Sustainable Use of Resources and Change in Society

„Live well and consume less. Sustainable use of resources and change in society”

This was the basic topic of the 14th “Round Table - Sustainable Austria” on January 19 and 20, 2009 at the Hotel Althof at Retz.

The 60 participants of this event created a common painting on the first day. At first, Thomas Steiner (province of Lower Austria) introduced Ms. Irena Racek, the soil colour artist, to the participants. She introduced them thereafter to the art of painting with the Colours of the Earth. In proper style, suitable to the location of the event, a town characterized by viticulture, used wine corks and empty wine bottles were used for stamping. Also crushed tartar and small-cut grape-vines were used. The earth pigments from Lower Austrian soils were bound with egg, and real environment-friendly glue was produced from curd.

In the evening, the finished piece of art was handed over to Landesrat Josef Plank as a gift in the wine-cellar of the Althof at Retz.

Extracts from the Program:

The shortage of resources and climate change urgently require a different treatment of resources. How can, however, rethinking be achieved?

Which starting points are there in order to support change in society with a view to a lifestyle preserving resources?

The 14th Round Table will highlight the topic of sustainable use of resources from different points of view, with the target of discovering individual starting points for changes, of developing effective strategies of action for our society, and to examine political possibilities of control.

Good examples from practice and theoretical reflections offer proposals, which shall be discussed in depth in small groups.