Sunday, November 16, 2008
Debating sweatshops
After an initial introduction by Bhagwati there was a debate involving Ceri Dingle of Worldwrite a campaigner from War on Want and the owner of a fair trade fashion label. The advocates of ethical consumption came out with the usual clichés: complaining about free market economics and trickle down theory (even though neither had been mentioned by Bhagwati or Dingle). They also focused on sweatshops in the poorer countries without understanding that the plight of those working on the land is generally worse. There were also complaints about inequality (but not arguing for more growth) and an implicit assumption that the British government could somehow help trade unions organising in poorer countries. Dingle ably put the case for more growth, greater industrialisation and higher expectations.
Labels: consumption, development, ethics, radio, trade, work, Worldwrite
Thursday, July 31, 2008
BBC Analysis on geo-engineering
• Removing carbon dioxide from the oceans.
• Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
• Using lenses or mirrors to divert sunlight from the planet.
However, the discussion is still wracked with anxiety. On the one hand, some are arguing that things are getting so bad that geo-engineering might be necessary despite the possibility of damaging unintended consequences. On the other hand, others are worried that discussing geo-engineering could shift the discussion away from decarbonisation. An added worry seems to be that developing countries such as China and India – those that most need great increases in energy supply - could take a lead in developing the technology.
It is a pity there cannot be a more confident, forward-looking debate.
Labels: climate, environment, geo-engineering, radio, science
Friday, February 09, 2007
Discussion on work-life balance
"New research claims that it is getting harder to manage a work life balance." On need for more support for working couples with children, and for carers. Discussion with Jenny Watson, Chair Equal Opportunities Commission, and Mark Easton, home editor, BBC News. Easton: "There is a... more radical answer, which is that we could all do less... work less, commute less, move around less, Yes, we could earn a bit less... What the economists point out is that we can actually choose to work a three day week in this country, and we would _still_ have a standard of living far in excess of our grandparents... There are choices here we _do_ have... but are reluctant to take... Instead of spending more and more of our weekends in the office, so that we can pay for that giant mortgage and that new mobile phone, we could I suppose spend more time with our kids... The pressures in a society like ours to have the right stuff and to keep up with the Jones's... are very significant." Easton also celebrates Southern European extended families, which feature childcare by the 'younger old' and family care for the 'older old'."
Of course Easton is right to argue that individuals can make the choice of taking a cut in income in return for working fewer hours. But from a social perspective it is economic growth, and the accompanying rise in productivity, that has enabled a dramatic fall in working hours over the long-term.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Debating Oliver James on the radio
* His thesis takes the form of an attack on the rich. However, it is the poor who suffer as a result of attacks on affluence.
* He claimed that over the long-term working hours in America and Britain have lengthened. This is simply wrong. Long-term statistics on his this trend are tricky to interpret - for example, because of the rise of the number of women in the labour force - but there is no doubt the trend is for working hours to fall. Even apart from the working week people are spending more time in education and more time in retirement. The amount of back-breaking manual labour people have to do has fallen dramatically. Also, according to the latest figures from National Statistics, the average working week in Britain has fallen by one hour over the past 15 years. I intend to do more work on the subject of working hours in my book.
At lunchtime I had a rematch against Oliver James on the Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2. A summary of the debate can be read here. James made much of the fact he was talking about mental illness rather than unhappiness. He did not see the bigger picture of how his arguments relate to growth scepticism.
Labels: affluenza, America, happiness, media appearances, radio, work
Sunday, November 05, 2006
The Battle of Ideas
At the conference I also chaired a session in which Damned by Debt Relief, a film made by Worldwrite, had its world premiere. The film showed how the Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative imposes new conditions on the poor but does not offer any new money. A trailer for the film can be viewed here.
Other sessions at the weekend included a debate on the “happiness trap” and a series on the Battle over Nature.
Labels: affluenza, film, happiness, media appearances, radio, speeches, Worldwrite
Monday, October 16, 2006
Australian radio appearance
Labels: consumption, development, ethics, media appearances, radio
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Debating debt
I argued that debt was not a problem for most people as long as the economy was growing strongly and unemployment was low. In addition, much of the anti-debt campaign has a puritanical edge to it: a dislike for ordinary people buying luxury goods. However, this does not preclude a small minority having debt problems. Usually these are a result of changes in life circumstances such as divorce or unemployment.
My opponent was David Nellist, a former Labour MP. He presented debt as a huge problem for ordinary people; seduced by advertising and enticed by junk mail.
Labels: debt, media appearances, radio
