Green Action: Creating Sustainable Communities - Mar 2010

Hi,

I think John asked us to give a little introduction. I can't add it to my assignment and keep in the word limit for I'm going to do it here :)

My name is Ben Wild I'm in my early thirties and currently sitting in a hotel room in Kuala Terengganu in Malaysia, I'm not however Malaysian, just passing through. I've spent the last year or so in New Zealand where I Wwoofed for a few months on several great organic small holding/permanculture and sustainability projects before using my IT/Environmental experience to get a job working with the LUCAS team at the Ministry of the Environment working on the system NZ uses for reporting it's carbon sinks and emissions to the UN.

That contract came to an end and after a few months cycle touring round NZ I'm heading back to the UK where I'll be living and working in a rural, intentional community in Scotland which has a ecological and sustainabilty focus. Previously I was working in London for a social marketing/comms consultancy where my focus was again enviromental, I designed and led campaigns around climate change awareness and building usage of recycling and other environmental services.

My personal and professional life over the last few years have repeated involved themes of sustainabilty and I'm keen to broaden and deepen my understanding, hence this course.

Looking forward to the course and getting to know you all

Cheers
Ben

Ps. Interesting, I thought, that so far in the assignment submissions when asked to talk about their community people have often choosen to talk about their city, rather than their house, block or street? Makes me think about what constitutes community for different people.. but maybe that's a discussion for a different course!