As President Elect Donald Trump recruits staff, the prospects of an economy running clean seem further away than ever. There are some rays of hope, however.
Most economists agree that investment in infrastructure is good for the economy. Building and making things that last creates jobs – first in the construction, then from the sales of the products coming from using the infrastructure as well as the work generated by the repair and maintenance of that infrastructure. And the infrastructure requires capital to be invested in it. The problem is are firms investing in renewable, climate-friendly solutions or are they continuing with extractive, fossil-based practices? Under Trump, building capacity to provide Americans with their needs could be done in many ways. Not all are good for business or the economy in the long-run. This month’s newsletter explores various aspects of building that infrastructure and capacity.
Only a handful of companies need to change
According to theBulletin.org some 90 companies produce 60 percent of greenhouse gasses.
George Monbiot claims that “you don’t know the half” of what Trump will do
Trump staffers have emerged from groups that are financed by big business to parade as think tanks and citizen’s groups but are actually lobbyists for large polluters.
Investing in green infrastructure is needed as a priority argues Foundation Board member Stephen Hinton
https://stephenhinton.org/2016/11/09/opinion-trump-wins-time-to-get-on-with-green-growth/
Fiscal reform can come from introducing market based instruments that stimulate the market to find solution
This recent article explains these EFR mechanisms.
The push from the bottom-up is increasing as people seek to change the economy from where they are
The New Economy and Social Forum is taking place in Malaga next April. This promises to be a bottom-up initiative that contrasts with the Davos elite approach.
Peace is a good place to start – rather than fear.
The Swedish Sustainable Economy Foundation has initiated INVEST IN PEACE see their website for more information.