{"id":23174,"date":"2022-08-05T20:37:29","date_gmt":"2022-08-06T03:37:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=23174"},"modified":"2022-08-05T20:37:31","modified_gmt":"2022-08-06T03:37:31","slug":"a-glossary-of-regenerative-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2022\/08\/05\/a-glossary-of-regenerative-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"A GLOSSARY OF REGENERATIVE CULTURE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

jenny andersson<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

May 26, 2019 (medium.com)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Heliconius Helicale just out of mothballs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As new ways of thinking and doing grow, a new language always grows with them. Here are many of the words, phrases and terms you\u2019re likely to find in discussions about a regenerative future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The legendary Joanna Macy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Active Hope<\/strong>: legendary deep ecologist Joanna Macy\u2019s approach to the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambigious future we face. Not just being blithely hopeful, but digging in with deep commitment to fostering action for the future. Joanna\u2019s Work That Reconnects <\/a>is a perfect example of how to find active hope; recognise your grief for what we are losing, find your focus \u2014 what you can do and go forth in community to take action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agroecology<\/strong> \u2014 is the science of sustainable farming as well as a political movement that aims to improve the way food is grown and processed globally. Fundamentally, agroecology is about shifting the control of the land, seeds, markets and labour out of the hands of big business and back into the hands of small-scale farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agroforestry<\/strong> \u2014 the Soil Association describes this as the combination of forestry and agriculture. There are two main types: silvo-pastoral agroforestry<\/strong>: grazing of animals under trees, where the animals enrich the soil while the trees provide shelter and fodder for the animals; and silvo-arable agroforestry:<\/strong> where crops are grown beneath trees, often in rows which are large enough for a tractor to tend to the crops without damaging the trees. This is farming in 3D, the trees and the crops occupy different levels above ground, and also below ground where the tree roots will reach down deeper than the crops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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World Cocoa Foundation\u2019s Cocoa & Forests Initiative helps to increase agroforestry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Agroforestry is helping to revitalise degraded cocoa plantations in West Africa for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anthropocene: <\/strong>the name given by scientists to the era \u2014 estimated to have begun near the late 1950s \u2014 when the impact of one single species \u2014 humans \u2014 determined the fate of all other life on Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biomes<\/strong> are global-scale zones, generally defined by the type of plant life that they support in response to average rainfall and temperature patterns. For example, tundra, coral reefs or savannas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biomimicry<\/strong>: is an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature\u2019s time-tested patterns and strategies. Founded by the awesome Janine Benyus, the Biomimicry Institute seeks to promote and develop design and social innovation according to the principles of nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Velcro | Cobweb glass and homeostatic building in Essen, Germany<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A famous piece of biomimicry design were the ultimately-banned Speedo sharksin swimsuits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seven fabrics inspired by nature: from the lotus leaf to butterflies and sharks<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Biomimicry brings nature and technology together to create exciting new fabrics that are smarter and more sustainable<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

www.theguardian.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bioregion<\/strong>: a debated term. I\u2019ll go for the World Resources Institute definition:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA bio-region is a land and water territory whose limits are defined not by political boundaries, but by the geographical limits of human communities and ecological systems. Such an area must be large enough to maintain the integrity of the region\u2019s biological communities, habitats, and ecosystems; to support important ecological processes, such as nutrient and waste cycling, migration, and stream flow; to meet the habitat requirements of keystone and indicator species; and to include the human communities involved in the management, use, and understanding of biological resources. It must be small enough for local residents to consider it home.<\/p>

A bioregion would typically embrace thousands to hundreds of thousands of hectares. It may be no bigger than a small watershed or as large as a small state or province. In special cases, a bioregion might span the borders of two or more countries.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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A bioregion is also defined by its people. It must have a unique cultural identity and be a place in which local residents have the primary right to determine their own development. This primary right does not, however, imply an absolute right. Rather, it means that the livelihoods, claims, and interests of local communities should be both the starting point and the criteria for regional development and conservation. Within that framework many other state, investor, and other economic interests must be accommodated.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Bioregionalism is the act of working out how to create a regenerative future in any specific, defined bioregion. Cascadia <\/a>in Western America is a great example of a bioregional approach to the future (see above map).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the UK, Bioregional<\/a> is a not-for-profit consultancy led by Sue Riddlestone which supports towns and cities to develop their own One Planet Living approach to bioregional stability. We also have The Bioregional Learning Centre<\/a> in Devon which looking at a bioregional strategy for the South Hams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the USA, the Capital Institute is bringing together a number of different bioregional initiatives and projects under the Regenerative Communities Network <\/a>and Hubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blended Finance<\/strong>: according to the OECD, blended finance is the strategic use of development finance for the mobilisation of additional finance towards sustainable development in developing countries. It is a mechanism designed to help deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blind Spots<\/strong>: Nora Bateson has something beautiful to say on blinds spots.<\/a> Blind spots show up as the reflex always to bestow uncritical faith in authorities (including one\u2019s own superiors) and handed-down rules; the other, the quick dismissal of seemingly irreverent assertions. It\u2019s a comfort blanket in times of uncertainty and volatility that we all need to be aware of when working towards a regenerative future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Buckminster Fuller Institute<\/strong>: again not a piece of terminology, more of a legend. The institute covers just about everything that sits under the umbrella of Design Science Revolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Circular Economy<\/strong>: is synonymous with Ellen Macarthur for me. No-one has done more to promote the concept and value of shifting from sustainability to a circular approach to tackling our extractive, wasteful economy. Her Ted Talk still gives me the shivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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