The Pumicestone Institute is a not-for-profit organisation founded for individuals and 'intrepreneurs' interested in, or inspired to provide the infrastructures required for genuine innovation.

The foundation members of PI are passionate about helping provide 'frameworks for flameworks' — the initiation of infrastructures to support and ignite the creativity and innovation that will be required: in the future, in business, in government, and in places..

The 'floating stones' are:

Mark Doonar is an independent facilitator of greenfield and brownfield urban projects, and is a Director of Tract Consultants.

Malcolm Holz is a singer and songwriter and the inventor of ‘place music’.
www.holzink.com

Robert Prestipino develops catalyst projects for public spaces and town centres, and is a Director of Vital Places.

The Pumicestone Institute was founded on International 'PI-day' — 14th March, 2007

Change

The word for today is change. Globally we are grappling with one of the most serious phenomena facing humankind, ever: climate change. Who would have predicted that in response to climate change, we would create carbon exchanges, with the potential to rival one of the world’s longest surviving institutions, the stock exchange?

In Australia we are witnessing the exodus from urban environments to coastal and rural areas, sea change and tree change. And In Queensland, we are experiencing one of the greatest change situations in the states political history, including local government amalgamations into regional Councils, the State takeover of water infrastructure in the south east of the state, and the reform and introduction of major pieces of legislation that will impact on our daily lives and work practices well into the foreseeable future.

It is the rate of change that is possibly having the biggest impact, on our spirit, our families, our home life, our work situation, and the places and communities in which we live. But how are we coping with this change?

Coping with change is the biggest challenge we face today, and it is within this context that the Pumicestone Institute has been established.

We have seen that people and places are not coping that well with change. We offer ways forward, ways to navigate through the waves, the swells, and the tides of change.

“Pumicestone” is the metaphor we have chosen to best describe what we do. Like pumicestone, we see a need for the world to “lighten up”, and float above the waves, swell and tides of change. We see a need to put ourselves in a position that we can see positive and constructive ways forward, even if the weather is stormy or there is another change forecast.

The Pumicestone Institute has been established to promote people, places, and products that reflect and embrace the concept of “lightening up”, that defy conventional thinking (like a rock that floats), and that have energy akin to a volcanic eruption (where pumicestone is formed).

Philosophy

The Pumicestone Institute philosophy is based on a new (old?) ‘model’ for sustainability. The model acknowledges that the word ‘environment’ has the capacity for broad application and deep understanding in implementation of ‘sustainability’ concepts - that ‘sustainability’ is capable of and should be working at all levels of, and in all ‘environments’, be they:

Or more specifically:

Sustainability Spectrum

The sustainability model acknowledges that sustainability works in a ‘spectrum’, that no matter what the environment is, it will be in a particular ‘state’ of sustainability.

The states of sustainability vary from ‘dependent’, through ‘efficient’ to ‘self-sufficient’ on the spectrum.

Dependent states of sustainability are (often highly) dependent on outside input or intervention for them to be sustained – eg a baby, or a major city.

Efficient states of sustainability are less dependent on outside input or intervention – eg where the Housing Industry of Australia is working with their GreenSmart program – encouraging consumers to be more efficient in building and to rely less on external service supply.

Self-sufficient states of sustainability are the least dependent on external input or intervention – eg a rainforest is able to get what it needs from nature, processes its own by-products, etc, it is what might be called in psychology an interdependent relationship, or in biology a symbiotic relationship.

The way the ‘sustainability spectrum’ works is illustrated in the following diagram.

The principle is that whatever state a particular environment may be in, any intervention or input into that environment should be working towards getting the environment to be as self-sufficient as possible.

The test is to determine whether the input or intervention is detrimental to or ‘killing’ the environment.

sustainability spectrum flowchart

Environment

The spectrum requires that the people and/or organizations, involved in achieving sustainability, determine the specific environments in which they work.

In PI we work in 6 particular ‘environments’:

Equity, engagement, and energy describe the kind of environments we set up and the ways in which we like to work with people.

Ecology, education and enterprise are the specific environments in which we excel and work in, when dealing with a place, program, project, plan or product.

These environments also provide a guide and criteria by which we assess our performance.

Practice

How the spectrum and the identified environments are used in practice is illustrated in the following diagram. No matter what the environment, the focus is towards self-sufficiency. What the diagram also illustrates is the overlap in the environments, and a way ‘innovation’ may be generated. The innovation comes from determining the most self-sufficient elements that are common to all the environments.

spectrum overlap diagram

The diagram also illustrates that depending on the situation; there could be a small or large number of environments in which we work. PI has chosen 6.

Vision

We are currently developing a range of programs and publications in relation to our 3 key focus-environments, ecology, education, and enterprise.

At this point in time we are operating virtually, with publications available on line. Our programs are run in a variety of places, including the Brisbane Club, Brisbane, Crystal Waters Permaculture Village Community Centre and Hinterland Business Centre, Maleny, and Binna Burra Lodge through the Ethos Foundation. We also have links with the De Bono Institute in Australia.

Our long term vision is to establish a range of learning centres throughout Australia with programs and courses being offered in the 6 environments in which we operate.

Values

We value the positives of change, the shift happening in the world, where caring individuals and groups are coming together to collaborate, coordinate, and communicate a collective vision (policy, plans, programs, projects) for the communities in which they belong.

When working with community’s we concentrate on the synergies and leverage available when community’s already have or are willing to create a collaborative context in which to work.

We then work towards developing policies, plans, programs projects, and/or products that have the capacity to leverage opportunity, energy, and investment for the greatest benefit to the community. In this respect we also help coordinate and promote the interests, facilities, activities, and events that are common or integrated across the community.

In particular we seek to engender a genuinely collaborative and cooperative effort that respects and integrates the varied and verdant characters and interests – past, present, future – of the community.

In line with our philosophy we are committed to environmental sustainability in all senses:

We seek a common ground where these environments overlap, and where the opportunity is defined. We develop policy, programs, plans, and products that are achievable and deliverable in the foreseeable future.

‘Respect’, ‘reach’, and ‘realise’ are key values in this process:- respect for others and others’ place in the world; reach and leverage for greater intellectual, financial, and ethical investment; and realising the great promise that a place and its people have.

We value, in particular, the creation of small, creative communities that integrate and connect: for spiritual uplift, social benefit, and purposeful profit.

The outcome of this respect and prospect: