I've been giving a lot of thought today to how we actually make change in the world, in time to address the #ClimateEmergency; and I've come to the conclusion that it's exceedingly unlikely that constitutional politics – parliaments and governments – can adapt in time to do anything useful.
Which means, we need a #PlanB of direct public action not to protest but to to build the structures of the new future. >>>
It's not that I think we should entirely give up on conventional politics: it's not impossible that it might work. But realistically, at least in the English-speeaking world, it's unlikely to. Our 'democratic' politics and our commercial media are too fossilised, too obsessed with game playing and tactics. I don't believe they can change in the time we have left.
@simon_brooke agreed that we're now at the point of planning what the future might be.
Check out Ben (Edin Uni student, same time as me) who owns The Barracks in Germany, where he is experimenting with what a post climate-catastrophe community looks like. https://www.thebarracks.de/
He hosted The Collapse Laboratory there this month, a 3 week residency looking at what comes after collapse. Also see his You Tube live on Saturday with guests talking about what next. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8_IVTm_OSE
@SiobhanVohn Thanks, I'll have a read.
@simon_brooke Oh and I kind of think we 'should entirely give up on conventional politics'. The majority won't do that, so conventional politics will continue regardless of what 'we' do, and trying to influence there drains too much energy from the people best placed to look at something different.
More people need to focus energy on things you are doing - raising awareness of what next, helping people to consider how they might plan to live differently, looking at whole community models.
@SiobhanVohn Well, I think I need to shift my focus more to sharing experience of building community and community solutions at local scale.
We need to house and feed people, which means we need far-reaching #LandReform.
The car industry will die when we stop buying cars, which means we need to build transport solutions; the hydrocarbon industry will die when we stop buying fuels and plastics, so we need to build power and packaging solutions.
All this can be done.
The UK is planning 15 minute cities. The idea is that all the services needed are within 15 minutes of where you live. This is a good idea. However as usual the conspiracy theorists have jumped on this to spread misinformation and the idea of a government hidden agenda.
@zleap @simon_brooke Yes great idea. Not just the UK. I think it was an urban planner in France who first coined the term and it is being implemented by many cities around the world.
Ridiculous conspiracy theories aside, care does need to be taken that disadvantaged areas are not left behind.
It used to be like this, back in the 80s we could walk to the local row of shops, there was everything from a newsagent, butchers, fruit / veg shops, banks, mini supermarket etc all within easy reach, iirc the parking was also free.
@zleap @SiobhanVohn @simon_brooke I was explaining this to my son a few days ago, how everything changed with the advent of big out of town supermarkets and shopping centres.
@zleap @simon_brooke yes indeed. Use it or lose it.