The new biodiversity barometer is out! The report is rather optimistic as they conclude that 63% of the respondents are aware of biodiversity and 96% have heard of sustainable development. The report also indicates that there is high awareness but low understanding, as many people do not really know what biodiversity implies. Personally my feel is that as consumers of beauty products respondents may also have a greater affinity with concepts such as 'bio' and that might be the cause of the high awareness rates.

Ecological handprint

The Ecological Handprint reframes the notion of sustainability. It expands on the Footprint by bringing together the interrelated goals of sustaining the biological integrity of the planet and insuring sustenance for those in need. This new concept adds value as the Footprint is a limited communications and accounting tool because it is not designed to include the related conditions of human development — issues such as poverty, literacy, access to education, and other aspects of human rights and social justice. Sonoma University is bringing out a book - in an on line process - to further clarify the concept.

Sustainability Pathways

On the new sustainability website of FAO I came across this photo: for me it symbolizes resilience as a core value of sustainability. The website also features a new definition. New for me at least: Sustainability means ensuring human rights and well-being without depleting or diminishing the capacity of the earth's ecosystems to support life, or at the expense of others well-being. It is a multi-dimensional concept encompassing environmental integrity, social well-being, economic resilience and good governance: each of these sustainability dimensions involves several issues and all dimensions need to be considered. Sustainability is an ambitious objective that can be reached through different pathways.

Justin Hall-Tipping: Freeing energy from the grid (TED)

Solutions come through out of the box thinking. What nanotechnology can do for us: freeing energy from the grid. A clear explanation by a passionate entrepreneur and CEO of Nanoholdings of some exciting scientific discoveries and what they can do for us .

Behavior is less rational than we may think

We tend to make ‘hot’ choices – “what I want to have”, over ‘cold’ choices – “who I want to be”. Satisfying immediate needs is an instinct humans share with animals: (fast) food, sex, power, whatever turns you on. Civilization has also brought other values, says psychologist Roos Vonk, but mostly those moral values lose from our instincts. We consume on impulses to satisfy our immediate desires. Even if it means compromising our moral values of fair trade, child labor, CO2 and ecological footprints, health etc. Unconsciously our mind ‘explains away’ the potential objections from our consciousness, so that we still can feel good, whatever choice we make.
Firstly our mind acts like a spin doctor when dealing with cognitive dissonancy: “For a healthy diet I simply need to eat meat”; “meat is just delicious, I can’t imagine a meal without it”; “I already do so much for the environment”; “Biological products are far too expensive”; “I only eat biological meat or buy fair trade products” Etc.
Secondly our mind unconsciously appeals to the paradigm of individualism: “I want to do my thing”, “I have a right to live and consume the way I prefer”, “I am free to choose what makes me happy”; “I happen to like buying new stuff”; “I do what is good for me”; “I follow my gut feelings and instincts” Etc.
Thirdly our mind appeals to dominant social and moral values: “it is not immoral to eat meat, to fly etc.”; “There is no law against…”; “The government acts in the same way”.
In communicating sustainability Roos argues it is best to address the hot choices by appealing to cold the ones: “do you have an inferiority complex that you need to drive a Hummer?”; “If you consume like others, is that compatible with your personal values?”; “Isn’t it the core of individual freedom to pursue the values you belief in?”

Oil becomes Plastic becomes Oil

A story of positive change starts with the inventor remembering how in his youth he used to play in nature. Tina Trampus, a colleague, made me aware of this video. Since it first appeared on YouTube it already had over 150.000 views. It caused controversy about assumed toxic residues and the disincentive to reduce the use of plastic. The UNU page now provides arguments that it is safe. The company still mainly produces larger, industrial-use machines: info@blest.co.jp.

Living Outside The Box Sustainable Lifestyles

Most definitions of sustainable lifestyles talk about three key areas: minimal environmental impact, not undermining the carrying capacity of resources and helping people interact with the communities and places in which they live. 
The UNEP Taskforce on Sustainable Lifestyles in its recent report points out that 'people will only change their lifestyles in exchange for a better one'. This means sustainable lifestyles should be attractive and desirable. Its more than savings on energy bills, it is also about happiness, social relations and quality time. Read more in the Ecologist. The report is produced by Futerra.

Sustainability mindset

Are conservation and sustainable development just another job opportunity or do they ask more of a professional? If so, where do I go to get the right education. The question of one of the participants makes me think. A recent study on ‘What a sustainability professional should know how to do´, surveyed opinions of experts in the field. It maps knowledge (concepts, theories, ideas, processes), skills (process dynamics, tools, methodologies), attributes (innate abilities) and performance competences (job/career duties/responsibilities) for corporate sustainability managers and community development professionals. Among the top three hard skills are strategic planning, system thinking and project management. The top three soft skills are communication, problem solving and inspiring and motivating. When we look at attributes we see a long list of innate abilities. The softer the skills and attibutes the less traditional training and learning approaches seem to have to offer. It looks as if it is a personal responsibility to develop these. Coaching or a teacher in an unexpected discipline (music, sports, meditation) may help. For me it is basically about looking inwards and practicing a sustainability mindset. Making yourself used of being mindful of others before self, non violence, respect for the diversity of life and cultures, timing, efficiency, effectiveness etc.

Sustainability: sacrifice and gain

Sustainability does not mean sacrifice and expense. My environmental friends here in this Asian country are quite convinced. Instead it provides opportunities and competitive advantage. They have brought me in their four wheel drive to this fast food restaurant on top of a high rise building. Below the streets are literally filled with cars. More high rise buildings as far as I can see. Even this high my lungs seem to feel the air pollution. Transition to a sustainable urban development, mobility and clean air and water will not come only through new technologies and better planning. Habits also have to change. E.g. the habits of taking the car, throwing things so easily away. When you stop eating hamburgers and take the bicycle, in the end you will feel better and enjoy the exercise. But the behavior change has it costs: the pain of overcoming the resistance, the effort to keep repeating the new and unfamiliar behavior. I know you have to compromise, but if environmentalists want to be leaders in the change towards sustainability, they should continuously be mindful of what change really means and how it feels. The only way is to practice change yourself. Eating less or no meat is such a practice. Taking the bicycle or reducing your waste to (almost) zero too. Such practice means some sacrifice and expense, but it also provides opportunities for feeling better and gaining support for sustainability by being able to provide examples of change from personal experience.

Armed forces with a low carbon boot print

Military commanders not only have a financial budget but also have to fit their campaigns and activities within a pre-fixed carbon budget. Military planners from different countries co-operate on a regional basis on contingency plans for disaster relief in case of extreme weather events. Troops employed on peace-building missions have camps powered by wind and solar and electric vehicles. Military strategists consider weak states as weak because of failures of their environmental systems. They develop scenarios to support the ecological preconditions for human well-being as part of their mission to protect national security interests.
These are just a few of the images sketched by military strategists from different parts of the world of the changes in international security, during a conference on Climate Change and Security, organized by IES in Brussels a week ago. A hopeful dream, supported by the reality that there is no other choice. And the change is already ongoing: the military as leaders in sustainability?

What questions do people have on life style change?

"Are our messages about climate change not too much focused on fear and on problems?" "How can we change our behaviour if society continues business as usual?" "Will the economic crisis be an opportunity for change or an obstacle?" "Will climate change force us to use nuclear energy?" "How can we use the new social media to trigger behaviour change?" "What will our life style change look like?" "How do we mobilize our European societies to change towards a low carbon lifestyle?" These were some of questions from the audience last month, when I gave a lecture on 'Life and Sustainable Development' at the invitation of the Fundación Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente in the Casa Encendida in Madrid.

Sustainability: not missing out on the important!

In reality phenomena are not always what they look like. Or actually never are. As a consequence our distorted perceptions make us miss out on many of the good things of life and often cause us only suffering. This is one of the tenets of Buddhist philosophy. So the content of the first email I opened here in an internet cafe in Bodhgaya (India) resonated very much with me. The mail was from Tina Trampus, a colleague from Slovenia. This is the story - it happened in 2007 - she sent me:

Washington DC Metro Station on a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 mins a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule. 4 mins later the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the till and, without stopping, continued to walk. 6 minutes, a young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. 10 mins: a 3 year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly, as the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on. 45 minutes; the musician played. Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. 1 hour; he finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100. This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context? One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments .... how many other things are we missing?

Tina concluded: "Live here, live now, live THIS moment and enjoy it – is the best and the only you really have."

Bring The Comfort Of Indoors To Outdoors!?

In Europe already for some years, the market is lured into the new hype of patio heaters. As temperatures drop at nightfall, and people still want to sit in the garden, they invest in a patio heater of some sort. Since the ban on smoking, smokers flock round them outside bars. Restaurants now serve dinner even in midwinter on their terrace. It irritates me every time I pass these examples of extravagance. Why warming up the night sky by burning energy and therefore casting a carbon shadow? Ban not only smoking, but also outside heating. Yesterday with Copenhagen in mind my environment colleagues here in Delhi discussed how much less countries like India should contribute, compared to Europe. They took me out for dinner to their favorite Italian restaurant. We were to sit on the terrace - yes: with patio heaters! To sit inside was no alternative. This section is closed, said the sign on the door of the restaurant. As action speaks louder than words, I insisted to go somewhere else. The Delhi Supreme Court forced buses, taxis and rickshaws to change from diesel to natural gas. Why not also ban patio heaters? Until that time, environmental leaders should set an example as consumers both in the developed and the developing world.

Linking sustainability with intrinsic goals

In offering a new paradigm for communication for change, George Lakoff describes the values of our intrinsic goals: Nurturing family life, Caring about others, Freedom, Opportunity and prosperity, Fairness, Honest open two way communication, Community building. Is this new or did I read this before? Listen to the Chinese sage Lao Tsu in Verse 44 of the Tao Te Ching:
What is firmly established cannot be uprooted.
What is firmly grasped cannot slip away.
It will be honored from generation to generation.
Cultivate Virtue in yourself, and Virtue will be real.
Cultivate it in the family, and Virtue will abound.
Cultivate it in the village, and Virtue will grow.
Cultivate it in the nation, and Virtue will be abundant.
Cultivate it in the universe, and Virtue will be everywhere.
Therefore look at the body as body;
Look at the family as family;
Look at the village as village;
Look at the nation as nation;
Look at the universe as universe.
How do I know the universe is like this? By Looking!

Communicating Sustainability: link to intrinsic goals

Today we recognize that we should not expect public awareness campaigns to create behavioral change. Moreover we focus on the chemistry of change: trying to understand the gap between what people say and what they do. Analyzing the 2004 US Presidential campaigns George Lakoff wrote: “People do not necessarily vote in their self-interest. They vote their identity. They vote their values. They vote for who they identify with. It is important to understand this point. It is a serious mistake to assume that people are simply always voting in their self-interest.” Marketing communication – even for sustainability – mostly focuses on extrinsic goals of people: acquisition of material goods, financial benefits, social recognition. Research now seems to recognize that we have to go beyond the business case for sustainable development: “most of our consumer research points to the need for pro-environmental behaviors to fit within people’s current lifestyle, even if one might aim for more fundamental shifts over the longer term”. This means environmental marketing communication should appeal to our intrinsic goals of personal growth, emotional intimacy, community involvement. The WWF study 'Wheathercocks & Signposts' recommends to link nature with emotion, happiness, well being, personal growth, community building. If we communicate our environmental values clearly, most people will recognize them as their own, personally more authentic and more deeply human than those put forth by green marketing. At the very least they will see environmentalists as having deeply held, traditional human principles. This would be a huge step forward from the present state, in which environmentalists are seen as being against progress, economic growth and material wellbeing, with nature and self-interest as their only higher principles.

A learning experience in sustainability

The Tiblisi+30 conference on environmental education was not so much a conference in the traditional sense of the word but more a learning experience in sustainability. The campus of the Ahmedabad based Center for Environmental Education (CEE) offered a perfect space to experience sustainability.The plenary hall, lunch court and exhibition area were all in tents in the open air. The spacious gardens took the place of the ‘corridors’ for networking. The variety of trees, flowers and music during the breaks generated an open atmosphere, impossible to compete with by the usual congress center. Lunch and dinner offered an opportunity to taste the varieties of the local vegetarian cuisine.

An art exhibition showed what traditional crafts can contribute to communicate sustainable development. A concert, a dance performance and an evening with traditional Gujarati folk dance communicated peace, equity, ancient values and innovation. The ambiance offered participants an opportunity for deep listening and sharing. Subtle positive energy radiated from the hand movements of the dancers of Mallika Sarabhai's group Darpana. It came right into the hearts of participants. Inspiration to start ‘living the change we want to see in the world’. It all influenced our mental frames to share and learn. This is how an ESD or environmental conference should be organized.

Environmentalism's existential moment

Imagine swapping Tony Blair for Winston Churchill. Would it transform the timid politics of global warming? A week ago Keith Wheeler pointed me to this article in Conservation Magazine by Shellenberger & Nordhaus of the Breakthrough Institute. They are authors of the Death of Environmentalism. In the article they show the power of framing. They reframe the Blair/Churchill approach to a crisis. On their blog you can find more discussion on this issue.

Jack Byrne wrote us that the authors had recently spoken in Middlebury at a conference called "What Works?" The premise of the conference was that environmentalism was failing to sufficiently address the climate change issue and that a new model was needed, i.e., what other movement had successfully dealt with a large complex issue and cause a social change that lasted? The answer that came up was the civil rights movement. Since then there has been a very active and successful group of students who are learning and applying lessons from that history. He also thought that the enviro community could learn a lot from reframing the issues. The CEPA Toolkit deals with framing in Section 1.

Demand for biodiversity knowledge

Biodiversity as a means to poverty alleviation. This is the title of the talk by Fabrice de Clerck from CATIE. The Millenium Villages, an initiative of the Earth Institute, uses biodiversity knowledge to help villages in Africa to improve their crops and live stock. This way food production will be more nutritious, more stable and larger. It contributes to a range of MDGs. Most importantly when health and income improve, other tasks in the village can be initiated: infrastructure, reforestation, water, education. People can turn around the downward spiral of poverty. Read more on the website of the Earth Institute. Another good example of the biodiversity community getting down off its mountain top! To view the presentation, click here.

Promising partnerships

A good example of the biodiversity community getting down off our mountain tops. Emile Frison told about the health problems of dietary simplification or the replacement of traditional diversity of food by energy rich (fast) food in Kenya. The consequences are well known in the developed world: diabetes, obesity, cancer etc. But they are new in Kenya. Bioversity International worked in partnership with farmers, supermarkets, health NGOs and marketers to reintroduce traditional veggies that have much more nutrients than cabbage, the only vegetable left in the market place and restaurants. In 5 years with the help of a marketing communication campaign addressing - through protagonists - cultural values and motives for change, supermarkets and vegetable markets now offer again a range of traditional vegetables against competitive prices. Sales went up with 1100% over the last two years. A promising partnership positioning biodiversity as a solution for the MDGs.

Meditation to combat climate change?

Recently someone asked the Dalai Lama: “will meditation help to combat climate change?” He was silent for a moment. Then laughed and said: “certainly not! Next question, please!” I had expected something about spirituality, lifestyle and bottom up behavior change. So I was not happy with the answer.

Afterwards I asked His secretary about this. He told me: “normally HH takes more time, but in this teaching there are too many people who think that meditation in itself will take away all their physical or mental problems. That is a wrong interpretation of spirituality. And He wanted to be clear. Normally He talks about spirituality as a means for change.”

“Spirituality is to be mindful of what is really meaningful in our life. Normally we worry about the future and about material things: the house we want to buy, our holiday etc. Real happiness only comes from seeking peace in ourselves, here and now. Being content with what we have. Wishing happiness for others, giving and sharing on a basis of equity.”

“These basic human values are needed to halt global warming and the waste of natural resources. The more people see spirituality this way, the closer we are to sustainable solutions. The more we practice mindfulness as individuals, the more our leaders have to pay attention to these values and take decisions accordingly. Satisfied?” He smiled. “I will check with HH”, he assured me, “and let you know.” This posting is the result.