Friday, February 09, 2007

An Underwhelming Truth


DEMOS is one of my favourite touch stones for sustainability information.This project is probably worth a very good look at.I havent come across anything quite structured the way that this thinktank is in Western Australia though there is a need and potential for many such organisations such as the Sustainable Practioners Association and The 'premiers roundtable' of experts and other university conncetde organisations like WASIG and ISTP at Murdoch.I fyou know of such resources please share them or drop us a line.

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url="http://www.demos.co.uk/projects/anunderwhelmingtruth/overview"]An Underwhelming Truth


From awareness to action on climate change


2006 was the year of the eco-issue, Priuses on back-order, "An Inconvenient Truth" and Arnold Schwarzenegger's green coup. But is sustainability’s new look only skin deep?


* Project blog


* Overview


* Bookmarks


* Themes


In May of 2006, Wired called the eco-awareness ‘new’: “With climate change hard upon us, a new green movement is taking shape, one that embraces environmentalism's concerns but rejects its worn-out answers.”


But are we excited by all this? Actually, we are feeling overwhelmed by an up-close viewing of ‘climate porn’ (as the IPPR neatly labelled the climate change communication explosion), and underwhelmed by what the Labour government has done about it (and perhaps wary of David Cameron’s new emphasis on environment). Awareness can lead to discussion and action, but instead, we’re feeling disempowered.


Is sustainability’s new look only skin deep? One thing that's new is we seem to agree now is a tipping point. What characterises our consensus:


* It’s all about climate change. Scientists agree that recent dramatic increases in carbon are human-induced.


* Economists see increasing pressure on world resources in what will be an Asian century.


* Computing and information technologies are bringing us more data than ever before about environmental risks


* Technologies that leverage the properties of networks are maturing, with political implications


* In the wake of GM, science and technology are scrutinized for their potential negative outcomes alongside their professed benefits.


* Policy-makers recognize that environmental problems need to be tackled by many different actors at different levels of engagement.


* Small and large businesses worldwide are asking for and responding to policy direction as they take on more of what was traditionally the government’s role in delivering public goods and services.


* Individual initiatives and social entrepreneurship are gaining strength.


Our work on environment will explore ways that people are turning awareness into new kinds of climate change solutions. We welcome your comments.


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* EU backtracks on CO2 targets for cleaner cars | International News | News | Telegraph


* FT.com / World / UK - Climate change concerts 'to dwarf Live Aid'


* FT.com / Europe - EU 'green crime' laws raise sovereignty fears


* Comment is free: Kept in the dark


* How mirrors can light up the world | | Guardian Unlimited Business


* Investing: Warning to business: Face climate change - International Herald Tribune


* Building A Sustainable Economy: David Suzuki Foundation (Canada)


* New Mobilities: Ce-more about what's happening in the mobile world


* 2OC - The Geo-pressure clean energy company


* Welcome to EcoEquity.org


* Beyond The Green Corporation - Business Week


* Climate of opportunity - With the shift of power in the US Congress comes an chance to re-engage in the debate over climate change. But the process will not be simple, says our new columnist David Goldston.


* Science /&/amp; Technology at Scientific American.com: Global Warning: As Paris Blooms in Winter, Scientists Debate Climate Change -- Members of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are negotiating what many observers believe will be their most dire re


* More reflections on climate change | Climate change | Guardian Unlimited Environment


* WorldChanging: The Week in Sustainable Mobility


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