Green Up Newsletter 10:
This is our tenth newsletter. Like most new ventures, the greatest danger is at the beginning, of biting off more than you can chew. We have bitten and chewed ten times, which has to count for something. Happy Birthday Greenup!
We aren’t asking for presents, but you could do us a favour by sharing this newsletter with your friends and colleagues. Like ♥️ maadi too.
Coming Up Next
So far we have been sharing insights from our research group meetings and interesting tidbits from across the world. We used these three months to figure out what we want to do when we grow up. Here’s the caterpillar becoming a butterfly:
We will (very) soon be hosting our first eight-week course on the collective imagination of India’s future in the era of climate change. Details to be shared in next week’s newsletter.
We are starting a project on Greening up the North East as a way to bring all our energies to bear on a specific region.
The Greenup business group is also expanding, though we don’t have a specific activity to report there (yet).
TLDR; keep your eyes open for new announcements.
Climate Geopolitics
The evil empire in the climate world is the fossil fuel industry. For good reason, since they have lied, stalled, and bribed their way to keep the carbon economy going. But we have rarely, if ever, pointed our fingers at another culprit: geopolitics and the military-industrial complex.
Consider this: the US military emits more carbon than most countries. As of now, the only way we know how to wage wars and control restive populations is through the massive use of fossil fuels. I’m sure there’s a killing to be made in renewable bombs.
Closer home to India, China’s OBOR initiative is pushing investment in coal plants and other fossil fuel infrastructure in Pakistan in a big way, even as China promises to decarbonise. That rivalry eggs India to expand its coal infrastructure. Loss-Loss.
The big takeaway: just as the ‘consumer economy’ is predicated on cheap energy, materials and transport backed by fossil fuels, so is the military economy.
Until Next Week
Good bye and good luck; if you’re still in Happy Birthday mode, share Greenup