From: Sean Sweeney <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Date: fredag den 4 januari 2013 14:06
To: Nora Räthzel <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Cc: "[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>" <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Subject: Cornell GLI paper "Resist, Reclaim, Restructure: The Trade Union Struggle for Energy Democracy"

Nora and comrades ---

Please take a look at this paper on "energy democracy" when you get a
chance - comments and proposed changes are more than welcome

http://energyemergencyenergytransition.org/required-reading-roundtable-discussion-document/

tambien en espanol....

The paper was prepared by Cornell Global Labor Institute for a global
trade union roundtable in mid-October, 2012 -- just two weeks before
superstorm Sandy paid us a visit. :-).  It was updated in November
2012 to incorporate comments made at the 3-day meeting

The main argument of the paper can be summarized as follows:

The present direction of the global energy system spells disaster for
the planet, its people and our entire ecosystems - business as usual
could add between 4-6 degrees Celsius of warming.  The current mostly
market-based approaches to energy transition are inadequate -- the
energy transition we need is simply not happening.  The onward march
of fossil fuels, and the politics of inaction that flows from the
fossil fuel companies' hold over energy policy in most countries,
means that unions and other social movements must begin a sustained
struggle to bring the world's energy resources, infrastructure and
management into social and democratic ownership.

A three part strategy is proposed.  RESIST the fossil fuel agenda at
the level of policy, organizing, and alliance building; RECLAIM both
the parts of the energy sector that have been liberalized and
privatized, and also 'resocialize' public energy companies that behave
like private multinationals and are driven by 'resource nationalism'
and accumulation; RESTRUCTURE the world's energy systems to allow for
distributed power generation, energy conservation, and
community/social control.

Mission impossible?  Yes, of course.

More about the roundtable, plus many other documents and links:

http://energyemergencyenergytransition.org/

Bet wishes to you all,
Sean


..............................
Sean Sweeney, Ph.D.
Director, Cornell Global Labor Institute
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/globallaborinstitute/
The Global Labor Institute is a program of the Worker Institute at Cornell