It appears that all this man-made global warming could be counteracting the onset of the next major ice age. Is that good news? Not necessarily for us humans. The planet is soon due to cool down again, mainly because its orbit takes us further from the sun. But ‘soon’ in planetary terms means in maybe [...]
When I was at school we learned about the mediaeval Christian practice of selling ’indulgences’. A sinner could partake of divine grace by paying a priest. This became a major source of income for some, and the practice degenerated into commerce. Today some companies and individuals pay money for ’climate compensation’, to make up for [...]
Ideas about the potential role of social entrepreneurs, sparked by the Swiss Economic Forum – to whom, many thanks! https://docs.com/LQEM
Non-governmental organizations* have long been funded by membership fees and donations, by public grants, and to some extent (particularly in the Anglo-Saxon world) by grants from private foundations. Now things are rapidly shifting. Lifelong members are becoming a thing of the past. Those membership fees that roll in, year after year, are dwindling. We tend [...]
Curious fact no. 1: It’s always someone else who needs to have their awareness raised. “We urgently need to raise public awareness of the consequences of western lifestyle.” Said, often, by the very people who underpin the financial systems that make ‘our’ unsustainable lifestyle almost inevitable. Some of us would like to raise their awareness… [...]
“In 50 years, we will have exhausted all sources of xxx, and industry will need to look for a replacement.” “The planet’s ecosystems supply us with services whose annual value is estimated at xxx trillion USD.” “Industry should be made to pay for externalities” like clean air and water. Take some deep breaths and think [...]
Myths – the old ones – are wonderful sources of inspiration. But some modern myths bind us to a repetitive wheel, so that we consistently fall short of our own ambitions – do you recognize this? It seems to be particularly true of work for sustainability. So I wonder: what are these myths, and how [...]
At the World Resources Forum in Davos this week I made a shocking confession: I no longer believe the earth is flat. This is, I know, heretical. Our entire, flat-earth society is built on the principle that we can pull resources from ‘somewhere’ onto our linear earth; use and abuse them; and then throw them [...]
Huge amounts of time, talent and money are now being invested in sustainable development, yet the results are still negative: human societies are becoming less and less sustainable, year by year. Progress is made, but overall we are eroding our natural capital, and our economies are in disarray. Clearly the causes, and the answers, need [...]
Financial crises come quicker and quicker – and will continue to do so; this is one of the only two valid ‘economic laws’. Do we want something different? More sustainable? Think before you answer, because the entire economic system on which our societies are built is both unsustainable and irrational. Few disciplines are as shrouded [...]