Year: 2012

Economics as “unusual” in Australian politics

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An important event has been hardly noticed in Australian politics. But it could be the start of a trend to recognize and address causes of social and environmental problems rather than merely to struggle with the symptoms. Until recently economic growth, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), has been the primary indicator of governmental performance, with alternatives virtually absent from the political discourse. At last one brave member of Parliament is changing that, unafraid to lead the way toward a steady state economy.

Fossil Food & Agriculture – Richard Heinberg Q&A

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While researching the topic of sustainable agriculture for a paper, high school junior Rhian Moore came across the work of PCI Senior Fellow Richard Heinberg. Rhian reached out to Richard for more information on the topic. Below are Rhian’s questions and Richard’s brief responses. We think they make for a nice primer of sorts.

The unknown unknowns of the monoculture

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A patient suffering of lateral neglect won’t "see" one side of the world, won’t draw it, and won’t touch it. When asked why, the patient will answer that it was not important or that there was no reason to consider it; never that he or she couldn’t perceive it. … It’s often been misinterpreted as "stupid people don’t realize that they are stupid". No, it is a much wider effect and it hits intelligent people in particular. It is typical of very intelligent people to be unable to realize their limits.

Garden contingency planning

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I should say I’m looking forward to a much better garden this year, and I am. I am also, however, looking forward to one that doesn’t work out so well. By which I mean that I’m doing what I should have done all along – contingency planning to optimize my garden for non-optimal conditions, in this case, a non-optimal gardener.

Towards Transition Glasgow is five years young – Part 1

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Sometimes it seems that not much has changed in Glasgow over the five years since the Transition energy first took hold yet I and many of my fellow Transition’ers do experience a difference in what’s happening around the city. So how much of this change is to do with Transitions presence and how do you evaluate its effect on a city or community over time?

The Doha Perplex

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"Those of us who have been attending these meetings for the past 20 or more years have felt very frustrated by the slow progress and the lack of an international treaty. Exemplary work by Wackernagle, Rees, Meadows, Daly, Costanza, Rockstrom and others points a direction forward, but it always comes around to some international agreement. What will it take to get that?

Creating a sense of place by investing locally

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Like most facets of our lives, including food, clothing, and jobs, our investments are becoming increasingly abstracted from our day-to-day reality. Very few people have the opportunity to invest in what they can immediately see, feel, touch or taste. The location of our investment dollars is increasingly “elsewhere,” and the sheer velocity with which money moves is mindboggling.