Hi Guys!
Just a quick update on some 'new' news on sustainability and where some things seem to be going!
The 'cutting edge' of sustainability seems to be sharpening up quick, but the bad news is that the earth's systems are just about in meltdown.
1)The Bad News
EARTH AUDIT
The global environment is on life support and its being tended to by a manic with a chainsaw.....
the UN just released this ground-breaking report depicting this global emergency in stark terms. It's called the 'Earth Audit' and its one of the greatest pieces of scientific collaboration in history.
http://www.unep.org/geo/geo4/media/media_briefs/Media_Briefs_GEO-4_Executive_Summary.pdf
INDUSTRIALISM
Industrialism has changes the face of the earth- the technological down side! This presentation/slideshow of mindblowing pics puts the earth's plight into perspective.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/56
CLIMATE CHANGE
The IPCC are about to realeas a new report on Saturday- a synthesis of all reasearch done up till now, and its more dire than ever.....
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports/ipcc-synthesis-report-briefin
2)The Good News
PROGRESS IS HAPPENING....
Hans Rosling here shows global trends of improved living standards and market development in a truly revolutionary way.Prepare to be amazed!
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/92
BRIGHT GREENISM
Bright Greenism is a movement that puts the optimism back into environmentalism. 'Dark Green' or conservative environmentalsim, it is argued, has no future. Bright Greenism embraces the progressivism of technology and even capitalism to argue that we can do both: protect the environment AND have fast cars and big houses.... Check out the attachment from the Magazine 'What Is Enlightenment?' for more details- I'd love to hear your thoughts, cause I'm doing my
dissertation this year in this area!
SPIRAL DYNAMICS
Spiral Dynamics is a theory of human development introduced in the 1996 book Spiral Dynamics by Don Beck and Chris Cowan. It provides a potentially revolutionary framework for analysing problems through 'worldview' grading and placement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_Dynamics
WORLDCHANGING
Tools, Models and Ideas for Building a Bright Green ... An online publication covering tools, models, and ideas for building a better future.
www.worldchanging.com/
PERMACULTURE
The St Andrews Permaculture Group which I'm a part of is going strong and has just launched its website- we're settign it us as a community garden and base for arts and crafts.
www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~pcgroup
OK, that's all for now...
Keep in touch!
Paddy :)
PS, If anyone wants to do a summary for one of the topics' discussions that still hasn't been covered, now's the time. www.mind42.com is a really great mindmapping tool for that kind of thing- its online and VERY easy to use.
