The Next System Podcast, which states that it “seeks to understand contemporary challenges, interrogate emerging possibilities, and begin imagining the next system”, recently interviewed Jeremiah Lowery and Camila Thorndyke of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network about their “Put a Price on it, D.C.” campaign. This campaign aims to institute a local carbon tax on dirty energy sources and redistribute the money raised largely via regular payments to residents, thus creating a local universal basic income (UBI).
Thorndyke says, “we’ve chosen to go with the most progressive revenue allocation possible”, explaining that, as the tax would mean a rise in energy prices, failing to pass on the money to residents would mean that “we’d be trying to solve the climate crisis off the backs of the poor”. Lowery adds, “increasing inequality actually leads to more devastation and more climate change.
Edited by: Caroline Pearce
I forget his name, but a long time ago a Chinese emperor just gave people money and inflation didn’t happen. I can’t remember if he had a system in place to tax it back though.
A UBI is a good thing in so many ways because (1) if you lose a job, or is denied benefits it’s a safety net to insure
that you have an income. (2) It gives you a chance to make better decisions with worrying about where your next meal is coming from. (3) It helps to grow an up incoming economy, (4) It’s good for those of us who are
volunteers We give our time, effort, & enthusiasm. (5) It will help improve the lives of the neediest people & help
stop homelessness due to the lack of a substitute.