Sustainable Tompkins has concluded its well-attended series of spring salon discussions on “The Climate, the Market, and the Commons.” The salons featured guest speakers and group discussions that addressed the role of business, government, and the citizenry in dealing with climate change. The salons were held at the Sustainability Center and attracted crowds of 65-85 people. After initial presentations by guest respondents, the attendees moved through sets of discussion questions related to the evening’s topic.
The first salon in our series addressed the question of “Why are we stuck in climate denial?,” exploring the hurdles of even beginning to address the issue in a meaningful way. The second salon, “Can business and technology save us?,” contrasted reasons for optimism for a “bright green” technological shift with evidence for a likely economic and ecological system collapse before a transition to clean energy can be completed. “Will government intervene?”, the third salon, brought together representatives from local, state, and federal government to discuss the public sector’s role in addressing climate change. And the last salon took up the question “Is it Up to the People?” with a focus on the clear need for leadership from the grassroots to help shift the market and push government to protect the commons.
You can view videos or listen to podcasts of the salons in the ‘The Climate, the Market, and the Commons’ series:
- Why Are We Stuck in Climate Denial? video / podcast – April 17, 2014
- The Market and the Climate. video / podcast – May 11, 2014
- Will Government Intervene? video / podcast – June 5, 2014
- Is it Up to the People? video / podcast – June 19, 2014
Many thanks to our video sponsors (Home Green Home and PPM Homes) and to Crooked Carrot Farm and Ithaca Bakery for catering donations. Thanks also to the Park Foundation, the guest conversants, the volunteers who worked hard to make the evenings run smoothly, our members, and all of the people who contributed to make the Salons possible.
