A system based on perpetual growth cannot function without peripheries and externalities. There must always be an extraction zone – from which materials are taken without full payment – and a disposal zone, where costs are dumped in the form of waste and pollution. As the scale of economic activity increases until capitalism affects everything, from the atmosphere to the deep … [Read more...]
Moving the world from sustainability to regenerative design
Communication is the tool we use to navigate change in this perishable, impermanent world. We talk about what’s happening and what’s coming. We use words to rally and activate citizens; to inform and educate people; to alleviate or aggravate fears, depending on our intentions. Humans use language to make sense of things — even those things that are happening at a scale beyond … [Read more...]
Doing good is good for business
There is a movement afoot, which is a ray of hope in our very bleak-looking environmental future. The degradation and destruction has gained momentum due to systems created by humans. In our lifetime the consequences are beginning to be felt. We find ourselves at number 99 in a downward spiral. Natural resources are being depleted faster that they can be replenished. “The … [Read more...]
Economics of a finite planet
"Every one of the planetry boundaries is trending in the wrong direction - we need to go for a radical transformation," says Peter Bakker in the overview of the key themes of the Cambridge Distinguished Lecture Series 2013, What it Takes to Seed a Sustainability Revolution. This featured accessible lectures by leading sustainability thinkers. Peter Bakker begins with a … [Read more...]
Mall would “upset divine balance”
“Baptism in living water is a very important part of our religion – it goes back to the time of Jesus. Every Sunday we come to Princess Vlei to baptise new converts. We travel all this way because this is natural water, with spiritual power. “The proposed mall is a very serious concern for us. The local and provincial government must give us respect, they must have the … [Read more...]
The upward spiral from naiveté to action
Our capitalist economy, together with low education levels, create a huge rift in most organisations between good intentions or policies and shopfloor adherence. Many organisations today have environmental/sustainability policies in place, which give voice to the senior management's commitment to environmental responsibility. Often environmental management systems are … [Read more...]
Top 50 Sustainability Books
Green Drinks Cape Town shares their top 50 sustainability books: 1 A Sand County Almanac Aldo Leopold (1949) 2 Silent Spring Rachel Carson (1962) 3 Unsafe At Any Speed Ralph Nader (1965) 4 The Population Bomb Paul L. Ehrlich (1968) 5 Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth R. Buckminster Fuller (1969) 6 The Limits to Growth Donella H. Meadows, … [Read more...]
