The clock is ticking. And is getting faster. We are entering the most serious global crisis since the Great Depression, at the same time as we face unprecedented climate change.

Such is the need for urgent action that we only have only 100 months to save the planet, according to a new policy group called the Green New Deal Group.

They are arguing that a “Green New Deal” is needed to solve current problems of climate change, energy and finance and that we only have 100 months to prevent dangerous runaway climate change. They are calling for serious reform the like of which has not, yet, been considered by politicians.

This entails re-regulating finance and taxation plus a huge transformational programme aimed at substantially reducing the use of fossil fuels and, in the process, tackling the unemployment and decline in demand caused by the credit crunch. It involves policies and new funding mechanisms that will reduce emissions and allow us to cope better with the coming energy shortages caused by peak oil.

Taking inspiration from President Franklin D Roosevelt’s “New Deal”, launched 75 years ago to bring the US out of the Great Depression, the group proposes major investment in renewable energy and the creation of thousands of new “green collar” jobs, to prevent one of its biggest crises since the 1930s.

Andrew Simms from the New Economic Foundation in the UK and member of the new group warns that the combination of the current credit crunch, rising energy prices and accelerating emissions are “conspiring to create the perfect storm”.

The group’s recommendations include:

* massive investment in renewable energy and wider transformation in the UK;

* the creation of thousands of new “green collar” jobs;

* making low-cost capital available to fund the UK’s green economic shift;

* building a new alliance between environmentalists, industry, agriculture and unions

“Instead of desperate baling out, and in the absence of a joined-up plan from government, the Green New Deal is the first attempt to outline a comprehensive plan and a new course to navigate each obstacle in our path, “argues Andrew Simms. “If successful, we also believe that emerging on the other side of the storm, we will find the world to be a better place. It is, at the very least, too important to fail.”

2 Comments

  • Changes in the natural world mark the longest time scales that humans experience. Our faster-moving worlds of commerce and governance have increased nature’s rate of change to where commerce and governance must respond immediately to keep their current form against nature’s influence.

    The green new deal could create change at the level of commerce and the slower changing level of infrastructure. However, culture is what pushed nature to the tipping points ahead. Culture is what stops people from becoming vegan, starting gardens, scrapping cars, and counting carbons. More changes to commerce than we have time for are required to change culture, because culture changes more slowly than commerce. Investment and job creation will slowly change governance, and culture will respond even more slowly to changes in governance, until suddenly nature begins changing culture by force, and governance, infrastructure, and commerce all change in response.

    Thanks to global warming, nature now has the power to change infrastructure, governance, and commerce over time scales more typical of changes in fashion. 100 months is a long time to keep the same style clothes and haircut, but nature will forgive our modern culture, until it tries out the new look.

  • going back to Charles Reich book hopefully not long forgotten – rather part of a history – we girls were talking the other day – and a few quotes i cannot remember well – regarding consciousness 111 – which kinda got taken over i do declare – i wrote them down somewhere – the essence of which – the middle class will not be the one to make the leap – and so who is going to do it – will it be the lower classes – and who would that be nowaday – me – when i decide to get off my high horse – and get the job done – we need a kick in the butt

    so there is work to be done – so i think when we talk needs not wants – food – sustainable agriculture – renewable resource networks to imagine new ways – i see a bright light out on the horizon – we the people have a job to do – not those guys in their somnambulistic entitlement programs – ie members of congress (not all of them) – some have risen over the heap – ones who do not take oil money for starters – retire the rest come this next election

    the green deal – will check this closely – thanks for all you do – marilee helen jenkinson

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