A look back at what has been happening during the first half of the year in EFR: the economic system’s downsides are revealing themselves as environmental pressures rise. The case for environmental fiscal reform has never been stronger.
Excellent, sharp analysis from Economist Michael Roberts on inequality and the solutions being looked at by Stiglitz, Atkinson, OECD and others. Well worth a read, reblogged here from Michael’s blog.
Apparently Hilary Clinton, the Democratic dynasty front- runner for the US presidency in 2016 is worried about rising inequality of income and wealth in America. She has recently consulted Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel prize winner in economics, and author of now two books on the issue of inequality.
However, don’t get your hopes up too high that a US president might take action on the extremes of wealth and poverty in America. Among the top ten contributors to her campaign are JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, CitiGroup and Morgan Stanley. As secretary of state under Obama, she pressured governments to change policies and sign deals that would benefit US corporations like General Electric, Exxon Mobil, Microsoft, and Boeing. Clinton served on WaltMarts board of directors from 1986 to 1992 and the law firm she worked for, Rose Law Firm, represented the corporation. During her three trips to India as secretary of state…
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Title: Environmental Fiscal Reform: practical ways for market based instruments to address the obstacles preventing the circular economyStephen Hinton is a member of the board of the Swedish Sustainable Economy Foundation and specialises in aligning environmental concerns with fiscal systems. He has been involved in several projects, including with the Nordic Council of Ministers, to explore the possibility of using market forces to drive a circular economy for nutrients. One of the Foundation’s recent initiatives is a role-play/business game that explores the assumptions behind fiscal instrument application and sustainable technology investment decisions. These simulations reveal a wealth of insight into possibilities to change economic paradigms.
Helsinki: 11th May 2015
Stephen’s presentation will focus on the fiscal approaches to overcoming barriers including:
Read more on TSSEF.se
PLACE: Brazil
SITUATION: A large international sporting event was planned.
The investment by the host city needed to lead to a more environmental city including reduced waste and emissions, a better carbon profile and more jobs created in the circular economy.
FRAMING QUESTION: How can a sporting event make best use of the investment in the arrangements around the event to spark off the sustainable circular economy in the city and at the same time increase the number of jobs available for city residents?
SOLUTION: Create a complete biomass waste stream handling infrastructure around the event, inviting the attendees to invest by carbon compensating their journey to the event. Then use this infrastructure to spread to the other parts of the city.
Continue reading “Case study: a carbon neutral legacy for an international sporting event”
Michael Roberts analyses the global economy from a Marxist view. Roberts expects a continuing slowing down of the economy for the foreseeable future. For those of us focussed on corporate strategy and Environmental Fiscal Reform there are serious conclusions to be drawn about how to move to sustainability in a shrinking economy.
Readers of this blog will know that from its very beginning over five years ago, I have argued, ad nauseam, that after the end of the Great Recession in mid-2009, the world capitalist economy entered what I have called a long depression, see
https://thenextrecession.wordpress.com/2013/02/10/why-is-there-a-long-depression/.
What I meant by this was that the trajectory of the world real GDP growth and investment took what I described as a square-root shape. A relatively high trend growth rate was interrupted by a sharp drop, then a sharpish recovery before growth resumed but this time at a much lower level than before.
Schematically, it would look like this – and in reality.
This view, that capitalism is in a Long Depression, will be the main message of my upcoming book to be published (I hope) this summer.
However, there are many voices who do not agree that world capitalism is in a downward…
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In this short video, Richard Heinberg explores why The Great Burning — the combustion of oil, coal, and natural gas — must come to an end during the next few decades. If the twentieth century was all about increasing our burn rate year after blazing year, the dominant trend of twenty-first century will be a gradual flame-out.
Richard urges us – at corporate, government and local level – to accept the situation and start to plan to slow down, localise and accept that we must give up some things.
How shall we manage the last days of the great burning? What role can Environmental Fiscal Reform play?
Read more:
No-one lays it on the line better about how economy and energy are linked than Gail.
What is the real story of energy and the economy? We hear two predominant energy stories. One is the story economists tell: The economy can grow forever; energy shortages will have no impact on the economy. We can simply substitute other forms of energy, or do without.
Another version of the energy and the economy story is the view of many who believe in the “Peak Oil” theory. According to this view, oil supply can decrease with only a minor impact on the economy. The economy will continue along as before, except with higher prices. These higher prices encourage the production of alternatives, such wind and solar. At this point, it is not just peak oilers who endorse this view, but many others as well.
In my view, the real story of energy and the economy is much less favorable than either of these views. It is a story of…
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Excellent post from Dr.Pano Kroko on where financing för startups is going
Taking place for the thirteenth year in succession, the Circle Way camp, deep in the Swedish countryside, with Native American Medicine Story as the keeper of the heart, is developing in the spirit of Transition to offer a holiday embracing a culture of inclusiveness, healing and harmony.
“Think seven generations ahead before every important decision”
Native American saying
This year the theme is seven generations, and how generations need each other.
Circle Way Camp revolves around the North American Indian tradition: to meet in the great circle, smaller discussion groups (clans), men’s circle, women’s circle, sweat lodge ceremonies, story time, dance and song games and more. In addition, children have their own clans and playtimes. All this is combined with the best of the Swedish summer culture and the Transition movement; Open Space discussion groups, entertainment with open stage, sauna, swimming in natural lake, forest walks and long delightful evenings around the camp fire. As a special luxury campers are treated to a delicious vegetarian lunch buffet every day. (And there are rooms with separate, renewable energy heated bathrooms and showers for comfort lovers.)
Says camp general, Stephen Hinton: “This year’s theme is bringing generations together in a new, creative and rewarding way. They say it takes a village to raise a child. But they also say it takes a child to raise a village! People can come on their own or invite their parents, grandparents, mothers, children, grandchildren, nieces to a vacation that can be one of the summer’s highlights. And we have arranged really deep discounts for families; I think this year it makes a lot of sense to bring as many with you as you can. That’s what we want, it’s a big lake and there’s room for everyone.”
Stephen Hinton Consulting 