Podcasts about durable future

Mary Berry is the Executive Director of The Berry Center and a leader in the movement for sustainable agriculture. A well-known advocate for the preservation of rural culture and agriculture, she is currently working to reconnect cities with landscapes around them. Founded in 2011, The Berry Center advocates for small farmers, land conservation, and healthy regional economies by focusing on land use, farm policy, farmer education, urban education about farming, and local food infrastructure. Its goal is to establish within the Commonwealth of Kentucky a national model of urban-rural connectedness.Berry is attempting to restore a culture that has been lost in rural America. She continues the advocacy of her grandfather, father, and uncle for land-conserving communities. When President Obama appointed her to Kentucky's Farm Service Agency State Board, she took on a public role in an effort to change policy.For 32 years she farmed for a living— first as a dairy farmer, then raising tobacco, and later raising organic vegetables as well as pastured poultry and beef. From 2002 until 2011 she catered events at her winery.She serves on the Board of United Citizens Bank in New Castle, Kentucky, and on the Board of the Schumacher Center for a New Economics in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. She writes for the periodical Edible Louisville and speaks widely as a proponent of small farmers.Bill McKibben is an environmentalist and author who frequently writes about global warming, alternative energy, and the risks associated with human genetic engineering. Awarded the Right Livelihood Prize, sometimes called the Alternative Nobel, in 2014, he is the founder of 350.org, the first planet-wide, grassroots climate-change movement, and is a fellow at the Post-Carbon Institute.As a student at Harvard he was editor and president of the Harvard Crimson newspaper. Immediately after graduation he joined The New Yorker magazine as a staff writer and wrote much of the “Talk of the Town” column from 1982 to 1987.McKibben's first book, The End of Nature, appeared in 1989 after being serialized in The New Yorker. It is regarded as the first book for a general audience about climate change and has been printed in more than 20 languages; he has gone on to write a dozen more books, among them Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future (2007), which addresses what the author sees as shortcomings of the growth economy and envisions as a transition to more local-scale enterprise. McKibben won the Lannan Prize for nonfiction writing in 2000.The Schumann Distinguished Scholar in Environmental Studies at Middlebury College and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he was the 2013 winner of the Gandhi Peace Prize and the Thomas Merton Prize. In 2009 Foreign Policy named him to its inaugural list of the world's 100 most important global thinkers, and Microsoft Network named him one of the dozen most influential men. The Boston Globe said he was “probably America's most important environmentalist.”
 McKibben writes frequently in a wide variety of publications including the New York Review of Books, National Geographic, and Rolling Stone. He lives with his wife, the writer Sue Halpern,  and his daughter in the mountains above Lake Champlain where he spends as much time as possible outdoors.In 2014, biologists honored him by naming a new species of woodland gnat— Megophthalmidia mckibbeni— in his honor.

Relocalization may be the most important strategy for minimizing climate change. According to Bill McKibben, “working as communities is the most important thing that we can be doing right now.” In this wide-ranging conversation about the sustainability of our civilization, McKibben shares his thinking about much more than climate change, including the fact that having “more” is not necessarily the key to our happiness. Bill McKibben has played a major role in public awareness and discussion about climate change. His 1989 book, The End of Nature, was likely the first book for a general audience about climate change. He’s one of the founders of the planet-wide, grassroots climate change movement, 350.org, he spearheaded resistance to the Keystone Pipeline, and launched the fossil fuel divestment movement. Local food, small farms, suburban isolation, more leisure and less stuff, community connections, and greater satisfaction all come up for discussion. Dave Gardner sat down with McKibben in 2007, shortly after publication of his book, Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future, the year before he co-founded 350.org, for this macro-level look at climate change, human behavior and happiness, and public policy. We're sharing encore episodes from Season One while we take a break between seasons two and three. Make sure there IS a season three by pitching in at http://www.tinyurl.com/ceseason3 Learn more about Bill McKibben, subscribe to get a weekly email notification and learn more at http://www.conversationearth.org

From November 30 to December 11 the world’s attention is riveted on COP 21, the 2015 Paris Climate Conference. Bill McKibben has played a major role in public awareness and discussion about climate change. His 1989 book, The End of Nature, was likely the first book for a general audience about climate change. He’s one of the founders of the planet-wide, grassroots climate change movement, 350.org, he spearheaded resistance to the Keystone Pipeline, and launched the fossil fuel divestment movement. Relocalization may be the most important strategy for minimizing climate change. According to Bill McKibben, “working as communities is the most important thing that we can be doing right now.” In this wide-ranging conversation about the sustainability of our civilization, McKibben shares his thinking about much more than climate change, including the fact that having “more” is not necessarily the key to our happiness. Local food, small farms, suburban isolation, more leisure and less stuff, community connections, and greater satisfaction all come up for discussion. Dave Gardner sat down with McKibben in 2007, shortly after publication of his book, Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future, the year before he co-founded 350.org, for this macro-level look at climate change, human behavior and happiness, and public policy. Learn more at http://www.conversationearth.org/durable-future-bill-mckibben-115/ Photo Credit: Steve Liptay

William McKibben - A Durable Future: Local Enterprise and the Environment - 03/29/07 by westminsterforum

Bill McKibben is the author of a dozen books, including The End of Nature and Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future. A former staff writer for The New Yorker, he writes regularly for Harper's, The Atlantic Monthly, and The New York Review of Books, among other publications. In April 2007, he organized the Step It Up National Day of Climate Action, one of the largest global warming protests to date. Most recently, he was co-founder of 350.org, an international grassroots campaign that aims to mobilize a global climate movement united by a common call to action. He is a scholar-in-residence at Middlebury College, and lives in Vermont.

In October 2009, Deconstructing Dinner descended upon the Halifax Farmers' Market. Founded in 1750, it is the oldest continuously running farmers' market in North America. The first market vendors were Acadian - the original European immigrants to the land.  In 1983, the vendors launched what is now a self financed cooperatively governed group of local producers, processors and artisans that has grown to over 200 vendors. The model is a unique one that ensures the market stays true to its roots as a food-focused venue. With the rising demand for locally produced foods, the market has outgrown its current space and over the past 8 years has been working towards moving to a better location. That move is now expected to take place in June 2010. Market management believes the new Seaport Market will be an ecological and cultural showpiece linking the Province's urban and rural economies in a seamless community focused on local food and sustainable principles. The market will be open six days a week at Pier 20, the busiest tourist entry point in the province, and it will be at the heart of the cultural, social and community centre that is emerging in the Halifax Seaport Development. The building itself is expected to be the highest rated LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building on the eastern side of North America. Guests Fred Kilcup - general manager, Halifax Farmers' Market (Halifax, NS) - The Halifax Farmer's Market has been operating since 1750, and is the oldest farmer's market in North America. With approximately 150 weekly vendors and up to 9,000 visitors on a busy day, it is a vibrant and bustling shopping environment. Gordon Michael - executive director, Farmers' Market Investment Co-operative - (Halifax, NS) - The FMIC is seeking to raise $2.25 million from the people of Nova Scotia to help fund the new Seaport Market. The model is a unique example of how local food projects can receive funding from the public at large. Richard Rand - farmer, Foxhill Cheese - (Port Williams, NS) - Fox Hill Farm, a sixth generation family farm nestled in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, is home to Fox Hill Cheese House. Specializing in aged and specialty cheddar, plain and herbed havarti and gouda, quark and quark dips, fresh curds, feta, Parmesean (a Parmesan style cheese), natural yogurt, and gelato. Jude Major - farmer/pet baker, Katie's Farm - (Clam Harbour, NS) - A micro producer of Certified Organic Treats for pets. Katie's Farm is Canada's first Certified Organic bakery for pets. And it's the only operation to grow its own ingredients. Jogi Mullner - baker (Nova Scotia) Jogi and his wife are immigrants from Germany and bake breads and black-forest squares in true German style. Sass Minard - member, The Grainery Food Co-op - (Halifax, NS) - The Grainery Food Co-Operative is a non-profit, volunteer run organization dedicated to making local and organic food affordable and available to Halifax communities. Peter Darnell - owner, Indian Point Marine Farms - (Indian Point, NS) - Indian Point Marine Farms Ltd. has been growing mussels in the waters of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia since 1982. They are a small family-owned business. Bill McKibben - author, Deep Economy - (Ripton, VT) - In March 2007 McKibben published Deep Economy: the Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future. It addresses what the author sees as shortcomings of the growth economy and envisions a transition to more local-scale enterprise. Bill was interviewed in 2007 on Corporate Change Radio and a segment from that show is featured here.  

Bill McKibben, environmentalist, author and scholar in residence at Middlebury College, is the author of many books including "The End of Nature" (the first book for a general audience about climate change) and most recently "Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future," a critique of economic growth and call for a transition to more local-scale enterprise. He founded stepitup07.org, which organized rallies in hundreds of American cities and towns to demand that Congress enact curbs on carbon emissions.

Guest Bill McKibben speaks with Diane Horn about his book, "Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future."

Weekly JourneywithJesus.net postings, read by Daniel B. Clendenin. Essay: *Beyond Babel: Pentecost Sunday* for Sunday, 27 May 2007; book review: *Deep Economy; The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future* by Bill McKibben (2007); film review: *Stranger Than Fiction* (2006); poem review: *Veni, Creator Spiritus* by John Dryden.