The concept of strong sustainability is based on the scientific fact that all human life and activity occurs within the limitations of planet Earth, or the 'biosphere' where humankind lives, including all societal functions, such as the economy.
It is a self-evident truth that without a functioning biosphere there can be no society or 'sociosphere', and without a sociosphere there can be no societal functions, including an economy or 'econosphere'.
Strong sustainability recognises that in order for human civilisation to continue, the true model for sustaining the planet on which we rely to survive should look like this (see above). Economists (with a few notable exceptions) have long behaved as though growth were synonymous with economic health. If the gross national product of a country increases steadily by 4 percent per year, most economists express approval and say that the economy is healthy. If the economy could be made to grow still faster (they maintain), it would be still more healthy. If the growth rate should fall, economic illness would be diagnosed. However, it is obvious that on a finite Earth, neither population growth nor economic growth can continue indefinitely. 
In order to survive peak oil, climate change, economic failure, and ecological collapse we must make fundamental shifts in our collective way of life. Individual change is necessary but not enough because our means of survival are embedded in complex social and economic systems. On the other hand, direct change of the massive business and government institutions we now depend upon is unrealistic because the nature of all large institutions is self-perpetuation, not transformation. The practical domain in which we can effectively create a sustainable way of life is our local community. “We have no need for ‘biocentrism,’ ‘anthropocentrism,’ or for that matter any ‘centrism,’ nor for any ideology that diverts popular attention from the social sources of the ecological crisis.” 
Ooooby began in December 2008 on Waiheke Island, Auckland, as an online social network of food gardeners. An evolving project, it now also facilitates the distribution of locally grown food. Ooooby has (in May 2011) 3,600 members, 10,000 monthly visitors, 50 local suppliers and 150 weekly customers. Each month an Oooobyversity evening is hosted in Grey Lynn, Auckland, to share knowledge about food-growing and ways to enhance local production. 
In my previous article, I recapped and built upon Nicole Foss’ (Stoneleigh of The Automatic Earth blog) presentation in Vancouver last week. The first part of her presentation, I noted, was about the current intractable economic (and specifically debt) problems we face at all levels (governments, corporations, individuals), and how neither of the most-supported top-down alternatives (austerity or stimulus) can hope to improve the situation or avoid total economic collapse. A long term collaborative project, the “NZ Progress and Wellbeing Progamme”, (which was previously called "What Matters Most to New Zealanders") involves significant community engagement in the development of a national vision(s) and a set of wellbeing and sustainability indicators to measure progress on these visions.
As declining energy sources become more evident and food emergencies become more commonplace, governments will be looking to universities to find BIG solutions. Along with the hope of BIG solutions comes BIG money. Permaculture may soon be looked upon as a potential big solution. So as we stand today on the threshold of increasing interest in permaculture, let us take a moment to discuss the potential pitfalls that come with the big money. 
I wondered whether in seeing resilience just as something we do in order to be prepared for a crisis, we were missing a trick: that we might instead see it as an opportunity. How might our settlements look if we began to think in terms of resilient food, resilient energy, resilient economies? Might this shift in thinking actually contain the potential for an economic and cultural renaissance for the places we live? It felt to me to be a powerful question. 
Unified by the coin of their realm 
Brazil is known for its supermodels, but what about its social innovation models? Besides the economic boom, the country is finding a new groove in the field of digital collaboration and activism. 
Brilliant analysis in Eurozine of the political and social implications of looking at mankind as part of the planet instead of its master.
Based on the works of Bruno Latour, Michel Serres and others, this new "more-than-humanism" can revolutionise our thinking about the economy, politics, culture and social interactions. A good example is the new constitution of Ecuador, which gives "nature" legal rights. Via Willy De Backer 
Connecting food to the local economy can provide more people with greater access to local foods. Making it happen is another story since the necessary infrastructure was gradually dismantled over the past 70 years in favor of a national/global food system that promises low prices, year-round accessibility of products and convenience. |
Our communities would benefit from more trees and plants. But they could also learn to be more like trees and plants too. Here's how. Via Rowan Edwards 
Bill Demeter talks with Gerard Smyth, the director of the documentary "When a City Falls". This outstanding film is a must for anyone who has experienced the last few years in Christchurch, New Zealand. 
Design is often characterized by its products rather than its processes. Tell someone you’re a designer, and the first question they’re likely to ask is: “What kind? A graphic designer? A fashion designer? Maybe an architect?” But the artifacts produced by these specialists are not what define design. Design is about problem solving and opportunity seeking, not predefined material outcomes. It’s about seeing problems as opportunities for innovation rather than obstacles to progress—and, as the Shareable community knows, simply creating more products isn’t the solution to all problems. 
I had the pleasure of spending time yesterday with Eric Harris-Braun & Arthur Brock of the Metacurrency Project, sharing thoughts about the federation of tribes we are forming, and the principles upon which this type of living systems organization should be founded. Eric shared this excerpt from the book Sanctuary For All Life by Jim Corbett, which felt powerful and true to me. 
The Simpler Way consists of a website and booklet which provide detailed practical advice on how to live a 'simpler life' of reduced and restrained consumption. More importantly, it invites readers to contribute their own thoughts, experiences, and practical tips, so that we can all share and expand upon our collective wisdom.
The Simpler Way represents a life with less clutter, less waste, and less fossil fuel use, but also a life with more time for the things that truly inspire and bring happiness. 
A food web is a way of linking together farming, food producers, local food shops, farmers markets, box schemes, community supported agriculture and food cooperatives, through to consumers. 
This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: 
Peak oil isn’t all about Saudi Arabia depletion curves and what’s for lunch at the annual ASPO conference. In fact, may folks still don’t know much about peak oil. I didn’t know about it until recently. 
-Urban Farming Takes Hold in NYC 
Summary
Goals
Outcomes 
The refrigerator is a paragon of modern convenience. A magic box that keeps your food so cold it doesn’t spoil. It’s a miracle. But it’s the kind of miracle that can make us a little lazy. You get home from the store and just throw everything in the fridge. But, in fact, many foods aren’t so happy sitting in the ice box, and would be tastier and last longer if stored on the counter. More importantly, nature has given us some helpful tips on how to get the most quality from our foods, if only we would listen. 
The New Economics Institute is convening "Strategies for a New Economy," a conference June 8-10th at Bard College on the Hudson River in New York State. It will gather together what are often diverse and scattered efforts to reshape our economic system, place them under one tent, and raise the flag to announce that transitioning to a new economy will mean engaging politicians, researchers, media, educators, citizen activists, business leaders, financial experts, scientists, union workers, cultural leaders, advocates for the disenfranchised, and youth -- all working together to achieve a common goal. 
A Village Reinvents Itself |
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