How We Create True Abundance (and an Exciting Announcement!)

Hi hi,

This month I decided to turn back to a topic that I haven’t talked about in some years: solarpunk! I recently read Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson’s book Abundance and found the political strategies to achieve abundance quite lacking. So, I thought exploring what true abundance looks like through the beautiful art of solarpunk artists would be a fun and fulfill exercise. You can check out the video below if you’re interested in learning more!

As always, you can find three quotes and three links I found useful during my research process.

Also, I have some very exciting news! I’m now officially on the anti-capitalist, worker-owned streaming service Means TV. This has been in the works for a while and the day has finally come when I get to announce it :). I’ve got a bunch of bonus videos and release my videos a month early on there, so if you want to check it out head over to this link: https://means.tv/programs/OCC

Three Quotes:

1. “We live with abundance not because we choose but because the economic system is designed to create this kind of abundance. When the maximization of profit is completely disconnected from satisfaction of needs, we end up with an economy that produces useless stuff just to keep going.”

   — Vlad Bunea

2. “If the state can derisk private capital, it could start derisking commons, instead. By combining mass mobilisation and concerted strategies, workers and citizens can convince them to do that. In the book’s second part, the authors sketch an institutional strategy to achieve this called “public-common partnership” (PCP).”

   — London School of Economics

3. “Building popular protagonism—in which, through democratic deliberation and collective action, the popular classes become the main characters in social re-transformation—is the task that can orient the left through the protracted work of anti-capitalist transition.”

   — The Nation

Three Links:

1. We Need Radical Abundance (The Nation)

2. Abundance Liberalism or Social Efficiency: A Review of 'Abundance' (Cosmonaut)

3. Cooperation Jackson Presents - "The Build and Fight Formula": Introduction (Democracy @ Work)

In addition to Means TV, you can also support Our Changing Climate directly through Patreon: www.patreon.com/OurChangingClimate

Hope you have a great day,

In solidarity,

Charlie