Category: Why we need change
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Re-inspiring communities
It was great to meet so many people interested in joining in the dialogue around community development at Future Perfect festival held recently in Vaxholm, just outside the Swedish capital, Stockholm. So much arose out of that dialogue that I felt it was worth recording a summary from memory here it is:
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Please, do not make HUNGER a GAME
US drought threatens the food supplies of millions around the world, and as supplies dwindle before the next growing season produces more, we are likely to see food prices spiral upwards. That means the poorest citizens will be hit hardest and that in turn raises the threat of civil unrest. Micheal Klare This analysis comes…
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Sweden’s plans for energy intensity transition look shaky
I promised in my last blog in the series capitalism: a hobby to delve into the status of Sweden using my ideas of capital value. Before I do that, however I need to give readers an idea of the over-riding plans that Sweden has for energy intensity reduction. We saw from previous analyses that oil…
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Flexible emission fees set new direction towards sustainable development
A recent report from The Nordic Council of Ministers ( title: Flexible emission fees An incentive for driving sustainable production and consumption) is optimistic that growth and environmental goals can be reconciled. If the conclusions of the report can be implemented, it could set a new direction towards sustainable development. The starting point for the…
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At Last! Dirt the movie…
Anyone intereted in understanding the complexities of sustainable world food and water situation should watch this film. It carefull goes over the importance of theat which we give a negative namen to – dirt that may well be the most important piece of technology we have available to us! Follow this link here for a fuller explanation
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A philosophical exploration of what “sustainable” and “technology” are
What we call technology is actually a narrow practice including mechanics, electronics and computer science. This confusion is hampering human development, especially when the expectation is on not developing financial and social technology but demanding mechanical solutions when simple agreements could suffice. Modern technology is failing, we are not addressing the challenges in front of…
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On the same page with Virgin’s co-founder Sir Richard Branson
Writing in the British newspaper, the Telegraph, today, Sir Richard Branson, co-founder of the Virgin Group, says Business as usual is wrecking our planet. Resources are being used up. Air, sea and land are heavily polluted. The poor are getting poorer. Many are dying of starvation, or because they cannot afford life-saving medicine. Nearly half…
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Looking back from 2011 to the early 1900’s. What shall we prioritise in 2012?
Maybe you aren’t thinking of 2012 yet, just trying to organize Christmas and New Year. But the end of the year is a good time to take stock. What have we learnt during 2011? What has become clearer? For many of us with a sustainability focus, the urgent need to reverse economic, energy and environmental trends is growing by…
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Is corporatocracy the way you really want to go?
What is the best way to organise society? That question has been around since we started to be able to talk. In my world I like to add “what is the best way to organise society so it develops resilience and sustainability”. I have pointed to writers like Aldous Huxley who, in his book “Brave…
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Economic reality check with Professor Tim Jackson
The economic system we have is incapable of delivering the transition to a zero or negative carbon system we need, says professor Tim Jackson. The system pulls economic resources through the system. If we not buy the system crashes, but if it continues we are in debt with a degraded environment. This is about people…