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The Paradise Paradigm - Where did that Garden go, anyway? The paradise paradigm proposes that human civilization began as a consequence of finding an ecologically rich and supportive environment and recognizing its value - and then destroying it, not once, but many times, in many localities. And sometimes learning how NOT to destroy it. With comments on how this all applies today.
Earth Prayer & The Sunset - By Black Elk.
A Hopi Prophecy - Thinking about the millenium? Consider this...
Gaia - An inspiring introduction to the hypothesis of Earth as a living being, by James Lovelock. Archived at Selena Sol's Extropia.
EARTHDANCE: Living Systems in Evolution - by Elizabeth Sahtouris, with an introduction by James Lovelock, the originator of the Gaia Hypothesis. This is a story about human life in its proper context- nature. The entire is book online.
The Paradise Paradigm - Where did that Garden go, anyway? The paradise paradigm proposes that human civilization began as a consequence of finding an ecologically rich and supportive environment and recognizing its value - and then destroying it, not once, but many times, in many localities. And sometimes learning how NOT to destroy it. With comments on how this all applies today.
Recalling Celilo - Elizabeth Woody evokes the great waterfall which once stood on the Columbia River.
Technology and the Other War - (The 10,000 year-old one.) An Address by Daniel Quinn for the Carnegie Mellon University Student Pugwash Annual Conference, September 1997. [29k]
It All Began in a Fertilizer Factory - Re-discovered: an ancient way for groups to come to harmonious decisions.
Listening Circles - "Linearity gets us from A to B. Its dangers become clear when we arrive at B burdened down with unexpected problems and side-effects -- or when we suddenly realize we shouldn't be going to B at all. Clearly, we need some other (or at least additional) approach for making our way through life.." [10k]
Backyard Musings - A nice little essay on intelligence, by William Jordan. The premise? Life is intelligence. Not intelligent, but intelligence. Intelligence is a property like flesh itself and it exists in all living things. With examples drawn from the author's observations of his garden.[11k]
What if Ideas were viruses? - Green is a meme. So is "Trickle-Down Economics". Both are ideas whose spread through society has much in common with the way genetic mutations and viruses spread through populations. The study of this epidemiology of ideas, "memetics", may provide insights useful to anyone interested in encouraging the spread of green ideas. This is an introduction to Memes, by Glenn Grant. A slightly different version here.[8k] If you want more after reading the intros above, check out The Ecology of Intentions: How to make Memes and Influence People: Culturology, by Adam Westoby. A 55.000 word manuscript of thoughts about memes. [319k]
The Cultural Creatives Are Coming - The best kept secret going is just how many people are looking for alternatives to pollution as usual. This article by Donella Meadows will surprise you.
44 million - Did you ever wish more people would take the environment seriously? Maybe they do...
Lifestyles Of The Rich In Spirit - A collection of stories from real people whose lives are a testimony to the possibility of a simpler, more meaningful life.
The Lap of Luxury - An angry, intelligent, and thought-provoking look at a simple word - how its meaning has been corrupted and used to manipulate, and an inspiring reminder of what the word really means. [17k]
Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life that Is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich - Excerpts from the book, by Duane Elgin. Topics include: Voluntary Simplicity and the New Global Challenge, Misconceptions About the Simple Life, That it is NOT a denial of progress, or technology, etc), and examples of how a simpler life might look. [43k]
All-Consuming Passion: Some Numbers... - More is less and less is more? Here are some numbers to back it up.
Humane Sustainable Culture - A clear definition of sustainability by. The Context Institute- They publish a free online journal about positive things people are doing. A great source for ideas and optimism.
The Original Ten Key Values - of the Green Committees of Correspondence. Charlene Spretnak poses a series of questions for each value, i.e., under the heading Ecological Wisdom, some of the questions are: How can we operate human societies with the understanding that we are part of nature, not on top of it? How can we live within the ecological and resource limits of the planet, applying our technological knowledge to the challenge of an energy-efficient economy? How can we build a better relationship between cities and countryside?, and more. (8k)
Declaration of Sustainability 7:38 PM 9/22/99 OFFLINE (We're trying to find the new address.)- A long-term, practical look at what we need to do to create a sustainable society. Paul Hawken outlines twelve steps including: "Take back the charter" (corporations), "Adjust price to reflect cost". (real costs), " Throw out and replace the entire tax system."...and more. Includes practical suggestions you can follow to speed up the process. (36k)
A Sustainable Living Library - A bibliography of books and essays relating to sustainable living- Everything from Edward Abbey's, Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness, to Gerardo Zampaglione, The Idea of Peace in Antiquity. At Sustainable Future . [23k]
Green quotes for inspiration - Words to ponder by Barry Commoner, Paul Ehrlich, Herman Daly, Hunter Lovins, Max Plank, Lao Tse, Goethe, and others. (4k)
Bad Car-ma? (The ULS Report - July-August 1997 - Vol. 4 No. 4) - All about cars- their many costs, and some revealing (and quotable) statistics their "benefits".
Thinking Globally; Acting Locally - Here's a new way to look at cars: By modifying car use in your community, you can- Reduce crime •Reduce pollution •Make people healthier (aside from reducing pollution) •Gain free time •Prevent such conflicts as the Gulf War (and many more!) •Remove a regressive tax •Boost culture. Find out how.
Alliance for a Paving Moratorium Fact Sheets - These folks want to put a stop to paving. After looking at these fact sheets, you'll know why, and also why just saying "no" to paving could have a profoundly positive effect on both environment and quality of life. Direct links to each factsheet: #1 The Problem with Paving, #2 A Positive Alternative, #3 Why Transportation Shouldn't Be Cars.
Who pays for sprawl? - Do you love suburban sprawl? If you're like most people, probably not. Then why does it keep spreading? Because you and I are subsidizing it. Read the details here. (13k)
So What Can We Do -- Really Do -- About Sprawl? - Donella Meadows succintly summarizes a set of suggestions made by Eben Fodor, in his book Better, Not Bigger.
Home From Nowhere - An Atlantic Monthly article by James Howard Kunstler. A detailed vision of a better way to design our communities.
Rural Renaissance - by Paul Hawken, James Ogilvy, and Peter Schwartz Written back in the eighties, this article fantasized about one scenario for America in the nineties.
A Conversation with Terry Tempest Williams - The author of Refuge and An Unspoken Hunger speaks about her writing, her sense of place and her belief that "the most radical act we can commit is to stay home."
Conserving Communities - An article by Wendell Berry. Why and how to go about developing a local, land-based economy.
Wild Wisdom - Ethnobotanist and MacArthur Fellow, Gary Paul Nabhan's thoughts about wild nature, childhood, and a sense of place.
Questions and Answers About the NEW LOCALISM - Thoughtful answers to common questions about such issues as: how realistic the idea is, economies of scale, the threat to minorities, the environment and more. [12k]
On The Benefits of SmaIl Farms - We know how damaging large, corporate farms can be to the environment, compared to small farms. This article reports on compelling evidence to show how, contrary to conventional belief, small farms are also more efficient and much, much better for us economically as well. [13k]
Village Homes - An InContext article describing a highly successful community built 20 years ago using design principles that are only now becoming accepted.
Building With the Breath of Life - The entire text of the book by Tom Bender. Here's a sample: " ...It started for me, I think, with a spruce root found on the beach years ago and made into the handles on our front door...What we realized finally is that through the contortions of their shapes, the root and the tree were still telling the story of their lives. Like the wrinkles and stoops of an old person, each told of a battle won or lost, a lesson learned, an impasse surmounted. We were feeling the history of their lives, and the stories were worth experiencing...". Or"...Any view, however spectacular, becomes boring after time. There is far more power in a variety of views that connect us in different ways with the world outside. It can be wonderful leaving some of the trees in a "view". How magic it is at sunset with the light causing the raindrops on the end of every pine needle to shimmer! "A view" is a uniquely modern concept, and one that misses the powerful value of being an integral part of a place..."
If the GDP is Up, Why is America Down? - Using the GDP, the currently accepted measure of prosperity, war, pollution, resource depletion, violent crime, and disease are all counted as ADDING TO prosperity. Does this make sense? (This article replaces "What if... we measured prosperity in new ways?")
The New Economics - A quick, concrete look at some of the flawed economic thinking that is responsible for many of our current and impending problems. Some nice, everyday examples of how the GDP misindicates the true state of the economy, and a realistic explanation of why we are still using this erroneous measure.
What is the Genuine Progress Indicator -- GPI? - Yet another overview of the new way to look at the economy., this one written by Redefining Progress, the people who brought the idea to popular attention with an article in The Atlantic Monthly.
Measuring Well-Being - A Canadian initiative to pass legislation that would replace Canada's use of GDP as the primary economic indicator with GPI-style measurement. "The Canada Well-Being Measurement Act aims to establish a measuring system that distinguishes activities which benefit people and ecosystems from activities which result in and from the degradation of our circumstances. It would reflect quality of life and maintain natural resource accounts."
Indicators Training Course - You've read about Genuine Progress/Sustainability indicators and you're thinking, "If only my community made its planning decisions based on them and not on simplistic indicators like 'jobs' or 'growth'". So, go ahead, show folks in your area how to create a local set of indicators! This one-day training course on sustainable community indicators can be used by:
Natural Capitalism - The classic article by Paul Hawken. NOTE: Best viewed with image loading turned off to eliminate the hard-on the-eyes background.
Natural Capitalism: The Book - Now you can read Paul Hawken's groundbreaking work online. The full title is: Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution. It's by Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, and L. Hunter Lovins. The thesis is that there doesn't need to be a conflict between industry and life - There are ways to create a synergy between the two. There are excerpts online and the entire book can be downloaded in PDF format.
What I Learned in the Rainforest - A keynote address to the World Future Society on July 19, 1997, by Tachi Kiuchi, Managing Director of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (A different Mitsubshi...), An inspiring account of how some school children and a misunderstanding led to a personal and corporate transformation. For the nuts and bolts of how other companies might do the same, see this article
For a list of related articles and reports you can purchase, click here.
Environmentally Friendly Economies are Vibrant Economies - A clean environment would be nice, but what about jobs?
Even now, with the deck heavily stacked in favor of polluting industries, jobs are more likely to be at risk where environmental standards are low and where innovation in favor of cleaner technologies is lagging. [12k]
Environmental and Financial Performance Literature - Does Pro-environmental behavior by corporations pay off? Donald P. Cram (MIT Sloan School of Management) and Dinah Koehler (Harvard School of Public Health) are writing a review paper on the topic. This is their listing of papers.[23k]
A Citizen Agenda - to Tame Corporate Power, Reclaim Citizen Sovereignty, and Restore Economic Sanity, by David Korten, author of
My WTO Experience - by Paul Hawken. A powerful tale: A visceral account of what went on, and an inspiring view of its significance.
Keeping America Safe From Democracy - This report, by PR Watch, describes an insidious new lobbying tool devised by PR organizations to be used on behalf of their corporate clients. It's derived from the principles of 1960's grassroots organizing. The folks at PR Watch call it "astroturf organizing"
Mexican Indians Say No to Development - The Zapatista uprising in the province of Chiapas in Mexico exemplifies the new grassroots coalitions that are emerging worldwide in response to the dehumanizing effects of development (9k).
Let's Try Something Radical. Like a Market Economy - David Korten's plenary address to the Peoples' Summit 1997 (TOES97). Explains the difference between the "market economy" G7 leaders celebrate in their speeches and the monopolistic economy that actually exists.
NOTE: CURRENTLY OFFLINE- The World Transformed - A powerful, important online book about how "global economic changes impact on the lives of women, how women are responding by linking up across borders to challenge the power of transnational corporations". The book tells how, in the process, women are "articulating a vision of a new society free of exploitation and subordination by race, class and gender" (from the introduction). The book is built around 14 interviews with women and men actively involved in the transformation. Click above for the introduction . Click here for the chapters.
The NGO Forum at the 4th World Conference for Women in Beijing - An inspiring account by Sheryl Karas. (17k).
Resource Depletion/Donella Meadows - This article points out a dangerous flaw in the logic of popular strategies for dealing with resource depletion.
Some Food for Thought. Please Chew Thoroughly. - Gil Friend has compiled a collection of sustainability-oriented design suggestions for business and industry. (7k)
Working With A Sense of the Whole - Susan Campbell, Ph.D., traveled across the U.S. and Canada, visiting and studying 30 cooperative businesses. She reports on the values these companies shared that allowed them to create environments imbued with a sense of community. From the Community-Building Anthology.
Perverse Incentives- Strategies for Reform - A summary of the effects of subsidies (agriculture, fuel roads, etc.), with suggested strategies for improvement. The final part of an extensive treatment of the topic commissioned by the Earth Council. (37k)
100 Ways to Use Prices to Prevent Pollution (fwd) - Pollution Fees, "Green " Taxes, User Fees, and more, this article outlines a variety of powerful strategies for improving the environment. Great ammunition for your next local government council meeting or letter to your state or federal representative. (20k)
A Special Moment in History - By Bill Mckibben. Both Global warming and population growth are forces causing profound changes in our environment. What happens when their effects interact? (A three part article.) Past articles from The Atlantic are included as well, among them, "Do We Consume Too Much?" (1997) by Mark Sagoff, "Can Selfishness Save the Environment?" (1993) by Matt Ridley and Bobbi Low, "The Great Climate Flip-flop" by William H. Calvin (1998), and "No Middle Way on the Environment" by Paul R. Ehrlich and others. (39k, part 1).
A Plan for Cooling the Planet - Here's a clever set of interactive and mutually-reinforcing strategies designed to greatly accelerate the fight against global warming and, coincidently, provide a worldwide economic boom. The link goes to a brief summary. For the full plan, go here.
The Truth about Inerts - 12:37 PM 12/11/00 - OFFLINE (We're trying to find the new address.) - An article from Earth Island Journal, about a disturbing, newly uncovered problem with pesticides.
The Sperm of New York Men is Not the Issue - Donella Meadows commentary on "Our Stolen Future," the controversial books about omnipresent chemicals that are turning out to have hormone mimicking effects. More by Ms. Meadows here.
The Tragedy of the Coastal Commons - "A unique, virtual space for conversations about sustaining our coastal resources. An interactive web site to be extended by the contributions of each visitor. A place to express divergent viewpoints for everyone interested in coastal fisheries."
PR- a better democracy? - Ever wonder why the choices are so uninspiring on election day? One reason is our "winner-take-all" system of deciding elections. It actually prevents real representative government. But it doesn't have to be this way. In fact, with the exception of the English-speaking nations, all advanced democracies have various systems of proportional representation. This article explains how PR works and why we need it. [12k]
Reinventing Democracy - Learn about, and comment on a proposed "Wisdom" Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
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