Category: Sustainability Education Forum

SEF News-Views Digest No. 198 (1-31-18)
Clifton Ware, Editor-Publisher

CO₂The one topic most people tend to ignore, including leaders of major environmental organizations, is the role of human population growth in driving all converging ecological, social, and economic crises. Some of us understand this dynamic relationship, and we also agree that humane solutions are available to ameliorate future crises—but only if the topic is opened to public discussion. The good news it that some signs of discussing this issue have appeared over the past year, for example, with NPR’s broadcast on Sept. 22, 2016: Should We Be Having Kids In The Age Of Climate Change?

SEF News-Views Digest No. 197 (1-24-18)
Clifton Ware, Editor-Publisher

With the Super Bowl headed to Minnesota, metro citizens are bracing for an influx of football fans, with an anticipated temporary economic boom. These diehard fans will also bring increased traffic congestion and a heavy dose of euphoric mayhem, with unknown outcomes.

As a non spectator-sports enthusiast, I’m strangely attracted to this approaching gladiatorial-like clash of super athletes, a final showdown between opposing elite teams. And this got me to thinking metaphorically about the clash of two principal worldviews, notably the socio-political-economic perspectives espoused by liberals and conservatives.

SEF News-Views Digest No. 196 (1-17-18)
Clifton Ware, Editor-Publisher

As for sustainability concerns, the weather—or more accurately, the growing extremes of climate change—hit a high mark in 2017 (see articles in News section). And the theme seems to be carrying over into 2018, marked this time by extremes in frigid temperatures, along with freezing rain, sleet, and snowfall.

Sections of California have experienced a double whammy, first with record-breaking fires, and now with record-breaking rainfall that’s resulted in flooded areas, followed by mudslides that covered roadways, homes, and led to a number of deaths and missing persons. What’s next?

SEF News-Views Digest No. 195 (1-10-18)
Clifton Ware, Editor-Publisher

One week down, 51.5 weeks remaining in 2018, and every week the media provides a plethora of news—from good to fair to awful. This past week’s list of articles, provided largely by reliable non-profit progressive-leaning websites, feature some reflections on 2017, as well as projections and hopes for 2018 and beyond. The Solutions section contains some articles that focus on creating a new economy, including concepts of de-growth, which involves working with nature instead of against it.

SEF News-Views Digest No. 194 (1-3-18)
Clifton Ware, Editor-Publisher

At the start of 2018 I imagine most world citizens are yearning for a sense of stability—economically, socially, and politically. Political economic systems of government range widely, from forms of capitalism to forms of socialism and fascism, with some combining features of these three. In all political economies, the main issue is who controls the means of production—corporations (a faction of billionaires), governments, or citizens.