http://audioboo.fm/boos/1298959-is-the-uk-too-posh-to-push-for-growth
Refreshing to hear Tony Greenham of the New Economic Foundation in this discussion on BBC Radio 4s Today programme this morning separaing out GDP growth from the growth we actually want. I wish he'd had more time. Mariana Mazzucato had the lion's share, it seemed to me, but spoke about standard economic stuff without challenging the assumption that increase in GDP is unequivocally good.
Tony pointed out that crime and the destruction of rainforests contribute to GDP, he opined. I would disagree with him that growth in jobs is desirable. It's interesting that he should have that in his list alongside sustainability and equality.
Saturday 30 March 2013
Better institutions and organisations
This is a snippet from a talk I saw somewhere on Youtube. All credit to its author, whom I have forgotten the name of.
Traditional, established organisations/institutions are:
Traditional, established organisations/institutions are:
- Centralised
- Patriarchal
- Top down (hierarchical)
- Closed
- Proprietary
- Distributive
- Collaborative
- Lateral
- Open
- Transparent
Tuesday 5 March 2013
Killer jobs
I just listened to an item on BBC Radio 4s 'PM' programme about a polluted river in China. A campaigner had offered the equivalent of £10,000 to acertain politician to swim in it, so far with no response.
A correspondent interviewed a woman who had lived alongside the river for twenty years. When she first lived there the river water was drinkable and the fish it produced delicious, but with all the industries, now it is an ugly, stinking, carcinogenic environmental disaster. The campaigner in question believes his health is being adversely affected.
The piece ended with someone (a politician) saying that previous priority was jobs, but now environmental protection is a priority.
Be very afraid. Politicians fequently prioritise jobs and economic growth over the preservation of the finite biosphere that maintains our lives. Yes that's it, they considered it more important to create things for people to do than to preserve human life directly, and some of the things the people were doing wer actively destroying the environment, which sustains life. It is literally more important in the eyes of these deranged people to kill people and animals than to keep them alive if the former creates jobs.
A correspondent interviewed a woman who had lived alongside the river for twenty years. When she first lived there the river water was drinkable and the fish it produced delicious, but with all the industries, now it is an ugly, stinking, carcinogenic environmental disaster. The campaigner in question believes his health is being adversely affected.
The piece ended with someone (a politician) saying that previous priority was jobs, but now environmental protection is a priority.
Be very afraid. Politicians fequently prioritise jobs and economic growth over the preservation of the finite biosphere that maintains our lives. Yes that's it, they considered it more important to create things for people to do than to preserve human life directly, and some of the things the people were doing wer actively destroying the environment, which sustains life. It is literally more important in the eyes of these deranged people to kill people and animals than to keep them alive if the former creates jobs.
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