Speech before the American Public Works Association (APWA) Sustainability in Public Works Conference, July 27, 2011 in Portland, Oregon. Too often the debate over sustainability is brought down to a level of minutiae or a debate over whether or not climate change is real or not rather than understanding the importance of keeping the balance between the natural and  man-made environment. He cites Rachel Carson, Jane Benyus, and David Orr as models of integrity and vision.

George Crombie is President of the APWA and a senior faculty member for public works administration in the MPA program at Norwich University military college in Vermont.

He was interviewed by Ruth Ann Barrett of EarthSayers.tv, voices of sustainability.

Voices of Sustainability: All That We Share is the definition for The Commons as further described in Jay Walljasper's book of the same title and briefly in this snippet from a speech he gave at the Commons Convergence held in Portland, Oregon on May 7, 2011 by The Oregon Commons project. A popular speaker, veteran communications strategist and award-winning writer and editor, Jay Walljasper chronicles stories from around the world that point us toward a better and more enjoyable future. Walljasper is the author of All That We Share A Field Guide to the Commons (2011), The Great Neighborhood Book (2007) and Visionaries: People and Ideas to Change Your Life (2001). Click on book cover to order the book.

Videotaped by Ruth Ann Barrett, sustainability advocate and founder of www.earthsayers.tv, the voices of sustainability.

Sustainability: Economist, Arthur Brooks talks about culture from his view as American Enterprise Institute President. He argues in his book, The Battle: How the Fight between Free Enterprise and Big Government Will Shape America's Future, that "most Americans don't see free enterprise as just an economic matter, they see it as kind of a lifestyle issue, they see it as the bedrock of American culture and that's about 70 percent of the population."

Isarithmic maps are essentially topographic or contour maps, wherein a third variable is represented in two dimensions by color, or by contour lines, indicating gradations. I had never seen such a map depicting political data — certainly not election returns, and thus sought to create them.The isarithmic depiction does an excellent job of highlighting several broad patterns in modern U.S. political history. 

This animated interpretation accentuates certain phenomena: the breadth and duration of support for Roosevelt, the shift from a Democratic to a Republican South, the move from an ostensibly east-west division to the contemporary coasts-versus-heartland division, and the stability of the latter.

More broadly, this video is a reminder that what constitutes “politics as usual” is always in flux, shifting sometimes abruptly. The landscape of American politics is constantly evolving,  as members of the two great parties battle for electoral supremacy.

UBC Professor William Rees argues that climate change is the largest collective threat humankind has ever faced as we are now a global culture. Individual choices to reduce their eco-footprint will not have a huge effect. Sustainability is not about acting alone, but is a collective enterprise so we must make our cities so it is possible for our citizens to live a sustainable life. We are all on the Titanic together.

Millionaire Doug Tompkins wanted to save a rainforest, so he went out and bought one in Southern Chile. Many Chileans though are not so keen on his philanthropy and regard him with suspicion.

The self-made millionaire of the Esprit clothing company, Doug Tompkins, now languishes in an Eden of lush forest, deep rivers and abundant wildlife. His massive reserve, Pumalin Park, is an oasis of biodiverstiy. Conservative politician Jaime Orpis regards the swath of land controlled by Tompkins as a threat to national security. His reserve is a strategic 100km long corridor from the Argentine border to central Chile. For a nation still on the periphery of economic success having such a staunch anti-developmentalist tying up resources is also deeply irritating. Many would prefer him to take his high ideals back home. Tompkins though, came to Chile with a dream and despite the knocks he's staying until the government agrees to protect his park themselves.

Produced by ABC Australia
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures

Earthsayers.tv: Journalist and best selling author Amy Goodman of Democracy Now speaking at the Green Festival, June 6th, 2010 in Seattle, Washington. Ms. Goodman's speech, "Drilling, Spilling, Killing: From Oil Wells to Oil Wars," includes her first-hand experience in Louisiana covering the Gulf of New Mexico oil spill, the humanitarian aid mission to Gaza, and why she has filed a lawsuit against city and state officials of St. Paul, Minnesota, accusing police of wrongfully arresting her during the Republican National Convention two years ago. The speech is in seven parts on Youtube. This speech was recorded by Ruth Ann Barrett, Producer, EarthSayers.tv, the voices of sustainability.