Robert Gilman facts for kids
Robert C. Gilman, born in 1945, is a smart thinker who helps us understand how to live on Earth without harming it. This idea is called sustainability. With his late wife, Diane Gilman, he studied and wrote a lot about ecovillages. These are special communities designed to be good for people and the planet. Their work was super important in helping the ecovillage movement grow and shaping the Global Ecovillage Network.
In 1991, Robert and Diane wrote a key study called Eco-Villages and Sustainable Communities. Also in 1991, Robert wrote an article called “The Eco-village Challenge.” In it, he described an ecovillage as:
- a community built for people
- a complete place with everything needed
- where human activities fit naturally into the world
- and support healthy human growth for a very long time.
This description became the main way people understood what an ecovillage is, and many still see it as the best definition.
Contents
From Stars to Earth: Robert's Journey
Robert C. Gilman first studied astrophysics, which is the science of stars and space. He earned his first degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1967. Then, he got his Ph.D. in astrophysics from Princeton University in 1969. He even taught and did research at places like the University of Minnesota, Harvard, and NASA.
But in the mid-1970s, Robert decided that helping our planet was more urgent than studying distant stars. He started focusing on global sustainability, looking into the future, and finding ways to make positive changes in our culture. In 1975, he and Diane built their own home powered by the sun, using solar power. In 1979, they started the Context Institute, one of the first groups to focus on sustainability.
In Context Magazine
In 1983, the Context Institute launched a magazine called In Context: A Quarterly of Humane Sustainable Culture, with Robert as the editor. This magazine won awards for covering new and important topics in 1991 and 1994.
Helping Communities Go Green
Between 1989 and 1992, Robert helped create the Global Action Plan Household EcoTeam Program. This program taught neighbors how to work together in teams to reduce waste, save water, and use less energy at home. This idea became popular in the Netherlands and other countries.
Building on their study, Robert and Diane helped organize a big conference in Scotland in 1995. This meeting officially started the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN). Later, Robert lived in a cohousing community called Winslow Cohousing for three years. This helped him test out ecovillage ideas in real life.
New Projects for a Brighter Future
Since 2016, Robert Gilman has been leading Bright Future Now. This is an online course and network that helps people become "change-makers." He teaches them about moving from what he calls an “Empire Era” to a “Planetary Era.” He still travels and speaks about designing things in a way that helps nature, and how human culture can grow in a positive direction.
Diane Gilman: A Partner in Change
Diane Gilman (1945–1998) was an artist who painted and made pottery. She was also a writer. She helped start the Context Institute with Robert. She co-wrote the important 1991 report for Gaia Trust and was the first person to coordinate the Global Ecovillage Network after the 1995 conference.
External links
- Biography - Robert Gilman
See also
In Spanish: Robert Gilman para niños
