13 August 2014 - Systems Thinking and Sustainable Consumption and Production: Introduction to the Practice and Approach
This webinar is the first in a series that introduce the systems thinking and sustainable consumption and production pilot practicum. The aim of the webinar is to learn more about and contribute to the design of the systems thinking practice. The pilot practicum is about focused on enabling participants to gain applied systems capacity for greater impact toward sustainable consumption and production. Linda Booth Sweeney (systems educator, researcher, expert and author) and Vanessa Timmer (Executive Director, One Earth; Cities for People) present the proposed approach and engage participants in an interactive dialogue about the design of the pilot practicum.
Linda Booth Sweeney is a systems educator, researcher, expert and author of several books including The Systems Thinking Playbook (co-authored with Dennis Meadows) and Connected Wisdom: Living Stories about Living Systems (Chelsea Green, 2009). She supports systemic change, including on complex issues related to childhood obesity and food systems, production and consumption patterns through systems dynamics visualizations, stories and interactive engagement.
Vanessa Timmer is the Executive Director of One Earth, a Vancouver-based “think and do tank” focused on sustainable consumption and production across scales with partners including The Sustainability Funders. One Earth is facilitating the New Economies theme of Cities for People, initiated by The J. W. McConnell Family Foundation – a national experiment in taking collaborative action to create more resilient and livable cities. Vanessa is also an Associate with Harvard University's Sustainability Science Program focused on innovation. She teaches sustainability and systems thinking, and co-hosts the television show, The Sustainable Region. In 2013, Vanessa was named one of Business in Vancouver’s Top Forty under 40. Locally, the team advises the City and Metro Vancouver and promotes eco-industrial networking through the National Industrial Symbiosis Program - Canada. One Earth is also co-leading a global campaign to create positive and compelling visions of life in sustainable futures.