Stephen has suggested this event:

“Low Impact Living: Consumption Beyond Consumerism”

(or, with reference to Gil Scott-Heron, “The Eco Revolution will not be Gadgetised”)

Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th June 2009
Karuna, Picklescott, Church Stretton, Shropshire SY6 6NT
 
A weekend of camping, discussions, workshops and contemplating change
Cost: £20 weekend or £10 per day / donations

The focus of the weekend is on the impact of modern lifestyles, and the need to change human lifestyles to address climate change or resource depletion rather than trying to adopt “gadgets” (such as green consumerism or sustainable consumption) to “solve” these problems technologically.
 
Paul Mobbs will present his new project, ‘Consumption Beyond Consumerism’. This looks at the recent science and research behind the impact of human lifestyles, through effects such as climate change, and explains why addressing the human impact on the environment requires that we create a new concept of our “lifestyle” — as a active, participative system that integrates our needs with the means to provide them — rather than just being just mechanistic’ consumers. This transition isn’t based on “hardware” — gadgets and other ‘things’ that we buy — but rather on “software” — developing our own personal, or group, skills and abilities in order to support our needs. By taking our lifestyles “apart”, and examining where the demands and impacts lie, we can work to change our lifestyles — our work, home and activities — to operate more ecologically. To meet the problems of peak energy, resource depletion and climate change our future existence is about becoming thinking, active human beings rather than inert consumers.  

There’s no rigid programme to the weekend (other than Paul and Larch will do their sessions on Saturday afternoon/early evening). From early Saturday afternoon to late Sunday afternoon we’ll throw ideas around then adapt them to meet the needs of those present. Hosts Janta and Merav Wheelhouse  will give a short presentation about their work and developments at Karuna, an inspiring exemplary  Permaculture site for Low impact living in Shropshire.
The aim is to leave the weekend pretty open, that way we can work on the expectations of those attending rather than the expectations of those presenting.
 
Please bring enthusiasm , food to share (no flesh please!) and acoustic musical instruments to play around an Open fire in the evening.

“We are not for names, nor men, nor titles of Government,nor are we for this party nor against the other but we are for justice and mercy and truth and peace and true freedom,that these may be exalted in our nation, and that goodness,righteousness, meekness, temperance, peace and unity with God, and with one another, that these things may abound.”
(Edward Burroughs, 1659 - from ‘Quaker Faith and Practice’)