Newsnight to Green Keynesianism

Newsnight: Gavin Esler proclaiming a split in the Green movement over nuclear power. Brian Wilson (ex-energy Minister) insulting George Monbiot as a "slow learner." Jonathon Porritt and George Monbiot detailing the problems with nuclear power. Esler reiterates his belief that nuclear power is in some way a "scientific" question rather than one of political and economic judgment. (So that he can imply that the anti-nuclear camp is unscientific, which is a gross misrepresentation of the case).

I have put the anti-nuclear power case up here. It is in essence a huge diversion of funding away from the immediate pressing problem of energy conservation. It is incredible that the Government is prattling of spending billions (yes I know the cost of nuclear is supposed to be privatised, but it is the people's money that will have to underwrite the costs of decommissioning and a Maximum Credible Accident. For MCA read Chernobyl) on Nuclear power, while at the same time 10% of Britain's housing stock is without insulation of any kind. Yes more incredible that Gavin Esler does not put this question to Brian Wilson.

Private money for nuclear power? They will invest in the buildings, and recoup their money, with profit, in the future when we buy the damned nuclear electricity from them. Our money will also have to be poured into the breach if/when the nuclear construction corporations go tits up during the construction phase, just as we have had £103,000,000,000 put at risk to save Northern Rock. It's the same the whole world over...

The most tendentious of the various points that Esler made was that people do not care about the environment now that the financial crash is upon us. Unfortunately neither Jonathon not George picked him upon this. The fact is that the impending economic crisis is both a danger and also a magnificent opportunity to enable a Green Phoenix economy to arise out of the ashes of the failing free market (dys)economy, the present system where the financial tail is wagging the economic dog, the divergent system where the rich get richer and the poor get ever poorer.

Every sentient human being who has an interest in society, economics, and the integrity of our planetary environment must read "A Green New Deal", the July 2008 report by the Green New Deal Group. The Newsnight researchers should read it. It is a map of the way out of the present economic morass, by transforming the economy from carbon addiction to solar nourishment.

Unemployment is the great danger of the coming recession, an unacceptable social evil, but full unemployment is not impossible in a the Green Phoenix economy.

Green Keynesianism is the way to go.

Last day in Sao Paolo

Today I went to Ibrapuera park to meet up with Shuji, leader of Ecolo Japan, Moena, president of Mahoni Greens (French Polynesia, Tahiti to you and me) and Suresh Nautiyal, from Uttar ?Khaur, a new state in the north of India. He had been in the movement to create the state, and the movement had continued as a green party, but unfortunately one of the more unsavoury legacies of the Brtish Raj is the stupid First Past the Post, winner-takes-all electoral system, so they are excluded from Parliament.

Moena confirmed that Kiribat and Vanuatu islands are indeed going under the rising sea, and will soon have to evacuate. So much for Exxon, George Bush and the dwindling band of man-made global warming deniers. It is time for Greens to be far more assertive in our challenge to the present system.

We walked around the beautiful park, taking pictures and talking about the problems that we face. We walked back into the town and stopped at a cafe for fresh orange, pausing every now and then as a bus roared up the hill.

I could fall in love with Sao Paolo with its monumental buildings were it not for the motor traffic. How anyone can still argue that motor cars add to our quality of life when they are drowning Pacific islands and melting the Arctic as well as choking the cities is beyond understanding except in psychiatric terms. They are in denial, and allowing themselves to be suckered by psychopathic (that is, self interested) propaganda from the all-powerful oil companies. Things have got to change, and fast. The air is toxic, it is known to cause respiratory and heart problems, while the noise is known to cause stress and hypertension. This is quality of life? Please.

On the other hand, the Paulistas have great hearts. So great that one of them nearly gave me a heart attack yesterday when he got up to give me his seat. Because I have grey hair. I was grateful, but mortified. Thats the problem in having an eighteen year old mind in a 61 year old body.

Got my shoes shined by a sweet trio of shoe shiners, easily moved to laughter. I got some photos but missed the ones of them laughing.

I came back and dealt with 83 emails. One, from my childhood friend Peter Britton was a .pps show of the greates series of animal and nature photos I have ever seen. Then had dinner with Joe, a 25 year old Californian student of south American history, with great concern for the planet, and at a loss to account for the unresponsiveness of the politicians.

Tomorrow I leave at 1pm to fly back to UK in the evening, arriving Wednesday evening. This has been the most incredible experience. I am refreshed and renewed. We have got to get serious about changing the economic system. Greed is going to kill us all. People do not want to die for the likes of Exxon and George Bush. We can show them that they do not have to do that. There s another way, a way that leads to real quality of life.

Thanks for reading.

G'night.