Food and Water Watch

About

Mission:  Food & Water Watch works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainably produced. So we can all enjoy and trust in what we eat and drink, we help people take charge of where their food comes from, keep clean, affordable, public tap water flowing freely to our homes, protect the environmental quality of oceans, force government to do its job protecting citizens, and educate about the importance of keeping the global commons — our shared resources — under public control.

Peak Oil International Conference

Conference:  Peak Oil: Fact or Fiction, May 5-7, 2011, Barbastro Spain.

The OLEUS project was launched at the UNED (National University of Distance Education) centre in Barbastro in 2008, during the energy crisis, in order to collect, classify and share relevant and updated information about the possibility of a global peak oil and its consequences at local level.

Rethinking "Poor" Economics

Book Review: Economist

Untying the knot--New ideas about an old problem

BOOK:  Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty. By Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo. PublicAffairs; 336 pages; $26.99. To be published in Britain in June by PublicAffairs; £15.99.

“Poor Economics” . . . draws on a variety of evidence, not limiting itself to the results of randomised trials, as if they are the only route to truth. And the authors’ interest is not confined to “what works”, but also to how and why it works. Indeed, Ms Duflo and Mr Banerjee, perhaps more than some of their disciples, are able theorists as well as thoroughgoing empiricists.

Personal, Family, & Community Sustainability

Understanding the Challenge and the Options for an Effective Response

Although "green" tips for living sustainability abound, there are few resources that provide a deep, comprehensive, integrative, and transformational understanding of the challenge and the options for an effective response--resiliency and Plan B. Chris Martenson, Lester Brown, Daniel Lerch, and Richard Heighberg are four people who have produced some of the seminal resources.

Chris Martenson and the Crash Course

In 2003, Chris Martenson took the sustainability challenge to heart. He embraced sustainability personally, quit his fortune 300 company job in finance and strategy and created an outstanding resource for understanding the challenge and smart ways to respond.

His "primary goal is to position you for a positive tomorrow by taking appropriate action today. I built this site to help you stay informed, protect wealth, build resilience into your life and community, and connect with other concerned citizens. Hope to see you back here often."

Based on extensive research, he produced The Crash Course in a few different mediums, and dedicated his life to the mission of preparing himself and others.  He says, "The Crash Course is the world's most concise video seminar on how our economy, energy systems, and environment interact, and how they will impact the future."

This is not about dropping out but dropping in, understanding the risks of our/your current life in a post-peak-everything world and the actions you can take to expand the resiliency of your life and that of your family and your community.

Time is of the essence because many of these risks will begin to become more evident soon, within our lifetimes and that of our children. As Chris says, "the next 20 years will look very different from the last 20 years.

Although many take comfort in the invisibility of the risks intrinsic to modern society, that is part of the problem. "The (rude) awakening [of our day] is that the very fabric of modern ife is woven from illusion. The one master illusion is the notion that somehow what we see around us today is normal. . . . " By definition it is, and why should it not continue?" The answer lies in peak oil, both literally and metaphorically. The foundation of modern life is cheap oil. Rising oil costs undermine the prosperity of  the modern economy. The heart of modern life is an economy dependent on free natural resources and ecosystem services that are not replenished and being used up. Thus, the nonreplacable inputs to our modern life and prosperity are being drawn down and the natural capital infrastructure is being liquidated with every increase in GNP. There is no future in this and the next 20+ years will see accelerating changes.

Chris Martenson's crash course and web site are a rich resource to use in beginning a response. http://www.chrismartenson.com/

A Peak Oil, Peak Everything, and Post-Carbon World -- the Driver of Fundamental Pattern Change?

Richard Heinberg does a great job of illuminating the illusion in his book, Peak Everything: Waking Up to the Century of Declines.

The environmental primer for the 21st century is a new book, The Post-Carbon Reader--Managing the 21st Century's Sustainability Crises, edited by Richard Heighberg and Daniel Lerch (Post Carbon Institute).

Plan B for a World on the Edge!

Finally, Lester Brown's primer's from his Earth Policy Institute are two other essential resources for understanding the challenge and the options for an effective response:

Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization. Brown argues that food may be the issue that convinces the world of the need to cut carbon emissions 80 percent by 2020. Every major environmental trend from climate change to deforestation and water scarcity affect food supplies. In this completely revised edition, Brown focuses on details of the plan and how it is already emerging in the energy economy.

World on the Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse.  We are facing issues of near-overwhelming complexity and unprecedented urgency. Our challenge is to think globally and develop policies to counteract environmental decline and economic collapse. The question is: Can we change direction before we go over the edge? The answer of course is YES, if we act now, together, and the cost will be about $160B per year, or 15 percent of the world's $1T per year defense expenditures.

TNS's New Intl Governance Framework

FROM LINKED-IN Discussion:  TNS Group

Josh TheNaturalStepCanada • Thanks for the question, Cyrille.

The Natural Step International's Governance Framework and Structure are currently being discussed internally and will be shared with the wider group for feedback before the end of March. A final decision will be made soon thereafter by The Natural Step International's Governance Committee.

More details on the transition underway can be found in The Natural Step International's latest issue of the Stepping Stones newsletter: http://www.thenaturalstep.org/html/stepping-stones-winter-2010.html.

We are welcoming input in this process and encourage you and everyone interested to share your ideas with the new Interim CEO of The Natural Step, Peter Price-Thomas (peter.price-thomas@thenaturalstep.org).

To stay informed on the transition process, we encourage you to subscribe to our Stepping Stones newsletter here: http://www.thenaturalstep.org/en/international-newsletter-sign.

Thanks again for your question and interest, Cyrille.

Boycott the Baggie

Source: Environmental News Network, Friday, February 4, 2011

"BOYCOTT THE BAGGIE" ENCOURAGES CONSUMERS TO TAKE THE PLEDGE AND GO GREEN

February 02, 2011 By: One Small Step

Oakland, CA (February 2, 2011) – Each year, it is estimated that 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year.  That comes out to over one million per minute!  It is also estimated that one plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to decompose.  That means that if King John of England was snacking on a baggie full of jelly beans at the signing of the Magna Carta, that same little piece of plastic would just now be finishing it’s decomposition.

Full Article:   http://www.enn.com/press_releases/3626=

The Short Video, Links to Alternatives:  http://www.boycottthebaggie.com/

Post-Carbon Reader: Managing the 21st Century’s Sustainability Crises

Edited by Richard Heinberg and Daniel Lerch

http://www.postcarbon.org/reader

Review: http://www.postcarbon.org/reader/reviews

Reuters, by Jim Jubelirer

A Primer for the Post-Carbon World

The Post Carbon Institute has gathered 29 of the world's leading experts to point the way to a more resilient, just, and sustainable world. The Post-Carbon Reader is a comprehensive, in-depth examination of the inter-connected sustainability crises humanity now faces.

Rather than just being a gloom and doom book representative of the genre, each author brings forth solutions and positive trends affected the issue about which they write.

It can be challenging to bear witness to the enormity of the challenges associated with providing food, water, and energy to a growing worldwide population. Sustainability advocates can veer towards pessimism and hopelessness in the face of so much discouraging news.

On the other hand, there are many smart and passionate communicators, policy analysts, futurists and activist remind us that positivity is a renewable resource; the mass transformation we are seeking will come from a positive view of the future, not from fear...

Transport Revolutions: Moving People and Freight without Oil

by Richard Gilbert and Anthony Perl. 2010.  http://www.transportrevolutions.info/

Review:

 http://transitionvoice.com/2010/12/a-ticket-to-ride/

Richard Gilbert and Anthony Perl review transportation revolutions that have occurred in the past, current transport energy use, and the transportation areas that need to be revolutionized in the future.

The thrust of the book is that we have transportation options. Those options are what need to be evaluated as the world lurches toward liquid fuel shortages for conventional internal combustion engines.

Society will find that it has benefited from not being completely reliant on internal combustion engines powering all our transportation needs. Some sectors of transportation currently rely on electric traction motors for motive power. Future transportation needs can be built on currently available electric transportation technology but would require significant investments in electric grid capability, electric infrastructure and vehicles.

The authors discuss how the major investments in current infrastructure can “lock in” a particular combination of technology and organization and provide significant resistance to further change. This is especially apparent in the US, with its lack of development in intercity high speed rail systems. Instead the US has focused on roads and highways. As air travel becomes increasingly expensive, the US will regret not having already made significant investment into rail systems.

The run-up in oil prices in 2008 provided a momentary glimpse at the future that’s coming. The reviewer notes that if the high fuel prices in ’08 had been accompanied by limitations in supply availability, then the challenge would have been in maintaining civil order.

The authors suggest that one of the elements necessary to kick-start the next transport revolution in the US would be to tax oil and gas vehicle fuels. I imagine it will not be a viable option through the next election cycle in 2012 and beyond if Republicans take the presidency.

SF Bay Area Sustainable Community Strategy

One Bay Area is the initiative of the four regional agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area to implement the path-breaking 2008 Senate Bill 375's requirement for Sustainable Community Strategies. "The law calls upon metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in 18 regions in California to develop an integrated transportation, land-use and housing plan known as a Sustainable Communities Strategy (Strategy), with the ultimate goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions for cars and light-duty trucks. In the Bay Area, this involves the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), as the MPO, and the region’s Council of Governments, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)."

• Access the website: Home
• Come up to speed: Background  also a PDF Flyer with a nice schedule-time chart.
• Local Government Summit -- Bay Area 2010: the Future Begins Today, April 22, 2010, including materials:  videos of sessions and display boards showcasing local government sustainable practices.
• Understanding SB 375: Public Participation Requirements (7 pp PDF)
• Regional Planning in the Bay Area: What’s at Stake for Social Equity?  By the Public Advocates.  

EcoDistrict Portland - NextGen Sustainability Innovation

EcoDistrict is a next-generation, innovative, urban sustainability planning program of the Portland Institute of Sustainability (PoSI). It is a framework for empowering and accelerating urban sustainability at the neighborhood level. It is an innovation in progress and therefore a model worth watching.

Founded in 2009, PoSI "systematically brings together business, higher education, nonprofit and municipal leaders to drive a set of next-generation initiatives for urban sustainability in the Portland metro region.  The goal — big and game changing ideas that weave together community livability, ecological resiliency, and broad-based prosperity.  We believe the results will fuel business and policy innovation, enhance our quality of life, and create cities and neighborhoods that are not just sustainable, but restorative." Learn more as follows:

Portland Sustainability Institute (PoSI). Click through the Who, What, Why at the bottom of the photos for a quick orientation.

PoSI Projects: Ecodistricts: watch the two short videos at the top and bottom of the page for a quick overview. 

EcoDistricts Summit October 2010: go to the "program" tab to scan the couple day program with videos of all the major sessions, as well as links to other resources. Click through the other tabs for an overview of who's who in next-gen urban sustainability.

PDF on EcoDistrict Summit--Accelerating Sustainability at a District Scale. Good two-page summary.

Resources--Best Practices:  one of the leading lists of next-gen urban sustainability projects, programs and resources (WORTH skimming).

Resources--Publications: Original PoSI publications by project, including an EcoDistrict ToolKit 1.0 (Executive Summary, Introduction, Engagement to Governance, Finance, Policy, Performance Areas). WORTH skimming.

TNS Transition Newsletter

To access TNS International's special transition issue e-newsletter, click "Stepping Stone", describing the upcoming transition to a global sustainability network (December 13, 2010).

The Natural Step (TNS) -- Transition to Global Sustainability Network

"Last December 2009, The Natural Step Council voted to transform The Natural Step from a small licensee network into a dynamic global sustainability community." This past year 2010 has been a planning year, while 2011 will be the year of transition and creation.

Access information about this transition as follows:

• Overview, Stepping Stones E-Newsletter.
• Proposed Goals and Principles.
• Membership Model.
• Core Initiatives and Functions.
• Transition FAQ.
• To learn about the TNS Framework (books, case studies, e-learning, academic programs): Resources and Programs and Partners.
• TNS Founders Club.
• Interim CEO Peter Price-Thomas and Forum for the Future.

Forum for the Future

Forum for the Future

Most organisations now recognise that global challenges like climate change, food and energy security and population growth will mean big changes for the way they operate. Forum for the Future’s role is to help them find their way to a sustainable and successful future.

We help businesses and public service providers to understand and manage the risks that change will bring, to find new opportunities in tackling these global challenges, to implement their own commitments to social and environmental responsibility, and to work with others to overcome barriers to action. We then share what we learn to help others work towards a more sustainable society.

Founded in 1996, Forum for the Future is an independent, non-profit organisation with a mission to promote sustainable development. We believe there is a practical route to a better future where we – and generations to come – can prosper, sharing the resources of one planet. And we believe business and public service providers have a vital role to play in creating that future.

Darin Dinsmore Associates

Darin Dinsmore is a landscape architect by training and a path-breaking, award-winning, sustainability defining planning innovator by practice.

His mission is to transform communities, cities, and regions and inspire innovation in planning and sustainability. He has spearheaded efforts to create the first bi-state regional sustainability framework with local climate action plans, and master planned two pilot LEED-ND pilot projects. He offers over 15 years of experience in helping communities to increase their livability and prosperity, reduce their ecological footprint and improve human and ecological health.

Click the links for more on his integrative method and experience and other information.

Biomimicry

Biomimicry Institute

The Biomimicry Institute is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the study and imitation of nature’s remarkably efficient designs, bringing together scientists, engineers, architects and innovators who can use those models to create sustainable technologies. The Biomimicry Institute offers short-term workshops and two-year certificate courses in biomimicry for professionals, and helps to develop and share biomimicry-related curricula used in a range of educational venues, from K-12 classrooms to universities, as well as in non-formal settings such as zoos and museums. The Biomimicry Institute does not conduct its own research; rather, it serves as a clearinghouse and resource for those who do.

Harmony -- Prince Charles

A 40-year environmental legacy:

• a new book and movie--Harmony
• His organic farm.
• Organic Farming Research Institute
• Organic Farming

Related Links:

• Vandana Shiva
• SEWA
• Great Bear Rain Forest
• Great Bear Rain Forest Solutions Project
• Forest Ethics 
• Biomimicry Institute

Humanity's Challenge: if we want to stay, we need to switch from learning about nature to learning from nature.

Eco-Municipalities - Case Studies

To be added to periodically.

 Other S2030 resources:

• Eco-municipalities and Networks
• The Insitute for Ecomunicipality Education & Assistance -- IEMEA

Madison Wisconsin

• TNS Summary
• TNS Case Study

The Natural Step - Self-Learning Resources

The Natural Step's primary self-learning resources are as follows:

E-LEARNING COURSES (cost):

The one-hour and three-hour e-learning corses are exceptional uses of the web for self-learning. The fee allows access for one year, which is plenty of time to go through the course a few times at different levels of detail and to explore the many links and resources provided deeply at your leisure.

TOOLKITS (click here; also in french):

• Primer
• Starter Guide
• At Home
• Integrated Community Sustainability Planning

The Natural Step’s Toolkits for Sustainability have been created to share best practices based on our work with thousands of corporations, municipalities, academic institutions and not-for-profit organizations around the world. Our partners and clients have proven that moving strategically toward sustainability leads to innovation, new opportunities, reduced costs, and dramatically reduced ecological and social impacts.

The challenge to all of us is to inspire and become the sustainability champions that are needed to lead this change and create a better tomorrow.

Eco-Municipalities - The Institute

From their home page: 

Our Mission

Welcome to IEMEA - the Institute for Ecomunicipality Education & Assistance. Our purpose is to provide support for emerging ecomunicipalities and those communities interested in a systematic, comprehensive approach for changing to sustainable practices.

What is an ecomunicipality? It is a local government – a municipal or county government – that has officially adopted a particular set of sustainability principles and has committed to a bottom-up, participatory approach for implementing them. The first ecomunicipalities developed in Sweden, beginning in the 1980s. The work of the early ecomunicipalities became the model for Agenda 21, the Guide for Local Sustainable Development that emerged from the 1992 Rio Summit – the U.N. World Conference on Sustainable Development. As of 2006, there were over 70 ecomunicipalities in Sweden, constituting 25 percent of all municipalities in that country. In the city center of Umea, Sweden, bikes and pedestrians predominate, not cars.

This movement has spread to the United States and beyond. Inspired by the Swedish movement, several U.S. cities, towns, and county governments have officially declared themselves to be eco-municipalities, adopting the same sustainability principles as their Swedish counterparts and working to systematically change their local government and larger community to sustainable practices. Many other communities and local governments are inspired by their efforts, and are coming to realize that a systems approach to sustainable development is more effective than a “silo approach” that works project-by-project or on a single-issue at a time.

Who We Are

Torbjörn Lahti and Sarah James, co-authors of the award-winning book The Natural Step for Communities: How Cities & Towns Can Change to Sustainable Practices (New Society Publishers, 2004) are the Directors of IEMEA. Torbjörn Lahti, planner and economist, is the founder of the Swedish eco-municipality movement who has worked with over 100 municipalities in providing ecomunicipality education and assistance. Sarah James, city and town planner, and co-author of the American Planning Association’s Planning for Sustainability Policy Guide (April, 2004), has worked with U.S. municipalities for over fifteen years in a bottom-up participatory planning approach closely resembling that of the Swedish ecomunicipalities.  They offer a combined 50 years of experience in working with local government to bring about successful community change.

Sustainable Infrastructure: The Guide to Green Engineering and Design.

Pioneering design, engineering, and planning firms are now packaging the concepts and technology of sustainability that transform the built environment. Mostly practiced on the new cities of Asia, these applications were only ideas a mere ten years ago. A new book, Sustainable Instrastructure: The Guide to Green Engineering and Design, by Bry Sartre of Sherwood Design Engineers, chronicles Sherwood's role in this emerging area of theory and practice. It provides a window to the innovation that may come back with large scale rretrofit, renovation, and renewal associated with the reweaving of sprawl into tightly knit sustainable communities, suburbs, and cities of sustainable regional metabolism. The publisher's summary follow's below. See also Sherwood's main website and that of their newly formed institute. 

About the Sustainable Infrastructure: The Guide to Green Engineering and Design. As more factors, perspectives, and metrics are incorporated into the planning and building process, the roles of engineers and designers are increasingly being fused together. As more factors, perspectives, and metrics are incorporated into the planning and building process, the roles of engineers and designers are increasingly being fused together. Designers are being asked to account for and incorporate systems thinking, material flows, and environmental performance into their work; and engineers are being asked to apply their technical and infrastructural expertise earlier and more comprehensively as an integral part of the design process. "Sustainable Infrastructure" explores this trend with in-depth look at sustainable engineering practices in an urban design as it involves watershed master-planning, green building, optimizing water reuse, reclaiming urban spaces, green streets initiatives, and sustainable master-planning. This complete guide provides guidance on the role creative thinking and collaborative team-building play in meeting solutions needed to affect a sustainable transformation of the built environment.

Publishing Details

Publisher: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated

Date: September 07, 2010 

ISBN13: 9780470453612   ISBN: 0470453613

Amazon     John Wiley & Sons