Blog
Earth Day is Different This Year
Earth Day is different this year. For 50 years Earth Day has brought hope. In previous years, now would be the time that one billion people in more than 190 countries around the world walk outside―in nature, in parks, and in capital cities―to call decision-makers to protect and heal our planet. This April we have…
Read MoreWhat are bioregions? An intro to a natural way of defining our world
Over the past year the Institute for Ecological Civilization began examining urban-rural wellbeing. This project allows us to envision cities and rural communities as part of emerging ecological civilizations, and we do so largely through the framework of bioregions – geographic areas defined by natural boundaries rather than political or governmental boundaries. For instance, the…
Read MoreCreating Community for Ecological Civilization
by Ebony Bailey and Ellie Leaning As we approach the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, we have a unique opportunity to reflect on our lives and our relationship with the planet. The COVID-19 global pandemic has exposed systemic failures in the health, economic, political, and environmental sectors—failures that we, at EcoCiv, have…
Read MoreCOVID-19: Crisis, Hope, and Ecological Civilization
A Message from Philip ClaytonPresident of EcoCiv The attention of leaders in medicine and government is focused on immediate crisis response, as it should be. I praise those who are risking their lives on the front lines. But for the millions of us who are “sheltering in place,” COVID-19 also brings the opportunity to reflect…
Read MoreWater and Cities: A Systems Approach
By Ellie Leaning, EcoCiv Strategic Partnerships Coordinator OverviewIn 2020, an estimated 4.2 billion people live in cities across the globe. The United Nations expects this figure to grow to 6.7 billion by 2050. The 2018 UN Water Development Report states that water scarcity is one of the most significant global risks. They estimate that by…
Read MoreHighlights from the W12 Framework Conference in Cape Town
Will cities around the world have enough water by 2050? What steps should be put in place for cities to ensure a secure and equitable water future? EcoCiv is working to convene leaders and experts from around the world to propose a framework aimed at long-term water solutions across the globe. Last week, we partnered…
Read MoreVIDEO: Transforming from a Wealth-Based Civilization to a Life-Based One
Author Jeremy Lent gave this presentation in San Francisco on the core principals of ecological civilization. In this video, he talks about the different human transitions throughout history that have affected humanity’s relationship with nature. Then he proposes a look of what kind of transformation we need to fundamentally transform our civilization from one that…
Read MoreEcoCiv Korea 2019 Events
EcoCiv President, Philip Clayton and Executive Vice President, Andrew Schwartz joined our EcoCiv Korea leaders Gunna Jung and Yunjeong Han for four consecutive events in September and October. First was the 2nd Transition City Seoul conference on the theme, “Beyond GDP Toward Ecological Transition.” In collaboration with Mayor Park Wonsoon and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Prof.…
Read MoreEcological Civilization Studies: An Emerging Transformative Discipline
By Philip Clayton and Megan Anderson Ecological Civilization Studies (ECS) seeks to build an informed vision for a sustainable and just future. It involves rigorous research into ways of living that are not sustainable, as well as the study of new (and ancient!) ways of living that are models for the future. In ECS, the…
Read MorePartnering for Water Solutions: Evolution of the Cape Town Conference
Save the date for the W12 Congress on the escalating water crisis from January 27 – 31, 2020 in Cape Town, South Africa! The scope and direction of the Institute for Ecological Civilization (EcoCiv)’s upcoming conference in Cape Town has evolved and expanded significantly over the past few months from the academic conference originally planned for…
Read More