The Natural Edge Project - Economic Transformation from Whole Systems Design & Engineering

If you're a Linked In member, check out Jonathon's original post. If not, The Natural Edge Project (TNEP) is an Australian NGO dedicated to creating a new educational curriculum for whole-systems design and engineering for their partner university departments and the profession more generally.

The Natural Edge Project (TNEP) is an independent Sustainability Think-Tank based in Australia. TNEP

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Citystates - The future of sustainability?

SustainAbility, the international independent sustainability think tank, produced a report on Citystates as "ground zero for the collision of economic, environmental and social imperatives that define sustainability."

Download the full report or watch the video.

NCI's Business Case for Sustainability

Natural Capitalism Solutions (NCI) summarized and provides quick links to the most current business cases for sustainability authored independently by leading consultancies or institutes. To access it on NCI's site, go here, and click on the right, top, sidebar link to Business Case Reports, or otherwise search the sites for that title. It's also accessible on S2030's site here, for your convenience. 

Plastic Disclusure Project - A First

Stepping up to the global challenge of trying to keep plastic waste from clogging waterways, coastlines and landfills, UC Berkeley is the first university in the world to embrace the Plastic Disclosure Project. The project aims to use the concept of a plastic footprint — like a carbon footprint — as a way of stimulating change in the way the world deals with an important but problematic resource

Achieving Energy Net Zero Buildings

UC Davis West Village, PDF.

Only One Earth - Book Launch

Press Release:  With Rio+20 just two weeks away, I am excited to announce the release of Only One Earth, a new book that sheds light on where Rio fits on the path to sustainable development, written by Stakeholder Forum’s Executive Director, Felix Dodds, and Earthmedia’s Michael Strauss, with Maurice F. Strong, Secretary-General.

Only One Earth takes a retrospective look at successes and failures in the environmental movement in the last forty years, and a look ahead to what critically needs to happen at Rio+20 and beyond. This book offers recommendations that everyone concerned with the global collaboration process should know.

For more information and our press release, visit our site: http://bit.ly/L7Rs4F 

Sustainability - The Need, Problem, and Value of Definition

In an APA Sustainable Community Planning Interest Group LinkedIn discussion, Daniel Lerch prompts us with the question “which definition of "sustainability" do you use?” Daniel posed this question in the context of its emerging importance as the Interest Group moves towards becoming a Division along with other recent developments that he summarizes. Daniel notes the reticence of many to participate in the “definition” debate because it has a tendency to be unproductive; but he also notes the increasing need for a definition as the stakes grow. His key questions are as follows. “What definition --or formulation-- of "sustainability" do YOU find most useful? Do you think APA should develop a once-and-for-all definition of "planning for sustainability,” or "sustainable community planning," or another term? Should it be left flexible and undefined? What are the pros and cons of these possible directions?” My short answers follow in a comment on the Linked In site and below. A longer response, which explores various aspects and implications of sustainability’s definitional challenge, is available here.

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Plan-it Sustainably: Assessing Sustainability

A Review ofAPA PAS Report No. 565, Assessing Sustainability: A Guide for Local Governments

In Chapter 2, this PAS report characterizes measuring sustainability as the Holy Grail for planners. The chapter concludes with two quotes that aptly frame the challenge.

“What gets measured gets done,” but …

“Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted.” —Albert Einstein

The quotes illustrate the inherent blind spots in any method and the resulting need for intelligent treatment of what can—and cannot—be measured.

The report is a cornucopia of information on all aspects of measurement, from

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CrowdBrite - Crowdsourcing Public Planning

Crowdbrite (CB) is one of an innovative crop of new web-based technologies that can accelerate and enhance the effectiveness of public participation in planning.

Crowdbrite (CB) offers a fun and convenient way to participate in online brainstorming sessions, meetings, and workshops/charrettes. Invite your team, outside professionals/experts and the community to collaborate. This interactive application continuously updates in real-time. The Crowdbrite Canvas is only limited by your imagination!

Climate Change - Connecting the Dots (GENI)

North America 2012 has seen the warmest Spring ever – shifting the typical growing season by several weeks. The past few years have seen increasing numbers and strength of weather related events around the world. Meteorological (storms), hydrological (floods) and climatological (extreme temperatures, droughts, forest fires) events have all increased 2-3 times since 1980.

“The only plausible explanation for the rise in weather-related catastrophes is climate change.”Munch RE (world’s largest reinsurance company)

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Solar Matures - Positions for Long Term Growth

This McKinsey report, “Solar power: Darkest before dawn” finds that underlying PV costs are likely to continue to drop as manufacturing capacity doubles over the next three to five years. Indeed, the cost of a typical commercial system could fall 40 percent by 2015 and an additional 30 percent by 2020, permitting companies to capture attractive margins while vigorously installing new capacity. The research suggests that the overall solar market will continue to grow.

NASA's Greenest Building - Moffett Field

As reported in MercuryNews.com, NASA, in collaboration with lead architect and engineering firm AECOM and designer William McDonough and Partners of Charlottesville, VA., and San Francisco, designed the building to be "native to place," which means it incorporates the natural landscape into the design. 

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Earth Policy Institute - Plan B: The Film -- New Airing on PBS

Earth Policy Institute, PLAN B: MOBILIZING TO SAVE CIVILIZATION-THE FILM. PBS stations across the United States are airing the program between now and May 16, 2012. Check your local listings to see where and when it is airing in your area. Based on Lester Brown's Plan B book series, this 90-minute film-Plan B: Mobilizing to Save Civilization (see listings for time and additional dates in your area), follows Lester as he speaks in Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, New Delhi, Rome, Istanbul, Ankara, and Washington, DC, and visits with world leaders to discuss ways to respond to the challenges of climate change. Journey to Planet Earth.

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Stockholm seminar--Going carbon-free, a mere joke?

Going carbon-free, a mere joke?“ By Jean-Marc Jancovici Mines ParisTech, Thursday 26 April, 14.00-15.00 Linné Hall, Beijer Hall, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Lilla Frescativägen 4, Stockholm.  Abstract: In this seminar, Jean-Marc Jancovici will take a closer look at how access to energy has been fundamental to the tremendous scientific and technical progress made since the Industrial Revolution. Human ingenuity has relied heavily upon seemingly limitless access to natural resources like oil, gas and coal. What we today call "prosperity" is actually the possibility to extract, transform and associate, at a pace never reached before, non-renewable natural resources. The question is: if our planet has physical limits, how long can this extraction continue last, and what would the early warning of a coming collapse look like?  THE STOCKHOLM SEMINARS - focusing on the dynamics and stewardship of social-ecological systems.

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Green Urbanism

Green Urbanism: Formulating a Series of Holistic Principles, by Steffen Lehmann, summarizes the key aspects of green urbanism as distinct form of new urbanism.

Green Urbanism is a conceptual model for zero-emission and zero-waste urban design, which arose in the 1990s, promoting compact energy-efficient urban development, seeking to transform and re-engineer existing city districts and regenerate the post-industrial city centre. It promotes the development of socially and environmentally sustainable city districts.

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Ecosystem Services Partnership

The Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP)s a worldwide network to enhance the Science and practical application of ecosystem services assessment. There is a growing demand for integrating ecosystem services research into policy and practice. ESP seeks to enhance this integration by coordinating collaborative efforts on ecosystem services at the global, national and local level. The ES-Partnership is a network organization that will link practitioners, researchers, and stakeholders around the world who are working toward better understanding, modeling, valuation and management of ecosystem services and natural capital.

Strategic Sustainability 30-min Webcast

A 30-minute recorded webinar on Planning for Sustainable Development--Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability, (you sign on as a guest adding your name but don’t use the name "Guest," use your own - (No password is needed) and click the play arrow in the middle of the screen and it will play for you.) Go here for details.

Foundation Earth -- Rethinking Society from the Ground Up

Foundation Earth, Randy Hayes' most recent initiative (founder of the Rainforest Action Network), is dedicated to the rigorous big thinking needed to invent the new law, governance, and economy required to replace those of a civilization that could be considered as "burning down it's house."

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Urban Permaculture Institute

Urban Permaculture Design Certificate Course. Develop professional skills and get valuable education to enhance your current career or prepare you for your next venture. It is one of the few permaculture design trainings that match the schedule and tuition to the busy lives of urban professionals and full-time students. Urban Permaculture Design Certificate CourseDevelop professional skills and get valuable education to enhance your current career or prepare you for your next venture. It is one of the few permaculture design trainings that match the schedule and tuition to the busy lives of urban professionals and full-time students.

BBC - Future - Technology - Here come the megabuses

“Articulated vehicles are being investigated quite intensively at the moment” says Austin. Many believe this “slinky” design is just about cramming in more passengers and allowing the vehicle to turn more effectively in narrow city streets. However, the single deck approach means that the bus also has less air resistance, saving fuel, and can load passengers more quickly. As a result, the bendy bus looks here to stay. In fact, it is one of a number of designs that is currently being by a European project to design the “bus of the future."