Small countries without significant vested interests dominating their relationship with others, such as Ireland, have a particular opportunity to contribute positively to the search for a resolution to climate change at an international/global level. In this submission, made on April 30 2013, we therefore urge the Irish government to follow up its recent UNEP study with further consideration of proposals and to explore all possibilities including those proposed in Sharing for Survival. We also urge the government to make use of scenario-based analyses when forming climate change policy.

Basic financial security should be a right for all members of society, yet our present social-welfare system does not adequately support this right and has many other serious flaws. Anne Ryan explains how a universal basic income would increase everybody’s capacity to cope with financial shocks and uncertainties far more effectively than the current system and how it would also improve general quality of life, while supporting many different kinds of work, with or without pay.

This book presents the argument that most of the world’s major religions – Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism – took their forms in reaction to injustice and that their powerful messages could be harnessed now in order to help address the numerous challenges we are facing today, including severe economic instability and the ecological crisis.

Financing of renewable energy projects is hampered by two systemic economic effects – market ‘externalities’ that make them appear less attractive (versus fossil fuel development) than they should; and the effect of embedded interest in the cost of capital. Graham Barnes describes some creative methods for overcoming these hurdles.

Could a small peripheral state be a pioneer for adapting to degrowth? Brian Davey comments on two articles on the economy of Croatia that were recently published by the Green European Journal. The first article by Igor Matutinovic calls for green growth while the second, by the left-green Group 22, argues that we need to move away from the growth-based economic paradigm. Brian reflects on the two sides’ arguments and suggests policies to help promote a paradigm shift in the Croatian economy.

In this presentation given at Maynooth last week, John Jopling explains why governments cannot be expected to adequately address the climate crisis and instead proposes a commons-based approach that would involve a wide range of non-governmental organisations in a cooperative and participatory process.

We have inherited the same social patterning that our ancestors held in pre-history (I speculate!) and though we may live in a great city we must, by nature create appropriate villages within. Our street and corner shop may be invisible to a town planner, but they replicate the inner patterns of the soul. By Patrick Noble.