Author: Clifton Ware

Sustainability Education Forum Editor-Publisher

Dr. Clifton Ware is an international figure in the world of voice pedagogy. During the the past fifty years of teaching students how to sing -- both nationally and internationally -- Clif developed his signature "Efficient and Authentic Voice Technique". What distinguishes his method is its holistic approach, simplicity, and effectiveness. Siingers find that they are able to ensure their vocal health while cultivating their own unique, expressive sound. This approach stands in sharp contrast to faddish techniques that encourage mimicking the vocalism, style, and qualities of other singers, possibly limiting their own vocal imprint and even harming their vocal instrument. The "Efficient and Authentic Voice Technique" produces singers that enjoy vocal power, range, ease, individuality, and a liberating learning process.

Overshoot: Population + Consumption – SEF News-Views Digest

World energy consumption and population growth increases

SEF News-Views Digest No. 157 (12-14-16)
Clifton Ware, Editor-Publisher

One major concern voiced by sustainability experts involves the promotion of constant economic growth by conventional economists. Beginning with fossil-fuel discoveries in the late 18^th century, the world has been on an increasing consumption binge propelled by a dubious economic paradigm: All Economic Growth is Good. This endemic socio-political, religious-like belief holds that true prosperity can only be achieved by increasing the economic growth rate, the higher the better. In other words, without economic growth, society can expect austere living conditions.

What Needs Sustaining? – SEF News-Views Digest

sustainable development triangle

SEF News-Views Digest No. 156 (12-7-16)
Clifton Ware, Editor-Publisher

Sustainability is a catchword that has various meanings, depending on who’s using it. Twink.org provides some definitions that seem appropriate. Simply put, sustainability is the ability to continue a defined behavior indefinitely. For more practical detail, sustainability can be viewed in three ways:

Holiday Musings – SEF News-Views Digest

What holiday shoppers want most

SEF News-Views Digest No. 155 (11-30-16)
Clifton Ware, Editor-Publisher

On Black Friday, the day after celebrating Thanksgiving Day, Americans were bombarded with the media hyping a familiar seasonal jingle: “Tis the season to spend money, fol-ly, fol-ly, la—fol-ly-fa-!a!” According to media reports, many Americans spent time, energy, and money over the past weekend, caught up in the all-too-soon holiday shopping frenzy. As usual, Bettye and I refused to participate in this seasonal commercial madness, preferring instead to join more sane folk in pondering ways to promote peace and good will within our spheres of influence.

Be Grateful, Not Hateful – SEF News-Views Digest

You gotta look for the good in the bad

SEF News-Views Digest No. 154 (11-23-16)
Clifton Ware, Editor-Publisher

Once again, Thanksgiving is nigh, a time to celebrate the quintessential American holiday, when we honor our natural resources, historical origins, enlightened beliefs, and creative accomplishments. It’s also a time to join with others, family members and/or friends, to share good conversation, enjoy a festive meal, and, hopefully, avoid unpleasant contentious confrontations, especially this year with the recent election results.

What To Think and Do Now? – SEF News-Views Digest

SEF News-Views Digest No. 153 (11-16-16)
Clifton Ware, Editor-Publisher

What a tempestuous week this has been! We Americans are apparently evenly split into two major camps. While conservatives joyfully celebrate their presidential victory, defeated progressives sadly bemoan their losses and lick their wounds. Anger, denial, and grieving are profusely evident in the progressive camp. But it seems to me that the sooner everyone accepts the current reality and moves on—and forward—the better off we’ll be.

As expected, the media—mainstream, upstream, and downstream—have produced an outpouring of commentaries that reflect the main ideological perspectives of the two major parties, with minor attention given to views of independents, greens, and libertarians. In this newsletter issue, experts associated with a variety of sustainability-oriented views are featured, particularly notable proponents of environmental and social causes, with climate change as a major topic.