The main goal of Norwegian economist Per Espen Stoknes’ new book, Tomorrow's Economy: A Guide to Creating Healthy Green Growth, is to offer the concept of healthy green growth as an alternative to simple GDP growth. Stoknes teaches in a business school, and the economic tools he creates around this concept will probably be very … Continue reading A Just Transition to a Fair and Sustainable Society or Healthy Green Growth?
Alternatives to Killing People for the Economy
As the U.S. begins to reopen after being shut down to protect us from spreading Covid-19, many people are beginning to talk about a choice between what is good for the economy and what will keep us healthy. Much pain and suffering has come as people have lost their livelihoods and their homes, and so … Continue reading Alternatives to Killing People for the Economy
Mobilizing Climate Action in the Face of Planet of the Humans
We are in a climate emergency. That means we all need to do everything we can to get the world to stop burning fossil fuels and chopping down trees. And we need to do it as quickly as possible. Getting to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 will take everything we have. That's why … Continue reading Mobilizing Climate Action in the Face of Planet of the Humans
Facing Our Other Crises With Lessons From COVID-19
As I have been thinking about the worldwide response to COVID-19, like many people I have been amazed that this pandemic would spur people to move out of a business-as-usual approach to life and into forms of action that will stop at nothing to achieve an important social goal. While I have complied very willingly … Continue reading Facing Our Other Crises With Lessons From COVID-19
Rethinking Freedom, Government, and Expertise in the Time of COVID-19
by Cynthia Kaufman and Carlos Davidson With the COVID-19 crisis we are being asked, and in many cases ordered, by the government to drastically change our lives: not to go to work unless it is essential, not to socialize in large groups, or in some places not to go out at all, except for essential … Continue reading Rethinking Freedom, Government, and Expertise in the Time of COVID-19
Motivating Climate Action: A Review of Per Espen Stoknes “What We Think About When We Try Not to Think About Global Warming.”
Averting the worst outcome of the climate crisis will require a huge amount of very thoughtful and brave work. Unfortunately the crisis has a number of qualities that make it especially hard to organize around. It seems remote in time and place, its causes and impacts are diffuse, and the solutions require major social transformation. … Continue reading Motivating Climate Action: A Review of Per Espen Stoknes “What We Think About When We Try Not to Think About Global Warming.”
Creating a Home through the Green New Deal A review of Bruno Latour’s Down to Earth
Near where I live, in Pacifica California, there is a big piece of land right at the ocean that was once slated to be the site of a giant freeway interchange. That plan was stopped by local people who saw no need for increased freeway capacity. When I moved to town 14 years ago it … Continue reading Creating a Home through the Green New Deal A review of Bruno Latour’s Down to Earth
Fighting for the Climate: A Note from Post-Apocalyptic California
As I write this the air is brown and dangerous to breathe for the third day in a row in California. Yesterday I needed to wear a respirator to keep my lungs from hurting. So far over eighty people have lost their lives in these fires. Last year's fires were the worst on record. This … Continue reading Fighting for the Climate: A Note from Post-Apocalyptic California
The Fortress World of Capitalism vs. the Beautiful Possibilities of Cooperation
Our beloved world is entering an increasingly unstable period, full of dangers and also full of possibilities. In many countries, old political parties are crumbling faster and anyone thought imaginable. Old geopolitical alliances have come unglued as the US comes to exercise its role as world hegemon in new and unpredictable ways. The development of … Continue reading The Fortress World of Capitalism vs. the Beautiful Possibilities of Cooperation
Climate Action: Disrupting Business as Usual
Talk given to the California Student Sustainability Coalition’s annual convergence De Anza College Saturday May 21, 2016 We are at a time when we will probably see an increase in the use of civil disobedience, direct action and disruption. That’s because we are at a time when our political systems are increasingly controlled by corporate … Continue reading Climate Action: Disrupting Business as Usual
Cynthia Kaufman 