Here we focus on philosophies and strategies that can empower our pursuit of sustainability, getting more specific about the frameworks for thinking and action given in the Finding Solutions part of the Think Globally section, namely, the models of change available to help us understand the various aspects of the problem we are facing and to help us move towards sustainability.

The change paradigms are a varied lot. Some focus on specific objectives, some are holistic. Some are weighted toward “taking action” strategies, some toward conceptualization, some are rather balanced in dealing with both theory and practice. They all can find expression in local, regional, national and/or world-wide actions. They all can inspire us and help us find the way.

• 350.org’s strategy – message: we need to bring atmospheric levels of CO₂ below 350 ppm quickly to prevent catastrophic climate change – what to do: mobilize people globally in annual demonstrations of the deep concern felt in order to pressure governments into taking needed actions

• Culture of Peace Initiative – message: building a Culture of Peace in the 21st century, by uniting the strengths of organisations, projects and peoples already working to bring about peace and social justice, can make Peace a practical reality for the children of this and future generations – what to do: become a CPI participant: join the CPI online community; make use of CPI’s global events calendar.

• Earth Charter – message: this international declaration, endorsed by over 4,500 organizations, including many governments and international organizations, provides a guiding ethical framework in these critical times – >what to do: use the Earth Charter, as holistic goal, to guide our major decisions

• Holistic Management – message: current agricultural practices are a major cause leading to desertification and global climate change; only through uniting internationally and diverting all the resources required to deal with climate change and land degradation can we avert unimaginable tragedy. We have all the money we need. All we cannot buy is time. – what to do: Global climate change and land degradation have to be put on a war footing internationally.

• Permaculture – message: for people to survive and flourish, we need to use ecological principles in planning our homesites, communities, regions, keeping us in sync with nature, and not try to control and shape nature to fit our demands – what to do: we need to gain an understanding of these ecological principles and of the skills and practices which give expression to them, and we need to use these principles, skills, and practices.

• Plan B – message: the consequences of  the environmental shocks we’ve been subjecting planet Earth to, including the global climate crisis, threaten the continued existence of civilization – what to do: make use of the incredible range of viable, cost-effective, clean and smart alternatives to address “four components: cutting net carbon dioxide emissions 80 percent by 2020, stabilizing population at 8 billion or lower, eradicating poverty, and restoring the earth’s natural systems, including its soils, aquifers, forests, grasslands, and fisheries.

• Precautionary Principle – message: we need to take seriously proactive steps when faced with proposed actions/activities if we have reasonable suspicions that they pose a threat to human health or the environment – what to do: when consequences are uncertain, decision makers need to err on the side of caution, preventing actions and projects with the potential to harm nature, public health, or community well-being

• Rights of Nature – message: we need to put in place, on all levels of government, laws that protect the fundamental rights of natural communities and ecosystems to exist and flourish – what to do: work toward adoption of such laws and, once adopted, use the legal authority such laws grant to enforce those rights on behalf of natural communities and ecosystems. [Internationally, this is often referred to as the Rights of Mother Earth.]

• Transition Initiatives – message: grassroots efforts are what can build community resilience in the face of such challenges as peak oil, climate change, and the economic crisis, engaging people in strengthening their communities for a life that is more abundant, fulfilling, equitable, and connected – what to do: become involved in the Transition Movement

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights – message: the human, economic, social, cultural, civil, and political rights of all people need to be asserted and protected – what to do: insist on observance of these rights, which after ratification by the UN General Assembly in 1976, took on the force of international law.

Please contact us about models for change that you would like to see added to this listing.

Also see the Think Globally section.