Justice and Equity in a 100% Renewable World

Those keen to be part of the online discussion about “Justice and Equity in a 100% Renewable World” - can register here.

The Post Carbon Institute has arranged the rich, thought-provoking conversation with two long-time leaders in energy democracy and environmental justice: Miya Yoshitani, Executive Director of Asian Pacific Environmental Network and Timothy DenHerder-Thomas of Cooperative Energy Futures.

Post Carbon Institute Executive Director, Asher Miller, will host the webinar about which he says, “We'll explore the justice and equity implications of a transition to 100% renewable energy and examine the findings of the new Island Press book Our Renewable Future: Laying the Path for One Hundred Percent Clean Energy.

He said, “Access to energy confers wealth—and power.

“As our energy system goes through a profound transformation away from fossil fuels, there will no doubt be winners and losers. Together, we'll discuss the future of energy democracy in a 100% renewable world and share examples of nations and communities working to ensure justice in the face of the renewable energy transition,” Mr Miller said.

The webinar will also explore such important questions as:

•        What needs to happen in order for the renewable energy future to be more just, and not less just, than the present?

•        What kinds of government policies or grassroots efforts will lead to more equity?

•        The transition to renewable energy will certainly be disruptive economically. What might that mean for the social and political power of currently disadvantaged populations?

Taking climate talks beyond 'the big tent'

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arlier this summer I helped to organize the March for Jobs, Justice & the Climate — an action that brought more than 10,000 people to the streets of Toronto in one of the largest and most diverse climate mobilizations in Canadian history.

More than 100 organizations supported the march — from national environmental groups to labor unions to the indigenous rights’ movement Idle No More to Toronto-based groups tackling poverty, food justice and migration. It was, as Naomi Klein put it, the “first steps of a new kind of climate movement” that reached beyond the traditional boundaries of the environmental movement.

Read Cam Fenton’s story - “Why the climate movement needs to move beyond the ‘big tent’”.

Ted Trainer talks about living a simpler life

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r Ted Trainer talks about why he aims to live more simply.

The Conjoint Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, has long written about sustainability and justice issues for many years and here he puts “The Case for Simplicity”.

Putting the case for simplicity in living he says, “I think there are two main lines of argument:

The first is that global sustainability and justice cannot be achieved unless we live much more simply than the average person does in rich countries today.

The second reason is that living simply enables a richer personal life.