The assumptions at the heart of the unsustainable economic system and how to encourage profound and permanent shifts in mindsets towards sustainability. Given at CUBO Annual Conference, Dec 2009

1. Sustainable Minds
Nick Jankel
nick@wecreate.cc
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Friday, March 12, 2010

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3. What is ‘sustainability’?
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thick word

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Sustainability? What is it to you? How would you describe it to a granma? To a 5 year old?

6. Ecological
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3 types of sustainability

7. Ecological Social
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3 types of sustainability

8. Ecological Social Emotional
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3 types of sustainability

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10. “Africa is poised to experience a surge in civil wars, causing nearly
400,000 additional battle deaths by 2030 – all as a direct result of
rising temperatures”
• 23 November 2009
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54 per cent rise in the incidence of civil conflict
yet each
Between 1 and 3 million people, mostly children, die each year from malaria day the Pentagon
spends enough money to provide mosquito nets to cover every bed in Africa 5 years in a row

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13. Depression will be the No.2 burden on
health
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14. Depression will be the No.2 burden on
health
Antidepressants tripled to 118 million a
year
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15. Depression will be the No.2 burden on
health
Antidepressants tripled to 118 million a
year
1 in 10 UK teenagers ‘afflicted’
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16. Depression will be the No.2 burden on
health
Antidepressants tripled to 118 million a
year
1 in 10 UK teenagers ‘afflicted’
Suicide kills more than murder and war
combined
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17. Depression will be the No.2 burden on
health
Antidepressants tripled to 118 million a
year
1 in 10 UK teenagers ‘afflicted’
Suicide kills more than murder and war
combined
10 million kids in US on Ritalin
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18. Why are these all of our problems?
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less Dme, much more complexity and ambiguity
3 billion more coming

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pessure on depleted resources

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lower budgets, high debt

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greater and greater org and social challenges. if you could do it alone you would have done already!

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global problems, too big for one person or org to solve

24. Why is this happening?
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25. Finish these sentences with the first thing
that comes to mind.
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Finish these sentences
Work is...
Nature is...
When it comes to buying less if find myself...
Recyling is really...
Sustainability is...
Men are...

26. Our society is based on powerful set of
assumptions...
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27. 1. The world is a mechanism full of parts
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MechanisDc
Cogs in the machine
PosiDvists

28. An intellect which at any given moment knew all
of the forces that animate nature and the mutual
positions of the beings that compose it... nothing
could be uncertain and the future just like the
past would be present before its eyes.
Pierre-Simon Laplace
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command and control works well in
mechanisms

30. 2. There are limitless resources and they
are there to be exploited
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To believe in limiltess resourves

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Relying on growth might be fine if the economy existed in a void, but it does not. Herman Daly.
Uneconomic growth ‐ making us poorer not richer

32. 3. If you have more resources, I have less
- which would make me worse off
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told of sero sum game

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To own land

34. 4. I need to compete to win those
resources
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Taught to be compeDDve

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raDonal uDlity maximisers

36. 5. I am an individual who must put my
own needs above everyone else’s
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me mine more

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authority , economics, raDonal self‐interest
work / spend cycle which impacts all 3 types of sustainability

38. “Mind-forged manacles”
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William Blake

39. What can we do about this?
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40. I must create a system or be enslaved by
another man's.
William Blake
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41. Adam Smith said that maximizing self interest
and social interest where coincident, and I
think with the dramatic illustrations of Enron
and Lehman Brothers show they are not.
Joseph Stiglitz
Former Chief Economist World Bank
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Relkying on growth might be fine iof the economy existed in a void, but it does not. Herman Daly.
Uneconomic growth ‐ making us poorer not richer

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Relkying on growth might be fine iof the economy existed in a void, but it does not. Herman Daly.
Uneconomic growth ‐ making us poorer not richer

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45. But that is not enough.
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47. We have 100 months to
go.
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48. We have 100 months to
go.
Fully one third of all
reductions must come
from less consumption.
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Kaufmman Foundation
Half of the companies on the 2009 Fortune 500 list were launched during a recession or bear market, along
with nearly half of the firms on the 2008 Inc. list of America’s fastest-growing companies.

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Kaufmman Foundation
Half of the companies on the 2009 Fortune 500 list were launched during a recession or bear market, along
with nearly half of the firms on the 2008 Inc. list of America’s fastest-growing companies.

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A new sensibility

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crowd sourcing / crowd involvement
PaDent Opinion

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AmbiDon of any size we need to collaborate

55. In the world of large institutional networks we face
issues for which hierarchical leadership is inherently
inadequate.
This is the big difference of our world.
That’s why ‘becoming a real human being’ really is
the primary leadership issue of our time, but on a
scale never required before.
Professor C. Otto Scharmer
MIT Sloan School of Management
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56. Sustainability is a leadership
challenge...
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57. Sustainability is a leadership
challenge...
... a personal leadership challenge.
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58. Most of the resources, money and ideas
to solve our greatest challenges are out
there.
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59. We just need to think differently.
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60. Nothing lies entirely within our power
except our thoughts.
Rene Descartes
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61. Lupus est homo homini, non homo
Man is a wolf to man, not a man
Plautus, Asinaria
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62. Lupus est homo homini, non homo,
quom qualis sit non novit.
Man is a wolf to man, not a man,
when he has not yet found himself.
Plautus, Asinaria
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63. Altruism activates the
mesolimbic reward pathway,
a primitive part of the brain
that usually lights up in
response to food, drugs and
sex. They also activate the
subgenual cortex which are
intimately related to social
attachment and bonding in
other species.
Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences
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64. Caring is hard-wired and fun
Altruism activates the
mesolimbic reward pathway,
a primitive part of the brain
that usually lights up in
response to food, drugs and
sex. They also activate the
subgenual cortex which are
intimately related to social
attachment and bonding in
other species.
Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences
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65. Chimps and
infants both
instinctively help
adults without
reward or
training.
Frans de Waal &
Michael
Tomasello
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66. We are designed to help others
Chimps and
infants both
instinctively help
adults without
reward or
training.
Frans de Waal &
Michael
Tomasello
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68. Your behaviours are
influenced by others in
your network far more
strongly than you might
think, even by people
you’ve never met. Even
obesity may be more
influenced by your peers
than by your parents.
New Scientist, 2009
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69. We are not individuals, all alone
Your behaviours are
influenced by others in
your network far more
strongly than you might
think, even by people
you’ve never met. Even
obesity may be more
influenced by your peers
than by your parents.
New Scientist, 2009
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70. In the long history
of humankind (and
animal kind, too)
those who learned to
collaborate and
improvise most
effectively have
prevailed.
Charles Darwin
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71. We must be collaborative to survive
In the long history
of humankind (and
animal kind, too)
those who learned to
collaborate and
improvise most
effectively have
prevailed.
Charles Darwin
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72. Planet
Government
Community
Family
YOU
Team
Organisation
Country
Planet
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73. Planet
Government
Community
Family
YOU
Ego-centric
Team
Organisation
Country
Planet
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74. Planet
Government
Community
Family
YOU
Ego-centric
Team Ethno-centric
Organisation
Country
Planet
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75. Planet
Government
Community
Family
YOU
Ego-centric
Team Ethno-centric
World-centric
Organisation
Country
Planet
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76. I live my life in
widening
circles that
reach out
across the
world.
Rainer Maria Rilke
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It is a brave and generous act to make room in your mind for another's experience and to lend them your voice; let the participants
appreciate that generosity in themselves and each other."
Participants sit in groups of four, facing each other. The facilitator asks them to bring to mind an aspect of the problem that concerns
them, allowing a moment of silence. Invite each person, in turn, to describe the issue from each of four perspectives. (This occurs
simultaneously in each group of four.) The four perspectives:
1. From their own experience and point of view, including feeling;
2. From the perspective of a person whose views on the issue are very different, even adversarial, introducing themselves and
speaking as this person, using the pronoun "I" and the present tense of verbs;
3. From the viewpoint of a non-human being that may be impacted by how we deal with the issue;
4. In the voice of a future human whose life will be directly affected by the choices and actions we take now on the issue.

77. I live my life in
widening
circles that
reach out
across the
world.
Rainer Maria Rilke
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It is a brave and generous act to make room in your mind for another's experience and to lend them your voice; let the participants
appreciate that generosity in themselves and each other."
Participants sit in groups of four, facing each other. The facilitator asks them to bring to mind an aspect of the problem that concerns
them, allowing a moment of silence. Invite each person, in turn, to describe the issue from each of four perspectives. (This occurs
simultaneously in each group of four.) The four perspectives:
1. From their own experience and point of view, including feeling;
2. From the perspective of a person whose views on the issue are very different, even adversarial, introducing themselves and
speaking as this person, using the pronoun "I" and the present tense of verbs;
3. From the viewpoint of a non-human being that may be impacted by how we deal with the issue;
4. In the voice of a future human whose life will be directly affected by the choices and actions we take now on the issue.

78. How do we put this into practice?
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79. Re-amp.org
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80. To be truly radical is
to make hope
possible rather than
despair convincing.
Raymond Williams
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81. We must be a generation of radical Americans like the
people that founded this country, like the people that
abolished slavery, like the people that defeated fascism
in the last century, like the civil rights movement, like
the labor movement. We must do that now.
Rev. Billy, Church of Stop Shopping
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100 + 600
"Food feet, not food miles!"

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84. The community recognises two crucial points:
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85. The community recognises two crucial points:
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86. The community recognises two crucial points:
That we used immense amounts of creativity, ingenuity and
adaptability on the way up the energy upslope, and that
there's no reason for us not to do the same on the downslope
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87. The community recognises two crucial points:
That we used immense amounts of creativity, ingenuity and
adaptability on the way up the energy upslope, and that
there's no reason for us not to do the same on the downslope
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88. The community recognises two crucial points:
That we used immense amounts of creativity, ingenuity and
adaptability on the way up the energy upslope, and that
there's no reason for us not to do the same on the downslope
If we collectively plan and act early enough there's every
likelihood that we can create a way of living that's significantly
more connected, more vibrant and more in touch with our
environment than the oil-addicted treadmill that we find
ourselves on today.
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89. How do we foster sustainable mindsets?
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Singing exercise

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Singing exercise

92. Friday, March 12, 2010
Stress
Control
Domination etc

93. Friday, March 12, 2010
Stress
Control
Domination etc

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lehamn Brothrs ‐ Richard Fuld ‐ emba[led, paranoid, fearful worldview

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96. Judgements
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97. Judgements
Stress
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98. Judgements
Stress
Defence
mechanisms
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99. Judgements
Stress
Defence
Unhelpful mechanisms
behaviours
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100. Judgements
Stress
Offence
Defence
Unhelpful mechanisms
behaviours
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101. Judgements
Frustration Stress
Offence
Defence
Unhelpful mechanisms
behaviours
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102. The entire
system is
driven by
fear.
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103. We must encourage people whilst
encouraging ourselves.
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104. RRR
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3 levers for behaviour change

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Pain principle.
Useful to have successful criteria, heurisDcs and checklists.
Shuts down creaDvity and risk. If we think people are intrinsically selfish, then Rules and Rewads are enough. But if we know they are inspired,
co‐operaDve and altruisDc at heart then...

106. Rules
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Pain principle.
Useful to have successful criteria, heurisDcs and checklists.
Shuts down creaDvity and risk. If we think people are intrinsically selfish, then Rules and Rewads are enough. But if we know they are inspired,
co‐operaDve and altruisDc at heart then...

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Useful but not enough. Tends to drive egoDsDcal and non‐collaboraDve projects and even reduce inner moDvated arts.. Veers towards
transcazDonality. Expensive. Can be useful in team compeDDon . Not great for intrinsically moDvated people who tend to be be[er innovators.

108. Reward
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Useful but not enough. Tends to drive egoDsDcal and non‐collaboraDve projects and even reduce inner moDvated arts.. Veers towards
transcazDonality. Expensive. Can be useful in team compeDDon . Not great for intrinsically moDvated people who tend to be be[er innovators.

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Need an intrisnically moDvated drive to create and innovate authenDcally, ethically and maximum potenDal.

110. Responsibility
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Need an intrisnically moDvated drive to create and innovate authenDcally, ethically and maximum potenDal.

111. ✗ Responsibility
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Need an intrisnically moDvated drive to create and innovate authenDcally, ethically and maximum potenDal.

112. Judgements
Frustration Stress
Offence
Defence
Unhelpful mechanisms
behaviours
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113. Responsibility
Judgements
Frustration Stress
Offence
Defence
Unhelpful mechanisms
behaviours
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Fundamentally creaDve act of leadership.

115. Response
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Fundamentally creaDve act of leadership.

116. Response
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Ability
74
Fundamentally creaDve act of leadership.

117. I have absolute confidence in
human beings, in their
capacity to reason, to learn
from mistakes, to
recuperate their roots, and
to change in order to forge a
just, diverse, inclusive,
equilibrated world in
harmony with nature.
Evo Morales
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118. viral
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119. Build a viral
grassroots
sustainability
culture
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120. One mind
at a time
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121. But it is a choice.
2% now and we get to design it.
20%+ in the future, but by force.
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Stern Report

122. If we do it right and with enthusiasm, it will not
seem a depressing phase of denial but instead,
as in 1940, a chance to redeem ourselves. For
the young, life will be full of opportunities to
serve, to create, and they will have a purpose
for living.
James Lovelock
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124. “Come to the edge.”
“We can't. We're afraid.”
‘Come to the edge. We can't. We will fall!”
“Come to the edge.”
And they came. And he pushed them. And
they flew.
Guillaume Apollinaire
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125. For nuggets sign-up to our mailing list.
Changing the world one mind at a time.
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