Schumacher College

I didn't know Stephan Harding well, but the fruits of his work -- especially his books and Schumacher College -- have influenced me a lot. It is with sadness that I'd like to note that Harding, a brilliant zoologist and ecologist who pioneered many novel ideas about a living Earth, passed away on September 2 at age 71. 

Harding was often mentioned in the same breath as James Lovelock, the environmental scientist and Gaia theorist with whom he closely worked. Dr. Harding was also revered as the "wisdom-keeper and guardian" of Schumacher College's vision and mission, as a Wikipedia entry notes, no doubt because he showed a quiet resolve, courage, and imagination in his scholarship and teaching.

Harding helped found Schumacher College in 1991 with Satish Kumar and other progressive activists and scholars. Based in Devon, England, the College was a storied hothouse that hosted legendary thinkers such as Thomas Berry, Brian Swimme, Matthew Fox, Joanna Macy, Vandana Shiva, Jonathan Porritt, Charlene Spretnak, George Monbiot, and Helena Norberg Hodge. 

Over the course of more than three decades, the College produced more than 20,000 alumni who learned about, and helped develop, the fields of ecology, philosophy, climate science, economics, design, art, and sustainability. A wonderful video from 1994 shows Harding explaining the mission and ambitions of Schumacher College.