Archive for August, 2010

Aug/12/10//Curtis Ogden//Sustainability

I Despair, Therefore . . .

“The seeds of Reunion are sprouting everywhere. That which was hidden for millennia is coming to light. Soon, fertilized by the detritus of our decaying civilization, the sprouts will mature, bloom, and bear fruit. Our job is first to receive them, then to spread them everywhere and to guard and foster them with every ounce of our love.”

– “Three Seeds” by Charles Eisenstein

It’s awfully hard to read the news these days, especially if one is tuned in to the scientific and environmental communities:

“Northern Hemisphere Temperatures Shatter July Record”

“Declining Phytoplankton Another Sign of Climate Catastrophe”

“Climate Change and Illegal Logging Could Wipe Out Rainforest Wildlife by 2100″ Read the rest of this entry »

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Aug/11/10//Linda Guinee//Sustainability

Thoughts on My Bike

This is our last week in the Cambridge office – as of Monday, we’ll have moved to South Boston, in the Seaport area.  Most of the IISC staff have been driving to work over the years we’ve been in Cambridge (with a few taking the bus or riding bikes).  Once we’re in our new office, we’ll be switching to most of us on public transportation or on bikes.  It’s good news for the planet!  I’m looking forward to shrinking my carbon footprint.  Thought you might enjoy this video!

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Aug/10/10//Gibrán Rivera//Collaboration, Featured

The Power of Conversation

In this 10 minute video, Jack Ricchiuto, a friend of IISC’s, successfully distills the four conversations that build community and gives us a glimpse into the shadow conversations that keep us from success.  Evidently influenced by Peter Block, Ricchiuto is part of a wave of organization and community builders that have been inviting us to look at our work from a different lens.

Jack names the following four conversations with power: Read the rest of this entry »

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Aug/06/10//Curtis Ogden//Sustainability

Attitude is Everything

Picking up from where I left off yesterday, I want to share some additional insights gleaned from my tour of Lauren Chase-Rowell’s permaculture garden and land.  Something else that struck me was when Lauren said that beyond her training and intuition as a master gardener, “attitude is everything.”  Illustrating this statement with stories it became clear that while she is incredibly skilled in her craft, Lauren’s psychological and emotional approach take it all to another level.  In essence, permaculture starts with your self.

Channeling Lauren, I offer these three attitudinal guidelines for your consideration and application to your social change/leadership efforts, especially those geared towards leveraging the potential of systems and collective intelligence: Read the rest of this entry »

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Aug/05/10//Curtis Ogden//Sustainability

Bio-Mastery

Lauren's Garden

Last week I was in the presence of a master.  For more than 25 years, Lauren Chase-Rowell has skillfully and intuitively cultivated the land around her house in Nottingham, NH to the point that it exists in great harmony with the beautiful farm house, people and fauna occupying that space.  Lauren is an ecological landscaper, organic farmer, and permaculture design teacher.  Her home, Dalton’s Pasture Farm (not pictured above), is a vibrant classroom and testament to the possibility of practicing earth-centered living.

Read the rest of this entry »

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