Although there is some public debate as to whether climate change is actually caused by human activity, most people agree that we can’t just keep burning up all our fossil fuel reserves and pumping endless CO2 into the atmosphere.
And, of course, it’s not just CO2 and climate change – there are many other issues, difficulties and threats to environmental stability and sustainability.
So most people agree - we do need to change our ways: our ways of using energy (especially from oil and fossil fuels), of producing food, of recycling, of transport, technology and consumption.
Where do YOU stand on this ? What is YOUR opinion ?
Whatever our opinions about the details of the issues, one thing that is fairly clear is that there is an overriding atmosphere of complacency and dragging our feet about it: in each and every of these areas there is a huge gap between whatever reasonable targets are set by the government and our actual year-on-year figures.
Everybody agrees: unless there is some fairly radical change, we’ll never make those targets.
But the big question is: ....
Do we wait for our politicians ? They have frequently said in many ways that they feel their hands are tied. Do we wait for scientists to find a technological ‘silver bullet’ cure-all scheme ? But large parts of the scientific establishment have been on the forefront of driving unsustainable and exploitative technologies ? Consumers ? As consumers, we seem hell-bent on addictive cycles of ever-increasing shopping.
So it may boil down to ordinary people - like you and me and our neighbours and local community - getting together and starting the long journey with the first step.
So why are we dragging our feet ? This is partly because to many people it all sounds like - if we take the arguments of the environmental lobby serious and on board - the consequences will be dire and we will be expected to sacrifice our comfortable life styles. There is a preconception that we will have to give up things we badly need and go back to the Stone Age.
This is a profoundly counterproductive way of thinking about it. As the title of our event – Thriving Sustainably - suggests: there is a good chance that through sustainability we’ll end up with healthier, more fulfilled and overall better lives. That means: with communities that work better for everybody and that are more harmonious and stable; life styles that are less driven and addictive; and an altogether more meaningful and mindful existence.
Aligning ourselves with the environment and working with nature and natural principles is not backward, simplistic and naïve, but smart, forward-looking and makes best use of human ingenuity and creativity (see for example presentations on cradle-to-cradle production cycles, low-carbon housing, renewable energy, permaculture etc).
This day is an attempt to approach sustainability as the ‘better life’ - not entirely effortless, but more satisfying, more worthwhile, healthier, and more wholesome. And practically possible. Working with nature is smarter in the long term and, of course, more respectful of the planet and future generations.
Sustainability is not some distant pipe dream designed by hippies for green people in woolly hats. Sustainable communities can start with you and me, today. The first stepping-stones towards a sustainable life are well within our reach. And not just for privileged individuals, but for all of us together (see for example Georg Schweisfurth’s presentation – he founded a German supermarket chain based on the principle: ‘bio for all’ – biological-ecological products for everybody).
Thinking globally – acting locally: being inspired by the initiatives of other communities from across the planet, we can adapt and apply their ideas to our local situation.
This day brings together a range of experts, a group of presenters who have immersed themselves in these questions, often for many years, and who have researched the possibilities. They will try to make abstract ideas, global figures and complicated systems accessible and practical.
There is something else special about this day: unusually for an event of this kind, we will also ask the question: what is sustainable consciousness ?
What does that mean? Some of our speakers will address questions of beliefs, of psychology, relationships and social organisation.
What ways of thinking and feeling and interacting are wholesome, sustainable and conducive to a thriving community? How do we deal with social and psychological issues? How do we deal with what some people have described as our addiction to oil?
This involves both individual and collective consciousness and psychology, and we want to make a start addressing these questions.
We have made an effort for the day to be attractive to young people of various ages – so you can bring your children along and involve them in our explorations.
We invite you to participate and contribute to the day, get involved by joining the various lectures and workshops or as a volunteer.
Explore our website, particularly our programme for the day, our presenters, our blog and our news. For in-depth background material to the issues, see our dedicated page of downloadable documents and links.
The venue is the West Oxford Community Centre on the Botley Road (Osney, near the train station) and the West Oxford Community Primary School in Ferry Hinksey Road. See here for directions and a map of the venues.
The day will take place on Saturday, Oct. 17th 2009, from 9.30am until 7pm, with food and refreshments being served all day. You are welcome to arrive from 9am to orient yourself, book your place on workshops and browse the stalls.
All events are free and open to everybody, and as we expect a lot of interest in some of the events, we have put in place online registration. You can book your participation via this website, and to make sure that there will be places available for the events of your choice, we suggest you book early. There is a good chance with most of the events that you can just turn up on the day, but we suggest to give priority to participants who have registered their interest.
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