WORD OUT! The Blog to Build a New Society

The great folks at Common Circle are planning a World Change Conference from April 24 to May 2 in Berkeley, CA. The line-up features many fantastic speakers and teachers, including several authors and activists who it has been our pleasure and privilege to publish, such as Starhawk (Webs of Power), Joanna Macy (The Work that Reconnects, Coming Back to Life, Widening Circles and Thinking Like a Mountain) and Richard Register (EcoCities).

       

       

From the Common Circle release:

This powerful, week-long experiential intensive for people wanting to take an active, empowered role to bring about a thriving, beautiful, sustainable world brings together some of the greatest teachers of our time:

- Joanna Macy
- Jon Young
- Christopher Kuntzsch
- James Stark
- John Kinyon
- Shaktari Belew
- Starhawk
- Kevin Danaher
- Richard Register
-- and more!

The core components of this course will be:
- Work That Reconnects
- Theory of Spiral Dynamics
- Conflict Mediation through NVC
- Ecology of Leadership
- Eight Shields Model of Mentoring
- Transition Town Training
- and much more!

When: Saturday April 24 - Sunday May 2nd

Cost: $695 (register before April 1st)
$895 (register between April 1-April 15th)
$1395 (regular rate)

Registration: Common Circle website

Where: Common Circle Education, 2130 Center in Berkeley

"If the world is to be healed through human efforts, I am
convinced it will be by ordinary people, people whose love for
this life is even greater than their fear." - Joanna Macy

About the Conference Components:

- THE WORK THAT RECONNECTS
The Work That Reconnects is a pioneering form of group work that began in the 1970s. It demonstrates our interconnectedness in the web of life and our authority to take action on its behalf. It has helped many thousands around the globe find insight, solidarity, and courage to act, despite rapidly worsening conditions. Based on systems theory, spiritual teachings, and deep ecology.

- EIGHT SHIELDS MENTORING AND NATURE CONNECTION
The 8 shields mentoring model is based on the patterns that can be observed in nature. It models these cycles in a way that allows the observer to categorize these patterns and apply them in a variety of settings. This mentoring approach is very effective at mapping the flow of learning. This model is also used for organizing effective team interactions and cultural processes within community, educational, business, and many other settings.

- THEORY OF SPIRAL DYNAMICS
Spiral Dynamics is a theory of human development based on the idea that human nature is not fixed: humans are able, when forced by life conditions, to adapt to their environment by constructing new, more complex, conceptual models of the world that allow them to handle the new problems. Each new model includes and transcends all previous models.

- MEDIATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE USING NVC
This workshop gives an introduction to our training program that strengthens your abilities to apply the skills of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) to all aspects of conflict - inner and outer, in your own life as well as others’, and in all types of conflict situations – from business/organizational to personal, family and community relationships. Emphasis is placed on seeing one’s relationship with conflict as a life practice of returning to presence (i.e. mindful awareness) and mediating from empathic connection with the needs of self and others and making clear, “doable” requests to meet the needs of all compassionately.

- DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE AND THRIVING CITIES
How can we focus on reshaping cities, towns and villages for long term health of human and natural systems? By returning healthy biodiversity to the heart of our cities, agriculture to gardens and the streets, and convenience and pleasure to walking, bicycling and transit. We visualize a future in which waterways in neighborhood environments and prosperous downtown centers are opened for curious children, fish, frogs and dragonflies. We will learn about building thriving neighborhood centers while reversing sprawl development, to build whole cities based on human needs and “access by proximity” rather than cities built in the current pattern of automobile driven excess, wasteful consumption and the destruction of the biosphere.

- COMMUNITY RESILIENCE AND TRANSITION TOWNS
The Transition Town process supports community‐led responses to peak oil and climate change, building resilience and happiness. Central to the Transition Town movement is the idea that a life without oil could in fact be far more enjoyable and fulfilling as the coming post-cheap oil era is an opportunity rather than a threat, and we can design the future low carbon age to be thriving, resilient and abundant — somewhere much better to live than our current alienated consumer culture.

- THE ECOLOGY OF LEADERSHIP
Ecology of Leadership programs have served hundreds of non-profit leaders, community activists, eco-social entrepreneurs, and other conscious change-makers, in deepening their paths of service and the effectiveness and fulfillment with which they bring their gifts, visions, and passions into their lives, organizations, communities, and the world. During this 1-day intensive, you will have the opportunity to touch into the essence, core principles, and practices of the Ecology of Leadership journey, which integrates pathways for self-awareness and nature-connection with principles of regenerative systems thinking and Permaculture. Come and take part in germinating a new paradigm of regenerative, heart-centered, nature-sourced leadership and learn how engaging this unique and transformative model could support you in stepping more powerfully into your gifts, your passions and more firmly onto your path of service in the world.

- ACCELERATING TRANSITION TO GREEN ECONOMY
The green economy is growing at a rapid rate and will increasingly challenge the existing, unsustainable economy. Evidence of this paradigm shift can be seen in growing consumer demand for nature-friendly products, huge investments in renewable energy and clean-tech sectors, and more corporate leaders acknowledging social/environmental responsibility as a competitive advantage.

Due to the complexity of logistics of this event, schedule and speakers may be subject to change.

During the Olympics and Para-Olympics, we saw the host First Nation heads of state take their place next to Stephen Harper and Gordon Campbell at the opening and closing ceremonies. Will this symbolic gesture translate into true sovereignty for First Nation territories elsewhere? A recent stand by the Coastal First Nations against the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline project will be a good testing ground.

On Tuesday, March 23rd, the 20th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez crude oil spill, the Coastal First Nations of British Columbia from Vancouver Island to the BC/Alaska border made a unanimous statement against the project. They are joined by the vast majority of First Nations affected along the pipeline route from Kitimaat to Alberta. These First Nations - whose territories are all directly impacted by the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline – stood in unity to voice their opposition to the plan. The Coastal First Nations issued a declaration stating:

“In upholding our ancestral laws, rights and responsibilities, we declare that oil tankers carrying crude oil from the Alberta Tar Sands will not be allowed to transit our lands and waters.“

This video, prepared by the Dogwood Initiative shows an overview and summary of the press conference.

You can also see more complete coverage at CBC News. Art Sterritt outlines the location of all the First Nations in opposition, lists the names of Olympic athletes and other famous people who have pledged their support to the First Nations opposition and announces the launch of a sustainable energy plan for that geographic region.

Three days, 1 hour, 10 minutes and 50, no, 49 seconds remaining until Earth Hour 2010. On Saturday March 27th at 8:30pm, cities and communities across the globe will be turning out their lights in what is hoped will be the greatest show of action against climate change the world has ever seen.

Earth Hour " originated in Sydney, Australia with the World Wildlife Fund and Leo Burnett advertising agency. Leo Burnett's brief was to develop a campaign to tackle Climate Change by focusing on positive personal action. On the 31st of March, 2007, the inaugural Earth Hour was held in Sydney Australia from 7.30pm to 8.30pm, 2.2 million Sydneysiders and 2,100 businesses participated. Since then, Earth Hour " has grown into a movement embraced by hundreds of millions of people around the world who show their support for action on climate change by turning off their lights for one hour.

The resources at Earth Hour are excellent and easily accessible to everyone. Will you plan an event for your city, community, neighbourhood, home? Let us know what you will be doing March 27th in the comments below.

The Post Carbon Institute launched the first of a series of interviews they will be hosting on their media library entitled the “Post Carbon Exchange”. Post Carbon Institute Senior Fellow Richard Heinberg talks with Lester Brown, Founder of the Earth Policy Institute, about hopeful developments in alternative energy, as well as the importance of Brown's updated path toward a sustainable future, "Plan B 4.0". Lester Brown gives several examples of developments on the renewable energy front that we could not have imagined even a year or two ago. Large scale renewable energy developments are being undertaken world wide stimulated by the private sector, not governments. You can listen to entire interview at the Post Carbon Institute.

Richard Heinberg has written several books on Peak Oil, including Peak Everything: Waking up to the Century of Declines and most recently, Blackout: Coal, Climate and the Last Energy Crisis.

     

There's a rather dramatic video making the rounds of publishing circles, created by Dorling Kindersley Books in the UK. The video is called The End of Publishing, and it is a homage to an exceptionally moving video called The Lost Generation which we blogged about here nearly two years ago.

Please watch the video right through if you can - like The Lost Generation, The End of Publishing really makes its point after the halfway mark.

The future of publishing is a hot topic these days - so much of our industry is being affected by the digital revolution, and speculation is rampant as to where it might all end up. Ebooks, digital piracy, competing for the attention of readers in a world where content is abundant and increasingly free - all these are issues that we grapple with on a daily basis.

We'd like to know what you think about where publishing (and books themselves) are headed. Have your reading habits changed? Do you think they will evolve in the future? Do you read ebooks, or are you a traditionalist who could never trade paper for a Kindle? Please share your thoughts in the comments below (or on our Facebook page if you're reading there).

Due to a rash of spurious commenters on this blog, we have been forced to enable comment moderation. We love your legitimate feedback, and hope you will continue to share your thoughts with us, but there will now be a delay before your comments appear on the site. Alternatively, become a fan of New Society Publishers on Facebook, and join the discussion when our posts appear on our Facebook page.

I recently received this essay from Chellis Glendinning, author of My Name is Chellis and I'm in Recovery from Western Civilization, Chiva, and Off the Map.

Entitled "Letters from Amok: The State of the World in Pen and Ink", the work began as four hand-scrawled letters that arrived in her mailbox in New Mexico, each revealing feelings about the world/planet/humanity of today - feelings normally left unspoken. The letters were from: immigrant-rights activist Arnold Garcia; Appalachian folksinger Jack Herranen; Michigan ecologist and author Stephanie Mills; and Chilean poet Jesús Sepúlveda.

Chellis was so taken with the honesty and vision of her correspondents that she wove the letters together into this essay, which originally appeared on Culture Change. It's a longish read, but I urge you to take the time if you can - it's well worth it. Enjoy!

I stand in the Chimayó, New Mexico, post office, poring over a hand-scrawled note from Oakland immigrant-rights activist Arnoldo Garcia -- and I weep. Not for the stark vision of the fragility of life and the forces ripping into it that he voices, for I am not unfamiliar with the dire state of the world -- but for the fact that he has had the courage to state it with so much heart.

---

Read more »

Chris Magwood, co-author of More Straw Bale Building and Straw Bale Details, has been thinking lately about social change and how to achieve it. This article originally appeared on his blog and is reprinted by permission. Thanks Chris!

Will People Really Change?

It's pretty easy to despair about the amount of inaction on environmental matters at the government level. The collapsed talks in Copenhagen are only the latest example, and it's tempting to assume that the people electing those governments are equally averse to change.

But I don't think that's true. I think that people change and adapt rather quickly and usually with a minimum of grumbling when change is either foisted on them or, better yet, when they feel pressured to change by their peers.

For example, recently I talked about composting toilets. Of course, the big hurdle with composting toilets is getting people to actually turn around and deal with their own waste. Most of us would rather not do that.

But rather not and will not are very different. A case in point (which is quite relevant to the subject at hand) is the stoop-and-scoop etiquette that is completely widespread in this country. Just last week, I watched a very well dressed, older woman (fur coat, leather boots, makeup... none of the trappings I'd associate with a hard-core environmentalist) stop on the sidewalk, bend over and use a plastic bag over her hand to pick up her dog's crap. She then carried that little baggie for as far as I could watch her walk, at least a few blocks and possibly more.

Now, if she can be trained to physically handle her dog's fresh and warm feces, surely she can be trained to handle a well designed compost tray from a composting toilet once a month or so. So how did we do it? How did we train her (and millions of otherwise normal, non-feces handling citizens) to willingly wrap their mitts around a warm, stinking bag of dog doo?

Part of the training came from government edicts. Most towns and cities enacted stoop-and-scoop by-laws at some point in the last 20 years. Fines were created, public awareness campaigns run... the usual tools of public persuasion. More important, I think, was peer pressure. Nobody likes having somebody else's dog do its business on the lawn, mainly because we don't like stepping in it. Before the by-laws, we might have complained to a dog's owner, or even attempted to compel them to pick up. Once we had the by-law behind us, it was even easier to vocalize our discontent. In fact, our discontent was assumed, and therein lay its power.

I doubt very much that it's a fear of arrest and fine that makes most dog owners pick up after their pets. It's the discomfort of knowing that they are being watched, and if they are not living up to their civic responsibility, they will be silently or overtly judged (it doesn't matter much which one).

Many of us know that we are directly polluting our own waters when we flush our feces down the toilet. It might not be quite as visceral as stepping in dog doo, but as somebody living next to a river in a city, some days it's not that far off. But what we haven't started to do is compel our leaders to legislate against it and, more importantly, to apply social pressure on others to recognize the mess they are making. In the same contemptuous way we now treat those whose dogs are not followed with plastic baggies, we need to let our culture-mates know that shitting in our drinking water is yucky. We need to be willing to say to others, "Really, you still do that?"

I've watched people start using reusable shopping bags in the space of a year. Peer pressure did that. Nobody wanted to stand at the check out line and do the equivalent of saying, "I don't give a darn, give me the disposable plastic." I think we can affect plenty of change on that level. We have to let people know what the problem is, and then let them know that their participation in the problem is no longer okay with everybody else.

"Curb your pet" was on posters, television commercial, even t-shirts when the campaign started. It became part of the public discourse, and it became socially unacceptable to stop paying attention to the issue. Nobody wanted to pick up dog shit, but we all felt obliged. Now, it's normal.

"Don't foul my water" could be equally ubiquitous, and equally successful. And so could many other environmental changes.

     

The New Economics Foundation is an independent UK think-and-do tank that inspires and demonstrates real economic well-being. They aim to improve quality of life by promoting innovative solutions that challenge mainstream thinking on economic, environmental and social issues.

The group is also the producer of an innovative video called The Impossible Hamster that creatively illustrates the inescapable absurdity of endless economic growth.

This theme is also explored in great detail by Mike Nickerson in Life, Money and Illusion: Living on Earth as if we want to stay. As well as exploding the dangerous myth of endless economic expansion, the book advocates change by offering concrete solutions to shift the dominant economic paradigm to one of sustainability.

What do you think? As Richard Heinberg is asking over at the Post Carbon Institute, is there life after growth? Can we effectively restructure our economy to remain within planetary limits without widespread catastrophe, or is collapse simply inevitable? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Asher Miller, Executive Director of the Post Carbon Institute wrote the following letter to President Barack Obama. He says, "In the State of the Union speech, President Obama made numerous observations and proposals pertaining to the economic well-being of the United States. It is the position of Post Carbon Institute that the President, however well-intentioned, is overlooking critically important considerations."

In the open letter below, we call on President Obama to face reality and ask our fellow Americans to do the same. We are seeking the support and endorsement of our community. If you agree with the tone and content of this message to the U.S. President, please leave your comment/endorsement here.

The stakes could not be higher.

February 1, 2010

Dear President Obama,

Your State of the Union speech last week laudably referenced clean tech and renewable energy several times. We ask that you follow your words with action, by leading the transition to a post-carbon economy and a healthier world.

You also spoke of our need to face hard truths.

Hard truth: Our continued, willful reliance on fossil fuels is making our planet uninhabitable. We are evicting ourselves from the only paradise we’ve ever known.

Hard truth: No combination of current and anticipated renewable sources can maintain our profligate energy usage as the global supply of fossil fuels heads for terminal decline.

For the recently released Searching for a Miracle, Post Carbon Institute Senior Fellow Richard Heinberg conducted a “net energy” analysis of 18 different energy sources (including nuclear and “clean coal”). He concluded that the amount of energy available after accounting for the energy used in extraction and production of those sources is—at our current and anticipated rates of consumption—insufficient to get us “over the hump” to a post-carbon world.

Our 29 Post Carbon Institute Fellows—experts in the leading economic, energy, and environmental issues of the day—all agree that this "net energy" deficit is just one of many interrelated crises shaping the 21st century. Each crisis alone creates formidable challenges; in combination, their complexity admits no simple solution. But given their direness, inaction risks tragedy.

Mr. President, we respect you and your advisors and appreciate the enormity of the dilemmas you and all of us confront. When a great leader frames a great challenge, a resilient people will rise to meet the opportunity. And so we ask, Mr. President, that you tell the American people that we must:

1. Face reality. In a carbon-constrained world, true prosperity comes not from heedless growth, but from shared security, community, and liberty.

2. Prepare for the future. Conservation, with an emphasis on building a green economy and revitalizing struggling communities, offers cost-effective “found” energy, and the most immediate and long-term return on investment.

3. Lead the way. A substantial investment in renewable energy, with an emphasis on distributed solar and wind, offers the best hope for moving to a sustainable economy and environment.

Mr. President, lead us in creating a future worth inheriting. Post Carbon Institute and our Fellows will support you and your team in whatever capacity we can. We believe that the American people, and the world’s people, will support you as well.

With hope,

Asher Miller
Executive Director
Post Carbon Institute

Learn more about these issues in Richard Heinberg's books, Peak Everything: Waking up to a Century of Declines and Blackout: Coal, Climate and Last Energy Crisis.