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Feasta Annual Report 2016

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Feasta Annual Report 2016 The Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability Annual Report 2016 " Feasta, the Foundation for the Economics ofSustainability, aims to identify the characteristics (economic, cultural and environmental) ofa truly sustainable so- ciety, articulate how the necessary transition can be effected, and promote the implementation ofthe measures required for this purpose. Cad a dhéanfaimid feasta gan adhmad? Tá deireadh na gcoillte ar lár What will we do in the future without wood? The end ofthe forests has come " Contents Introduction 1 Climate Group 2 Water/Water Commoning 4 Currency Group 5 Beyond GDP: New Approaches to Measuring Well-Being 6 Risk-Resilience 7 Fundraising 7 Networking 8 Training and Capacity Building 8 Events 9 Website 10 Submissions 12 Environmental Pillar 12 Staff and Management 13 " Introduction ur times require a fundamental change in the rela- An economy is a system nested within a human social system O tionship of humans to the earth and with each oth- and both in turn are nested within natural systems, on which er. We are all part of this planet and its health and our we depend completely for our well being. We need to have well being are inextricably linked. The pursuit of short- constantly evolving conversations in society about what the term, indiscriminate economic growth, pushed by the overall goals for our society are and how economy can serve needs of a capitalist, privatized money system, has them. The absolute reality is that we need to contain our eco- wrought huge damage on individuals, societies and the nomies and the kinds of work we do within them, within eco- ecosystems that provide the resources essential to life. logy. Changes in economy and society are inevitable, as climate change bites more severely and as the ecosystems are fur- ther degraded and destroyed. Economic growth has be- Imagination is crucial in this project of creating a future that we come uneconomic; mainstream politics and markets can believe in and of cultivating hope. We cannot all be official, refuse to recognize this physical reality and are moving us designated leaders, but if leadership is about taking risks and headlong into disaster. bringing other people along in a new vision, then we can all do it. Few states at this time are providing structures and policies that foster virtuous action. In spite of a lack of appropriate le- The really useful knowledge and work for our times concerns gislation and structures, and indeed in spite of sometimes how we can make the myriad political, attitudinal and lifestyle harmful legislation and structures, ordinary people in civil so- changes that will restore to some degree the health of the nat- ciety stand in the gap between what is and what might be. ural systems of our planet and heal the trauma that has become Feasta members have continued in 2016 to devote their ener- the everyday experience of many people and communities, and gies to citizen-leadership in that gap, pioneering new thinking create sane, humane and ecological ways to live. This enormous and practice and cultivating national and international partner- change requires the building of democratic, steady-state, low- ships and networks that cultivate hope. This report is a tribute carbon, participative and diverse social economies, based on to the work and imagination of our members in 2016 and an principles of sharing and sufficiency for all, and placing care for encouraging sign of their capacity to continue their efforts in people and planet at the centre of all decision-making. 2017 and beyond. Anne B. Ryan (chairperson) 1 Climate Group CapGlobalCarbon explored CapGlobalCarbon in much greater depth. The aim of the event was to develop ideas about how to implement CapGlobalCarbon is a pro- CapGlobalCarbon as part of a broader cit- posal launched at the 2015 izens’ movement for a fair and sustainable COP-21 climate summit by several members of the transition from fossil fuels. Feasta climate group, which seeks to im- pose a global cap on fossil fuel produc- CapGlobalCarbon was therefore placed tion, arrange for the sale of production within a broader context, including the permits, and distribute the revenue commons, divestment and social justice. among the world's population on a per- Much time was devoted to group discus- capita basis. It is based on Cap and Share, sions. Both sessions of the event gener- a framework for managing greenhouse ated many ideas, with a strong and gas emissions that was also developed by welcome focus on the practical. While Feasta climate group members. challenges were acknowledged and dis- cussed, emphasis was placed on the po- tential for CGC to build partnerships CapGlobalCarbon's own website, several with a wide variety of organisations and new articles were also published (see page promote its message. A full report of the 10). event was prepared and sent to all parti- cipants and published on the Feasta web- We were pleased to welcome Graziano site. Ceddia to our group in the autumn. In March 2016, CapGlobalCarbon was Graziano is a scientific officer at the Cli- accepted to the Beautiful Solutions Lab, An article on Cap and Share by Caroline mate Risk Management Unit of the an "interactive space for sharing the stor- Whyte was featured in the An Taisce European Commission and a associate ies, solutions and big ideas needed to magazine in July 2016, emphasising the professor in sustainable development at build new institutional power and point positive aspects of the wealth redistribu- MODUL University in Vienna, with a the way toward a just, resilient, and tion that Cap and Share (or CapGlobal- research focus on indigenous land rights democratic future", which is organised by Carbon) could bring about. On in Latin America. prominent environmental Naomi Klein. CapGlobalCarbon is unusual among the Lab initiatives - and indeed, among all climate initiatives - as its focus is truly global. In April, Feasta climate group member Laurence Matthews contributed a blog post on Cap and Share to the OECD's website. In June 2016, a two-day event entitled 'Towards Climate Safety and Justice' was organised by Feasta, Cultivate and Tró- caire, with a June 8 afternoon briefing in Dublin and a day-long June 9 meeting in Cloughjordan. The Dublin briefing at- John Sharry, Caroline Whyte and Erik-Jan Van Oosten discussing CapGlobalCarbon at the Towards tracted over 50 people and 18 attended Climate Safety and Justice workshop at the Carmelite Centre in Dublin, June 8 the second day in Cloughjordan, which 2 their fuel accordingly, then undertaking hamshire where I live the first planning to gradually eliminate production over an application for an exploratory well is dir- agreed timeframe, with external monit- ectly in between the fields of one of the oring to ensure compliance. Legal action, leading UK organic farms. This site is a organised in collaboration with the stone’s throw from an area of special sci- Climate Litigation Working Group (see entific interest looked after by the Notts below), is another possibility. Wildlife Trust for its rare species. While denying that they want to frack in the famous Sherwood Forest the chemical Legal action company Ineos have been considering an exploratory drilling site one or two miles Feasta climate group member David due west of the 1,000 year old Major Oak. Knight is a member of the Climate Litig- ation Working Group that has had some success with helping to organise an anti- Towards Climate Safety and Justice workshop in fracking legal process in the UK. They are Cloughjordan, June 9 presently planning an court case against the UK government in which the plaintiffs will be a group of young people Feasta trustee Mike Sandler had an op- (under 21) and people from areas of the portunity to speak with thousands of act- UK that are particularly vulnerable to the ivists from around the US about CGC effects of climate change. The aim is to when he served as a Delegate at the Vir- oblige the UK government to meet its ginia State Democratic Convention and targets on emissions reductions. CGC The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest as a National Delegate at the Democratic could be part of a court ruling resulting National Convention in the US. He also from this legal action. Suddenly things that were previously abstract submitted resolutions on climate change, policy debates are direct threats, not only to cap & dividend, and basic income to the the climate, but to local water and atmo- Democratic Party in his part of Northern Fracking spheric quality, as well as to local health and Virginia. by Brian Davey quality of life. Unsurprisingly communities have quickly organised in opposition. Much of In late 2016 CapGlobalCarbon was ap- Energy economics has been a central the material that I have also posted on the proached by World Basic Income, a new, theme for Feasta from the beginning and Feasta blog has been what I have used in UK-based organisation, with a request to for several years Feasta members fol- presentations on fracking to meetings organ- collaborate. There is significant overlap lowed and participated in the evolving ised by Parish Councils, political parties, trade in the two groups' aims, as CGC would narrative about peak oil. For many of us unions and activist groups - in Nottingham- generate income to be distributed on a however the debates were about an in- shire, Derbyshire and further afield. It has per-capita basis which could be used as dustry that was somewhere else with been gratifying to see local groups network seed funding for a basic income. It could which we had little contact - in other and support each other across counties, across also help to develop the necessary infra- countries or operating offshore.
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