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Dancing on the Volcano: Social Exploration in Times of Discontent
Copyright © 2019 by the author(s). Published here under license by the Resilience Alliance. Carpenter, S. R., C. Folke, M. Scheffer, and F. R. Westley. 2019. Dancing on the volcano: social exploration in times of discontent. Ecology and Society 24(1):23. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-10839-240123 Perspective Dancing on the volcano: social exploration in times of discontent Stephen R. Carpenter 1, Carl Folke 2,3, Marten Scheffer 4 and Frances R. Westley 5 ABSTRACT. Radical recent developments such as Brexit, the rise of extreme nationalism, the gilets jaunes, polarizing leaders, the Arab Spring, and fundamentalist movements are indications of societal discontent with the status quo. Other societal phenomena such as gender fluidity, veganism, and bartering are also associated with a perceived need to change. The context is the Anthropocene, a human- dominated biosphere challenging the resilience of a livable planet. Such a broad set of developments may be interpreted in the light of new insights from theory of complex systems about what happens as resilience of the current pathway (societal organization as we know it) decreases. Rising fluctuations characterize a phase of uncertainty and exploration, potentially leading into a transition of the system toward a new pathway. We reflect on global changes that may contribute to social destabilization such as rising wealth concentration and environmental degradation and ask how responses may be understood from social-psychological forces such as the need for group identity and managing the terror of mortality. The emerging image is that of a society engaged in multifaceted experimentation. Maintaining such experimentation may help inspire novel pathways to desirable futures, but there is a risk of societies becoming trapped in backward-looking narratives that threaten long-term sustainable outcomes. -
Stepping up Local Climate Action
Localizing climate change: stepping up local climate action Author Bond, Meghan Published 2010 Journal Title Management of Environmental Quality DOI https://doi.org/10.1108/14777831011025553 Copyright Statement © 2010 Emerald. This is the author-manuscript version of this paper. Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal's website for access to the definitive, published version. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/37809 Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au Localizing climate change: Stepping up local climate action Meghan Bond, Griffith University ABSTRACT Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the current literature and ideas on how local climate change action (both mitigation and adaptation) could be intensified. Approach: A literature review on the current views of effective local climate action within academic journals and policy documents was undertaken. Additional data on Australian grassroots community activities was compiled from the Internet, participant observation and secondary sources. Findings: The paper argues that local climate action is important and three key aspects could provide effective avenues to step-up local climate action. These three avenues are: increased attention to local adaptation; the linking of adaptation and mitigation efforts together and with other local ecological concerns; and greater engagement with active community members and grassroots community-initiated climate change actions. These three key aspects could give climate change a local saliency and tangibility, spur more effective action, build community resilience and reduce vulnerability. Implications: Research is in the explorative stages and, therefore, only tentative conclusions and possible future directions can be suggested. -
Exercises Final Edit
_______________________________________________________ THE SIMPLICITY EXERCISES A SOURCEBOOK FOR SIMPLICITY EDUCATORS Mark A Burch Simplicity Institute Report 12k, 2012 SPECIAL ISSUE ____________________ SIMPLICITY INSTITUTE PRAISE FOR THE SIMPLICITY EXERCISES: Mark Burch is the real deal—it’s evident from The Simplicity Exercises that he’s spent a lifetime integrating simple living principles into his own life, and luckily for the rest of us, has developed and honed exercises to help others do the same. Seasoned voluntary simplicity facilitators will appreciate how thorough and well-presented these activities are. In fact, the material is so well-thought out that informal educators new to simple living could use Mark’s book with confidence. If you’re ready to change your game plan or help others do so, this book ofers real transformative opportunities. C. Jones, M. Div., Adult Educator and Simple Living Enthusiast Refraining from adding to the critique of current social, economic and ecological challenges, Burch makes a notable shift towards positive social transformation, opting to share the rewards and potentials of simple living with others rather than additional criticism and analysis of contemporary problems. … The sourcebook is therefore an important and valuable resource for all educators or individuals interested in exploring simplicity further,.. Natalie Swayze, Research Associate, Centre for Indigenous Science Education, The University of Winnipeg In The Simplicity Exercises, Burch provides us with a path through that mental barrier [to transformative change] with comprehensive and well-thought-out group thought- experiments and exercises. Drawing from years of real-world experience, the book provides us a path beyond fear, critique and common despair-ridden questions about how to move forward to solve the challenges of our time. -
Kelly Rae Chi a Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the University of North
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Carolina Digital Repository THE MOTIVATIONS AND CHALLENGES OF LIVING SIMPLY IN A CONSUMING SOCIETY Kelly Rae Chi A thesis submitted to the faculty of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Chapel Hill 2008 Approved by: Professor Jan Johnson Yopp, adviser Professor Barbara Friedman, reader Professor Stephen Birdsall, reader ©2008 Kelly Rae Chi ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT KELLY R. CHI: The Motivations and Challenges of Living Simply in a Consuming Society (Under the direction of Jan Yopp, Barbara Friedman and Stephen Birdsall) Voluntary simplicity, a cultural movement that focuses on buying less and working less, blossomed in the mid-1990s as increasing numbers of Americans voiced dissatisfaction with excessive consumerism and working long hours. While the movement is not formalized today, many Americans do live simply, according to some of the simplicity literature. Practices range from buying only environmentally friendly products, following religious guidelines, or living in communal settings. Though the weakening U.S. economy makes simplicity an attractive or necessary way of life, the daily lives of simplifiers are underreported in the mainstream media. Since 2003, newspaper articles on simplicity have diminished, and existing articles lack context on the varied motivations and challenges of the simplicity movement and how some Americans live simply. This thesis and its series of articles aims to fill that gap by looking at simplicity research as well as the stories of local people in family and community settings. -
Ethics and Ethical Leadership in Literature K.L
InTERnationAl JouRnAl of BuSInESS fRom BharatiyA VIDyA Bhavan'S m. P. BIRlA InSTITuTE of mAnAGEmEnT, BEnGAluRu Vol.10, #2 (2016) pp 27-33 ISSN 0974-0082 Ethics and Ethical Leadership in Literature K.L. Ramadas & Sudhindra Gargesa* Abstract The law of the land describes and prescribes the code and role of ethics in any civilised society. Conversely the life and times of the society in turn is reflected in the literature, folklore, drama and other forms of expression. The issues of ethics and ethical leadership exist probably in every society on this planet. This paper is a humble attempt made to cull out only a few representative reflections of the past to get a feel of the society in respect of ethics, ethical practices and leadership of some of the societies to get a feel of the practices. Introduction: which cover the political, social, and/or economic Ethical leadership is determined by respect for ethical spheres. beliefs and values and for the dignity and more Prof Ram Nidamolu in his book ‘Two Birds in a Tree importantly rights of others. It is thus related to concepts Timeless Indian Wisdom for Business Leaders’ such as trust, honesty, consideration, charisma and legitimately feels- fairness. It is also entwined with a concern for nurturing the environment that has to be sustained in order to be ‘After three decades of observing, teaching, passed on to the coming generations. Ethical Leaders and participating in business and business know what they value. leadership, I have come to the conclusion that something tremendously important has been John Rawls, one of the most significant ethical missing all along. -
Gandhi Intro
Addendum A: Historical Context for Gandhi's Thoughts and Actions Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, leader of the Indian nationalist movement and known in his later life as Mahatma ("great soul"), was one of the greatest national leaders of the 20th century. His methods and philosophy of nonviolent confrontation, or civil disobedience, not only led his own country to independence but also influenced political activists of many persuasions throughout the world. His mother was a devout adherent of Jainism, a religion in which ideas of nonviolence and vegetarianism are paramount. Gandhi stated that he was most influenced by his mother, whose life "was an endless chain of fasts and vows." When, in the company of boyhood friends, he secretly smoked, ate meat, told lies, or wore Western clothing, he suffered intense feelings of guilt. These feelings forced him to make resolutions about his moral behavior that were to remain with him. Married by arrangement at 13, Gandhi went to London to study law when he was 18. He was admitted to the bar in 1891 and for a while practiced law in Bombay. From 1893 to 1914, he worked for an Indian firm in South Africa. During these years, Gandhi's humiliating experiences of overt racial discrimination propelled him into agitation on behalf of the Indian community of South Africa. He assumed leadership of protest campaigns and gradually developed his techniques and tenets of nonviolent resistance known as satyagraha (literally, "steadfastness in truth"). Returning to India in January 1915, Gandhi soon became involved in labor organizing. The massacre of Amritsar (1919), in which troops fired on and killed hundreds of nationalist demonstrators, turned him to direct political protest. -
Less Meat Initiatives: an Initial Exploration of a Diet-Focused Social Innovation in Transitions to a More Sustainable Regime of Meat Provisioning
This is a peer-reviewed, final published version of the following document: Morris, Carol, Kirwan, James ORCID: 0000-0002-4626-9940 and Lally, Rhonwen (2014) Less Meat Initiatives: An Initial Exploration of a Diet-focused Social Innovation in Transitions to a More Sustainable Regime of Meat Provisioning. International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food, 21 (2). pp. 189-208. Official URL: http://www.ijsaf.org/archive/21/2/morris.pdf EPrint URI: http://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/3794 Disclaimer The University of Gloucestershire has obtained warranties from all depositors as to their title in the material deposited and as to their right to deposit such material. The University of Gloucestershire makes no representation or warranties of commercial utility, title, or fitness for a particular purpose or any other warranty, express or implied in respect of any material deposited. The University of Gloucestershire makes no representation that the use of the materials will not infringe any patent, copyright, trademark or other property or proprietary rights. The University of Gloucestershire accepts no liability for any infringement of intellectual property rights in any material deposited but will remove such material from public view pending investigation in the event of an allegation of any such infringement. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR TEXT. Int. Jrnl. of Soc. of Agr. & Food, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 189–208 Less Meat Initiatives: An Initial Exploration of a Diet- focused Social Innovation in Transitions to a More Sustainable Regime of Meat Provisioning CAROL MORRIS, JAMES KIRWAN AND RHONWEN LALLY [Paper first received, 31 October 2013; in final form, 16 May 2014] Abstract. -
Speciale Fardigt
Abstract In the current epoch the concepts of climate change, environmental crisis and sustainable living have become well-integrated into the collective consciousness of individuals, and on an overall level, risks and uncertainties have taken up a different meaning for people in post-modern Western society. The previous faith and trust in institutions, experts and scientists has collapsed as the technological advancements and developments which where once provided to rid humanity of scarcity in basic needs and fight diseases, are now to blame for the current situation of global warming, overpopulation, and pollution. The future of humanity and the planet is consequently uncertain, and while the incentive to take action among laypeople is present, this is to some degree inhibited by a lack of adaptable concrete step-by-step solutions paired with an overall absence of global consensus regarding the magnitude of the problem. Nevertheless a number of relatively new tendencies suggests that individuals are taking matters into their own hands. The anthropocene marks a new geological era where human activities have come to play a powerful role on global climates and the environment, and this has given rise to new sustainable lifestyles, where the agenda and common vision often revolves around making conscious everyday choices with the least possible environmental impact. While the altruistic messages, ideas and values behind new sustainable lifestyles may seem praiseworthy, there are scholars who suggest that affiliations to such fixed identities serve other purposes, as a strategy of maintaining a unified sense of self in a world marked by fragmentation, insecurity and chaos. Elaborating further on this assumption, environment-friendly ways of living come to function as ready-made identities for modern individuals as a replacement for genuine self-development and reflection. -
Permaculture and the Social Design of Nature
Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography ISSN: 0435-3684 (Print) 1468-0467 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rgab20 Permaculture and the social design of nature Gerald Taylor Aiken To cite this article: Gerald Taylor Aiken (2017): Permaculture and the social design of nature, Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/04353684.2017.1315906 Published online: 14 May 2017. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 4 View related articles View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=rgab20 Download by: [The UC San Diego Library] Date: 19 May 2017, At: 13:34 GEOGRAFISKA ANNALER: SERIES B, HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, 2017 https://doi.org/10.1080/04353684.2017.1315906 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Permaculture and the social design of nature Gerald Taylor Aikena,b aIPSE, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg; bSt. John’s College, Durham University, Durham, UK ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY Permaculture-based social movements proliferate as a response to Received 18 April 2016 environmental challenges, a way to pursue the ‘good life’, and a vision Revised 28 February 2017 of a more harmonious way to be in and belong to the world. Accepted 15 March 2017 Ecovillages, bioregionalisation, and the Transition (Town) movement all KEYWORDS apply permaculture principles in designing social systems. Core to Permaculture; transition; permaculture is designing based on, and in harmony with, patterns nature; social movements identified in nature. Yet, as is often highlighted, identifying, using, and thinking through ‘natural’ patterns are problematic. -
Network of Sacred Heart Schools
Network of Sacred Heart Schools Dear Applicant, Enclosed is the application packet for the Network Summer Projects. The Projects, now in their 27th year, offer students a unique experience of service and community, which has consistently made a significant impact on the lives of all who have been involved. In addition to serving the poor and marginalized it is hoped you experience a personal transformation by living in a communal setting, practicing simple living, and maintaining a positive and open attitude. One of the great benefits of every service project is the opportunity to develop new friendships with students from across the country who come from a variety of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. You will be expected to step outside of your comfort zone to reach out and make certain that everyone feels like an important part of the “project community.” “Inclusiveness” is an attitude that you are expected to bring with you, so that all participants have a rich, affirming experience. At most locations you will sleep on the floor, drink water from the tap as opposed to bottled water, and personally cook and eat nutritious, well-balanced, basic meals with provisions made for vegetarians and some easily accommodated allergies. Severe allergies may be a deterrent to being accepted into a Service Project. In some locations there will be no air conditioning and shower facilities will not be luxurious. You will relinquish your cell phone(s) during the project in order to enter more fully into the service aspect of the project. You will be given opportunities to contact home via periodic moments of blogging or some limited access to the internet. -
Transition Towns Movement, Which Is One of the More Promising Social Movements to Emerge During the Last Decade in Response to the Overlapping Problems Outlined Above
! 11 THE TRANSITION MOVEMENT Questions of diversity, power, and affluence 1. Introduction1 As the global economy continues to degrade planetary ecosystems (Rockstrom et al., 2009); as biodiversity continues to decline (United Nations, 2010); as climate scientists offer increasingly confident and dire warnings (IPCC, 2013); as peak oil arrives (Miller and Sorrell, 2014; Brecha, 2013); as fresh water and other key resources become scarcer (Brown, 2011) while population continues to grow (UNDSEA, 2012); and as financial systems continue to show signs of instability (Tverberg, 2012), the question of how nations around the world are going to ‘transition’ to a stable, just, and sustainable society is more pressing than ever. Things seem to be getting worse, not better, which calls for new thinking and new action, both at the personal and social levels, but also at the macroeconomic and political levels. If early in the environmental movement it was assumed that buying ‘green’ products, switching to energy efficient light bulbs, and taking shorter showers were the ‘lifestyle’ solutions to environmental problems, more recent evidence firmly indicates that such measures are not working or are not going to be anywhere near sufficient, necessary though they may be. The extent of ecological overshoot is too great (Global Footprint Network, 2013). Furthermore, many promised efficiency gains that were supposed to flow from technological advances seem to be getting lost to the Jevons Paradox and rebound effects (Herring and Sorrell, 2009; Polimeni et al., 2009), meaning that technology – the !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1 This chapter is a lightly revised version of Simplicity Institute Report 14g, co-authored by Samuel Alexander and Esther Alloun. -
Simple Living & Country Skills
Simple Living & Country Skills SPECIAL COLLECTION • Choosing a Watchdog • Self-Sufficient 1-Acre Homestead • 75 Ways to Live on Less and Love It PHOTO BY: BRYAN WELCH Choosing and Training a Watchdog By Barbara Pleasant Make your pet a safe and loyal guardian. My home security system is large and Justice, 16 percent of American house- guard duty. Watchdogs look, listen and black—and she pants when it’s hot and holds were victims of property crime in bark to sound the alert that something sheds hair every spring. In return for 2003. Especially in rural areas, the theft unusual is happening in their territory. regular feeding, periodic veterinary care pattern goes like this: Thieves make a After that, humans take over. and grooming, I get a beloved compan- quick visit to a house or farm to check Dogs have performed this duty for ion that barks loudly when any strange for security, then return later to take thousands of years. In Tibet, the little vehicle enters my driveway. My dog also what they want. But a barking dog often Lhasa apso, called the “bark lion senti- chases opossums from my deck and rab- turns off potential burglars at the scout- nel dog,” was bred to work as an indoor bits from my garden. But mostly, my ing phase. watchdog. In Belgium, schipperkes watchdog makes me feel safe. It’s no surprise that, of the 68 million earned the nickname “little captain of I am not operating under an illusion: pet canines in the United States, most the boat” because of their work as ship According to the U.S.