September 23rd

A GREEN NEW DEAL FOR AUSTRALIA

Produced by Vivien Langford at Radio Skid Row in Sydney. Thanks to Raoul, and Andy.

Speakers:

• Naomi Klein – Her new book is On Fire- The Burning case for a Green New Deal

• Professor Peter Sheldon – UNSW Industrial Relations Research Centre “The Ruhr or Appalachia?”
  
  
• Jaime Yallop Farrant – Climate Justice union in W.A
  
  
  
  
• Michelle Maloney – New economics Network Australia
  
  
• Professor Boris Frankel -  MSSI – “Fictions of Sustainability: The Politics of Growth and Post Capitalist Futures.”
  
  
  
  
• Natasha Heenan – Climate Justice Collective  Building a Green New Deal for Australia

The Green New Deal is an idea in gestation. We explore the work that needs to be done in Australia to inspire a groundswell of civil society to take personal and collective responsibility for averting climate catastrophe.

The CFMMEU asked Peter Sheldon to find out what’s best practice in the transition away from coal fired power. He says we do not have a good record on  structural adjustments . An Economy is not a Society as Dennis Glover shows in that book. And “workers usually get it in the neck “ according to Colin Long. So do we need a Just Transition Authority? 

If so which model will we follow Ruhr or Appalachia?

Naomi Klein launched “The burning case for a Green New Deal at Seattle Town Hall” (Youtube) She wants us to fire up new energies in a transformational new deal for workers currently crushed by capitalism. As fires ravage forests in Australia and Brazil, she urges us to be on fire against the injustices which climate catastrophe is creating.”It’s going to take transformations of how we live in cities, how we move ourselves around, how we grown our food, where we get our energy from.... we live in a time of overlapping crises” All our energies and creativity are need for a green new deal.

Jaime Yallup Farrant  says “It’s Up 2 Us” we are the ones we’ve been waiting for.                            She inspires behaviour change amongst corporations, civil society and organisations and talks to us from W.A about the coal mining town of Collie. How can a vision of what they really need energise the move away from coal mining?   She quotes Paul Hawken “ If you look at the Science that describes what is happening today and aren’t pessimistic, you don’t have the correct data. If you meet people in this unnamed movement and aren’t optimistic, you haven’t got a heart”

Michelle Maloney – Director of NENA doubts the Green New Deal if we do not have a complete change of management. Her local hubs to diversify regional economies are part of the solution. The focus of their Conference in Perth will be Collaboration to navigate the increasing complexity of our times. You can see the Green New Deal webinar with Tim Hollo and Prof Bronwen Morgan

Their next NENA webinar is Futures thinking for a sustainable Economic Future from UTS.

• Natasha Heenan is  doing her Phd at Sydney university and with Anna Sturmer produced a working document called A GREEN NEW DEAL FOR AUSTRALIA. They want to decolonise, democratise, decommodify AND decarbonise Australia. They are part of the Climate Justice Collective organising a response to climate change. –“Australia needs A Green New Deal, no more centrism" (junkee.com/green-new-deal-australia/210460)