• The Challenge and the Goal
• A Question of Direction
• Why We Will Succeed
• Seeds For Change
• Audio Visual Resources

• Things You Can Do
  • At the Personal Level
  • At the Community Level
  • At the Government Level
• "Life, Money & Illusion
  • What the book is about
  • Book Reviews
  • What people are saying
  • Where to find the book
• Touring with the Message
  • Where we are going
  • Where we have been
  • What people are saying
  • Discussion Outline
  • Planning an Event
• Measuring Well-Being
  • History
  • Measuring Genuine Progress
  • Current Program
  • Well-Being Measurement Act
  • Measuring Well-Being document
• Mutual Provision - Economy
  • Economic Concern
  • 3/5ths of Ecology
  • The Invisible Hand
  • Supply and Demand
  • The Genuine Progress Index

• About the Book
• Order the book
• Other writings
• Audio-Visual Material
• Arrange a talk by Mike Nickerson

Educational Materials

Audio files of presentation

Video

Book 2006 & 2009:
Life, Money and Illusion; Living on Earth as if we want to stay

Also available in French
La Vie, L'argent et L'illusion;
Vivre sure Terre comme si on voulait y rester

Book 1990 & 1993:
Planning for Seven Generations.
(With key chapter on line.)

Guideposts for a Sustainable Future,
a multimedia Discussion kit.

Book 1977:
Change the World I Want to Stay On

A variety of other written materials
are available on this site to help clarify the goal of sustainability
and the Question of Direction.
Reproduction is encouraged.

Sustainability Cards

Seeds for Change
explains how they work.

These business size cards (3.5" X 2") provide the eight point sustainability reference on the back. The fronts comes in two standard formats as shown below, or they can be customized to suit your particular circumstances.

Ask us for samples to try out.

The first variety shown here is useful for clarifying what sustainability means. Passing them out to family, friends, a class or an organization helps raise the issue of sustainability and can lead to a shared understanding of the challenge.

This second variety assumes that sustainability is understood and presents the idea that it might replace economic expansion as the primary value upon which decisions are made: the Question of Direction.

Ask at sustain5[at]web.ca for some free samples and see how easy they make it to raise the question of direction.

These cards are an effective communications medium:

- It doesn't take a lot of recycled card stock to produce a business card.
- The message they carry is of necessity short enough to be easily read in its entirety.

- Giving and receiving business cards is a well established custom.

- Many people have a particular place where they store cards for easy retrieval and it is not uncommon for individuals to carry cards of particular interest in their wallets or purses.

- The chances of a business card being saved and referred to again is many times greater than that of a flyer or news letter.

The Sustainability Project has been producing these cards for many years in a variety of versions. In some areas, we can expect everyone to be familiar with the sustainability outline. When a group knows what is being referred to, it is easy to ask:

"Isn't this what we need to accomplish?"

Customized cards

We also customize cards for people willing to identify with sustainability. Regular business cards, personal calling cards, organizational introductions or tickets to events can all carry the sustainability reference on the back. These cards are $35 for 500 or $60 per thousand, ($45 for 500 or $75 for 1000 with black and green ink, $35 for 500 or $60 per 1000 with black ink only.) a fraction of commercial rates, thanks to supporter contributions. ($10 may be added for postage and handling.) If you have a favorite printer, you are welcome to reproduce the reference without further permission, or we could send you camera ready copy. Distributing these cards for any reason helps introduce the issue. We also have distribution boxes which patiently offer cards in public places.

Try some out and see how people respond. Contact us directly for samples or for more detail about customized cards.

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"Guideposts for a Sustainability Future" (Discussion kit):
- a multi-media kit enabling any group to share a thorough introduction to the goal of sustainability.

The kit includes "Planning for Seven Generations", a Discussion Guide and a 23 minute video.

We all live at the same period of history. Accordingly, any group from high school students to seigniors have the background experience needed to grasp the sustainability challenge. The "Discussion Guide" outlines a simple procedure for drawing out relevant thoughts and feelings in preparation for viewing the video. The discussion revolves around asking these questions:

1. What comes to mind when you think about the relationship between yourself and the environment?
2. What concerns do you have about the way people live on this planet?
3. Why are we hearing so much about environmental problems now, when they were hardly known thirty years ago?
4. Where is the effort going to come from to solve environmental problems?

Following this sharing, the video is received in the familiar context of the viewers lives. In addition, the mutual reinforcement of common concern which arises during the discussion helps viewers to see the issue more as a challenge than as a threat. Try it out. You will be surprised how much people have in common.

The "Discussion Guide" also contains a series of exercises which can be used in a class room setting or elsewhere, to expand participants understanding of the various concepts presented by the video.

The video is available in VHS, Beta, PAL and SECAM formats. The basic cost of the kit is $50. In a reinforced case, recommended for institutional or frequent use it is $65. For students, seniors and people with low income, $35. Postage is included in these prices. Outside Canada, please pay in US funds.

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"Planning for Seven Generations" a 144 page paperback. (1st edition 1990, 2nd edition 1993)
Table of Contents with links to key chapters.
Comments about the book.

This book explores the basic relationship between People and the Earth, how that relationship has changed and what we have to do to regain a durable balance with our planet. It contains 144 pages of ideas, information and explanations about: the root causes of the challenge, the promising opportunities sustainability offers and how we can meet the challenge by setting our sights on that goal.

"Planning for Seven Generations" was written by Mike Nickerson, the coordinator of the Sustainability Project. It sells for $5.95 plus, $2.00 for postage and handling. Outside Canada, please pay in US funds and include $3.00 for postage and handling. Quantity discounts are available on request.

"Planning for Seven Generations" includes information about:

• our relationship with the Earth's ecosystems; first as individuals and then as a species growing from insignificance to domination;
• how certain customs and institutions, which served well for centuries, have become part of the problem;
• the position of economics in the larger field of ecology;
• the Guideposts for a Sustainable Future, what they mean, where they came from and the social and environmental factors they encompass;
• how to assess our every day activities, government policies and development proposals. Do they damage the Earth or help it to heal?
• key elements from "Our Common Future", the authoritative United Nations report which overcame official denial of environmental problems;
• the variety and nature of the problems we face;
• ways of fulfilling ourselves which actively help overcome the global crisis - including the "3L's", Learning, Love and Laughter;
• techniques for cooperation;
• personal and political action, along with ways to place the issue of sustainability on the public agenda.