New Economy Journal

August 2022

August 30, 2022

New Economy Journal is a place for contribution and conversation for those interested and involved in the New Economy movement. In 2022, the New Economy Journal will publish pieces under six broad themes. The Journal themes for 2022/2023 are:

The August instalment of the Journal features Ted Trainer’s critique of Ross Gittins’ conventional economic thinking, with Trainer making the argument for why capitalism cannot save us. Kimberley Crofts highlights the important role of local knowledge in participatory planning around just transitions and Michael Haines outlines the reasons a UBI is needed. Sonia Randhawa of the NENA Democracy and Governance Hub reflects on the recent federal election and calls members to action, and Jonathan Cornford of the NENA Faith Hub explores the ecological ethics underpinning the Hebrew Dreaming, emphasising the need for us to listen to ancient wisdom.

We hope you disagree with some, take hope from others, and learn from all about how we can build a new, just and sustainable economy.

Table of Contents

The Ecological Ethics of the Hebrew Dreaming

The Ecological Ethics of the Hebrew Dreaming

Jonathan Cornford

The Ecological Ethics of the Hebrew Dreaming
I’m truly sorry man’s dominion Has broken nature’s social union And justifies that ill opinion That makes thee startle, at me Thy poor earthbound companion And fellow mortal. Robert Burns, “To a Mouse” A little over 50 years ago, Science magazine published the now classic article by historian Lynn White,...

Continue reading...

Taking the Politics out of Democracy

Taking the Politics out of Democracy

Sonia Randhawa

Taking the Politics out of Democracy
The success of the Greens and the Teal Independents in the recent Australian federal election has cultivated a sense of hope and courage. The past decade  has deepened cynicism around electoral politics, not just here in Australia, but across the globe: Trump, Johnson and Morrison seemed like a triumvirate of...

Continue reading...

Ross Gittins thinks capitalism can save us. Here’s why it can’t.

Ross Gittins thinks capitalism can save us. Here’s why it can’t.

Ted Trainer

Ross Gittins thinks capitalism can save us. Here’s why it can’t.
We are racing towards the catastrophic collapse of our bio-physical and social systems, driven by the capitalist economy. Gittins illustrates the trained incapacity of the conventional economic mind to get it. In a recent P and I article Ross Gittins endorses Rod Sims’ enthusiasm for capitalism, arguing that all it...

Continue reading...

Why a UBI is Needed

Why a UBI is Needed

Michael Haines

Why a UBI is Needed
A previous version of this article was published on Medium. Once, it was our birthright to live off the land. Since the invention of property rights, money, and the system of paid work; ‘living off the land’ is no longer possible for most people in the developed world. As a...

Continue reading...

“The experts are already here”: The role of local knowledge in sustainability transitions

“The experts are already here”: The role of local knowledge in sustainability transitions

Kimberley Crofts

“The experts are already here”: The role of local knowledge in sustainability transitions
Sustainability transitions are long-term and transformative shifts to more sustainable modes of living[1]. This includes a transformation of energy production and consumption away from coal and other fossil fuels. Coal is a major contributor to the state’s export industry and employs around 14,000 people in the Hunter Valley, contributing directly...

Continue reading...