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Newsletter November 2009
How big a deal is Copenhagen?
The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) taking place in Denmark in December of this year is viewed by many as a landmark in human history, whatever the outcomes. Future historians will point to it as the moment when global political leaders either had the courage to take drastic action to protect future generations’ wellbeing or failed to move beyond their own national self-interests and continued business as usual – with potentially catastrophic results.
However, environmental and climate change activists differ in their opinions on how make or break the event is for the planet as a whole, depending largely on the degree of significance they attach to government policy as opposed to what actually gets done at the grass roots level or how the world economy performs in coming years.
Malini Mehra is founder & CEO of the Centre for Social Markets in India and is teaching on our forthcoming course After Copenhagen: “I don’t think we can over-estimate the importance of COP15. This isn’t just another conference – this is THE moment when as a global community we have to commit to a radical plan to address climate change. Our politicians might waffle but scientists are telling us that time is running out and the planet won’t keep giving us extensions. Is it likely that we’ll get our act together by December? I don’t know – but we have to believe in the impossible and work like the blazes to achieve it. My biggest fear is that the talks collapse – but we can’t prepare for failure, we have to create a shocking and daring new global consensus for action. As citizens, that’s our task.”
Whether you plan to be at the Copenhagen summit or not, in many ways the work begins post this event. Our course After Copenhagen: Opportunities and challenges will bring together essential themes of the negotiations, across three individual weeks, to help you maximise opportunities and understand the challenges identified during the course. Click here for more details of this course
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Participants invited to get their hands dirty for the building of an Earthship
Imagine a home that heats itself, provides its own water, and grows its own food… It needs no expensive technology, recycles its own waste, and has its own power source. And it can be built anywhere, by anyone, out of the things that society throws away. The words of US architect Michael Reynolds (star of the film Garbage Warrior) sum up the unique features of earthship homes.
Kevan Trott will lead Schumacher participants on Green Design in Practice: Building an Earthship. These are wonderful innovative buildings constructed out of natural and recycled materials such as earth-filled tyres, reclaimed timber, and used cans and bottles, and the passive solar design (glass on the south-facing side, thick walls with high thermal mass) means that no extra heating or air-conditioning is required. Water is collected, used and reclaimed using plants and filtration.
Green Design in Practice: Building an Earthship will go beyond the theory of a sustainable future. We hope you are as excited as we are about the opportunity for ‘learning whilst doing’ on such an exciting project. This is beyond the theory of a sustainable future – it is the practice. We are delighted to be working with our close partners on the Sharpham Estate to make this happen.
To read more about the innovative course Green Design in Practice: Building an Earthship, click here
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It’s time to get real about bread
Andrew Whitley shares with us some of the undeclared contents of your high street bread.
What’s in a loaf of bread? Flour, water, yeast, salt and maybe some seeds or flakes? Wrong. Take a look at the label of an ordinary sliced loaf and you’ll find some other ‘ingredients’. You may wonder what ‘flour treatment agent’ is and your tongue may get tied over ‘diacetylated tartaric esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids’. But allow me to let you into a secret: there’s something else in your bread – and it’s not declared on the label… Read more of this article
As Andrew says it is time to get real about bread. We look forward to his sessions and workshops during the course Baking for a New Food Culture suitable for all who want to ‘make, buy, share and enjoy proper bread.’
If you didn’t see our last communication: Two specially priced courses will run during our Winter Warmer Week to inspire and nourish you: Baking for a New Food Culture and Darkness and Transformation.
New Sustainable Business Seminars open for bookings
Some businesses and organisations are an inspiration, responding creatively and dynamically to sustainability challenges such as Climate Change. They prove that whether addressing vital issues of procurement, HR or publicity, a sustainable approach to business can improve your practice, cut costs and create new marketing opportunities.
Developing your business skills in creativity and engagement is key to maximising both the impact and rewards of a sustainable approach to business which is why these subjects are the first topics in our new series of Sustainable Business Seminars starting next month.
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Priced at just £99 (including dinner) each seminar will be lead by experienced business consultant and facilitator Chris Nichols.
The seminars are intended for all those working in SME’s, the public sector, NGO’s and charities with an interest in or responsibility for making their organisation more sustainable and resilient.
Sustainable Business Seminar: Creativity and Innovation
Friday November 13, 2009
4.30-7.30pm followed by dinner | Teacher: Chris Nichols | Venue: Dartington Hall, Dartington, Devon
Sustainable Business Seminar: The Search for ‘Buy-In’
Monday November 30, 2009
4.30-7.30pm followed by dinner | Teachers: Chris Nichols, Jon Rae | Venue: Sharpham House, Nr. Ashprington, Devon
To read more about these seminars, click here
New additions to our short course programme
Ecoliteracy: First principles for radical change
22 March – 1 April, 2010
A second chance to join this essential course. It acts as a stand alone programme but is also an exciting introduction to any other Schumacher course in specialist areas such as new economics, business, design and science. Through this course, those new to Schumacher College can gain a foundation in the central themes of the college. Schumacher alumni have the opportunity to reconnect with holistic thinking in a new context. Read more about the course
Here is what recent participants on this course said about Ecoliteracy: First principles for radical change
An excellent balance between theory and practice, learning, living and doing.
It has given me the time, space and knowledge to feel regrounded and inspired to move forward.
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Children and Nature: Rediscovering a sense of wonder
31 May – 4 June 2010
The alienation that many young people feel from the natural world has become a major concern. It was beautifully articulated in Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods, which has spawned an international children and nature movement. During this course, Richard Louv and others look at why nature is important for children’s development and creativity, and how the “nature gap” can be bridged. It includes outdoor arts-based workshops and experiential exercises which can be used in many environmental education contexts. Read more about the course
Courses open for booking
Purpose and Profit: How holistic thinking can remake business
9 – 13 November 2009 Last 2 places
Growth and Consequence: Rethinking our economic future
23 – 27 November 2009 Last 2 places
Baking for a New Food Culture
30 November – 4 December 2009
Darkness and Transformation
1 – 4 December 2009
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Science Meets Spirit: The search for meaning
4 – 22 January 2010
The Economics of Happiness
1 – 19 February 2010
After Copenhagen: Opportunities and challenges
1 – 19 March 2010
Ecoliteracy: First principles for radical change
22 March – 1 April 2010
Green Design in Practice: Building an earthship
19 – 30 April 2010
Children and Nature: Rediscovering a sense of wonder
31 May – 4 June 2010
Events run by associates
Infinite Potential: The Legacy of David Bohm
Speakers: Prof. Leroy Little Bear. Prof. Basil Hiley, Dr. David Peat
Chair: Prof Bernard Carr
Organised by the Scientific and Medical Network
Saturday 21st November
Queen Mary, University of London
http://www.scimednet.org/pdf/09bohm_leaflet.pdf
Wholeness in Three Panels
Process and Pilgrimage event
The many speakers include: Henri Bortoft, philosopher and author of The Wholeness of Nature; Chris Clarke, Science and Spirit, mathematician and author; Philip Franses, Schumacher College, lecturer
Monday 23rd November 2009
The Window, Islington, London
www.earthlinksall.com/processandpilgrimage
Schumacher College
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www.schumachercollege.org.uk
Schumacher College is an initiative of The Dartington Hall Trust, a registered charity, bringing ideas on sustainability to life.
Schumacher College is part of the Dartington Hall Trust, a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and as a charity (company no. 1485560, charity no. 279756). Registered office: The Elmhirst Centre, Dartington Hall, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6EL, UK.