Author Archives: admin

About admin

R. Bruce Hull writes and teaches about building capacity in sustainability professionals who collaborate at the intersection of business, government, and civil society. The views are his and are not endorsed by any organization with which he is affiliated.

Who Do You Screw?

Posted on April 26, 2014 by admin

Watch this short video and then come back. Aren’t the Aussies clever? Certainly, this video makes its point—we are screwing the future.  But sadly, the video ignores an even bigger issue that makes the challenge of sustainable development particularly vexing: … Continue reading →

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Not an Either-Or Question: Climate Mitigation AND Adaptation

Posted on April 26, 2014 by admin

It is now difficult to imagine a future where climate chaos won’t be flooding cities, raising food prices, killing humans, decimating biodiversity, and generally wreaking havoc. We will soon experience the consequences of carbon dioxide levels in excess of 450 … Continue reading →

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Two Reasons I Cried in Shanghai

Posted on April 8, 2014 by admin

I admit it: I am a sustainability nerd.  Instead of shopping during my one free afternoon in Shanghai, I instead toured its Urban Planning Exhibition Center. Chinese celebrate urbanization—how refreshing—so most Chinese cities have similar exhibits. This one teemed with … Continue reading →

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Pain, Bitterness and Sustainability In China

Posted on April 2, 2014 by admin

“Sustainability is the reaction to pain,” says Richard Brubaker, sustainability guru in China, who is optimistic about sustainable development because he now sees governments and businesses responding to the pain inflicted by economic growth, pain that includes crises in public … Continue reading →

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Green China?

Posted on March 31, 2014 by admin

I just returned from an amazing trip to China with the executive master’s program at the Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability.  We interviewed sustainability leaders in Yunnan and in Shanghai.  Blogs to follow.  I also did some sightseeing.  Check … Continue reading →

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Lessons from Syria Not Good for Action on Climate Change

Posted on February 23, 2014 by admin

The Security Council produced a toothless statement that civilians should not be killed and humanitarian aid should be allowed. It took three years for the UN to agree. During which time accumulated unforgivable loss of life and destruction of one … Continue reading →

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The Future & 10 Billion

Posted on December 22, 2013 by admin

Warning: uncertain times ahead!   The Future and 10 Billion belong to spurts of literature that periodically erupt, spewing warnings that the end is near and that sustainable development is not possible; classics of this genre include Malthus’ Principle of Population, … Continue reading →

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Why is the shrill wing of environmentalism so negative?

Posted on December 12, 2013 by admin

Some so-called environmentalists remind me of the Tea Party: every response to any government initiatives “No!”  “Bad!” “Don’t!” Zach Beauchamp’s 5 Reasons Why 2013 Was The Best Year In Human History  uses five mega-trends to suggest humanity’s positive trajectory, and … Continue reading →

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Two Sides of the Climate Coin

Posted on December 4, 2013 by admin

The Poor Need Cheap Fossil Fuels There’s no question that burning fossil fuels is leading to a warmer climate and that addressing this problem is important. But doing so is a question of timing and priority. For many parts of … Continue reading →

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Cross-Sector Sustainability

Posted on November 16, 2013 by admin

Most organizations conceived or reformed to solve 20thcentury problems will face challenges being effective and relevant in a populous, wealthy, globally-connected, climate changed, 21st century world. Glimmers of new organizational arrangements can be seen in cross-sector collaborative efforts such as … Continue reading →

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