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Community as a System
How we think about anything will necessarily shape how we feel about it, and what occurs to us to do about it. We are widely taught to break problems down into their respective components and look at them in isolation (and in a linear way). This can be helpful in breaking things down into manageable pieces. However, when we don’t zoom out and understand how those pieces fit into, and impact, the larger context then we often miss important information, which frequently leads to unintended consequences.
When the World Heats Up, How Do We Respond?
Two years ago, I wrote “A Sizzling 2024 Awaits” while watching winter turn to rain in Whistler, one of Canada’s most iconic ski towns. I wrote about methane, ‘weather whiplash,’ the unintended consequences of falling aerosol emissions, and the oceans absorbing unprecedented heat.
Where the Tide Turns: How Coastal Women in Bangladesh Are Quietly Rewriting the Rules of Survival
Life along Bangladesh’s coast has always existed in a delicate negotiation with water; a place where the land ends not in certainty but in a conversation with the tide. Rivers bend into the Bay of Bengal, carrying silt, memories, and the quiet knowledge that nothing here is ever still. People grow up with the rhythm of monsoon winds and the hum of fishing boats, but in recent years, the climate crisis has twisted that familiar rhythm into something harsher, something less forgiving.
Transitioning From Drifting Goals to Soaring Ones
The COP (Conference of Parties) is now convening for the 30th time to discuss how the world can work together to avoid the worst of the anthropogenic emissions that are trapping heat in our atmosphere and causing our climate to change in dangerous ways. We have known what is causing this problem – and what to do about it – for decades.
Systems, Equity, Wellbeing
Most of us, including those who have not been formally introduced to systems thinking, have at least a vague awareness of the myriad systems of which we are a part. We may not think specifically about the definition or qualities of a system (a collection of parts that influence each other and the whole towards a purpose, have subsystems and sit within larger systems, and require an input of energy in order to function) but we know they’re ‘there’.
Listening to the System: Why Neutral Feedback May Be the Key to Inner and Outer Transformation
In a world filled with rapid change, complex crises, and accelerating feedback loops, how we respond to information has never been more important. Systems thinking invites us to take a step back and view the world not as a set of isolated problems but as dynamic, interdependent and nested systems.
Building a Sustainable Future Together
Exploring Community and Climate with Sarah Patterson, President of Common Earth. Discover insights on local climate action, community resilience, and nurturing a post-carbon society in this inspiring podcast episode.
The Agency Problem and Constraints
My wife, Anne, and I were having our fruit and oatmeal breakfast this morning after I had done my meditation and treadmill time. I guess…
The Gifts we are Given and Whole System Change
Here is a little story about the gifts of insight and community. A couple of weeks ago, my wife, Anne and I took a one-week holiday to…
Reach Out
We love talking about what we do and how it can make a difference to you.