Cultural practitioner, Greg Solatorio lives off the land on the island of Molokai just like his ancestors did, 1,000 years ago.
The island of Molokai is truly unique because it is frozen in time. No other place in Molokai exemplifies this more than Halawa Valley. It has no fancy resorts, restaurants, or golf courses.
Greg and his family are the last original family left in the valley. His father was the last elder, born and raised here. Their lineage connects them back to the first Hawaiian settlers on Molokai. Today, through the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, the entire valley, from the peaks to the ocean, still belongs to the Solatorios.
Although the nearest store to get supplies is 29 miles away, the valley is rich with bountiful fruit, fish and vegetation. It supported a village for more than a thousand years and it supports the Solatorios today. Greg operates the Halawa Valley Falls Cultural Hike. When asked why it’s important to share his way of life, he says his family traditions in the valley are his expertise. He was taught from his elders, that culture is not a secret it is sacred. For him, culture needs to be shared.
In Halawa Valley, he practices sustainability the way he was taught, by working with mother nature. For him, instead of taking from nature, you must ask and borrow – to stay pure, you must use the gifts she gives.
On 27 February 2019, Mike Berners-Lee presented his newest book, “There Is No Planet B”, to the Oxford Climate Society.
About the book: Feeding the world, climate change, biodiversity, antibiotics, plastics – the list of concerns seems endless. But what is most pressing, what are the knock-on effects of our actions, and what should we do first? Do we all need to become vegetarian? How can we fly in a low-carbon world? Should we frack? How can we take control of technology? Does it all come down to population? And, given the global nature of the challenges we now face, what on Earth can any of us do?
Fortunately, Mike Berners-Lee has crunched the numbers and plotted a course of action that is practical and even enjoyable. There is No Planet B maps it out in an accessible and entertaining way, filled with astonishing facts and analysis. For the first time you’ll find big-picture perspective on the environmental and economic challenges of the day laid out in one place, and traced through to the underlying roots – questions of how we live and think. This book will shock you, surprise you – and then make you laugh. And you’ll find practical and even inspiring ideas for what you can actually do to help humanity thrive on this – our only – planet.
About the author: Mike Berners-Lee consults, thinks, writes and researches on sustainability and responses to 21st century challenges. This is his third book.
About his first book, How Bad Are Bananas? The Carbon Footprint Of Everything, Bill Bryson wrote “I can’t think of the last time I read a book that was more fascinating, and useful and enjoyable all at the same time”
His second book, The Burning Question, co-written with Duncan Clark, explores the big picture on climate change and the underlying global dynamics, asking what mix of politics, economics, psychology and technology are really required to deal with the problem. Al Gore described it as “Fascinating, important and highly recommended” and was among MPs’ top ten summer reads.
Mike is the founder of Small World Consulting, an associate company of Lancaster University, which works with organizations from tech giants to supermarkets. Small World is a leader in the field of carbon metrics and their use.
He is a professor at Lancaster University’s Institute for Social Futures, where his research includes sustainable food systems and carbon metrics. He co-ordinates the Global Futures event series which are freely open to all and explore big global challenges in multidisciplinary ways.
Anthony Leiserowitz, Director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, explains the findings from recent global warming surveys of the American public and how to effectively communicate sustainability achievements and policy positions into brand strategy and messaging.
