News from Shaun Chamberlin

Shaun brings news from the Fleming Policy Centre. In the December 2015 TEQs newsletter he writes:

“As the fallout continues, many of you may be confused by the outcome of the recent COP21 climate talks in Paris, variously reported as:

“A victory for all of the planet and future generations” ~ John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State
“We did it! A turning point in human history!“ ~ Avaaz
“10/10 for presentation, 4/10 for content” ~ Kevin Anderson, climate scientist
“A historic moment and positive step forward … but not the legally-binding science and justice-based agreement that was needed“ ~ Friends of the Earth UK
“A sham” ~ Friends of the Earth International
“It’s a fraud really, a fake” ~ James Hansen, climate scientist
“Our leaders have shown themselves willing to set our world on fire“ ~ Naomi Klein, author/activist
“Epic fail on a planetary scale” ~ New Internationalist
“The US is a cruel hypocrite. This is a deliberate plan to make the rich richer and the poor poorer” ~ Lidy Nacpil, Asian People’s Movement on Debt and Development

COP21: a clear win for political reality – a clear loss for every life form dependent on a livable climate

Our take is that when there is a fundamental rift between the physical reality of our changing climate and the political reality tasked with responding to this, this agreement – based on voluntary emissions pledges which even if met would mean more emissions in 2030 than today – is a clear win for political reality. In other words, a clear loss for every life form dependent on a livable climate.

Sadly, it is not hard to identify the agendas of those hailing the Paris agreement as a great success. The whole conference has, in essence, been smoke and mirrors, distracting us from the real work of reintegrating human society with the reality that it depends on. As most impartial observers predicted, the UN have again failed to deliver an agreement that preserves the future of either humanity or the wider biosphere.

The Paris agreement is, in short, based on non-binding commitments to deliver on dodgy mathematics through the application of technologies that do not yet (and may never) exist.

TEQs is the alternative – a Citizens’ Energy Framework for retaining both a benign climate and secure access to energy.

In other words, everything we love.

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David Fleming’s Lean Logic

Shaun Chamberlin prepared his great friend’s manuscript for publication, and marked the recent fifth anniversary of Fleming’s death by releasing his editor’s preface.

Left: the cover for the full posthumous publication of TEQs creator David Fleming’s unique masterwork Lean Logic: A Dictionary for the Future and How to Survive It, which is now available for pre-order, and has its own dedicated web page. Note that TEQs is only one of 400+ entries therein, so this book gives a MUCH broader idea of Fleming’s radical vision.

Shaun has also produced a paperback version in a more conventional read-it-front-to-back format. Surviving the Future: Culture, Carnival and Capital in the Aftermath of the Market Economy is intended to provide a lighter introduction to Fleming’s entertaining writing.

Both books will be published simultaneously in the summer. Pre-orders can now be placed with Chelsea Green (U.S. orders – currently offering a 35% pre-Christmas discount!) or the Green Shopping Network (U.K./European orders)

Please follow our Twitter account: @TEQsUK

Read the whole newsletter here: http://us8.campaign-archive2.com/?u=91018db74f5a4866351a62fa6&id=55e429392e&e=[UNIQID]

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News from Shaun Chamberlin

Shaun recently lead authored a peer-reviewed academic paper on David Fleming‘s TEQs (Tradable Energy Quotas) system, which was published earlier this month.

He is delighted to let all know that the right ‘home’ for David’s work has been found: Chelsea Green, who published Shaun’s Transition book some years ago, have just signed a contract to publish David’s Lean Logic in full and will also be simultaneously publishing a paperback ‘abridged version’ that Shaun has edited into a more conventional read-it-front-to-back format.

As editor Shaun now has a lot of work to do ahead of delivering the manuscripts in August. The publication of both new versions is anticipated for somewhere around the end of this year, and he hopes might even be as soon as the fifth anniversary of David’s death, at the end of November, commenting: “ Experience teaches though that this may be pushing it!”

Some of David’s closest friends and family arranged a self-published edition (left) in the summer of 2011, but Shaun hopes that this new version will do full justice to David’s vision for the book, with the benefit of careful editing and with an established publishing house who are excited at the project putting their full efforts behind its production and promotion.

He is also hopeful that the paperback version may prove more attractive to ‘Fleming newcomers’ (as publishers had suggested to us might be the case) and hence generate a wider audience for the full work.

The earlier self-published version may well come to be seen as a collector’s edition, and the royalties from all the books will continue to flow to David’s estate and be used in support of his work and legacy.

Shaun asks readers to spread the word (Chelsea Green’s own promotional efforts will kick in later in the year).

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The GenerationNext making waves, Shaun and Rashneh

Recently on this website we focussed on networkers working with and for the younger generation. We now turn to some members of the GenerationNext.

Shaun Chamberlin, in addition to other initiatives, is carrying forward the work of The Fleming Policy Centre, an independent research centre founded by the late Dr. David Fleming in 1994, best known as the originator (in 1996) of the TEQs system. The Centre aims to design and develop strategies in the context of the environmental problems that are now facing society – especially climate change and the depletion of fossil fuels.

The latest news: a joint seminar on TEQs was held in July by the All Party Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group (PRASEG) and the All Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group (APPCCG) at the House of Commons (Committee Room 17).

Speakers were the Centre’s Managing Director Shaun Chamberlin, Prof. Michael Grubb and Dr. Tina Fawcett. The event was chaired by MP Alan Whitehead.

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Shaun would appreciate the words of Rashneh Pardiwala from Mumbai, who was invited to give a presentation at the Edinburgh India Institute Inaugural Conference (15-16May):

(E)mbedded in (India’s) memory is a culture of frugality and a survival instinct rooted in ‘jugaad’ or the creative use of meagre resources. These have been a part of the Indian psyche long before Global Warming and Climate Change made ‘sustainability’ a buzz word and an essential practice.

However, unfortunately, in the last two decades, in a quest to achieve rapid economic development, India veered off the path of ‘sustainability’ with grave consequences. But now with the pressures of over-population leading to resource depletion and rising inflation combined with climatic changes, the country has once again been forced to revisit its ancient wisdom of ‘resource consciousness’. Read more here.

Rashneh was asked to accompany and assist Dr. Abdul Kalam, former President of India, in an unscripted session where he answered students’ questions.

She and her colleague Kitayun Rustom, with CERE’s increasing staff, are now established in their new office, after completely renovating it.

Before . . .

The Bombay Municipal Corporation had refused to renew the lease of their first premises and they were forced to take a large bank loan. Lack of space had prevented them from employing more researchers and restricted their daily working hours; in addition they were not allowed entry on ‘each and every national, state and optional holiday’ when the school building was shut down.

After: the new office just before they moved in, looking spacious because there are no researchers and equipment in the picture.

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Next post: GenerationNext news from Rianne ten Veen, Ben Dyson, Molly Scott Cato and Karen Leach

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News from Shaun Chamberlin

Shaun has issued an invitation to a seminar on TEQs in the House of Commons (Committee Room 17) at 2pm on the 15^th of July.

The joint seminar is being held by the All Party Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group (PRASEG) and the All Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group (APPCCG).

TEQs is an electronic system that would guarantee that a nation meets its emissions reductions targets, ensure fair access to energy for all, and support the active participation and cooperation of citizens and all other energy users in rapidly reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. Read more: http://www.teqs.net/

The event will be chaired by Alan Whitehead MP, and will take place at the House of Commons (Committee Room 17) from 2pm-3:30pm on Tuesday 15th July. Full details here. 

Speakers:

Shaun Chamberlin, TEQs’ Managing Director

Dr. Tina Fawcett, Environmental Change Institute, Oxford University

Prof. Michael Grubb, Cambridge University Centre for Climate Change Mitigation Research (invited)Please reply to Neha Nijhon at the APPCCG Secretariat either by email or telephone: +44 (0)20 7833 6035.

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Read the latest TEQs newsletter here: http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=91018db74f5a4866351a62fa6&id=3ee4d30818&e=bf3bd5ac48

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News from Shaun Chamberlin

David, 2nd left

”In memory of Dr. David Fleming (1940-2010), the man who invented TEQs way back in 1996, The Lean Economy Connection organisation which has been campaigning for TEQs will henceforth be known as The Fleming Policy Centre. An honour”.

The Fleming Policy Centre is an independent research centre founded by the late Dr. David Fleming in 1994. It works to design and develop strategies in the context of the environmental problems that are now upon society – especially climate change and the depletion of fossil fuels – and is best known as the originator (in 1996) of the TEQs system.

In part thanks to the Centre’s growing partnership with the Resource Cap Coalition Shaun, the managing director, was invited to speak at the Annual Conference of the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), at which he sat on a panel (far right) with the EU Commissioner for the Environment, the Secretary General of the EEB and the Executive Director of the European Environment Agency.

His 7 minute talk is available here (1:04:32 – 1:12:12)

In December Dr. Larch Maxey and Matt Finch represented the Centre’s team at the Royal Society’s Radical Emissions Reductions conference, organised by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. This was an excellent event, featuring both formal and informal discussion of ‘Personal Carbon Trading’ (now the generic academic term for TEQs and related ideas, despite being a little misleading).

Dr. Chris Shaw is another new TEQs ally, based at the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute. His work on the excellent ‘Climate Crunch‘ project investigated the reasons underlying the current impasse on adequate climate/energy policy. Out of this has come a recognition that TEQs could provide a key to breaking through this impasse, and so Chris contacted us to explore closer collaboration.

A joint bid is now in for ESRC funding to allow Chris to spend a year working with a wide range of stakeholders to develop understanding of, and engagement with, TEQs. Fingers crossed!

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More news about the Centre’s work may be seen on its website: http://www.flemingpolicycentre.org.uk/

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Update from Shaun Chamberlin

Shaun Chamberlin quotes: 

“Tradable personal carbon allowances could make a big contribution to reducing energy consumption and therefore carbon emissions in Britain” – Tim Yeo MP, Chair, House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Select Committee. 

He wrote, earlier in December: 

“As global emissions continue to rise, the latest round of international climate talks are nearing their end in Durban.  The Secretary General of the United Nations has admitted that “The ultimate goal of a comprehensive and binding climate change agreement may be beyond our reach – for now”. 

”And just as in Copenhagen two years ago, even if they do cobble something together in the next day or two, an agreement actually in line with climate science isn’t even close to the negotiating table.  It is painful to see our collective future being deemed too expensive or politically difficult to preserve.  If your economics deems catastrophic climate destabilisation the cheapest option, then surely something is wrong with your economics?” 

Ed: The conference agreed to a legally binding deal comprising all countries, which will be prepared by 2015, and to take effect in 2020.There was also progress regarding the creation of a Green Climate Fund (GCF) for which a management framework was adopted. The fund is to distribute US$100 billion per year to help poor countries adapt to climate impacts. Scientists and environmental groups warned that the deal was not sufficient to avoid global warming beyond 2°C as more urgent action is needed.

The focus must soon turn from agreeing them to actually achieving carbon budgets

“Some are starting to argue that given the ongoing failure to reach an international agreement, countries or groups of countries should just go it alone and get on with reducing emissions.  I can see both sides of that particular debate, but the fact remains that whether carbon budgets are agreed nationally or internationally, the focus must soon turn from agreeing them to actually achieving them.  As yet, I still see no realistic alternative to TEQs (or something very like it) for doing so, so while the political circus plays out, the quiet work of spreading understanding of the scheme continues, through the efforts of our global team of TEQs ambassadors.”

Video conference with Ontario Environment Commissioner and Tyndall Centre

”As mentioned in the previous update, our friends at the Niagara Climate Change Network organised a video conference with me, John Broderick of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Research (UK) and Gord Miller, the Ontario Environment Commissioner (Canada) to discuss the latest information on climate change and TEQs.  A productive conversation was had, of which a recording can be found here, and the Network are pursuing possibilities regarding funding for a regional trial of TEQs, supported by Sustainable Niagara.

Parliamentary report translations for Spain, Italy and the Amazon(!)

“The work of translating January’s Parliamentary report on TEQs into Italian is now complete.  We are now just awaiting the final graphic design before making it available for all Italian language readers.

“A team in Peru, led by TEQs Ambassador Mark Turner, has also undertaken translating the report into Spanish.

“Finally, after a number of requests, I have made the report (in English) available on Amazon.co.uk  However, you’d still be well-advised to head over to www.teqs.net for hard copies at a cheaper price, and free downloads in pdf format.

TEQs will be featured in three new books

“Following on from earlier highlights like David Strahan’s The Last Oil Shock and the Centre for Alternative Technology’s Zero Carbon Britain, three new books featuring TEQs are being published in late 2011/early 2012:

“Already published is Grow Small, Think Beautiful: Ideas for a Sustainable World from Schumacher College, which contains a chapter from me putting TEQs within the wider context of the cultural changes required for true sustainability.  This felt a very appropriate project, as I first met David Fleming, the inventor of TEQs, when he taught me on Schumacher College’s Life After Oil course in 2006.

“The first forthcoming book, Colin Campbell’s Peak Oil Personalities, is a collection of biographical essays by some of the key figures who have played a crucial role in raising awareness globally about the impact of Peak Oil.  David Fleming was invited to feature, but sadly passed away before completing his contribution to the book, so my obituary for him, as carried in The Ecologist and The Times, is included instead.

“Also due out in Spring 2012 is Pluto Press’  What are we struggling for?: Utopian and practical visions for the future, which “collects proposals and intuitions from a global selection of radical thinkers to offer the first radical, yet pluralist, collective manifesto for the new decade”.

“Look out for all three!

Actuarial Climate Literature Review

“We have also granted permission for the Institute of Actuaries to include a summary of the Parliamentary report in their second Actuarial Climate Literature Review, which will be freely available, both online and in hard copy, once released.”

Shaun Chamberlin

TEQs Development Director
The Lean Economy Connection
www.teqs.net
TEQs Forum
TEQs Facebook group
TEQs LinkedIn group