207. Ralph Thurm. Redesign, resilience and regeneration. What it takes to go beyond sustainability.
Ralph Thurm (LinkedIn), Managing director of r3.0 joined me on the podcast. We spoke of the work r3.0 is doing and the regenerative transformation. We spoke of the evolution of the field of sustainability, what it means to regeneratively redesign, as well as the flaws (as well as what r3.0 has done to amend them) of the current discourse of sustainability. We also speak of the topics of post-collapse readiness, the connection between the micro and macro, bioregionalism, membranes, boundaries and measurement. This is a rich conversation for beginning to understand what a regenerative economy could contain.
Social media post
What does it mean to actually "meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"?
Ralph Thurm is the founder of the R3.0. We had a conversation on the World of Wisdom 🎙️ Podcast EP207. We spoke of sustainability, reporting, measurement and what it means to navigate the world we live in.
Here are a couple of topics we dove into that I'd like to highlight:
🚧Thresholds and allocations. That could be a feasible path towards a sustainable (Brundtland definition) world. Incorporate the biophysical thresholds into any new project. How big is the cake? Then look at what your allocation may be: How big is my share of the cake?
🏞 Bio-regional economy. The world has ca 190 bioregions (about the same as the number of countries) but the boundaries are defined by nature not by a violent, political process. What would a shift towards a bioregional economy look like?
💱 Non-fungible currencies. We are confused in the current moment to believe that all currencies are fully fungible. They are not. Some things will be abundant and others scarce, which is what depends on your bioregional context. What would a (multi-capital?) monetary system look like that reflects this?
⭕ Post-collapse readiness: to look for what is actually useful in the current system without attachment to the whole. Realising that what needs to be built is not funded and that even 'good things' like philanthropy depends on the maintaining of status quo.
This conversation is a wonderful overview of many of the key questions at the core of the sustainable, circular and regenerative transformations. Ralph has spent his life dedicated to these questions within and in collaboration with our largest institutions and companies as well as on the margins. I strongly recommend a listen to this conversation. And for those interested take a look at the R3.0s Blueprints (1st gen, 2nd gen)!
EP207. World of Wisdom 🎙️Podcast. Where you find you normally find your podcasts.
AI Generated Summary
In this episode, Amit Paul interviews Ralf Thurm, an expert in sustainability and regeneration. They discuss the evolution of sustainability principles and the shortcomings of the current economic system. Ralf explains the work of R3.0 (Redesign for Resilience and Regeneration) in envisioning a regenerative and distributive economy. They also explore the concept of collapse awareness and the need for post-collapse readiness. The conversation delves into the questioning of boundaries and externalities, the measurement of success in a multi-capital context, and the importance of bioregional economies and governance. In this conversation, Ralph Thurm discusses various topics related to sustainability and the bioregional approach. He emphasizes the importance of balancing short-term gain with long-term sustainability and the need to differentiate between essential and cultural needs. Thurm also explores the concept of multiple capitals and the dynamic rebalancing required. He highlights the challenges of defining bioregional boundaries and the importance of measurement in understanding and addressing sustainability issues. Additionally, Thurm discusses the role of culture, indigenous wisdom, and technology in a bioregional setup. He shares his personal motivations for caring about sustainability and provides resources for further exploration.
Takeaways
The current economic system has watered down the concept of sustainability, leading to a missed opportunity for true change.
Collapse awareness and post-collapse readiness are crucial in navigating the challenges of the existing economic system.
Measuring success requires a multi-capital context-based approach that considers thresholds and allocations.
Bioregional economies and governance offer a more sustainable and ethical way of organizing societies.
Chapters
00:00Introduction and Background
07:28Evolution of Sustainability Principles
15:26Work of R3.0 and the Vision of a Regenerative and Distributive Economy
27:06Collapse Awareness and Post-Collapse Readiness
33:05Questioning Boundaries and Externalities
40:46Measuring Success in a Multi-Capital Context
46:39Bioregional Economy and Governance
49:21Collapse Acknowledging and Post-Collapse Readiness
50:19Short-term gain vs. long-term sustainability
51:23Differentiating between essential and cultural needs
52:23Balancing multiple capitals and dynamic rebalancing
52:55Fungibility and exchange rates between different currencies
53:48The complexity of bioregional boundaries
54:17The role of measurement and its limitations
55:00Accepting hard facts and boundaries
57:17Revitalizing indigenous wisdom and cultural differences
57:48The interrelation between hard facts and culture
58:19Technological aspects and the influence of social media
59:45The influence of culture and methodologies in a bioregional setup
01:00:15The importance of recognizing boundaries and hard stops
01:00:24The struggle between design as a process and design as a cognitive process
01:01:20The limitations and occlusion of measurements
01:02:41The value of measurement and the development of seeing and feeling
01:05:04The development of measurement and the importance of community
01:09:03Motivations for caring about sustainability
01:14:32Resources for finding Ralph Thurm and R3.0