Environment, Values and Sustainability
In this series of articles on Sustainability Report, Michael Keating and Eric Hellman have collaborated to explore the history and progress of environmental change, and how we might be more effective in creating future change. Michael is the former senior Environment reporter for The Globe and Mail newspaper, and Eric was one of the co-founders of the Blue Box Recycling program. Below is a summary of the series so far.
Articles By Michael Keating
"What will it take to get to a really sustainable world? I’ve been writing about environment and sustainability for close to 50 years. Often the discussions about how to solve environment problems centre on the technical issues. But the barriers to sustainability are more in our heads than in our workshops.
If we really want to stop over polluting and over consuming nature, we need a big shift in our values..."
1) Values and sustainability – first in a series
The emergence of environment and sustainable development as major public issues, and how our values have been evolving.
Let’s turn the clock back half a century. Raw pollution was commonly dumped into pits, waterways and the air. Some rivers ran brown with human waste, or were so oily that the surfaces caught fire. Ducks would land in this pollution and never fly again. There were no environment departments to turn to for help...
2) Values and sustainability – second in a series
Goals and principles to guide decision making for sustainability.
We have fundamental needs, including health, economic security and enjoyment of life. We want clean air and water, nutritious food, comfortable housing, health care, sanitation, energy, mobility and jobs now and into the future. We need societies that are equitable and give everyone access to opportunities. To do that sustainably we must also ensure a healthy and stable environment. Sustainability is about meeting human needs while bringing the environmental impact of all development in the world to a sustainable level.
3) Values and sustainability – third in a series
Some barriers to achieving sustainability.
Our societies are more environmentally literate and aware than ever before, so why are we still sliding deeper into ecological debt? Since the 1987 Brundtland Report, there has been a huge growth in world economic output, with roughly a doubling in Gross World Product. The world is a better place for many people. They live longer, healthier lives, have higher incomes and greater mobility. Many people have been and are being lifted out of poverty by the increased economic development. More people have enough food, safe drinking water and better health care... While these are important steps, they are not nearly enough to achieve a sustainable world.
4) Values and sustainability – fourth in a series
Examples of leadership for sustainability: political (Gro Harlem Brundtland), business (Ray Anderson), and religious (Pope Francis).
What can we learn from these sustainability leaders? They took strong moral positions, moving ahead of others in similar positions. They took risks, and have drawn criticism from some. But the most important question is, do we have enough sustainability leaders? Will people who try to provide such leadership have the courage, intelligence and tenacity to move society from a pathway now heading toward environmental and therefore economic and social ruin?
___________________________________________
Articles by Eric Hellman
"For the past 35 years, I've been working with three core questions: Why are there so many problems in the world? How do we get to the roots of them? And what do we do to bring about a 'consciousness shift' to help us deal with them? I finally feel like I have some insights to offer to the conversation..."
Series Topic: "How Do We Create Change?"
1) Insights from the first Blue Box recycling program
Many people have asked, “What made the Blue Box so successful?” Why did it become the model for programs not only across Ontario, but in hundreds of cities, provinces, states and countries around the world, and even a symbol of recycling? As someone who was there at its inception, I’d like to offer some thoughts and experiences on what may have contributed to its success...
2) A Personal Challenge to be Sustainable
I was deeply fortunate to start my own career doing work I truly loved. Working in garbage and recycling was a perfect opportunity for me to share both my love of nature, and the power we have to make a difference in the world. At the same time, however, my life was also in deep conflict...
3) Understanding Human Nature (Part 1)
After working in recycling for close to five years, a series of intuitive experiences prompted me to leave the field and explore new areas. Two questions were uppermost in my mind: Why are there so many problems in the world? and How do we get to the roots of them? I also had a sobering realization...
4) Understanding Human Nature - and the Split Within (Part 2)
One mindset within us experiences itself as connected to life. Drawing on a calm, confident centre, it lives and works with meaning and purpose. The other side of us sees us as separate from others. It experiences a continuing sense of lack, fear and doubt, and worries about the future... How do these two mindsets affect how we work towards sustainability?
5) Is what we’re doing working?
Looking at the last 50 years, significant progress has been made... yet the problems have continued growing faster than the solutions we’ve created. What’s also growing is the social backlash to change. We are seeing a widening of political and societal divisions – from polarization of views to increased rancour – and less willingness on both sides to hear, consider and work with opponents. Have we inadvertently contributed to this?
6) Trying something radically different
If our “convince, control, push and punish” approach to change is increasing resistance to the very changes we want to make, how can we do things differently? If sustainability is going to last, it will need to be internally motivated rather than primarily externally driven (through laws and regulations). It also can’t just be a “should” or a “have to.” It needs to be a “want to”...
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In this series of articles on Sustainability Report, Michael Keating and Eric Hellman have collaborated to explore the history and progress of environmental change, and how we might be more effective in creating future change. Michael is the former senior Environment reporter for The Globe and Mail newspaper, and Eric was one of the co-founders of the Blue Box Recycling program. Below is a summary of the series so far.
Articles By Michael Keating
"What will it take to get to a really sustainable world? I’ve been writing about environment and sustainability for close to 50 years. Often the discussions about how to solve environment problems centre on the technical issues. But the barriers to sustainability are more in our heads than in our workshops.
If we really want to stop over polluting and over consuming nature, we need a big shift in our values..."
1) Values and sustainability – first in a series
The emergence of environment and sustainable development as major public issues, and how our values have been evolving.
Let’s turn the clock back half a century. Raw pollution was commonly dumped into pits, waterways and the air. Some rivers ran brown with human waste, or were so oily that the surfaces caught fire. Ducks would land in this pollution and never fly again. There were no environment departments to turn to for help...
2) Values and sustainability – second in a series
Goals and principles to guide decision making for sustainability.
We have fundamental needs, including health, economic security and enjoyment of life. We want clean air and water, nutritious food, comfortable housing, health care, sanitation, energy, mobility and jobs now and into the future. We need societies that are equitable and give everyone access to opportunities. To do that sustainably we must also ensure a healthy and stable environment. Sustainability is about meeting human needs while bringing the environmental impact of all development in the world to a sustainable level.
3) Values and sustainability – third in a series
Some barriers to achieving sustainability.
Our societies are more environmentally literate and aware than ever before, so why are we still sliding deeper into ecological debt? Since the 1987 Brundtland Report, there has been a huge growth in world economic output, with roughly a doubling in Gross World Product. The world is a better place for many people. They live longer, healthier lives, have higher incomes and greater mobility. Many people have been and are being lifted out of poverty by the increased economic development. More people have enough food, safe drinking water and better health care... While these are important steps, they are not nearly enough to achieve a sustainable world.
4) Values and sustainability – fourth in a series
Examples of leadership for sustainability: political (Gro Harlem Brundtland), business (Ray Anderson), and religious (Pope Francis).
What can we learn from these sustainability leaders? They took strong moral positions, moving ahead of others in similar positions. They took risks, and have drawn criticism from some. But the most important question is, do we have enough sustainability leaders? Will people who try to provide such leadership have the courage, intelligence and tenacity to move society from a pathway now heading toward environmental and therefore economic and social ruin?
___________________________________________
Articles by Eric Hellman
"For the past 35 years, I've been working with three core questions: Why are there so many problems in the world? How do we get to the roots of them? And what do we do to bring about a 'consciousness shift' to help us deal with them? I finally feel like I have some insights to offer to the conversation..."
Series Topic: "How Do We Create Change?"
1) Insights from the first Blue Box recycling program
Many people have asked, “What made the Blue Box so successful?” Why did it become the model for programs not only across Ontario, but in hundreds of cities, provinces, states and countries around the world, and even a symbol of recycling? As someone who was there at its inception, I’d like to offer some thoughts and experiences on what may have contributed to its success...
2) A Personal Challenge to be Sustainable
I was deeply fortunate to start my own career doing work I truly loved. Working in garbage and recycling was a perfect opportunity for me to share both my love of nature, and the power we have to make a difference in the world. At the same time, however, my life was also in deep conflict...
3) Understanding Human Nature (Part 1)
After working in recycling for close to five years, a series of intuitive experiences prompted me to leave the field and explore new areas. Two questions were uppermost in my mind: Why are there so many problems in the world? and How do we get to the roots of them? I also had a sobering realization...
4) Understanding Human Nature - and the Split Within (Part 2)
One mindset within us experiences itself as connected to life. Drawing on a calm, confident centre, it lives and works with meaning and purpose. The other side of us sees us as separate from others. It experiences a continuing sense of lack, fear and doubt, and worries about the future... How do these two mindsets affect how we work towards sustainability?
5) Is what we’re doing working?
Looking at the last 50 years, significant progress has been made... yet the problems have continued growing faster than the solutions we’ve created. What’s also growing is the social backlash to change. We are seeing a widening of political and societal divisions – from polarization of views to increased rancour – and less willingness on both sides to hear, consider and work with opponents. Have we inadvertently contributed to this?
6) Trying something radically different
If our “convince, control, push and punish” approach to change is increasing resistance to the very changes we want to make, how can we do things differently? If sustainability is going to last, it will need to be internally motivated rather than primarily externally driven (through laws and regulations). It also can’t just be a “should” or a “have to.” It needs to be a “want to”...
Site directory: Click on three white bars at top of page