Resources
Recommended web sites and links:
The good news is that there are hundreds of new radical campaigns and coalitions working together to create a better world. Since I wrote this list, many new campaigns have been created. Two of these are Make Votes Matter and 50:50 Parliament. Many have been created by young people such as Votes at 16 .
A Homeowner’s Guide to Sustainability: This article provides a guide to how families at home can practice sustainability through recycling, energy conservation, water conservation, gardening, and landscaping. It also has resources on the basics of going green, and a section with resources meant just for kids to learn about the issue.
https://www.angieslist.com/articles/homeowners-guide-sustainability.htm
Better Transport promotes sustainable transport and aims to reduce the environmental and social impact of transport by encouraging less use of cars and more use of public transport, walking and cycling.
http://www.bettertransport.org.uk
Campaign for Rural England campaigns for a beautiful and living countryside. We work to protect, promote and enhance our towns and countryside to make them better places to live, work and enjoy, and to ensure the countryside is protected for now and future generations.
http://www.cpre.org.uk/
Centre for Alternative Technology works for a Zero Carbon Britain. CAT is an education and visitor centre demonstrating practical solutions for sustainability. They cover all aspects of green living: environmental building, eco-sanitation, woodland management, renewable energy, energy efficiency and organic growing.
http://www.cat.org.uk
Compass is for those who want to build and be a part of a Good Society; one where equality, sustainability and democracy are not mere aspirations, but a living reality. We are founded on the belief that no single issue or political party can usher in this future alone as the world is too complex to change with one solution or one organisation. Compass is a place where people come together to create the visions, alliances and actions that will build our Good Society.
http://www.compassonline.org.uk/about/
Eradicating Ecocide Ecocide is the extensive destruction of ecosystems to such an extent that peaceful enjoyment by inhabitants of a territory are severely diminished. Polly Higgins campaigns to make ecocide the fifth crime against peace. The proposed Ecocide Law will create a new framework within which business and the global economy can operate in harmony with the Earth’s ecosystems, using them as renewable resources that will last forever, rather than commodities to be exploited just once. Her two books are possibly the most important for the 21st Century.
http://eradicatingecocide.com/ and http://pollyhiggins.com/
Ethical Consumer Their thorough research gives you the low down on corporations and enables you to campaign. That forces them to change.
http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/.
GM Freeze campaign, supported by an alliance of 120 national organisations who share the public’s deep concern over the speed at which genetic engineering is being introduced into food and farming.
http://www.gmfreeze.org
Garden Organic formerly known as Henry Doubleday Research Association – a valuable resource for organic gardeners.
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk
Global Justice Now is a democratic social justice organisation working as part of a global movement to challenge the powerful and create a more just and equal world. They mobilise people in the UK for change, and act in solidarity with those fighting injustice, particularly in the global south.
https://www.globaljustice.org.uk/
Harrison Owen’s Open Space Technology is an invaluable process enabling large groups to work productively together. His classic books include Open Space Technology: A User’s Manual and The Power of Spirit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B000APP99M
IPPR- Institute for Public Policy Research UK progressive think-tank. The purpose of our work is to assist all those who want to create a society where every citizen lives a decent and fulfilled life. It involves addressing unjustified inequalities, constructing an economy which serves society, challenging concentrations of power, maintaining a vibrant national and local democracy open to the world.
http://www.ippr.org/
James Robertson, “grandfather of green economics” Perhaps the best single resource on radical economic reform including money, sustainable taxation, debt, banking and citizens income. http://www.JamesRobertson.com/news.htm
Also www.globaljusticemovement.net and for Islamic perspective, free of interest and relevance to sustainability http://www.islamic-finance.com
Land Value Taxation Campaign, a non-party organisation. Land value tax has a huge contribution to make to sustainable taxation and could fund a citizens’ income. This campaign promotes the adoption of land value taxation in the UK and understanding of its economic benefits. The campaign is concerned with informing and influencing politicians, academics, journalists and other opinion-formers. http://www.landvaluetax.org/the-campaign. LandValueScape (http://www.landvaluescape.org) is a further source of information.
Margaret Wheatley on the lessons from nature, change, leadership, resistance, courage, diversity, life balance and global issues, articles, books, events and simple processes.
http://www.margaretwheatley.com and http://www.berkana.org
Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff and Future Search their classic books on large group processes are amongst the most valuable I have read.
http://www.futuresearch.net
New Economics Foundation (nef) My top choice. Inspiring independent think-and-do-tank that researches and demonstrates real economic well-being. It aims to improve quality of life by promoting innovative solutions that challenge mainstream thinking on economic, environment and social issues. It puts people and the planet first.
http://www.neweconomics.org
Positive Money a movement to democratise money and banking so that it works for society and not against it. Our current financial system has left us with the highest personal debt in history, unaffordable housing, worsening inequality, high unemployment and banks that are subsidised and underwritten with taxpayers’ money. We believe that these problems have a common root: money. http://www.positivemoney.org/ and Sovereign Money – paving the way for a sustainable recovery
Positive News http://positivenews.org.uk/ Quarterly newspaper devoted to positive international news. Combine this with Resurgence Ecologist magazine and you won’t be a pessimist and you will be well informed http://www.resurgence.org/magazine/resurgence-ecologist.html
Resolution Foundation The goal of the Resolution Foundation is to improve living standards for the 15 million people in Britain on low and middle incomes. To achieve this we conduct rigorous research, analysis and policy development to inform public debates and influence key decision makers in government, the private sector, and civil society.
http://www.resolutionfoundation.org/
RoadPeace champions the rights of road crash victims, works to increase public awareness and campaigns for real road safety to reduce the causes of road crashes.
http://www.roadpeace.org
Robert Greenleaf Servant Leadership Centre promotes servant leadership.
http://www.greenleaf.org/ and in UK http://www.servantleadership.org.uk
Simpol – The Simultaneous Policy is an international association of citizens who use their votes in a new and unique way to drive the politicians to implement solutions to global problems like climate change, wealth inequality, tax avoidance and more. http://www.simpol.org
Soil Association UK’s leading membership charity campaigning for healthy, humane and sustainable food, farming and land use
http://www.soilassociation.org/
Sustrans UK charity working on practical projects to help reduce motor traffic, a national Cycle Network and Safe Routes to School
http://www.sustrans.org.uk
Transition Town Network is a resource and inspiration for communities wanting to start grass roots initiatives for responding to the challenges of Peak Oil, Peak everything, ecological destruction and Climate Chaos. It provides a focal point for towns, villages, cities and localities around the world as they implement their own Transition Initiatives. There are now 1400 official Transition Town groups in 40 countries but many more unofficial groups. http://www.transitionnetwork.org/
One of these is Transition Town Berkhamsted, where I live, which started early 2007 and is flourishing:
http://www.transitionberkhamsted.org.uk
Unlock Democracy campaigns for continuing constitutional reform, strengthening the power of local communities, and a modern and fair democracy. Through their successful campaign for the Sustainable Communities Act, the power of local democracy and local communities will be strengthened. http://www.unlockdemocracy.org.uk and Local Works http://www.localworks.org/
Electoral Reform Society has similar aims: http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/
Vandana Shiva, internationally renowned campaigner upholding the rights of small farmers, especially women, against unscrupulous transnational corporations; teaches farmers how to prosper through organic methods.
http://www.vandanashiva.com
Navdanya the Research Foundation she inspired offers international courses:
http://www.navdanya.org
World Future Council an ethical voice for the needs of future life and to pass on a healthy planet and just societies to our children and grandchildren.
http://www.worldfuturecouncil.org/
World Watch leading source of information on environmental, social, and economic issues and how to achieve an environmentally sustainable and socially just society.
http://www.worldwatch.org
Many more resources are given in my books A Better World is Possible, at the end of the final chapter, as well as Living System: Making Sense of Sustainability, Making a Difference and Global Forces.