Info, news & debate
Steady-state economics
Where’s the problem – politics, economy or population?
Below are some things that I believe, some that I don’t believe and some that I know. Do you believe similar things? If so, stay in touch. Alternatives are being built – change is coming. Nothing stays the same forever.
£3.3 trillion fossil fuels subsidies by G20 countries since Paris Climate Agreement
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.
John Thackara: ‘Strange’ ideas don’t sound so strange in strange times
This is part 2 of a conversation with John Thackara. In part 1 we talked about what the future might hold for humanity, and here we talk about what our responses might be. ‘Strange’ ideas might be required for strange times.
Mutual credit clubs: an introduction, with Dil Green
Dil Green had the original idea for ‘mutual credit clubs’ that can federate to create a new global trading system. He’s brought together a group of people to form Mutual Credit Services (MCS) to start to build this federation (new website coming soon).
Do energy-saving measures actually increase overall energy use?
Having worked in the environmental field for 30 years, I’ve watched the situation get worse every year, to the point that it might already be irreversible, and we don’t know what damage it’s going to do to us, exactly. That’s pretty insane, and so
WWF shocking report on wildlife, and why the response will be inadequate
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 …
Biodiversity loss is driven by economic growth: Prof. Julia Steinberger
Dave Darby talks with Julia Steinberger, professor of ecological economics at the University of Leeds and a member of the IPCC, about her work and the links between biodiversity loss and economic growth.
Beware the ‘Great Reset’: a power grab by billionaires
The world is run by and for billionaires. If you’d prefer it to be run democratically, for all of us, then don’t be fooled by the ‘Great Reset’ – a request by the corporate and financial sectors for governments to give them taxpayers’ money to take more control.
Why ‘green growth’ is an oxymoron: Brian Czech of CASSE
This is part 2 of an interview with Brian Czech (part 1 is here), 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.
Interview with Brian Czech: the impossibility of a perpetually-growing economy
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 …
Post-covid: ‘getting back to normal’ is suicidal – here’s the alternative
“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
Post-covid: ‘getting back to normal’ is not just a bad idea – it’s suicidal
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 …
Surviving the Future: an online course for our times
Our friend Shaun Chamberlin of Dark Optimism shares news of Surviving the Future: conversations for our time, an eight week online gathering which he will be co-facilitating on behalf of Sterling College, starting on Monday 6th April.
The global money system: not the kind of ‘normality’ we should return to after the coronavirus crisis is over
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 …
Coming together to build a new economy: Matthew Slater, barefoot economist and Credit Commons co-designer, Part 2
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.
Starting from scratch: Matthew Slater, barefoot economist and Credit Commons co-designer, Part 1
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 …
26 questions from a 10-year-old to his parents about the election
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 …
The elephant in the room is capitalism. Maybe.
Chris Smaje of Vallis Veg and Small Farm Future shares his thoughts as to why the elephant in the room is capitalism. Maybe. It’s over to Chris from here…
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.
Decentralised collaboration, Paul Mason and more: see you at OPEN 2019 next week?
We hear from Oliver Sylvester-Bradley about exciting opportunities to collaborate at the OPEN 2019 Community Gathering, taking place in London next week.