The regeneration economy is the next big thing in sustainability – except it is out to replace the whole idea of sustainability altogether. It argues that sustainability is a limited concept because a. you can’t sustain what you have already destroyed b. to keep on doing what were already doing isn’t going to solve our … Continue reading the regeneration economy
conservation enterprise
A conservation enterprise is a business established and run for the purpose of environmental and cultural conservation. It differs from a social enterprise because social enterprises usually have social outcomes as their goals, tending to employ disadvantaged people or sell a product that benefits disadvantaged people. My writing here explores the rationale for the approach, … Continue reading conservation enterprise
tropical culture
The idea of tropicalism was to use cultural analysis to uncover what we and our places have in common with each other – the values of the tropics if you like. Through building linkages across the tropics, we can learn what works and adapt it to our places. The idea of the ‘tropics” was created … Continue reading tropical culture
Conservation Enterprise Development: Research for Design
Evidence works in two ways - to inform good design within your team, and to persuade others to believe that your conservation enterprise idea is going to work, financially and impact-wise. This post provides an overview of how to understand the two groups of people you need to know intimately to be effective – your … Continue reading Conservation Enterprise Development: Research for Design
Conservation Enterprise Development – getting to know your place
Most conservation enterprises start with an business idea to test, but how do you know that this idea is the best possible strategy? if possible, it's good to step back and choose an idea to develop based on the particular assets and resources of the place and the community dependent upon it. Getting to know … Continue reading Conservation Enterprise Development – getting to know your place
From Hammer to Toolkit: An Overview of Value Creation for Conserving Tropical Diversity
When it comes to using markets for conservation, organisations become adept at applying a particular approach. However, there’s a danger that you end up with a hammer in search of a nail, rather than choosing the right approach that fits the challenges and opportunities of a particular place, culture or landscape. This article provides a … Continue reading From Hammer to Toolkit: An Overview of Value Creation for Conserving Tropical Diversity
Revaluing Tropical Diversity
Why clear vast swathes of rainforest, with up to 75,000 tree species per kilometre, and replace it with a single species of oil palm? Why are custodians of a vast amount of cultural knowledge forced to live in poverty on the sidelines of society? The short answer is because there is a huge difference between … Continue reading Revaluing Tropical Diversity
The Tropics and homosexual liberation
For much of Robert Aldrich’s book Colonialism and Homosexuality, my main reaction was surprise at just how many of the famous people of the era of empire were apparently homosexual. From Rajah Brooke to Kitchener to W. Somerset Maugham, it’s clear that gay people as explorers, businessmen, writers and warriors made Britain’s Tropical empire in … Continue reading The Tropics and homosexual liberation
How visual data and mobile technology can improve Indigenous decision-making and accountability
Following on from my last post, I started to write about how better access to meaningful, accessible information for Aboriginal leaders can improve decision-making, but I realised the issue was bigger than that. This post discusses how graphical data collection and display, app proliferation and mobile technology can improve decision making and accountability, both for … Continue reading How visual data and mobile technology can improve Indigenous decision-making and accountability
Packing for Africa
What to take, what to leave behind and how to make it all fit into your backpack (which always seems just a little too small) are things we all agonise over before a big travel adventure. I wanted to share what I did right and wrong my trip. What do you do differently? How to … Continue reading Packing for Africa
tropicalism 