Press Room & Media
In the News
Even conservative Britain plans to slash carbon emissions 68% by 2030: banking, building and borrowing are key
By Anupam Nanda, The Conversation – The UK government is setting up a national infrastructure bank in the North of England which will fund projects across the UK, while attempting to garner additional private investment. The bank’s institutional weight will lend confidence and guarantees to private investors, and could assist local and mayoral authorities with regional infrastructure projects.
Strengthening the links in the food chain
By Stephen Hamway, Albuquerque Journal – Despite New Mexico’s reputation for famous pecans, chiles and beef, the state routinely ranks near the bottom of food stability rankings, as most of that food never makes it into the hands of New Mexico residents. With that in mind, a collection of small-scale farmers, food policy experts and state officials met virtually last week to discuss how to make NM’s food system more sustainable, more locally driven and, ultimately, more equitable.
Finding Common Ground
By Judy Wicks, Where’s Wicks? Newsletter – The 2020 election has left us a deeply divided nation. But politics did not cause this rural-urban division, and the wound will not be healed by political debates over which party will take better care of us. I believe we must learn to care for each other. I believe we can address this loss, and at the same time end economic inequality and environmental degradation, by working together to build local economies that care for us all, and nature, too.
Rishi Sunak sets out £100bn investment in infrastructure
By Jillian Ambrose, The Guardian – Britain’s first national infrastructure strategy will deliver a “once in a generation investment” worth £100bn to spur the country’s recovery from the coronavirus crisis, the chancellor said on Wednesday. Rishi Sunak set out plans for the “highest sustained levels of public investment in more than 40 years” as the government attempted to offset a grim economic prognosis in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Public Development Banks Meet To Reflect On Pandemic Impact
By Staff Writer, Taarifa – The first ever international summit of Development Banks recently concluded in Paris, bringing together different participants from around the globe. Most prominent at the summit were representatives from Public Development Banks whose main mandate is to implement different countries’ commitments to development and international solidarity in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs.)
Bank of North Dakota’s S&P credit ratings affirmed
By Bank of North Dakota – In a joint statement, the Industrial Commission stated, “The Bank’s ability to maintain its credit rating despite challenging economic times reflects its solid management and conservative lending and investment practices. BND continues to be a resource for local lenders to stabilize and grow the local economy and for students pursuing higher education.”
The Hidden Potential of the Fed’s $600 Billion Emergency Small Business Loan Program
By Oscar Perry Abello, Next City – The Paycheck Protection Program laid bare the reality that larger banks tend to focus more on larger clients, relegating millions of small businesses to second-class status. But there is evidence that loan participations, like those offered through the Fed’s Main Street Lending Program, can tip the scales toward smaller lenders.
A public bank for New Mexico gains interest
By Dan Mayfield, Taos News – Community activists have renewed their efforts to create a New Mexico public bank, designed to provide needed capital for jobs and infrastructure spending across the state. Their initiative, to be introduced in the 2021 legislative session, could keep much more of New Mexico’s money in the hands of local communities, according to supporters.
A State Public Bank: Investment in Local Communities in Post-Pandemic New Mexico
By Dee Gamble for Green Fire Times – How does New Mexico climb out of a seemingly intractable situation in the face of ongoing damage being caused by the coronavirus? A public bank for New Mexico: a bank with a “common good” purpose and re- sources to build community wealth in every village, town and city, can be the primary engine for such a far-reaching transformation.
Reclaiming Public Development Banks to Finance a Sustainable & Equitable Recovery Post COVID-19
By Thomas Marois and Maria Jose Romero, In Depth News – Public development banks – and here we are talking about multilateral institutions, but also often overlooked national banks like Germany’s KfW, India’s NABARD, Colombia’s Findeter, and the Development Bank of Southern Africa – are in a unique and powerful position to play a major role in tackling the crises arising in today’s world.
Upcoming Events
National Council for Science and the Environment and Drawdown are bringing together leaders, research partners, scientists, decision-makers and friends from across the globe to share their science and solutions to the world’s most pressing global challenges. This joint conference will:
The third annual Legislative Action Expo will be a virtual meeting place where Democratic voters, legislators, and issue-based organizations all gather together – an ideal opportunity to explore, discuss, and promote issues of concern and actions sought.
Join NM Healthy Soil Working Group for this Special Edition to learn about policy proposals for the 2021 legislative session, aiming to scale up soil health and regenerative agriculture in New Mexico.
California’s New Public Banking Option Opens Door for Real Community Investment
FAIR / Truthout.org
Economy & Labor
Oct 22, 2019
Janine Jackson interviews Public Bank LA’s Trinity Tran about public banking for the October 11, 2019, episode of “CounterSpin.”
Ellen Brown’s
2019 Book
Today most of our money is created, not by governments, but by banks when they make loans. This book takes the reader step by step through the sausage factory of modern money creation, explores improvements made possible by advances in digital technology, and proposes upgrades that could transform our outmoded nineteenth century system into one that is democratic, sustainable, and serves the needs of the twenty-first century.
“I had the good fortune to work on this initiative before Bernie kidnapped all my time. This is one of those no-brainer initiatives that only the 1% could oppose. It has the potential to save the state millions of dollars by vastly reducing the cost of its bonds to improve infrastructure funding. in a public bank, our state funds can be used to build our local economy and our local infrastructure.”
– Paul Gibson
Retake Our Democracy