Local Climate Change Conversations

I've been exploring local climate change conversations. Some have been active for years and many have begun since the last federal election.

Not included are groups discussing renewable energy options or consumer choices.

A Climate of Emergence

A Personal Response to the ‘Climate Emergency’

My city council has joined many cities, councils, universities, doctors, hospitals and business around the world in declaring a ‘Climate Emergency’.

While many people now accept that climate change is an important issue few feel able to do much about it. I believe everyone can contribute in their own way - and many are.

Terry Patten believes many live within a ‘Consensual Trance’ that tacitly accepts ‘official’ narratives (however unfounded they may be) and encourages us to repress, deny or reject inconvenient truths.

This consensual trance has its roots in the beliefs, assumptions and worldviews that are several hundred years old. These eventually generated the interconnected complex systems of western culture that many now recognise no longer serve humanity and are degrading the planet.

Complex systems are hard to shift - partly because they require ‘systems thinking’ to understand them and partly because they are underpinned by personal and cultural beliefs and assumptions that are generally unquestioned.

The Buddhist notion of a ‘Hungry Ghost’ captures another issue that drives existing social systems and cultures - and contributes to an early World Overshoot Day.

People behaving as a hungry ghost have an insatiable desire driven by the need for deep meaning and purpose in life. They attempt to fill this inner void by consuming things and experiences that give short term comfort but that can never satisfy the soul. There are many hungry ghosts on earth today.

Deep seated fears also play a role.  Aspects of contemporary western society reflect the personal and collective fears of lack or attack borne of a strongly held belief in the separation of self from others and nature - within a purposeless universe. This drives competition, exploitation of resources, fear of the other and annual global military spending of US$4.9 (AU$7.2) billion dollars a day.

Our beliefs and assumptions are embedded in our stories - stories that need to be changed if we are to successfully address the ‘climate emergency’ and related global challenges.

Fortunately there are new stories based on discoveries made over the last century that speak of the fundamental interconnectedness and consciousness of everything.  The universe and life are interpenetrating wholes. These new stories are only just beginning to impact contemporary culture.

The new stories reinforce some indigenous knowledge and practice as well as humanity’s ancient wisdom traditions. Duane Elgin believes that "a great transition story can awaken our collective imagination and orient our actions. With a common story, we can see our place and our part; our lives become more meaningful; change is less overwhelming and stressful; and we can see how to cooperate more readily."

One of the new stories is that the evolution of life includes the evolution of consciousness. In some versions of this story humanity and the earth are currently evolving much faster than in the past. Humanity is now conscious of this evolution and can begin to influence its direction through conscious evolution.

Joanna Macy describes ‘The Great Turning’ as the transformation of society, including people’s relationship with one another and with Earth, and links this to an emerging story of expanded awareness, ecological sustainability and social justice. Some estimate there are approximately 2 million organisations now working within this new story to change collective consciousness.

Annick De Witt highlights the "critically important phenomenon of worldviews in the urgently needed transformation to sustainable societies.” Traditionalist, modernist and postmodernist worldviews (or frames) each have valid though only partial perspectives of our world.


Charles Eisenstein believes today’s obsolete though still widely held 19th and 20th century beliefs and assumptions limit our view of what is real, possible and practical thus limiting our options to address climate change and related global challenges.

Addressing climate change requires the emergence of new ways of thinking and being. Albert Einstein noted that we can’t fix problems from the consciousness that created them.

New ways of thinking have emerged from interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches that take us beyond discipline boundaries. Integral and holistic worldviews are including and transcending the perspectives of previous worldviews. Wicked problems, social foresight and futures studies provide new tools to assist in the co-creation of emergent preferred futures.

These new ways of thinking emphasise inclusive discourse, collaboration, co-creation and transformation. Every generation, culture, group, people, nation, gender, discipline... has a necessary and vital voice.

Several big picture stories have emerged with close parallels to cosmologies in both indigenous cultures and ancient wisdom traditions. Big History, The Universe Story, Great Transition Stories, The Story of Interbeing, Living the New Story, Cosmic Evolution and Evolutionary Consciousness are some examples.

Spirituality (not religion) is a common theme through many of these new stories. They are driving the current global ‘Spirituality Revolution’ which feeds the soul of the hungry ghost providing a coherent sense of meaning and purpose. People are increasingly experiencing a personal spirituality through a sense of the sacred, peace, connection, awe, love or presence in nature and through indigenous practices.

The emergence of a new contemporary spirituality can be seen in Spiritual Ecology, Sacred Economics, Holistic Education, Transpersonal Psychology, Integral Theory, Spiritual Intelligence, Spiritual Activism, Indigenous Wisdom, Global Consciousness Project, Mindfulness, Politics of Love, Pedagogy of Universal Love, Economics of Happiness, Conscious Evolution, Sacred Earth, Fourth Bottom Line, Conscious Capitalism, Conscious Business, and many more.

Spirituality is about unity and wholeness, intuitive wisdom and inner guidance, sacred places and unbroken connections, mindfulness, conscious evolution and awakening, deep peace and joy, presence and purpose, compassion, unconditional love, and much more.

A spiritual perspective on the climate emergency can lead to the emergence of new insights and new possibilities for individual and collective knowing, being and action. Spiritual awareness can provide access to a range of powerful spiritual tools and practices.

Spiritual intelligence recognises the multidimensional nature of life and the universe. It understands there is no separation and little to fear but fear itself. Spiritual intelligence/awareness/insight is more effectively accessed when the mind and emotions are calm and the body is peaceful.

Spiritual practice is unique to each individual. It may be a mindful walk in nature, meditation, positive affirmations, compassionate service to others, physical movement and breathing, active listening, or peaceful quiet time.

A spiritual response to the climate emergency respects a sacred and evolving earth. Any inner work to love self and others complements and strengthens our outer actions.

A spiritual perspective inspires and empowers individuals to express their unique gifts for the benefit of all. Some who hold a spiritual worldview may feel a deep and specific ‘call to action’ while others quietly impact on those they meet on their life journey through their gifts, presence and love.

Contemporary spirituality greatly increases the ways in which every person can help to transform society and meet global challenges with optimism, creativity and joy. It's grounded in the co-creation of preferred futures within our local communities, driven by love and compassion, and empowered through our fundamental multidimensional wholeness and connection.

A spiritual view of the climate emergency sees the opportunity for the evolution of humanity resulting in the emergence of a new awakened consciousness that co-creates the "more beautiful world that our hearts know is possible."

Some say that the planet doesn’t need saving - it needs loving. That's something we can all do.


'Saving humanity' may be more about giving and receiving invitations to awaken into an expanded consciousness through love. It may be more about compassionate respectful listening to people with different worldviews than pointing the finger and identifying 'the cause'.

Breath first, heart next, mind last.

Global issues and self-identity, consciousness and culture

Attending day one of Progress2019 reinforced for me the importance of self-identity, consciousness and culture in addressing the range of interconnected complex national and global issues that we face.

Too often we focus on the behaviours of others or on outdated systems. We point the finger instead of listening more deeply to self and those who think or feel differently. We often operate within our own silos and debate within echo chambers.

We often think and do as we always have done and risk developing solutions within previous mindsets that only perpetuate the problems we are attempting to solve.

‘Integral thinking or frameworks’ add new lenses to our view of complex issues. In addition to systems and behaviours they consider psychological and cultural perspectives.

In ‘How Culture Shapes the Climate Change Debate’ Andrew Hoffman states “social debate around climate change is no longer about carbon dioxide and climate models. It is about values, culture, worldviews and ideology.”

In describing effective communication and policy-making for climate solutions Annick De Witt and Nicholas Hedlund recognise “the critically important phenomenon of worldviews in the urgently needed transformation to sustainable societies.”

An ‘integral framework’ maps four essential terrains for successfully addressing complex issues. The following brief sketch of these terrains was adapted from Integral Environmental Sustainability.

🔹 Psychological Terrain - Self and Consciousness 
Contexts: Self-identity and consciousness, intentions, personal values, mindsets, religious and spiritual beliefs...
Transformational Tools: Self questioning, introspection, mindfulness, counselling, journaling, prayer, meditation, immersion in nature, vision quests...

🔹 Cultural Terrain - Culture and Worldviews
Contexts: Cultural appropriateness, collective perceptions, collective vision, collective interpretation of inequalities...
Transformational Tools: Dialogue, inclusive strategic planning, organisational learning, community visioning, storytelling.

🔹 Behavioural Terrain - Brain and Organism, Actions
Contexts: Brain chemistry, physical health, behaviours, skills, capabilities...
Transformational Tools: Diet, hygiene, medication, skill building, guidance from a respected authority...

🔹 Systems Terrain: Social Systems and Environments
Contexts: Visible societal structures, systems and modes of production, strategies, policies, natural systems...
Transformational Tools: Policy making, organised protest, systems and transformational thinking, complexity and chaos theories, natural resource restoration and management systems... 

Worldviews Test

Annick De Witt offers a useful Worldviews Test to increase self-awareness of our own often unquestioned beliefs and assumptions.

A personal global issues change strategy - Part 2

'Ways of Being’ are just as important, if not more important, than ‘Things to Do’ when it comes to my personal rethink addressing issues of concern such as climate change. 

This is because when moving away from 19th century materialist, positivist and reductionist assumptions and beliefs about nature and humanity we have an entirely different view of reality. No longer are humans separate machines living on the third rock from the sun in a purposeless and largely dead universe. 

Humanity lives as a connected whole interdependent with a living planet within a universe that is interconnected at the deepest levels. The universe is more like a thought than a thing.

How human beings ‘Be’ is as profoundly important as what human beings ‘Do’. In fact how we ‘Be’ often drives what we ‘Do’. 

So my personal approach to climate change and other issues of concern begins with ‘Ways of Being’. Within our deeply connected lives, ways of being can have dramatic and often surprising consequences. One of these consequences is to make the things we do much more effective.

Ways of Being

🔹 Be in Nature

Being in and with Nature builds connection, relationship and respect.
Nature teaches, communicates, calms, heals and reinvigorates.
Commune with Nature's intelligence and planetary consciousness.
Honour the beautiful, mysterious and sacred in Nature.

🔹 Be fully present

Being fully present in the moment enables subtle perception, intuition, insight and a deeper intelligence. Breathe first, heart next, head last.
Mindfulness brings deeper awareness to tasks.
Witness self and others. Take a step back and see the bigger picture.
Be still and listen to Self. Be meditative and centred.

🔹 Be loving, peaceful and joyful

Look for the common good. Forgive self and others.
Love self and others. Be inclusive.
Be discerning not judgmental.
Be myself. Be playful. Be in the flow.
Honour the sacred in self/Self and others.

🔹 Be the change I want to see

Change self, invite others, be flexible.
Be positive and inspiring.
Live in the present rather than the past or future. Letting go.
Read/view inspirational content, meet inspiring people.
Strive for the highest aspirations of the human spirit.
Step into own wisdom and power.


Things to Do

🔹 Make conscious choices

Make sustainable ethical choices for purchasing, consuming, voting, sharing...
Consume local products/produce as much as possible.

Engage in regenerative whole systems gardening practices.
Delete news feeds (digital and traditional) that are sensationalist, repetitive, negative, or contain disinformation.
Choose inspirational content and people. Seek indigenous knowledge, ancient wisdom and spiritual emergence.


🔹 Contemplative practice

Question own beliefs, assumptions and world views.

Holistic practices - body, mind, soul.
Meditate - deep listening, insight, intuition.
Breathing and body movement disciplines.
Walk in nature.


🔹 Provide support to others

Active listening, compassion, positive affirmation.
Give time, skills, dollars.
Facilitating, mentoring.
Social media support - likes, shares.


🔹 Personally meaningful participation

Build positive relationships.
Follow individual calling/passion.
Maintain personal well-being.
Where does my deep gladness meet the world's deep need?


🔹 Co-create preferred futures

Envision together. Conscious evolution.
Participate respectfully, inclusively and positively.
Create the new rather than fix the old.
Share inspirational stories and journeys.

(See previous post on this topic.)

A personal climate change strategy - Part 1

I’ve been rethinking my personal response to climate change with the intention of rethinking my approach to a range of local and global issues.

This has involved:

🔹 updating my understanding of climate change

🔹 listening to those with views different from my own

🔹 deepening my knowledge of who we are and the nature of reality

🔹 researching local climate actions over the last decade

🔹 reading existing climate change action strategies


Below is an early summary of some key points from recent reading and thinking.

This is a living document which will be updated as I proceed to think about what personal actions might arise.


🔹 My understanding of climate change

Climate change is one of a number of long term and related changes currently impacting the planet and life on it. Many but not all are caused consciously or subconsciously by humans.

A key contributor to most of the adverse changes taking place has been a lack of respect for nature or the ‘other’. This was largely driven by the erroneous notion that humans are separate from nature and each other.

Climate and related changes are systemic in nature involving complex interdependence and wicked problems and solutions thinking.

All systems work to maintain themselves so a focus on creating the new may be more effective than fixing the old.


🔹 Listening to those with different views on climate change

Many of those with different views to my own on climate change have different world views based on different beliefs and assumptions about the nature of reality.

Most Australians are concerned about climate change.

Most Australians accept the same basic human values.

A few of the very wealthy choose to cloud discussion and democratic process with targeted and sophisticated disinformation.

Many people have other pressing survival and well-being issues to deal with.

Climate change can trigger a range of emotional responses such as anger, denial, grief, depression, panic, helplessness.


🔹 Knowledge of who we are and the nature of reality

Most people are still catching up with 21st century views on what it means to be human, the interdependence of nature and the planet, and the fundamental nature of reality.

Dominant 19th and 20th century thinking make it difficult to understand the nature or the severity of many current global problems and severely restrict the range of possible solutions that are considered.

Questions and proposed actions are often still embedded within older world views that caused the problems in the first place.

The potential for humanity to effectively address current global issues is restricted by adversarial approaches, the need to be right, the expectation that ‘somebody else’ will fix them, lack of empowerment or lack of compassion.

A deep sense of the sacred is emerging based on indigenous knowledge and ways of being in the world, ancient wisdom traditions or personal spiritual experience.


🔹 Researching local climate change actions over the last decade

There are a number of existing climate change organisations, groups and networks.

There are a number of existing climate change agenda, policies, projects and reports.

Local expertise in successful climate change mitigation has been building.

Climate change activism is changing as the limitations of previous adversarial approaches become evident, many long term activists suffer burnout, and youth join.

New questions are being asked as we learn from the climate actions of the past and the transparency of vested interests increases.

Climate actions should be effective as well as personally sustainable, meaningful and joyful.

Climate actions should focus more on creating the new rather than attempting to fix the old.


🔹 Reading existing climate change action strategies

A number of community, government and organisational climate change action strategies exist at local, state, national and global levels.

Future vision documents often contain climate change actions.

Community discourse and consultation on preferred futures often refer to climate change.

‘Futures studies’ and ‘social foresight’ organisations research systemic, sustainable, agile, integral, holistic and transformational change methodologies.

A New Kind of Curious

Vika Viktoria's message about curiosity epitomised much of my Newkind Festival journey.
Vika described curiosity as a bridge to human connection - and 'relationship wealth'.

She led a powerful active listening exercise where we asked each other why we came to Newkind - seven times. Questioning became deeper as we probed the meaning of key words in the given responses.

Emotional, intellectual and social curiosity can become a way of being.
Deeper questioning surfaces values, assumptions and worldviews. And wisdom.

Newkind presenters and participants quickly became a coherent Newkind community.
A community interested in social justice issues through self discovery, change and transformation.

It's a community with a deep and genuine curiosity of 'the other', of the bigger picture and of new possibilities.
There's an openness to what the events and the people we encounter in life have to teach us.

Participatory conversation and heart-centred localisation was a common theme.
In what ways can I and my community/communities live in deep connection with nature and each other? What are the optimal and human scales for what we do?

Most participants were curious, positive and playful.
There was just as much focus on what works as what needs to change.
There was a recognition by many that in these times that some find emotionally and mentally challenging there is just as much good news as bad (although the good news is not always as visible in traditional or social media).

Some presenters spoke about spirituality.
I would add spiritual curiosity as an important way of being.

Just as many recognised the importance of whole systems approaches in social activism some were open to holistic - Body-Mind-Soul - perspectives. There was a genuine openness and respect for indigenous spirituality. Religious traditions were seen by some to be lacking in empowering spiritual perspectives and practices for the individual.

I'm sure there were as many journeys through the Newkind Festival as people.
It was a rich and deeply satisfying experience.
It's an experience I hope to repeat.

A New Kind of Journey

Next week I’m attending the Newkind Festival/Conference designed to “inspire and activate the next generation of global changemakers and social justice champions.”

I’ve spoken to several people who’ve attended or presented at Newkind and their advice was “you’ve got to go.”

Newkind will be radically different from my previous work-related conferences. 500 people will be camping ⛺️ I haven’t camped for at least 20 years 🙂

It’s ‘zero-waste’ and its impact will be measured against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Importantly for me it’s an opportunity to hear and network with people who are focussed on positive change for humanity and the planet.

It’s also an opportunity to listen deeply to others, self and Self.

And to practice “Breathe first, heart next, mind last.”