Integral Ecology Resources

Articles on Integral Ecology

Humanity Forest Ecology and the Future by Stephan Martineau

One of the most important and challenging issues facing humanity in the 21st century is the increasingly complex human-ecology interface. This article suggests the potential that integral mediation and integral ecology hold in addressing this interface. It distinguishes two categories of ecological challenges, removed and local tangible ones, and indicates that they require adapting methodologies to address them. Using a local tangible challenge—a 35-year old conflict over land use issues in the Slocan Valley, British Columbia, Canada—as an example, an integral mediation approach is outlined. First, context is given, both historically and geographically. Then the main capacities employed in the vision-building and mediation process are outlined. The article presents the case in such a way as to emphasize some generalizations, favoring these over a presentation of many case details. It concludes with a brief description of perspectives that are prerequisites in order to successfully apply integral solutions to the human-ecology interface.

Humanity Forest Ecology and the Future – Stephan Martineau (167 Kb)

The Four Worlds of Sustainability by Barrett C. Brown

In this article Barret introduces the quadrants element of the Integral framework in the context of sustainability. The quadrants represent lenses with which to better understand any occurrence; they reveal dynamics and forces in the interiors and exteriors of individuals and collectives. Together, they offer a map of psychology, behavior, culture, and systems. After tracing the philosophical lineage of the quadrants, numerous practical examples of a quadrant analysis by sustainability practitioners are offered.

The quadrants can be used in three key ways for sustainability: to organize sustainability information, to diagnose the challenges facing a sustainability initiative, and to prescribe an integrated solution that accounts for all the major dynamics at play.

The results from recent research—a quadrant analysis—of eight popular sustainability books are shared, quantitatively showing which aspects of reality these books privilege, and discussing the reasons therein.

The article ends with guidelines for doing a more complex quadrant analysis, including the introduction of a creative problem solving methodology called Q-DyTS.

The Four Worlds of Sustainability – Barrett C. Brown (7 Mb)

Leadership and the Corporate Sustainability Challenge – Mindsets in Action by Cynthia A. McEwen and John D. Schmidt

With the goal of examining the subject of sustainability through a new lens, uncovering how business organizations are reconciling their role in the world today and into the future — and what it will take to realize that future — Avastone Consulting conducted the Avastone Corporate Sustainability Study (ACSS). The ACSS draws on investigations with ten prominent corporations, each with substantial sustainability experience and varying degrees of achievement. In presenting findings, the ACSS also considers current leadership and sustainability theories, practices, and realworld viability.

Leadership and the Corporate Sustainability Challenge synthesizes the information from the ACSS and related learning to discern what is required for organizations to activate and power up the gears of sustainability. It charts progress of the ten companies across the five gears, identifies the foundational patterns that underlie success, and brings to light the central challenge dynamic that must be addressed. The paper also explores the untapped realm of leader mindsets, including the nature of their development and the correlation between leader mindsets and realization of complex sustainability goals.

Leadership and the Corporate Sustainability Challenge – McEwen & Schmidt (4 Mb)

More Resources:

Developing Sustainability, Developing the Self by Gail Hochachka

Developing Sustainability, Developing the Self – Gail Hochachka (439 Kb)

An Overview of Integral Ecology by Sean Hargens and Micheal Zimmerman

An Overview of Integral Ecology – Hargens & Zimmerman (116 Kb)

Transforming Sustainability by Will Varey

Transforming Sustainability – Will Varey (227 Kb)

Sustainable Development by Gail Hochachka

Sustainable Development – Gail Hochachka (981 Kb)

Communicating Sustainability by Barrett Brown

Communicating Sustainability – Barrett Brown (354 Kb)