I attending the 30th Balaton Group Meeting ... and we are off to a roaring start. Big topics, big questions. What is a successful society? What is a failed state? What does sustainability have to do with all that? I've already tweeted a range of quotes from Dennis Meadows, who was typically provocative, realistic (if … Continue reading Success, Failure, and Sustainable Development
Sustainability
The science and philosophy of maintaining human and natural systems
How to Keep Doing Sustainability in an Absurd World
A professional colleague of mine recently resigned from the sustainability movement. Seriously ill from years of overwork, and despairing of the movement’s chances for success, this person had no choice but to quit. Trying to change the world’s destructive energy technologies, protect the rights of future generations to enjoy functioning ecosystems, and/or save the world … Continue reading How to Keep Doing Sustainability in an Absurd World
Blogging, Tweeting, Booking Face – Results & Survey
For the last month, I’ve done my best to write publicly (on the internet) about my professional life, with a personal voice, as often as I possibly could. “Daily” was the original ambition. It became “often” instead. What did I learn? Should I continue, with the same frequency? You know, that’s really up to you … Continue reading Blogging, Tweeting, Booking Face – Results & Survey
What I loved about S. Korea
The shock of the car accident I had in Seoul (see previous post), and the more ordinary shock of being in a new country, have settled down a bit now, and I find myself thinking more and more about the week I spent in S. Korea. What am I thinking about? Not the car accident. … Continue reading What I loved about S. Korea
A Week in Super-Fast Green-Growth South Korea
My first visit to South Korea introduced me to a remarkable country. Everyone I met, from the taxi driver to government officials, was unfailingly kind and courteous. I came away very impressed, on many levels. But the trip certainly started out in an interesting way ... South Korea is in a hurry. I felt this … Continue reading A Week in Super-Fast Green-Growth South Korea
“San-ten-ichi-ichi” — what March 11 means to Japan (so far)
I was on UN business in Korea this week, but on Friday, I took a day off to fly to Osaka and meet with friends Junko Edahiro and Riichiro Oda, at a hotel near Osaka’s Kansai airport. I wanted to find out how they were doing, and how the country was doing, since the last … Continue reading “San-ten-ichi-ichi” — what March 11 means to Japan (so far)
What Lady Gaga and I Have in Common
You might be expecting a humor piece -- “I once dropped a piece of Parma ham onto my lap, where it draped across my leg as though it were a patch on my pants, just like Lady Gaga’s famous meat dress” -- but I’m actually quite serious here. I’m not really a Gaga fan, no … Continue reading What Lady Gaga and I Have in Common
Transparency, Confidentiality, and Consulting
Tomorrow I arrive for a week in the Republic of Korea on UN business. The purpose of this blogging intensive is to make my work more transparent, but this is one of those moments where I just cannot be very transparent ... yet. This is the reality of the consulting life. Working with institutions and … Continue reading Transparency, Confidentiality, and Consulting
Closing Reflections on the Conference on Future Lifestyles …
This photo is from the closing session of the UNEP-Wuppertal "un-conference" on the the future of sustainable lifestyles and entrpreneurship (which I keynoted yesterday). What did I do here? First, I sang. That's not surprising to anyone reading this blog. But it was sort of surprising to this audience ... and I don't think I've … Continue reading Closing Reflections on the Conference on Future Lifestyles …
Sunday: Half-Work, Half-Family
The half-family part of this short post is probably easy to understand ... but why "half-work" on a Sunday with family? Easy answer: Monday deadline for one assignment (teaching an online class for the ISSP), and a keynote speech to give on Tuesday in Germany on The Future of Sustainable Lifestyles and Entrepreneurship. Plus, the … Continue reading Sunday: Half-Work, Half-Family
Alan AtKisson 