In what is undoubtedly a positive development for the natural world, the concept of “ecosystem services” is poised to go mainstream. This is a good thing because the concept is based upon the idea that our status quo economic models do not properly recognize the value of so-called externalities and fail to take into account [...]
Archive for the ‘Musings’ Category
3 Aug
A nuke-free Japan in the near term?
Given the inherently un-sustainable nature of nuclear power generation – to say nothing of its profound lack of resilience – I have no doubt that the future of Japan, and indeed the world, will ultimately be nuclear free, perhaps within mere decades (albeit with residual nuclear contamination persisting for tens of thousands of years, well [...]
14 Jun
Coexisting with Nature: Reflections after the Devastating 2011 Earthquake in Japan
In the three months since Japan’s major earthquake in March, many evocative articles and inspiring anecdotes have been published that, taken together, could well represent the early contours of a new, emerging paradigm of remembrance of our fundamental and inextricable oneness with nature and each other. When I began musing about the revitalization of satoyama culture it [...]
2 May
Japan should look to satoyama and satoumi for inspiration – A new article on Our World 2.0
This morning Our World 2.0 posted an outstanding new article entitled, “Japan should look to satoyama and satoumi for inspiration“. It is exciting and gratifying to see the concepts of satoyama and satoumi being highlighted for their potential to provide a sustainable, resilient, long-term basis for a rich and dynamic culture and thriving relationship with [...]
23 Mar
Tight Web Saves Cut-Off Japanese Villages
Japan’s still-unfolding disaster offers important lessons for us all – on many levels – with inspiring stories continuing to emerge of personal courage and generosity and collective cooperation and resilience. One powerful and practical example of the importance of cultivating what might be referred to as “satoyama spirit” was highlighted today in a New York [...]
15 Mar
A letter from Sendai
At this time of nearly unspeakable calamity in Japan, words emanating from within the country are precious. Today, a colleague alerted me to the following, A letter from Sendai, published today in Ode Magazine. It is written by a woman I don’t know, Anne Thomas – a gaijin living in Japan – and it eloquently [...]
25 Feb
To Serve the Ecosystems that Serve Us
The following article appears in Our World 2.0. It is a modified (improved!) version of a an earlier post on this blog. Thank you, OW2.0, for picking this up and helping spread these ideas! What if we changed our relationship with the natural world from one of taking what we can to one of reciprocity [...]
11 Nov
Further signs of change in Japan: Portent or promise?
Inspired by the quickening pace of change occurring in Japan and around the world, a few weeks ago I began drafting a blog post tentatively titled, “Japan as Number One, Again?” in which I argue (as I have in previous posts – for example, here) why I believe that Japan is poised to once again [...]
30 Oct
From Ecosystem Services to Gift Culture: An Overdue Change in Perspective
What if we changed our relationship with the natural world from one of taking what we can to one of reciprocity and mutual giving? The International Satoyama Initiative formally launched at this week’s COP10 Biodiversity Conference in Nagoya, Japan, provides an important boost to preserving traditional forest and farmland (“satoyama”), and seaside (“satoumi”) ecological production [...]
18 Oct
UNEP says “Satoyama may prove to be one of Japan’s most important exports”
Addressing yesterday’s opening of the biodiversity summit in Nagoya, the 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD, Achim Steiner, the United Nations Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), noted something very significant and, I believe, right on target: Japan’s ancient culture and legendary technological innovation has [...]
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