FW: New paper on future scenarios, " The Century Ahead: Searching for Sustainability"

We are happy to share with you a new article, "The Century Ahead: Searching for Sustainability", just published in a special issue on Sustainable Futures in the journal Sustainability. In this article, we outline guidelines for sustainabitiy, introduce a Quality of Development Indicator, and highlight our quantitative analysis of four very different futures.

 

The article is available free for download at : http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/2/8/2626/pdf

 

The Century Ahead: Searching for Sustainability

Paul D. Raskin, Christi Electris and Richard A. Rosen

Tellus Institute, 11 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116, USA

 

Abstract: The global future lies before us as a highly uncertain and contested landscape with numerous perils along the way. This study explores possible pathways to sustainability by considering in quantitative detail four contrasting scenarios for the twenty-first century. The analysis reveals vividly the risks of conventional development approaches and the real danger of socio-ecological descent. Nonetheless, the paper underscores that a Great Transition scenario—turning toward a civilization of enhanced human well-being and environmental resilience—remains an option, and identifies a suite of strategic and value changes for getting there. A fundamental shift in the development paradigm is found to be an urgent necessity for assuring a sustainable future and, as well, a hopeful opportunity for creating a world of enriched lives, human amity, and a healthy ecosphere.

 

(Apologies for cross-posting)

 

Best regards,

 

Christi Electris

 

Some cool EE Resources, from EECOM

Resources for Students and Educators(Original source at EECOM site)

The Best of CLEARING: A Unique Collection of EE Stories, Reviews and Perspectives

The Best of CLEARING (Volume VI) is a special collector’s item CD-ROM featuring a compilation of unique content from 20 past issues of CLEARING: the EE resource magazine of the Pacific Northwest. Disc includes writings of David Orr, Cliff Knapp, Mike Weilbacher, and Chet Bowers; field-tested teaching ideas and strategies, K-12 activities for all subject areas, and stories from some of the most innovative EE projects and programs in the region. http://www.clearingmagazine.org/online/ 

Young Voices on Climate Change

The "Young Voices on Climate Change" short films feature inspiring young people age 9-19 taking action and finding solutions to the global warming crisis by reducing the carbon footprint of their homes, schools, communities, and states. http://youngvoicesonclimatechange.com

Flying WILD Educator Resources on Gulf Oil Spill

To help bird educators find useful information for their classrooms about the Gulf oil spill and birds, Flying WILD has complied this educator resource page that includes links to key Web sites and databases, educator tools, articles, and how to help. http://www.flyingwild.org/resources/gulfoilspillre...

Freebies for Science Teachers

This NSTA site provides free resources for science teachers to use in their classroom. The search tool allows teachers to search by keyword for the resource types (CDs, Kits, Videos) they are seeking. http://www.nsta.org/publications/freebies.aspx?lid...

Get Growing! Edited by: Jolie Mayer-Smith and Linda Peterat. Published by: Really Small Vernon Press, 2010.

Get Growing! Activities For Food And Garden Learning, is based on eight years of experience in the Intergenerational Landed Learning on the Farm for the Environment project, at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. This teacher resource contains easy and adaptable cross-disciplinary learning activities, handouts, online resources, and more. http://www.edcp.educ.ubc.ca/landedlearning

Audubon International's Free Webinars

To help celebrate the United Nation’s Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, throughout 2010 Audubon International is hosting a series of environmental training Webinars designed to help people become better stewards of the environment where they live, work, and play. New Webinars have been added to the schedule, with more added throughout the year. Registration is free, but space is limited. http://www.auduboninternational.org/webinars

Latest Trends in Canada’s Environment

Environment Canada updated results of the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) initiative. For all of the updated information, visit http://www.ec.gc.ca/indicateurs-indicators

Mark your calendars! EE Yukon meetings 2010-11

Our general Environmental Education Association of the Yukon meetings will be on the following dates this year. Location, at the Whitehorse Public Library, unless otherwise announced:

October 6, January 26 and April 20 (AGM)

Get your copy! Polar Science and Global Climate: An International Resource for Education and Outreach

We are sending out copies of the Polar Science and Global Climate: An International Resource for Education and Outreach.  This book was produced by the International Education and Outreach Sub-Committee for International Polar Year.  The book comprises background information on the various areas of polar science, as well as the history of IPY.  There are tips and tricks for researchers on how to make presentations.  Various education and outreach projects undertaken around the world as part of IPY are also showcased, and there is a section on capacity-building.

You can receive a free copy if you email us (our website: www.ipy.gc.ca).


Elizabeth (Erzebet) Glasbergen
Erzebet.Glasbergen@ainc-inac.gc.ca
International Polar Year Program Office
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
Telephone: 819-934-1974
Fax: 819-934-0584

National Environmental Education Act for Canada???

Dear colleague,

In May, during EECOM's AGM at the 2010 conference in Vancouver, EECOM members in attendance voted unanimously in favour of the following motion, that: "EECOM in collaboration with its affiliated organizations in each province and territory, organize a campaign to investigate a National Environmental Act via a private members bill or other appropriate mechanism."

We are writing now to ask if your association would be supportive of, and interested in collaborating with EECOM and with other provincial/territorial associations such as yours, in this important national project -- that of advocating for a National (and non-partisan) Environmental Education Act to be approved by Canada’s parliament.

Why is this important? Canada is one of the few western countries without such a national act. Educators in other countries know that a national act obligates their federal government to provide important supports for environmental education. In the US for example, their National Environmental Education Act ensures that the government supports and disseminates EE research, operates a competitive grants program, ensures government agencies at all levels coordinate efforts in promoting EE, and publicizes innovative enviro-education practices.

What it would take to make this happen here in Canada? This is what we'd like to talk to you about! The first steps would likely involve finding supportive individual Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Bloc, Liberals, NDP (and Conservatives?) willing to co-sponsor such a bill. A bill would then have to be drafted for comments from the environmental learning community and be vetted amongst all political parties. For reference, we will provide everyone with copies of the 10 page 1990 US act.

Above all, what will be needed to be successful in this outreach effort is an out-pouring of emails, letters and phone calls by educators in every corner of English and French Canada, both to their own Members of Parliament, but also to the Prime Minister. This is why we are turning to you and your organization, and asking if you would support EECOM and others with this initiative.

We recognize that your next board meeting may be as much as one or two months’ away. If you can let us know when your board might next have the opportunity to discuss this matter this would be much appreciated. We thank you in advance for your earliest consideration of this matter, and look forward to hearing from you soon. We plan to kick off our networking efforts in earnest sometime this fall.

All the best,

David Zandvliet (EECOM co-chair, dbz@sfu.ca) & Tim Grant (former EECOM board member, tim@greenteacher.com)