Thriving Beyond Sustainability

Uplifting Story: Reviving Coral

2011-12-30T20:07:00.000-08:00

As this year draws to a close, I ran across an interesting story about reviving coral reefs. Off the coast of Bali a group has been experimenting for over a decade on building metal cages which are electrified with a low voltage. Apparently the electricity stimulates the growth of coral 2 to 6 times faster! An encouraging step forward given the deterioration of coral reefs throughout the world.

I'm a bit weary of "technological fixes;" however, I'm encouraged by the ingenuity and dedication of conservationists willing to try new approaches that remediate our destruction.

Check out details of article and video at at:

Electrified Cages Revive Near-Dead Corals

http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/electrified-cages-revive-near-dead-corals.html

YouTube video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6hjuEoURPZE

Thrive and Beyond...

2011-11-28T15:50:00.000-08:00

As the catch-all "sustainability" term becomes more over-used and thereby more amorphous, new terms and language is emerging for what lies ahead. One of these terms in "thriving." What I like about thriving is that is conjures a positive vision for what is possible--- it presents a vision for where we are going and it's an inviting vision-- one that makes us want to be a part of it rather than fostering a bleak survivalist perspective. Starting with a "blue sky" approach for what we want and then calibrating it based on constraints is much more inviting, appealing and powerful than immediately jumping to the constraints.

New books, websites, movies and blogs (see links below) have emerged and continue to be developed asking questions which help to envision a better future for all. They cover topics in: food, energy, politics, entrepreneurship, social action, education, finance, personal development, etc., etc... The conversation about a thriving future helps to bridge the inner world that drives us as individuals with the outer world that we interact with on a daily basis.

A small sampling of links include:

Journey of the Universe: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org

New Stories: http://www.newstories.org

Pachamama Alliance: http://www.pachamama.org

Pioneers of Change: http://pioneersofchange.net

Thrive Napa Valley: http://www.thrivenv.org

Thrive Tribe: http://www.facebook.com/groups/thrivetribe

Thrive: What on Earth Will it Take? http://thrivemovement.com

Thrivability: A Collaborative Sketch: http://www.slideshare.net/NurtureGirl/thrivability-a-collaborative-sketch-3406586

Bioneers: Education for Action

2011-10-31T13:23:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I attended the Education for Action working group at the Bioneers Conference in San Rafael, California. The objective of this group of about 40 is to find ways of leveraging sustainability education on a national scale. Quite an ambitious goal, yet as we broke it down into smaller chunks, we discovered that there were some aspects that were very doable!

It was intriguing that this group of leaders from the education, marketing, media, business and government sectors, among others, had deep experience and ideas on how best to engage a broad spectrum of people in sustainability education. The process our group underwent included working in smaller groups of about 7 people to drill down on a specific area which was then blended into the outcomes from the other groups. This is a long-term objective in which we focused on achievable goals. I'm excited to see what unfolds.

On a broader perspective, I'm thrilled to see how Bioneers is expanding its programs into: Dreaming New Mexico (a template for implementing regional sustainable practices); Food & Farming, Indigeneity, Women's Leadership and Education. One of the strongest aspects of The Bioneers is its network of people and organizations working of all aspects of sustainable practices. Leveraging this network into more specific programs is a wonderful way to turn the network into meaningful action.

Last year, I remember being pleasantly surprised to see TED talks on an airline flight. I look forward to seeing Bioneers talks in future flights, websites, television, radio and many other outlets. This is already underway as the 'Beyond Bioneers' phase of these ideas are mainstreamed.

Sustainable Leadership

2011-09-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

As the term sustainability becomes more widespread, its meaning has undoubtedly morphed to mean many different things— living within nature's means; providing for future generations; protecting biodiversity, etc... What I see as emerging is the question: What can I do to make a difference in the world? And this question brings up the notion of leadership.

We may ask ourselves, what positive impact can I have in my immediate community? What can I do that has meaning and purpose? Recently, I finished reading Dan Millman's book, The Four Purposes of Life-- In his book, Millman describes the four purposes from an autobiographical perspective: first purpose: Learning Life's Lessons; second purpose: Finding Your Career and Calling; third purpose: Discovering Your Life Path; and fourth purpose: Attending to This Arising Moment. (FYI, Millman's well known book, Way of the Peaceful Warrior was made into a great film by the same name!).

An underlying theme in all the purposes, and indeed in finding our path, is slowing down and tuning into what resonates within us. It's definitely a challenge given the fast pace lives driven by technology, responsibilities, etc. Creating stillness and observing what's happening moment by moment...

Perhaps this is where sustainable leadership comes in: finding our purpose by creating the conditions that will clarify our life's path-- including, slowing down, observing, creating stillness, and being of service to others.

At a group level, David Logan has an interesting angle on Tribal Leadership. In his TED talk "David Logan on Tribal Leadership," he describes the different stages of tribal leadership and the importance of being able to communicate between the different stages.

Whether at the personal or tribal level, sustainable leadership appears to be gaining more visibility as we search for greater meaning in our actions.

Practical Visionaries and World Changers at Hollyhock

2011-08-17T09:29:00.000-07:00

Last week I attended the Hollyhock Summer Gathering in Cortes Island, British Columbia, Canada. This event brings together an amazing group of practical visionaries and world changers. They presented their programs from the non-profit, for profit and government sectors. The presentations ranged form the history and future of solar energy, to the singularity, micro-financing efforts in Africa, youth empowerment programs, poverty projects, plastic pollution campaign and activism through the arts. A common theme is that these initiatives are working and making a positive difference in the lives of people throughout the planet.

What struck me about the participants was their stories of how they became involved in their efforts and their commitment to follow through from their vision through implementation. The location at Hollyhock, a learning center in a beautiful island off the coast of BC, is conducive to exploring out-of-the-box solutions. The structure which included plenaries in the morning and allowed the participants to offer presentations/workshops in the afternoon was a great way to have a wide range to unexpected topics covered. I enjoyed the valuable feedback and exchange of ideas that I received for my afternoon talk, "Creating A Thriveable Future."

The unstructured time during the conference was some of the most valuable ways of meeting new faces and establishing connections. Some of the greatest connections often happen at conferences during meals, walks or impromptu conversations. Kudos to the organizers for keeping the schedule flexible.

Below are some of the books and websites that I learned about and found most interesting:

BOOKS:

Becoming Animal, by David Abram

Felt Sense: Writing with the Body, by Sondra Perl

The Singularity is Near, by Ray Kursweil

The Science of Delusion, by Rupert Sheldrake

Stepping Up: How Taking Responsibility Can Change Your Life, Your Company, and the World, by John Izzo

Voices of the Poor: Volume 1: Can Anyone Hear Us, by Deepa Narayan

PROGRAMS:

A Network for Grateful Living

http://www.gratefulness.org

Co-Intelligence Institute

http://www.co-intelligence.org/

Compassionate Listening

http://www.compassionatelistening.org/

Ian McKenzie: Penan

http://www.rimba.com/

John Izzo

http://www.drjohnizzo.com/

Lumana

http://www.lumana.org/

Marine Mammal Conservation Through the Arts (MMCTA)

http://www.mmcta.org/

Partnership for Youth Empowerment

http://www.pyeglobal.org/

Climate Change and The Release of Pops

2011-07-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

I just read an alarming story on the BBC website regarding the release of persistent organics pollutants (Pops); the article: "Melting Arctic releasing banned toxins , warn scientists." by Damian Carrington, 24 July 2011. (Note: original article: "Revolatilization of persistent organic pollutants in the Arctic induced by climate change." published in Nature Climate Change; 29 March 2011).

The article points out that as the planet's temperature rises and the Arctic melts, it's releasing toxic chemicals, banned under the 2004 Stockholm Convention, including: pesticides DDT, lindane, chlordane, PCBs and fungicide hexachlorobenzene (HCB). These Pops, which can cause cancer and birth defects, have been locked in the frozen ice and cold water are now being released due to global warming.

This situation reminds me of what is being played out in the Arctic tundra as the permafrost is melting and greenhouse gases are being released into the atmosphere. These consequences of climate change are surfacing more and more as the global temperature continues to rise. A very sobering account on the impact of climate change.

Renewables and Happiness!

2011-06-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

Recently, I ran across a few very exciting solar (and wind) initiatives. It seems like the price point and financing options, such as solar service agreements whereby there is no up-front costs to the home owner), are making residential solar a no-brainer. Solar technology, including solar thermal, and lower production costs are creating a powerful leverage point to make solar affordable and thereby expanding its adoption. It's encouraging when the likes of Google are beginning to play in the "solar sandbox" in a big way and providing the necessary funding to dramatically increase its adoption. Check out: Google's new alliance with Solar City blog post (6/14/11 at 6:00 am): http://www.googlegreenblog.blogspot.com/

Google is also setting a new bar by providing electric vehicle charging stations in their headquarters parking lot (a new technology that charges cars wirelessly. Check out: Googles EV charging stations blog post (6/9/11 at 10:00 am): http://googlegreenblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/leading-charge-toward-electric-vehicle.html

On the wind front, the concept of community wind, whereby the land owners own the wind turbines, is being taken to new heights by Juhl Wind. Details at: http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/22552?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Enewsletter&utm_campaign=SustainableBusiness.com%20Update%3A%206%2F20%2F11

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On Happiness:

A new film is coming out called: HAPPY, from director Roko Beli.

It explores what makes us happy and looks at scientific studies that show certain traits of happy people.

For more info. and to see the movie trailer see: http://thehappymovie.com/wordpress/

Local Currencies: Localization Projects Taking Root

2011-05-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

Community currencies seem to be on the upsurge as small towns and large cities recognize the value of supporting their local economies. There are numerous models including: BerkShares, Local Exchange Trading Systems (LETS), and hours currency.

In Fairfax, California, Sustainable Fairfax, a non-profit, the local Chamber of Commerce and the Fairfax Town Council have gotten together to create a local currency, called Fairbuck. The Fairbuck token has a symbol of a buck on one side (part of the Seal of Fairfax) and a snail on the other (recognition of Fairfax becoming the second CittaSlow certified community in the country). It also has the inscription: "In community we trust." The FairBuck token has a $3 value and is accepted for goods and services by merchants in the Fairfax, California area. Due to launch next month, the Fairbuck is a great example of supporting the local economy by keeping the circulation of the coins locally.

Local currencies are spreading as more communities see the value of supporting their local economies. Some of the more well-known local currencies in the U.S. include: the BerkShares, in the Berkshire county of western Massachusetts, the Ithaca Hours in Ithaca, New York and the Plenty in North Carolina. In Europe, micro currencies are taking off in Germany and the concept perhaps will spread to Asia and Latin America.

For additional resources about local currencies, see:

E. F. Schumacher Society: Local Currencies

Local Currency Council

Lester Brown on Climate Change

2011-04-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

Recently, I saw a concise and clear (and sobering) video of Lester Brown from the Earth Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. analyzing of the impacts of climate change as it relates to food production, water availability and other world trends. Brown highlights the impact of reduced food production as the focal point of climate change as part of what he covers in his latest book, World on the Edge.

Most interesting is the fragility of the world's food system; the impact of higher temperatures and reduced food yields, the effect of soil erosion; the impact of water scarcity, etc... All these trends are impacted by a very short window of time that we have to take action. World on the Edge offers pathways towards solutions to these global challenges we face as a global community.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=DXVgTD2F6ZQ

Three New Documentary Films Envisioning a Better World

2011-03-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

Three new sustainability-related documentary films that have been recently released may be of interest:

1) "Harmony: A New Way of Looking At Our World." This film narrated by Prince Charles does a good job of presenting some of the ideas of how best to live in balance with the natural systems. It touches on themes ranging from sustainable farming to biomimicry.

2) "I Am: The Shift is About to Hit The Fan." This documentary film released through limited theaters traces the transformation of Tom Shadyak, a movie director who travels the world asking the questions: "What's wrong with our world?" and 'What can we do about it?" This creates an interesting dialog from leaders including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, John Francis, David Suzuki, Lynne McTaggart and many others.

3) "The Economics of Happiness." This film by Helena Norberg-Hodge, Steven Gorelick and John Page tackles the problems with our current economic system and presents the benefits of economic localization. It includes the perspectives of many of the leaders in the sustainability movement including: Bill McKibben, Vandana Shiva, David Korten, Richard Heinberg, Rob Hopkins and many more.

All three films point to solutions that are already happening and making positive change and creating a better world. They also focus on ideas that are spearheading a transformation at the economic, social and environmental level.

Brene Brown: the power of vulnerability

2011-02-21T17:43:00.000-08:00

Recently, a colleague forwarded me a talk at the TED conference by Brene Brown, a social researcher. The talk, entitled, "The power of vulnerability," explores some simple yet profound topics that are directly related to our authenticity and well-being.

As we grapple with the complexity of sustainability issues, perhaps looking at these basic human characteristics will go a long way to working effectively together and allow our best selves to shine through.

Sustainable Communities: The Oberlin Project

2011-01-28T12:24:00.000-08:00

One of the more intriguing sustainability initiatives currently taking place is the Oberlin Project spearheaded by David Orr from Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. The College owns a 13 acre plot in downtown Oberlin which they plan to develop and make a LEED platinum neighborhood. Working with the Clinton Global Initiative and the US Green Building Council, this initiative brings together a partnership with expertise in changing neighborhoods and improving peoples lives.

In their effort to revitalize about a dozen buildings in the next several years, this effort may prove to be a viable example of collaborations between colleges and their local communities. Rather than remaining as educational islands, by engaging with their communities colleges have an opportunity to implement their vision of sustainable practices into their local towns. In effect, expanding their ideas into projects that improve the lives of local residents while enhancing their educational mission. Replicating these types of projects may prove essential as we reinvent the meaning of creating sustainable and thriveable communities.

Paris: Electric Car Sharing Pioneer

2010-12-20T14:59:00.000-08:00

Going beyond its already successful bicycle rental program, the city of Paris will launch a new electric car sharing program next year. It's great to see the idea expand from bikes to cars. Paris will be the first major city with such a program. The new program, called Autolib ("automobile" "liberte") is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 22,000 tons a year. The program will build 1,400 rental and re-charging stations in Paris and surrounding communities. Autolib is set up as a government/private industry partnership with Avis, the French National Railway company (SNCF) and the Paris Transit authority (RATP).

As the wave of electric cars is mainstreamed, and the suburban/metropolitan traffic congestion increases, I can envision this car sharing model becoming more popular and widespread in other cities. The convenience and cost (likely cost is approx. $6 to $9 per half hour) will likely appeal to tourists and residents who need a transportation solution that is free from car ownership.

For further details see: http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/JustOneThing/story?id=8291655&page=1

Presidio's MPA Program and Sacred Activism

2010-11-22T17:03:00.001-08:00

Yesterday aI had an opportunity to speak to a terrific group of students from the Presidio Graduate School's Masters of Public Administration (MPA) in Sustainable Management program in San Francisco. What an amazing group that is studying ways to integrate sustainability policies with programs in government, NGO's and the private sector. These types of programs are at the vanguard of shifting the perspective for seeking effective initiatives that can make a different in people's lives. Our discussion turned towards what we can do as individuals and the importance of aligning our values with our work.

This brings me to the book by Andrew Harvey, The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism and the Institute for Sacred Activism and Networks of Grace. How to combine compassion and activism. The new institute lists a number of groups doing work in the sustainability field that embraces "compassion-in-action." What a great way to highlight grass roots efforts that are making positive changes by aligning ourselves with our purpose.

Bioneers and Beyond

2010-10-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the Bioneers conference in San Rafael, CA. For over 20 years the Bioneers conference has been spearheading the people and organizations leading the charge for environmental, social and economic change worldwide. Profiling the individuals and their work helps to ground these ideas with practical applications.

I participated in a new bioneers program titled, Backstage@Bioneers-- a live webcast interview program with host Terrence McNally. I was on the program with Sherry Boschert, founder of Plug In America which supports the expansion of electric cars. Our topic: climate change. Although neither Sherry and I are climatologists per se, it made it all the more relevant since we each covered how we became interested in sustainability topics and the role of climate change in our work. Since there are very few climate 'experts," we can each do our part to reduce greenhouse gasses by taking steps in our daily lives related to driving cars with cleaner emissions, conserving energy in our homes, supporting our local economy, etc.

I also had an opportunity to host a panel: "Unleashing the Entrepreneurial Spirit in the New Economy." The panelists included Michele McGeoy from Solar Richmond, which trains youth in installing solar panels, Adam Davis from Solano Partners, a conservation finance firm, and Jeff Marcus from Ecospan, a bioplastics company. As with the plenary sessions, getting to hear the stories of how these entrepreneurs launched their firms and handled the challenges in creating a successful organization was remarkable. These are their stories inspire and spark new ideas in our own work. The Q/A segment brought really interesting points and highlighted the tremendous experience of the attendees.

Bioneers is also adapting to the times and is now experimenting with a Bioneers conference in Europe-- the first one was in Holland and apparently went quite well. It is definitely time to scale up and mainstream these ideas. The TED conference began their scaling process a few years ago and appears to be very successful. Last summer on a flight to Boston, I saw videos of speakers from TED who were part of the airplane's media program. By offering its video of presenters for free, TED has shown its commitment to spreading these ideas far and wide-- A winning formula that others will likely follow soon. Bioneers and TED have provided a wonderful template for expanding their reach for the exchange of ideas and practices that are improving the world. Beaming Bioneers, with 20 worldwide sites this year and TED Global are important steps in that direction.

More on Resilience: Adapting to Change

2010-09-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

The concept of resilience is back as a hot topic for the last several months. Yes! Magazine just completed its August issue focusing on resilience; Ode Magazine and other publications have also focused on this idea. After the recent massive floods in Pakistan and Ladakh, and other natural disasters, resilience comes to mind as a way to cope with these extreme disruptions. There's also the resilient aspect of managing the economic downturns and building economies that better withstand downward cycles.

Coming from a scientific roots resilience speaks to the notion of bouncing back. How to recover, adapt, create flexibility so that a system can change as it confronts adversity. Nature does it in how it recovers from wildfires, floods, droughts; species are resilient in how they adapt to cold temperatures, scarcity of food, water, etc. And when it comes to humans... how resilient are we?

At the personal level, our bodies are remarkably resilient in fighting disease, healing from trauma, and adapting to change. At a community level, the resiliency of our food, energy, water, infrastructure becomes more vulnerable. We become less dependent when we rely on a regional power grid, water systems that source water from long distances and food that travels thousands of miles on trucks running of fuel with price fluctuations. Perhaps resilience is closely related to localization: home grown skills from growing local food, local energy and water sources and building a strong social capital base that taps on the local labor, experience and expertise.

Resilience is also about awareness that change is a constant-- that challenge is how we adapt to change. Strength to cope with change comes from working with our neighbors and identifying the skill sets to become more flexible in, for example, insulating our homes, developing an efficient transit system or schools that are rooted in knowledge about their local communities.

All these factors balance place-making, community building and sharing social and natural capital.

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For more info. about resilience, check out:

Resilience Alliance.

The Resilience 2011 conference takes place March 11-16, 2011 at Arizona State University.

Resilience Thinking: Sustaining Ecosystems and People in A Changing World. by Brian Walker, David Salt and Walter Reid.

Slow Movement

2010-08-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

I recently heard about the Slow Movement.

In their words:

"This website supports a growing cultural shift towards slowing down. On this site we discuss how we have lost connection to most aspects of our life and to the natural world and rhythms around us, and how we can reconnect – how we can live a connected life. The Slow Movement is a worldwide movement to recapture Meaningful Connection this state of connectedness. The movement is gaining momentum, as more and more people recognise their discomfort at the fast pace and disconnected nature of their lives."

There is also a book, In Praise of Slowness: How a worldwide movement is challenging the cult of speed, by Carl Honore on this topic of slowing down.

Our choices include how much technology that often speeds life up do we want to interact with?Making these choices gives us more time to digest, incubate and respond after evaluating the options presented. Also, what are the priorities on what to focus? Being more in tune with the natural rhythms (be it seasons, day, growth and decay) would seem to be an approach into slowness.

Resilience: Personal and Community Levels

2010-07-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

The term resilience seems to be coming up frequently in my readings, dialogues and in literature about sustainability and preparing for climate change, etc. With roots in the scientific community, the science of resilience has a systems perspective that gives it a valuable framework. In daily life, we can think about how we make our communities, our networks and ourselves more resilient to navigate the challenges ahead.

Since change is inevitable, resilience deals with how we can adapt and regroup from changes--natural disturbances may include fires and floods. Nature responds to these changes by adapting and evolving--- examples include the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in Washington State, the fires at Yellowstone National Park, and the coastline destruction from Hurricane Katrina; other disturbances to natural resources include scarcity of water, food, or energy.

What about our social networks? How do we increase our resiliency and effectively respond to disasters and shortages in our communities? During Hurricane Katrina, for example, the Vietnamese community fared remarkably well because of their close community relations--- neighbors knowing their neighbors and helping each other. At the social level resiliency begins with education about the source of our water, food, energy and economic vitality. Then, we extend this knowledge to acting on behalf of our community-- instilling a sense of ownership-- caring about what keeps our communities thriving.

At a personal level, resilience involves what I describe in the final "S" of the SPIRALS Framework in my book, Thriving Beyond Sustainability, namely, Self-care. We "bounce back" and adapt to change by recognizing what nourishes us-- it may be exercise, hobbies, connecting with friends... There's also an element of re-examining our belief system and questioning our assumptions so that we are open and resilient to change.

For more info about resiliency, check out:

Resilience Thinking, by Brian Walker (People and Place (Vol. 1 Issue 2, 2008)

Resilience Alliance

LBL, Wood Stoves and Ethiopia

2010-06-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

I just received a really interesting link to a piece about a new wood stove design developed at Lawrence Berkeley Lab in Berkeley, California that's having a positive impact for Ethiopians in reducing deforestation and pollution.

Full article:

http://newscenter.lbl.gov/feature-stories/2010/06/29/berkeley-lab-makes-cookstoves-for-ethiopia/

Excerpt:

What does the European Climate Exchange in London have to do with the rural Yaya Gulelle district in Ethiopia?

Everything—if all goes well in some test chambers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory this summer.

Ethiopia has experienced severe deforestation in the last century. Its natural forest cover has plummeted from 35 percent at the start of the 20th century to just 3 percent today. While agricultural practices, including coffee production, are one of the main causes, collecting wood for cooking fuel is also a major contributing factor. About 80 percent of the population still uses traditional three-stone fires to prepare meals, a highly inefficient and polluting method of cooking. The average household uses 11 kg of wood-equivalent per day, or 4 metric tons annually, according to World Vision. And Ethiopia is hardly unique in this regard: according to the Partnership for Clean Indoor Air, more than half the world’s population—or about 3 billion people—cooks with open fires or rudimentary stoves.

Sustainability Across the Curriculum Workshop

2010-06-07T18:04:00.000-07:00

Last week I attended "Sustainability Across the Curriculum for Campus Leaders" workshop offered by AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education). There were 35 of us including attendees from Iceland, Tasmania, and United Arab Emirates. Led by Geoff Chase and Peggy Barlett, (editors of Sustainability on Campus), the stories from this gathering gave a great insider's view of the challenges and opportunities of incorporating sustainability education in college and university courses.

From the two days we spent at San Diego State University, I take away the importance of giving the "stakeholders" (i.e., professors, staff, and students) the tools for developing their own materials, rather than feeling compelled to provide content expertise. Many of the exercises we did both individually and as a group delved into gaining new perspectives on sustainability topics and the importance of place as a way to provide context for sustainability topics. Another key aspect is the importance of reflection-- to have the time to digest new information and to "incubate" ideas for later implementation. In working with colleges and universities to develop sustainability plans, timing and pacing are essential in order for initiatives to be received and eventually implemented.

This is a great workshop for those interested in exploring ways of incorporating sustainability education into courses and to explore ways of establishing alliances both on campus and with external organizations.

Prescott College: Sustainability Education Symposium

2010-05-31T07:49:00.000-07:00

I recently returned from Prescott College's Second Annual Sustainability Education Symposium in Prescott, Arizona (May 19-21, 2010). I had an opportunity to present to the Prescott community including Ph.D. candidates, faculty, and members of the public (Prescott was the first college in the nation to offer a Ph.D. in Sustainability). Among the keynotes included Dr. Gibran Rivera who discussed the impact of social change and Dr. Devon Peña who talked about the environmental justice movement with enlightening examples from his experiences with South Central farmers in Los Angeles and the acequia communities of the Rio Arriba, Upper Rio Grande. The Ph.D. candidates also had an opportunity to present their dissertations.

I was inspired by the commitment and research on sustainability topics that were shared. Presenters also showed the value of connecting their educational theories with on-the-ground practical applications. The Prescott College educational model--- a cohort approach in which students who live throughout the US come together for colloquia during their semesters of study--- attracts self-directed students and a great mix of perspectives. The Ph.D. students also helped to launch the online Journal of Sustainability Education which is a welcome addition to the on-going sustainability education literature.

DO and Living Future

2010-03-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

I'd like to share two conferences (or un-conferences) that are experimenting with changing the one-to-many format typical of conferences-- Trying to find innovative ways of sharing ideas and projects that are making changes in the world. And changing the format for gatherings whereby participants and presenters collaborate in the exchange of new ideas and attendees play a key role in the gatherings.

The first is the DO Lectures, which take place in West Wales, UK. A colleague recently mentioned this conference that is all about making change happen... it appears to be a variation of the TED Conference (Technology Education Design). Like TED, DO has lectures available online. As the DO website points out: "The idea is a simple one. That people who Do things, can inspire the rest of us to go and Do things too. So each year, we invite a set of people down here to come and tell us what they Do." I have not attended DO, but would like to hear from others that have...

The second is the Living Future (the un-conference for deep green professionals) put on by the Cascadia Chapter of the US Green Building Council. (It's happening this coming May in Seattle, Washington). I attended Living Future last year in Portland, Oregon and really enjoyed the way there were so many opportunities to connect with the attendees (gathering was limited to about 500 attendees).

These un-conferences are breaking the mold on how we share ideas with groups-- including having great talks available online.

Check them out!

linkages

2010-03-09T16:30:00.000-08:00

I just viewed The Girl Effect video... A simple, inspirational, elegant way to understand linkages...

An example of non-profit and for profit groups aiming to educate and create positive change...

Monitoring Greenhouse Gasses: One Region at a Time

2010-02-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

"California is preparing to introduce the first statewide system of monitoring devices to detect global-warming emissions, installing them on towers throughout the state." Thus begins an article in last Wednesday's February 3rd's New York Times entitled: California Sets Up Statewide Network to Monitor Global Warming Gases. What's particularly encouraging about this program is that it's the first time that a network has been set up to monitor specific sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and will help the state verify compliance with its greenhouse gas emissions targets. Each of these analyzers can cover several hundred miles including, for example, the Los Angeles basin.

These devices, known as Picarro analyzers, are pioneering what will become a national (and eventually international) network to monitor greenhouse gas emissions. They are made by a Silicon Valley company and provide real-time measurements of greenhouse gases. American ingenuity and technology at the vanguard of a critical step to curb greenhouse gasses and develop the jobs and technologies of the green economy.

The Launch of Two New Journals: The Solutions Journal and The Journal of Sustainability Education

2010-01-31T14:53:00.000-08:00

A couple of new journals about sustainability topics are adding new ideas and resources to the global dialog on green topics: The Solutions Journal, founded by Robert Costanza, Paul Hawken, David Orr and John Todd, and Prescott College's, Journal of Sustainability Education (JSE).

The Solutions Journal aims "to showcase bold and innovative ideas for solving the world's environmental, social and political problems." To this end, I am thrilled to see them launch their premier issue by publishing Donella Meadow's article "Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System."-- This is a classic piece that does a great job of presenting the importance of a systems approach to solving the challenges we face. The journal also includes articles by Robert Costanza, Bill McKibben, Frances Moore Lappé and others... All geared to solutions... to thinking beyond the basic approach... a glass half-full approach much needed in these times. Their website invites ideas and solutions from their readers.

The Journal of Sustainability Education (JSE) provides "a forum for academics and practitioners to share, critique, and promote research, practices, and initiatives that foster the integration of economic, ecological, and social-cultural dimensions of sustainability within formal and non-formal educational contexts." The peer reviewed JSE is in its launch phase and should be a great resource for advancing the ideas related to sustainability education.

Reliable Prosperity

2010-01-30T09:31:00.000-08:00

Ecotrust, a Portland, Oregon based nonprofit doing some excellent work for over 20 years in support of viable local economies in coastal regions of western North America has taken a breath to look back.. and to look ahead... To this end, they asked for feedback from their members and have adopted "Reliable Prosperity" as a guiding principle.

The term, Reliable Prosperity comes form Jane Jacobs, who in her last book, The Nature of Economies wrote, "human beings exist wholly within nature as part of the natural order in every respect. . . This is difficult for many ecologists and economists to accept. . . . readers unwilling or unable to breach a barrier that they imagine separates humankind and its works from the rest of nature will be unable to hear what this book is saying." Ecotrust has adopted these values as part of their mission to "inspire fresh thinking that creates economic opportunity, social equity and environmental well-being."

What an elegant, simple and inspiring approach to embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Beyond that, there are concrete organizations Ecotrust links to that support this vision. The Reliable Prosperity website does a great job of illustrating what the new green economy that is now in the mainstream news will look like (this website builds and expands from the original Conservation Economy website... with some practical applications that add to its relevance).