This abstract-document, deeply rooted in the work of Ragnar Frisch and his Cogrips model, integrates a mix of political, economic, and environmental theories to propose solutions for the global crises of recession, inflation, and particularly climate change. The Cogrips model is a theoretical and practical framework that advocates for significant bottom-up, pro-democracy actions and policies, which the document argues are essential for addressing these issues, especially in the context of green political economy.
The Cogrips model (short for "Samgripingsmodell") was developed to analyze and solve broad economic problems, particularly recessions and environmental degradation. The model emphasizes social-individualist democracy, liberal social-democracy - and suggests that real democracy (including green democracy) must be anarchistic in nature, driven by grassroots movements like the Green Global Spring (GGS).
Green Global Spring (GGS) is a key component of the proposed green political economy. The movement aims to save the planet from global warming through a bottom-up approach to democracy that is inherently green. GGS calls for significant pro-democracy actions to enforce environmental policies globally, suggesting that only in a system with sufficient democracy can there be sufficient meaningful actions against climate change.
Central to the document’s thesis is the argument that authoritarian, i.e. mainly ultra-authoritarian marxist, fascist and liberalist - systems cannot enact effective green policies, as they are inherently geared towards maintaining centralized power, which typically works against climate interests. Conversely, sufficiently democratic systems, which are responsive to the public, i.e. the People, grassroots, will automatically align with green policies because environmental preservation is necessary for the survival of humanity.
The document critiques global efforts, such as those seen in the Paris Agreement and COP26, for being insufficient. It asserts that the top-down approach favored by current global institutions like the World Bank and IMF fails to produce the necessary results. The primary issue is that these organizations are beholden to state and corporate interests, statism and/or capitalism, which undermines their ability to enforce the drastic changes required to combat climate change.
The failure of carbon capture and storage (CCS) is highlighted as a major misstep in climate policy. The document argues that CCS is not only economically unsustainable but also diverts attention from the real solutions: reducing demand for fossil fuels and shifting to renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and hydropower.
3. Economic Policy for Green Growth
The solution proposed for mitigating climate change involves shifting economic incentives away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy. This includes a reduction in the demand for oil etc., with policies designed to replace coal, heavy oil, light oil, and natural gas with green energy alternatives in a phased manner. The document stresses the importance of shifting both consumer demand and industrial supply chains to green alternatives.
One of the critical points made is that the supply-side adjustments, such as limiting oil exploration, are not as effective as demand-side adjustments. It argues that reducing the global demand for oil and other fossil fuels, rather than restricting supply, is the only way to effectively lower greenhouse gas emissions.
The document outlines a vision of green economic growth that includes large investments in green infrastructure, including renewable energy grids and technological advancements. It calls for public and private sectors to collaborate on building infrastructure for solar, wind, and hydropower, with a focus on scaling these technologies globally.
The document also ties green political economy to issues of social inequality. It emphasizes the importance of ensuring that the transition to a green economy is socially just, with policies that promote egalitarian income distribution. The document critiques current capitalist systems for exacerbating inequality and proposes a model where green growth goes hand in hand with social equality. The model advocates small income and rank differences and little hierarchy.
The Gini index is used to measure income inequality, and the document sets an ambitious goal of reducing the Gini index to 20%, which would signify a more equal distribution of wealth. This is tied to the broader argument that democratic societies that are more egalitarian are also better suited to implement green policies because they align more closely with the interests of the People, grassroots (that is a.o.t. a green planet), rather than elites, i.e. authorities and bureaucracy broadly defined both in private and public sector.
There is also a significant emphasis on the idea that population growth needs to be controlled within environmental limits. The document proposes that population growth should remain stable at best zero, until technological advances allow for more sustainable living within environmental constraints.
The document advocates for a global governance structure that is rooted in democracy and decentralization. It argues that only through decentralized governance, which allows for greater public, i.e. the People, grassroots - participation in decision-making, can the world achieve the necessary changes to avert catastrophic climate change.
The World Bank, IMF, and other global institutions are seen as too centralized and hierarchical to effectively address climate change. Instead, the document calls for a new form of international cooperation that empowers local and national governments to take independent action based on the will of their People, the grassroots.
It also critiques the authoritarian regimes, mainly ultra-authoritarian regimes, in countries like China, Iran and Russia, arguing that their lack of democracy makes them incapable of enacting effective green policies. The argument is that authoritarian systems, regardless of their economic power, cannot prioritize long-term environmental sustainability because their survival depends on short-term traditional economic growth.
The document outlines a comprehensive action plan for addressing climate change. This includes:
Imposing high carbon taxes on fossil fuel emissions to disincentivize their use.
Redirecting subsidies, a.o.t. from fossil fuel industries to renewable energy.
Implementing policies that encourage green technology innovation and infrastructure investment.
Promoting global collaboration on renewable energy projects, particularly in developing countries.
The document also stresses the need for grassroots movements like the Green Global Spring to continue advocating for real democracy, i.e. liberal social-democracy, as political change is seen as a prerequisite for any effective environmental policy.
Finally, it calls for a shift in economic thinking, away from traditional growth models based on traditional GDP and towards measures that take into account environmental sustainability and social well-being, i.e. green GDP.
In conclusion, the document asserts that the only way to address the climate crisis is through the establishment of real democracy, i.e. liberal social-democracy - globally. This is because real democracy, as defined in the document, inherently includes green policies due to the fact that environmental sustainability is in the best interest of the People, grassroots.
The document posits that without sufficient democracy, green policies will always be compromised by the interests of those in power, who often prioritize short-term traditional economic gains over long-term environmental sustainability. Therefore, the fight for a green economy is inseparable from the fight for global democracy.
This summary captures the core ideas presented in the documents, with a strong emphasis on green political economy, the Cogrips model, and the relationship between democracy and environmental sustainability.
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This document: http://www.indeco.no/archive/samgrep3.htm.
See also: http://www.indeco.no/archive/samgrep2.htm.