I admit it's one of those mornings when much blogging is hard, and it may stay that way for much of the day: there's work to do (and yesterday also finished very late).
So let me make a recommendation for reading elsewhwere. Saw some readers will know I have long been a supporter of Common Weal, the Scottish think thank that campaigns for independence from a non-party perspective, and who embrace a radical vision for what that country might be.
Common Weal launched what they called Our Common Home plan last weekend. I had rather hoped to be there, but family commitments intervened. Why do I think that this matters? Because, to date, I think this the best plan for a Green New Deal that I have seen. It is comprehensive, costed, and ambitious. I am aware that it has taken a great deal of work to produce.
As Common Weal say:
We have a clear, coherent plan for structural change by transforming how we generate electricity using clean, renewable sources; by building our homes efficiently using non-polluting materials; by shortening supply chains and creating new, sustainable industries; by replanting our forests and reorganising our food production through a system of agroecology - all with the benefits of employment, prosperity and skills. This is a massive engineering project on scale with post-WWII governments level of investment and development in new systems and infrastructure, healthcare and welfare. This is the Common Home Plan.
Yes, I know it's about Scotland, and for many readers that seems remote from where they are. But the Green New Deal is a universal, and this plan is a ‘how to think about it' manual for everyone else, I would suggest.
Might I suggest taking a look, and start exploring the ideas? Even buy the books. There are two. This is only about all our futures at the end of the day, after all.
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What marks this out as being very special is that the UK thinks itself a country too small to make any difference on the global scene. “Oh,” they bleat, “but we only produce one percent of global emissions so what we do doesn’t matter. It won’t make any difference”
Scotland is far smaller in population and smaller in land area than England, but does not buy this pathetic apology for inaction. Relatively small as it is, Scotland is big enough, rich enough, and smart enough to be prepared to lead the way, and join the other smaller nations who are travelling the same path.
Scotland will not accept being dragged against its will out of the European Union. There is work to be done and it isn’t going to happen as quickly or as effectively with the burden of a dysfunctional parasitic England on its back. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t getting on with it anyway. 🙂
🙂
Good heads up. Looks an extremely thorough piece of work and a good rainy day procrastination perusal here.
This was a cracker of an event , well organised , optimistic and life affirming . I’m going to donate to their funds , this is one think tank that deserves to flourish. I would have liked them to say something about land value tax , they only made passing mention of a modest land tax in the context of housing . Apart from that , the event was uniformly spot on .
Will have a read. En route from London to one of my favourite cities – Glasgow – to visit friends. And letting agents, to flesh out Plan B should the GE have a negative outcome IMO.
🙂
On behalf of Common Weal let me say thank you for your interest in our project. Please do let us know what you think once you’ve read it.