When it comes to sustainability and related issues, many of us might feel hopeless and like there is nothing for us to do. This is, in part, due to the negative messaging around these challenges. Today’s guest, Dr. Leyla Acaroglu, has an entirely different way of thinking about these obstacles. Not only is it imbued with hope, but it draws on systems thinking and holistic views of sustainability to show that change is possible. Leyla is a sociologist, Founder of the UnSchool of Disruptive Design, a UNEP Champion of the Earth, and the Founder of the CO Project Farm, a unique educational ecotourism property in Portugal. 

In this episode, Leyla talks about circularity and why we need to move away from the linear, exploitative economy that currently exists. We hear how starting UnSchool was a rebellion against the mainstream education she had spent all of her academic life in, and she shares some of the provocative design frameworks they teach at UnSchool. Leyla acknowledges that change is slow, and by using a systems thinking lens, people are better able to understand their actions as related to much broader contexts. She talks about how this way of viewing the world keeps her hope alive, along with the importance of acknowledging our agency and actions, and the changes we can make in our immediate worlds. Check out the full episode at one of the links below for more on Leyla’s worldview, positivity, and zeal for a better world.

The conversation took place live on Clubhouse under the Impact Everywhere Club. See upcoming conversations here!

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Key Points From This Episode

The current linear economy is problematic because it is based on the extraction and exploitation of nature and results in waste that also harms the natural world. At both ends of the linear spectrum, there is room for the loop to be closed.

Sustainable design encompasses more than just material choices. It is concerned with considering the whole-life environmental impact of a product, so it draws on life cycle assessment and systems thinking.

The two massive systems at play in the economy are the force of the market and how it incentivizes behavior. As consumers, we drive demand, so when we make different decisions, companies respond to them.

Changing an organization from within is different from building one from the ground up. The UnSchool provides participants with tools on how to move the needle in existing organizations. By mapping systems dynamics, they can understand the limitations, opportunities, points of interventions, and how to use their agency.

The Anatomy of Action concept Leyla and her team designed for the United Nations Environment Program that helped people embrace a more sustainable lifestyle is based on five categories: food, stuff, move, money, and fun. These are five areas everyone makes lifestyle decisions in.