GND Media

Much has been said about the centralisation of wealth and power in major cities. London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Cardiff. these behemoths sucking up the economic activity of their regions as the cities expand and draw in more people and more business in from the now dubbed "Satalite Towns". Is having all the business and production of Greater Manchester concentrated in the city centre the right economic plan for a region? Are we leaving communities to crumble as we build shiny new tower blocks in Spinningfields and Deansgate? Is there another way?

This week we are joined by Jonty Leibowitz (@JontyLeibowitz) from the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (@CLESthinkdo). Jonty talks us through Community Wealth Building, how local governments can use the powers they already have to keep wealth in there localities and how democracy in the workplace interlinks with climate change.

Links
Jontys' new report with CLES
https://cles.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Green-Recovery-FINAL2.pdf


Shout outs
UCU campaign to save University workers
https://twitter.com/manmetucu/status/1284049513653719045?s=20

Trees not Cars
@TreesNotCars

Diversifying and Decolonising Economics
@DivDecEcon

Common Wealth
@Cmmonwealth

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A year ago last week the Manchester Council and the surround councils declared a climate emergency. This was seen by many as the first step forward in Manchester becoming the green city it needs to be to tackle climate breakdown. Little did many of us know how deeply intrenched the city is with industries that are hurtling the planet towards a Mad Max future (sans the cool bikes). The Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) is the largest fund in the local government pension scheme and the 11th biggest benefit pension fund in the U.K. at a staggering 23.8 Billion pounds. Is all of that capital supporting the climate emergency?

On this weeks show we are joined by Maggie Walker & Ali Abbas from Fossil Free Greater Manchester (@FossilFreeGM) to discuss the ongoing campaign to make the GMPF divest from fossil fuels.

Links
Fossil Free Greater Manchester
http://fossilfreegm.org.uk/

Green Investments providing 178% returns- Forbes
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidrvetter/2020/05/28/just-how-good-an-investment-is-renewable-energy-new-study-reveals-all/#3aeff104d278

Latest Greater Manchester Pension Fund report
https://www.gmpf.org.uk/getmedia/b3f609a9-b078-4808-a3e5-5cc61d74e669/Annual_report_and_accounts_2019.pdf


Shout Outs
University of Manchester Fossil Fuel Divestment campaign
@PeopleUom

Better Buses GM
@BetterBusesGM

Top fan Lucas Clay!
@LTMClay

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Climate Breakdown transcends borders. The carbon output of Galicia while have an affect on the environment of Gateshead, Nairobi and Singapore. It's a global crisis that requires a global cooperative solution. Plans to protect the earth must link between the local, national, continental and international.

This week we are joined by Pawel Wargan (@pawelwargan) from Diem25 to explore "The Green New Deal for Europe". We discuss why democracy must be at the heart of any plan to save the planet, how the European Union institutions hold back a truly cooperative union and how the E.U can be saved from itself for the sake of the planet. 

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"Links"
The Green New Deal for Europe
https://www.gndforeurope.com/

The EU "Green Deal"
https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en

Diem25
https://diem25.org/#

Diem25MCR
@Diem25MCR

"Shout Outs"
Mathare Social Justice Centre
https://www.matharesocialjustice.org/

Whalley ranger environmental group
@WhalleyRanger1

Prague DSC1
https://www.facebook.com/Diem25Praha

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There are many schisms embedded into the modern world. A foggy distance between our actions and the fallout from those actions. The carbon output of your job, the manufacture of the clothes you wear and the final destination of the waste we create. The separation between what we eat and how it is grown is one of the largest chasms we face. To feed 9 billion people do we have to turn a blind eye to poisoning the land and destroying biodiversity? Is there a better way?

To discuss the lay of the land when it comes to pesticides, agriculture and industrial farming we joined this week by Nick Mole policy officer for Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK). Nick sheds light on what current farming practice constitutes, how Brexit will affect British farmers and where we are changing for the better.


Links
https://www.pan-uk.org/

Toxic trade
https://www.pan-uk.org/toxic-trade/

Shout outs
Levenshulme Bee network
@LevyBeelines

Nick presscott Meteor
@nickjwprescott

His piece on the Manchester council planing committee
https://www.themeteor.org/2020/06/26/proposed-changes-to-controversial-shudehill-shard-pushed-through-under-emergency-powers/

Pesticide free Stirling
@PFreeStirling

Daniel Jerrome- green Councillor Trafford
@DJerrome

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Safe to say that he Economy as we formally know it has taken a nose dive. Britain has lost 20% of GDP over the course of lockdown as businesses closed up and demand slumped to save the population from Covid-19. But what is the British economy actually made of? Is GDP representative of the actual production of everyday people in the UK? Has chasing these golden numbers skewed the british economy into a place where traditional working class jobs are less important that they used to be? If there is to be a recovery and a green recovery at that, what does it look like under a Conservative government?

To discuss the effects of finance on the environment and the working class  we are joined by economist and writer Grace Blakeley (@graceblakeley). Grace is the author of Stolen: how to save the world from Finacialisation.

**links**
Stolen: How to save the world from Financialisation
https://repeaterbooks.com/product/stolen-how-to-save-the-world-from-financialisation/

Still The Enemy Within
https://the-enemy-within.org.uk/

The New politics of Class: The Politics Exclusion of the Working Class
https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-new-politics-of-class/geoffrey-evans/james-tilley/9780198755753
Graces article on state monopolism
https://tribunemag.co.uk/2020/06/the-era-of-state-monopoly-capitalism


**Shout outs**
Harriet L-S
@harrielspencer

Dianne Abbot MP
@HackneyAbbott

Simukai Chigudu
@SimuChigudu
And his article on the Rhodes must fall campaign from a few weeks ago.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/12/oxford-black-professors-cecil-rhodes-british-empire


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Local councils. Not your usual starting point when it comes to dealing with world wide crises like climate breakdown. Normally you'd associate them with the mundanity of bin collections and road works, tax bands and planning permission. Local councils however are our first interaction with democracy and thus our first opportunity to change the direction that our carbon cramming country is heading in. Joining us this week to discuss how local councils can be at the for-front of decarbonisation and greening the economy is Councillor Jon Burke from Hackney (@jonburkeUK). Speaking truth to power about how labour councils are locked together with the aviation industry and how environmentalism intersects with all parts of local government.

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*Links*
Gresham College lecture on Aneurin Bevan
https://youtu.be/3vgye4SvAzQ

The making of the the working class- E.P Thompson
https://uncomradelybehaviour.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/thompson-ep-the-making-of-the-english-working-class.pdf

*Shout outs*
Practical ways to support the Black Lives Matter movement
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1x65xLdIUDWMUl4_nkuD-EeP98UuJ2nuknUDsqUm7R9s/htmlview


Clyde Loakes @Labourstone Waltham Forest
Claire Holland @Clairekholland Lambeth
Sophoe McGeevor @SophieMcGeevor Lewisham
Adam Harrison @AdamDKharrison Camden

Upping it Mosside environmental community group
@UppingIt

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Here is a list of resources to support the BLM movement https://bit.ly/2MCdcKa

Covid-19 has resulted in a 17% drop in global emissions over the length of the crisis. How do we hold on to this silver lining after the economy starts back up and we return to "The new normal"? With transport being a whopping 3rd of emissions we have to look to other means of getting about that are better for the environment and better for us. This week on the pod we talk to Nick Hubble, otherwise known as the Prestwich Pootler (@pootlers), about cycling in Greater Manchester. We discuss how you don't have to reinvent the wheel (sorry not sorry) to make cycling accessible to all and what we can learn from our comrades on the continent. 


If you like the show tell your comrades!

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Shout Outs
Brian Deegan - Advisor to Manchester cycling and walking commissioner
@bricycle

Nandini Mitra
@_nmtr

Wheels for all- making cycling accessible for all.
https://cycling.org.uk/wheels-for-all

Manchester Bike Hire
https://manchesterbikehire.co.uk/

**Links**
Manchester Critical Mass Cycling group
https://www.manchesterfoe.org.uk/events/event/critical-mass/

Walk Ride GM
https://walkridegm.org.uk/

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From humble seeds do oak trees grow, from twitter frustration can a movement emerge. Labour for a Green New Deal had only been around for 6 months when it engaged in the longest composite meeting of the Labour Party conferences history. With now over 50 local groups across the country, demanding the Labour Party do better we sat down with co-founder of Lab4GND Chris Saltmarsh (@Chris_Saltmarsh). To discuss the movements beginnings, it's strategy and where we go next. 


Our previous episode with Angela Brown on the 2019 Labour conference.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/919177/2944135

Chris' article on Extinction Rebellion
https://novaramedia.com/2018/11/18/5-reasons-im-not-joining-the-extinction-rebellion/


**Shout Outs**
Angela Brown @Angel4Brown598
If you would like to get involved in Angelas' work in North Manchester follow the link below
https://www.facebook.com/groups/211148843589816

Acorn Housing union
https://acorntheunion.org.uk/

Mersey Labour GND
@MerseyLGND

Rutger Bregman new book HumanKind
@rcbregman
https://www.waterstones.com/book/humankind/rutger-bregman/9781408898932

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Last year Manchester council declared a climate emergency to the adulation of the city and the environmental movement. Two days later they decided to build a brand new car park in the heart of the city, a stark slap in the face to that same declaration. This week we talk to Trees Not Cars on their efforts to make more green space in the city center, the affects on the already disastrous levels of pollution on our health and what we can do to fight back against a contradicting council.

https://www.treesnotcars.com/

Trees not cars fundraisers
https://www.gofundme.com/f/trees-not-cars-mcr


Defra pollution monitor and forecast

https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/

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It's very easy to concentrate on the national news cycle. Big flashy stories and scandals that drip from the teleprompters of Sky and the BBC. But underneath cocaine habits and duck islands, local government ticks over with a slither of the amount of coverage. With the perception it's just about bin collection and bus time tables, councils and local government have substantial power still on how we support our ecosystem and where money is invested.

This week we are joined on the Pod by investigative journalist  Andrea Sandor (@wordstoseeby). Andreas  coverage includes the stripping of cycling provision across the city, the gentrification of the Northern Quarter and  Manchesters pollution crisis. We discuss why local journalism is more important than ever, how philosphy is keeping people from cycling  and how the Manchester Meteor is building a truly independent media.


Shout outs
Nick hubble cycling activist.
https://nickhubble.bike/

Build back better campaign
@BuildBckBetter
https://www.buildbackbetteruk.org/

IPPR study on the furlough scheme
https://www.ippr.org/files/2020-05/1589291707_who-wins-and-who-pays-may20.pdf

Deansgate pedestrianisation
https://aboutmanchester.co.uk/deansgate-set-for-partial-pedestrianisation-from-this-weekend/

If you like the show tell your comrades!
Find us on all the socials
Twitter:@MCRGND_POD
Insta: Manchestergndpod
FB:MCRGNDPOD

Support the show