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Call for Papers on "An Environmental Look at the Collapse of Capitalism"
24 December 08
Synthesis/Regeneration
c/o WD Press, P.O. Box 300275, St. Louis MO 63130
E-mail: fitzdon@aol.com
http://www.greens.org/s-r/Call for Papers on "An Environmental Look at the Collapse of Capitalism"
Synthesis/Regeneration: A Magazine of Green Social Thought invites the submission of papers of 1500-2500 words by
- February 1, 2009 for the Spring 2009 issue, or
- May 1, 2009 for the Summer 2009 issue.
The spasmodic gasps amidst the downward spiral of the stock market presents a golden opportunity for the social improvements we all yearn for. A big decrease in production has the potential to benefit the entire world.
- It is the time to remove toxins such as lead, mercury and chlorine from production.
- It is a good reason to dramatically reduce production of coal, oil, nukes and gas, along with the greenhouse gases that accompany them.
- It is an opportunity to replace the privately owned automobile with buses, trains, shared vehicles and walking/bicycling communities.
- It is an opportunity to require durability standards for goods from appliances to homes in order to compensate for reduced production.
- It is an opportunity to eliminate trade based on cheap labor and lax environmental standards.
- Most important, it is time to ask if lowering production means we can survive best with a work week of 30 hours, 25 hours or 20 hours.
Unfortunately, political pontiffs of virtually every stripe blather that the US must do whatever it can to save "the economy." From Republican to Democrat to union bureaucrats to self-labeled "socialists" to Washington-based "environmentalists," there is a monotone chorus that saving "the economy" means resuscitating growth - the ever-increasing production of junk that is unnecessary, wasteful and/or destructive.
Corporate media has no space for a discussion of how societies can survive better with less. But Synthesis/Regeneration does. The S/R Editorial Board invites articles that address the problem that some people must work exhaustive hours so that their neighbors can be out of work, their children can suffer toxic poisoning, their grandchildren can be fried by global warming, and "the market" can wallow in a cesspool of useless crap.
Now is the time to design a new economy. Let S/R readers know what you feel needs to be included in that design. Send articles to fitzdon@aol.com embedded in the message and as DOC or RTF attachments [no DOCX or PDF attachments please].
See the S/R web site at: www.greens.org/s-r/
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