Tag Archives: thinktanks

Fṛm Đ Gardịn: With our food systems on the verge of collapse, it’s the plutocrats v life on Earth

Illustration: Kingsley Nebechi/The Guardian
Iḷstreśn: Cñzli Nebechi/Ɖ Gardịn

Wɖ ǎr fūdsistmz on ɖ vrj v c’laps, it’s ɖ plūṭcrats v. lîf on Rʈ

Transcription of a Guardian article of 15 July 2023

Clîṃtbrecdǎn n croplosz ʈretn ǎr svîvl, bt ɖ ultṛrić fînd evr mor crietiv wez t mnten ɖ steṭs qo

George Monbiot

Jorj Monbio, Saṭde, 15 Jlî 2023

Acordñ t Gūgl’z nyzsrć, ɖ mīdia hz run mor ɖn 10,000 storiz ɖs yir abt Fílip Scǒfīld, ɖ Britiś teḷviźnprizntr hu rzînd ovr an afer wɖ a yungr colīg. Gūgl olso recordz a globl totl v fîv nyzstoriz abt a sạntific pepr publiśt last wīc, śowñ ɖt ɖ ćansz v simlteńs croplosz in ɖ wrld’z mejr growñrījnz, cōzd bî clîṃtbrecdǎn, apir t hv bn denjṛsli unḍesṭmetd. In mīdịwrld, a ples ɖt śd nvr b cnfyzd wɖ ɖ riyl wrld, s’lebṛtigosip z ʈǎzndz v tîmz mor importnt ɖn xistnśl risc.

Ɖ ny pepr xplorz ɖ impacts on crop̓ṛdux́n ẃn miandrz in ɖ jetstrīm (Rosbi wevz) bcm stuc. Stuc patnz cōz xtrim weɖr. T pt it crūdli, f y liv in ɖ norɖn heṃsfir n a cnc in ɖ jetstrīm (ɖ band v stroñ windz a fy mîlz abv ɖ Rʈ’z srfis at mid-lattydz) z stuc t ɖ sǎʈ v y, yr weɖr z lîcli t b cold n wet. F it’s stuc t ɖ norʈ v y, y’r lîcli t sufr esc̣letñ hīt n drǎt.

In bʈ cesz, ɖ stuc weɖr, xasbetd bî globl hītñ, afcts crops. Wɖ srtn miandrpatnz, sevṛl v ɖ norɖn heṃsfir’z mejr growñrījnz – sć az wstn Norʈ America, Yṛp, India n īst Eźa – cd b xpozd t xtrim weɖr at ɖ sem tîm, haṃrñ ɖer harvists. W rlî fr ǎr sbsistns on globl smuɖñ: f ɖr’z a bad harvist in wn rījn, it’s lîcli t b cǎnṭactd bî gd harvists elsẃr. Īvn smōl croplosz ocŕñ simlteńsli priznt ẃt ɖ pepr cōlz “sstemic risc”.

Olrdi, rījnl clîṃtśocs hv hlpt cōz a dzastṛs rvrsl in ɖ trend v globl cronic hungr. Fr mni yirz, ɖ numbr v hungri ppl fél. Bt in 2015 ɖ trend trnd n hz bn crvñ upwdz sins. Ɖs z nt bcz v a lac v fūd. Ɖ most lîcli xpḷneśn z ɖt ɖ globl fūdsistm hz lost its rziłns. Ẃn complex sistmz lūz rziłns, instd v dampñ ɖ śocs ɖt hit ɖm, ɖe tnd t ampḷfî ɖm. Ɖ śocs ampḷfaid acrs ɖ sistm so far hv landd most heṿli on pur neśnz ɖt dpnd on imports, cōzñ locl prîșpîcs īvn ẃn globl fūdprîsz wr lo.

F ɖs hapnz ẃn harvists r afctd in jst wn cuntri or wn rījn, w cn onli imajin ɖ rzults f xtrim weɖr simlteńsli hits sevṛl mejr growñrījnz.

Uɖr peprz hv bn publiśt wɖ similr ʈīmz, śowñ, fr xampl, ɖ impacts v ɖ rîzñ frīqnsi v “flaśdrǎts” n cncuṛnt hītwevz in grenpṛdysñ rījnz, n hǎ globl hītñ hits fūds’kṛti. Ol hv bn larjli or intîrli ignord bî ɖ mīdia.

A drought-stricken corn crop outside Jiujiang in Jiangxi province, China, August 2022 Photograph: Alex Plavevski/EPA
A drǎt-stricn corncrop ǎtsd Jūjañ in Jañśī provins, Ćîna, Ōġst 2022 Foṭgraf: Alix Plavevski/YPE

W fes an eṗcl, unʈnc̣bl prospect: v phps ɖ tū gretist xistnśl ʈrets – invîrnmntl brecdǎn n fūdsistm fełr – cnvrjñ, az wn trigrz ɖ uɖr.

Ɖr r plenti v sînz, sm v ẃć I’v traid t xplen in ɖ Gardịn n, wɖ a sns v rîzñ rjnsi, in a preznteśn t parḷmnt, sjstñ ɖt ɖ globl fūdsistm me nt b far fṛm its tipñpônt, fr strucćṛl rīznz similr t ɖoz ɖt tanct ɖ fînanśl sectr in 2008. Az a sistm aproćz a criticl ʈreśhold, it’s imposbl t se ẃć xtrnl śoc cd pś it ovr. Wns a sistm hz bcm frajîl, n its rziłns z nt rstord, it’s nt a matr v f n hǎ, bt ẃn.

So ẃ z’nt ɖs ol ovr ɖ fruntpejz? Ẃ, ẃn guvnmnts nǒ w’r fesñ xistnśl risc, d ɖe fel t act? Ẃ z ɖ Bîdn admiṇstreśn alawñ inuf ôl n gas drilñ t bust ɖ YS carbnbujit fîv tîmz ovr? Ẃ z ɖ YC guvnmnt scrapñ ɖ £11.6bn inṭnaśnl clîṃtfund it promist? Ẃ hz Lebr pspond its £28bn grīn-pṛspeṛti fund, ẃl Cir Starmr z rportd t hv rmarct last wīc “I het tri hugrz” (a pejṛtiv trm fr invîrnmntl campenrz)? Ẃ r ɖ Sún, ɖ Meil, ɖ Teḷgraf n ɖ Xpres cmpitñ t atac evri grīn s’lūśn ɖt mt hlp t privnt clîṃtceos? Ẃ dz evrʈñ els sīm mor importnt?

Ɖ unḍlayñ probḷm z’nt hard t grasp: guvnmnts hv feld t brec ẃt ɖ icoṇmist Toṃs Pic̣ti cōlz ɖ patṛmońl spîṛl v wlʈ’kḿleśn. Az a rzult, ɖ rić hv bcm evr rićr, a proses ɖt sīmz t b axeḷretñ. In 2021, fr xampl, ɖ ultṛrić capćrd olmst tū-ʈrdz v ol ɖ wrld’z ny wlʈ. Ɖer śer v naśnl incm in ɖ YC hz olmst dubld sins 1980, ẃl in ɖ YS it’s hayr ɖn it wz in 1820.

Ɖ rićr a frax́n v ssayti bcmz, ɖ gretr its p’liticl pǎr, n ɖ mor xtrim ɖ dmandz it mcs. Ɖ probḷm z súṃrîzd in wn sntns in ɖ reẓgneśn letr v ɖ YC invîrnmntministr Zac Goldsmiʈ: instd v atndñ a crūśl invîrnmntsumit, Riśi Sūnac wnt t Rūṗt Mrdoc’s sumrparti. W canot wrc tgɖr t solv ǎr comn probḷmz ẃn gret pǎr z in ɖ handz v so fy.

Ẃt ɖ ultṛrić wont z t ssten n xtnd ɖ ic̣nomic sistm ɖt pt ɖm ẃr ɖe r. Ɖ mor ɖe hv t lūz, ɖ mor crietiv ɖer straṭjz bcm. Az wel az ɖ tṛdiśnl aproć v bayñ mīdịǎtlets n porñ muni intu ɖ p’liticl partiz ɖt fevr ɖm, ɖe dvîz ny wez v pṛtctñ ɖer inṭrests.

Corṗreśnz n oḷgarcs wɖ masiv fortynz cn hîr az mni junctancs (so-cōld ʈnctancs), trolfarmz, marc̣tñgŭruz, sîcoḷjists n mîcrotargitrz az ɖe nīd t dvîz justiḟceśnz n t dīṃnîz, dmoṛlîz, abyz n ʈretn ppl trayñ t ssten a habitbl planit. Ɖ junctancs dvîz ny lwz t stîfl protest, impḷmntd bî poḷtiśnz fundd bî ɖ sem plūṭcratic clas.

It cd scersli b mor scrùd p. Ɖ eḟt t pṛtct Rʈ sistmz n ɖ hymn sistmz ɖt dpnd on ɖm z léd bî ppl wrcñ at ɖ marjinz wɖ tîni rzorsz, ẃl ɖ rićist n most pǎrfl yz evri mīnz at ɖer dspozl t stop ɖm. Cn y imajin, in decedz t cm, trayñ t xplen ɖs t yr ćildṛn?

Lcñ bac on prīvịs hymn c’laṃtiz, ol v ẃć wl b dworft bî ɖs, y fînd yrslf rpitidli ascñ “ẃ dd’nt ɖe…?” Ɖ ansr z pǎr: ɖ pǎr v a fy t cǎnṭmand ɖ inṭrests v hymaṇti. Ɖ strugl t avrt sstemic fełr z ɖ strugl btwn dmocṛsi n plūtocṛsi. It olwz hz bn, bt ɖ stecs r nǎ hayr ɖn evr.

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Fṛm Đ Gardịn: Rightwing thinktanks run this government. But first, they had to capture the BBC

Broadcasting House in London. Photograph: Ian West/PA
Brōdcastñhǎs in Lundn. Foṭgraf: Iyn Wst/PA

Rîtwñ ʈnctancs run ɖs guvnmnt. Bt frst, ɖe hd t capćr ɖ BBC

(Transcription of an article published in the Guardian on 5 October 2022)

Ẃ r repriznttivz v ɖz śêḍli fundd grūps trītd az imparśl obzrvrz on flagśp nyzprogramz?

George Monbiot

Jorj Monbio, Wnzde 5 Octobr 2022

Sm v it z īzi t unḍstand. Liz Trus, a holo vesl fild wɖ secndhand îdīaz bî ɖ darc-muni ʈnctancs, b’livd ɖer aśuṛnsz ɖt ɖ majic v an unreğletd marcit n taxcuts fr ɖ vri rić wd trigr an ic̣nomic būm. Ɖ ʈnctancs mst scersli hv b’livd ɖer luc: ɖt smwn so małbl cd bcm prîm̦inistr.

On ɖ de v ɖ minibujit, ɖe croud abt tecñ ovr ɖ guvnmnt. Ɖ Cnsrṿtiv Hom fǎndr, Tim Montgoṃri, rmarct ɖt ɖs wz “a masiv momnt” fr ɖ Insttyt v Ic̣nomic Aferz (IIA), ẃć hd “inkbetd Trus n Qarteñ jrñ ɖer rli yirz az MPz. Britn z nǎ ɖer l’boṛtri.” Ɖ hed v ɖ insttyt, Marc Litlwŭd, ɖen rītwītd hiz coment wɖ a súnglasz emoji.

Abv a scrīnśot v a Gardịn hedlîn ascñ “Hz Liz Trus handd pǎr ovr t ɖ xtrim niolibṛl ʈnctancs?”, ɖ IIA’z hed v public poḷsi, Máʈy Leś, rout “Yes”. Ɖ ic̣nomic dzastr inflictd bî Trus n Qarteñ hz bn dubd ɖ Tuftn Strīt Maṣcr, az ɖ grūps ɖt dvîzd ɖer poḷsiz r hedqortrd in n arnd Tuftn Strīt in Wsminstr.

I si ɖz ʈnctancs, ẃć rfyz t rvil ɖ sorsz v ɖer fundñ, az lobiists fr hidn inṭrests. W nǒ fṛm līcs n YS rports ɖt ɖz includ, in sm cesz, tbacofrmz, ôlfrmz n foṛn oḷgarcs. Bt ɖr z wn qsćn t ẃć nwn hz pṛvîdd a cmplit n saṭsfactri ansr.

De aftr de, yir aftr yir, ɖ BBC hz pṛvîdd ɖz xtrimists wɖ a masiv platform on its nyz n cuṛnt-aferz programz. Mejr BBC programz includñ Tde, Qsćntîm, Nyznît n Eni Qsćnz? r popyletd bî spīcrz fṛm ɖ Insttyt v Ic̣nomic Aferz, ɖ Adm Smiʈ Insttyt, ɖ Taxpeyrz’ Alayns, ɖ Sntr fr Poḷsistudiz n Poḷsi Xćenj. Ɖz grūps olso hapn t hv bn retd bî ɖ campen Hu Fundz Y? az amñ ɖ most opec v ol ɖoz it invstgetd.

Ẃn ɖ IIA cmplend t Ofcm abt ɖ brōdcastr Jemz Obrayn’z dscripśn v ɖ insttyt az a “hard-rît lobigrūp fr vstd inṭrests v big biznis, fosilfylz, tbaco, juncfūd” on hiz LBC śo, Ofcm rjctd its cmplent, rūlñ ɖt h hd nt dstortd ɖ facts. Yt ɖ cmbînd platform v ɖz darc-muni grūps on ɖ BBC z śrli mni tîmz bigr ɖn ɖt v eni uɖr non-parti grūpñ.

Ɖ BBC rūtīnli torćz its edtorịl gîdlînz, ẃć stet ɖt “w śd mc ćecs t istabliś ɖ cṛdnślz v ǎr cntribytrz n t avôd biyñ hoxt”. Ẃn ɖ IIA wz set p, wn v its fǎndrz instructd ɖt it śd oṗret az a fruntgrūp: “w śd gv no indceśn in ǎr litṛćr ɖt w r wrcñ t edycet ɖ public alñ srtn lînz”. Its maṇfesto, h sd, hd bn ritn in “ceji trmz”. It wz a hox fṛm ɖ ǎtset.

At frst, I ʈt ɖ probḷm wz nîīvti. Bt ɖen I sw ɖ BBC’z rsponsz t cmplents abt its fełr t istabliś ɖ cṛdnślz v its cntribytrz. Ɖe wr dfnsiv, iraśnl n contṛdictri. At wn pônt, ɖ BBC sd it wz’nt nesṣri t tel ɖ ōdịns ɖt a MP argywñ agnst clîṃt ax́n wz ɖ d’rectr v an ôlcumṗni, on ɖ grǎndz ɖt h hd dclerd ɖs inṭrest elsẃr. Sn afṭwdz it clemd ɖt ẃn gvñ ɖ hed v ɖ IIA a platform t argy agnst ny tbacoreğleśn, it wz’nt nesṣri t stet ɖt hiz orġnîześn hd bn fundd bî tbacocumṗniz, on ɖ grǎndz ɖt ɖ IIA hd nt dclerd ɖs inṭrest. F mî xpirịns z enʈñ t g bî, ɖ onli ifct v rezñ ɖz iśuz z t gt dīplatformd bî ɖ programz y criṭsîz.

In 2019, ɖ Obzrvr jrṇlist Cáṛl Cadwoḷdr spouc t ɖ ɖen BBC d’rectrjenṛl, Toni Hōl, abt ɖs bletnt disrigard v ɖ rūlz. In rspons, h ćenjd ɖ edtorịl gîdlînz t stet ɖt ʈnctancs’ afilieśnz n fundñ “śd b md aveḷbl t ɖ ōdịns, ẃn reḷvnt t ɖ contxt”. Ɖ poḷsi wz impḷmntd fr abt a fortnît, n hz bn disrigardd evr sins.

Nǎ ɖ sićueśn hz gn bynd satîr. Ɖz grūps r biyñ cōld upn bî ɖ BBC t coment on ɖ pformns v ɖs guvnmnt az f ɖe r imparśl obzrvrz, rɖr ɖn ɖ oʈrz v its poḷsiz.

I no longr b’liv ɖ BBC’z fełr t uphold its ǒn rūlz z an axidnt. I b’liv it’s a poḷsi. Bt ẃ? Apizmnt z olwz part v ɖ ansr: ɖ BBC constntli sīcs t pḷcet ɖ biłnerpres n Cnsrṿtiv guvnmnts. Mor importntli, it hz olwz bn a dfndr n pṛjectr v istabliśt pǎr.

Ɖ BBC’z ćer z Rićd Śarp. Mć hz bn md v Śarp’s dneśnz t ɖ Cnsrṿtiv parti. Bt hiz rleśnśp wɖ ɖ darc-muni ʈnctancs cnsrnz m īvn mor. H wz a d’rectr v ɖ Sntr fr Poḷsistudiz (SPS), a darc-muni grūp fǎndd bî Marġrit Ʈaćr n Cīʈ Jozif. On ɖ de v Qarteñ’z minibujit, ɖ SPS clemd rsponsbiḷti fr sevṛl v hiz ci anǎnsmnts. Śarp’s faṃlifǎndeśn hz olso dnetd t ɖ Insttyt fr Poḷsi Rsrć, ẃć z mor trnspaṛnt abt its fundñ bt in trn sndz fundz t ɖ Sntr fr Poḷsistudiz n ɖ Taxpeyrz’ Alayns, anɖr opec lobigrūp ɖt hz trumṗtd its inflụns. Ɖ Taxpeyrz’ Alayns hz loñ campend t scrap ɖ BBC’z lîsnsfī. Ɖ BBC grants it, unlîc uɖr critics, a masiv amǎnt v ertîm.

I’m śr ɖr’z mor t ɖs stori ɖn w yt nǒ. It’s hard t b’liv hǎ frīli ɖ BBC brecs its ǒn rūlz t pṛmot n norṃlîz an xtrim niolibṛl cult. Niolibṛlizm z ɖ inṭlecćl justiḟceśn fr ɖ claswor wejd bî ɖ rić agnst ɖ pur. Ɖ BBC z part v ɖ tīm.

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