Reading List: Sustainability
MitOst Community Newsletter #3
5 min readNov 11, 2019
MitOst staff members share their reads which impressed them, they find helpful, interesting and inspiring.
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What to read?
- Utopia for Realists: And How We Can Get There by Rutger Bregman (en)
- Die 10 Gebote der Ökologie by Friedrich Schmidt-Bleek (de)
- Coming Back To Life: The Updated Guide To The Work That Reconnects by Joanna Macy and Molly Brown
- The Art of Travel by Alain De Botton (en)
- Don’t be a Unicorn, be a Zebra (en)
- Starting a Revolution by Naomi Ryland and Lisa Jaspers (en)
- Das terristrische Manifest by Bruno Latour
- 101 Easy Eco Friendly Zero Waste Tips by goingzerowaste.com/blog
- Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough and Michael Braungart (en)
- The Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability — Designing for Abundance by William McDonough and Michael Braungart (en)
- The fashion industry emits more carbon than international flights and maritime shipping combined. Here are the biggest ways it impacts the planet. by Morgan McFall-Johnson at businessinsider.com (en)
- The More Beautiful World our Hearts Know is Possible by Charles Eisenstein (en)
What to use?
- Green Toolbox by International Young Naturefriends (en)
- Methods: Beyond Growth, www.endlich-wachstum.de (en/de)
- Toolkit: T-kit 13: Sustainability and youth work by Council of Europe European Union (en)
- Toolbox for Sustainable City Living by Scott Kellogg and Stacy Pettigre (en)
What to listen to?
- Mindful Mess von dariadaria (de)
- Nature, Joy and Human Becoming by On Being, May 2018 (en)
- Wir müssen über Morgen reden! von VIERTEL \ VOR X TOMORROW (de)
What to watch?
- TED Talk by Olivia Tyler about “The complex path of sustainability”
Olivia Tyler illuminates the daunting challenges companies face when enforcing sustainability across their supply chains. - TED Talk by Alex Steffen about “The route to a sustainable future”
Alex Steffen argues that reducing humanity’s ecological footprint is incredibly vital now, as the western consumer lifestyle spreads to developing countries. - TED Talk by Johan Rockström about “5 transformative policies for a prosporous and sustainable world”
Learn more about five transformational policies that could help us achieve inclusive and prosperous world development while keeping the earth stable and resilient. - TED Talk by Britt Wray about “How climate change affects our mental health”
In this quick talk, she explores how climate change is threatening our well-being — mental, social and spiritual — and offers a starting point for what we can do about it. - TED Talk by Alasdair Harris about “How a handful of a fishing villages sparked a marine convservation revolution”
We need a radically new approach to ocean conservation, says marine biologist and TED Fellow Alasdair Harris. In a visionary talk, he lays out a surprising solution to the problem of overfishing that could both revive marine life and rebuild local fisheries — all by taking less from the ocean. - TED Talk by Ray Anderson about “The business logic of sustainability”
At his carpet company, Ray Anderson has increased sales and doubled profits while turning the traditional “take / make / waste” industrial system on its head. In a gentle, understated way, he shares a powerful vision for sustainable commerce. - TED Talk by Michele Wucker about “Why we ignore obvious problems — and how to act on them”
Policy strategist Michele Wucker urges us to replace the myth of the “black swan” — that rare, unforeseeable, unavoidable catastrophe — with the reality of the “gray rhino,” the preventable danger that we choose to ignore. She shows why predictable crises catch us by surprise — and lays out some signs that there may be a charging rhino in your life right now. - TED Talk by Amit Kalra about “3 creative ways to fix fashion’s waste problem”
You might think that last season’s coats, trousers and turtlenecks end up being put to use, but most of it (nearly 13 million tons each year in the United States alone) ends up in landfills. Fashion has a waste problem, and Amit Kalra wants to fix it. He shares some creative ways the industry can evolve to be more conscientious about the environment — and gain a competitive advantage at the same time.
What to app?
- Oroeco: Oroeco automatically allows you to track your impact on the climate with a powerful footprint calculator. Perfect for understanding where you are already doing well and where there is room for improvement.
- Nabu Siegel Check: Want to know what is behind the logos on the food products? Scan the article and NABU tells you more about it.
- Gardenia: Ever forget to water your basil on the dining room table? Don’t even know the first step in plant care? Well, Gardenia has got you covered. Not only can you learn about plants before purchasing to see if they would be a good fit for your home or garden, but you can learn about plants you may have been neglecting. Get notifications on when to water and keep up with the weather to give your little plant babies the happiest life possible.
- codecheck or GoodGuide: which includes more than food products (such as cosmetic) and helps you to buy more environmental friendly products (sometimes their criteria need to be questioned but we generally like the app). The U.S./Canadian version of GoodGuide is called Think Dirty.
- Replace Plastic: You are annoyed of the plastic wrapped around the food products you are buying? This is an easy-to-use app to send via the scan of the QR code a complaint and hopefully helps us to have less plastic in the supermarket.
- Vanilla bean: For all the veggie and vegan lovers. This is how you can find nice places to eat and drink around you (They are also working on a package free delivery!).
