Divestment – great on the large scale – yet what of all the little co-operatives?

Divestment is a word that has been banded about as a trend in the mid 2010’s and with some successful campaigns encouraging industry and Government to support a switch in support towards more ‘sustainable’ resources.

Can we really pull all funding away from these ‘bad sources’ of coal burning/oil exploration? Will divestment really make a fundamental shift in such a short term? It would be naïve to believe that hundreds of millions of sterlings, Euro’s, Dollars, Yen will switch over in a short amount of time that the carpet will be pulled under from all these dirty technologies?

Unlikely …..

It may be premature to mention that nuclear and fossil fuels have ‘lost the race’ as transition is not as easy as many believe. With pension schemes from big UK firms looking to potentially switch investments towards massive projects such as Swansea Tidal Lagoon (and Cardiff and Newport Lagoons) yet what about all the smaller co-operatives that have been screaming out for funding for the last twenty years? Will they continue to be overlooked?

There are many heroes that it would not be right to forget about who pioneered community renewables and investing in local areas yet were unsuccessful in their initial renewable energy applications at the turn of the century (Awel Aman Tawe  in Swansea and Arts Factory  in Ferndale) yet hopefully their reinvented practises will flourish this time around as the 2010’s recognises greater need for co-operatives in renewables, housing, food, skills etc.

Divestment is important, yet what was holding it back a decade ago in boom periods? After all the media pomp has quietened ….. will we remember the investment in small co-operatives? Or will we look towards the larger impressive projects?

What choice would you make?

Global Carbon Emissions To Hit Record 36 Billion Tonnes In 2013

This entry came from AECB's Newsletter December 2013:

 

Global emissions of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels are set to rise by more than 2% to reach a record high of 36 billion tonnes, according to new figures from the Global Carbon Project. The 2.1% rise projected for 2013 means global emissions from burning fossil fuel are 61% above 1990 levels. Co-led by researchers from the Tyndall Centre at the University of East Anglia (UEA), the 2.1% rise projected for 2013 means global emissions from burning fossil fuel are 61% above 1990 levels, the baseline year for the Kyoto Protocol.

In addition to the release of today's figures, the Global Carbon Project has launched a new online platform, which provides more detail on the world's biggest carbon emitters. The platform reveals that the biggest contributors to fossil fuel emissions in 2012 were China (27%), the US (14%), the European Union (10%), and India (6%). The projected rise for 2013 comes after a similar rise of 2.2%in 2012. However, the rise in fossil fuel emissions in 2012 and 2013 was slower compared to the average 2.7% of the past 10 years. Growth rates in CO2 for major emitting countries in 2012 were China (5.9%) and India (7.7%). Meanwhile, US emissions declined by 3.7% and Europe declined by 1.8%.

While emissions per person in China matched figures in the EU at seven tonnes in 2012, the US is still among the highest emitter per person at 16 tonnes. By comparison people in India produce a carbon footprint of just 1.8 tonnes. Turning to the source of emissions, the research found that most emissions are from coal (43%), then oil (33%), gas (18%), cement (5.3%) and gas flaring (0.6%). The growth in coal in 2012 accounted for 54% of the growth in fossil fuel emissions.

The figures also showed that CO2 emissions from deforestation and other land-use change added 8% to the emissions from burning fossil fuels. Cumulative emissions of CO2 since 1870 are set to reach 2015 billion tonnes in 2013 - with 70% caused by burning fossil fuels and 30% from deforestation and other land-use changes.

Professor Pierre Friedlingstein from the University of Exeter said: "We have exhausted about 70% of the cumulative emissions that keep global climate change likely below two degrees. In terms of CO2 emissions, we are following the highest climate change scenario of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released in September."

Full story at http://www.edie.net/news/6/Global-carbon-emissions-to-hit-record-36-billion-tonnes-in-2013-/

 

Davius footnote: It does appear bleak at times - yet everyone of us have a key part to play in lowering emissions. You may feel helpless in your activities to reduce your burden - yet the smallest things done on a personal/individual/local/community basis will have some positive knock on effect to improve our prospects of reducing our carbon burden.

 

What can you do?

Are Co-Operatives re-emerging as a viable way forward for stable local economy, social inclusion and renewable energy to support our communities?

Co-Operatives in the UK – a viable solution to our problems?

Given a recent great deal of public lectures, interviews, surveys and research has been undertaken - it illuminates the fact that it would seem that Co-Operatives are making a strong resurgence in recent years. The internet makes for massive global co-operative, where we are encouraged to air our views by blogs, forums, videos, own websites, contributing to others websites - yet for the most part there is a global exchange of ideals, comments and proverbial exchange of (mental) fire.

In essence we are contributing to a larger scale co-operative over the last two decades which is becoming increasingly more efficient and organised. It would seem there are no boundaries if you want to make some contribution and partake in something larger than ourselves as individual entities.

Co-operatives still bring to mind images of low key operations, yet they are making a strong stand now in the adverse face of economic decline and the possible failure of globalisation/outsourcing etc.

The retail business; John Lewis are constantly mentioned by the Government and media as example of a business philosophy where the rewards are shared amongst the staff involved in the running of the company - at ALL levels, with no one being left out in the cold. This supports a comprehensive Social Inclusion which is one of the three tiers of Sustainable Development.

On Thursday, 8^th March 2012 Veteran economist Robin Murray (London School of Economics) and Prof Stephen Yeo  (chair of the Co-Operative Heritage Trust) proudly gave a public lecture at Cardiff University on Co-Operatives in the 21st Century and reflected on where we came from and what direction are we going in? Why are Co-Operatives more successful in Europe than the UK?

The end result was although the status, the practice, the guidelines and rules that British Co-Operatives put up front are practical and functional which all involved parties are easily able to adhere to, what was lacking was up front funds. Something Northern European countries had been successful in was pulling in the funds up front to get so many ventures within the co-operatives started. So what can the UK do to improve this situation? (See 'the problem is ....' below)

(Renewable) Energy Co-Operatives

This is an area of great interest, particularly with its formidable opportunities of energy security and supporting the triad within Sustainability principles of:

1. Social Inclusion - local co-operatives for communities to get behind and reap the benefits from.
2. Stable Economics - local economic benefits, the sales made in the area directly feed the profits back into the local area/community to make improvements/regeneration.
3. Benign Environmental Activity - a Wind Power, Micro-Hydro or Community owned Solar/PV installation has obvious zero (or negative) Carbon positive environmental contributions to make. 

There are active Wind co-operatives such AAT (Awel Aman Tawe), Allt Dearg Community Wind Farm or Westmill Co-Operatives and organisations such as Arts Factory are engaging the concepts of community owned renewable energy Co-Operative initiatives. Additionally micro-Hydro co-operatives such as Torrs Hydro are in operation around the UK. How can we expand these to more communities everywhere? Are Co-Operatives the answer? What are the initial hurdles to overcome? 

Housing Co-Operatives

Housing Co-Operatives are becoming more evident over the years, with new exciting initiatives always on the horizon. One such group is Co-Housing Cymru, which is looking for prospective members to invest and partake in this sustainable housing co-operative. This will encourage real community roots, a stronger inter-connectivity within the social context, sourcing local materials (less transportation kilometres and energy waste) and environmentally benign building activities that makes for much less C&D (Construction and Demolishing) waste.

The problem is ……… 

In other European countries, the existing co-operatives have evolved in a different manner to British ones, they have a stronger source of central funding for the foundation of their projects. In the UK this is sadly something that has come up short.

The strong foundation of co-operative organisation is in place, the rules, the conduct, well managed strong social/economic ethos, the processing is all in place – yet finding the funding to get small to large scale projects up and running are a real challenge for the British Co-Operatives. So what can the UK do? The problem (like everything else) is a lack of money!

A proposal:

So how do we go forward? Marriage of socialism and capitalism – for example; a co-operative foundation set up an energy co-op. they have 5000 members in the locality of a small town, yet are severely short of fund. Thus the co-operative (successful in its bank application criteria) take out a conventional bank loan to set up the e.g. Micro-Hydro scheme or several wind turbines.

The loan equates to 3-9 million pounds, euro’s, dollars (your own countries currency) which will pay for the manufacturing of the hardware/turbine technology, planning, monitoring, the installation and commissioning and the many other necessities to make the projects viable.

The negotiations are concluded [between Bank and Co-operative] in a manner that sale of the electricity will fund the following processes: 

·         Repayment of the bank loan (for the first 5-10 years) Main immediate priority - short term.

·         Funds injected into the local community to support/set up/maintain - all long term priority! 

§  Post offices, Crèche, Public amenities etc.

§  Community rebuilding programmes.

§  Training programmes for those seeking new employment/career change etc.

·        Once the bank loan is repaid – more money will be available for the local economy and regeneration processes.

Obviously, even with the cuts (although as of April 2012 this may have been held off yet again!) in Fit’s [Feed in Tariff’s] the potentially lower rates paid for export of renewable energy to the grid, will still support renewable energy schemes as an additional bonus to help reduce payback period and inject more funds into the community. Many incentives are set up, public demand is there; it is merely down to strong and sound minds forming the initial co-operative and moving the notion forward.

The list of community improvements will be extensive and many of the co-operatives being established at present will have some very unique ideas. Now doubt these ideas and results will be published online in the future as case studies to encourage people all over the world to partake in such new ventures.

Is this revolutionary?

Are these ideas really that new? Or are we just going back to basics? Centuries ago; co-operatives were the norm as a means of fair and equal sharing, where everyone in the community (as equals) were involved. Basic guidelines gave us a standard to work to, this evolved as the co-operatives were pulled to growth. In one respect, we are merely realigning ourselves with what has been established for a very long time before our selfish dabble of materialism began, en mass, in the mid-20^th century to present - which although believed to be a strong source of supporting GDP [Gross Domestic Product] such indulgences of materialism and acquiring it, was one of the main contributory factors for causing many recessions.

Just as there has been a recent re-ignition of so many old traditional ways of life: Co-Operatives, Generational housing, communities are reconnecting – frequently pulled to growth as people understand we cannot go it alone. Establishment of farmers markets are bringing farmers and the communities back together. Credit Unions are pushing to get more local funds available for their respective members.

We can get there!

More people are taking a strong interest in investing in Community Renewable Energy platforms, Local Food Markets, Sustainable Housing projects - We encourage you to do your research and get involved in this exciting re-emerging Co-Operatives markets. It will be a strong foot forward to improving our quality of life; socially, economically, environmentally, spiritually and make for happier lifestyles and a productive society!