The Need
In its “living Planet Report” of 2008, the WWF estimates that our demands are already 40% over the earth’s carrying capacity. Human activity is now on a scale which involves over half the biomass and severely impacts on the large natural systems such as climate and biosphere. Mankind will need to radically transform its way of life on the planet if that way of life is be viable for some kind of civilised life. If current trends continue over the next thirty years, the resource burden and ecological service burden imposed by humanity will require more than three planets earth.
Since we only have one planet, clearly something will have to change. There are three basic future scenarios.
-
We carry on as we are and hit the limits hard with breakdown of support systems, political chaos and massive population loss
-
We introduce increasingly stringent imposed rules such as rationing and the institution of eco-crimes
-
We create a design revolution through which we learn to live lightly on the earth, to develop benign technologies and different ways of fulfilling our human aspirations other than the consumer society.
The sane alternative is the third scenario but it will require a mastery of good will, creativity and capacity to transform ourselves and our living arrangements. It is also a task that will take a generation or two, despite the urgency for change.
The coupling of education for leadership in this kind of world in all walks of life for the generations growing up now and their children with the experiments of eco-village design and practice is a clear contribution that increasing numbers of people are attempting. Culdees is a contribution to that field of work.
As we face the worldwide destruction of our natural resources, the rapid erosion of traditional cultures, the disintegration of moral standards and the globalisation of our economies, communities that stand apart and empower people to live sustainably are crucial.
They are the foundation stones for our children and a meaningful future. which we would like to bequeath our children, so they, and in turn their children, may grow up as balanced and healthy human beings who are not afraid to lead the way forward; they are confident, conscientious, empathetic, not afraid to stand their ground and always keeping the benefit for the greater good in mind and guided by selfless love.