envisioning the future

here we are, another new year on the horizon...i find myself working hard cleaning up the challenges of last year to create clearings for possibility to come and setting specific intentions and goals for my next revolution around the sun... here's a little of what i've been stirring in:

today, more than ever, humanity is facing the challenges of how to respond effectively to massive ecological problems…. problems that go deeper than physical ecology, that are bound in our social and spiritual existence as well. while we are hard at work contemplating how to save the world, i'm also dreaming about how the world to save would be…the world that i wish to live in every day…a place where we can meet our current societies needs without compromising a healthy future for the next generations…a place that values meaningful relationships of all types…a place where we we can celebrate the beauty and mystery of being alive every day…

if you were to create your ideal future, what would it look like? what values would your community hold? what are the conditions necessary for this community to exist in the way that you envision it?

on my bookshelf

i'm blogging from the santa monica public library today where there is free wireless, a coffee shop/cafe, and an amazing selection of resources for bibliophiles like me. the santa monica library is also acknowledged by the u.s. green building council as a silver-rated leed certified green building and hosts community workshops and lectures in sustainable living...rad. you can find out more about the library's initiative in sustainability here.

the following books are staples on my personal shelves. any of these books are worth a trip to your local library to check out and would make a great present for the environmentally inquisitive on your holiday list...be sure to support local independent bookstores when purchasing (you can find one near you through booksense) or buy used when possible.


gaviota's a village to reinvent the world, by alan weisman

weisman tells the story of how a diverse group of visionaries (engineers, biologists, botanists, agriculturists, sociologists, musicians, artists, doctors, teachers, and students) created a very real, socially viable, and self-sufficient community for the future in the los llanos region of colombia which is generally considered uninhabitable. today the people of gaviotas produce innovative technologies (solar collectors, irrigation systems, windmills, and hydroponic gardens) that use the environment without depleting or destroying it. the story he presents is a wonderful testament to human creativity, commitment, and effort toward building a socially viable and environmentally sustainable future.

cradle to cradle: remaking the way we make things, by william mcdonough & michael braungart

“the world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the same thinking that created the situation."

mcdonough & braungart have been my heroes ever since i saw "the next industrial revolution" which documents their cradle to cradle design projects pointing the future of design as being one of use, recycle, and used again without losing any material quality (cradle-to-cradle) rather than the all too familiar use once and then dispose (cradle-to-grave) mentality. i bought the dvd a few years back and then the book. as a 'treeless' publication printed on a synthetic plastic resin 'paper' made to be easily recycled, the book "cradle to cradle" is itself a symbol of the design philosophies inside.


natural capitalism: creating the next industrial revolution, by paul hawken, amory lovins, and l. hunter lovins

this book, written by three visionaries from the rocky mountain institute, explains how the world is on the verge of a new industrial revolution—one that promises to transform our fundamental notions about commerce and its role in shaping our future. natural capitalism describes a future in which business and environmental interests increasingly overlap, and in which businesses can better satisfy their customers' needs, increase profits, and help solve environmental problems all at the same time.

this is my all-time numero uno. you can even download the book from the natural capitalism website for free and start reading it right now!

partying with purpose

i am quite behind in my posts, but i wanted to shout out to the inspiring group of people who came to the good magazine and world changing party a few weeks back in celebration of the launch of the world changing book.

i took phil (who still hasn't passed on the photos from that night...ahem) and he was so inspired that he bought 5 copies of the book for edsa offices around the world. alex steffen (executive editor) signed each copy with a few words for each office and our new friend, tomas, caught it on film. tomas is fabulous and so is his website think organic where you can view his video shorts on topics of sustainability.

i also got to catch up with the beautiful alanna, feris of greenopia, barent of greendrinks and grow-design, damien of treehuggertv and green la girl siel among others doing amazing, world changing things. except for carrying phil's 5 very heavy books back to santa monica (thank goodness for beer muscles) and my headache the next morning (the after-effects of beer muscles), i had a blast.

the book itself is beautifully designed and the message is powerful. you can find it at a local bookstore near you, or through the world changing site.

what can i do?

"it's not that easy being green
having to spend each day the color of the leaves
when I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or gold
or something much more colorful like that

it's not easy being green
it seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things
and people tend to pass you over 'cause you're
not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water
or stars in the sky

but green's the color of Spring
and green can be cool and friendly-like
and green can be big like an ocean, or important
like a mountain, or tall like a tree

when green is all there is to be
it could make you wonder why, but why wonder why
wonder, I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful
and I think it's what I want to be"


last night, i found myself in a room full of people with one burning question on each of our minds...what can i do today for a greener el lay?

that was the theme of the speakeasy hosted by smartgals that i attended right down the street. the evening began with holly ramos' live set and her sweet rendition of the muppets' "it's not easy being green" (lyrics above). a quiz on sustainability was given to warm up conversation, as the guest speakers for the evening: colin bogart, president of the la bike coalition, anna cummins, founder of bring your own, jose angel orozco, creator of the coffee cellar, katura reynolds of treepeople, and james roja of the mta got settled in. each of the panelists introduced themselves and their visions for a greener los angeles, and then opened up for a short q&a from the room.

the topics that were discussed were broad yet very connected. we discussed the need to reduce our disposable mentality here in los angeles (and the usa in general) that anna is tackling through her reusables campaign. anna also talked about the documentary "our synthetic sea" which inspired her through discovering the incredible effects that plastics are having on our oceans. jose talked about the importance of fair trade, organics, and shade grown in the coffee business, and why it makes a better cup of joe. colin made the point that you don't have to throw your car over a cliff and become an avid cyclist to make a difference...bicycling for your local errands instead of driving or commuting to work by bike one day a week makes a big difference, especially when a lot of people start to do it. james expressed his desire to make los angeles more of an experiential city and our need to engage ourselves in the urban fabric through walking, biking, and utilizing the public transportation system. europe, he said, is shaped by people who live in smaller apartments, use public transport, and collect experiences whereas the united states is more shaped by consumption and the collection of things. this proved to be a hot topic, and the point was made that los angeles neighborhoods (culver city for example) are creating experience locally but that the public transportation and bikeway infrastructure are not there to support it... last but not least, ketura explained that treepeople is a community service and gave many reasons why neighborhoods should utilize their community treeplantings (um, like we all need to breathe right?).

all in all, it was an evening full of great conversation and intention. it inspired me to see so many people working hard for the cause in my new community. i also got to catch up with my permaculture buddy eric from los angeles post carbon, and finally got to meet anna!