The Gaian Institute was established in San Marcos, Texas in June 2006. The Institute aims to promote different kinds of knowledge needed to better understand and transform the behavior of communities and individuals interacting with and depending upon their environment. Drawing on a perspective that embraces science, the planet and the human spirit, we seek new pathways for Earth-based ethics and practice that can lead us to more socially healthy and ecologically sustainable futures.
Although sustainability has been widely discussed in the fields of ecology, economics, and conservation, the challenge of sustainability goes beyond how we use natural resources, to questions of social justice and human health as well. Therefore, the notion of sustainability is related to the quality of life in a community, including economic, social, and political systems as well as the natural systems on which life depends.
The challenge of sustainability encompasses all aspects of human life, yet it is primarily a social issue. Thus, one must ask the questions: What do we want to sustain? What current and future needs are we working to meet? Setting goals for sustainability therefore is a question of values, and one which will require active participation for the creation of socially just, participatory, and peaceful democratic societies.
Because of this perspective, most of the Gaian Institute's work is concerned with transformative learning and change. The emphasis is on thinking about the big picture, while at the same time being willing to act in small meaningful ways, sharing and celebrating the associated visions, processes and outcomes that facilitate the spread of an ecologically conscious society.
Recommended reading:
Norton, B.G. (2005). Sustainability: A Philosophy of Adaptive Ecosystem Management.
Sayer, J. and Campbell, B. (2004). The Science of Sustainable Development: Local Livelihoods and the Global Environment.