 One day government,
industry, community think tank, March 28 2007 “Accelerating Sustainable
Energy and Planning for Climate Change” within a 5-day Courageous
Conversation Program
“We
are about to experience the convergence of three of the great issues
confronting humanity. Climate change, the
peaking of oil supply and water shortage are coming together in a manner
which will profoundly alter our way of life, our institutions and our
ability to prosper on this planet. Each is a major issue, but their
convergence has received minimal attention”
Quote, Ian Dunlop;
former oil, gas and coal industry executive; Sydney Morning Herald,
16/10/06
Between March 26 and
30 2007, the Ethos Foundation is hosting a 5-day Courageous Conversation
– a residential, multidisciplinary, dialogue forum with regional and
national leaders which will deeply explore climate change, renewable
energy, power and social transition towards deeper sustainability.
“…there
is no longer much doubt that the world is facing a prolonged period of
planetary warming largely fuelled by modern lifestyles, which is
unprecedented in human history…
Crucially, however, there is no consensus about appropriate strategies
for dealing with the consequences of climate change…the reality is that
climate change of the order and time frames predicted by climate
scientists poses fundamental questions of human security, survival and
the stability of national states which necessitate judgements about
political and strategic risk as well as economic cost” - (Dupont and
Pearman, 2006, Lowy Institute Paper 12 “Heating up the Planet: Climate
Change and Security, Executive Summary).
“…the most effective way of ameliorating the security risk (of climate
change) is to reduce the level of greenhouse gases that are responsible
for heating up the planet. However, it is difficult to see how
greenhouse gas emissions can be substantially reduced this century, the
precursor to regaining climate equilibrium in the next, without a
fundamental transformation of our approach to energy use” (Dupont and
Pearman, 2006, Lowy Institute Paper 12 “Heating up the Planet: Climate
Change and Security, Executive Summary).
The way human society
generates, uses and regards energy is at the heart of this crisis – our
profligate use of fossil fuels and other limited natural resources in
almost every human activity, the massive amount of greenhouse gas
emissions generated from our activities, and our thoughtless and
uncontrolled consumption and waste generation – all now appear to have
pushed the planet’s robust but dynamic natural systems and cycles close
to catastrophic tipping points.
Here in Australia, our
federal and state governments appear to be committed to the coal
industry and associated resource extraction and manufacturing industries
and to fossil-fuel powered transport and urban development. This
‘business as usual’ approach seems blind to the possibility of reducing
our carbon emissions in any way proportional to the level of risk we
face.
|
This Courageous
Conversation will . . . |
1. Bring together some
of Australia’s leaders and emerging leaders from science, business and
industry, policy, government, community, activism, education, health,
agriculture, energy and engineering;
2. Support these
leaders to recognise and explore the gravity of climate change impacts
and ecological wildcards for Australia and the Asia Pacific region;
3. Support the
formation of national and local multidisciplinary taskforces to plan:
- how to address
climate change impacts
- how to transform
Australia’s greenhouse gas impacts and energy use and transition to
deeply sustainable lifestyles and economies.
|
Catalyst presenters and
contributors . . . |
 Emeritus
Prof Ian Lowe, Science, Technology & Society Griffith Uni
President, Australian Conservation Foundation |
 Dr
Graeme Pearman – Former Chief of Atmospheric Research, CSIRO;
Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Monash University |
 Dr
David Mills – Director, Solar Heat and Power |
 Kelly
Thambimutu – CEO, Centre for Low Emissions Technology |
 Diane
Watson – Yugambeh Woman, Storyteller |
Peta Ashworth –
CSIRO, Australia 21, PhD Student
|
Philip
Bangerter – - Global Sustainability Manager, Hatch
Engineering |
Kelvin Genn –
Group Risk Manager - Pacific, Compass Group (Australia) |
 Rachel
Hore – Community Choir Leader |
|
3 Key questions
informing the program . . . |
• What is the best
available science saying about the pace of climate change and ecological
tipping points? What do we know and not know? What kind of impacts must
our social and economic systems anticipate and plan for?
• In the absence of a meaningful, informed, determined and courageous
response by our political system to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas
impacts from human activities and develop a coordinated energy
transition process, how can professional,
business and civil society leaders most effectively network, collaborate
and partner to drive forward the public and policy agendas on climate
change, sustainable energy and the transition to deep sustainability?
• How might key
industry, science, health, community and other sectors work more
effectively together to catalyse a significant structural response to
climate change and help position Australia to better transition to a
sustainable, renewables-based future?
• What role can
micro-management initiatives at a local level play to become effective,
practical responses to the looming global emergency?
• What technologies
and processes already exist to minimise human impacts in the energy
generation and use, transport and waste minimisation/resource use areas?
|
Target audience for the
program . . . |
We are creating a
program designed specifically to increase knowledge, facilitate high
leverage networking and relationship building, and support on-ground
solidarity and collaborative action among diverse industry, policy,
scientific, community and government sectors.
We believe a number of
industries will be represented at this program including:
- power generators and
suppliers
- transport planners
and companies
- oil companies
- tourism associations
and operators
- urban planners
- development industry
associations and organisations
- engineering
associations and companies
- finance, insurance,
investment organisations
- media stakeholders
- agricultural
associations and farmers.
We also
believe we will attract interest from the three tiers of Australian
government (local, state and federal), scientific organisations,
environment organisations, education institutions and the community
sector.
|
Times |
Day 1 |
Day 2 |
Day 3 - note
combined CC & 1-day think tank |
Day 4 |
Day 5 |
|
8.30/9.30am |
|
Guided reflection or dialogue groups |
CC
Group - Guided reflection or dialogue groups
1-day group - Registration, Scene Setting |
Guided reflection or dialogue groups |
- Poster
Display
- Group
reflection
|
|
9.30/10am |
Morning tea |
Morning tea |
Morning tea |
Morning tea |
Morning tea |
|
10am/12pm |
|
Catalyst presenter 2 - Ian Lowe
Questions & discussion |
Catalyst presenters
1 & 2
Responders
Questions &
discussion |
Inquiry groups round
3 Catalyst
presenters panel - focus question |
Wisdom circle
Closing ceremony |
|
12pm/2pm |
- Opening
ceremony
- Welcome
lunch
|
Lunch break/Learning
Exchange |
Lunch break/Learning
Exchange |
Lunch break/Learning
Exchange |
Lunch break |
|
2pm/5pm |
- Program
- Presenters
- Participants
- Formation &
briefing of enquiry groups
- Inquiry
groups round 1
- Poster
display
|
- Inquiry
groups round 2
- Catalyst
presenters panel - focus question
|
- Topic
working groups
- Panel led
forum integrating WG outcomes
- Key
questions for our time
- Next steps
- Close of
think tank
|
|
|
|
5pm/6pm |
Community choir |
Community choir |
Community choir |
Community choir |
|
|
6pm/7.30pm |
Dinner |
Dinner |
Dinner |
Dinner |
|
|
7.30/9pm |
Catalyst presenter 1 Graeme Pearman
Questions & discussion |
Community gathering |
Community gathering |
Community gathering - informal
Open space continues where required |
|
|
How Courageous Conversations
work . . .
|
Courageous
Conversations are not conferences. They are unique, 5-day programs based
on multi-disciplinary dialogue, reflection, strategic conversation and
community building. They are inspired by Einstein’s statement that the
answers to our contemporary problems will not be generated at the same
level of thinking that created those problems. Courageous Conversations
aim to create an intellectual, emotional, physical and contemplative
environment that supports courageous exploration and inspired
innovation.
At Binna Burra, on the
edge of Lamington National Park one of Australia’s most stunning World
Heritage areas, Courageous Conversations gather together a wide variety
of leaders, emerging leaders, key players and stakeholders from diverse
organisations and sectors, all of whom have a common interest in the big
issues of our time – climate change, global warming,
peak oil, renewable energy, sustainability, water, sustainable
agriculture, the arts, social justice, community building, local living
economy and progressive social change.
All
Courageous Conversations integrate the arts, creativity, community
choir, music and other community building activities as we believe these
processes lie at the heart of creating social and cultural
sustainability.
|
1-day think tank for industry,
government and community leaders . . .
|
“Planning for Climate
and Accelerating Sustainable Energy in SEQ and Northern NSW” - Wednesday
March 28 2007
“…climate change is
not amenable to a simple cost-benefit analysis because it transcends
economic calculations” (Dupont and Pearman, 2006)
The concept of climate
change has been on the political, industry and community radar for at
least a couple of years now and in some cases for much longer.
Scientific consensus has also now been reached about the reality and
looming impacts of climate change for natural and human systems.
However, little has
been done to bring leaders and emerging leaders from industry,
government, community, science and education together to plan, in an
integrated, multidisciplinary and collaborative way, how our regions,
cities and communities might:
(a) prepare for the
known and unknown impacts of climate change
(b) significantly
reduce our greenhouse gas impacts (which are the major contributors to
climate change) and plan how to transition quickly to deep
sustainability so that we may live within the ecological limits of the
Earth.
The Ethos Foundation
with the support of industry, government, scientific and community
organisations, is pleased to convene the first of what we hope will be a
series of collaborative think tanks and planning processes between
government, industry and community in the SEQ and Northern NSW region.
This first
professionally facilitated think tank on Wednesday March 28 2007, aims
to:
- bring together
leaders from government, industry, science, education and community in
South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales to participate in a
strategic conversation about climate change and its consequent economic,
social and ecological impacts for the region;
- uncover the gravity
of known climate change impacts and climate change wild
cards for the region;
- support the
formation of a collaborative, high level, multidisciplinary regional
taskforce to plan for regional climate change impacts and the transition
process towards deep sustainability.
The event will
provide:
- access to some of
Australia’s leading climate, energy and sustainability scientists and
thinkers
- access to high level
local and state government leaders
- opportunities to
participate in a collaborative, problem-solving and planningprocess with
regional leaders
- a focus on the most
important issues of our time – climate change, energy and water – and
their relationship to our economic, social and ecological systems
|
Catalyst Presenters and
Contributors . . .
|
Emeritus Professor Ian
Lowe – Science, Technology and Society Griffith University; President,
Australian Conservation Foundation
Dr Graeme Pearman –
Former Chief of Atmospheric Research, CSIRO; Honorary Senior Research
Fellow, Monash University
Dr David Mills –
Director, Solar Heat and Power
Kelly Thambimutu – CEO,
Centre for Low Emissions Technology
Diane Watson –
Yugambeh Woman, Storyteller
Peta Ashworth – CSIRO,
Australia 21, PhD Student
Philip Bangerter –
Global Sustainability Manager, Hatch Engineering
Kelvin Genn – Group
Risk Manager - Pacific, Compass Group (Australia)
|
Target audience for the program
. . .
|
We are creating a
forum designed specifically to increase knowledge, facilitate high
leverage networking and relationship building, and support the creation
of a collaborative, high-level, regional taskforce. We are inviting
leaders from a variety of sectors to participate in this think tank
including:
- power generators and
suppliers
- transport planners and companies
- oil companies
- water utilities
- tourism associations and operators
- urban planners
- development industry associations and organisations
- engineering associations and companies
- finance, insurance, investment organisations
- media stakeholders
- agricultural associations and farmers.
We also believe we
will attract interest from leaders within the three tiers of Australian
government (local, state and federal), scientific organisations,
environment organisations, education institutions and the community
sector.
|
Time |
Process |
|
8.00am |
Registration |
|
8.30-9.30am |
Scene Setting and
Context |
|
9.30-10.00am |
Morning Tea |
|
10am-12pm |
Catalyst
Presentations
- Dr Graeme Pearman
- Professor Ian Lowe
Responses to Presentations
- Energy
- Water
- Planning
- Indigenous |
|
12-2pm |
Lunch,
Networking, Learning Exchange |
|
2-5pm |
Working Groups –
Questions and Innovations for Climate Change Impacts and
Transition
Processes - Planning
- Infrastructure (energy, water, transport)
- Community Change and Transition
- Structural and Political Change and Transition
- Environment, Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services
- Emergency Services, Security
Panel-Led Forum integrating Working Group Questions and Innovation
Key Questions for our Time
Next Steps
Close |
|
5-5.45pm |
Community Choir |
“History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period…
Was not the strident clamour of the bad people,
But the appalling silence of the good people”
Martin Luther King Jnr
The Ethos Foundation is ideally equipped to support and organise these
initiatives. We are an
independent, not for profit holistic learning and land restoration
organisation. Our mission is
to cultivate effective new thinking, values and action for positive, ecologically sustainable
futures. Our work facilitates and promotes education for sustainability
at personal,
professional, organisational and social levels.
In conjunction with the Gondwana Centre, the Foundation has since 2004,
hosted residential
Courageous Conversations and 1-day Forums at Binna Burra which bring
together leaders
and emerging leaders from all sectors of our society. These programs
deeply explore the big
issues of our time including climate change, peak oil, water scarcity,
population,
sustainability, cultural relationships, social change, and local living
economy.
We embrace the notion of holistic and ‘slow’ learning that engages all
aspects of a person –
the head, heart, hands and spirit. Our work is based on
multidisciplinary dialogue and
conversation and also incorporates creativity, cultural learning,
ecoliteracy, deep ecology and
restorative and contemplative practices. We aim to reconnect people with
the Earth, nourish
the soul, connect and network, sharpen thinking, increase knowledge,
deepen understanding
and inspire effective action.
We acknowledge the Yugambeh Language Region as our home and respect the
Traditional
Owners of this Country.
For further information or to book your place at either the 5-day
Courageous Conversation or
1-day Think Tank please contact:
Dr Sally MacKinnon
-
Executive Officer,
Ethos Foundation
phone: (07) 5533 3646
email: sally (at) ethosfoundation.org
web: www.ethosfoundation.org
postal: 618 Binna Burra Road, Binna
Burra, Q, 4211
|
