We live in the age of the tyranny of the ‘now’, driven by 24/7 news, the latest tweet, and the buy-now button. With such frenetic short-termism at the root of contemporary crises – from the threats of climate change to the lack of planning for a global pandemic – the call for long-term thinking grows every day. But what is it? Has it ever worked? Can we do it?
The Good Ancestor reveals six ways we can all learn to think long, exploring uniquely human talents that expand our time horizons and sharpen our foresight. Krznaric celebrates those who are reinventing democracy, culture and economics.
…………………………………………………………………
Be a Good Ancestor is a children’s book based on Indigenous teachings. This stunning picture book encourages readers of all ages to consider the ways in which they live in connection to the world around them and to think deeply about their behaviours.
Addressing environmental issues, animal welfare, self-esteem and self-respect, and the importance of community, the authors deliver a poignant and universal message in an accessible way: Be a good ancestor to the world around you. Thought-provoking stanzas offer a call to action for each one of us to consider how we affect future generations. Every decision we make ripples out, and we can affect the world around us by thinking deeply about those decisions.
…………………………………………………………………….
How much lawn you keep is an increasingly hot topic of conversation and now is a good time to think about whether you might transition some of yours to something else. “Lawns can be fabulous but plant them judiciously,” write Phillip Withers and AB Bishop in their new book Naturescapes: How to Create a Natural Australian Garden. The “bare minimum size for your family’s needs” is their suggestion.
https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/sorry-lawn-lovers-it-s-time-to-turf-out-grass-20230804-p5du06.html
…………………………………………………………………….
Glimpses of Utopia. Jess Scully asks, What can we do? The answer is: plenty! All over the world, people are refusing the business-as-usual mindset and putting humans back into the civic equation, reimagining work and care, finance and government, urban planning and communication. Meet the champions of people-powered digital democracy in Iceland and Taiwan. There are architects redesigning real estate in Australia, new payment systems in Italy and the Philippines that keep money in local communities, and innovators redesigning taxation to cut pollution and incentivise creative solutions.
Featured in MMM: Issue 41, Dec.23 – Jan.24
