Mike

Pandemic reveals need for economic system transformation

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has revealed aspects of how the economy works (or doesn’t).  It also has the potential to shift the Overton Window (the range of what is politically possible), as progressive solutions previously dismissed as “impossibly idealistic or too expensive” are now suddenly the best option for addressing major societal needs. Two such …

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Father’s Day thoughts on Star Wars, religion, and basic income

As a father of two young boys, I was excited to introduce movies and characters from my childhood to my kids.  However, upon revisiting the Star Wars saga as an adult, I have become troubled by the themes regarding the characters’ relationships with their fathers.  Luke Skywalker confronts his father who has joined the Dark …

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Monetary Reform Should Be Sustainable, And Bitcoin Isn’t

The Bitcoin “market” is spiking, with one Bitcoin now “priced” above $17,000 (by the time this is published it will likely be far different). This latest speculative frenzy has been boosted by the new Bitcoin “futures market.” The quotation marks above allude to the ongoing debate about whether Bitcoin’s current and future value to society …

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Disaster Recovery That Solves Regional Problems

This summer’s natural disasters (or, really, un-natural, human-caused-climate-induced disasters) are a Rorschach Test and magnifying glass for pre-existing regional issues which are amplified in times of crisis. The rebuilding and recovery provides an opportunity to address those problems by reshaping the built environment. Optimistically, a shattered status quo can allow for a necessary political breakthrough. …

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Ten Years of California Climate Dividends Advocacy Leading to SB775

Climate dividends are about to get serious consideration in California. California’s Cap & Trade system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could potentially expire in 2020, and must be extended by the State Legislature. A new Senate Bill (SB775) proposed by Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) and Senator Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), the President pro Tempore …

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For California’s Post-2020 Cap And Trade, Give Money To People

California’s Legislature is considering whether to continue the State’s Cap & Trade system meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight global warming before it potentially expires in 2020. Governor Jerry Brown, some Democrats in the State Legislature, and environmentalists would like to renew it, but opponents question whether it is an illegal tax supporting …

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Switching From Biblical End Times To The Doomsday Scenarios of Climate Science

The early Republican Presidential caucuses and primaries have put a spotlight on evangelical religious voters, reminding the secular (scientifically literate) community of the differences between their worldview and the one held by the Religious Right. Judging from the statements of candidates like Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Ben Carson, these evangelical voters display a lack …

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For Paris 2015: A Climate Trust Not a Treaty

The international negotiators meeting in Lima, Peru for the 20th United Nations convention on climate change have all but given up on a new legally enforceable climate treaty to replace the outdated Kyoto Protocol. In preparations for the Paris climate conference in December 2015, the Obama Administration avoids the word “treaty,” since there is little …

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