A blog on how multinational companies can be taxed, so all can benefit from their vast profits, not just the 1%. Something for UK’s politicians to consider as their New Year resolution?
A 21st Century blueprint for taxing multinational companies « Escape from Europe.
An article about today’s Autumn budget, which is another attack on the vulnerable in our society. It is also a budget which promotes more gas-powered power stations, road building, increased dependence on fossil fuels and advocates the exploitation of shale-gas (fracking). All of which will have a further detrimental impact on the vulnerable and help accelerate climate change.
Sarah Lyall – 4 reasons why the benefit freeze makes no sense | the new economics foundation.
At the UK’s Green Party Spring Conference 2011 in Cardiff, Tim Jackson, ‘Prosperity without Growth’, spoke at a fringe meeting. He spoke about how the Green Party should take this moment of financial turmoil, t o push the message for change, away from the failed economic models. He said it would be tough, but telling the public the truth, that there would not be jobs for all, would ultimately bear fruit, for those brave enough to say it, how it is. The Green Party, under Caroline Lucas, MP., failed to deliver the message for a different economic model.
Why the EU must dare to debate ‘degrowth’ « Feeding the habit.
Tim Jackson stated there are three aims:
Changing the social logic is something Annie Leonard and her ‘Story of Stuff Project’, tried to do.
In a commentary by Pavan Sukhdev in ‘Prosperity without Growth’, states:
GDP growth does not capture many vital aspects of natural wealth and well-being such as changes in the quality of health, the extent of education and changes in the quality and quantity of our natural resources.
The ongoing economic crisis, itself a result of crisis in our fuel, food and finance, and at a parallel crisis in our ecological and climate commons, suggesting that both share a common cause: our failed economic model.
Tim Jackson does state there is a need for investing in jobs, assets and infrastructure:
If politicians do not start to send out the message for change, it will come about but it will be forced on people by events beyond human control. Without change now, catastrophic climate change will force change.
A thoughtful critique on George Osborne’s speech and all it entails. I would not agree with the writer that things were improving under Labour. I see them both, as seriously evil, political parties that protect the rich and corrupt. And have not taken on-board, the fact we have to move away from this ‘growth’ mentality. We live on one planet but living as if we live on three.
I’ve been a bit out of circulation since yesterday evening because of work travel, so maybe someone else has already done this. But maybe not. Most of the media reports I’ve seen on George Osborne’s speech yesterday at the Tory party conference have centred on his laughable scheme to have employees swap their employment rights for shares in their employer’s company. I’ll take a look at why it’s ridiculous too, but first I want to take a look at the other things he said and what they say about him.
My mother used to love reciting the old saying, ‘Whenever you point a finger at anyone else, you’re pointing three back at yourself’. Of course, that that was a form of finger-pointing never seemed to occur to her – but that doesn’t mean it isn’t often true!
So, let’s take a look at Osborne’s speech in some detail (though I’m…
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I have posted before, that the UK, especially the City of London Corporation is the biggest Tax Haven in the World. Our political elite, Labour and Conservative constantly tell us they cannot tax the rich because the financial sector would leave this country. They also tell us, it is unfair to tax the rich, because success should be rewarded. But we know, they have only been successful by acting in a criminal way and evading tax. That, money will trickle down, but for generations we have seen the reverse. The article below gives some answer, you can use in reply to the nonsense being peddled by the political elite.
Ripped-off Britons: Key political fibs, and some tips on how to refute them.
You can send a message by signing the following petition, asking for a reform of the banking sector:
The papers are full of stories of how the Conservatives are going to cut benefits, claiming tax-payers are sick of paying for the work-shy. Most of those who are on benefits have no choice, there is no paid work for them. The way the Economy is modelled, does not take account of those who do unpaid work, such as housewives and those who care for relatives. We are going back to the times of Dickens, were the poor were thought to have brought on themselves and deserved punishment. Whilst the rich fleece each other in a very corrupt business world.
Jobless and big-families lose benefits
I wonder, are those who are in employment and earn more than the average wage, will continue to receive child benefits, even though they do not need it? The cuts are supposed to be in the region of £10 billion but the Government is taking about spending £70 billion of a Trident missile program replacement, not mentioned in the papers.
And of course this ‘Green’ Governments commitment towards renewable energy, which has seen the Chancellor talk about tax-breaks for ‘fracking’. Has disillusioned major energy companies, who are now talking not investing in the UK.
A new report released on the 26th September 2012, called ‘A Guide to the Cold Calculus of a Hot Planet’, claims 100 Million people will die before 2030, due to the results of Climate Change. This is because of the inactions of Governments and businesses to act on climate change. This has led to a more polluted planet, causing the Global temperature to rise. Unfortunately Governments and business are locked into a fossil-fuel and consumer economy. They have not heeded the calls to invest in real renewable technologies and a move away from ‘business-as-usual’ model.
The report is optimistic, that there is still an opportunity to scale-back pollution and halt Global warming. I feel, it will not happen, till there is a complete collapse in water and food supplies, when it is too late. They put forward the argument that economically (not the first time, it has been argued), it would be the sensible thing to do. It would reduce poverty, hunger and ill-health and opposed to the outcome of pursuing a carbon economy. This is a report all politicians and business people should read and act on it.
At a meeting of Southern Voices a talk given by Washington Alcott ( a Jamaican), entitled ‘Climate Change – A conservation from the South’. Made the point that climate change and the environment agenda;
“It was predominately the white-middle class who dominated the debate and decided the outcomes”.
I agree with him, in fact I would go further, it is the so-called ( predominately white) educated middle-class who are part of the problem. The do not want to change their life-styles, so do not want real change. Even, those espousing to be environmentally aware, still drive the most, shunning public transport and continue to fly abroad multiple times a year for holidays. They consume more than those on reduced incomes, but pay less because of the unequal charging mechanisms. Because of their spending power, they could make a huge difference but they will not. There are ‘OK Jack, sod you’.
Full of promises, but will they be able to integrate the country into a ‘green economy’. They continually talk about growth, when that is the last thing the planet needs but a transfer to a Green economy. There is no mention about taxing aviation, for the pollution it causes. And it is not the South East were we do not want airport expansion, it is country wide.
Even the CBI is calling for a rejection of massive investment in large-scale gas plant to solve the countries energy crisis. Unfortunately, they do still say they is a need for nuclear, which is prohibitively expensive and not carbon neutral.
An interesting blog about the Bristol Pound, where local traders are accepting the local currency in preference to using the normal banking system. It is something that has come out of the Transition Towns movement such as Transition Towns Totnes
The first in the country and the first to introduce it’s own currency.
This article shows what can be achieved with a strong political leadership. While in the UK, we have a Government that keeps changing FITs (feed-in tariffs) for renewable technologies and is promoting large utilities companies with their Green Deal. The UK will not be able to survive what is ultimately going to come, in not that a distance future. Manchester City Council is the same, they keep claiming to be ‘Green’, whilst actually doing anything different than before. They constantly says they cannot do anything without others doing something as well. I think this article promotes the vision, that it can be done where there is the will.
pby Andrew, via CleanTechnica Government investment and support for clean, renewable energy development is paying off handsomely in Massachusetts, where the clean energy economy grew 11.2% between July 2011 and July 2012. The state’s fast-growing clean energy sector now employs 71,523 people at 4,995 clean energy businesses across the state, according to a Massachusetts Clean […]/p
via Massachusetts’ Clean Economy Sees Massive Growth, Now Hosts 71,000 Jobs In Cleantech.
We have seen the Scottish Government investing in wave and tidal technologies. The UK has some of the best wave and tidal resources available in the world and has not been exploited by the UK Government.
I have been busy trying to do an assignment for a postgraduate module. But this article, struck me as to why we need to bring an number of services back into Public ownership. The only people who have benefited from privatisation of services, from buses, railways, social services and the NHS under Labour and Tories, are business people. There are no benefits for those in need, there is no ‘trickle-down effect. These people make money out of the tax-payer and politicians are happy about this, because they benefit as well.
patricktsudlow 