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EDITORIAL:
Dear friend,
How do you feel about this brand new decade? Excited, daunted, or both? I have a good sense of rising possibilities, and I hope this newsletter offers you some aids to navigating your way into the future that's unfolding so rapidly. It seems that these wild times are inviting us all to expand our bandwidth, so you'll find wats to explore local communities, global finances, spiritual perspectives, and creating an eco-building!
With best wishes
Alan
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Feature Blog:
Can Elephants Evolve?
Why reshaping the financial system is key to climate change.
Since late 2018, my work has increasingly focused on climate adaptation: Jem Bendell’s Deep Adaptation approach has deepened my view of the crisis, but has also helped me to see ways I can respond actively. You can see more about my 2020 plans here: Throughout this time, I’ve had a rising sense that the elephant in the climate change room is the financial system.
By now I’ve had numerous conversations about the elephant: even one with Gail Bradbrook, co-founder of Extinction Rebellion. I was relieved that she believes the financial system can be transformed without it needing to collapse. However, no one, including Gail, has given me a credible view of how major reshaping might happen. To read the full blog, click here.
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Leading Through Storms
Climate and Business
My biggest initiative this year is a 10-month programme supporting business leaders and consultants to navigate the climate crisis. It's an exciting offer with four residential workshops in the catalytic setting of Hazel hill Wood, plus individual coaching and small group zoom sessions.
Our aim is to creating a learning community wchich evolves responses both for individual laedersr and their organisations. Deep Adaptation is one of the key elements, and Jem Bendell will be contributing on the first workshop, May 12-14. For full details, click here
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Community Resilience
How local communities can help with climate adaptation
Local communities can help us all with adapting to climate change and the other pressures we face. I now have two projects addressing this:
BRICCC: Bridport Climate Change Catalysts
I am working with a small team of professionals and a range of local and national organisations in my home town, Bridport. We're supporting two main issues: food security, and emotional resilience, especially for young people and activists. See more here.
Future Conversations
The three pilot programmes in disadvantaged communities in 2019 were very well received. We are discussing further programmes with several groups, and aiming to offer a Train the Trainer programme in Autumn. See more here.
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Spiritual Perspective
Can you ever imagine that these troubled times are a perfect opportunity? Jem Bendell sometimes refers to the climate crisis as a spiritual opportunity: this retreat weekend at Hazel Hill Wood is an ideal chance to explore this perspective. Full details here.
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BOOK BLOG:
The Ecology of Commerce - Paul Hawken
In my frequent episodes of anxiety about climate change, this is a favourite book I turn to for encouragement. Amazingly, it was published in 1993 even then, the climate crisis and the pivotal role of business was clear if you chose to look at it. Whilst details have been superseded, the essence of the message remains hugely valuable: in 2015, it was voted the best college text on these issues by professors in 67 US business schools.
The core of his message can be summed up in two sentences. “Without doubt, the single most damaging aspect of the present economic system is that the expense of destroying the earth is largely absent from the marketplace.” “Ironically, business contains our blessing. It must, because no other institution in the modern world is powerful enough to foster the necessary changes…”
The book provides a practical exploration of how to transform the role of business along these lines, and one of the many reasons I like it is that he uses principles from ecology as a model. Connecting with these basic analogies can really help us see the wood for the trees, for example: “waste equals food. In nature, detritus is constantly recycled to nourish other systems…” “Nature runs off current solar income.” At this simple level, the problems with our current financial system are glaringly clear. Read the full blog here
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EVENTS
Update
February 17-23, 2020
LOW IMPACT BUILDING TRAINING
A FEW PLACES STILL AVAILABLE!
At Hazel Hill Wood. Hosting team includes Alan Heeks.
Help us finish a low-impact building, and enjoy workshop sessions on sustainability, low-impact construction, eco-forestry and more! Spaces available for the full week, or the weekend 21-23 Feb. To find out more, click here
February 27 2020
LEADING THROUGH STORMS: Taster evening
Central London, 6-8 pm
There are no maps or precedents to guide us through the climate crisis: we have to create a response. This is a unique chance to join in a community of conscious leadership practice which can provide processes, knowhow, support and inspiration. Leading Through Storms is intended for leaders working in business and other organisations, plus senior consultants and coaches supporting them. Find out more here .
We will be holding an optional, no-cost introductory meeting in Central London on 27 February, 6-8pm. If you wish to explore what participation in the programme might look and feel like we warmly invite you to join us. Please email info@leadingthroughstorms.org to reserve your place.
March 20-22 2020
DEEP ADAPTATION: A Spiritual exploration
Hazel Hill Wood
With Alan Heeks, Jake Farr, Karim Hadden
Deep Adaptation is the term used by Jem Bendell to invite us to face the radical changes climate change will bring within the next decade. This weekend retreat at Hazel Hill Wood will focus on the spiritual aspects: seeking purpose, healing, mutual care from a bigger perspective. More details here
April 18 2020
DEEP ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE: Engaging Body, Heart and Soul:
Bridport
With Alan Heeks and John Harley
This workshop is part of an initiative started by Alan in December 2019 to help the Bridport community use Deep Adaptation approaches to respond to the climate crisis. The day will include some time for us to discuss this as a group. We will use a range of approaches including, group sharing, guided visualisations and pairs work. More details here
May 2020 - February 2021
LEADING THROUGH STORMS: Business, climate change and Deep Adaptation
See above for details. First workshop May 12 - 14 2020 with Jem Bendell
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Social Media Update
You can now follow us on Twitter @future_scanning, Instagram: futurescanning and Facebook @futurescanning for regular updates of what we are working on. Links below!
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