Happiness is a Cooler Planet: Bill McKibben Speaks to Negev Activists

On September 7, 70 activists, architects, government officials and others from all walks of life in the Negev gathered for an event with world-renowned environmental activist Bill McKibben. McKibben is an author and founder of "350", a global movement to reduce carbon emissions. The event took place as part of a new SHATIL-Heschel Center initiative to promote a local sustainable economy in the Negev.

Scene from the lecture

McKibben focused on the relationship between happiness, personal satisfaction, community, environment, economy and society. While westerners are raised to believe that more means better, McKibben pointed out that consuming actually has a detrimental effect on the well being of individuals and is one of the prime forces behind destructive effects on the planet – such as global warming. Developing community, local economy and environmental consciousness, on the other hand, does contribute to happiness, he said citing examples from his latest book, Deep Economy.

McKibben recently initiated a global movement – 350 – to enlist mass support for drastically reducing carbon emissions world-wide. The movement is targeting the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen where critical decisions will be made.

Since SHATIL and the Heschel Center began Project Wealth: Promoting Local Sustainable Economic Development in the Negev, SHATIL Be'er Sheva co-director Yarona Ben Shalom says she sees a veritable movement beginning in the region. Local officials have begun turning to SHATIL to ask how they can make their communities more locally sustainable.

Bill McKibben

The local sustainable economy movement focuses on keeping resources in the community. For example, rather than building a new mall with a McDonald's, the movement would encourage supporting existing local businesses and the products and services they sell.