Our flagship Green Scythe Fair Parley* takes centre stage at 2pm 

*Parley: a discussion especially one designed to end an argument or hostilities between two groups of people.

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Yes, we progressed from Debate to Parley a few years ago. This is because our aim is not for one ‘side' to win the argument, but rather to seek agreement and find the common ground between the opposing positions that are brought to the table. For this we invite two expert speakers who will each make a brief presentation, then take part in a structured discussion, followed by contributions from the floor, all working towards ending the Parley with as much consensus as we can muster. 

 

Our subject this year is ‘Can Growth Be Green?’ The Labour Government is relying on ‘economic growth’ to lift our country and restore some prosperity to its people and to public services. Indeed, growth is the key mantra of global economic policy and (almost) every country is chasing it. Yet we’ll be reaching ‘Earth Overshoot Day’ (when humankind's demand overshoots the amount of biological resources sustainably  regenerated on Earth) by the end of July this year. In other words our global demand for resources is now equivalent to more than 1.7 Earths. Faced with these figures, how can we justify yet more growth, when we have so drastically overshot the Earth’s limited carrying capacity?

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At the same time, most countries are trying to reduce carbon emissions in the hope of preventing climate breakdown, and to tackle environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. All these are potentially catastrophic symptoms of this overshoot. 

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How can these two conflicting opposites be reconciled? Do we need to rethink economics?  

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Our good friend Professor Molly Scott Cato will be joining us to speak against growth. A former Green MEP for South West England, she speaks on economics for the Green Party and is currently a Reader in Green Economics at Cardiff School of Management, and Director of Cardiff Institute for Co-operative Studies 

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And we are still finalising our second, pro-growth speaker - look back here again for more details.

 

Join us at the Parley at 2pm in the Music Marquee – we look forward to seeing you there!