What can we do about this “Sustainability Thing”?

a dream that is becoming reality

Jenni Goricanec @ KMLF 27th July 2011

The Sustainability Thing Generally Sustainable Development is

understood as:‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ (The United Nations’ Brundtland Commission in 1987)

Humanity is “in some way special” Places the interests of humanity above

all others (Hector).

consistent with this… Triple Bottom Line

Environmental Social Economic

Four Pillars Environmental Social Economic Governance

another way

Deep ecology (Naess) approach Framed around the idea that

‘humanity is in no way “special” – rather humankind is simply another species in a highly complex ecosystem’ (Hector)

& another Sustaining or strengthening

environments (Benyus; McDonough & Braungart)

As humanity is special (it can do damage even though intending to do good) it is necessary to operate in new ways; not ones that just do “less badly” but ones that transform human industry through the use of design inspired by nature.

What though are we trying to sustain? Is it our money? Is it our recreation? Is it our occupation? Is it our family? Is it our natural environment? Is it all of these? Or is it something else?

Or when your company says that is being sustainable? What is it we are trying to sustain?

These are philosophical questions

George Monbiot (writer in The Guardian)

"The real issues are not technical or economic. The crisis we face demands a profound philosophical discussion, a reappraisal of who we are and what progress means” and

“Debating these matters makes us neither saints nor communists; it shows only that we have understood the science”

Something of The nature of our predicament Labyrinthine, multicursal, many paths and

many “dead-ends” Dynamic with turbulence Our systems, networks, processes and

organisations, developed with a causal logic have become over time deeply enmeshed in a ‘cats-cradle of interconnections’ with behaviour ‘driven by interactions between optimising, but confused, agents’ (Haldane).

By way of example We have de-contextualised our use of natural

resources by supplying energy, water and products ‘on demand’ using causal systems.

These systems have been developed purposefully e.g. to provide clean, potable water and physically separating the waste stream. This has reduced disease even though we live in close quarters in cities.

The loop though is closed by relying on natural systems (e.g. rainfall in catchment areas)

We are now see that we cannot necessarily rely on these natural processes (extended periods of drought)

We need to go beyond “debate” deliberation? “In deliberation, people discuss, ponder,

exchange observations and views, reflect upon information and judgements concerning matters of mutual interest, and attempt to persuade each other”

“Deliberations about risk often include discussions of the role, subjects, methods, and results of analysis”

US National Research Council, Understanding Risk

a dream becoming a reality

““When Martin Luther King said "I have a dream", When Martin Luther King said "I have a dream", he was inviting others to dream it with him. Once a he was inviting others to dream it with him. Once a dream becomes shared in that way, current reality dream becomes shared in that way, current reality

gets measured against it and then modified gets measured against it and then modified towards it. As soon as we sense the possibility of a towards it. As soon as we sense the possibility of a

more desirable world, we begin behaving more desirable world, we begin behaving differently, as though that world is starting to differently, as though that world is starting to

come into existence, as though, in our minds at come into existence, as though, in our minds at least, we're already there. The dream becomes an least, we're already there. The dream becomes an

invisible force which pulls us forward. By this invisible force which pulls us forward. By this process it starts to come true. The act of imagining process it starts to come true. The act of imagining something makes it real.” something makes it real.” [Quote from Bryan Eno’s Long [Quote from Bryan Eno’s Long

Now and Big Here]Now and Big Here]

it is not my dream alone that I want to become reality

Dream with others Drawing on the energy of others that

emerges from their own interests, collectively

Connecting with a theme that is of general concern

Beginning locally and personally, as well as Connecting expansively, systemically

and/or globally Need time and space

Beginnings…

A theme A process An organisation Some connections

Managing the HomeManaging the Home

From the etymology of From the etymology of the word “economy”the word “economy”

A theme

A process An initial structured conversation

sharing context sharing views of values (or desirable futures) concluding with identification of actions or “projects”

individually, groups and collectively, as well as potential connections to be made

A further sequence of face-to-face conversations

Conversations in-between supported via on-line collaboration tools

Several groups from different societal parts (e.g. urban, suburban, peri-urban, regional, remote)

An organisation

Not-for-profit Supporting the organisation of these

structured conversation including Promotion Recruitment of participants

Development and maintenance of online tools

Mediation of the process

Some connections

Keith De La Rue (AcKnowledge Consulting)

oases Graduate School and Community Learning (www.oases.edu.au)

Other possible connections: Others that are already active (GetUp,

DDP groups, Transition Towns, Lighter Footprints etc)

What next? Does this make sense? Is there more that you need to have

it make sense? It needs volunteers with

Energy Willingness to “give it a go” Knowledge Skills Experience

More about The Sustainability Thing

www.thesustainabilitything.com.au

An invitation to dream this into reality together

References1. Haldane, A. Rethinking the financial network. 2009 [cited 2011 26 July].2. Hector, D., Towards a New Philosophy of Engineering: Structuring the

complex problems from the sustainability discourse, in School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. 2008, The University of Sydney: Sydney.

3. Naess, A., Deep ecology for the 22nd century. The Trumpeter, 1992. 9(2): p. 53-60.

4. Bruntland, G., Our common future. 1987, The World Commission on Environment and Development, published by Oxford University Press: Oxford.

5. Benyus, J., Biomimicry. 1997, New York: William Morrow and Company.6. McDonough, W. and M. Braungart, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We

Make Things. 2002, New York: North Point Press.7. Monbiot, G., This crisis demands a reappraisal of who we are and what

progress means, in The Guardian, http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/dec/04/comment.politics 2007: London, UK.

8. Eno, B., The Big Here and Long Now. 2000: http:///www.longnow.org/timelinks/timelink.htm, Accessed 19th June 2005.

9. US National Research Council, Understanding risk: information decisions in a democratic society, ed. P.C. Stern and H.V. Fineberg. 1994, Washington, DC.