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Nektarina (S)pace Web Magazine January 2013
Citation preview
Jan
uar
y 20
13
ISS
N 18
47-6
69
4
NEKTARINA
(S)PACE working together towards
a sustainable future
DOLOMITES A world nature heritage site
In this issue: Green Economy, Urban
Sustainability, Home Schooling and more
2
Nektarina
(S)pace
NEKTARINA (S)PACE IS A WEB MAGAZINE PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY NEKTARINA
NON PROFIT, A NON GOVERNMENTAL, NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION REGISTERED IN
CROATIA. WWW.NEKTARINANONPROFIT.COM ISSN 1847-6694
3
The
January
Hues
NEKTARINA (S)PACE IS A WEB MAGAZINE PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY NEKTARINA
NON PROFIT, A NON GOVERNMENTAL, NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION REGISTERED IN
CROATIA. WWW.NEKTARINANONPROFIT.COM ISSN 1847-6694
4
5
6
Nektarina (S)pace, Web magazine
Year 2, Issue # 5, January 2013
Published by Nektarina Non Profit
ISSN 1847—6694
Under Creative Commons License
Working together towards a sustainable future
www.nektarinanonprofit.com
Nektarina Non Profit is a non governmental, non profit organization, and
most of our projects are based on volunteer work. Our articles are a
compilation of data (where we always provide the source(s) at, or opinion
pieces from one of our volunteers, partners or collaborators (in which case
there is a by-line). We come from different backgrounds, and English is not
the first language for any of us, so there might be an occasional language
flop :). If you are using any of our content - it would be really great if you
can link it back to us, and if you are using other people's content that you
found in this magazine, please make sure to copy the source links we
provided. Thank you!
7
Publisher: Nektarina Non Profit
Creative Director & Editor-in-Chief: Sandra Antonovic
Lead Researcher & Contributing Editor: Livia Minca
Content Contributor: Yula Pannadopoulos
Journalist: Alyosha Melnychenko
Contributor for January Issue: France Pecovnik
Photography: Sandra Antonovic
Contributors: This could be you!
If interested, email us to [email protected]
A bunch of
enthusiasts
8
In this
issue:
From our desk:
Enjoy the journey
World Heritage Site:
The Dolomites - Where mountains become poetry
Green Economy
World Economic Forum
The Bookshelf:
Small is Beautiful (E. F. Schumacher)
9
Urban Sustainability
Home Schooling
Positive Examples:
Education for Sustainable Development Slovenia
Liveable cities:
Ljubljana
Our Blockbuster:
Yann Arthus Bertrand’s HOME
Birds in Winter
Schools section
Delish!
Recipe of the month
Coming up in February
10
From our
desk: By Yula Pannadopoulos
Did you know that Nektarina (S)pace first started in October
2009, as a web portal format of a web magazine? That format wasn’t
really working for us, and in spring 2011 we started exploring ways
and options how to publish a web magazine in a pdf format that
could be read on most devices, but also downloaded for those who’d
chose to read it offline. Once we agreed on a pdf format, we begun
talking about page size. Broadsheet? Berliner? Compact ? Those
sounded really cool, but we weren’t exactly publishing a daily
paper—we decided to go with a monthly edition, and while our at-
tempt to lower our (and yours) carbon footprint shaped our choice of
an online magazine (as opposed to a printed one), we appreciated the
fact that some people might actually want to print out some (or all)
pages. Finally we came to a conclusion that sticking with the good
11
old A4 paper format would work best for everyone.
September 2012 issue was our first attempt at such a format, we
liked it, and it seemed to work out for the readers too. You can find our
September, October, November and December 2012 issues at our Issuu
page and also on our Education for Sustainability webpage. None of us
working on the magazine was a professional in that line of work—no
one was a professional writer, or a professional editor, or a designer. All
we were was a bunch of enthusiasts eager to share our ideas, views and
interests, hoping to exchange opinions, get some feedback, learn and
teach, inspire and get inspired, connect people, and get connected.
We are still amateurs in this, but we are also more enthusiastic
than ever. We learned a lot during making the first four issues, we
realized that there are endless ways we can tell our story, share our
thoughts, express ourselves. We also realized that we need some sort of
structure that would be flexible enough to nurture creativity, but also
formal enough to give the reader a sense of continuity throughout the
year. We worked hard on the content plan and schedule, we decided to
increase number of pages (and try to keep them more-less at the same
level in each issue) and we agreed to expand the range of topics (but still
remain focused on environmental and sustainability issues and develop-
ments).
Developing this January issue hasn’t been easy—we had to juggle
our daily (work) activities to find the time for the magazine. We loved
every minute of it! It was and it is a constant challenge, and we keep
questioning ourselves (and hopefully improving our work) in attempt to
compile and deliver interesting (and educational) content.
12
We will have 10 monthly issues this year (we’ll have a break in Ju-
ly and August), and we will do our best to bring you about 150 pages of
inspiring content and photography in each issue.
Every month we will explore one World Nature Heritage Site
(UNESCO). We visited some of them last year (and hopefully we will
manage to visit some more throughout this year), we have lovely photos,
we learned a lot, and we’d like to share that with you. This month we are
talking about the Dolomites, an absolutely amazing part of the Alps.
We are introducing several other parts that will be recurring every
month:
→ Sustainable Development and Sustainable Future: In each issue we
will talk about sustainability on different levels, and we will also have
updates from our project Education for Sustainability. This month we
are sharing some information on Urban Sustainability and we are pre-
senting one of our publications, Sustainable Living.
→ Education for Sustainability, Positive Examples: each month we will
present positive examples from countries where sustainability is
(already) a part of schools curricula (in some way). This month we bring
you a positive example from Slovenia.
→ Liveable Cities: we’ll be sharing stories from locals talking urban sus-
tainability, environment, transport, food. This month a young student
France Pecovnik shares his view of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.
→ Our blockbuster choice: every month we share a review of a film
(usually a documentary) that we found particularly interesting,
13
educational and/or thought provoking. We will try to address films that
can watched online (legally) without a charge. This January we bring
you HOME, a beautiful, mesmerizing documentary by Yann Arthus
Bertrand.
→ Delish! - Try out one of the recipes we’ll be sharing every month,
bring you different food cultures, regions and experiences.
Finally, in each issue we will share parts of our Schools’ Newsletters,
something we have been issuing for the past two years - we are already
looking forward to continuing our relationship with schools, teachers,
pupils, parents and communities.
We love working on Nektarina (S)pace magazine, we enjoy every
day, as we select content, as we struggle with editing and layout, as we
learn and grow, as we share experiences, ideas and thoughts.
We do hope you will enjoy this magazine, learn something from it,
experience a different perspective on things, or just enjoy photographs.
If you’d like to share your thoughts with us, become a contributor,
have your photos or articles published, don’t hesitate - send us an email
From our end, we’d like to thank Livia, Sandra, France, Ayesha,
Jessica, Will, Nema, Amanda, Marnie, Lenore, Felicia, Daniel, Philip,
Julika and many others who inspired us, criticized us ;), gave us exam-
ples, learned with us… They all, knowingly or not, left their mark, and
we are grateful for it.
Enjoy the journey!
14
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16
The
Dolomites:
Where
mountains
become
poetry
17
They were named Dolomites after the geologist Déodat de Dolomieu
and in 2009 their unique beauty was recognised by UNESCO which desig-
nated them a world natural heritage property. The inhabitants love their
‘pale mountains’ and not only since they became world famous, for the
majestic rocks have strongly characterised the region and its people since
time immemorial and have made South Tyrol what it is today: a region of
contrasts.
The characteristic rock of the Dolomites consists of fossilised coral
reefs formed during the Triassic Period (around 250 million years ago) by
organisms and sedimentary matter at the bottom of the ancient tropical
Tethys Ocean. The Alps arose as a result of the collision of the African
and European tectonic plates, forcing the rocks at the point of impact to
soar skyward. The western part of the Tethys Ocean, which formerly di-
vided these two continents, disappeared. The Dolomites now stand proud
and distinct from the other limestone Alps. In 1788 the French geologist
Deodat de Dolomieu discovered the properties of this rock, which he
realised was a type of mineral comprising calcium magnesium carbonate
found in varying proportions in the whitish-grey sedimentary limestone
rock of the Dolomite mountains.
The Dolomites have been inhabited since the Iron Age. The Rhae-
tians, Romans and Lombards all left their mark. The oldest permanent set-
tlers are the Ladin people whose vernacular is South Tyrol’s third official
language.
In 2009 the Dolomites were included in the Unesco list of landscapes
deemed especially worthy of protection. Along with the Jungfrau-Aletsch-
Bietschhorn and Monte San Giorgio in Switzerland, the pale mountains
have become the third natural heritage site in the Alps.
18
19
20
The Dolomites are widely regarded as being among the most attrac-
tive mountain landscapes in the world.
Their intrinsic beauty derives from a variety of spectacular vertical
forms such as pinnacles, spires and towers, with contrasting horizontal
surfaces including ledges, crags and plateaux, all of which rise abruptly
above extensive talus deposits and more gentle foothills. A great diversity
of colours is provided by the contrasts between the bare pale-coloured
rock surfaces and the forests and meadows below.
The mountains rise as peaks with intervening ravines, in some plac-
es standing isolated but in others forming sweeping panoramas. Some of
the rock cliffs here rise more than 1,500 m and are among the highest
limestone walls found anywhere in the world. The distinctive scenery of
the Dolomites has become the archetype of a “dolomitic landscape”.
The pale mountains. According to the architect
Le Corbusier the Dolomites are the world’s
finest example of natural architecture.
Dolomites
21
The Dolomites are inhabited by Ladin-speaking people. Fleeing from
migrating Germanic tribes, they populated the Dolomite valleys where the
seclusion enabled them to preserve their traditions, customs and language.
Their tiny hamlets comprising farmhouses huddled together on the
mountainsides are called Viles and hark back to the necessity of surviving as
close-knit communities in the face of the hostile elements. On long winter
evenings some farmers developed skills as wood carvers.
Weaving a story
One of the spectacular features of the Dolomites is the way lush Alpine
pastures suddenly give way to sheer limestone and Dolomite rock faces and
towers. The myriad shapes and forms which reveal the evolution of the Dolo-
mites is fascinating. Around 100 natural monuments are protected, including
plants and landscape features such as earth pyramids, caves and Alpine
lakes.
* * *
Extensive areas of natural and cultivated landscapes have long been protect-
ed in seven nature reserves, four of which are located in the Dolomites. The
aims of the nature reserve concept include providing spaces for recreation
and encouraging people to behave responsibly in their relationship with na-
ture. The nature reserve visitor centres provide interesting information on
each region’s geology, history and environments in a lively manner.
* * *
22
After German and Italian, Ladin is South Tyrol’s third official lan-
guage. It is the region’s ancient language which evolved from Vulgar Latin
and is spoken by around 30,000 people in the valleys around the Sella mas-
sif. The people here preserved their language and developed their individu-
al Ladin culture over centuries in the seclusion of their valleys. Ladin is
one of Europe’s tiniest languages. South Tyrol’s 18,000 Ladin speakers live
above all in Val Gardena/Gröden and Val Badia/Gadertal valleys.
* * *
One of the culinary highlights is the typical Ladin cuisine, simple made from fresh, genuine ingredients.
Turtres da erba (spinach pancakes)
Recipe for 4 persons
Ingredients for the dough: 200 gr of rye flour, 100 gr of white flour, 1 egg,
some tepid water, 30 gr of melted butter, salt
Ingredients for the filling: 150 gr of cooked and minced spinach, (or 150 gr
of mashed potatoes), 150 gr of ricotta, salt, pepper, nutmeg, some oil
Preparation:
Mix carefully all ingredients and you will obtain a farely elastic dough, let
it sit (covered) for one hour. Prepare the filling with spinach and ricotta
(add some oil). Add some salt, pepper and some nutmeg, let everything cool
off. Form thin circles (12 cm) with the dough. Fill the circle of dough with
the prepared filling and cover it with another circle, push carefully with
your fingers along the edge. Deep fry the pancake on both sides in abun-
dant boiling oil.
* * *
23
The inhabitants of the mountains never ventured into the area of
barren rock, for it was said that anybody who did would be punished.
Consequently the first rock climbers were from the cities. From 1800 they
conquered peak after peak with the help of Tyrolean mountain guides,
became heroes and brought fame to the Dolomites. The first Alpine club
opened in London. Finally Tyrolean climbers followed.
* * *
The Tyrolean farmers regularly indulged themselves in a spa holi-
day. However, tourism only really gathered momentum after the Brenner
railway opened in the 1860s. In cities physicians prescribed their rich pa-
tients fresh air, best savoured in the mountains. Grand hotels opened,
good-humoured landladies were on everybody’s lips, scenic roads were
built. Theodor Christomannos was one of the driving forces. He built the
road into the Val d’Ega/Eggental and the luxury Carezza hotel, where
guests sat at their windows and marvelled at the mountain backdrop.
* * *
In South Tyrol culture is everyday culture that people live by, not a
souvenir that holidaymakers can pack in their suitcases and leave to
gather dust at home. The question often arises: what is German, what is
Italian? The tri-lingual region unites the best from the cultures living
here: in Italy’s northernmost province Alpine snugness and congeniality
meets the Mediterranean atmosphere; the down-to-earth approach meets
the dolce vita. However, culture in South Tyrol also means history, illus-
trated by the numerous churches, fortified manor houses and castles
found throughout the region. Contemporary art and architecture provide
a wonderful counterpart.
24
25
26
The South Tyrolean
chestnut experience trail
Ten informative stations line the trail: they focus on the theme of the
chestnut, ranging from history to science to trivia, educating the public
about the significance of the chestnut and the chestnut tree. If you would
like to explore the ten stations in depth, you’ll need about an hour and a
half. The Chestnut Trail is thus suited to hikers of all ages who are inter-
ested in nature. The Chestnut Trail is situated in the middle of Foiana,
above Lana. The starting point of the flat, very manageable path, which is
2 km in length, is visible from a distance: there is an oversized wooden
sculpture of a chestnut casing.
More About Chestnuts
In former, leaner centuries, the noble fruit in its thorny casing served as a
dietary staple: the chestnut and chestnut flour can be used not only for
bread and cakes but also for pasta, gnocchi and polenta. The chestnut was
also used as coffee substitute and its bitter honey is extremely popular to
this day. During times of crisis, the chestnut was used as a protein-rich die-
tary supplement in times, securing the survival of the people. In the nine-
teenth century, there was a disease that killed many of the chestnut trees in
Europe: this led to the decimation of the fruit and to its supersession. The
chestnut became important again only after the world wars.
27
Sustainable South Tyrol
South Tyrol sets a high bar for itself when it comes to conscientious
and environmentally friendly recreation. The province is known far beyond
its borders for its foresight in energy efficient solutions. This expertise has
grown out of experiences living in the Alps.
South Tyrol combines a southern lifestyle with Alpine reliability. The
Dolomites, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site in the summer
of 2009, tower over the province, which is Italy’s northernmost. The land-
scape is also rich in its diversity, encompassing more than 7,400 square kilo-
metres: mountains alternate with valleys, replete with apple trees, mountain
streams give way to mountain lakes.
98% of South Tyrol’s ski areas operate their facilities using electricity
from renewable energy sources. The electrical energy the province obtains
through waterpower not only meets local needs, but is also a major export.
Even the water used for production of artificial snow passes back into the
cycle of nature through the melting of the snow.
In South Tyrol, you can leave the car in the garage. There are numer-
ous alternatives to driving yourself here, since public transport is so well de-
veloped. A single pass is valid throughout the province on trains, buses, and
cable cars so it carries you all the way to your destination.
28
The ski area at the Val Senales (Schnalstal) glacier is known for
having snow 365 days a year. It is precisely because of its unique location,
in the heart of alpine nature, that the Val Senales glacier cable cars have
been geared towards the theme of environmental protection for several
years. A combined heat and power unit and hydroelectric power plant sup-
ply the necessary power for the lifts; in peak hours, additional electricity −
produced exclusively from renewable energy − is bought. An Eco Manage-
ment and Audit Scheme (EMAS) certificate, which is the European Un-
ion’s system for community eco-management and auditing, confirms this.
In addition, Val Senales is the only Italian ski area to be awarded with
the 2011 pro natura – pro ski Award by the Lichtensten-based pro natura
– pro ski Foundation. Skiresort.de also honoured Val Senales − out of a
field of more than 100 ski areas in eleven countries − with a major inter-
national award: Environmentally Friendly Ski Area of 2011.
The village of Plan (Pfelders), located at the back of Val Passiria
(Passeiertal) Valley, has been a soft mobility destination since the year
2007. Its Village Express, a small train on wheels, and two CityBuses al-
low locals and visitors alike to enjoy the picturesque village, which is lo-
cated inside the Gruppo di Tessa (Texelgruppe) Nature Park, free of stress
and with restricted traffic. Thanks to this innovative mobility concept,
visitors can park their cars at the entrance to the village; driving on the
roads is only permitted for residents and guests of lodging establishments
in Plan. No car means no stress: visitors are brought directly to the village
and the slopes. The ski area operates all lifts and snowmaking equipment
using renewable energy from a hydroelectric plant. All of these qualities
together afford the village membership in the Alpine Pearls, an associa-
tion that stands for soft-mobile holidays in the Alps.
29
A car-free policy not only makes a holiday in Plan environmentally
friendly, but also guarantees visitors a calming and relaxing holiday.
Carezza Ski, which lies within a UNESCO World Natural Heritage
Site, boasts an average of eight hours of sun every day of winter, making
it South Tyrol’s sunniest ski area. Here, building in harmony with nature
is of the utmost importance: its new reservoir, for example, is the most en-
vironmentally friendly of its kind. The natural sink, with hard and
sometimes rocky bedrock, makes an ideal reservoir from the hydrogeolog-
ical point of view. The water level makes it possible to fill the reservoir
from the small, pre-existing basin, without additional pressure.
Together with Arosa Ski Area (CH), the ski area of Carezza
(Karersee) plans to increase energy efficiency through joint energy-
saving initiatives and measures. Their Alpine Klimaskigebiete project
will mean the introduction of innovative renewable energy sources. Due
to the substantial number of sunshine hours at both ski areas, the project
aims to harness solar energy and implement photovoltaic systems, with
innovative renewable energy sources such as energy carpets or speed
bumps that gather electrical energy.
South Tyrol combines a southern lifestyle with
Alpine reliability. South Tyrol sets a high bar
for itself when it comes to conscientious and
environmentally friendly recreation.
30
Anyone who wants to explore South Tyrol can do so easily, conven-
iently and in an environmentally friendly way. The Mobilcard affords ad-
venturous visitors unlimited use of all public transport in South Tyrol for
three or seven consecutive days. This includes regional trains from the
Brennero (Brenner) Pass to Trento and from Mals (Malles) to San Candi-
do (Innenchen), local buses (municipal bus lines, intercity buses, and City-
Buses), cable cars to Renon (Ritten), Maranza (Meransen), San Genesio
Atesino (Jenesien), Meltino (Mölten) and Verano (Vöran), the Renon
Tram and the Mendola (Mendel) Funicular.
Cyclists can take advantage of the bikemobil card, which is a combi-
nation train and bus ticket and includes a bicycle rental. Whether you
choose a day pass or a pass that is valid for three or seven consecutive days,
nothing stands in the way of unlimited biking fun. Free use of a bicycle is
included for one day. Rental locations can be found at railway stations and
at various satellite stations, which are marked “Südtirol Rad”. Your rental
bike can be returned to any of the participating companies. Many bicycle
rental centres also rent electric bicycles. These can also be obtained, at an
additional charge, with your bikemobil card.
The latest province-wide advantage pass is the museumobil card.
This card allows visitors to explore South Tyrol’s many wonderful muse-
ums, moving from place to place on public transport. Whether to Bolzano
to see Ötzi the Iceman or to Predoi (Prettau Mine), use of public transport
is unlimited. The museumobil Card entitles the holder to one entrance at
each of the various museums. hese advantage cards are available wherever
the Mobilcard is sold, including local tourist offices.
31
Sculpture Walk Trail
Anyone looking to combine the pleasure of the countryside with art
appreciation will just love this two-hour-long stroll that passes contempo-
rary art installations along the way.
The South Tyrol Sculpture Path in Lana offers people who love both
nature and art the chance to observe how artists from every continent react
to the landscape and to the different situations they encounter along the
way, as well as how they interpret the landscape of the trail en route from
both an individual and artistic point of view. The resulting art stations
were also conceived as rest stops or places of contemplation and insight:
places that stimulate reflection.
In conjunction with walking—at the natural speed of man—the
Sculpture Trail itself turns into a work of art. The artistic interventions at
particular points, intersections and forks in the road were created in order
to contribute a staged progression and forward motion with the assistance
of art. Be sure to walk slowly and take your time, so to fully appreciate the
interplay between nature and sculpture: a treat for the eyes, mind and
soul.
The Route
The Sculpture Trail stretches for kilometres across the entire picturesque
Brandis Waalweg, along the Ländpromenade to protected habitat of Rio
Valsura/Falschauer and through the Gaulschlucht.
32
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40
The
Legend of
King
Laurin and
his rose
garden
41
In ancient times when giants and dwarfs populated the Alpine valleys
the dwarf King Laurin reigned inside the mountain which we now call the
Rosengarten (‘rose garden’). He owned vast treasures though his most im-
portant possession was a magic hat which rendered him invisible. Laurin’s
pride and joy was a magnificent garden in front of the gateway to his for-
tress within the rock.
Countless red roses flowered there the whole year round and they were en-
compassed by a golden thread of silk. Woe betide anybody who dared to
break the thread and pick even a single rose! Laurin threatened to chop off
his left hand and right foot. One day Laurin caught sight of the beautiful
blond Princess Simhild in a neighbouring castle. He fell in love and ab-
ducted her with the help of his magic hat. From then on Simhild lived in
Laurin’s mountain kingdom surrounded by gold, silver and precious stones,
served and guarded by petite maidens of court and dwarf knights. In spite of
such riches and luxury Simhild was sad and was homesick for the flowery
meadows of her home.
In fact it is almost an antagonism if a hard, grey
rock has such a lovely and tender name like
Rosengarten. But the well-known South
Tyrolean Dolomites massif bears this name
because of a special and legendary reason.
42
Grief and horror reigned in her brother Dietlieb’s castle. While
searching for his sister Dietlieb met Dietrich of Bern, King of the Goths.
Dietrich joined Dietlieb and the two parties set off for King Laurin’s realm.
Dietrich marvelled at the luxuriant roses enclosed by a golden thread,
though his companions broke the thread and trampled on the roses. The fu-
rious Laurin charged at them on his white pony demanding the offender’s
hand and foot. An unequal fight ensued. Initially Laurin was able to pro-
tect himself with his magic cap. However, the knights could tell where Lau-
rin was by the movement of the roses. One of them unhorsed him and in
falling Laurin’s magic hat fell off. He lay on the ground helpless and plead-
ed for his life. Shackled, he was forced to lead the victors into his kingdom
where Simhild was set free.
43
Laurin invited Dietrich and his retinue to a banquet. When all had
eaten and drunk their fill a thousand dwarfs suddenly fell upon them and
Dietrich and his company were shackled and locked up in the darkest part
of the kingdom. Dietrich was so angry at this insidious deed that he sum-
moned inhuman power to break open the irons and freed his men. They
broke open all the locks and doors and assailed Laurin’s unsuspecting
dwarfs. Finally they succeeded in capturing the dwarf king. The glory of
the dwarf kingdom had come to an end. The manacled king uttered a curse
to destroy his rose garden. Neither the bright day nor the dark night should
ever again see the magnificence of the roses. Only barren, pale rocks should
remain. But Laurin forgot to include the twilight between day and night.
For this reason, under certain conditions the pale mountains glow red at
sunset.
The alpenglow is called ‘Enrosadüra’ in the
Ladin valleys. Here hundreds of legends tell of
witches, nymphs and moon princesses. The
dwarf king Laurin’s curse makes the
Rosengarten massif near Bolzano glow red in
the evening light. Magical, or a unique natural
spectacle?
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Positive
Example:
Slovenia
57
Education for
Sustainable Development
in Slovenia
The topic of sustainable development and education for sustainable
development (ESD) is present on various levels in the Slovene education
debate. Stakeholders involved in ESD come from different institutions
and organisations, like the NGO sector, different ministries, institutes,
schools, out of school education organisations, etc.
Although the debate is almost omnipresent, it does not result in offi-
cial documentation and practice as much as the global situation demands.
The white book on education, which includes most of the topics on ESD,
was drafted and has been in public consultation since spring 2011. Howev-
er, as the government fell in September 2011 and a new one has been in-
stalled only since February 2012, the question regarding what is going to
happen to the procedure is still pending.
Although the debate is almost
omnipresent, it does not result in official
documentation and practice as much as
the global situation demands.
58
59
60
There are also several documents on ESD that are all non-binding,
such as guidelines for ESD or the cross-curricular subject called Environ-
mental Education, which is defined as one of the additional non-obligatory
subjects on the web page of the Ministry for Education and Sports, etc. In
the elementary education it appears as an inter-subject field, meaning the
teachers include it in teaching specific subjects, daily activities and other
activities in schools.
Elements of environmental education are present in all the three pe-
riods of elementary schooling. In the third period (grades 6 to 9) it can be
taught as a separate, optional subject, which is designed in an interdiscipli-
nary way: It connects and expands knowledge gained in different compul-
sory natural science and social subjects. But it is still optional and not
compulsory, which means it depends on the teacher how much and what to
incorporate in his/her classes. Therefore, not all pupils get this kind of edu-
cation.
In the NGO community, ESD is called also Global Education (GE).
GE is understood and presented even more broadly than traditionally un-
derstood ESD. It focuses on skills and even more on values, topics are pre-
sented as interlinked (development cooperation, peace studies, human
rights, environmental education, climate change, etc), it involves also con-
temporary teaching methods, like the open space methodology, learning by
doing, blurring the border between teachers and students, participatory
learning, research and critical thinking.
However, GE is still implemented on the level of out-of-school activi-
ties or on special occasions, where individual teachers invite speakers to
carry out workshops.
61
Despite its presence in official educational documents, like the curric-
ula, sustainable development is rarely understood with all the three compo-
nents (economic, social and environmental) and it is mostly linked to envi-
ronmental education. Even this theme is mostly related to noticing prob-
lems, rarely encouraging pupils to active engagement in the field. Important
features, such as climate change, are also missing.
A two years educational program for educators was developed by the
University of Ljubljana and it included several topics of sustainable devel-
opment from the three perspectives. The topics were presented using various
methods, in line with ESD and many teachers attended the program. How-
ever, since its end in 2011, no further similar projects emerged.
A cross sector working group led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
the Group for Global Education, is operational. It was established in 2010,
influenced by the NGO community dealing with GE, and, despite some bot-
tlenecks in its functioning, the mere existence and formation of the group is
a positive sign.
It connects and expands knowledge gained in
different compulsory natural science and social
subjects, but it is still optional and not
compulsory, which means it depends on the
teacher how much and what to incorporate in
his / her classes. Therefore, not all pupils get this
kind of education.
62
There are also various voluntary
initiatives and networks of schools,
linked to ESD. These are eco schools
network, UNICEF schools, UNESCO
schools, healthy schools, etc. They de-
pend on individual actors in the
schooling community, the level of en-
gagement and inclusion and the way
sustainable development is incorpo-
rated into educational processes, both
as methods and as contents.
In Slovenia, the ESD is still not
perceived as an integral part of
(formal) education as such, but as an
additional element. In the textbooks,
the elements of sustainable develop-
ment are mentioned as a separate, ad-
ditional part of different chapters. The
trend of strengthening ESD is noticea-
ble, but it is still in the early stages.
Source:
http://www.enjoined.edupolicy.net/files/
SLO_ESD_eng.pdf
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64
65
66
Urban
Sustain
-ability
67
The Philips Center for Health
and Well-Being
Olivier Piccolin, a senior vice president
in charge of Philips's commercial
lighting division:
“Today, new factors demand we urgently change our view of cities
and how they should evolve. First, the urban growth surge, spawning
mega-cities in Asia and other emerging economies, is unlike anything ex-
perienced in history. Secondly, the ecological imperative of reducing ur-
ban consumption of carbon and other resources forces us to find accelerat-
ed solutions. And there's intense pressure on budgets to support the in-
creasing demand for public services in cities, So we must find new defini-
tions of what makes a successful city.
The Center's Livable Cities think tank has begun the task of defin-
ing how a fit-for-the- future city can be created and sustained, in emerg-
ing markets. So 'success' will not be judged solely in terms of economic
growth and efficiency, but will include more subjective factors including
social, economic and environmental resilience, and inclusiveness for all
parts of the population and diversity--as well as remaining authentic dur-
ing transition. Perhaps 'equal opportunity' or 'percentage of green spaces'
will one day sit alongside GDP as a component in future rankings of suc-
cessful cities. “
68
Liveable
Cities:
Ljubljana
69
70
By France Pecovnik
Did you know that Ljubljana classifies as Slovenia's only large
town? It seems as if both the location of the city - in the very centre of
the country - and it's symbol (the Ljubljana Dragon) symbolizes the
same thing - power, courage and greatness.
Ljubljana is very "citizens and environment" oriented city, and sev-
eral years ago, in co-operation with Siemens, the city launched a pro-
gramme Ljubljana, pametno mesto (Ljubljana, smart city). The web site
is in Slovenian only, but you can still check it out at
www.ljubljanapametnomesto.si
71
Ljubljana is also a cyclists' oriented city, for decades, and most people
use bicycles as their main mean of transport, even in the winter months. The
city also provides the possibility to rent a bike. Since mid 2011 a self-service
bicycle rental system offers the residents and tourists about 300 bicycles and
600 parking spots at 31 stations in the wide city area. The daily number of
rentals has amounted to about 2,500 (Ljubljana has about 280,000
inhabitants). The city centre has been closed for car traffic for over five
years now.
Another low carbon way of transport that Ljubljana (and the entire
Slovenia) is very in favour of are trains, connecting Ljubljana to it's suburbs
and the rest of the country. There are numerous programmes, weekly,
monthly and annual passes to ensure people stick with trains as their second
preferred (after bicycles) way of transport.
Still, there is always some room for improvement, especially for the cy-
clists - many cycle lanes are in poor condition and constructed in a way that
privileges the motorized traffic.
Also, contrasting some of the European capitals, cycling is banned
from some of the main streets and there are many one-way streets making it
difficult to cycle in the city centre. The city government and the cyclist
groups are working together to improve those things.
Ljubljana is very "citizens and environment"
oriented city. The city centre has been closed for
car traffic for over five years now.
72
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74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
Green
Economy
83
These articles are reproduced without modifications from their respec-
tive sources, which will be indicated at the end of each article. The purpose
of this excercise is not to reinvent the wheel and come up with things that
have not been said before about green economy, but rather to gather together
a large spectrum of information and make it available for everyone who does
not have the time for an extensive research, in order to highlight the im-
portance of this concept in the current global context.
Defining Green Economy
UNEP has developed a working definition of a green economy as one
that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while signif-
icantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. In its sim-
plest expression, a green economy can be thought of as one which is low
carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive.
Practically speaking, a green economy is one whose growth in in-
come and employment is driven by public and private investments that re-
duce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and resource effi-
ciency, and prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. These
investments need to be catalyzed and supported by targeted public expendi-
ture, policy reforms and regulation changes. This development path should
maintain, enhance and, where necessary, rebuild natural capital as a criti-
cal economic asset and source of public benefits, especially for poor people
whose livelihoods and security depend strongly on nature.
84
WRI Managing Director Manish Bapna
responds to some of the most commonly-
asked questions regarding Green Economy
What is a Green Economy?
A Green Economy can be thought of as an alternative vision for
growth and development; one that can generate growth and improvements in
people’s lives in ways consistent with sustainable development. A Green
Economy promotes a triple bottom line: sustaining and advancing economic,
environmental and social well-being.
The prevailing economic growth model is focused on increasing GDP
above all other goals. While this system has improved incomes and reduced
poverty for hundreds of millions, it comes with significant and potentially
irreversible social, environmental and economic costs. Poverty persists for as
many as two and a half billion people, and the natural wealth of the planet
is rapidly being drawn down. In a recent global assessment, approximately
60% of the world’s ecosystem services were found to be degraded or used un-
sustainably. The gap between the rich and poor is also increasing – between
1990 and 2005, income inequality (measured by the gap between the highest
and lowest income earners) rose in more than two thirds of countries.
85
The persistence of poverty and degradation of the environment can be
traced to a series of market and institutional failures that make the prevail-
ing economic model far less effective than it otherwise would be in advanc-
ing sustainable development goals. These market and institutional failures
are well known to economists, but little progress has been made to address
them. For example, there are not sufficient mechanisms to ensure that pol-
luters pay the full cost of their pollution.
There are “missing markets” – meaning that markets do not systemati-
cally account for the inherent value of services provided by nature, like wa-
ter filtration or coastal protection. A “market economy” alone cannot pro-
vide public goods, like efficient electricity grids, sanitation or public trans-
portation. And economic policy is often shaped by those who wield power,
with strong vested interests, and rarely captures the voice and perspectives
of those most at risk. A Green Economy attempts to remedy these problems
through a variety of institutional reforms and regulatory, tax, and expendi-
ture-based economic policies and tools.
While the prevailing economic growth model focuses on increasing
GDP above all other goals, a Green Economy promotes a triple bottom line:
sustaining and advancing economic, environmental and social well-being.
A Green Economy promotes a triple bottom line:
sustaining and advancing economic,
environmental and social well-being.
86
What does a Green Economy look like?
The transition to a Green Economy has a long way to go, but several
countries are demonstrating leadership by adopting national “green growth”
or “low carbon” economic strategies.
There are many examples of successful, large-scale programs that in-
crease growth or productivity and do so in a sustainable manner.
For example:
→ The Republic of Korea has adopted a national strategy and a five-year
plan for green growth for the period 2009–2013, allocating 2 per cent of its
gross domestic product to investment in several green sectors such as renew-
able energy, energy efficiency, clean technology and water. The government
has also launched the Global Green Growth Institute which aims to help
countries (especially developing countries) develop green growth strategies.
→ In Mexico City, crippling congestion led to a major effort to promote
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a sophisticated bus system that uses dedicated
lanes on city streets. Significant public investment in the BRT has reduced
commuting times and air pollution and improved access to public transit
for those less able to afford private cars. This remarkable success is now be-
ing replicated in cities across Mexico and has led to investment from the
federal government in urban public transit for the first time.
87
→ China now invests more than any other country in renewable energy. Its
total installed wind capacity grew 64 percent in 2010. This growth is driven
by a national policy that sees clean energy as a major market in the near fu-
ture, and one in which China wants to gain a competitive edge.
→ Namibia is managing its natural resources to generate economic, social,
and environmental benefits. Local communities across the country are
granted the right to use and capitalize on the benefits of using wildlife and
other natural resources within the boundaries of “communal conservan-
cies.” With an economic incentive to sustainably manage these areas, food
and employment is being provided for hundreds of thousands of Namibians
in rural areas. More than half of the jobs are filled by women, and wildlife
populations have increased.
→ Businesses are increasingly leading progress toward a Green Economy.
For example, the carpet company Interface FLOR is improving its compet-
itive positioning in this normally petroleum-intensive industry by focusing
on how sustainability can enhance its business model. The company is
working towards a closed loop system, meaning that its waste products are
also its manufacturing inputs. Its company culture reinforces its goals –
when employees know they are making a difference in the world, they tend
to work harder and be better at their jobs, making the enterprise more pro-
ductive. Interface’s CEO, Ray Anderson, has said “If we can do it, anyone
can. And if anyone can, everyone can.”
The transition to a Green Economy has a long
way to go.
88
89
90
How does Green Economy differ from pre-
vious efforts to promote sustainability –
what is new?
In many ways, Green Economy objectives simply support those already
articulated for the broader goal of sustainable development. But this new
framing responds to two recent developments.
First, there is a deeper appreciation today by many governments, com-
panies, civil society and the public that we are reaching planetary limits,
not just in terms of greenhouse gas emissions but also in our use of water,
land, forests and other natural resources. The environmental and social
costs of our current economic model are becoming more and more apparent.
Second, and perhaps even more important, the global recession has led
to a reconsideration of key tenets of the current economic model – such as
the primacy of growth and the belief in light-touch regulation. In openly
questioning the strength of the status quo, many public- and private-sector
leaders are seeking:
A Green Economy attempts to remedy problems
through a variety of institutional reforms and
regulatory, tax, and expenditure-based economic
policies and tools.
91
→ Policies and regulations that can identify and manage financial and
other risks more effectively
→ New markets and industries that can create good, long-term jobs
→ Public support for innovation to position a country to compete in to-
morrow’s markets.
These developments point to the need for new sources of growth that
are environmentally sustainable – for example, employment in high-
growth sectors such as clean energy. Past sustainability efforts have not
focused sufficiently on fixing the failures of economic policies such as
pricing pollution. But we now have a chance to tackle these challenging
problems given the policy openings created by the response to the finan-
cial crisis. A good example is Korea’s adoption of a national green growth
strategy (described before).
Some see marrying sources of new growth with sustainability as the
future. Why is China investing in wind? To win tomorrow’s markets, not
necessarily to compete in today’s. As the late C. K. Prahalad – a visionary
on corporate strategy ―was fond of saying, “we need to move from seeing
sustainability as a cost or hindrance to realizing that it’s a key driver of
innovation”.
These developments point to the need for new
sources of growth that are environmentally
sustainable.
92
What are some of the concerns and
tensions with the concept of a
Green Economy?
One question people ask is “can we afford this?” We’re still in the wake
of the global financial crisis and many people perceive Green Economy solu-
tions as expensive. The United States is asking itself whether it can afford to
put a price on carbon today. Developing countries are concerned that transi-
tioning to a Green Economy will hinder economic growth and the ability to
reduce poverty.
Moreover, there will be short-term, nontrivial losses associated with
changes in industry and market structure (e.g., a decline of the coal industry
and related job losses.) Supporting those actors who will bear the brunt of
the transition will be critical to building broad ownership for a Green Econ-
omy.
Some countries feel that they are lagging in green technology
know-how and therefore will be at a competitive disadvantage in the race for
future markets. Others feel that the Green Economy is a pretense for rich
countries to erect “green” trade barriers on developing country exports. These
are all legitimate concerns that deserve attention.
Ultimately, a hard-nosed economic analysis should inform decisions on
what policies and investments to promote today. When the full costs and ben-
efits over time are taken into account however, many Green Economy solu-
tions will be seen as more attractive. Nevertheless, there will still be difficult
choices and tradeoffs.
93
For example, should India aggressively promote grid-connected, relatively
expensive solar power when hundreds of millions in the country still have
no access to electricity? And even where Green Economy solutions make
economic sense, they may be politically challenging. The transition to a
Green Economy will not be easy.
We are still in the wake of the global financial
crisis and many people perceive Green Economy
solutions as expensive.
94
What are the challenges to
a transition to a Green Economy,
and what will make it possible?
The principal challenge is how we move towards an economic system
that will benefit more people over the long run. Transitioning to a Green
Economy will require a fundamental shift in thinking about growth and
development, production of goods and services, and consumer habits. This
transition will not happen solely because of better information on impacts,
risks or good economic analysis; ultimately, it is about politics and chang-
ing the political economy of how big decisions are made.
The problem is vested interests. Those who benefit from the status quo
are either overrepresented in or have greater access to institutions that
manage natural resources and protect the environment. U.S. climate legis-
lation, for example, was defeated in no small part by resistance from fossil-
fuel based energy advocates.
Transition to a Green Economy will require a
fundamental shift in thinking about growth and
development, production of goods and services,
and consumer habits.
95
The following steps would help create a more level policy-making palying
field:
→ Increase public awareness and the case for change. Greater visibility on
the need for this transition can motivate voters and consumers - not just be-
cause of the costs but also the economic benefits generated by a Green Econ-
omy, such as new jobs and new markets. People will not adopt policies be-
cause they are green. They will do so when they believe it is in their inter-
est.
→ Promote new indicators that complement GDP. Planning agencies and
finance ministries should adopt a more diverse and representative set of eco-
nomic indicators that focus less exclusively on growth and track the pace
and progress of development.
→ Open up government decision-making processes to the public and civil
society. This would help ensure policies are accountable to the public and
not to vested and well-connected interests
→ Identify and take advantage of political leadership when available as
this will be crucial in order to limit the undue influence of “dirty” economic
holdouts.
Timing is everything when it comes to big policy reforms. Green
Economy advocates will need to be ready when that window of opportunity
presents itself. Ultimately, the widespread transition to a Green Economy
will depend on whether or not the long-term public interest is reflected in
today’s economic policies.
96
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98
World
Economic
Forum
99
A very special event is taking place these days (23-27 January) in Da-
vos, Switzerland. It is the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting and
important international figures from the political and economic world are
meeting to discuss the hottest topics of the moment relating to how the
world economy is advancing and what solutions can be tackled in the fu-
ture for the problems that we are facing. On the event’s webpage the follow-
ing statement is given:
“For over 40 years, the mission of the World Economic Forum – com-
mitted to improving the state of the world – has driven the design and de-
velopment of the Annual Meeting programme. The Annual Meeting re-
mains the foremost creative force for engaging leaders in collaborative ac-
tivities focused on shaping the global, regional and industry agendas. To-
day, we live in the most complex, interdependent and interconnected era in
human history. We are increasingly confronted by major adaptive chal-
lenges as well as profound transformational opportunities. This new lead-
ership context requires successful organizations to master strategic agility
and to build risk resilience.”
An overview of the event can be consulted at:
http://www3.weforum.org/docs/AM13/EF_AM13_ExecutiveSummary.pdf
Today we live in the most complex,
interdependent and interconnected era in
human history.
100
But how does this and the Forum in general relate to our issue at hand, sus-
tainability? Does it, indeed?
Well, for one thing, we are promoting our “Education 4 Sustainabil-
ity” project in the spirit that today’s young people – tomorrow’s adults and
decision-makers – should learn in school about sustainability in all its
forms (environmental, social and, yes, economical). So that when they grow
up they are not only able to live in a world where all natural resources that
we have enjoyed are still available, but also to understand the mechanisms
of an economy that undoubtedly is already changing and will continue to do
so in the future. And the way it will be shaped will influence the very core
of their lifestyles.
So yes, organisations and events such as the World Economic Forum
Annual Meeting should be watched closely because they have the potential
to change the course of future sustainability. In the last years the ever-so-
present dispute ”environment vs economic developement” has been continu-
ously diminnished by the intriguing cohabitation of the two notions into
the “Green Economy” syntax. So far it does seem that this tandem is work-
ing, as the sector of Green Economy is increasing its share every day, but
only time will say if this has been the miracle sustainability option that
everyone was hoping for.
This year’s theme: Resilient Dynamism, speaks
to a more balanced world, one that continues to
innovate without creating bubbles and achieves
widespread prosperity without consuming more
natural resources that the planes has or can
generate.
101
In the meantime, an article on GreenBiz.com by Aron Cramer
(president and CEO of BSR , recognized globally as an authority on corpo-
rate responsibility by leaders in business and NGOs and by his peers in the
field) talks exactly about our topic: “Davos 2013: The building blocks for a
sustainable future?” Below are some excerpts from the article, that is availa-
ble in full at: http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2013/01/23/davos-2013-building-
blocks-sustainable-future.
“The World Economic Forum’s 2013 meeting in Davos kicked off this
week amidst ongoing stagnation in the world’s economy. This will be the
fifth Davos since the global financial crisis took hold. And while 2013’s
stagnation is far preferable to the fear and loathing that permeated Davos in
2009, the leaders who gather here this week continue to grasp for answers.
This year’s theme, Resilient Dynamism, speaks to a more balanced
world: one that continues to innovate without creating bubbles and achieves
widespread prosperity without consuming more natural resources than the
planet has or can regenerate.
Each Davos is different, and it is impossible for one person to truly
understand the entire event: After all, there are 2,500 official attendees and
probably twice as many aides circling the perimeter.
Government leaders who actually make sustainable growth a priority.
With the U.S., E.U., and Japan caught in a low-growth trap, and Brazil and
India slowing, growth at any cost appears high on the agenda. In fact, there
are some governments slightly off the main stage making green growth a
priority, namely the South Koreans and the Danes, who are spearheading
the Global Green Growth Initiative. It’s time for the biggest players, though,
to get off the sidelines and revitalize their efforts to catalyze investments in
green infrastructure, technology transfers and renewable energy.
102
Collaborations that can go to scale: While Davos has the image of al-
pha males and females strutting their stuff, it is actually partnership cen-
tral, with many interesting collaborations developed and showcased. I’ll be
participating, for example, in efforts to advance WEF’s New Vision for Ag-
riculture, which has powerful partnerships up and running in 10 countries
to align nutrition, sustainability, and economic development at the farm
level. This is but one example of the kinds of collaborations that are need-
ed, with renewed collaboration needed most around climate, to jump-start
policy discussions.
103
An understanding of how empowered individuals are part of the sys-
tem represented in Davos: Davos is in some ways the original social network,
though certainly not on the scale of Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Inter-
esting efforts have been made in the past couple of years to broaden the net-
work, namely, including the establishment of a community of ‘Global Shap-
ers:’ social entrepreneurs, activists, artists, and thinkers under the age of 30.
For many, Davos appears to be a top-down event in an increasingly bottom-
up world.”
104
The
Bookshelf:
Small is
Beautiful
105
106
By Jonathon Porrit / abridged
“Small is beautiful” is forty years old. When it was first published,
there was no instant fanfare, no rave reviews. To begin with, sales were
very modest, but increased steadily every quarter until both the book and
its enormously popular title were suddenly everywhere.
And they still are, forty years on. Countless people in dozens of dif-
ferent countries have been deeply inspired by this little book, impressed
by the clarity of its key ideas, and moved to do more in their own homes
or work places as a direct consequence of it.
The achievement is all the more astonishing in that “Small is beau-
tiful” is essentially a collection of essays and speeches written and given
over a number of years, more or less cobbled together as a series of over-
lapping snapshots. But even the repetition seems to work, re-presenting
the same issues from quite different perspectives depending on the target
audience or literary outlet.
Overall, Fritz Schumacher was a great synthesizer, bringing many
disparate concerns within the same frame of reference. He was the first of
the “holistic thinkers” of the modern Green Movement.
Everything he wrote forty years ago is just as relevant today, and the
refusal of contemporary economists and politicians to take it on board re-
mains all but inexplicable. As he argues so passionately, the cardinal er-
ror of our whole industrial way of life is the way in which we continue to
treat irreplaceable natural capital as reserve.
“Fossil fuels are merely a part of the “natural capital” which we
steadfastly insist on treating as expendable, as if it were income,
107
and by no means the most important part. If we squander our fossil
fuels, we threaten civilisation; but if we squander the capital
represented by living nature around us, we threaten life itself” .
On this and many other matters, Fritz Schumacher blazed a trail that
still provides the only alternative to the anachronistic advocacy of full
employment in an age of robotisation and “mobile capital” pursuing ever
cheaper labour costs.
On some other issues, however, his views have not weathered quite so
well. Like every other environmentalist writing in the early seventies,
Schumacher was convinced of the imminence of serious oil shortages and
deeply fearful of the economic and social dislocation that these would
cause. Forty years on, the emphasis now is not on oil running out , but ra-
ther on the environmental damage that will be done if they continue to be
used up at current rates.
* * *
It is intriguing to remember that small wasn’t always beautiful in
Schumacher’s eyes:
“ What I wish to emphasise is the duality of the human requirement
when it comes to the question of size: there is no single answer. For his
different purposes man needs many different structures, both small ones
and large ones, some exclusive and some comprehensive. For constructive
work, the principle task is always the restoration of some kind of balance.
Today, we suffer from an almost universal idolatry of giantism. It is
therefore necessary to insist on the virtues of smallness—where this
applies.”
108
Our
Blockbuster:
HOME
109
110
By Polly Cook
When you sit down to watch a documentary on climate change you ex-
pect pretty much the same thing. Impressive computerised images used to
show where our planet might be in ten year's time. Crammed with science
and graphs. Clever, and shocking but rarely doing anything different. This
film however, is in a different league.
Most of the footage is shot from above - which makes for quite simply,
awesome viewing. Yann Arthus-Bertrand, a French photographer famous
for his ‘Earth from above' footage, filmed the documentary in 54 different
countries all over the world, managing to reach and capture even the most
remote of places.
Home is gracefully narrated by Glenn Close, the script is straightfor-
ward and content heavy, yet beautifully written, giving just the right about
of information exactly when you want it. It gradually unfolds a story, start-
ing with the birth of Earth, and then moves onto how it developed, how it
flourished, and at the rate we're going, humanity becoming the eventual
death of it.
But what sets this film apart from others, is how much material it co-
vers. It didn't stop at filming polar bears swimming in vast open water or at
someone taking a chainsaw to the roots of a tree in the middle of the Ama-
zon. Bertrand used bird's eye view footage of the frozen lakes in Siberia,
the practically non-existent River Jordon, the cultivation of soya in the
rainforests and mass cattle herding.
111
He captured the intertwining crammed roads in Los Angeles, the ro-
botic ‘invention' of Dubai, and the soaring sky scrapers in China, built on
land that only forty years ago was a fishing village. It is these shots, among
so many others, makes Home the all encompassing, innovative film it is.
Bertrand looks at the bigger picture - not just what is happening, but
how and why. He explores our greed for meat, oil, wealth and the utter ig-
norance that surrounds development. He presents information people
wouldn't know from just watching the odd TV programme. Sure, we all
know oil is running out. But Home confronts the problems with eucalyptus
monocultures, shrimp farming and how climate change is creating more so-
cial divides between rich and poor than ever before. In fact, there isn't
much this film doesn't touch on.
However, for the wealth of information given to the audience in this
documentary, it is not surprising that there are moments (for me it was
when I saw a shanty town being shadowed by an oil plant) it seems there is
no hope, and you feel like jacking it all in and giving up trying.
That is, until the dystopian mood of the film mutates into something
quite different, declaring over and over 'It is too late to be pessimistic'. It
concludes presenting a whole reel of things humanity has done in an at-
tempt to stop climate change: responsible consumerism, wind farms, solar
power and climate change education. But most importantly, the fact that
most of the world is now at least recognising we have a problem.
When the credits start rolling, you come away with these fantastic
images floating around in your head, reminding you of how beautiful this
planet actually is. What's more, you want to do your bit to save it. At least,
that is the hope.
112
HOME has a very clear message. We have a greater impact on the
Earth than it can bear. We over-consume and are depleting the Earth's
resources. From the air, it's easy to see the Earth's wounds. So, HOME
simply sets out our current situation, while saying that a solution exists.
The film's subtitle could be It's Too Late To Be A Pessimist. We
have reached a crossroads; important decisions must be taken to change
our world. Everybody knows about what the film says, but nobody wants
to believe it. So HOME adds its weight to the argument of environmental
organizations that we need to revert to a more commonsensical approach
and change our consumer way of life.
113
In the past 200,000 years, humans have upset the balance of planet
Earth, a balance established by nearly four billion years of evolution. We
must act now. It is too late to be a pessimist. The price is too high. Humanity
has little time to reverse the trend and change its patterns of consumption.
Through visually stunning footage from over fifty countries, all shot
from an aerial perspective, Yann Arthus–Bertrand shows us a view most of
us have never seen. He shares with us his sense of awe about our planet and
his concern for its health. With this film, Arthus-Bertrand hopes to provide
a stepping-stone to further the call to action to take care of our HOME.
HOME is the first film that has been made using aerial-only footage.
The film marks artist-activist Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s feature film direc-
torial debut.
HOME the movie is carbon offset. All of the CO2 emissions engendered
by the making of the film are calculated and offset by sums of money that
are used to provide clean energy to those who do not have any. For the last
ten years, all the work of Yann Arthus-Bertrand has been carbon offset.
HOME is available online for free:
www.homethemovie.org
www.youtube.com/user/homeproject
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_(2009_film)
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Birds in
Winter
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What to do and what not to do
when caring about birds in wintertime
During cold winter months water starts to freeze, and berries be-
come scarce. Other food is hidden and trapped by ice, snow and hard
ground. But it's easy for you to attract birds to your garden, and help
them get through the tough winter months, by following these easy tips.
Do’s
Do put out food containing saturated fat
Do put out fatballs, dried fruit, sunflower hearts, peanuts, mild cheese,
soft fruit, porridge oats and unsalted nuts
Do put out mealworms, soft fruit, seeds and grain, cooked rice, cooked
pasta, inside of cooked potato and pastry
Do put out water for birds to bath and drink, with a twig or ping-pong
ball in to stop it freezing
Do clean the bird feeder or table regularly to avoid bacteria build-ups
Do set feeders up in quiet areas close to trees
Do try to fill the feeders around midday
Do plant a prickly bush either around the bird feeder or table or nearby
to stop other animals taking he food and for birds to hide in
Do put up a bird box for smaller birds to shelter in and for birds to mate
later on
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117
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Don’t’s
Don’t put out the remnants and leftovers of your Christmas turkey
Don’t put out stale bread as it lacks nutrients
Don’t put out food with lots of wheat if you would rather not attract wood
pigeons
Don’t use antifreeze products to keep water for birds from freezing
Don’t panic if you notice a change in bird’s behaviour, this is normal
Don’t let any food spill on to the ground near feeders as it attracts unwant-
ed pests
Don’t put salt or sugar in to water to stop it freezing
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Make your own bird cake
What you need:
Good quality bird seeds
Raisins
Peanuts
Grated cheese
Suet or lard
String
Yoghurt pot
Orange halves
What to do:
1. Carefully make a small hole in the bottom of a yoghurt pot. Thread
string through the hole and tie a knot on the inside. Leave enough string
so that you can tie the pot to a tree or your bird table.
2. Allow the lard to warm up to room temperature, but don’t melt it. Then
cut it up into small pieces and put it in the mixing bowl.
3. Add the other ingredients to the bowl and mix them together. Keep
adding the seed/raisin/cheese mixture and keep squeezing it until the fat
holds it all together.
4. Fill your yoghurt pots with bird cake mixture and put them in the
fridge to set for an hour or so.
5. Hand your bird cake from the bird table.
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Sustainable Living
A compilation of info
Free e-publication
In September 2012 we published a compilation of information on
Sustainable Living. On thirty something pages we bring you a mélange
of photographs and some basics about Sustainable Living - its defini-
tion and dimensions, among which:
Shelter & Energy
Food
Transportation
Water
Waste
The publication is available online, and is free for download as a
pdf, hence suitable for most portable devices:
http://www.issuu.com/nektarinapublishing/docs/sustainable_living
124
Home
Schooling
125
Homeschooling or homeschool (also called home education or home
based learning) is the education of children at home, typically by parents
or by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private
school. Although prior to the introduction of compulsory school attend-
ance laws, most childhood education occurred within the family or com-
munity, homeschooling in the modern sense is an alternative in developed
countries to attending public or private schools. Homeschooling is a legal
option for parents in many countries, allowing them to provide their chil-
dren with a learning environment as an alternative to public or private
schools outside the individual's home.
Parents give many different reasons for homeschooling their chil-
dren. The three reasons selected by parents of more than two-thirds of stu-
dents were concern about the school environment, to provide religious or
moral instruction, and dissatisfaction with the academic instruction avail-
able at other schools. From 2003 to 2007, the percentage of students whose
parents reported homeschooling to provide religious or moral instruction
increased from 72 percent to 83 percent. In 2007, the most common reason
parents gave as the most important was a desire to provide religious or
moral instruction (36 percent of students). This reason was followed by a
concern about the school environment (such as safety, drugs, or negative
peer pressure) (21 percent), dissatisfaction with academic instruction (17
percent), and "other reasons" including family time, finances, travel, and
distance (14 percent). Other reasons include more flexibility in education-
al practices and family core stability for children with learning disabili-
ties or prolonged chronic illnesses, or for children of missionaries, mili-
tary families, or families who move often, as frequently as every two years.
(NB All percentages are for USA only)
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Numerous studies may suggest that homeschooled students on average
outperform their peers on standardized tests. Homeschooling Achievement,
a compilation of studies published by the Home School Legal Defense As-
sociation, supported the academic integrity of homeschooling. This booklet
summarized a 1997 study by Ray and the 1999 Rudner study. The Rudner
study noted two limitations of its own research: it is not necessarily repre-
sentative of all homeschoolers and it is not a comparison with other
schooling methods. Among the homeschooled students who took the tests,
the average homeschooled student outperformed his public school peers by
30 to 37 percentile points across all subjects. The study also indicates that
public school performance gaps between minorities and genders were virtu-
ally non-existent among the homeschooled students who took the tests.
A study conducted in 2008 found that 11,739 homeschooled students,
on average, scored 37 percentile points above public school students on
standardized achievement tests. This is consistent with the Rudner study
(1999). However, Rudner has said that these same students in public school
may have scored just as well because of the dedicated parents they had. The
Ray study also found that homeschooled students who had a certified
teacher as a parent scored one percentile lower than homeschooled students
who did not have a certified teacher as a parent.
In 2011 Martin-Chang found that unschooling children ages 5-10
scored significantly below traditionally educated children, while academi-
cally oriented home schooled children scored from one half grade level
above to 4.5 grade levels above traditionally school children on standard-
ized tests (n=37 home schooled children matched with children from the
same socioeconomic and educational background).
In the 1970s Raymond S. and Dorothy N. Moore conducted four fed-
erally funded analyses of more than 8,000 early childhood studies, from
127
Their reason was that children, "are not mature enough for formal
school programs until their senses, coordination, neurological development
and cognition are ready." They concluded that the outcome of forcing chil-
dren into formal schooling is a sequence of "1) uncertainty as the child
leaves the family nest early for a less secure environment, 2) puzzlement at
the new pressures and restrictions of the classroom, 3) frustration because
unready learning tools – senses, cognition, brain hemispheres, coordina-
tion – cannot handle the regimentation of formal lessons and the pressures
they bring, 4) hyperactivity growing out of nerves and jitter, from frustra-
tion, 5) failure which quite naturally flows from the four experiences
above, and 6) delinquency which is failure's twin and apparently for the
same reason." According to the Moores, "early formal schooling is burning
out our children. Teachers who attempt to cope with these youngsters also
are burning out." Aside from academic performance, they think early for-
mal schooling also destroys "positive sociability", encourages peer depend-
ence, and discourages self-worth, optimism, respect for parents, and trust
in peers. They believe this situation is particularly acute for boys because
of their delay in maturity. The Moores cited a Smithsonian Report on the
development of genius, indicating a requirement for "1) much time spent
with warm, responsive parents and other adults, 2) very little time spent
with peers, and 3) a great deal of free exploration under parental guid-
ance." Their analysis suggested that children need "more of home and less
of formal school" "more free exploration with... parents, and fewer
they published their original findings in Better Late Than Early, 1975.
This was followed by School Can Wait, a repackaging of these same find-
ings designed specifically for educational professionals. They concluded
that, "where possible, children should be withheld from formal schooling
until at least ages eight to ten."
128
limits of classroom and books," and "more old fashioned chores – children
working with parents – and less attention to rivalry sports and amuse-
ments
John Taylor later found, using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-
Concept Scale, "while half of the conventionally schooled children
scored at or below the 50th percentile (in self-concept), only 10.3% of the
home-schooling children did so." He further stated that "the self-concept
of home-schooling children is significantly higher statistically than that
of children attending conventional school. This has implications in the
areas of academic achievement and socialization which have been found
to parallel self-concept. Regarding socialization, Taylor's results would
mean that very few home-schooling children are socially deprived. He
states that critics who speak out against homeschooling on the basis of
social deprivation are actually addressing an area which favors home-
schoolers.
In 2003, the National Home Education Research Institute conducted a
survey of 7,300 U.S. adults who had been homeschooled (5,000 for more
than seven years). Their findings included:
Homeschool graduates are active and involved in their communities.
71% participate in an ongoing community service activity, like coach-
ing a sports team, volunteering at a school, or working with a church
or neighborhood association, compared with 37% of U.S. adults of sim-
ilar ages from a traditional education background.
Homeschool graduates are more involved in civic affairs and vote in
much higher percentages than their peers. 76% of those surveyed be-
tween the ages of 18 and 24 voted within the last five years, compared
with only 29% of the corresponding U.S. populace.
129
Opposition to homeschooling comes from some organizations of teachers
and school districts. The National Education Association, a United States
teachers' union and professional association, opposes homeschooling.
Criticisms by such opponents include:
Inadequate standards of academic quality and comprehensiveness
Lack of socialization with peers of different ethnic and religious back-
grounds
The potential for development of religious or social extremism/
individualism
Potential for development of parallel societies that do not fit into stand-
ards of citizenship and community
Stanford University political scientist Professor Rob Reich (not to be con-
fused with former U.S. Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich) wrote in The
Civic Perils of Homeschooling (2002) that homeschooling can potentially
give students a one-sided point of view, as their parents may, even unwit-
tingly, block or diminish all points of view but their own in teaching. He
also argues that homeschooling, by reducing students' contact with peers,
reduces their sense of civic engagement with their community.
Homeschooling is legal in many countries. Countries with the most
prevalent home education movements include Australia, Canada, New
Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Some countries have
highly regulated home education programs as an extension of the compul-
sory school system; others, such as Sweden and Germany, have outlawed it
entirely. Brazil has a law project in process. In other countries, while not
restricted by law, homeschooling is not socially acceptable or considered
undesirable and is virtually non-existent.
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131
132
Delish!
Pasta e
Fagioli
133
There are probably zillion of variations to this great staple (and comfort)
food, but here is how we did it: cook pasta (any kind, just not spaghetti or
other "long ones" like fettucine, or tagliattelle) al dente, set aside. While
the pasta is cooking, chop thinly one small onion (we tried this also
without onion - just as tasty), simmer on a bit of oil until it looks "glassy",
then add beans (cook them beforehand or buy in a tin - always better if you
cook the yourself), season (we added just a dash of black pepper, bay leaves
and three spoonfulls of home made tomato paste) and continue to simmer
for another 15-20 minutes (cover the pan to save on energy). Add pasta, stir
well, taste - add more seasoning if you'd like, and enjoy!
January Recipe of the month
Pasta e Fagioli
(Pasta and Beans)
Traditional meatless Italian dish. Like many
other Italian favorites including pizza and
polenta, the dish started as a peasant dish, being
composed of inexpensive ingredients.
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136
Low Carbon and Delicious
Explore the Mediterranean
E-cookbook
(free for download)
In May 2011 we published Low Carbon and
Delicious e-cookbook, with a great set of recipes
from every country on the Mediterranean.
Whether you are a vegan, a vegetarian or an
omnivore, you will find something delicious (and
simple) to make.
While we are working on our next cookbook,
do browse this one, read it and use it online, or
download it for offline use. Its pdf format should
make it easy to use on most portable devices as
well.
The e-cookbook link:
http://issuu.com/nektarinapublishing/docs/
low_carbon_and_delicious
Enjoy!
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138
Coming up
In
February
Issue
139
The Alps and Sustainability
The Bookshelf: Bill McKibben / Eaarth
Glacial Lakes
Liveable cities:
Stockholm
World Heritage Site:
Primeval beech forests of the Carpathians
and the ancient beech forest in Germany
Positive Examples: The Netherlands,
The Programme “Learning for Sustainable
Development”
The Alliance of Civilizations
and much more!
140
141
142
Notes and Acknowledgments
Content /
Green Economy Compiled by Livia Minca
Sources: www.unep.org/greeneconomy
www.wri.org/stories/2011/04/qa-what-
green-economy
World Economic Forum Compiled by Livia Minca
Positive Examples: Education
for Sustainability in Slovenia Compiled by Livia Minca
Sources: www.enjoined.edupolicy.net/files/
SLO_ESD_eng.pdf
The Dolomites (until page 43) Compiled by Sandra Antonovic
Sources: www.altabadia.org
www.suedtirol.info
www.south-tirol.com
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1237
Our Blockbuster Compiled by Yula Pannadopoulos
Sources: www.homethemovie.org
Polly Cook article source: www.theecologist.org/reviews/
films/272468/
home_by_yann_arthusbertrand
143
The Bookshelf: Small is
Beautiful Abridged introduction by
Jonathon Porrit
Source: Small is Beautiful
Published by Vintage Books
ISBN 0-099-22561-1
Delish! By Yula Pannadopoulos
Birds in Winter
Source: www.countryfile.com
Homeschooling
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Home
schooling
Urban Sustainability
Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/
international/archive/2011/04/
sustainable-cities-what-makes-
urban-areas-around-the-world-
successful/237668/
http://www.philips-thecenter.org/
144
Notes and Acknowledgments
Photos /
The Dolomites, photo essay Cover photo
Pages 4/5
Pages 14/15
Pages 18/19
Pages 24/25
Pages 32/33
Pages 34/35
Pages 36/37
Pages 38/39
Pages 44/45
Pages 46/47
Pages 48/49
Pages 50/51
Pages 52/53
Pages 54/55
Pages 140/141
All photography by Sandra Antonovic
Slovenia Pages 58/59
Pages 64/65
All photography by Sandra Antonovic
145
Ljubljana, photo essay Page 71
Pages 74/75
Pages 76/77
Pages 78/79
Pages 80/81
Pages 82/83
All photography by Sandra Antonovic
Nektarina Non Profit does not own the following photographs:
Page 42
Page 95
Pages 98/99
Pages 104/105
Page 107
Page 111
Page 114
Page 120
Sources:
www.yannarthusbertrand.org
mexicotooday.org
commons.wikimedia.org
stconsultant.blogspot.com
haringeygreens.blogspot.com
www.shannonbusta.com
www.countryfile.com
All other photos and images by Sandra Antonovic
146
147
148
149
150
NEKTARINA (S)PACE IS A WEB MAGAZINE PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY
NEKTARINA NON PROFIT,
A NON GOVERNMENTAL, NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION
REGISTERED IN CROATIA.
WWW.NEKTARINANONPROFIT.COM
ISSN 1847-6694
www.nektarinanonprofit.org
www.education4sustainability.org
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