Andrew MacDonald's Page

Although I've felt for decades that our Global Market economic system wasn't working for most (and so not actually working), I've never had much idea of how we could change it. What to do first for example?



I find it difficult to "get my head around" what's required. For example, I remember going to a bioregional conference in Maine almost 20 years ago with two folks now here on Transition Ottawa. There 150 or so amazing people imagined what the new locally oriented world would look… Continue

The following article from The Guardian, a conversation between George Monbiot (author of Heat: How to stop the planet from burning) and Paul Kingsnorth, reveals the insides of two committed activists with very different world views speaking of what can done now. Neither one wins imo but their dialogue outlines the seriousness of the situation and the twin poles of the dilemma. Comments encouraged!



The Guardian… Continue

Exciting learnings at the monthly Futures Conversation group I'm hosting in Sharbot Lake (and will do in Ottawa starting next month). We met last night, a very small group as most people were away on holiday. But we did great work anyway, and why not. For me it's becoming clear that hooking up our own interests, loves and gifts with what's needed out there in the world (or our local corner of it), is a powerful way to go. Things get real and juicy quickly.



If we just focus on what's… Continue

Thinking about how to effect positive change in the world. It seems to me that the old certainties are headed for the dustbin and that we're not going back to the way it was: a stable economy, climate, resource supply. These may exist for some but not for all. Even the "we" in we're not going back to the way it was is changing methinks, or is going to. The old "we" of common speech implies a them that's not there anymore. We's gonna be them and they's gonna be we.



Maybe… Continue

Hi Transitioners!

Wow, you're at a formative meeting for transitionottawa and I'm writing this. Consider me on board! At Blue Skies festival last weekend chatting with Kaia and John Eastcott I committed to writing something about one of my passions, which is groups to grow in. So here's how that looks today . . .



Usually the world the future I envision where peak-oil and profound climate change have changed the fundamentals in all of our daily lives isn't often reflected back to… Continue