You can contact me via this form. You can receive a 6 monthly update from me by subscribing here.
Before the summer of 2023, I was a full Professor of Sustainability Leadership and Founder of the Initiative for Leadership and Sustainability (IFLAS) at the University of Cumbria. I was also the Founder of the Deep Adaptation Forum and the co-Founder of the International Scholars’ Warning on Societal Disruption and Collapse. A major transformation in my career began in 2017 as I took a year out to study the latest climate science, and released the Deep Adaptation paper which went viral. A reasonable profile of me appeared in GQ Magazine in 2023.
After the release of my book Breaking Together in May 2023 (available as a free download), I decided to leave employment as a full Professor in the UK. At the age of 50, I am entering a new phase in life, where the development of a regenerative farm school in Indonesia and playing devotional music for groups will become my main focus. In addition, I write essays on collapse readiness and response, while giving the occasional talk, course, or interview, and publishing newsletters. If you could support my time to continue writing such essays, I’d appreciate it.
Despite misrepresentation of me by reformist environmentalists, who unfortunately marginalise attempts to soften the breakdown of industrial consumer societies, I have never predicted near term human extinction, and have continued to support carbon cuts and natural drawdown for over 25 years. I have pushed for a wider agenda of harm reduction, beyond either giving up on social change, nor sticking to failed tactics, policies and ideologies. In 2020 I articulated this approach to staying with the total trouble of our times, while being creatively engaged in positive change, in a joint article with a co-founder of Extinction Rebellion. Neither am I an anti-vaxxer. Noticing the failures of the orthodox response to the pandemic, my arguments and advice since October 2021 have been for a smarter approach that empowers citizens to make responsible decisions, rather than only relying on passive consumption of pharmaceuticals. My book Breaking Together elaborates on these issues.
The following is an old bio that I wrote about myself, before my 2017/18 awakening to the reality of our predicament. I keep it in here, so you can see the illustrious career of delusion that I had before my ‘deep adaptation’ awakening and eventual smooth move from first world professor to third world farmer 😉
A graduate of the University of Cambridge, he had twenty years of experience in sustainable business and finance, as a researcher, educator, facilitator, advisor, & entrepreneur, having lived & worked in six countries. Clients for his strategy development included international corporations, UN agencies and international NGOs. The World Economic Forum (WEF) recognised Professor Bendell as a Young Global Leader for his work on sustainable business alliances. With over 100 publications, including four books and five UN reports, he regularly appeared in international media on topics of sustainable business and finance, as well as currency innovation. His TEDx talk is the most watched online speech on complementary currencies. In 2012 Professor Bendell co-authored the WEF report on the Sharing Economy, which has since led to some rather strange statements from that organisation about ownership and happiness. Previously he helped create innovative alliances, including the Marine Stewardship Council, to endorse sustainable fisheries and The Finance Innovation Lab, to promote sustainable finance. In 2007 he wrote a report for WWF on the responsibility of luxury brands, which appeared in over 50 newspapers and magazines worldwide, and inspired a number of entrepreneurs to create businesses in the luxury sector. In 2017 he worked in frontline British politics, applying his knowledge on leadership and strategic communications to helping the office of the leader of the opposition in the general election campaign that removed the government’s majority (co-developing the narrative for the campaign, and co-writing speeches for the leader and the shadow chancellor).
Donate to keep Jem writing / Read Jem’s book Breaking Together / Read Jem’s key ideas on collapse readiness / Subscribe to this blog / Read the Scholars’ Warning / Visit the Deep Adaptation Forum / Receive Jem’s Biannual Bulletin / Receive the Deep Adaptation Review / Watch some of Jem’s talks / Find Emotional Support.
I’ve opened up the comments again on this page and will direct people to leave comments here rather than on individual posts.
Prof Jem Bendell 
Jem,
Just finished your “dossier”. Esp. liked the chapter on “New Regulations and Initiatives on NGO Acctability”. Have known may of the same people as you, incl’g Edwards, Zadek, Borell, Lisa, Malcolm McIntosh.
Skype is good. Which of your various past email addresses turned out to be reliable for you?
Good luck at WWF-UK. I see their int’l counterparts in Brussels a lot, http://www.wsis.ethz.ch/seri.htm
Thomas
I have visited your site 745-times
Your site found in Google: http://google.com/search?q=srj
very interesting….
Very excited about the UN event… wonderful news! Elizabeth
[…] globally widespread, yet remains very variable in both form and quality,” said report co-editor Jem Bendell of Lifeworth, a consulting firm. UNCTAD’s report authors agree: “Unless reporting is […]
Is West Papua less deserving than Iraq to protection from slaughter and torture? Whom did you see shooting hostages, who started shooting as the hostages were approaching the special forces troops? I assume you do recall the military operation in Geselema. And what was the response to Kelly’s dreadful demand for the UN to return to West Papua or for foreign media.
If you are willing to know how one of these disasters started, this declassified US State department summary gives a good explanation http://wpik.org/Src/1961_US_record.html
Thanks Andrew. I was not in West Papua. I was told Daniel Start, and other reports, that two Indonesian hostages, Navy and Tessy, were killed by the OPM with machetes. Daniel said there was no shooting at the time when they ran away when Navy and Tessy were being killed. That is also in his book The Open Cage. However, separate to that incident there are other reports about an attack on a village by people pretending to be the red cross, by arriving in a white helicopter, and it was unclear who those people were (mercenaries or military), or who they were acting for. Is that the attack you are mentioning? Clearly the West Papuans are as deserving of rights and justice as Iraqis or anyone. If you are bringing attention to the current situation, as well as working for justice on what happened in the past, then I think thats important work. Id welcome links to the latest information as its not an issue I have followed in recent years.
Thanks for reply, it is over a decade since those reports and I could well have some wires cross. I’d have to admit some sensitivity, these people have shown so much more restraint than the Irish, Palestinians, than just about anyone you could name.
My area of research has the colonisation process 1935-1963 which is what you’ll find mostly documented at my information kit. These days there are several reasonably good sites, just google ‘west papua’.
How weird I seem to have a double-ganger. Anyway, yes Geselema is the village that was gunned down from the helicopter using the Red Cross flag, and there is no doubt that it was the Indonesian military that borrowed the Freeport helicopter for the impersonation of the IRC.
My latest work is at http://colonyWestPapua.info
Behind the smoke & mirrors it now appears that it was a UN trusteeship agreement that the Kennedy administration drafted and Indonesia and the Netherlands signed in 1962. i.e. West Papua is the last remaining UN trust territory.
“Ideal Globalization –The Solution for Sustainable Developments”
(Worldwide Mails: 130000-130100)
15/4/10
To
The President/The Secretary General/Members,
UNO, IPCC, UNFCCC, UNDP, UNEP, WMO.
&
TO ALL WHOM SO EVER CONCERN.
Sub: Consideration for The Agenda “Exploring further the goal of Globalization” to the next General Assembly Meeting.
I kindly request, the following, to be mentioned in the agenda of next General Assembly Meeting, just for the purpose of exploring further the goal of Globalization and to start healthy debates about various options to find the solution of climate change and bio diversity loss.
THE AGENDA.
Let UN very clearly define the Globalization, both in its General and Ideal form, keeping our Individual, National and Common interest of planet earth.
While doing so,
a) Let UN clarify the present definition of the Globalization being applied and list out the matters/fields to be covered under this definition.
b) Whether UN Prefers to accept and continue with the present idea of limited Globalization only or in future going to expand the Globalization as per its ideal definition to be defined as per the above agenda, by the UN.
c) Let UN justify the reasons of going, either for limited or ideal form of Globalization.
I believe, the idea of Globalization, so far being applied by UN is undefined. Anything needs to be defined first, to understand and implement in its most effective ways.
Thanks with Regards.
Hari Laxman
(Shriji Aptt, LM Road, Navagoan, Dahisar-W, Mumbai-68)
The following is for further information please.
“The SOLUTION”
FOR
“SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT”
“The IDEAL GLOBALIZATION”
“The United World”
‘The UNI-RULED WORLD”
“The NEW KIND OF CIVILIZATION”
“The NEW SUBJECT”
“Test Subject Testify Root Freedom”
“Effectively Argue Ever in principle”
“Such Subject Address Whom So Ever Concern”
“Real Solution Purpose Response No One Concern”
“Kept Subject Deep Silent Beyond Imagine”
“Allow Talk Write Deny Debate Develop”
“Just Not Reach Anyhow Century One Next”
“But Specific CERN Centuries Infinite Next”
“Problems of-PRESENT WORLD”
“Problems of-FUTURE WORLD”
“Sustainable Economical Balanced Development”
“Security Mind Any Kinds”
“Climate Change Biodiversity Loss”
“Terrorism Trade Currency War”
“Nuclear Proliferation Population Explosion”
“Migration Indigenous Malnutrition Poverty”
“Boundary Natural Resources Forest”
“Pollution Water Energy Employment”
“Human Women Children Animals Rights”
“Await INDIVIDUAL Planetary Real Rights”
“The ONE”
&
“The ONLY ONE”
“The MOST VISIONARY”
“GLOBAL SOLUTION”
“The IDEAL GLOBALIZATION”
“The UNITED WORLD”
“The UNI-RULED WORLD”
“The Solution for Each Every Thing”
“The Solution for What May Matter”
“The SOLUTION-All IN ONE”
“The SOLUTION-All BUILT IN”
“SIMPLICITY Too EVIDENT”
“COMPLEXITY But UN-DESIGNED”
“Knowledgeable-NEW BORN”
“Unknown All Blow Horn”
“World Drama Own Version”
“No Win Close Curtain”
“Rehearsal for No Learn”
“Wishing Dear Mother Earth”
“Must Get Early Grave”
“Flying Climate Lovers at Copenhagen”
“Flying Climate Lovers at Cancun”
“Roam Saintly Arrange Mutual Meet”
“Enjoy Dual standard Climate Romance”
“Actively Play For Lost Track”
“Open Battle Game World Pact”
“Procurable plus Profitable”
“CHANGE PLANET CLIMATE”
“Traps Tricks Counter Act”
“Wisdom Voice Back Track”
“Wish Open Own Heart”
“Where There Natural Love”
“Worry Dears Do Comments”
“Might Missing Conscious Mind”
“Found Free Fresh Quite”
“Memory Access Latest Update”
“No Hang-up No Disk Crash”
“Sectors All Along Indicates Intact”
“No Pressure Not Even Sugar”
“Smartly Runs All the Graphs”
“Revision Report Reveals”
“Serious – SHORT VISION”
“Personal Priority Program Dream Vision Mission”
“Business Profile Purpose Format Vision Mission”
“Lost Real Meaning So Meaningful Word Vision”
“Verify Self Short Vision Far Long Vision”
“Climate Lovers at Copenhagen”
“Climate Lovers at Cancun”
“Climate Lovers Earth Around”
“Autocrats Bureaucrats Doctors”
“Industrialist Educationalist Scientist”
“Economist Columnists Professionals”
“Journalist Noblest Novelist Legalist”
“Leaders Teachers Workers Traders”
“Institutes Universities Academies NGOs”
“Thinkers Think-Tanks Foundations Forums”
“Presidents Ministers Legislators rulers”
“Students Professors Fellows Researchers”
“Corporations Incorporations Limited”
“National Multi-National International”
“Philanthropist Millionaire Billionaire”
“Readers Writers Philosophers”
“Democrats Republicans Communist”
“Socialist Secularist Religionist”
“Corporate Union Import-Export Union”
“Industrial Business Political Big-Union”
“Labor Union Trade Union Small-Union”
“Local Union State Union National Union”
“Regional Union Continental Union”
“International Brand U NO Union”
“1st World 2nd World 3rd World”
“Under World If Any Other World”
“Dear Earth PLANETIZEN World”
“Backup Show-Managers Business Base”
“Pickup Ground-Managers Politics Base”
“SURE”
“INSURE”
“YES WE CAN”
“CHANGE”
“The WORLD Even”
“Found Aladdin the Magic Lamp”
“Un Served Anything No Camp”
“The ONE”
&
“The ONLY ONE”
“The SOLUTION-All IN ONE”
“The SOLUTION-All BUILT IN”
“The Solution Each Every Thing”
“The Solution What May Matter”
“Knowledgeable-NEW BORN”
“SIMPLICITY Too EVIDENT”
“COMPLEXITY But UN-DESIGNED”
“The UNITED WORLD”
“The UNI-RULED WORLD”
“The IDEAL GLOBALIZATION”
“Any things ELSE Treat With PATCH”
“Minds Only Business No Record Match”
“Good Ground Develop Addition”
“Mourn Meet Shame Celebration”
“Nothing Will Left Write Will”
“Force If Climate Business Deal”
“Super Human Life Worth”
“Expect Earth Poisonous fall”
“Well With Longest In Millennium”
“Slow But Certain Mother’s Death”
“World Unfortunate Unite Unfair Ways”
“Selfish Mission Mislead All Ways”
“Developed World Money Power”
“Muscle Power Super Power”
“Collectively All with Full Power”
“Demand But From Poor Beggars”
“Developing World Third World”
“Hope Have Healthy Stomach”
“Big Brothers Actor Donor Brothers”
“Most Innovative Anyhow Sale Favors”
“Force Them Climate-Eco Surgery”
“Live Then Even Without Stomach”
“Past Present Wrong Doing”
“Over Consume Every Thing”
“Redefine Morals Rights Instant Act”
“Unjust Deny Right Painful Innocent”
“Shouting Together Crying Pain”
“Indigestible Poor’s Little Gain”
“The Have-nots Have Self Proud”
“Having Few Favorite Fortune 500”
How The-Haves Have Such Proud?
“Having Favorite Pennyworth Few Billions”
“Have-Notes Permitted Just Inherit”
“Sub-Human Life Long Suffering”
“Offering Them Now Unwanted Merit”
“Never Ending Donator Depend Poverty”
“Have-Notes Served Masters for Centuries”
“Unsustainable Survive Still Some Centuries”
“Few Days The-Haves Deadly Upsets”
“Little Less Uncountable Bank Assets”
“Every Thing Understandable But Not”
“Who Help Whom Who Expect Whom”
“Every Body Differentiate Difference”
“Hypocritical Thinking Quality Thinking”
“HAVE all SELF DIGNITY”
“EITHER POOR or RICH”
“No DEMAND No DONATION”
“Develop With Mutual Efforts”
“Pay Punishment Harming Act”
“Justice Noble Bring Balance”
“The ONE”
&
“The ONLY ONE”
“The Solution Each Every Thing”
“The Solution What May Matter”
“The SOLUTION-All IN ONE”
“The SOLUTION-All BUILT IN”
“Knowledgeable-NEW BORN”
“SIMPLICITY Too EVIDENT”
“COMPLEXITY But UN-DESIGNED”
“The UNITED WORLD”
“The UNI-RULED WORLD”
“The IDEAL GLOBALIZATION”
“Divided Earth Rule Present World”
“Step One Down Wild Civilization”
“Unified Earth Rule Future World”
“Step One Up Wonder Civilization”
“Climate Ecology Follows Function Unit”
“Solution Effective Apply Complete Unit”
“Idea Inherently Belong Present Rule System”
“Reform Every Things Prove Aim Theorem”
“Sustain Expand Must Meet Development”
“Economic Politic Close World Leadership”
“Much Less Competitive Developing Half World”
“Heartily Draft Words Vulnerable Whole World”
“Secure Bubble Free Wise Future Investment”
“Multi Return Rule Earth Unite Management”
“Crack Define Ambiguously Possible Best”
“Perchance World Pact Unanimously Signs”
“Achieve Impress Display Merely Signify Paper”
“Worsen Matter Infect Invisible Distant Future”
“Unfulfilled legal Pact Words War”
“Fears Climate Suicidal World War”
“Never Will Come Such Favorable Time”
“Never Remain Critical Still Safe Climate”
“Realize Result Accept Pure Science”
“Right Time at Planetary Presence”
“Solution Once Perfect Permanent Ever”
“Foolproof Loop holes Even Black holes”
“SOLUTION”
“NATURAL”
“SIMPLE”
“SURE”
“LOGICAL Harmonics BALANCE”
“EFFICIENT Unique MANAGEMENT”
“EARTH Unit MANAGEMENT”
“The Solution Each Every Thing”
“The Solution What May Matter”
“The ONE”
“The ONLY ONE”
“The SOLUTION”
“All IN ONE”
“The SOLUTION”
“All BUILT IN”
“Knowledgeable-NEW BORN”
“SIMPLICITY Too EVIDENT”
“COMPLEXITY But UN-DESIGNED”
“The UNITED WORLD”
“The UNI-RULED WORLD”
“ACT SELF WORTH”
“THINK SELF WORTH”
“LEAVE FOOT PRINT”
“GENERATION NEXT WORTH”
“Refer Primary Teachings Relate Basic Rules”
“Think twice colonize Moon and Mars”
“Frustration Fiasco Standardize Proper on Earth”
“Success Story Here Educating Outer Space”
“Interested Energy Direct From Star Source”
“Ignorant Mad Manner Waste Natural Resource”
“Eager Find Every Solution”
“Abroad Instead Looking Around”
“Break Apart Hard Preset Mind”
“One among Billions Trend Setter”
“How Genius Mind Thinkers Doctorate”
“Think Tanks Brand Custom Research”
“Feel Quite Pitiable Apply Narrow Mind”
“Just Own Few Future Generation Rights”
“Feel Generous Excellence Dedicate Broad Mind”
“Future Endless For ALTOGETHER UNDER SUN”
“Fellow Members Follow Solar Family Rules”
“Manage Planet Live Longer Than Parents”
“Suitable Challenge Solution Known Now”
“Preach Propagate Prepare United World”
“Rise beyond Bonded Pay Packaged Materialism”
“Ignite Intellectuals Gifted Inner Self Mechanism”
“Implant Modify Genetics Highest Humanism”
“Invent ABCD Adam Eve PLANETISM”
Hari Laxman
[…] par des intervenants tels que Lina Srivastava, célèbre activiste du récit transmedia, et Jem Bendell qui nous brossera un portrait peu conventionnel et sombre sur le thème de […]
[…] book seeks to distil some of the author’s 15 years of experience and key learnings on the advanced strategic planning of partnerships for people who work within […]
Hi Jem absolute loved yr TED talk I am so glad more & more people are talking about what money is. Thank you do much. Am sending yr talk off all over social media as I want people to ‘get’ the knowledge of what false enslavement we’ve been living under with debt as money. Tks for all the links to new forms of money. I dream of a world called Utopia where we are all supported by each other & we support the world instead of pillaging it for more growth. Jem, lovely to have found a lkindred spirit. Cheers Lisa x
thx. link here to what u work on?
I love your speech in TEDX Transmedia, yes’ just money’ ,healty and happy is important in individual life….
[…] Dr. Jem Bendell explains that one reason for the lack of comprehensive action from prestigious brands is identified […]
[…] Dr. Jem Bendell, an award-winning authority on business-society relations, along with Anthony Kleanthous, Senior Policy Advisor on Sustainable Business and Economics at WWF-UK, together performed a study for the World Wildlife Fund United Kingdom (WWF-UK) called Deeper Luxury: Quality and Style when the World Matters, which was widely acknowledged to have inspired the luxury industry to increase efforts on social, environmental and ethical performance. The comprehensive study provides a vision and rational for a more sustainable luxury industry through a compelling business plan for a new type of luxury with deeper values presented in smarter methods of sourcing, manufacture, marketing, and distribution. The report presents a new luxury consumer, a new luxury marketplace (featuring industry challenges), the environmental and social performance of the ten largest, publicaly-traded luxury brand owning companies, and the important role of celebrity endorsements influencing consumers and therefore companies. Ranking of environmental, social, and governance performance and reputation of luxury corporate groups (L'Oreal, Heremes, LVMH, Coach, Tiffany & Co., Swatch, PPR, Richemont, Bulgari, and Tods) […]
Hi Jem, please visit my facebook page for an important announcement. Congrats on the appointment at Cumbria by the way… a bit different to Bristol i should think? All good wishes, Chris.
I have read so many articles or reviews about the blogger lovers except this article
is truly a good post, keep it up.
wonderful issues altogether, you simply won a new reader.
What might you suggest about your post that you made a few
days ago? Any certain?
[…] Jem Bendell: […]
Professor Bendell, I am Carolina, part of the committee for the 2015 Ecommerce conference: http://lbsecommerceconference.co.uk/ . We would like to know if there’s any interest in attending to the conference, sincer we are willing to give you a complimentary ticket. Please, contact me for more information.
Best regards,
Hi Jem,
I’ve just had a quick read of your 28th Sept article “Future lines of debate and action on climate”. With all due respect, may I ask where and to what level you studied any science subjects that are relevant to the Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Change (CACC) because I get the impression that you may not have studied any relevant science subject beyond GCE/GCSE (or whatever it is called these days).
Surely you could have made reference to someone more relevant than actor Leonardo DiCaprio as support for your scare-monte ring rant.
There has been NO global warming for 18 years now, a “hiatus” that was NOT projected by the IPCC.
Best regards,
Pete Ridley
Some links that then take you through to the data.
http://ameg.me/index.php/arctic-warming
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/earth-insight/2013/dec/09/us-navy-arctic-sea-ice-2016-melt
http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v7/n1/full/ngeo2007.html
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/arctic-methane-emissions-certain-to-trigger-warming-17374
My views on climate scepticism. https://jembendell.wordpress.com/2008/12/12/sceptic-anti-septic-%E2%80%93-cleaning-up-climate-doubt-2/
I studied oceanography with Dr Tom Spencer at Cambridge University as part of my georgraphy BA, in 1992-1995, and climate change was a key topic. But I dont claim to be a scientist. As a sociologist I find the evolution of climate scepticism interesting. As a person I find that scepticism tragic as people with a useful critical approach waste their and others time on shoddy scepticism, and ultimately I now find it rather boring.
Hi Jem,
Perhaps you’d like to enlighten us on what you mean by shoddy climate scepticism and give some examples of scientists who in your humble opinion are guilty of such. I have been privy to numerous well-considered exchanges involving well-qualified sceptics of the Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Change (CACC) hypothesis, such as Professors Judith Curry, Robert G Brown, John Nichil, Drs Jack Barrett, Roy Spencer, Jinan Cao, etc. etc. etc. In my opinion None of these could be accused of indulging in shoddy climate scepticism.
I wonder if the boredom that you feel derives from a lack of understanding of the underlying scientific principles.
Best regards, Pete Ridley
You just listed a bunch of people funded by the oil industry. If you link to a peer reviewed paper in a scientific journal that seeks to demonstrate the CACC arguments are of no weight at all, and then Id find it interesting.
It appears that sea temperatures have been rising and taking up some of the surface heat rises. I think that largely the issue is about our use of resources full stop. All signs are that we are close to and beyond peak soil nutrients, flora and fauna, most metals, diversity, old growth forrest, sea life etc. Our system is using the sea and air as a dump for our effluent. We are in desperate need of some humility.
And the evidence rises: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/14/sea-level-rise-unmatched-6000-years-global-warming
Hi Cris, ditti
Hi Jen,
In my humble opinion you are talking Cr ..p!
so u couldnt provide anything substantive. this has been a useful exchange in reminding me to manage my attention, and avoid the trollesque 🙂
[…] Pound and celebrating the launch of the Guild of Independent Currencies. Leander Bindewald and Jem Bendell both presented, and Matthew Slater and I also each got up to say a few words. We all focused on […]
Dear Prof. Bendell:
I am a MSc student from University of Bristol. Besides, I work in the top academy of China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and have always been working for the building of a better financial system and monetary transformation in China.
I look through your articles on wordpress and find excitedly that we share a lot of commons in belief and practice!! For example, our team in China have launched the financial lab in Chinese universities in order to do an experiment of new real economy system.
In fact, during the past 20 years of my supervisor, he also encountered many many difficulties from the misunderstanding of the mass or even elite in China about the significant implications on the problematic monetary system. The financial crises and the Internet hit the old world and bring the human society to an new ear. It is the prime time for us in the different part of the earth to join and put efforts together!
Right now, I am living in London and looking for strategical partners in UK and I think we can have a good talk when you are convenient. I really cannot write all things done in this short email and I am looking forward to your response.
Thank you for your attention and looking forward to meeting you soon.
Best regards,
Jing
Thank you, I’ve recently been looking for info
approximately this topic for a long time and yours is the greatest I
have came upon till now. However, what about the bottom line?
Are you positive about the supply?
[…] Full speaker bio: […]
[…] Pound and celebrating the launch of the Guild of Independent Currencies. Leander Bindewald and Jem Bendell both presented, and Matthew Slater and I also each got up to say a few words. We all focused on […]
Dear Jem,
Supply Chain professional and now enrolled into an EMBA programme, I am now working on a new business model related to CSR. I came along some of your publications on the collaboration between NGO’s and corporations. I would welcome your expertise and view on my work.
I hope we could exchange in near future.
Corinne
Dear Jem
Whilst your notes on Engaging the Climate Tradgedy are valid. I have a number of questions:
1 – Have you made strenuous efforts to reach indigenous peoples, whom are not just Native Americans nor Aborogines? One is actually asking these questions.
2 – Climate DESTRUCTION, systematically endorsed over centuries for monetary profit by a select group of individuals that require complete adherence to group values for aspiring members. The climate has always changed over eons. What our great grandchildren will bear is wanton, rapacious destruction driven by selfishness, greed and apathy.
3- Have these notes been actually placed in the hands of Caroline Lucas MP, Jonathan Barclay, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Diane Abbott MP, Dame Shirley Williams, disseminated to every Environmental/Sustainabilty Officer in local councils?
4 – Although you are clear about the negative impacts of neo-liberalism your blog and “achievements” rely, rather heavily in my opinion, on the tropes of individualisation, patriarchy, capitalism, neo-liberal approaches and systems and the continued nurturing thereof of their enclaves by complicity masked as “you need to be in the system to change it”. Why?
5 – Totnes is not, was not and never will be the seat of radical artists you believe it to be. It is, was and forever, probably, will be an entrenched enclave of middle-class aspiration to be “real”. We don’t and won’t ever choose to live there. Although the occasional visit to see what you’re “dallying” with is mildly diverting. Why are you wilfully misrepresenting the actuality of Totnes?
6 – Have you engaged grass roots artists, activists, communities? At all?
Please, do not “academic speak” me in your answers. I resigned from my lectureship in 1996 because, amongst other reasons, I refused to accept 70% as a First Class Honours for the degree I was co-writing and saw the path of knowledge commodification HE was walking down. One is not an expert when one has not even achieved getting three quarters of ones specialist knowledge correct.
I trust these questions will be received and answered as rigourously as the spirit and intellect in which they are asked.
yours sincerely
Karen Lawrence
I omitted one last question
– why do you not reference Fritjot Capra and his Systems Approach? At best, a rude, arrogant academic discourtesy. At worst, you haven’t read him.
Youre so awesome, man! I cant believe I missed this blog for so long. Its just great stuff all round. Your design, man…too amazing! I cant wait to read what youve got next. I love everything that youre saying and want more, more, MORE! Keep this up, man! Its just too good.
[…] Jem Bendell‘s premise is that climate breakdown and its threat to humanity is a given. Even if all […]
There is a comprehensive early childhood curriculum that is rooted in ideas of deep learning, complex problem solving and, perhaps, deep adaptation. If the future requires children who will be equipped to rebuild society, I would look to Anji China for one powerul model of systems change.
Read the Deep adaptation paper…. I was left with a “meh” impression. All I can say is, you really have no idea do you? Nor does anyone. OUR planet has been heating and cooling without us for many many years. I suspect your scare tactics to do more harm than a warming (albeit temporary one)climate.
I think he has taken the best of scientific evidence from the most well researched people in the world. In suspect I will trust his view more than your’s Corey. If you want to turn a blind eye and talk about changes that have happened over tens of thousands of years and are well researched and documented as to why and ignore this specific very fast change then I think you maybe have your head in the sand and that is worrying as it is my kids and grandchildren and friends children that will suffer
Your views on charity are most appreciated. The idea of spending down endowments is both provocative and smart, and is a tangible CTA for grant makers. Thank you for sharing this thinking.
Dr. Bendell – I just finished your Deep Adaptation white paper this morning. Thank you so much for writing it. I learned of your paper from Terry Patten in a talk he gave at Google – you can view it here. https://www.terrypatten.com/ I met him and others 15 years ago at an “Integral Life Practice” workshop.
The information in your paper was not completely new to me, as I have been following Guy McPherson’s (referenced in your paper) “Nature Bats Last” blog for a while, but this paper does provide me with the necessary “jolt” to re-energize me and to reflect on how I might best engage in the world moving forward.
In your paper, you reference the work of J Lear, “Radical Hope: Ethics in the Face of Cultural Devastation” (which I am unfamiliar with) and quote from it:
Lear (2008) looked at what he calls the “blind
spot” of any culture: the inability to conceive of its own destruction and possible extinction. He explored the role of forms of hope that involved neither denial or blind optimism. “What makes this hope radical, is that it is directed toward a future goodness that transcends the current ability to understand what it is.”
This line echoed for me the work of (another person I met at the ITP workshop) Bert Parlee, and his paper from 9 years ago about the spectrum of optimism and developing an “Integral Optimism.” https://www.academia.edu/17563385/Integral_Optimism
In your paper, you say you are now focusing your time on “leadership and communication.” I think this is what many should be doing, and for that, I commend you. I will quote Guy McPherson here: “Only Love remains, pursue a life of passion and purpose.”
Thanks again, and keep up the great work.
Wrote this here on wordpress in 2013, very applicable to this subject.
https://dannyheim.wordpress.com/2016/07/25/evolve-now-the-book/
[…] paper is available to read on Dr Bendell’s website. It’s not long and worth the read, but the main takeaway from it is: societal collapse within […]
First I want to say it’s a fatalistic mistake to express that ‘It’s too late to change this system’,
the reality is, we don’t have any chance to survive if we keep this (monetary) system..!!
This world can only (!) be saved and transformed In the necessary speed and in that scale intodrucing the, in history books subsequently really described as that, ‘digital era’ by replacing fully and completely the ‘monetary era’ with it!
-or-
The crisis can (only) be solved replacing, overcoming and eliminating the ‘monetary era’ with the, in history books subsequently really described as that, ‘digital era’!
The world has to hold its breath, to escape ahead and to redefine its civilization!
“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” Buckminster Fuller
We can’t change the influence and effects of the monetary system by changing only the effects..
We can’t change the influence and effects of the monetary system by only trying to change the effects..
For this great project of a currecy&tradeFree-OneWorldSociety, to pull an ’emergency brake,
to do this radical change of course the world has to grow together, has to become one!
For Banners:
System change, not climate change!
(that’s the known one)
Replace the monetary world system /
Shut down the monetary world system
(fully and completely)
with the digital world system! /
with the help of the digital networkings!
(Which only allows the radical change of course!)
—
Longer presentation:
Our main objective and our main task as humanity in this very historical moment in order to keep our ecosystem on earth alive and thereby our world civilization, is to overcome the ‘engines of combustion&destruction’ of the current ‘WorldFinancial&TradeSystem’ with the help of the implemented computersystemic global digital networking..
I would like to give some further reflections, arguments which show a bit why we can’t succeed getting out of fossil energy as a larger part within the next 10 years keeping our world financial&trade systems, as no other of the big problems can be solved..
.. of this amount of 280 trillion USD, as the global sum of investment and assets, about 90% is in conservative investment models, because they guarantee stability and the most of the profit.. no one of the big, often of nationally bound investment trusts or banks can deduct their shares within these very few years which are left, in investments which don’t bring the same amount of profit.. no one is allowed to step back or the competitor could gain advantages in order to determine the rules.. here to mention are especially countries like the USA, China, Russia, countries of the Middle East, even smaller countries like Venezuela, Ukraine, etc. depending on these huge revenues by oil&gas.. China makes a lot of money exporting coal.. Europe would maybe get an advantage if the other leading countries would have to pay a tax (carbon price, etc.) or are cut-off these revenues..
or: .. the global investments and shareholdings of the big banks and asset management firms in this world, of about 280 trillion USD, in a large part closely linked in the most profitable business models (including especially oil, gas and coal), these finances can’t be transfered in the necessary speed in other (also less profitable) investment models without that the whole system could even crash (as it did almost crash already in connection with real estate investments in 2008)..
Furthermore, these transfers could only be done globally and simultaneously, but would interfere deeply in global power relations, such that numerous countries economically depending on fossil energy like the States, Russia, China, countries of the Middle East, etc. can’t and won’t participate..! These countries, all connected companies and financial institutes would have to be compensated ongoing for their loss of income.. who will pay, how much and how long for each of them..?
Finally there is only this solution left to keep our ecosystem alive.. a ‘currency&tradeFree-OneWorldSociety’..!
Coincidently, we have a much better ‘tool’ as an organisational tool for mankind, for our world population.. the implemented computerized global digital network.. which is a much better device than currency&trade systems are.. considered by themselves the computersystemic networkings have a much greater power as an organisational tool as any kind of monetary systems ever had.. Technologically we could switch them off and transfer our world organisation (which is now running mainly using currency&trade systems simultaneously as the driving engine) immediately onto the computersystemic global digital networking, or within 2-3 years of preparation in order to transfer it at a specific date..
The only thing missing is the consciousness, the conviction and the will of the world population..! If this would be the case, we could go out of all kind of money&tradesystems, of this WorldFinancialSystem, while creating a one world society (keeping all kind of regional cultures, traditions, religions, languages and so on)..
Now, since the whole world has to fight a survival battle, which can only be won united, it’s even essential to get the awarness and the will to overcome our current organisational system..
Maintaining the contemporary world financial&trade system, with all the inherent forces of competition, conflicts and concentration, we don’t have any chance to keep our lifeworld alive.. we are forced to do this step forward in human history..!
Therefore, we have to initiate and create a chain reaction towards this solution approach.. that in all countries (about 190, compressed to 150 considering smaller populations) or in 150 regions in this world, that in each of them people or groups would start to activate 150 people of whom each of them might win 150 others and once again each one finds 150.. this amount of people, convinced and activated for this idea, would be sufficient (in India and China maybe a bit more :D), eventually about 500-700 million residents all around the world..
including that in the mean time all kind of organisations, NGO’s, movements, parties, campaignes, networks, conventional and web media, personalities (scientists, politicians, artists & starlets), etc. would start to speak about, overtake or spread this idea..
all together we might initiate a new time era on this planet within the next 5-10 years..
Maybe you want to become one of these 150, to spread this idea (an idea whose time has come) and to start discussions about by yourself/yourselves and in your own way 🙂
Eventually everyone becomes one of these 150, that we stand together as one earth population facing the climate crisis, as to resolve all the other problems of our time..
At the end, we have to build a global internet platform for this (like ‘network currency&tradeFree-1WorldSociety’ or another name) with its only target to initiate a world referendum to shut down all kind of currency&trade systems at a definite time and transfering the world organization onto therefore prepared computersystemic global digital networkings…
a platform for everyone on this world, connecting globally all kind of groups, movements, organisations, parties, religious groups, public figures, average people, etc..
It’s a big thing and it sounds far, but time is running out.. there is no other way than to focus on that, to build the awareness, the global consciousness in this direction..!
We are forced to make this decision now, on what we (everybody of us in this world) focus on as the main objective, or it doesn’t count any more, because it’s to late to interfere effectively halting an ecological breakdown..
There’s no other way that everybody of us, no matter in which position, in which region of this world has to become a part of a chain reaction towards this final destination..
That we have to change not only our way of living, to do a paradigmen shift – whose effects, in case being universally accepted and successful against the enormous influences of omnipresent and permanent advertising and other media distractions, couldn’t be absorbed by labour markets and social systems – but also our way of organisation, similar to times when the first monetary systems were introduced a couple of thousand years ago, because societies did increase that much that barter economies were not appropriate any more..
Now the currency&trade systems are not appropriate any more to solve any of the big problems in this world.. the environmental and climate crisis heading towards an ecological breakdown of the world’s current ecosystem, the crisis of international conflicts about declining raw materials and resources (especially oil&gas), of trade conflicts and most destructive wars, the social crises (from starvation to working poor), the crisis of worldwide refugee movements and coming population displacements, consequences of overexploitation, overconsumption, abundance and wasting for future generations, soon strong impacts of increasing automation, etc. etc.
Even though now, as it was this big advantage having a period of monetary systems, that it was a tool helping that finally the whole earth population did grow together in a certain way, did intertwine the world (even if, at the same time did create circumstances of concentration, competition and discords, appearing for example as nationalism, religious fundamentalism, racism, different kind of social battles, etc.), now that the whole world is that much related and interdependent, we have to make this step forward in human history as a common international simultaneous step: to transfer the currency&trade systems onto therefore prepared (decentralized open-source-based) computersystemic global digital networkings to a specific date.. unfortunately, it’s a matter of survival in a race against time..!!
“It’s Time for a currency&tradeFree OneWorldSociety! Let’s do it!”
“Protect the Planet! Rise for Climate, Rise up for a currency&tradeFree WorldSociety!”
—
Hello, I’m Jochen (Jea) from Germany.
I developed the textes above. In my opinion the described solution approach is the only and last possibility and option we have in order to do this radical change of course, to keep our nature and lifeworld on earth and with it our human civilization.
It would be great if this solution approach would be processed and maybe if you would give me feedback about.
Besides, I did put all my reflections on this plattform
[https://wechange.de/project/networking-currencytradefree-worldsoci/]
Scrolling a bit down one can see this text and others as pdf’s.
Most of the textes are in German, I hope I make it to translate them soon.
Best wishes to you ☼ Jea
[…] Jem Bendell has presented four questions for both individuals and communities to ask themselves, he calls them […]
https://www.ippr.org/research/experts
Just read the Deep Adaptation paper and I found it comforting to see such truth in print. Thanks for writing it – and I look forward to following your continuing work. Keep it up!
I was only made aware recently of your youtube when I spoke with a friend about a book I was reading George Monbiot, of who I am sure your fully familiar with. I have some previous comments and since we are in the sixth stage of exstinction then the softly softly approach is not going to make people act now and make as many contributions of reducing their carbon foot print. Action is need by everyone and forming groups and education and no more procrastination, action is needed. Thank you for youtube videos they are very imformative and there is nothing wrong with contents. I have been wondering what to do with my life I am 54 and working for a big company at the bttom run of the ladder. I have now decided that I wold like to study Environmental Science degree and I think Mancherster looks a good place. Please continue your good work.
Shortly after the above comments I finally got to the bottom of how the occupation of West Papua came about, why and how Dag Hammarskjold had been lured to Africa to be replaced by U Thant to divert the United Nations from the goals of its Charter, which included the UN occupation and UN appointed Indonesian administration of the colony.
A peer reviewed paper and other details are available at http://andrew767.wordpress.com
Hello Jem, I really appreciate your work and the existence of Deep Adaptation Forum. I am in contact with Dorian about translation into french of some of your text in order to support the emergence of “Groupes pour l’adaptation radicale” in France. This raises the issue of the licence given to the texts you publish here.
I suggest that the default licence for what is published here be Creative Commons BY-SA-4.0 (Share alike, non commercial), or Creative Commons BY-SA-3.0 (Share alike, also allowed for commercial).
And I suggest that at least you give BY-SA-3.0 or BY-SA-4.0 license to some important texts you published in the last 18 months.
What do you think?
Take care,
Xavier
I am curious to know your response to this critique by Michael Mann
https://www.science20.com/robert_walker/deep_adaptation_is_crap_climate_scientist_michael_mann_this_is_the_paper_so_depressing_it_sends_people_to_therapy
If your assessment of the futility of measures to mitigate Climate Disruption hinges on the presumption of 4C being already “baked in” due to the explosion of the Clathrate-bomb…
and that bomb has already been debunked/defused and is likely to fizzle and spurt for centuries rather than a massive feedback loop,
might that be cause for a re-assessment?
DA isn’t about methane cannons, debunked or otherwise, but about all the changes which are underway, many of them destructive and unpredictable. How secure are our food and fuel supplies? How will society cope with ever increasing numbers of migrants and victims of natural disasters? What new injustices lie ahead and what chances to make things betters? What to teach our children? How to live with all that uncertainty?
[…] gesamte liberale Amerika gegen sich aufbrachte. Daneben geht es auch um einen Aufsatz von Professor Jem Bendell, der bereits im Juli 2018 die akademische Nachhaltigkeitsforschung in ihren Grundfesten […]
[…] Bendell has some serious academic credentials. He graduated from Cambridge and is currently the Professor of Sustainability Leadership at the […]
[…] Bendell has some serious academic credentials. He graduated from Cambridge and is currently the Professor of Sustainability Leadership at the […]
[…] their book, Deep Adaptation: Navigating the Realities of Climate Chaos (UK & USA 2021), Editors Jem Bendell and Rupert Read present “an agenda and framework for responding to the potential, probable or […]
[…] delle conseguenze del cambiamento climatico sia sostanzialmente sbagliato. In breve per Jem Bendell, l’autore, la situazione è ormai talmente compromessa che dovremmo iniziare a fare i conti […]
[…] Prof. Jem Bendell | Oct 9, […]
[…] — and ultimately optimistic — read, this book is the result of two years of careful research by Dr. Bendell, professor of sustainability leadership at the University of Cumbria, and his team. While making […]
Goodness, Jeb, a lot of folks write to you!! I thank you for your blogposts which I almost always read within a week or two, often saving the text on my hard drive, even though I’m sure I could access them online too. I write just to complain tentatively about editorial proofreading of your texts being less than optimal, leading at times to small words missing or inconsistencies of capitalization. Maybe I am a tiresome picky pedant but to me it feels more like errors along the way cause me to stop and think again and struggle a little to stop thinking about it. It seems to be related to an ADHD type mentation in myself and a difficulty letting go of that which I’ve felt could easily have been corrected by someone not reading very fast.
leftism:
Otherwise known as “progressivism” and even more inaccurately as “liberalism”, “leftism” is a designation originating from the French Revolution of 1789, in reference to the political faction that opposed the French (so-called) king. However, the term is currently used in common discourse to describe those criminals who actively support (or at least tacitly condone) a host of OBJECTIVELY-WICKED ideologies and practices that contravene dharma, such as non-monarchical governances and corrupt economic systems (particularly socialism, communism, fascism, and liberal democracies), egalitarianism, feminism, perverse sexuality (especially homosexuality, bestiality, and transvestism), multiculturalism, and the illegitimate abortion of innocent, defenceless, unborn children. Cf. “dharma”.
In the past decade or two (of this treatise being composed), the mass media, especially the motion picture industry and television production companies, has been aggressively promoting all the above CRIMINAL ideologies and practices, helping to expedite the destruction of human civilization. Recently, large corporations have jumped on the leftist bandwagon (so to speak), in order to profit.
As explicated in Chapter 11 of this “A Final Instruction Sheet for Humanity”, the state of being of any particular human (or any other animal, for that matter) is due entirely to his or her genetic sequencing and his or her conditioning. Therefore, the explosion of the leftist/liberal mentality in recent decades, particularly in Western countries, has been caused by poor breeding strategies overtaking the more conservative tradition of mate-selection of previous centuries (and indeed, millennia), as well as the concerted effort of Marxists to spread their fiendish ideology throughout the school system and via folk culture. In other words, due to the fact that criminal behaviour (especially the deviant sexual acts mentioned above) has become increasingly more tolerated, condoned, and even GLORIFIED in most countries, there has been a proliferation of corrupt genetic codes within the wider human population.
According to genealogists, for (almost) the entire history of humanity, most women have successfully reproduced, whilst a far far smaller percentage of males have bequeathed their genetic sequence to proceeding generations. Due to the gradual phasing-out of polygamous marriages in even the most conservative societies, as well as the eradication of poverty in most every country, more and more men (as well as women) have been producing offspring. Thus, the human genome has rapidly become adulterated by inferior genetic material (that is, DNA from truly pathetic, uxorious beta-males, bisexuals, and even homosexual couples who engage surrogate mothers or sperm donors in order to conceive children – something of a rare occurrence in previous centuries/millennia).
For centuries, breeders of elite animals such as horses, cattle, and dogs, have understood that, by selecting the finest examples of a particular breed of animal for propagation, it will result in offspring with desirable characteristics. For example, present day thoroughbred horses boast a pedigree of the best-available horses from the seventeenth century. Such breeders are willing to pay enormous sums of money merely to hire the fastest stallions on earth in order for them to mate with their mares. In the case of we humans, women have traditionally chosen the most competent and masculine men with whom to bear children, and in general, have totally eschewed those males who displayed effeminate traits, and who showed themselves incapable of properly supporting a nuclear family. This phenomenon is known as “hypergamy” in the field of sociology. Unfortunately, due to rapid moral decay over the past few decades, Western women, especially, have become extremely sexually promiscuous, resulting in a multiplication of unwanted progeny (and, of course, an escalation of abortions). Boys born to single mothers often lack proper male roles models and invariably become feminized, unable (and often unwilling) to continue a strong lineage of progenitors. The solution to this problem is simply to ensure that society adheres to the principles of DHARMA (see the Glossary definition of that term, as well as Chapter 12).
Unsurprisingly, the majority of leftists find it difficult to accept the fact that their criminal mentality is largely inherited (and of course, they are unwilling to acknowledge the blatantly-obvious fact that their ideologies and practices are intrinsically sinful, wicked, evil and immoral in the first place!). It seems the consensus amongst leftist “intellectuals” is that every human mental trait is due entirely to one’s environmental conditioning and social milieu, rather than as a consequence of BOTH one’s genetic sequence and one’s life-long conditioning – a fundamentally-flawed assertion that cannot be scientifically supported. I would not be surprised if the typical leftist would believe that, if the parents of the twentieth century communist tyrant, Joseph Stalin, and the parents of the Divine Incarnation, Lord Jesus Christ, had somehow crossed the time barrier, and exchanged their baby boys shortly after their births, that Stalin would have grown to become a Prophet for God, whilst Christ would have become a murderous, left-wing dictator!
This term was very reluctantly used in the chapter on feminism. I say “reluctantly” because it is unlikely that the term will perdure for many decades longer. This is simple deductive logic, since, as clearly demonstrated in certain chapters in “F.I.S.H”, human civilization cannot survive with such leftist practices and ideologies in place. If you happen to be reading this Holy Scripture a century or more after its conception, you will probably be residing in a nation (as opposed to a country) ruled by a monarch, following the implosion of post-modern, decadent societies. So, either the term “leftism” will eventually become redundant and obsolete, or else, human civilization will devolve into a decadent, diseased state of existence similar to that of the prehistoric era, when the peoples of the world resided in caves or shacks, subsisting on whatever food can be sourced from the surrounding bushland. I trust that you who are reading these wise words will endeavour to influence your social circles to adhere to right-leaning ideologies and practices, such as (above all) monarchical governance, an entirely free-market economy, sexual purity, veganism, and all other virtuous principles.
Fear not, for the truth will surely conquer (“satyam-eva jayate”, in Sanskrit)! Cf. “right-wing”. See “multiculturalism” and “socialism”.
N.B. In order to clarify the notion of inheritability, it is not being claimed that an adharmic (far-left) couple will INVARIABLY produce leftist children, but merely that it is more PROBABLE that they will do so, considering their genetic sequence and the environmental conditioning they are bound to impart to their children, just as two parents with a certain physiological disorder are more likely to generate offspring with that specific disease. In this regard, it is recommended to study introductory texts on genetics/epigenetics.
In my particular case, I was raised by a staunch communist, and so was indoctrinated to believe that communism was the best course of action for a just society. Indeed, as a teenager, I even volunteered in the election campaign of a socialist politician, who eventually became the Premiere of the state of Western Australia. However, after studying dharma, I came to learn that I was misled by my father in this regard, and that the only system of governance that is dharmic (legitimate) is a divinely-sanctioned monarchy.
P.S. As a general rule, it seems (at least anecdotally) that the farther left-leaning is a person, the more physically (and of course, psychologically) UGLY is that person. Unfortunately, that does not seem to prevent leftists from propagating their mutant genes.
Hi Jem,
Came across your recent interview with Rick Archer on Batgap, and have now watched a couple of other Youtube discussions – as well as buying Breaking Together. Also just published an article in Fremantle Shipping News – the name reflecting where I live, but not the fact it’s community portal run by my friend Michael Barker. Here’s the link:
https://fremantleshippingnews.com.au/2023/11/22/is-hope-an-option/
Very taken with your approach and insights, and doing my best to engage others in the discourse.
Warm wishes
Bruce
[…] says on his website: “Despite misrepresentation of me by reformist environmentalists, who unfortunately marginalise […]
[…] Bendell schreibt: Vor dem Sommer 2023 war ich ordentlicher Professor für Sustainability Leadership und Gründer der […]
[…] ‘Nature Positive’ initiatives is that in 2023 Bendell stepped away from a career he called, “the illustrious career of delusion that I had before my awakening and eventual move from first wo… The delusions he refers to include the myriad of phantom solutions created by the global elite to […]
[…] So learning from that trait we could try to follow the community centred deep adaptation works of Prof. Jem Bendell (Deep Adaptation/Breaking Together) & Prof. Rupert Read (Climate Majority Project). Their openness to talking REAL about the real […]