Date archives "December 2009"

Emerging Alternatives to the Shareholder-centric Model

* Article: Not Just For Profit: Emerging alternatives to the shareholder-centric model could help companies avoid ethical mishaps and contribute more to the world at large. By Marjorie Kelly This paper “explores three new-style corporate designs: 1. stakeholder-owned companies; 2. mission-controlled companies; and 3. public-private hybrids. Ms. Kelly is exploring ways in which corporations can… Continue reading

The (atmostpheric) commons and (climate) justice

An important warning from Massimo De Angelis that the commons are themselves a field of struggle. Read the whole entry with quotes and examples here; below, the summary of the argument: “Commons are not a substitute for justice. Injustice, and the struggle for justice, also occurs within commons. In the “atmospheric commons”, as in any… Continue reading

Ecorev 33: the exit out of capitalism has already begun

Issue 33 of Ecorev, (from eco-revolution), a french magazine covering political ecology, is dedicated to updating the legacy of Andre Gorz, an important thinker on contemporary social change, and pioneer in the analysis of the ‘immaterial economy’ and its impact on the material political economy. See: http://ecorev.org/IMG/pdf/EcoRev_33-PenserL_apresCapitalismeAvecAndreGorz.pdf The starting point for the reflection by the… Continue reading

Transitioning to a more just decentralized economy

Heather Young sees the economy as a series of 3 interlocking circles, with the outer globalized circle having usurped the balance: “With the current economic crisis, we have an opportunity to create tools and structures that facilitate a shift away from wealth accumulation and competition for scarce resources to a more democratic, cooperative, and caring… Continue reading

Reclaiming the sovereignity of communities through innovative legal strategies

This is so important, a video presentation (excerpt only) via Peak Moment TV on how local communities can defend themselves against corporate abuse, based on a new interpretation of the legal sovereignty of the local community, civil society and the commons: “In this excerpt from a longer presentation, Shannon Biggs, of Global Exchange, describes how… Continue reading

Mondragon and the Market

Interesting commentary by Bernard Marszalek: “Mondragon obviously is embedded in the global capitalist order. It functions with that reality everyday. Its decisions are based on the proverbial bottom-line. Furthermore, it operates in countries seemingly without concern for the factors many liberals in this country believe should influence investment decisions. Mondragon invests in developing countries to… Continue reading

The Energy Co-op Solution

Interesting video interview on how to tackle distributed energy infrastructures on the local level, via Peak Moment TV: “What if a community owned its electric utility cooperatively, rather than paying a for-profit company? Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative could be a model. Energy Services manager Jessica Nelson describes how this locally owned, democratically governed non-profit serves… Continue reading

Open up patents for development and mitigating climate change: a concrete proposal

open source R&D, licensing and commercialization of what the UNFCCC calls “environmentally-sound technologies (EST)” can provide an alternative to the proprietary intellectual property licensing vs. compulsory (state-mandated) licensing of EST for diffusion and absorption of these technologies in deprived communities in both developed and developing nations A message from Liam Rattray: “Some of you who… Continue reading