Britain is once again on the brink of an energy crisis because of the role of gas in our electricity system. 🧵 Our new briefing explains why this is happening — and how we can reform the system to protect ordinary billpayers. www.common-wealth.org/publications...

Crude Awakening: Averting the Unfolding Energy Crisis by Decoupling the Price of Electricity From Gas

Moving from the wholesale market to a single buyer model can best decouple the price of electricity from gas and protect households from the sharp end of the energy crisis.

common-wealth.org

found this immensely helpful for understanding how the Iran crisis affects energy bills here in the UK (and why, despite renewables, electricity is still so expensive) - from @mathewlawrence.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The Iran oil crisis has proved Ed Miliband right on green energy. But households still need more help | Mathew Lawrence

Britain’s whole energy economy needs to be reformed – decarbonising the grid is only part of the mix, says director of Common Wealth, Mathew Lawrence

theguardian.com

Wrote about the Iran crisis, electricity costs, and why clean power is the right strategy - but not enough. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

This is REALLY helpful www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... by @mathewlawrence.bsky.social (h/t @davidedgerton.bsky.social)

The Iran oil crisis has proved Ed Miliband right on green energy. But households still need more help | Mathew Lawrence

Britain’s whole energy economy needs to be reformed – decarbonising the grid is only part of the mix, says director of Common Wealth, Mathew Lawrence

theguardian.com

Very good piece here by @mathewlawrence.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The Iran oil crisis has proved Ed Miliband right on green energy. But households still need more help | Mathew Lawrence

Britain’s whole energy economy needs to be reformed – decarbonising the grid is only part of the mix, says director of Common Wealth, Mathew Lawrence

theguardian.com

okay so fun news, I am launching a macro newsletter from Common Wealth about the supply side data and the US economy called Forces of Production Charts for bsky forthcoming at: @forcesofproduction.com Launch essay below: www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...

Atop the Forces of Production

Announcing the launch of the Forces of Production macro data newsletter

forcesofproduction.com

Very exciting.

alex williams@atwilliams.bsky.social · 9mo ago

okay so fun news, I am launching a macro newsletter from Common Wealth about the supply side data and the US economy called Forces of Production Charts for bsky forthcoming at: @forcesofproduction.com Launch essay below: www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...

following up on my "Beyond Bidenomics" piece from last week, we have @brusselermel.bsky.social in the FT this week making the case for a more serious commitment to economic planning in future progressive economic policy work: www.ft.com/content/dda5...

Bidenomics wasn’t ambitious enough

Rapid decarbonisation will require an overhaul of local energy authorities and better macroeconomic planning

ft.com

Very good @brusselermel.bsky.social - and what timing to publish this call for planning the American economy. Wonder what the Fed does in that progressive future :)

Melanie Brusseler@brusselermel.bsky.social · last yr.

In the @financialtimes.com today on green planning and decommodification of life's essentials or bust post-IRA and Bidenomics. www.ft.com/content/dda5...

so okay! first piece out from me at Common Wealth "Beyond Bidenomics: On what is living and what is dead in economic policy" the argument is that progressives should take credit for the successful parts of the pandemic policy response and build the next Thing www.common-wealth.org/perspectives...

Beyond Bidenomics | Perspectives

On what is living and what is dead in economic policy.

common-wealth.org

Haven’t had a chance to read this yet, but looks very promising.

alex williams@atwilliams.bsky.social · last yr.

so okay! first piece out from me at Common Wealth "Beyond Bidenomics: On what is living and what is dead in economic policy" the argument is that progressives should take credit for the successful parts of the pandemic policy response and build the next Thing www.common-wealth.org/perspectives...

We are so excited that @atwilliams.bsky.social is joining @cmmonwealth.bsky.social! He’s been so instrumental to our thinking and with the rest of EA in driving progressive economic policy from big fiscal to green industrial policy. Next: decommodification, green planning, industrial democracy.

alex williams@atwilliams.bsky.social · last yr.

okay so this is as good a moment as any to, as is traditional in econ culture, "share some JOLTS news" Tomorrow is my last day at employamerica.org! The last 5 years have been so wild. Soon I will be at common-wealth.org, where I'll be helping build their US team and laying out this new approach.

Let’s be clear that Shell—a company that has prioritised fossil fuel expansion— is driving insecurity in retirement for us all. Not only because of the catastrophic economic & social impacts of climate change… 🧵 news.sky.com/story/shells...

Shell's new strategy is good news for your savings

Sky's Ian King writes that while the UK energy firm's climate commitments continue to attract criticism, there is much for savers to welcome in its strategy update.

news.sky.com

Public compute — state provision of computing resources — could be a powerful tool for reshaping the AI sector. In our report, Jai Vipra and I offer an overview of existing approaches, and recommendations for avoiding industry capture, reducing environmental harms, and delivering public value 1/5

Ada Lovelace Institute@adalovelaceinst.bsky.social · 2y ago

Access to compute resource has become a key factor in who can participate in AI development. Ada’s new report, supported by @mozilla.org, provides policymakers with recommendations for getting public compute policy right. www.adalovelaceinstitute.org/report/compu...

First issue of The Break Down is on Trump, the new right and the climate, and is now open for pitches (pitching@break-down.org) Details below!

The BREAK—DOWN@the-breakdown.bsky.social · 2y ago

As part of our new plans, we’re taking pitches for our first themed issue! 🎉🖋️📄 See our website break-down.org/about for full details. To submit, email us at pitching@break-down.org

Write for us!! Full details on our website.

The BREAK—DOWN@the-breakdown.bsky.social · 2y ago

As part of our new plans, we’re taking pitches for our first themed issue! 🎉🖋️📄 See our website break-down.org/about for full details. To submit, email us at pitching@break-down.org

🌟We're recruiting!🌟 We're looking for a Digital Strategy Officer to join our growing team. If you've got an eye for impactful social media content and are passionate about climate and ecological crisis, we'd love to hear from you! Deadline: February 26th. www.common-wealth.org/vacancies/di...

🗽📑 Common Wealth is launching a new US research & policy program. Trump has returned to power. The far right is becoming even more cemented in US politics. 🧵 We must build an alternative progressive political project. But what would this look like? www.common-wealth.org/publications...

A New Green Democratic Republic for the 21st Century | Briefing | Common Wealth

Launching Common Wealth’s US Program.

common-wealth.org

"Progressive forces, disorientated & scattered, groping for programme & popular strategy, appear helpless on the stage of history, lacking the means or strength to effect such an epochal transformation." @mathewlawrence.bsky.social on imploding fossil capital. www.common-wealth.org/perspectives...

Planet vs Property | Perspectives

On dismantling fossil capital.

common-wealth.org

Great this by @cmmonwealth.bsky.social. Worth noting that the core idea -- regional economic development is always a palimpsest, w/ one historic layer shaping what comes next/"on top" -- is that which Doreen Massey expounded in book-length form in the magisterial Spatial Divisions of Labor (1984).

Common Wealth@cmmonwealth.bsky.social · 2y ago

We can’t understand the geography of capitalism in our present moment without seeing how these old industries overlap with the new. "Two Towns" features an interactive map showing how ex-industrial towns were not “left behind” but actively made into havens for low-paid work.

Finally digging into this brilliant example of powerful, interactive storytelling rooted in politics, people & place. My grandparents lived in Worksop - just north of Mansfield - after arriving to the UK from Jamaica. Grandad worked in Manton Colliery (now a truck depot) & Grandma in a factory.

Common Wealth@cmmonwealth.bsky.social · 2y ago

We can’t understand the geography of capitalism in our present moment without seeing how these old industries overlap with the new. "Two Towns" features an interactive map showing how ex-industrial towns were not “left behind” but actively made into havens for low-paid work.

Happy holidays! 🎄 For the festive season, we wanted to share with you what we’re reading this winter at Common Wealth. 🧵

Great piece by @cominsitu.bsky.social on @the-breakdown.bsky.social : "any politics of nature that neatly fits within the existing political economic framework without changing the property relations themselves is doomed, in practice, to fail" www.break-down.org/post/sociali...

Socialising Nature

How we can live together without exploiting each other? This is the work of socialising nature.

break-down.org

🏠 How do we fix the housing crisis? Ensuring decent & secure homes for all starts with knowing how we own, invest & access housing. To launch our new housing programme, @chrismwhayes argues expanding supply is key — but the market alone will not suffice. www.common-wealth.org/publications...

The Antisocial Contract | Briefing | Common Wealth

Reliance on speculative private developers and market coordination will neither deliver the scale of housebuilding needed to tackle the crisis, nor address its acute distributional dimension. Both obj...

common-wealth.org

New from The Break Down! @cominsitu.bsky.social examines our strategies for protecting nature and makes the case that new legal rights or norms are not enough - and only by transforming property relations can we stop nature’s destruction

The BREAK—DOWN@the-breakdown.bsky.social · 2y ago

“Unlike a workplace, nature cannot simply be seized by its employees & run under democratic self-management ... it is not just another factor of production... it is the condition & limit of our existence.” Read @cominsitu.bsky.social on socialising nature 👇 break-down.org/post/sociali...

The crisis of the present was a choice. Incredible analysis.

Common Wealth@cmmonwealth.bsky.social · 2y ago

We can’t understand the geography of capitalism in our present moment without seeing how these old industries overlap with the new. "Two Towns" features an interactive map showing how ex-industrial towns were not “left behind” but actively made into havens for low-paid work.

This is really interesting and resonates with the argument that @jwfurlong.bsky.social and I developed in The Changing Electoral Map of England and Wales (Oxford University Press, 2024) - there are multiple varieties of social and economic left behindedness that have distinct electoral expressions.

Common Wealth@cmmonwealth.bsky.social · 2y ago

We can’t understand the geography of capitalism in our present moment without seeing how these old industries overlap with the new. "Two Towns" features an interactive map showing how ex-industrial towns were not “left behind” but actively made into havens for low-paid work.

An excellent analysis of the economic geography of two supposedly 'left behind' English towns, and would make an excellent teaching resource, as well having a clear critique of neoliberal capitalism.

Common Wealth@cmmonwealth.bsky.social · 2y ago

We can’t understand the geography of capitalism in our present moment without seeing how these old industries overlap with the new. "Two Towns" features an interactive map showing how ex-industrial towns were not “left behind” but actively made into havens for low-paid work.

This is a brilliant report from Common Wealth on the long and deep effects of deindustrialisation in the two Midlands towns of Mansfield and Corby

Common Wealth@cmmonwealth.bsky.social · 2y ago

You can read the full report, “A Tale of Two Towns: Economic Disadvantage and Political Disempowerment in Ex-Industrial England” here: www.common-wealth.org/publications...

More impressive work from @cmmonwealth.bsky.social.

Common Wealth@cmmonwealth.bsky.social · 2y ago

We can’t understand the geography of capitalism in our present moment without seeing how these old industries overlap with the new. "Two Towns" features an interactive map showing how ex-industrial towns were not “left behind” but actively made into havens for low-paid work.