Minimum Wage and an Inculcated Tangent
The minimum wage is only good for children, 14, 15, 16, living at home with their parents who have a living wage income (preferably male). By the age of 18, a guaranteed income to bring minimum or better wage up to living wage, and increasing with age, is in order. That is the demand side.
On the supply side, we need to consolidate assets and write down their costs (Real and Capital assets for ecological economic redevelopment with a definite and committed demand side management plan and evolution to a more sedentary life). On the supply side we are dealing with an extant and momentous over-supply glut, much of it which is of inferior quality.
Supply side chains need to be transitioned to wholesale and distribution channels altered to make goods and services available within walking distance of almost all. Such, if the resources can be garnered (every day that we squander resources so ridiculously creates a situation more bleak with regards to the opportunity costs for precious resources) and the reorganization and reallocation secured, then the youth and children have a hope for the future, much of which could be employed in the building, communications, and agro-ecology trades.
We can not afford to squander time with respect to the necessary eduaction, reorganization, and subsequent reallocation, rebuilding transition.
In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity...
Showing posts with label demand side management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label demand side management. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
A Letter
My Good Friend Azel,
It is not only at retail where the chains put a squeeze on assets (including labor) to maximize their profits.
Organizations such as Walmart, Costco, Safeway, Shears, etc. need to back out of the retail trade and become more of a wholesale operation with pre-order delivery to community/neighborhood access outlets which can be established in all neighborhoods so that almost all can get what they need and reasonably want within walking distance of their homes.
However, even if we could get such cooperation from the myriad of supply chains, there would still, at least within the time realm that we consider now, be an over-supply problem. Therefore, we would be faced with the cut-throat competition practices that characterize such a low effective demand/over-supply (side) economy.
It is problematic, but not insurmountable.
By the way, I joined this "Organization" because, I thought the basic mission, and principles were good, but I would rate them as an A- or a B+ in the way in which they were stated. Or if this is HueMass, hew sea, I would give it an AB, Si?
In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
It is not only at retail where the chains put a squeeze on assets (including labor) to maximize their profits.
Organizations such as Walmart, Costco, Safeway, Shears, etc. need to back out of the retail trade and become more of a wholesale operation with pre-order delivery to community/neighborhood access outlets which can be established in all neighborhoods so that almost all can get what they need and reasonably want within walking distance of their homes.
However, even if we could get such cooperation from the myriad of supply chains, there would still, at least within the time realm that we consider now, be an over-supply problem. Therefore, we would be faced with the cut-throat competition practices that characterize such a low effective demand/over-supply (side) economy.
It is problematic, but not insurmountable.
By the way, I joined this "Organization" because, I thought the basic mission, and principles were good, but I would rate them as an A- or a B+ in the way in which they were stated. Or if this is HueMass, hew sea, I would give it an AB, Si?
In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
Monday, May 3, 2010
Demand Side Management, Supply Side Reallocation (Jobs, Equity)
Demand-Side Management, Neighborhood Redevelopment and Transportation Planning
I would like to address the supply side scenario for energy production based on assumptions of economic growth requiring an increase in the use of energy.
The trouble with focusing on supply side economics and energy is that they both ignore demand. In relation to economics, the lack of effective demand for the plethora of consumer products will prove to be the downfall of this past generation’s experiment with supply side economics. With respect to energy, we must recognize that demand side management is critical to any possibility of a sustainable future. Liberal economics (laissez faire, the so-called free market) cannot deal with the problem(s). We need a planned economy to effectively retrofit the infrastructure and to rebuild our communities to be walkable, therefore eliminating the terrible daily waste of oil/energy resources for transportation purposes.
I have to differ with rosy scenarios regarding the contribution that photovoltaics can make. I’m not an electrical engineer or an electrician, but it is my understanding that PVs don’t have the oomph (be it voltage or amperage) to contribute very significantly to the current and recommended increased usage of electricity. Sure, PVs and wind might be able to contribute to lighting applications and a few very high efficiency appliances, but they can not power our transportation, industrial, business, and home heating and air conditioning, hot water, agricultural inputs, refrigeration, drying, and cooking needs.
We could go full throttle to the building of nuclear power plants, but I am highly leery of their toxicity and safety issues. Even if we pursued the path of electrification with the maximization of nuclear power, it will require a tremendous overhaul of our transportation infrastructure, and other applications currently met by oil products, coal, and natural gas. Such an overhaul could only be possible by a Totalitarian economy, which I would argue that is closer to what has evolved from the rapacious Capitalist Conglomerate oligopolistic conspiracy and control of all levels of government. What I am proposing as an alternative is an economic democracy. Although I am presenting a comprehensive plan, it will never be realized without the popular support of the citizenry.
Nuclear is not a “free market” technology. Government programs paid for most of the resources for development of such. Then, there is the waste issue. Is it not the Federal Government who is going to or proposing to pay for the waste depository at Yucca Mountain (Nevada)? Also, there is the issue of bringing back the so-called Price-Anderson legislation. This was legislation in which the Federal Government provided insurance for nuclear power plants and related operations. No private insurer would underwrite the risks, thus the Feds had to step in. In the current political environment of casting all responsibility to the wind, I can darkly envision a full throttle nuclear program without any insurance or public accountability. It is the same for the myopic revenue sharks of the fossil fuel industries.
Perhaps a better scenario could be realized if we started very soon with a planned economy that focused first on economic and energy demand side management and also retrofitted infrastructures with respect to very scarce and relatively clean (I view carbon resources, if appropriately used, to be cleaner than nuclear) energy applications.
The potential for solar thermal hot water is immense. Imagine all hot water demanding properties on the planet equipped with such devices. Imagine all the (community/worker owned) jobs involved with the production, installation, and distribution of these units. I list distribution last, because all efforts need to be made to maximize the localization of such production and installation, as well as any other products for which going towards relocalization may be possible (e.g. food).
Relocalization is part of the plan (and not just for food). Instead of reversalism, the term that the IMF representative, Staniford, has coined as being emblematic of the relocalization paradigm, let me offer the following "re" words that imply a gradual evolution to a future which incorporates the best of the past, for your consideration, response, and action.
Reformation
Little to no beneficial change will occur without an almost religious change from the paradigm of economic growth and standard of living to one that emphasizes community redevelopment and quality of life. This is an important educational component of an alternative ecological economic plan.
Reorganization
If we can be successful and realize the educational/reform component, the next (concurrent) step is to reorganize to one of cooperative (or at least partially so – we will probably need to compromise on the divide between one dollar/one vote and one person/one vote as the dominant paradigm of economic organization) communitarian local and regional economic entities, at least until the day that we are all nearly equal in terms of ownership of the means and goods of production and distribution. How to assure the transition from inequality is problematic. However, as the entire economic system begins and proceeds to fail, those wealthy seeking to avoid total financial ruin will welcome the opportunity to accept the quality of life paradigm, foregoing their opulent, ostentatious, enslaving, ecocidal, genocidal, and suicidal "standard of living" modus operandi.
Reallocation
We need coordinated community, inter-community, inter-regional and world planning agencies that agree on the fundamental mission of a global ecological economy that have the basic pillars of inclusion, humanity, equity, and sustainability.
Restructuring
Communities will need to be physically rebuilt to make them walkable (i.e. new urbanism, reusing existing buildings, retrofitting residential communities built in the oil/automobile age by building community economic and cultural centers making necessities and other important quality of life amenities, available to all within walking distance of their homes Also such a plan should include housing and other built environment improvement and ownership opportunities for the less well off. Included in such a plan would be neighborhood work stations which would aid in the ability of office workers to telecommute in their occupations as we transition from a supply-side nightmare to a sustainable, equitable, and quality of life economy. Imagine all the jobs!
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle.
With respect to electric vehicles, my thoughts are that they may be a small part of a longer term solution and probably restricted to rebuilt/walkable urban and suburban neighborhoods for the use of the elderly and/or infirm. The top priority with respect to fossil fuels and other energy resources is demand side management. The chief priority in planning the role of the automobile is to reduce automobile use by 80% in the next 20 to 40 years. We are currently burdened by a terrible oversupply (including owned and overstocked inventories at factories and dealerships) of fuel inefficient and poorly designed internal combustion vehicles. If these vehicles weren't so poorly designed, there could be a significant opportunity to convert them to hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles. But they are very poorly designed. Perhaps the current population of vehicles should be deconstructed and parts reused or recycled. Such is obviously not a feasible alternative, though efforts should be made to make all vehicles that are in use after a comprehensive downsizing of the vehicles remaining in use New vehicles should be exclusively, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric, except maybe for long-term transport and work vehicles. It is very doubtful that we ever need to produce one more vehicle off the absurd robotic assembly lines of atrociously designed anachronisms, opulent ostentations.
The could be tremendous amounts of work generated by the reconstruction of neighborhoods and the rearrangement of production, distribution, and communication systems to make them neighborhood friendly. In addition, a great potential for work lies in the field of deconstruction of transportation and related infrastructure adaptation. Parking lots could be torn up and converted to community gardens. Streets (and rail systems) could be torn up and converted to walking and bike paths and others altered to be less wide, restoring the liveability of housing located on these very noisy busy passageways. Parking garages could be torn down and replaced by mixed-use developments and/or garden/park uses. Highways could be dedicated mostly to bus travel, long distance transport, and perhaps some, if not many, of them torn down and reclaimed as natural and agricultural land. For automobile usage, it would be optimal to encourage the development of car-sharing cooperatives. All vehicles left in use must be quiet, and slower (with the exception of busses and long range transport). With respect to transport and distribution systems (and production systems) relocalization and neighborhood telecommunications (including teleconferencing facilities) should be the major goal, greatly reducing the need for long-range transport.
Another Iteration of “the Plan”
We need some perspective.
Liquid and gaseous fossil fuel use is about 150 years old and automotive use about 100 years old. Look how absurdly, the personal automobile dominates our life and is destroying any hope for a future.
We need to deal with more than incremental adjustments from the modern automotive age. If we want to continue the many benefits of precious fossil fuels, the many opportunity costs of those fuels, to personal automobile usage, then we need to set as a goal (here in the USA) and realize it, to reduce the use of the personal automobile by 80% in the next 20 to 40 years.
It is not encouraging, because Obama explicitly stated the other day that the automobile is such an important part of American history and culture and needs to remain so. This is a statement of a myopic politician beholden to special interests.
If you've never lived in the Northeast (USA) where much of the city, town, and village centers were built before the automobile, it may be hard to imagine a future with the greatly reduced automobile use, but it is very possible and absolutely desirable.
The key is the walkable neighborhood. That is, neighborhoods for everybuddy where everyone can get what they need within walking distance of their residence. This will take a major shift in the way that resources are allocated and products distributed to communities. The major over-supply side mall outlets (for those products and services that have utility) could become regional warehouses and older town and village centers, where they exist could be explicitly brought back as outlets for these products. Where the town and village centers do not exist, such as here out West (I'm in Eugene, Oregon), where the mindless assumption of the automobile has led to the mindless, endless residential districts with their equally alienating and squandering (strip) malls, communities could be rebuilt (think of all the jobs) to provide community centers and outlets.
Of course, this will not happen in the absence of a complete commitment to neighborhood/inter-community/inter-regional/worldwide ecological economic resource planning and allocation and redevelopment.
The resource allocation issue could be handled with a reformed economic system, an equity union, with a "plan and implement" modus operandi for economic operations. Reforming the financial system to take the fundamentally inflationary Capitalist aspect of "discounting the future" (i.e. assuming that money in the future will be worth less) could lead to a system of ecological economical redevelopment where only true growth in wealth would occur and be shared and could occur under the aegis of a mission emphasizing peace, equity, inclusion, humanity, quality of life, wellness, and sustainability.
Removing the gluttonous oil resource use by the USA and Capitalist automotive oriented allies would slowly rescind the need for the hegemonic occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, threats to Iran and to both domestic and worldwide environments which need to be conserved and shared equitably and frugally, particularly with the interests of youth, children, and future generations in heart and mind. The world acting in concert would stand much better prospects for peace.
The Ecology of Redevelopment
A big part of my redevelopment plan (aside from the financial systems reform) is the REBUILDING of neighborhoods to make them walkable for the necessities of life (that is, assuming a goal of a much less harried pace than today, but also assuming that people will have responsibilities, obligations, and desires). Such a plan would include a massive education program in retraining workers and training in youth in the building trades. Human resource management would be utilized to try to maximize the match between where the primary contractors/instructors and student/workers lived and the neighborhood building projects.
Communities would be rebuilt to emulate mature ecological systems, in that they maximize the efficiency of energy and resource input into the community so that once resources enter a community, they stay in the community for the maximum amount of time possible. Once all communities are sufficiently rebuilt (a timeline of 20 to 50 years?) under such guidelines, they would evolve to ongoing day-to-day and maintenance communities and the amount of heavy labor required would decrease and the amount of leisure time increase. Again, (day-to-day and maintenance) workers would be employed in, surrounding, and/or as close to their residency as possible and it would be a priority for real and capital assets to be owned by the workers and the community patrons who ideally would be one and the same. The Neighborhood Equity Union would replace credit unions and of course, other forms of financial institutions. Parks and gymnasiums would be an important part of the plan as leisure time increased and the healthy aspects of physical labor decreased.
Concurrent with rebuilding, and the reallocation of production and distribution resources, would be efforts to make office, communications, knowledge and intelligence based labor into primarily home and/or neighborhood based vocations. Occasional travel would be necessary and desirable, but quiet bus travel and car-sharing cooperatives could be employed to fill this need along with family visit and recreational needs and desires. With respect to the former, extended families would be encouraged to develop, remain, and/or reunite geographically.
I would like to address the supply side scenario for energy production based on assumptions of economic growth requiring an increase in the use of energy.
The trouble with focusing on supply side economics and energy is that they both ignore demand. In relation to economics, the lack of effective demand for the plethora of consumer products will prove to be the downfall of this past generation’s experiment with supply side economics. With respect to energy, we must recognize that demand side management is critical to any possibility of a sustainable future. Liberal economics (laissez faire, the so-called free market) cannot deal with the problem(s). We need a planned economy to effectively retrofit the infrastructure and to rebuild our communities to be walkable, therefore eliminating the terrible daily waste of oil/energy resources for transportation purposes.
I have to differ with rosy scenarios regarding the contribution that photovoltaics can make. I’m not an electrical engineer or an electrician, but it is my understanding that PVs don’t have the oomph (be it voltage or amperage) to contribute very significantly to the current and recommended increased usage of electricity. Sure, PVs and wind might be able to contribute to lighting applications and a few very high efficiency appliances, but they can not power our transportation, industrial, business, and home heating and air conditioning, hot water, agricultural inputs, refrigeration, drying, and cooking needs.
We could go full throttle to the building of nuclear power plants, but I am highly leery of their toxicity and safety issues. Even if we pursued the path of electrification with the maximization of nuclear power, it will require a tremendous overhaul of our transportation infrastructure, and other applications currently met by oil products, coal, and natural gas. Such an overhaul could only be possible by a Totalitarian economy, which I would argue that is closer to what has evolved from the rapacious Capitalist Conglomerate oligopolistic conspiracy and control of all levels of government. What I am proposing as an alternative is an economic democracy. Although I am presenting a comprehensive plan, it will never be realized without the popular support of the citizenry.
Nuclear is not a “free market” technology. Government programs paid for most of the resources for development of such. Then, there is the waste issue. Is it not the Federal Government who is going to or proposing to pay for the waste depository at Yucca Mountain (Nevada)? Also, there is the issue of bringing back the so-called Price-Anderson legislation. This was legislation in which the Federal Government provided insurance for nuclear power plants and related operations. No private insurer would underwrite the risks, thus the Feds had to step in. In the current political environment of casting all responsibility to the wind, I can darkly envision a full throttle nuclear program without any insurance or public accountability. It is the same for the myopic revenue sharks of the fossil fuel industries.
Perhaps a better scenario could be realized if we started very soon with a planned economy that focused first on economic and energy demand side management and also retrofitted infrastructures with respect to very scarce and relatively clean (I view carbon resources, if appropriately used, to be cleaner than nuclear) energy applications.
The potential for solar thermal hot water is immense. Imagine all hot water demanding properties on the planet equipped with such devices. Imagine all the (community/worker owned) jobs involved with the production, installation, and distribution of these units. I list distribution last, because all efforts need to be made to maximize the localization of such production and installation, as well as any other products for which going towards relocalization may be possible (e.g. food).
Relocalization is part of the plan (and not just for food). Instead of reversalism, the term that the IMF representative, Staniford, has coined as being emblematic of the relocalization paradigm, let me offer the following "re" words that imply a gradual evolution to a future which incorporates the best of the past, for your consideration, response, and action.
Reformation
Little to no beneficial change will occur without an almost religious change from the paradigm of economic growth and standard of living to one that emphasizes community redevelopment and quality of life. This is an important educational component of an alternative ecological economic plan.
Reorganization
If we can be successful and realize the educational/reform component, the next (concurrent) step is to reorganize to one of cooperative (or at least partially so – we will probably need to compromise on the divide between one dollar/one vote and one person/one vote as the dominant paradigm of economic organization) communitarian local and regional economic entities, at least until the day that we are all nearly equal in terms of ownership of the means and goods of production and distribution. How to assure the transition from inequality is problematic. However, as the entire economic system begins and proceeds to fail, those wealthy seeking to avoid total financial ruin will welcome the opportunity to accept the quality of life paradigm, foregoing their opulent, ostentatious, enslaving, ecocidal, genocidal, and suicidal "standard of living" modus operandi.
Reallocation
We need coordinated community, inter-community, inter-regional and world planning agencies that agree on the fundamental mission of a global ecological economy that have the basic pillars of inclusion, humanity, equity, and sustainability.
Restructuring
Communities will need to be physically rebuilt to make them walkable (i.e. new urbanism, reusing existing buildings, retrofitting residential communities built in the oil/automobile age by building community economic and cultural centers making necessities and other important quality of life amenities, available to all within walking distance of their homes Also such a plan should include housing and other built environment improvement and ownership opportunities for the less well off. Included in such a plan would be neighborhood work stations which would aid in the ability of office workers to telecommute in their occupations as we transition from a supply-side nightmare to a sustainable, equitable, and quality of life economy. Imagine all the jobs!
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle.
With respect to electric vehicles, my thoughts are that they may be a small part of a longer term solution and probably restricted to rebuilt/walkable urban and suburban neighborhoods for the use of the elderly and/or infirm. The top priority with respect to fossil fuels and other energy resources is demand side management. The chief priority in planning the role of the automobile is to reduce automobile use by 80% in the next 20 to 40 years. We are currently burdened by a terrible oversupply (including owned and overstocked inventories at factories and dealerships) of fuel inefficient and poorly designed internal combustion vehicles. If these vehicles weren't so poorly designed, there could be a significant opportunity to convert them to hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles. But they are very poorly designed. Perhaps the current population of vehicles should be deconstructed and parts reused or recycled. Such is obviously not a feasible alternative, though efforts should be made to make all vehicles that are in use after a comprehensive downsizing of the vehicles remaining in use New vehicles should be exclusively, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric, except maybe for long-term transport and work vehicles. It is very doubtful that we ever need to produce one more vehicle off the absurd robotic assembly lines of atrociously designed anachronisms, opulent ostentations.
The could be tremendous amounts of work generated by the reconstruction of neighborhoods and the rearrangement of production, distribution, and communication systems to make them neighborhood friendly. In addition, a great potential for work lies in the field of deconstruction of transportation and related infrastructure adaptation. Parking lots could be torn up and converted to community gardens. Streets (and rail systems) could be torn up and converted to walking and bike paths and others altered to be less wide, restoring the liveability of housing located on these very noisy busy passageways. Parking garages could be torn down and replaced by mixed-use developments and/or garden/park uses. Highways could be dedicated mostly to bus travel, long distance transport, and perhaps some, if not many, of them torn down and reclaimed as natural and agricultural land. For automobile usage, it would be optimal to encourage the development of car-sharing cooperatives. All vehicles left in use must be quiet, and slower (with the exception of busses and long range transport). With respect to transport and distribution systems (and production systems) relocalization and neighborhood telecommunications (including teleconferencing facilities) should be the major goal, greatly reducing the need for long-range transport.
Another Iteration of “the Plan”
We need some perspective.
Liquid and gaseous fossil fuel use is about 150 years old and automotive use about 100 years old. Look how absurdly, the personal automobile dominates our life and is destroying any hope for a future.
We need to deal with more than incremental adjustments from the modern automotive age. If we want to continue the many benefits of precious fossil fuels, the many opportunity costs of those fuels, to personal automobile usage, then we need to set as a goal (here in the USA) and realize it, to reduce the use of the personal automobile by 80% in the next 20 to 40 years.
It is not encouraging, because Obama explicitly stated the other day that the automobile is such an important part of American history and culture and needs to remain so. This is a statement of a myopic politician beholden to special interests.
If you've never lived in the Northeast (USA) where much of the city, town, and village centers were built before the automobile, it may be hard to imagine a future with the greatly reduced automobile use, but it is very possible and absolutely desirable.
The key is the walkable neighborhood. That is, neighborhoods for everybuddy where everyone can get what they need within walking distance of their residence. This will take a major shift in the way that resources are allocated and products distributed to communities. The major over-supply side mall outlets (for those products and services that have utility) could become regional warehouses and older town and village centers, where they exist could be explicitly brought back as outlets for these products. Where the town and village centers do not exist, such as here out West (I'm in Eugene, Oregon), where the mindless assumption of the automobile has led to the mindless, endless residential districts with their equally alienating and squandering (strip) malls, communities could be rebuilt (think of all the jobs) to provide community centers and outlets.
Of course, this will not happen in the absence of a complete commitment to neighborhood/inter-community/inter-regional/worldwide ecological economic resource planning and allocation and redevelopment.
The resource allocation issue could be handled with a reformed economic system, an equity union, with a "plan and implement" modus operandi for economic operations. Reforming the financial system to take the fundamentally inflationary Capitalist aspect of "discounting the future" (i.e. assuming that money in the future will be worth less) could lead to a system of ecological economical redevelopment where only true growth in wealth would occur and be shared and could occur under the aegis of a mission emphasizing peace, equity, inclusion, humanity, quality of life, wellness, and sustainability.
Removing the gluttonous oil resource use by the USA and Capitalist automotive oriented allies would slowly rescind the need for the hegemonic occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, threats to Iran and to both domestic and worldwide environments which need to be conserved and shared equitably and frugally, particularly with the interests of youth, children, and future generations in heart and mind. The world acting in concert would stand much better prospects for peace.
The Ecology of Redevelopment
A big part of my redevelopment plan (aside from the financial systems reform) is the REBUILDING of neighborhoods to make them walkable for the necessities of life (that is, assuming a goal of a much less harried pace than today, but also assuming that people will have responsibilities, obligations, and desires). Such a plan would include a massive education program in retraining workers and training in youth in the building trades. Human resource management would be utilized to try to maximize the match between where the primary contractors/instructors and student/workers lived and the neighborhood building projects.
Communities would be rebuilt to emulate mature ecological systems, in that they maximize the efficiency of energy and resource input into the community so that once resources enter a community, they stay in the community for the maximum amount of time possible. Once all communities are sufficiently rebuilt (a timeline of 20 to 50 years?) under such guidelines, they would evolve to ongoing day-to-day and maintenance communities and the amount of heavy labor required would decrease and the amount of leisure time increase. Again, (day-to-day and maintenance) workers would be employed in, surrounding, and/or as close to their residency as possible and it would be a priority for real and capital assets to be owned by the workers and the community patrons who ideally would be one and the same. The Neighborhood Equity Union would replace credit unions and of course, other forms of financial institutions. Parks and gymnasiums would be an important part of the plan as leisure time increased and the healthy aspects of physical labor decreased.
Concurrent with rebuilding, and the reallocation of production and distribution resources, would be efforts to make office, communications, knowledge and intelligence based labor into primarily home and/or neighborhood based vocations. Occasional travel would be necessary and desirable, but quiet bus travel and car-sharing cooperatives could be employed to fill this need along with family visit and recreational needs and desires. With respect to the former, extended families would be encouraged to develop, remain, and/or reunite geographically.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
What Must Be Done
Richard Collier wrote:
> Capitalism in any form won't cut it -- it's like termites on a
> rotting log . . . they will eat and eat and eat, until there's
> nothing left and then they starve to death.
Your point about termites needs to be taken into consideration.
To think that the human species has been no superior in ecological intellect
to the termite, increasingly throughout its tenure. reaching the zenith (or
more accurately nadir) of the "selfish gene", as some call it, in its
manifestation through Capitalism, at the same time being the most successful
(I argue that it was Western Technological Civilization raping virgin
landscapes) and the most destructive form of human economic organization.
True socialism has not really been tried, although critics of "Communist"
regimes really have not studied the assiduous efforts made in many countries
to stay true to their ideals of "scientific socialism" and not given credit
where credit was due. I'm not going to write at length in defense of such
experiments. My assessment of their "failure" is related to many factors.
One was a relatively limited resource base as compared to the so-called
"free world". A second reason, was that they were trying to build a new
social/economic system from a dysfunctional one. A third reason for their
"failure" was that their modus operandi (the history of the human race, and
inter-specifically much if not most of the animal "kingdom") was violence.
Once you are forced into such a trajectory and you adopt it as part of your
strategy it is hard, if not impossible, to re-establish your mission without
it. The same is true for Obama and his inheritance of colonialism, genocide,
slavery, anti-Communism, and pro-Capitalist Economic Hegemony. (The same is
true for the perceived or real need to walk out the door and turn the
ignition on the biggest blunder that the human race ever made and its
concomitant half-century to century of sprawl, the personal automobile. It
is absolutely essential that the leader of the USA have a talk about the
fossil fuel realities and the need to adjust lifestyles immediately (don't
drive unless you absolutely have to)... and the need to commit to a 20 to 40
year plan to reduce the use of the personal automobile by 80%. This is very
doable and will create so many jobs that we will have to dedicate tremendous
organizational and educational resources to equitably engage the labor
supply and meet the work demand).
An eye for an eye and the whole world is blind. The next leader (assuming
so-called Taliban is an organization and not a culture) that takes a violent
hit needs to scream the teachings of Jesus about "turning the other cheek"
and "loving your 'enemies'".
Remember, too, that Islam is the faith of the oppressed.
Capitalism is very irrational in the ways and means that it allocates
resources. There is no free market, I guess that is the absurdist point of
the "free socialists". We will not work our way out of the impending tragedy
of the human race with "invisible hands"...
Somehow, we must convey these truths to every person on this planet.
A Plan and Implement economy based on a humane mission and principles is the
answer. A Speculation, Risk and Return Economy is fundamentally corrupt.
The role of markets is for trade. As long as the Social Darwinism of
Competitive Advantage suffocates the survival instincts and needs of
comparative advantage and the humane aspect of sharing, then we all will be
the losers.
Obama is the most important person on this planet, because his trajectory is
the most destructive, the most fundamentally wrong. Someone please get these
messages to the youth.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
> Capitalism in any form won't cut it -- it's like termites on a
> rotting log . . . they will eat and eat and eat, until there's
> nothing left and then they starve to death.
Your point about termites needs to be taken into consideration.
To think that the human species has been no superior in ecological intellect
to the termite, increasingly throughout its tenure. reaching the zenith (or
more accurately nadir) of the "selfish gene", as some call it, in its
manifestation through Capitalism, at the same time being the most successful
(I argue that it was Western Technological Civilization raping virgin
landscapes) and the most destructive form of human economic organization.
True socialism has not really been tried, although critics of "Communist"
regimes really have not studied the assiduous efforts made in many countries
to stay true to their ideals of "scientific socialism" and not given credit
where credit was due. I'm not going to write at length in defense of such
experiments. My assessment of their "failure" is related to many factors.
One was a relatively limited resource base as compared to the so-called
"free world". A second reason, was that they were trying to build a new
social/economic system from a dysfunctional one. A third reason for their
"failure" was that their modus operandi (the history of the human race, and
inter-specifically much if not most of the animal "kingdom") was violence.
Once you are forced into such a trajectory and you adopt it as part of your
strategy it is hard, if not impossible, to re-establish your mission without
it. The same is true for Obama and his inheritance of colonialism, genocide,
slavery, anti-Communism, and pro-Capitalist Economic Hegemony. (The same is
true for the perceived or real need to walk out the door and turn the
ignition on the biggest blunder that the human race ever made and its
concomitant half-century to century of sprawl, the personal automobile. It
is absolutely essential that the leader of the USA have a talk about the
fossil fuel realities and the need to adjust lifestyles immediately (don't
drive unless you absolutely have to)... and the need to commit to a 20 to 40
year plan to reduce the use of the personal automobile by 80%. This is very
doable and will create so many jobs that we will have to dedicate tremendous
organizational and educational resources to equitably engage the labor
supply and meet the work demand).
An eye for an eye and the whole world is blind. The next leader (assuming
so-called Taliban is an organization and not a culture) that takes a violent
hit needs to scream the teachings of Jesus about "turning the other cheek"
and "loving your 'enemies'".
Remember, too, that Islam is the faith of the oppressed.
Capitalism is very irrational in the ways and means that it allocates
resources. There is no free market, I guess that is the absurdist point of
the "free socialists". We will not work our way out of the impending tragedy
of the human race with "invisible hands"...
Somehow, we must convey these truths to every person on this planet.
A Plan and Implement economy based on a humane mission and principles is the
answer. A Speculation, Risk and Return Economy is fundamentally corrupt.
The role of markets is for trade. As long as the Social Darwinism of
Competitive Advantage suffocates the survival instincts and needs of
comparative advantage and the humane aspect of sharing, then we all will be
the losers.
Obama is the most important person on this planet, because his trajectory is
the most destructive, the most fundamentally wrong. Someone please get these
messages to the youth.
In Peace, Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity,
Mike Morin
Thursday, June 4, 2009
In Response to Obama's "New Beginning" Speech Regarding Peace with the Islamic World
To David Axelrod - Senior Advisor to the President of the United States,
You wrote:
"The President outlined some big goals for this new beginning in his speech -- including disrupting, dismantling, and defeating violent "extremism" "
My response:
Why threaten with violence to stop violence.
Such an approach is counter-productive.
Lawlessness is the strength of the violent, not the non-violent. The law is the strength of the violent, not the non-violent.
Can non-violence work?
I like the word equity, because it means equality and it means ownership. Until people feel "enfranchised", they are going to do desperate things, like acts of violence.As long as others think that they have "God's blessing" or some other way of describing an earned or unearned "right" to superior economic holdings then there will be oppression, exploitation, enslavement and/or disregard for the poor. There will always be resistance to that. Moslems know the American History of and proclivity to genocide, and it is antithetical to their faith to yield to such.How do we convince a huge minority that hold Capitalist competitive advantage, and hide their "invisible hands" with obscurity and privacy, and either espouse or disingenuously practice disregard for their fellow humans, how do we convince them to reconsider and join in an effort of world unity?
Obama and the US need to do much work to reduce the US and Capitalist ally exploitation of the Moslem world, particularly the fossil fuel resource. For purposes of inter-factional peace, as well (pun intended) as to the domestic and worldwide survival and quality of life considerations regarding finite resources (most particularly oil), the USA must immediately commit to and undertake a program to reduce automobile usage by 80% over the next 20 to 40 years by implementing a demand side management and supply side reallocation plan, which would be a comprehensive socialist plan to rebuild all plans and reallocate goods and services so that all, or almost all, communities are "walkable" meaning that all folks can get what they need and reasonably want within walking distance of their homes. In most of the country, particularly environs further west, this will require substantial REBUILDING of neighborhoods. Think of the massive jobs and equity opportunities, domestically, and the opportunity to increase the quality of life for all, especially our least fortunate, while setting in motion a massive relief of tension that contributes to discord in the Middle East and South Asia, the unfair thievery and thuggery involved in the USA Geopolitical activities concerning the oil resources in that part of the world.
Face it, Mr. President, and have the courage (and I know you have the grace) to address the gluttonous squandering of such a precious natural gift (fossil fuels) and convince the people of the USA that we must fundamentally change course from a genocidal, ecocidal, suicidal "standard of living" paradigm to one that incorporates equity, inclusion, humanity, quality of life, sustainability, and PEACE...
With much love and care,
Mike Morin
You wrote:
"The President outlined some big goals for this new beginning in his speech -- including disrupting, dismantling, and defeating violent "extremism" "
My response:
Why threaten with violence to stop violence.
Such an approach is counter-productive.
Lawlessness is the strength of the violent, not the non-violent. The law is the strength of the violent, not the non-violent.
Can non-violence work?
I like the word equity, because it means equality and it means ownership. Until people feel "enfranchised", they are going to do desperate things, like acts of violence.As long as others think that they have "God's blessing" or some other way of describing an earned or unearned "right" to superior economic holdings then there will be oppression, exploitation, enslavement and/or disregard for the poor. There will always be resistance to that. Moslems know the American History of and proclivity to genocide, and it is antithetical to their faith to yield to such.How do we convince a huge minority that hold Capitalist competitive advantage, and hide their "invisible hands" with obscurity and privacy, and either espouse or disingenuously practice disregard for their fellow humans, how do we convince them to reconsider and join in an effort of world unity?
Obama and the US need to do much work to reduce the US and Capitalist ally exploitation of the Moslem world, particularly the fossil fuel resource. For purposes of inter-factional peace, as well (pun intended) as to the domestic and worldwide survival and quality of life considerations regarding finite resources (most particularly oil), the USA must immediately commit to and undertake a program to reduce automobile usage by 80% over the next 20 to 40 years by implementing a demand side management and supply side reallocation plan, which would be a comprehensive socialist plan to rebuild all plans and reallocate goods and services so that all, or almost all, communities are "walkable" meaning that all folks can get what they need and reasonably want within walking distance of their homes. In most of the country, particularly environs further west, this will require substantial REBUILDING of neighborhoods. Think of the massive jobs and equity opportunities, domestically, and the opportunity to increase the quality of life for all, especially our least fortunate, while setting in motion a massive relief of tension that contributes to discord in the Middle East and South Asia, the unfair thievery and thuggery involved in the USA Geopolitical activities concerning the oil resources in that part of the world.
Face it, Mr. President, and have the courage (and I know you have the grace) to address the gluttonous squandering of such a precious natural gift (fossil fuels) and convince the people of the USA that we must fundamentally change course from a genocidal, ecocidal, suicidal "standard of living" paradigm to one that incorporates equity, inclusion, humanity, quality of life, sustainability, and PEACE...
With much love and care,
Mike Morin
Sunday, May 31, 2009
HELP US (A Call in the Wilderness???)!!!!
Lenny,
I'm a Yanker, but I'm getting old so maybe that explains the lack of response... ;-)
To be honest, I'm not very proud of being a citizen of the USA OR an English speaking person, given the history of genocide and colonialism associated with each...., but "we've got to deal with the hand that we're dealt"..."so to speak"...
"There's nothing new under the sun"
I used to playfully jest with my father on that one...
I'd say, "What's new?"
He'd say, "nothing, everything's old".
I'd say, "older than most people think, or can think, but you would concede to me that life is a process of constant renewal?"
Let me answer that myself. Life is so old that we can not begin to estimate (accurately or will we ever know or does it matter), but not nearly as old as existence.
However, the way things are progressing on the planet, most of life is approaching that infinite abyss, unless we turn things around and fast, unless we make a conscious worldwide change and commitment to change that has never occurred before in the history of that species that is us...
We must not only recognize that Man is a flash in geological time, but more importantly those precious fossil fuels and other natural resources are so infinitessimally tiny and more importantly than that the use of the great squanderer, the automobile, even smaller.
We in the United States MUST commit to reducing automobile usage by 80% in the next 20 to 40 years and begin implementing such a demand side management and supply side reallocation plan almost immediately, if we are to have any hope, whatsoever, of avoiding the greatest extinction of life, particularly the human sort in the next 50 to 100 years.
Can we do it?
Is there hope?
Help us!
I'm a Yanker, but I'm getting old so maybe that explains the lack of response... ;-)
To be honest, I'm not very proud of being a citizen of the USA OR an English speaking person, given the history of genocide and colonialism associated with each...., but "we've got to deal with the hand that we're dealt"..."so to speak"...
"There's nothing new under the sun"
I used to playfully jest with my father on that one...
I'd say, "What's new?"
He'd say, "nothing, everything's old".
I'd say, "older than most people think, or can think, but you would concede to me that life is a process of constant renewal?"
Let me answer that myself. Life is so old that we can not begin to estimate (accurately or will we ever know or does it matter), but not nearly as old as existence.
However, the way things are progressing on the planet, most of life is approaching that infinite abyss, unless we turn things around and fast, unless we make a conscious worldwide change and commitment to change that has never occurred before in the history of that species that is us...
We must not only recognize that Man is a flash in geological time, but more importantly those precious fossil fuels and other natural resources are so infinitessimally tiny and more importantly than that the use of the great squanderer, the automobile, even smaller.
We in the United States MUST commit to reducing automobile usage by 80% in the next 20 to 40 years and begin implementing such a demand side management and supply side reallocation plan almost immediately, if we are to have any hope, whatsoever, of avoiding the greatest extinction of life, particularly the human sort in the next 50 to 100 years.
Can we do it?
Is there hope?
Help us!
To Antheus Vincent ("Green Interfaith Alliance")
Antheus Vincent (Who is Gerard Frank?):
Ambitious plans you have to rebuild West Denver. Would like to be involved in any way that I can help. Can't attend your meeting, for I am in Eugene, Oregon (much too far to walk)...
Are you a Denver based group?
Have only been through Denver on a bus, so I can't visualize West Denver (Is it the "black" section of town? "Latino"? I'm guessing that it is poor and distressed. Would that be a correct assumption?).
We need to take control of the Treasury and allocate funds directly for ecological (resources are maximized and retained within neighborhoods) economic community redevelopment. That is what I mean by a socialist paradigm. Right now, the Treasury loans funds to Capitalists who loan to other Capitalists who work together with Landlords and Warlords and Investors and Owners to exploit working and poor people. Profit is the motivation, not needs of the people.
What I mean by plan and implement socialism is that we need to fundamentally change the dominant economic paradigm so that resources can be allocated directly to the people in need, to meet their needs. In Moslem law, all interest on loans is usury. In Capitalist Western Financial Empires, Central Banks and the Banking "Industry" is a big con game to further the competitive advantage of the Capitalist property holders.
Until the basic way that resources are allocated to and within communities is radically and completely changed, I don't see how you/we will be able to fund the type of redevelopment that is needed throughout this country and throughout the world. On a larger view, we also have to change the way that resources are allocated within and among economic sectors, but let that be a subject of another discussion.
I envision walkable communities where automobiles will not be necessary. This is what I call demand side management (we are way past peak in world fossil fuel production capabilities and terribly squandering such on a daily basis, wouldn't it be wise to conserve such precious resources for home heating, cooking, hot water, and electricity?) and would also require supply side reallocation so that the things people need are within walking distance of their quality of life homes.
Equity (meaning ownership and equality) is a key word.
Sustainability without equity will never happen.
Get Van Jones (appointed to CEQ by Obama) and the "Latino" Secretary of Labor to influence Obama and Gaithner and get funds dirctly allocated to (y)our communit(ies).
The USA and their Capitalist allies are on a dead end path and it is way beyond the midnight hour.
I can not over express the urgency of the situation relative to the youth and children of our communities.
I have a relatively brief essay on the concept of "Restructuring Financial Systems" that creates local and inter-community "Peoples' Equity Unions" for which ownership would be shared and redistributed in accordance with the principles that we are all kin and seek and deserve and will enjoy working to bring a quality of life to everyone. Such is a more humane world view than how can I make a profit by offering more and more absurd and irrational economic choices, within a rapidly dwindling natural resource base.
You may want to check out my web log.
Let me know if I can be of assistance.
Peace.
Ambitious plans you have to rebuild West Denver. Would like to be involved in any way that I can help. Can't attend your meeting, for I am in Eugene, Oregon (much too far to walk)...
Are you a Denver based group?
Have only been through Denver on a bus, so I can't visualize West Denver (Is it the "black" section of town? "Latino"? I'm guessing that it is poor and distressed. Would that be a correct assumption?).
We need to take control of the Treasury and allocate funds directly for ecological (resources are maximized and retained within neighborhoods) economic community redevelopment. That is what I mean by a socialist paradigm. Right now, the Treasury loans funds to Capitalists who loan to other Capitalists who work together with Landlords and Warlords and Investors and Owners to exploit working and poor people. Profit is the motivation, not needs of the people.
What I mean by plan and implement socialism is that we need to fundamentally change the dominant economic paradigm so that resources can be allocated directly to the people in need, to meet their needs. In Moslem law, all interest on loans is usury. In Capitalist Western Financial Empires, Central Banks and the Banking "Industry" is a big con game to further the competitive advantage of the Capitalist property holders.
Until the basic way that resources are allocated to and within communities is radically and completely changed, I don't see how you/we will be able to fund the type of redevelopment that is needed throughout this country and throughout the world. On a larger view, we also have to change the way that resources are allocated within and among economic sectors, but let that be a subject of another discussion.
I envision walkable communities where automobiles will not be necessary. This is what I call demand side management (we are way past peak in world fossil fuel production capabilities and terribly squandering such on a daily basis, wouldn't it be wise to conserve such precious resources for home heating, cooking, hot water, and electricity?) and would also require supply side reallocation so that the things people need are within walking distance of their quality of life homes.
Equity (meaning ownership and equality) is a key word.
Sustainability without equity will never happen.
Get Van Jones (appointed to CEQ by Obama) and the "Latino" Secretary of Labor to influence Obama and Gaithner and get funds dirctly allocated to (y)our communit(ies).
The USA and their Capitalist allies are on a dead end path and it is way beyond the midnight hour.
I can not over express the urgency of the situation relative to the youth and children of our communities.
I have a relatively brief essay on the concept of "Restructuring Financial Systems" that creates local and inter-community "Peoples' Equity Unions" for which ownership would be shared and redistributed in accordance with the principles that we are all kin and seek and deserve and will enjoy working to bring a quality of life to everyone. Such is a more humane world view than how can I make a profit by offering more and more absurd and irrational economic choices, within a rapidly dwindling natural resource base.
You may want to check out my web log.
Let me know if I can be of assistance.
Peace.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Demand Side Management, Supply Side Reallocation, Neighborhood Redevelopment, and Transportation Planning
Demand Side Management, Neighborhood Redevelopment, and Transportation Planning
I would like to address the supply side scenario for energy production based on assumptions of economic growth requiring an increase in the use of energy.The trouble with focusing on supply side economics and energy is that they both ignore demand. In relation to economics, the lack of effective demand for the plethora of consumer products will prove to be the downfall of this past generation’s experiment with supply side economics. With respect to energy, we must recognize that demand side management is critical to any possibility of a sustainable future.
Liberal economics (laissez faire, the so-called free market) cannot deal with the problem(s). We need a planned economy to effectively retrofit the infrastructure and to rebuild our communities to be walkable, therefore eliminating the terrible daily waste of oil/energy resources for transportation purposes.
I have to differ with rosy scenarios regarding the contribution that photovoltaics can make. I’m not an electrical engineer or an electrician, but it is my understanding that PVs don’t have the oomph (be it voltage, amperage, and/or wattage) to contribute very significantly to the current and recommended increased usage of electricity. Sure, PVs and wind might be able to contribute to lighting applications and a few very high efficiency appliances, but they can not power our transportation, industrial, business, and home heating and air conditioning, hot water, agricultural inputs, refrigeration, drying, and cooking needs.
We could go full throttle to the building of nuclear power plants, but I am highly leery of their toxicity and safety issues. Even if we pursued the path of electrification with the maximization of nuclear power, it will require a tremendous overhaul of our transportation infrastructure, and other applications currently met by oil products, coal, and natural gas.
First of all, nuclear is not a “free market” technology. Government programs paid for most of the resources for development of such. Then, there is the waste issue. Is it not the Federal Government who is going to or proposing to pay for the waste depository at Yucca Mountain (Nevada)? Also, there is the issue of bringing back the so-called Price-Anderson legislation. This was legislation in which the Federal Government provided insurance for nuclear power plants and related operations. No private insurer would underwrite the risks, thus the Feds had to step in.
Perhaps a better scenario could be realized if we started very soon with a planned economy that focused first on economic and energy demand side management and also retrofitted infrastructures with respect to very scarce and relatively clean (I view carbon resources, if appropriately used, to be cleaner than nuclear) energy applications.
The potential for solar thermal hot water is immense. Imagine all hot water demanding properties on the planet equipped with such devices. Imagine all the (community/worker owned) jobs involved with the production, installation, and distribution of these units. I list distribution last, because all efforts need to be made to maximize the localization of such production and installation, as well as any other products for which going towards relocalization may be possible (e.g. food).
Passive solar design combined with electronic environmental sensors and controls (also relevant to solar water heating and weatherization projects).
However, priority to upgrading housing and housing ownership conditions for the poor should take precedence over these type of projects.
Relocalization is part of the plan (and not just for food). Instead of reversalism, the term that the author Staniford has coined as being emblematic of the relocalization paradigm, let me offer the following "re" words that imply a gradual evolution to a future which incorporates the best of the past, for your consideration, response, and action.
Reformation
Little to no beneficial change will occur without an almost religious change from the paradigm of economic growth and standard of living to one that emphasizes community redevelopment and quality of life. This is an important educational component of an alternative ecological economic plan.
Reorganization
If we can be successful and realize the educational/reform component, the next (concurrent) step is to reorganize to one of cooperative (or at least partially so – we will probably need to compromise on the divide between one dollar/one vote and one person/one vote as the dominant paradigm of economic organization) communitarian local and regional economic entities, at least until the day that we are all nearly equal in terms of ownership of the means and goods of production and distribution. How to assure the transition from inequality is problematic. However, as the entire economic system begins and proceeds to fail, those wealthy seeking to avoid total financial ruin will welcome the opportunity to accept the quality of life paradigm, foregoing their opulent, ostentatious, enslaving, ecocidal, genocidal, and suicidal "standard of living" modus operandi.
Reallocation
We need coordinated regional planning agencies that agree on the fundamental mission of a global ecological economy that have the three basic pillars of equity, humanity, and sustainability. These “planning” agencies would work together and with the local/regional economic entities to determine how resources are allocated to and within communities based on the relocalization paradigm and other governing principles. The vehicle, that I envision here is a Peoples’ Equity Union with “branches” in all communities/neighborhoods.
Restructuring
Many communities will need to be physically rebuilt to make them liveable and walkable (i.e. new urbanism, retrofitting residential communities built in the oil/automobile age by renovating, building or otherwise appropriately employing community economic and cultural centers making necessities and other important quality of life amenities, available to all within walking distance of their homes Also such a plan should include housing and other built environment improvement and ownership opportunities for all. Included in such a plan would be neighborhood work stations which would aid in the ability of office workers to telecommute in their occupations as we transition from a supply-side nightmare to a sustainable, equitable, and quality of life economy.
Imagine all the jobs!
But jobs are not enough, restructuring equity arrangements and reallocating resources in an equitable, humane, and ecological manner need to be a fundamental part of the plan.
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle.
***********************
With respect to electric vehicles, my thoughts are that they may be a small part of a longer term solution and probably restricted to rebuilt/walkable urban and suburban neighborhoods for the use of the elderly and/or infirm. The top priority with respect to fossil fuels and other energy resources is demand side management. The chief priority in planning the role of the automobile is to reduce automobile use by 80% in the next 20 to 40 years. We are currently burdened by a terrible oversupply (including owned and overstocked inventories at factories and dealerships) of fuel inefficient and poorly designed internal combustion vehicles. If these vehicles weren't so poorly designed, there could be a significant opportunity to convert a minority of them to hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles. But they are very poorly designed. Perhaps the current population of vehicles should be deconstructed and parts reused or recycled. New vehicles should be exclusively, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric, except maybe for long-term transport and work vehicles.
There could be tremendous amounts of work generated by the reconstruction of neighborhoods and the rearrangement (read reallocation) of production, distribution, and communication systems to make them neighborhood friendly. In addition, a great potential for work lies in the field of deconstruction of transportation and related infrastructure adaptation. Parking lots could be torn up and converted to community gardens. Streets (and rail systems) could be torn up and converted to walking and bike paths and others altered to be less wide, restoring the liveability of housing located on these very noisy busy passageways. Parking garages could be torn down and replaced by mixed use developments. Highways could be dedicated mostly to bus travel, long distance transport, and perhaps some, if not many, of them torn down and reclaimed as natural and agricultural land. For automobile usage, it would be optimal to encourage the development of car-sharing cooperatives. All vehicles left in use must be quiet, and all vehicles slower (with the exception of busses, trains, and long range transport).
With respect to transport and distribution systems (and production systems) relocalization and neighborhood telecommunications (including teleconferencing facilities) should be the major goal, greatly reducing the need for long-range transport.
*****************************************
Another Iteration of “the Plan”
There is No Alternative to Socialism
We need some perspective.
Fossil fuel use is about 150 years old and automotive use about 100 years old. Look how absurdly, the personal automobile dominates our life and is destroying any hope for a future.
We need to deal with more than incremental adjustments from the modern automotive age. If we want to continue the many benefits of precious fossil fuels, the many opportunity costs of those fuels, to personal automobile usage, then we need to set as a goal (here in the USA) and realize it, to reduce the use of the personal automobile by 80% in the next 20 to 40 years.
It is not encouraging, because Obama explicitly stated the other day that the automobile is such an important part of American history and culture and needs to remain so. This is a statement of a myopic politician beholden to special interests.
If you've never lived in the Northeast (USA) where much of the city, town, and village centers were built before the automobile, it may be hard to imagine a future with the greatly reduced automobile use, but it is very possible and absolutely desirable.
The key is the walkable neighborhood. That is, neighborhoods for everybuddy where everyone can get what they need within walking distance of their residence. This will take a major shift in the way that resources are allocated and products distributed to communities. The major over-supply side mall outlets (for those products and services that have utility) could become regional warehouses and older town and village centers, where they exist could be explicitly brought back as outlets for these products. Where the town and village centers do not exist, such as here out West (I'm in Eugene, Oregon), where the mindless assumption of the automobile has led to the mindless, endless residential districts with their equally alienating and squandering strip malls and malls, communities could be rebuilt (think of all the jobs) to provide community centers and outlets.
Of course, this will not happen in the absence of a complete commitment to neighborhood/inter-community/inter-regional/worldwide ecological economic resource planning and allocation and redevelopment.
This Plan is too bold for American Politicians. This Plan is Socialism. With advances in communications technology, much progress, in the development of community centers, could help greatly increase the amount of tele-commuting that could help people work from and/or near their homes.The resource allocation issue could be handled with a reformed economic system, an equity union, with a "plan and implement" modus operandi for economic operations. Reforming the financial system to take the fundamentally inflationary Capitalist aspect of "discounting the future" (i.e. assuming that money in the future will be worth less) could lead to a system of ecological economical redevelopment where only true growth in wealth would occur and be shared and could occur under the aegis of a mission emphasizing peace, equity, humanity, quality of life, and sustainability.
Removing the gluttonous oil resource use by the USA and Capitalist automotive oriented allies would slowly rescind the need for the hegemonic occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, and the world acting in concert would stand much better prospects for peace.
****************************************
The Ecology of Redevelopment
A big part of my redevelopment plan (aside from the financial systems reform) is the REBUILDING of neighborhoods to make them liveable, and walkable for the necessities of life (that is, assuming a goal of a much less harried pace than today, but also assuming that people will have responsibilities, obligations, and desires). Such a plan would include a massive education program in retraining workers and training in youth in the building trades. Human resource management would be utilized to try to maximize the match between where the primary contractors/instructors and student/workers lived and the neighborhood building projects.
Communities would be rebuilt to emulate mature ecological systems, in that they maximize the efficiency of energy and resource input into the community so that once resources enter a community, they stay in the community for the maximum amount of time possible. Once all communities are sufficiently rebuilt (a timeline of 20 to 40 years?) under such guidelines, they would evolve to ongoing day-to-day and maintenance communities and the amount of heavy labor required would decrease and the amount of leisure time increase greatly. Again, (day-to-day and maintenance) workers would be employed in, surrounding, and/or as close to their residency as possible and it would be a priority for real and capital assets to be owned by the workers and the community patrons who ideally would be one and the same. The Neighborhood Equity Union would replace credit unions and of course, other forms of financial institutions. Parks and gymnasiums would be an important part of the plan as leisure time increased and the healthy aspects of physical labor decreased.
Concurrent with rebuilding, and the reallocation of production and distribution resources, would be efforts to make office, communications, knowledge and intelligence based labor into primarily home and/or neighborhood based vocations. Occasional travel would be necessary and desirable, but quiet bus and train travel and car-sharing cooperatives could be employed to fill this need along with family visit and recreational needs and desires. With respect to the former, extended families would be encouraged to reunite geographically.
I would like to address the supply side scenario for energy production based on assumptions of economic growth requiring an increase in the use of energy.The trouble with focusing on supply side economics and energy is that they both ignore demand. In relation to economics, the lack of effective demand for the plethora of consumer products will prove to be the downfall of this past generation’s experiment with supply side economics. With respect to energy, we must recognize that demand side management is critical to any possibility of a sustainable future.
Liberal economics (laissez faire, the so-called free market) cannot deal with the problem(s). We need a planned economy to effectively retrofit the infrastructure and to rebuild our communities to be walkable, therefore eliminating the terrible daily waste of oil/energy resources for transportation purposes.
I have to differ with rosy scenarios regarding the contribution that photovoltaics can make. I’m not an electrical engineer or an electrician, but it is my understanding that PVs don’t have the oomph (be it voltage, amperage, and/or wattage) to contribute very significantly to the current and recommended increased usage of electricity. Sure, PVs and wind might be able to contribute to lighting applications and a few very high efficiency appliances, but they can not power our transportation, industrial, business, and home heating and air conditioning, hot water, agricultural inputs, refrigeration, drying, and cooking needs.
We could go full throttle to the building of nuclear power plants, but I am highly leery of their toxicity and safety issues. Even if we pursued the path of electrification with the maximization of nuclear power, it will require a tremendous overhaul of our transportation infrastructure, and other applications currently met by oil products, coal, and natural gas.
First of all, nuclear is not a “free market” technology. Government programs paid for most of the resources for development of such. Then, there is the waste issue. Is it not the Federal Government who is going to or proposing to pay for the waste depository at Yucca Mountain (Nevada)? Also, there is the issue of bringing back the so-called Price-Anderson legislation. This was legislation in which the Federal Government provided insurance for nuclear power plants and related operations. No private insurer would underwrite the risks, thus the Feds had to step in.
Perhaps a better scenario could be realized if we started very soon with a planned economy that focused first on economic and energy demand side management and also retrofitted infrastructures with respect to very scarce and relatively clean (I view carbon resources, if appropriately used, to be cleaner than nuclear) energy applications.
The potential for solar thermal hot water is immense. Imagine all hot water demanding properties on the planet equipped with such devices. Imagine all the (community/worker owned) jobs involved with the production, installation, and distribution of these units. I list distribution last, because all efforts need to be made to maximize the localization of such production and installation, as well as any other products for which going towards relocalization may be possible (e.g. food).
Passive solar design combined with electronic environmental sensors and controls (also relevant to solar water heating and weatherization projects).
However, priority to upgrading housing and housing ownership conditions for the poor should take precedence over these type of projects.
Relocalization is part of the plan (and not just for food). Instead of reversalism, the term that the author Staniford has coined as being emblematic of the relocalization paradigm, let me offer the following "re" words that imply a gradual evolution to a future which incorporates the best of the past, for your consideration, response, and action.
Reformation
Little to no beneficial change will occur without an almost religious change from the paradigm of economic growth and standard of living to one that emphasizes community redevelopment and quality of life. This is an important educational component of an alternative ecological economic plan.
Reorganization
If we can be successful and realize the educational/reform component, the next (concurrent) step is to reorganize to one of cooperative (or at least partially so – we will probably need to compromise on the divide between one dollar/one vote and one person/one vote as the dominant paradigm of economic organization) communitarian local and regional economic entities, at least until the day that we are all nearly equal in terms of ownership of the means and goods of production and distribution. How to assure the transition from inequality is problematic. However, as the entire economic system begins and proceeds to fail, those wealthy seeking to avoid total financial ruin will welcome the opportunity to accept the quality of life paradigm, foregoing their opulent, ostentatious, enslaving, ecocidal, genocidal, and suicidal "standard of living" modus operandi.
Reallocation
We need coordinated regional planning agencies that agree on the fundamental mission of a global ecological economy that have the three basic pillars of equity, humanity, and sustainability. These “planning” agencies would work together and with the local/regional economic entities to determine how resources are allocated to and within communities based on the relocalization paradigm and other governing principles. The vehicle, that I envision here is a Peoples’ Equity Union with “branches” in all communities/neighborhoods.
Restructuring
Many communities will need to be physically rebuilt to make them liveable and walkable (i.e. new urbanism, retrofitting residential communities built in the oil/automobile age by renovating, building or otherwise appropriately employing community economic and cultural centers making necessities and other important quality of life amenities, available to all within walking distance of their homes Also such a plan should include housing and other built environment improvement and ownership opportunities for all. Included in such a plan would be neighborhood work stations which would aid in the ability of office workers to telecommute in their occupations as we transition from a supply-side nightmare to a sustainable, equitable, and quality of life economy.
Imagine all the jobs!
But jobs are not enough, restructuring equity arrangements and reallocating resources in an equitable, humane, and ecological manner need to be a fundamental part of the plan.
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle.
***********************
With respect to electric vehicles, my thoughts are that they may be a small part of a longer term solution and probably restricted to rebuilt/walkable urban and suburban neighborhoods for the use of the elderly and/or infirm. The top priority with respect to fossil fuels and other energy resources is demand side management. The chief priority in planning the role of the automobile is to reduce automobile use by 80% in the next 20 to 40 years. We are currently burdened by a terrible oversupply (including owned and overstocked inventories at factories and dealerships) of fuel inefficient and poorly designed internal combustion vehicles. If these vehicles weren't so poorly designed, there could be a significant opportunity to convert a minority of them to hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles. But they are very poorly designed. Perhaps the current population of vehicles should be deconstructed and parts reused or recycled. New vehicles should be exclusively, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric, except maybe for long-term transport and work vehicles.
There could be tremendous amounts of work generated by the reconstruction of neighborhoods and the rearrangement (read reallocation) of production, distribution, and communication systems to make them neighborhood friendly. In addition, a great potential for work lies in the field of deconstruction of transportation and related infrastructure adaptation. Parking lots could be torn up and converted to community gardens. Streets (and rail systems) could be torn up and converted to walking and bike paths and others altered to be less wide, restoring the liveability of housing located on these very noisy busy passageways. Parking garages could be torn down and replaced by mixed use developments. Highways could be dedicated mostly to bus travel, long distance transport, and perhaps some, if not many, of them torn down and reclaimed as natural and agricultural land. For automobile usage, it would be optimal to encourage the development of car-sharing cooperatives. All vehicles left in use must be quiet, and all vehicles slower (with the exception of busses, trains, and long range transport).
With respect to transport and distribution systems (and production systems) relocalization and neighborhood telecommunications (including teleconferencing facilities) should be the major goal, greatly reducing the need for long-range transport.
*****************************************
Another Iteration of “the Plan”
There is No Alternative to Socialism
We need some perspective.
Fossil fuel use is about 150 years old and automotive use about 100 years old. Look how absurdly, the personal automobile dominates our life and is destroying any hope for a future.
We need to deal with more than incremental adjustments from the modern automotive age. If we want to continue the many benefits of precious fossil fuels, the many opportunity costs of those fuels, to personal automobile usage, then we need to set as a goal (here in the USA) and realize it, to reduce the use of the personal automobile by 80% in the next 20 to 40 years.
It is not encouraging, because Obama explicitly stated the other day that the automobile is such an important part of American history and culture and needs to remain so. This is a statement of a myopic politician beholden to special interests.
If you've never lived in the Northeast (USA) where much of the city, town, and village centers were built before the automobile, it may be hard to imagine a future with the greatly reduced automobile use, but it is very possible and absolutely desirable.
The key is the walkable neighborhood. That is, neighborhoods for everybuddy where everyone can get what they need within walking distance of their residence. This will take a major shift in the way that resources are allocated and products distributed to communities. The major over-supply side mall outlets (for those products and services that have utility) could become regional warehouses and older town and village centers, where they exist could be explicitly brought back as outlets for these products. Where the town and village centers do not exist, such as here out West (I'm in Eugene, Oregon), where the mindless assumption of the automobile has led to the mindless, endless residential districts with their equally alienating and squandering strip malls and malls, communities could be rebuilt (think of all the jobs) to provide community centers and outlets.
Of course, this will not happen in the absence of a complete commitment to neighborhood/inter-community/inter-regional/worldwide ecological economic resource planning and allocation and redevelopment.
This Plan is too bold for American Politicians. This Plan is Socialism. With advances in communications technology, much progress, in the development of community centers, could help greatly increase the amount of tele-commuting that could help people work from and/or near their homes.The resource allocation issue could be handled with a reformed economic system, an equity union, with a "plan and implement" modus operandi for economic operations. Reforming the financial system to take the fundamentally inflationary Capitalist aspect of "discounting the future" (i.e. assuming that money in the future will be worth less) could lead to a system of ecological economical redevelopment where only true growth in wealth would occur and be shared and could occur under the aegis of a mission emphasizing peace, equity, humanity, quality of life, and sustainability.
Removing the gluttonous oil resource use by the USA and Capitalist automotive oriented allies would slowly rescind the need for the hegemonic occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, and the world acting in concert would stand much better prospects for peace.
****************************************
The Ecology of Redevelopment
A big part of my redevelopment plan (aside from the financial systems reform) is the REBUILDING of neighborhoods to make them liveable, and walkable for the necessities of life (that is, assuming a goal of a much less harried pace than today, but also assuming that people will have responsibilities, obligations, and desires). Such a plan would include a massive education program in retraining workers and training in youth in the building trades. Human resource management would be utilized to try to maximize the match between where the primary contractors/instructors and student/workers lived and the neighborhood building projects.
Communities would be rebuilt to emulate mature ecological systems, in that they maximize the efficiency of energy and resource input into the community so that once resources enter a community, they stay in the community for the maximum amount of time possible. Once all communities are sufficiently rebuilt (a timeline of 20 to 40 years?) under such guidelines, they would evolve to ongoing day-to-day and maintenance communities and the amount of heavy labor required would decrease and the amount of leisure time increase greatly. Again, (day-to-day and maintenance) workers would be employed in, surrounding, and/or as close to their residency as possible and it would be a priority for real and capital assets to be owned by the workers and the community patrons who ideally would be one and the same. The Neighborhood Equity Union would replace credit unions and of course, other forms of financial institutions. Parks and gymnasiums would be an important part of the plan as leisure time increased and the healthy aspects of physical labor decreased.
Concurrent with rebuilding, and the reallocation of production and distribution resources, would be efforts to make office, communications, knowledge and intelligence based labor into primarily home and/or neighborhood based vocations. Occasional travel would be necessary and desirable, but quiet bus and train travel and car-sharing cooperatives could be employed to fill this need along with family visit and recreational needs and desires. With respect to the former, extended families would be encouraged to reunite geographically.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Let's See What Happens...
Blooger's note: I posted the following here on the day of Obama's inauguration. Let's see if the man who should be known on this day as the USA's "great promise" actually is independent and bold enough to become a real agent of hope and change for the world.
I originally posted the following about a week ago to the Obama.gov "Public Input" website. Whether or not, such is only public realtions and/or the gold can be discerned from among the common rock, remains to be seen.
I refer you also to the other essays on this web log, especially "Updated Reforming Financial Systems" and "Demand Side Management and Transportation Planning".
********************************************************************
Written to Change.Gov – Obama Public Input Website
Let's not rush headlong with a "stimulus" package that would be similar to a shot of adrenaline to a dying organism. Let's give a redevelopment program much more thought and care and transition away from the simplistic Keynesian notions that assume that "the growth imperative" is true, and simply try to pump prime a moribund automobile (culture).
I have specific plans. We need to set the time frame for ecological economic re-development over the span of the next 20 to 50 years. Money spent now, should also be drawn from the funds from the financial bailout fund to begin the planning process and, as soon as possible, get the actual physical work started that will lead to an equitable, sustainable culture rather than another hit of heroin to a fossil fuel and other energy squandering supply side massive centennial and generational blunder, respectively.
You can get more info. on my work at the "Peoples Equity Union" web log, and feel free to contact me directly at (541) 343-3808.
Mike Morin
mlarosamorin@earthlink.net
I originally posted the following about a week ago to the Obama.gov "Public Input" website. Whether or not, such is only public realtions and/or the gold can be discerned from among the common rock, remains to be seen.
I refer you also to the other essays on this web log, especially "Updated Reforming Financial Systems" and "Demand Side Management and Transportation Planning".
********************************************************************
Written to Change.Gov – Obama Public Input Website
Let's not rush headlong with a "stimulus" package that would be similar to a shot of adrenaline to a dying organism. Let's give a redevelopment program much more thought and care and transition away from the simplistic Keynesian notions that assume that "the growth imperative" is true, and simply try to pump prime a moribund automobile (culture).
I have specific plans. We need to set the time frame for ecological economic re-development over the span of the next 20 to 50 years. Money spent now, should also be drawn from the funds from the financial bailout fund to begin the planning process and, as soon as possible, get the actual physical work started that will lead to an equitable, sustainable culture rather than another hit of heroin to a fossil fuel and other energy squandering supply side massive centennial and generational blunder, respectively.
You can get more info. on my work at the "Peoples Equity Union" web log, and feel free to contact me directly at (541) 343-3808.
Mike Morin
mlarosamorin@earthlink.net
Friday, January 2, 2009
MAXIMIZING Solar Hot Water
Let's think big.
Some years ago, in the USA, Bill Clinton proposed a "million solar roofs" promotion. I guess what he had in mind was the government stimulating the solar industry. At the time, I said, "Why stop at a million"? The potential for installations of solar water heating systems world-wide is SO MUCH more than that.
I envision a solar collector that employs concave/magnifying glass/concentrators and simple programmable software that allows the collector to track the sun.
I also envision an inter-national (public sector) and world-wide (private sector) NASA type program to develop the most effective and efficient solar collectors not only in terms of utilization of the solar resource, but with respect to natural resources and materials fabrication, production facilities, and distribution strategies.
With respect to production facilities, they should be regional, to minimize the shipping costs of inputs and finished product. See my essays regarding "demand-side management" and "relocalization" (among other pertinent essays) at this web log site.
I envision almost every building in the world employing solar hot water systems in the next 20 to 50 years.
Do you see a role for yourself in such a plan?
Workin' for peace and cooperation,
Mike Morin
Some years ago, in the USA, Bill Clinton proposed a "million solar roofs" promotion. I guess what he had in mind was the government stimulating the solar industry. At the time, I said, "Why stop at a million"? The potential for installations of solar water heating systems world-wide is SO MUCH more than that.
I envision a solar collector that employs concave/magnifying glass/concentrators and simple programmable software that allows the collector to track the sun.
I also envision an inter-national (public sector) and world-wide (private sector) NASA type program to develop the most effective and efficient solar collectors not only in terms of utilization of the solar resource, but with respect to natural resources and materials fabrication, production facilities, and distribution strategies.
With respect to production facilities, they should be regional, to minimize the shipping costs of inputs and finished product. See my essays regarding "demand-side management" and "relocalization" (among other pertinent essays) at this web log site.
I envision almost every building in the world employing solar hot water systems in the next 20 to 50 years.
Do you see a role for yourself in such a plan?
Workin' for peace and cooperation,
Mike Morin
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Oil Junkies
Oil Junkies
By Mike Morin
What’s the matter with me
I’ve got too much to say
I used to be out there yellin’ at the top of my lungs
and no one was listenin’, anyway
Think I’ll go down by the river, by the highway
Via the busy streets
Where the cars and trucks are rollin’ fast
And say, “do you know how much noise you make
And that we’re runnin’ out of gas”?
Because we’re
Oil junkies, oil junkies
Waitin’ for our next oil change
Yes we’re a thirty weight wonder
Slowly goin’ under
I think it’s time we rearrange
Well, those drillin’ men
Blackening their seas and lands
They’ve got them over a barrel
And Chevron, Gulf, Shell, Aramco, BP and the rest
Those oligopolies over here in the west
They’ve all got us over a barrel
Because we’re
Oil junkies, oil junkies
Waitin’ for our next oil change
Yes we’re a heavyweight blunder
Slowly goin’ under
It’s well past time we rearrange
Now, you’re drivin’ here
You’re flyin’ there
You’re shippin’ everything every which way
And where
You’re ruinin’ he soil, the water, and the air
There’s only so much oil
Left underground
Very soon there will be none around
But we don’t seem to even care
Because we’re
Oil junkies, oil junkies
Waitin’ for our next oil change
Yes we’re an overweight blunder
Slowly goin’ under
It’s well past time we rearrange
It’s well past time we reassess
It’s well past time that we reform
It’s well past time that we reimagine
It’s well past time we reorganize
It’s well past time we restructure
It’s well past time that we reallocate
It's well past time we relocalize
It’s well past time that we rebuild
It’s well past time that we reduce
It’s well past time that we reuse
It’s well past time that we recycle
It's well past ime we rearrange.
By Mike Morin
What’s the matter with me
I’ve got too much to say
I used to be out there yellin’ at the top of my lungs
and no one was listenin’, anyway
Think I’ll go down by the river, by the highway
Via the busy streets
Where the cars and trucks are rollin’ fast
And say, “do you know how much noise you make
And that we’re runnin’ out of gas”?
Because we’re
Oil junkies, oil junkies
Waitin’ for our next oil change
Yes we’re a thirty weight wonder
Slowly goin’ under
I think it’s time we rearrange
Well, those drillin’ men
Blackening their seas and lands
They’ve got them over a barrel
And Chevron, Gulf, Shell, Aramco, BP and the rest
Those oligopolies over here in the west
They’ve all got us over a barrel
Because we’re
Oil junkies, oil junkies
Waitin’ for our next oil change
Yes we’re a heavyweight blunder
Slowly goin’ under
It’s well past time we rearrange
Now, you’re drivin’ here
You’re flyin’ there
You’re shippin’ everything every which way
And where
You’re ruinin’ he soil, the water, and the air
There’s only so much oil
Left underground
Very soon there will be none around
But we don’t seem to even care
Because we’re
Oil junkies, oil junkies
Waitin’ for our next oil change
Yes we’re an overweight blunder
Slowly goin’ under
It’s well past time we rearrange
It’s well past time we reassess
It’s well past time that we reform
It’s well past time that we reimagine
It’s well past time we reorganize
It’s well past time we restructure
It’s well past time that we reallocate
It's well past time we relocalize
It’s well past time that we rebuild
It’s well past time that we reduce
It’s well past time that we reuse
It’s well past time that we recycle
It's well past ime we rearrange.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Demand Side Management, Energy, and Reform
I would like to address the supply side scenario for energy production based on assumptions of economic growth requiring an increase in the use of energy.
The trouble with focusing on supply side economics and energy is that they both ignore demand. In relation to economics, the lack of effective demand for the plethora of consumer products will prove to be the downfall of this past generation’s experiment with supply side economics. With respect to energy, we must recognize that demand side management is critical to any possibility of a sustainable future. Liberal economics (laissez faire, the so-called free market) can not deal with the problem(s). We need a planned economy to effectively retrofit the infrastructure and to rebuild our communities to be walkable, therefore eliminating the terrible daily waste of oil/energy resources for transportation purposes.
I have to differ with rosy scenarios regarding the contribution that photovoltaics can make. I’m not an electrical engineer or an electrician, but it is my understanding that PVs don’t have the oomph (be it voltage, amperage, and/or wattage) to contribute very significantly to the current and recommended increased usage of electricity. Sure, PVs and wind might be able to contribute to lighting applications and a few very high efficiency appliances, but they can not power our transportation, industrial, business, and home heating and air conditioning, hot water, agricultural inputs, refrigeration, drying, and cooking needs.
We could go full throttle to the building of nuclear power plants, but I am highly leery of their toxicity and safety issues. Even if we pursued the path of electrification with the maximization of nuclear power, it will require a tremendous overhaul of our transportation infrastructure, and other applications currently met by oil products, coal, and natural gas.
First of all, nuclear is not a “free market” technology. Government programs paid for most of the resources for development of such. Then, there is the waste issue. Is it not the Federal Government who is going to or proposing to pay for the waste depository at Yucca Mountain (Nevada)? Also, there is the issue of bringing back the so-called Price-Anderson legislation. This was legislation in which the Federal Government provided insurance for nuclear power plants and related operations. No private insurer would underwrite the risks, thus the Feds had to step in.
Perhaps a better scenario could be realized if we started very soon with a planned economy that focused first on economic and energy demand side management and also retrofitted infrastructures with respect to very scarce and relatively clean (I view carbon resources, if appropriately used, to be cleaner than nuclear) energy applications.
The potential for solar thermal hot water is immense, especially with such hot water heaters equipped with concave magnifying lenses to concentrate the rays of the sun. Imagine all hot water demanding properties on the planet equipped with such devices. Imagine all the (community/worker owned) jobs involved with the production, installation, and distribution of these units. I list distribution last, because all efforts need to be made to maximize the localization of such production and installation, as well as any other products for which going towards relocalization may be possible (e.g. food).
Relocalization is part of the plan (and not just for food). Instead of reversalism, the term that the author Staniford has coined as being emblematic of the relocalization paradigm, let me offer the following "re" words that imply a gradual evolution to a future which incorporates the best of the past, for your consideration, response, and action.
Reformation
Little to no beneficial change will occur without an almost religious change from the paradigm of economic growth and standard of living to one that emphasizes community redevelopment and quality of life. This is an important educational component of an alternative ecological economic plan.
Reorganization
If we can be successful and realize the educational/reform component, the next (concurrent) step is to reorganize to one of cooperative (or at least partially so – we will probably need to compromise on the divide between one dollar/one vote and one person/one vote as the dominant paradigm of economic organization) communitarian local and regional economic entities, at least until the day that we are all nearly equal in terms of ownership of the means and goods of production and distribution. How to assure the transition from inequality is problematic. However, as the entire economic system begins and proceeds to fail, those wealthy seeking to avoid total financial ruin will welcome the opportunity to accept the quality of life paradigm, foregoing their opulent, ostentatious, enslaving, ecocidal, genocidal, and suicidal "standard of living" modus operandi.
Reallocation
We need coordinated regional planning agencies that agree on the fundamental mission of a global ecological economy that have the two basic pillars of sustainability and equity. These “planning” agencies would work together and with the local/regional economic entities to determine how resources are allocated to and within communities based on the relocalization paradigm and other governing principles. The vehicle, That I envision here is a Peoples’ Equity Union with “branches” in all communities/neighborhoods.
Restructuring
Communities will need to be physically rebuilt to make them walkable (i.e. new urbanism, retrofitting residential communities built in the oil/automobile age by building
community economic and cultural centers making necessities and other important quality of life amenities available to all within walking distance of their homes). Included in such a plan would be neighborhood work stations which would aid in the ability of office workers to telecommute in their occupations as we transition from a Capitalist economy to a Socialist one. Imagine all the jobs!
Reducing
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
To post a comment, either click on the title of this essay, or click on the small print on the bottom that says either, "0 comments", "1 comment", "2 comments", etc.
The trouble with focusing on supply side economics and energy is that they both ignore demand. In relation to economics, the lack of effective demand for the plethora of consumer products will prove to be the downfall of this past generation’s experiment with supply side economics. With respect to energy, we must recognize that demand side management is critical to any possibility of a sustainable future. Liberal economics (laissez faire, the so-called free market) can not deal with the problem(s). We need a planned economy to effectively retrofit the infrastructure and to rebuild our communities to be walkable, therefore eliminating the terrible daily waste of oil/energy resources for transportation purposes.
I have to differ with rosy scenarios regarding the contribution that photovoltaics can make. I’m not an electrical engineer or an electrician, but it is my understanding that PVs don’t have the oomph (be it voltage, amperage, and/or wattage) to contribute very significantly to the current and recommended increased usage of electricity. Sure, PVs and wind might be able to contribute to lighting applications and a few very high efficiency appliances, but they can not power our transportation, industrial, business, and home heating and air conditioning, hot water, agricultural inputs, refrigeration, drying, and cooking needs.
We could go full throttle to the building of nuclear power plants, but I am highly leery of their toxicity and safety issues. Even if we pursued the path of electrification with the maximization of nuclear power, it will require a tremendous overhaul of our transportation infrastructure, and other applications currently met by oil products, coal, and natural gas.
First of all, nuclear is not a “free market” technology. Government programs paid for most of the resources for development of such. Then, there is the waste issue. Is it not the Federal Government who is going to or proposing to pay for the waste depository at Yucca Mountain (Nevada)? Also, there is the issue of bringing back the so-called Price-Anderson legislation. This was legislation in which the Federal Government provided insurance for nuclear power plants and related operations. No private insurer would underwrite the risks, thus the Feds had to step in.
Perhaps a better scenario could be realized if we started very soon with a planned economy that focused first on economic and energy demand side management and also retrofitted infrastructures with respect to very scarce and relatively clean (I view carbon resources, if appropriately used, to be cleaner than nuclear) energy applications.
The potential for solar thermal hot water is immense, especially with such hot water heaters equipped with concave magnifying lenses to concentrate the rays of the sun. Imagine all hot water demanding properties on the planet equipped with such devices. Imagine all the (community/worker owned) jobs involved with the production, installation, and distribution of these units. I list distribution last, because all efforts need to be made to maximize the localization of such production and installation, as well as any other products for which going towards relocalization may be possible (e.g. food).
Relocalization is part of the plan (and not just for food). Instead of reversalism, the term that the author Staniford has coined as being emblematic of the relocalization paradigm, let me offer the following "re" words that imply a gradual evolution to a future which incorporates the best of the past, for your consideration, response, and action.
Reformation
Little to no beneficial change will occur without an almost religious change from the paradigm of economic growth and standard of living to one that emphasizes community redevelopment and quality of life. This is an important educational component of an alternative ecological economic plan.
Reorganization
If we can be successful and realize the educational/reform component, the next (concurrent) step is to reorganize to one of cooperative (or at least partially so – we will probably need to compromise on the divide between one dollar/one vote and one person/one vote as the dominant paradigm of economic organization) communitarian local and regional economic entities, at least until the day that we are all nearly equal in terms of ownership of the means and goods of production and distribution. How to assure the transition from inequality is problematic. However, as the entire economic system begins and proceeds to fail, those wealthy seeking to avoid total financial ruin will welcome the opportunity to accept the quality of life paradigm, foregoing their opulent, ostentatious, enslaving, ecocidal, genocidal, and suicidal "standard of living" modus operandi.
Reallocation
We need coordinated regional planning agencies that agree on the fundamental mission of a global ecological economy that have the two basic pillars of sustainability and equity. These “planning” agencies would work together and with the local/regional economic entities to determine how resources are allocated to and within communities based on the relocalization paradigm and other governing principles. The vehicle, That I envision here is a Peoples’ Equity Union with “branches” in all communities/neighborhoods.
Restructuring
Communities will need to be physically rebuilt to make them walkable (i.e. new urbanism, retrofitting residential communities built in the oil/automobile age by building
community economic and cultural centers making necessities and other important quality of life amenities available to all within walking distance of their homes). Included in such a plan would be neighborhood work stations which would aid in the ability of office workers to telecommute in their occupations as we transition from a Capitalist economy to a Socialist one. Imagine all the jobs!
Reducing
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
To post a comment, either click on the title of this essay, or click on the small print on the bottom that says either, "0 comments", "1 comment", "2 comments", etc.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
