5 Principles for Just COVID-19 Relief and Stimulus

"(4) MAKE A DOWN PAYMENT ON A REGENERATIVE ECONOMY, WHILE PREVENTING FUTURE CRISES

While we urgently need a large, short-term stimulus to protect the health and economic security of those on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, it is imperative that policymakers also plan for a large, medium-term stimulus to counteract the economic downturn and ensure a just recovery. This stimulus should create millions of good, family-sustaining jobs with high-road labor standards; counter systemic inequities by directing investments to the working families, communities of color, and Indigenous communities who face the most economic insecurity; and tackle the climate crisis that is compounding threats to our economy and health. All three goals can be achieved simultaneously with public investments to rebuild our infrastructure, replace lead pipes, expand wind and solar power, build clean and affordable public transit, weatherize our buildings, build and repair public housing, manufacture more clean energy goods, restore our wetlands and forests, expand public services that support climate resilience, and support regenerative agriculture led by family farmers. Critically, no stimulus package should support any corporations whose actions exacerbate climate change - the response to one existential crisis must not fuel another. Instead, stimulus money should reward efforts that help advance climate progress."

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Protecting and Restoring Soils Could Remove 5.5 Billion Tonnes of CO2 a Year : EcoWatch

Restoring and protecting the world's soil could remove the equivalent of the U.S.'s annual greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere. 

That's the conclusion of a study published in Nature Sustainability Monday, which set out to explore the potential of soil as a natural solution to the climate crisis.

"I talk about soil as being the forgotten solution," study lead author and Nature Conservancy chief soil scientist Dr. Deborah Bossio told Carbon Brief. "What we're really trying to emphasize is that soil is important and so it should not be ignored, but also not exaggerated."

The study found that soil made up 25 percent of the potential of natural climate solutions — the term for enhancing the ability of Earth's ecosystems to suck carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Boosting soil's carbon-gulping capacities and protecting existing soil could remove a total of 23.8 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide, or 5.5 billion tonnes a year, AFP reported.

The research found that 40 percent of this drawdown could be achieved simply by leaving existing healthy soils alone. That's because the top meter (approximately 3.28 feet) of soil contains three times the amount of carbon in the atmosphere as it absorbs decomposing plants, Carbon Brief explained. But agriculture can disturb this process.

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We must protect and restore our soils now.

Putting the Economy in Suspended Animation: A Proposal: Continuations

: "Now that we are finally going on lockdown here in the US in order to flatten the curve of the COVID19 crisis, we also need to take drastic measures to put the economy on suspended animation. In particular, I propose the following for the duration of the lockdown:

1. Suspend all interest, mortgage, rent and similar

   

   macroeconomic policy

   payments
   
2. Permit companies in non-essential industries to suspend wage payments.
   
3. Pay everyone a Universal Basic Income of $600/month
   
4. Federally back all health insurers and in return force them to pick up all testing and treatment expenses