The New Industrial Revolution

The New Industrial Revolution, you could say, began in the 1980’s. This video goes through a timeline of how different technologies became more readily available to the general public, therefore creating a new economic force. It started in the 1980’s when desktop publishing first became available to individuals so anyone with the “skill and drive” could become a publisher. Then, in the 1990’s “desktop video did the same for video production.” Now, people can “make TV at home.” Now, being in the 21st century we have the ability to create and establish just like conglomerate corporations do. Previously, it was only large corporations that were able to get their hands on patents for new products. In this video the example is Bob Kurns’ invention of the windshield wipers; because Kurns wasn’t involved in a large corporation he was not able to successfully manufacture them. Instead, Ford took his idea because he already owned a large business. Today, society supports micro-entrepreneurs so what happened to Kurns would not happen now. It took years for Kurns’ to be appropriately credited for his invention. Now, “business and work is spread around, everyone gets a piece.”

Creating a Sustainable US Economy

Jeffrey Hollender: Creating a Sustainable US Economy from Gregor Barnum on Vimeo.

Jeffrey Hollender is a visionary and authority on corporate responsibility, sustainability and social equity. He is working to drive systemic changes in the US economy and has written six books including The Responsibility Revolution: How the Next Generation of Businesses Will Win, How to Make the World a Better Place, a Beginner's guide and Planet Home: Conscious Choices for Cleaning & Greening the World You Care About Most.

Post by: Adrienne Ackerman and Rachel Miyata

Building A Whole Earth Economy

What is the relationship between Earth and the economy - and why is this relationship significant? Peter G. Brown presents his argument on this in his book Right Relationship: Building a Whole Earth Economy, in which he explores the current situation of the Earth and the economic system we reside in.

Brown presents to us five questions that we need to answer if we ever want to create that perfect mutual relationship between Earth and the economy. They are:

1) What's The Economy For?

2) How does it work?

3) How big should it be?

4) What's a fair distribution of it's burdens and benefits?

5) How should it be governed?

Meeting Oregon's Carbon Neutral Challenge

Willamette Valley Vineyard's sustainability manager Caitlyn Carey explains just how winemakers in Oregon have innovated to create a carbon-neutral industry.

What Would Sustainable Winemaking Look Like?

Find out how Oregon's winemakers are working to create sustainable vineyards, including wildlife areas in the midst of vineyards and sustainable practices that enable vintners to adopt climate- friendly practices. The Wine Spectator has put together an impressive series of videos emphasizing the ways in which Oregonians are changing their winemaking practices, from energy generation and field ecoculture to the processing and packaging of wines. If you were to draw a flow chart of their carbon neutral practices, what would it look like? What strategies do you see these farmers highlighting in their efforts to win the Carbon Neutral Challenge hosted each year by the Oregon Environmental Council?

Bill McKibben on Saving the Planet from the Bottom Up!

Bill McKibben is an author, environmentalist, and activist who wrote the first popular book about global warming. He is the co-founder of 350.org, an international organization which, on 10/10/10, organized a day of climate solutions projects-from solar panel installations to community garden plantings-and changed communities from the bottom up with over 7,000 events in 188 countries.

This video was recorded for Schumacher College.
Schumacher College is part of The Dartington Hall Trust, a registered charity, which focuses on the arts, social justice and sustainability.
For more information about Schumacher College and Dartington visit:
http://www.schumachercollege.org.uk/ and
http://www.dartington.org/

AlJazeera's Earthrise-The Millennium Seed Bank

Efforts to achieve a sustainable world are in evidence in every corner of the world. Here, AlJazeera features Earthrise, a program that focuses on global progress toward sustainability. This particular show features an investigation into the Millennium Seed Bank in Sussex, England. AlJazeera tells us, "Kew's Millennium Seed Bank partnership in Sussex is the largest off-site plant conservation project in the world. Working with partners in more than 50 countries, they had by 2009 banked the seeds of 10 per cent of the planet's wild plant species." Seed banks like the ones featured here exist to save seeds in danger of extinction due to the overdevelopment of the planet.
I find it hopeful that there is such a thriving culture of support for sustainability spreading all over the globe. You'll find the entire series of episodes for Earthrise at the following URL:
http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/earthrise/