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Projects Under Construction:

1.      A program for employment and education that pertains to ecological economics. The work can entail restoration of nature, analyses of the economic benefits of ecosystem services, study of a community’s ecological footprint, and communication on systemic change. Our goals can include

1. promoting ecological economics,
2. improving engagement of our clients with nature,
3. restoring a locale to a natural state,
4. developing appreciation for ecosystem services and the Earth as our life support system,
5. stimulating economic justice (e.g., clients of various income levels interacting in a manner that benefits the low income clients, and youths in higher socioeconomic levels gaining a better understanding of poverty),
6. engaging our clients toward sustainable living,
7. engaging our clients with careers in sustainability,
8. building character,
9. enhancing communities in and outside of Marion County, Indiana, and
10. broadening the experience of our clients.

 

2.      An eco-community in an urban setting which aims toward

a.     designing with nature (e.g., use of local natural materials, and not building in floodplains nor in places preferred as wildlife habitat),

b.     reflecting an appropriate ecological footprint,

c.      promoting sustainability in urban design and economics, and

d.     facilitating sustainable and desirable living for the participants.

       

The design that we have in mind would have   

a.     a greenhouse, for food and climate control,

b.     an edible and multifunctional landscape,

c.      a diner with space for community events, and

d.     space with options for offices, commerce and employment of youths.

 

3.      Communications for strategic promotion of sustainability. One possible approach is to use mass media to promote awareness of important concepts in ecological economics, including the commons, Earth’s carrying capacity, throughput, ecological footprint and sustainable development.  

 

4.      Experiences to enhance appreciation for ecosystem services. An apparent reason for uneconomic growth is lack of mindfulness about the importance of ecosystem resources to economics.

 

5.      Alliance building. We intend to build alliances through which to promote systemic change.

 

6.      Integration of ecological economics into curriculum. We encourage this integration be it with a lesson, an assignment, a forum, a course, an academic program or the environment (including art, grounds and structures).

Future contents (possibly)

-         Opportunity costs – explained and discussed.

-         Video on our relationships with the Earth from Earthwalk Media (www.earthwalkmedia.com)

-         Rapid climate destabilization – explained, links.

-         Markets, as conceived in ecological economics explained.

-         A link to a book review by Robert Costanza will be published about both Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update and Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. Members of International Society for Ecological Economics may find it in Ecological Economics: The Transdisciplinary Journal of the International Society for Ecological Economics. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09218009

-         Composting toilets, unlike the typical septic system – no known harmful runoff.

-         Government – Community Environmental Defense Fund.

-         A bike lending library.

-         Recycling directory for Keep Indianapolis Beautiful.

-         Ecology House of Indianapolis.

-         Why cradle to cradle alone is not sustainable.

-         Precautionary Principle – links.

-         Paradigm explained.