On September 14th, Cara Pike spoke at the 2012 Metro Vancouver Zero Waste Conference about "Stimulating Social Change - Beyond Being Right" on moving beyond dialogue about zero waste, so that citizens, businesses and governments can take action and accelerate progress toward a cradle to cradle economy. 

TreeHugger's Brian Merchant attended the 2012 Social Change Institute at the Hollyhock retreat and learning center in British Columbia. He described his experience in his June 20th post: "Each Year, Canada's Top Activists & Social Entrepreneurs Head to a Remote Island. This is Why."

Hollyhock's 3rd annual Social Change Institute is coming up June 6-10, 2012. Camille Jensen of AxiomNews writes about the conference's goal of providing change-makers with "energy, resources and relationships to launch their work to a whole new level." Social Capital Project founder and SCI co-producer, Cara Pike shares her thoughts on the event: “I absolutely think it’s what’s needed to come up with the breakthrough ideas that our times call for.” Read more.

I recently attended the “Extreme Weather Events and Climate Change: How do we Address Uncertainty” symposium at Rutgers University where I learned from leading climatologists and social scientists* a few simple concepts that help make the connection between the increased intensity and frequency of storms and global warming. While it may still be too early to attribute individual storms to climate change, there is a lot we are certain about that can be emphasized. Read more.

Perhaps even more important than the percentage of people who accept the reality of anthropogenic climate change is the number of people who believe that something can be done about it. This is because when—and I believe it is a matter of when, not if—the public truly wakes up to climate change as a mortal danger, it will be critical that people feel at least a glimmer of hope that the harm can be minimized. Read more.

When she trains local leaders in how to communicate climate preparedness to their communities, climate communications expert Susanne Moser frames adaptation as more of a community building effort than a communications effort. But effective messaging is still critical and she worries that the state of adaptation communications is behind the times. Read more.

Gen Why Media has created an inspirational video that captures the power of the Social Change Institute at the Hollyhock retreat center on Cortes Island in British Columbia. Social Change Institute provides change makers with workshops, trainings and community building opportunities. This beautifully produced video features Social Change Institute participants and trainers (including the Social Capital Project's Cara Pike) sharing their experience and insights.

Social Change Institute @ Hollyhock from Stina Brown on Vimeo.

Mike Rowlands, President of Octopus Strategies, shares his reflections on the 2011 Social Change Institute. "In the face of the most complex problems mankind has ever confronted, simple answers don’t exist. Instead, effective resolutions require careful study and sensitive responses; “emergent practices” will present themselves as they percolate up out of wide-reaching collaborations."  For the full post.