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hi sandy,
i can't offer any guidance, but i would offer a comment . . .
you mentioned the dam building, wetland filling, road building, and
stream channelizing of the original new deal . . . my sense is that,
unfortunately, these projects did represent the environmental wisdom of
the time . . . hopefully in the new new deal we can avoid what we see as
the mistakes of the old new deal . . . hopefully in the new new deal the
best ecological science can be implemented . . . even if we do things as
best we can, we will nevertheless do things that will be seen as
horrible mistakes by the new new new deal several decades from now . . .
cheers,
craig
craig k harris
department of sociology
michigan agricultural experiment station
national food safety and toxicology center
institute for food and agriculture standards
food safety policy center
michigan state university
-----Original Message-----
From: ecopolitics-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ecopolitics-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Sandy Irvine
Sent: Wednesday, June 03, 2009 1:01 PM
Subject: [Ecopolitics] Help regarding New Deal
Hello
I am circulating this note to everyone with whom I have had contact
via the Ecological Sustainability website and other such channels. I
am hoping that there might be folk out there who could give me some
guidance.
As you probably know, there is much talk in the green movement about a
"New New Deal" albeit one in green clothing. See, for example,
http://www.greennewdealgroup.org/
Although I can see the logic behind such thinking, I am keen to do
some research on the assumptions on which it rests. It seems to me, at
first sight, that this is all some kind of turquoise Keynesianism
which does not get to grips with the need for really significant cuts
in energy and material throughput in the economy. At the same times
rash promises are being made about the potential for huge job
creation. More useful might be a shorter working week and the sharing
out of the work that really needs to be done in a shrunken economy.
This is, of course, something that, sadly but necessarily, will mean
much dislocation and discomfort in the short-term, something rather
dishonestly disguised amongst the New New Dealers.
I also feel that greater efficiencies as advocated by the Green
Reformers may, in isolation, lead to lower prices and therefore more
disposable income and in turn more spending on other goods and
services .... more of the economic growth that is killing the Earth! I
also suspect that capitalists of one sort or another will only act in
terms of what offers them the best hope of future profit, which might
mean just sitting on all the bribes governments are giving them. But
the dynamics of capitalism seem to be left out of the equation in the
the world of Green New Dealers.
However what I am really after is guidance to material on the original
New Deal. I know that it did not prevent the return to recession in
the late 30s and that only military rearmament really revived the
economy. I also realise that Roosevelt, like Keynes, was most
concerned to defend the status quo, with all its inequalities and
injustices, albeit with some concessions to the poor and needy.
What I am not clear about is the environmental impact of the New Deal.
I know about the reforestation, soil conservation and other positive
efforts. But even the Civilian Conservation Corps also seems to have
worked on new dams, concreting of riverbeds, marshland filling,
building of new roads and other infrastructure which actually opened
up new areas to exploitation. This would appear to cancel out some, if
not all, of the good work in ecological terms. The WPA seems to build
several new airports and other such things, all of which took us down
the road to our present predicaments. Years ago I read a critique of
the Tennessee Valley Authority by William Chandler which spotlighted
the ecological damage it did.
Can anyone guide me to other material or offer comments on all this?
Thanks for any help any one can provide
Sandy Irvine
Newcastle Upon Tyne
http://www.sandyirvine.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
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