One Earth
Videos
Sustainability Productions
A video series supported by the One Earth Initiative
Sustainability Productions is a series of short video reports that showcase a number of cities and neighbourhoods – particularly European ones – that are trying to improve citizens’ quality of life while reducing their impact on the natural world. There are 7 DVDs currently available in English and French - click below for details:
- DVD on the Beddington Zero Emmissions Development (BedZED), UK (8 min.; English and French)
- DVD on Freiburg-in-Brisgau, Germany (8 min.; English and French)
- DVD on Malmö, Sweden (8 min.; English and French)
- DVD on Vancouver, Canada (8 min.; English and French)
- DVD on the Ecological Footprint—an interview with William Rees, inventor of the Ecological Footprint analysis (13 min.; English and French)
- DVD on Vorarlberg, Germany (8 min.; English and French)
- DVD on the Passive House, Austria and Germany (8 min.; English and French)
Watch the or the preview of the video series on YouTube!
There is much talk about climate change and its effects, the rapid loss of biodiversity, the increasing scarcity and price of fossil fuels, the growing gap between the world’s rich and poor, soil erosion and the loss of fertile agricultural land, social justice and human rights issues, and the list goes on. These issues are all connected directly and indirectly, and seem to be getting worse by the day. The world community has come together on a number of occasions, particularly under the auspices of the United Nations, to tackle these pressing issues and move towards sustainable development, a holistic approach to planning and development that integrates four dimensions: social, economic, ecological and cultural. Its goal is to improve quality of life for all—meeting basic needs such as access to health, food and shelter—within the carrying capacity of the Earth.
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ge is admittedly very slow, and to many, sustainability is still a fuzzy concept, or simply “all talk and no action”. Sustainability Productions would like to dispel this myth, and show a hopeful, more positive and inspiring side to the sustainability debate, and highlight the fact that a great number of examples already exist, and need to be shared with a wide public.
Many cities, particularly in Europe, have led the way in promoting “green” and sustainable lifestyles. Citizens have been demanding better public transportation, cleaner environments, more green spaces and parks, quieter and friendlier streets, more affordable housing, ways to reduce their Ecological Footprints… and city councilors and mayors have been listening and delivering, or have themselves taken the lead to convince their electorate that change must happen, can be of benefit to all, and can actually substantially increase happiness and well-being while simultaneously reducing the ecological pressures on the planet. There are no “cookie cutter” or one-size-fits-all solutions, but great, innovative and exciting ideas need to be shared; examples of good practices abound, and are clearly an inspiration to all those who want to be a part of the solution.
Sustainability Productions features initiatives that cities have taken to reduce energy and water consumption, promote social diversity and intergenerational mixing, decrease the emission of greenhouse gases and increase the production of renewable energy, improve the quality of urban life of residents and provide engaging and fulfilling job opportunities.
In these short video reports, architects, city councilors, planners and project coordinators are interviewed to get their personal and hands-on perspective on the efforts and policies that have been carried out, with details given on how the projects came about, the purpose they serve, their various phases, the obstacles that had to be overcome as well as the solutions that have been imagined. Technicians, educators, policy makers as well as citizens will find invaluable information and ideas in these video reports to help them implement their own sustainable-development projects and programs.
For prices and purchases, please contact:
Emmanuel Prinet
EcoSteppingStones Consulting and Co-founder of the One Earth Initiative
Telephone: 604-669-5143
Email:
Website:
French version of the website, by Benoît Théau, IGAPURA (France):