Ecological Economics by John Blewitt - Festival of Ideas
Fri, Aug 23
|Silsden Town Hall
John will discuss recent thinking that calls for a fundamental change to how we live our lives, organise the economy and imagine the future in a talk about ecological economics and environmental sustainability.


Time and Location
Aug 23, 2024, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Silsden Town Hall, Silsden Town Hall, Kirkgate, Silsden, Keighley BD20 0AJ, UK
About the event
John will talk briefly about the the ideas and influence of the economist and thinker E.F. Schumacher whose Small is Beautiful, published in 1973, has stimulated a great deal of work in the area of ecological economics and environmental sustainability. He will then talk a little about the work of the Schumacher Circle and particularly the activities of the Schumacher Institute which is based in Bristol. In 2022 John edited New Economy, New Systems for the Institute which explores a whole range of issues we must urgently address if we are to avoid climate catastrophe and system collapse. These include: systems thinking, agroecology, appropriate technologies, regenerative culture, democracy, the climate emergency and the wellbeing economy. If we are to avoid climate catastrophe and environmental collapse we need to get serious and make some real changes. Consequently, John will finish by discussing some recent thinking that calls for a fundamental change to how we live our lives, organise the economy and imagine the future. There will be ample time for discussion and questions.
John Blewitt is a Distinguished Fellow of the Schumacher Institute. He was Director of Lifelong Learning and Course Director of the MSc Sustainable Development at the University of Exeter and, before retiring, Course Director of the MA Social Responsibility and Sustainability at Aston Business School in Birmingham. He is author of many works including The Ecology of Learning, Media Ecology and Conservation, Understanding Sustainable Development and William Morris and the Instinct for Freedom.
This talk is part of Silsden's Festival of Ideas, organised by Silsden Town Hall