tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375293593946238431.post8802220307725637231..comments2015-04-04T08:18:59.434+01:00Comments on Alexis Rowell for a Greener Camden: Transition, deep green thinking and the Big SocietyAlexis Rowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13486964260737100728noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375293593946238431.post-34338356603653990532011-09-02T00:04:27.803+01:002011-09-02T00:04:27.803+01:00I don't think it's an either-or situation,...I don't think it's an either-or situation, Ben. I completely accept that there are fantastic examples of working class neighbourhoods showing how to do community, sustainability and solidarity, but that shouldn't mean middle class neighbourhoods can't do it too!Alexis Rowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13486964260737100728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375293593946238431.post-73565810728196124732011-09-01T23:55:46.757+01:002011-09-01T23:55:46.757+01:00I agree that materialism is at the root of our soc...I agree that materialism is at the root of our society's problems. Far from that fact being recognised, materialism has become an Anglo-Saxon religion, propagated daily to toddlers through television, often replacing any other kind of ethos, values or responsibility in the vacuum of lazy and apathetic relativism.<br /><br />Our empire-rationalising liberalism is a uniquely greedy and individualistic ideology. Its creed: I have and I want therefore I am.<br /><br />The fetish of material goods is our cherished iconography while self-proliferating technology has become a kind of parental surrogate. The roots of this lie in our history and culture, its potential shift in our education system, media and governmental leadership. <br /><br />I believe most of all however the key to its end lies in the task of convincing each person to take a personal, moral responsibility for our communities, our children and our planet. <br /><br />The key challenge I believe: How to tap into the instincts of community, sustainability and solidarity in poor neighbourhoods, beyond the middle-class exemplified in north London?Benedict Greeninghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13446195037025446511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375293593946238431.post-60457339072511592712010-06-12T01:05:21.908+01:002010-06-12T01:05:21.908+01:00As someone I know put it, you cannot solve 21st ce...As someone I know put it, you cannot solve 21st century problems with 20th century solutions.<br /><br />In fact, our legal and financial structures date back to the early 17th century (the joint stock company) and the early 18th century (deficit-based banking). <br /><br />I have a background of 25 years in market and enterprise development and regulation including six years as a director of a global energy exchange. With a little seed funding from Innovation Norway I have developed simple but radical partnership-based frameworks for the direct 'peer to peer' connections of the internet. <br /><br />This article may give you an idea<br /><br />http://www.policyinnovations.org/ideas/innovations/data/000085<br /><br />While this presentation to the Energy Institute in Scotland went down well<br /><br />http://www.slideshare.net/ChrisJCook/energy-pools-scottish-energy-institute-11-11-2009<br /><br />It is only through using new networked and non-hierarchical legal frameworks which lead to value-extracting intermediaries becoming service providers that the Big Society may be implemented in practice, I think.Chris Cookhttp://www.nordicenterprisetrust.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com