George Monbiot is a British journalist and public intellectual, who is also known for his environmental activism. He co-founded the group This Land Is Ours, whose purpose was to try to revitalise public engagement in decisions about how the land is used. The group waged a peaceful campaign for the right of access to the countryside and its resources in the United Kingdom. His latest book, Out of the Wreckage: A new politics for an age of crisis (August 2017) followed on the heels of How Did We Get into This Mess? (February 2017). His other best selling books are The Age of Consent: a manifesto for a new world order (2003) and Captive State: the corporate takeover of Britain (2000). Monbiot has written a weekly column for The Guardian newspaper since 1996. Visit his website at www.monbiot.com.
Resilience.org short break
By Resilience.org Staff, Resilience.org
The Resilience.org editorial team are taking a short break from 13-14 July. Regular posting will resume on Wednesday 15 July.
Britain’s Claims to Being a Functioning Democracy are Only Skin Deep
By George Monbiot, The Guardian blog
Established power in this country is surrounded by a series of defensive rings. As soon as you begin to name them, you see that the UK is a democracy only in the weakest and shallowest sense.
Tory Privatisation is at the Heart of the UK’s Disastrous Coronavirus Response
By George Monbiot, The Guardian blog
There is a consistent reason for the multiple, systemic failures the pandemic has exposed: the intrusion of corporate power into public policy. Privatisation, outsourcing and offshoring have severely compromised the UK’s ability to respond to a crisis.
Coronavirus Shows us it’s Time to Rethink Everything. Let’s Start with Education
By George Monbiot, The Guardian blog
As local authorities in Scotland point out, outdoor learning could be the best means of getting children back to school, as it permits physical distancing. It lends itself to re-engagement with the living world.
What Does ‘National Defence’ Mean in a Pandemic? It’s no Time to Buy Fighter Jets
By George Monbiot, The Guardian blog
If ever there were a time to reassess the genuine threats to our security and separate them from the self-interested aims of the weapons industry, this is it. Yet our governments’ primary effort is to enhance their power at the expense of other countries. In failing to address our real and common threats, we are our own adversaries.
The Horror Films Got it Wrong. This Virus has Turned us into Caring Neighbours
By George Monbiot, The Guardian blog
There is no guarantee that this resurgence of collective action will survive the pandemic. We could revert to the isolation and passivity that both capitalism and statism have encouraged. But I don’t think we will.
We Should Stop Buying Fish until the Industry Stops Slaughtering Dolphins
By George Monbiot, The Guardian blog
Is there any difference between the accidental but inevitable mass killing of dolphins by the fishing industry, and the deliberate annual massacre in Japan, that rightly causes such public outrage? If something is morally wrong, no amount of money can make it morally right. The slaughter of dolphins and other magnificent wildlife is, on any measure, morally wrong. If you agree, there’s a simple answer. Stop buying fish.
The Government Must Abandon its Fossil Fuel Power Projects. If Not, we’ll Sue
By George Monbiot, The Guardian blog
No longer should our survival be an afterthought. If we are to withstand the climate crisis, every decision should begin with the question of what the planet can endure. This means that any discussion about new infrastructure should begin with ecological constraints. The figures are stark.
If We Want to Cut Flooding We Should Stop Burning the Moorland
By George Monbiot, The Guardian blog
Since 2014, when I first wrote about how government policies exacerbate flooding, there has been a growing realisation, in and out of government, that impeding the flow of water off the land, desynchronising flood peaks in the tributaries and slowing a river’s pace can reduce flooding downstream – saving lives, homes and infrastructure.