource economics in Virginia Tech’s National Capitol Region. He is the author of Supply Shock, Shoveling Fuel for

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Getting back to normal: is there an alternative post-corona?

Post-covid: ‘getting back to normal’ is suicidal – here’s the alternative

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“For those who dream of a return to “normalcy”: normalcy was standing on the tracks watching an oncoming train & arguing about how fast it was going. Something just banged into us & sent us sprawling. It hurt. A lot. Now let’s get up, but NOT get back on the tracks again.” – David Graeber

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Should we return to normal post-corona?

Post-covid: ‘getting back to normal’ is not just a bad idea – it’s suicidal

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There’s been a lot of talk about ‘thanking’ coronavirus for giving us the breathing space to re-evaluate, and for giving nature some breathing space too. This isn’t one of those articles. I don’t find it compassionate to thank a virus that’s killing thousands of people, and closing millions of small businesses, allowing Amazon to hoover

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Wall Street epicentre of the global money system

The global money system: not the kind of ‘normality’ we should return to after the coronavirus crisis is over

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This is the fifth in a series of articles about how mutual credit can help us get through the economic problems caused by the corona virus. The main points to get across are: There’s going to be a shortage of money. Mutual credit is a moneyless trading system. That’s it! Mutual credit can help local

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Together we can build a new economy

Coming together to build a new economy: Matthew Slater, barefoot economist and Credit Commons co-designer, Part 2

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In part 1 I described why a resilient economy needs be to separate from the failing capitalist juggernaut and that we need to start by finding new economic partners from without the Market.

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Perception dollar by Matthew Slater of XR and the Credit Commons Collective

Starting from scratch: Matthew Slater, barefoot economist and Credit Commons co-designer, Part 1

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Donald Trump recently derided Greta Thunberg and everyone pleading with government to heed environmental science as ‘doomsayers’. The more imminent peak oil or environmental collapse appear, the more intransigent our political system seems to be. Whatever the reasons for this, responsible citizens can only accomplish so much while the political and economic winds are blowing

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Questions about the election

26 questions from a 10-year-old to his parents about the election

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At a dinner party on Saturday evening, I had a discussion about a) the efficacy of elections for bringing about meaningful change, and b) the desirability of the quest for perpetual economic growth (I didn’t feel positively about either of those things). Our hosts’ 10-year-old son was listening carefully, after which he expressed his intention

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Matthew Slater: building a global moneyless trading system

How to build a global, moneyless, interest-free trading system: Matthew Slater of the Credit Commons Collective

Today I’m talking with Matthew Slater, author of the Credit Commons white paper – an idea to link together mutual credit schemes anywhere in the world to create a global, moneyless trading system.

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