While banks get a bailout, the poor are ignored Many people foresaw that the greed and uncontrolled, as well as non-transparent, methods of many banks would sooner or later lead to a global financial mess. Many of those were Greens, globalisation critics and environmental NGOs. Another one of those early birds was the ex-president of…
Category: Economy
Democratic deficit – With the recession in full flow, our rights are falling under threat
During the past few months we have witnessed the collapse of some of the most powerful banks in the world, a dramatic downturn in stock markets, the nationalization of US and European banking institutions and the pumping in of billions of euros by central banks. The world is facing one of the most serious financial…
Who’s taking credit for the crisis? Explaining the context of recession
Having been called the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the credit crunch dominates newspapers and has involved state interventions of unprecedented magnitudes. Initially the affected parties were to be found among the large banks and on the trading floor – not the kind of people that we young and idealist…
Green technology: the next revolution – Some suggestions for Ireland
In the current economic climate, the government is taking steps to encourage investment in high-tech companies. Investments in such companies would be subject to a special tax arrangement, greatly reducing the tax burden that would arise on any profits that are made. The rate of tax on individuals and partnerships making such investments would be…
A clear aim, an open ‘how?’ – Get involved in the process of defining our way to Green economics
Between12th and 14th December 2008, in the time of credit crunch and problematic negotiations on climate change, a group of Young Greens from all around Europe came together in Berlin to get in touch with Green economics. The Green Economics Institute with its founder Miriam Kennet had prepared together with Carolina Lopez from the FYEG…
The next dose: Why the Western world needs to give up its addiction to ‘unlimited economic growth’
Three years ago, hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Amid the chaos, an unknown number of drug addicts were cut off from their reliable supply of narcotics. Even with plenty of unguarded businesses around, full of loot, there were no more drug dealers in the city who could be easily contacted to provide the next shot…
What is Green economics? It’s now time for a different approach
Our challenge to mainstream economic orthodoxy is gaining ground globally in the corridors of power for solving today’s and tomorrow’s pressing problems such as climate change, financial downturns, poverty and biodiversity losses. It is about reclaiming the practices and policies of economics for all people everywhere, nature, other species, the planet and its systems, provisioning…
The answer is in the hands of the people
Don’t wait to be green — take action right away Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary General, recently said: “We have experienced great economic transformations throughout history – the industrial revolution, the technology revolution, the era of globalisation. “We’re now on the threshold of another. The age of green economics.” But will the disastrous current economic…
The fault lines of economics: Traditional thought needs an overhaul
The present crisis has shown that there is something wrong with the foundations of mainstream economics. For me, the main mistake was that the stock markets forgot that they were based in real life and real things, something already proved by the food crisis at the beginning of last year. Nowadays, economists seem to have…
Youth, full employment and environmental protection
One of the goals of the Lisbon Strategy is to increase EU productivity, through, among other means, full employment. The question is to what extent full employment is feasible in the fight against climate change, given the already extreme need for a both ecological and socially fair development. To answer this question, we should first…