Pirates Plank

Archive for the ‘Environment’ Category

Moving back and forth between global and local thinking is something that comes almost as a reflex to some of the more civic-minded members of the new generation. It’s also something that a large sector of the population understands and practices, and nearly everyone with an internet connection has heard the phrase, “Think Locally, Act Globally.” enough times to have it committed to memory. There are, likewise, many activists involved in urban sustainability projects that have taken Patrick Geddes on as a kind of godfather figure.

It was his 1915 book on urban planning that is generally acknowledged as the source of the phrase. Although the phrase does not actually appear in the text, the sentiment is certainly there. That alone is a kind of key to his thought, where small and simple ideas lead to more complex connections, that can ultimately lead to a new way of thinking about social life and the effects human behaviors have on the larger planetary picture. And California solar installers and others devoted to promoting sustainable energies are taking the challenges Geddes posed nearly a century ago to task. Thinking and acting are certainly connected, and can lead to a much larger vision, one that is more compassionate and practical in the long run.