What Would an Ecological Civilization Look Like?

Dear Michel,

Last week, the UN's climate change task force, the IPCC, put the world on notice that we have just 12 years to turn around our trajectory to global disaster. Without drastic changes, we're well on the way to full-blown climate breakdown, they warn, with unprecedented drought, flooding, and famine. We need, they declare, "rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society.” But what exactly does that mean? 

Following the IPCC's report, I published an article describing some of the elements of what this might entail, entitled "We Need an Ecological Civilization Before It's Too Late." Please read it and share your thoughts with me—and others you think might be interested.

If you've read The Patterning Instinct, you'll know that in the final chapter I write about the need for a Great Transformation of society, encompassing a transformation of virtually every aspect of human experience: our values, our goals, and our collective behavior. I've come to believe that "Ecological Civilization" may be the best name for what might emerge from this transition: a civilization based on the sustainable health of interconnected living systems.

I'll be presenting on the topic of Ecological Civilization with my friend and colleague, David Korten, at the Parliament of World Religions in Toronto from November 1–7. David has organized four panels on this theme, and we'll be joined in this discussion by luminaries John Cobb and Matthew Fox. In another panel, John and I will be in conversation with Mary Evelyn Tucker on the topic of "A Grounded Understanding of Harmony for Earth Justice." I hope to see some of you there!

If you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, I invite you to join me at Stanford University's Contemplation By Design Summit on Tuesday, October 30 at 7 p.m. I'll be giving a talk on "Cultural Mindfulness: Recognizing How Culture Shapes Our Patterns of Thought"—and you can register here for free.

Also, you might enjoy listening to a couple of recent interviews I gave related to this urgent topic: one with Derrick Jensen's Resistance Radio, and the other with Joe Brewer from the Center on Applied Cultural Evolution.

The future is still up for grabs—I urge you to do your part to help move us toward a path of sustainable flourishing, before it's too late! 

Best regards,

Jeremy