by Davie Philip
David Fleming died peacefully in his sleep on the night of November 28th 2010. He was an influential figure in the green movement. He was prominent in the development of the UK Ecology party in the 70s which went on to become the Green Party, he was the Chairman of the Soil Association in the 80s and for the last fifteen years of his life he wrote and lectured on sustainability with an emphasis on localisation.
I first met David while organising the FEASTA annual lecture in Dublin in 2001 and he became a close friend and colleague. Spending time with David was always a pleasure, I was struck by his knowledge and genuine passion for exploring how we would survive and thrive in what he would call ‘a world in trouble’. His ongoing work on the ‘Lean Economy’ led to the emergence of resilience as a key concept in the Transition process. Lean Logic: A Dictionary for Our Time, the book he had been working on is complete and hopefully will be published soon.
We have lost a friend, a brilliant mind and a great spirit. Rest in peace David.
For those who knew David well, please email Sean Chamberlin for details of his memorial service, which will likely be after Christmas. shaun [AT] darkoptimism.org.
David Fleming’s Feasta lecture: The Lean Economy – a Vision of Civility for a World in Trouble
After Oil: paper by David Fleming in the first Feasta Review
