The Right Way to Flourish

I have been uncharacteristically almost depressed about what I see and hear these days. The economy has recovered somewhat, but at the expense of unemployment at levels I cannot remember having lived through before. I was born in during the Great Depression, but have no direct memories of its impact, only the remnants I saw for years later in the attitudes and behavior of my parents. The political world is filled with static and anger, leading me to try to avoid this arena which I am usually deeply immersed. Progress toward action on climate change is dormant, and, worse, is… Read More

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If you have been following me for a while, you know that I am a skeptic about the ability of life-cycle analyses and all related indices or ratings based on them to allow consumers to make meaningful decisions about the products they choose to purchase. My resistance comes from two sources. The first has to do with the methodologies, and the second with the basic idea that numbers and the analyses that produce them can describe reality sufficiently to ground purely rational processes. All composite measures of environmental and social impacts are just that–a melange of factors spanning all the… Read More

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I’m back after a break for the Jewish Holidays. I’ll admit that being away from this blog was quite delightful, but the call to continue is strong–so here I am. Before returning fully to the “sustainability” found out there today, I am still thinking of all the calls for cleaning up my act I heard during these days of awe. The process of atonement and asking forgiveness is one of the most powerful moments during the ten days. The liturgy makes it easy to deal with transgressions against the Lord, whether one believes or not, but not for those against… Read More

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Hurricane Earl spared us, but left a strong wind behind–too strong for fishing. Not a great loss considering that the fishing has been the poorest in many, many years. We’re heading back to Lexington in a couple of days to celebrate the New Year. Among the many things I think about at this annual turning is this blog. I have been at it since my book was published about two years ago. I recall complaining lately how much more difficult finding stuff to write about either coming from inside my head and from the blogosphere and other outside sources. It’s… Read More

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The headline refers to the futility of taking meaningless steps in the face of an impending catastrophe. Much of what goes for “greening” could be described in this way. But this one takes the cake. “Fort McMurray launches plastic bag ban” is the headline of an article in the Edmonton (CANADA) Journal. Sounds great? Yes, this is a good idea, but it pales when one realizes that Fort McMurray is the center of the Alberta tar sands project. The ban is but a minuscule effort that will reduce damage to the environment by virtually zero compared to the effects of… Read More

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My last post on mindfulness elicited a comment pointing me to a recent article in the Guardian on pretty much the same idea. It was an interview with a Zen Buddhist teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, who has recently published a book, The World We Have–A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecology. He has a far more elaborated approach than the very rudimentary one I wrote about yesterday, but the ideas lead to the same place. I haven’t had time to read the book–I will–so I will crib some squibs from the Guardian. > He discusses in the book how he… Read More

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As I continue to enjoy the sun-filled days in Maine for a little while before returning to Massachusetts, I am quite aware of the peacefulness it creates. I have been catching up on my summer reading and seem to be able to absorb the stories more readily than when I am cramming the texts into the cracks of my daily busyness. I become aware of the power of reflection that the quiet induces. In theory, I believe that reflection can raise hidden triggers for actions I rue later, like stuffing too many hors d’oeuvres before dinner, or spending another hour… Read More

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This summer has been spectacular. After a few days of rain last week, the sun has returned in its full glory. Tonight, after the wind died down, the bay turned into a mirror reflecting the dark tones of the setting sun. Tomorrow promises to repeat today’s beauty. I spend much time thinking about and composing the posts to this blog. As those of you that follow from time to time know, I try to connect whatever I write to sustainability. Sometimes it’s easy when I chance upon something out there that is simply begging to be the subject of barbs… Read More

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This is the title of a recent report from nef (the new economics foundation), an independent UK “think-and-do tank that inspires and demonstrates real economic well-being.” These are the same people that have developed and promoted the Happy Planet Index and other topics relating to sustainability. Their topmost objective is to transform the economic system at its roots in what they have called, The Great Transition. While much of their research is derived from the UK, the findings and implications are highly relevant for the US. For those of us that grew up with Schumacher’s Small is Beautiful, the nef… Read More

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This is the opening question in a brand new publication of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The title of the report is A Guidebook for IUCN’s Thematic Programme Area on Greening the World Economy (TPA5). It can be downloaded from the IUCN website. It a great collection of sources on this subject. This guide is intended to offer an overview of available literature relating to the main topics covered by IUCN’s Thematic Programme Area on Greening the World Economy (TPA5). It is a compilation of papers, reports, and articles that can be freely accessed on the… Read More

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