Transforming Our Futures

In this Podcast we speak to artist Heath Roselli about her oil painting “Dr J” which was commissioned in May 2020 when a family friend asked her to create a painting depicting frontline staff in the pandemic. Originally Heath wanted to depict what it must be like to be put on a ventilator as a patient and to create a snapshot of dedicated staff in ITU. The painting has succeeded in so vividly capturing the sheer relentlessness of a prolonged pandemic together with the mental toll on NHS staff.

Heath’s diverse and powerful work has attracted national media attention. In particular, her compelling series of portraits painted for healing purposes and stigma removal associated with issues including self-harm, widowhood and cancer, have commanded international acclaim, having been featured in the Times, the Telegraph, the Daily Mail, ITV News and BBC Radio 2. In 1999.

In this Podcast we interview local author Elaine Graham Leigh who tells us about her new book that has just been published. It is a science fiction novel based in the future when planets and galaxies are populated and travel possible.

It is is also a future where humanity has gone to the stars, but taken exploitation and oppression with them, this is a story of imperialism, resistance, friendship and ultimately, liberation

In this Podcast when we discuss the student researcher Katie English whether aiming for net zero to tackle climate change is enough or whether we need to aim for carbon zero,

Many local authorities and government’s Climate Action plant are largely based on trying to achieve carbon net zero at a target date like 2030 or beyond.

There has been considerable criticism of net zero targeting both nationally and globally because aiming for net zero means an organisation can continue to emit greenhouse gases as long it offsets this by developing carbon sinks to soak up emissions. James Hansen the world famous climate scientist has called this monkey business because offsetting is dubious in its effectiveness and avoids the real issue of reducing organisational emissions.

Many organisations are now developing carbon zero targets and not net carbon targets. Richard Murphy the economist working with the eminent group that developed the Green New Deal has argued that it is carbon zero that is vital and not net zero.

So in this Podcast we will will discuss with research student Katie English this issue and the debate raging around net zero targeting and to assess the Government & Council’s plans in the light of this debate. We will be looking at one North London Council as a case study of this.

Katie has recently done a Master’s Dissertation on the resistance to the Edmonton incinerator and its impact on public health and we did a webinar with her on this.

In this Podcast we will be talking to  Phil Armstrong from The Gower Institute and ask the question does money grow on trees?

During the economic crisis of 2008/2009 money seemed to appear from nowhere to bail out the Banks from the crisis of debt. It was called quantitive easing. And now during the crisis of Covid billions of pounds have been found to provide back up for those suffering the economic consequences and to fund the National Health Service.

And now many ask if it can be done now then why was it not done before. And others ask - are we not building up a national debt that will have to be repaid someday?

Well these two crises above are producing a new group of economists who argue that there is no such thing as national debt. Currency sovereign countries if they want money can create it by the flick of a computer switch. The only restraint on them is inflation. If inflation begins to rise then they can use fiscal policies to control it.

This new school of economics is called Modern Monetary Theory or MMT and it is a growing discipline that is fast challenging the monetarist theorists that influenced politicians like Regan and Thatcher leading to a period of austerity for many.

We will explore this and see if money does indeed grow on trees.

In this Podcast we talk to Kath MGuire from the Cambridge who with a group of local citizens and academics from Anglia Ruskin University are exploring how the “doughnut economics” described by Kate Raworth (in her book of the same name) can be applied to local authorities and communities.

It maybe a strange term to talk about doughnut economics but many communities and indeed cities across the globe are using Doughnut economics as a framework to bring what they do within the sustainability limits of the planet.

Amsterdam has adopted the Doughnut economic model as Brussels has and other cities are looking at it as well. Together with the Green New Deal it can provide a model for us to use to achieve the world we want and provide well being to all.

Cambridge now have a group working with Anglia Ruskin University to look at how it can be applied to their city and other cities in the UK are looking at it as well.

Doughnut economics was inspired by Kate Raworth in her book and it is has caught the interest of many local authorities as well as nation states.

In this Podcast we interview Alison Teal who faced up to two years in jail for allegedly ignoring an injunction brought by Sheffield city council over its controversial programme, which has resulted in about 5,500 mature trees being chopped down. This was dismissed by the judge when it went to Court.

Alison has worked closely with Rupert Read an academic and a campaigner and a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion. Read is a reader in philosophy at the University of East Anglia. The precautionary principle in climate and environmental affairs underlies many of his talks and presentations as he believes without precaution we are on the way to ecological disaster.

Alison has advocated ways we should act to avoid ecological catastrophe. So in this webinar we will discuss how climate change and the decline in bio diversity is endangering our future and what immediate measure we need to take to avert disaster.

Alison’s professional background is in psychology and family therapy and I’ve worked with enough individuals, couples and families to know how damaging low income, inequality, poor health and lack of opportunity can be to a person’s wellbeing and relationships. I’ve previously been involved in campaigns for social justice, women’s equality, the environment, and democracy..

In this Podcast we interview Lia Dover who was born in Argentina when her country was under a dictatorship and who then came to the UK and then stayed. In this interview we will explore her journey that saw 40 years of activism in the United Kingdom.

What led Lia to be so active in many causes from amnesty International, the United Nations, from work with the homeless to environmental issues. Was it her escape from the dictatorship in Argentina that made her passionate about human rights and environmentalism

Is this battle a universal one that we should all be conscious of whatever country we live in?

Lia was born in South America and came to England, the land of her ancestors, at a time when her country was under a military dictatorship. She only intended to stay for a year, but she is still here, 40 years on. She has a passion for the defence of human rights, and worked as a researcher and campaigns director for Amnesty International for many years, before moving on to do consultancy work for the United Nations and then to become a solicitor. She dedicated her legal work to helping the homeless in London. After retirement she became involved in environmental issues. She is a volunteer at The Ark, a community service based at St John ‘s Church in Palmers Green, and she is currently the Acting Chair of the Fox Lane and District Residents Association.

In this Podcast we talk with Chantelle Purcell & Mark Beattie from Hive Artist Studios in Edmonton North London where their mission is to bring art to the community.

Artist Hive Studios (AHS) is a unique studio hub that fosters the development of an artist’s career, providing affordable studio spaces in a creative environment. AHS is a space run by artists for artists.

Artist Hive Studios (AHS) is a unique studio hub that fosters the development of an artist’s career, providing affordable studio spaces in a creative environment. AHS is a space run by artists for artists.

Our social purpose is to provide access to the arts bridging the gap between culture and community. We believe in the importance of creativity and how it can help transform the world in which we live.

These are just two of the ents taking place in the next seven days and you are welcome to come and join us.

In this Podcast we interview Richard Murphy on what a Green New Deal is and how it can be applied to our localities to achieve both sustainability and climate justice.

Richard is one of the leading authorities in the country and helped to design the elements of a new green deal that combines tackling emissions and achieving climate justice. I doing this he worked with a group of prominent people including Anne Pettifer of the Jubilee Campaign.

Richard believes that whilst it would seem that many of the Green New Deal issues require major upfront funding (and that is indisputable) as much can be done by highlighting how local people might work together to effect change. This is what we will mainly discuss in the interview

Richard Murphy is a chartered accountant and a political economist. He has been described by the Guardian newspaper as an “anti-poverty campaigner and tax expert”. He is Professor of Practice in International Political Economy at City University, London and Director of Tax Research UK. He is a member of the Progressive Economy Forum.  Richard was a co-founder of the Tax Justice Network and Green New Deal, as well as the Fair Tax Mark.  He is the founder-director of the Corporate Accountability Network.