Biocapacity
The world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed,” Mahatma Gandhi Biocapacity is a concept known by several names: The carrying capacity of the Earth. Ecological footprint. Global footprint. They all refer to the total impact mankind has…
Understand Peak
Peak oil is the concept that oil is a limited and finite resource, that when its production history is modeled, it will follow a certain profile. This concept of peak can be useful when we talk about any limited resource.…
What is Sustainability?
Nature has taught me that if humans don’t figure out what revolution really means, nature will make the revolution despite us. — Tawana Petty (brown 2017 p.72) “Sustainability” is one of those terms that you’ll hear tossed around in many…
The Climate Crisis
You undoubtedly know some things about global warming and climate change. Perhaps you know quite a lot about it, or perhaps you know a little bit. I’m not going to attempt to cover this topic comprehensively — that would take…
Introducing the What We Can Do series
Right now we’re in a new era: There was 2019 and prior. And there is now. For many of us, these are two completely different realities. Maybe you’ve lost your job, or had dramatic changes to your working world. Maybe…
Stories for our time
Let’s get started with a story. Really, several stories — or versions of reality, or ways people view the world. Three Stories for our time The first set comes from Joanna Macy, who refers to herself as an “ecophilosopher.” For…
What is the “What We Can Do” project about?
This project explores What We Can Do about some of humanity’s most pressing issues. The series focuses on ACTION … 9 broad categories of things you can do. Know your Story Understand the Problems Strive for Energy Descent Fit into…
An example of change-making
I’m Joanne Poyourow, I use the pronouns she/hers, and I’m a change-maker. Back in 2005 I co-founded the Environmental Change-Makers community group in Los Angeles with Peter Rood. I’m an economist by training, and I was a Certified Public Accountant…
What resources were used in the “What We Can Do” project?
The What We Can Do project draws from a multitude of scientists, activists, thinkers, inventors. Here is info about their original source material so you can experience their own words. Learn more about the What We Can Do project here.…
Why did you create the “What We Can Do” project?
For the past few years, since fall 2013, I’ve been teaching a course at Otis College of Art and Design, called Human Ecology, with Elektra Grant. Through my part of the course, I focused on solutions: What We Can Do.…
