Full title: Green Social Work: A 21st Century Challenge for Practitioners, Academics and Students Guest: Professor Lena Dominelli, PhD, AcSS, is a qualified social worker and holds a Chair in Social Work at the University of Stirling. Amongst her many contributions to the social work profession she helped create the concept of green social work as a new paradigm for theory and practice; and her 2012 book of the same name attracted much professional interest. She has developed a range of research interests of great relevance to green and eco-social work practice, including climate change and sustainability, extreme weather events in the context of disaster intervention, community vulnerability, sustainability and resilience. On the international stage she has represented the social work profession at United Nations discussions on climate change since 2010. Introduction to this episode: My guest in this podcast episode, Professor Lena Dominelli, is well qualified to talk about aspects of historical, social work practice trends toward greater physical environment incorporation. She invented the term green social work (GSW) and for over a decade now she has developed a range of research interests of great relevance to green social work applications. These include, climate change and sustainability, extreme weather events, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions - in the context of disaster interventions, community vulnerability, sustainability and resilience. On the international stage she has represented the social work profession at United Nations discussions on climate change since 2010, and for a long time, she led Pillar 3 of the Global Agenda for Social Work, focussed on Promoting Community and Environmental Sustainability. In 2012 she saw publication of her influential book, Green Social Work: From Environmental Crises to Environmental Justice - which has become a standard introductory text for the subject. In this episode, I talk to Professor Dominelli about the current state of play of green social work practice for various constituencies of social work service users internationally, and in the context of accelerating physical environmental challenges. MAIN INTERVIEW TALKING POINTS - with approximate time elapsed location in minutes. General introduction – 0.50Guest self-introduction - 3.47Interviewer recap of themes - 19.04What constitutes green social work (GSW) in 2022? – 20.26Importance of energy self-sufficiency – 35.10Why should mainstream social work more fully incorporate GSW practice? - 37.38Recap of some interview themes – 49.56Some thoughts on the future of GSW progression – 55.32Guest summarising comments – 62.00End of interview and thanks to guest – 64.30 RESOURCES MENTIONED OR RELATED TO THE THE DISCUSSION Professor Lena Dominelli – selective list and other examples of her social work scholarship Book Green Social Work: from environmental crises to environmental justice (2012) Book: Routledge Handbook of Green Social Work (2018) (Dominelli, L. ed.) University of Stirling (UK) Disaster Intervention, Humanitarian Aid and Green Social Work education offered at both CPD and MSc course level. Example of an earlier, 1970s transformative tradition in UK social work – as described in the book Radical Social Work by Bailey and Brake (1975)Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring (1962) and a fairly recent (2017) example of the continued intellectual interest in and legacy of the book relevant to a green worldview.Popular critiques of neoliberalism including Naomi Klein’s book The Shock Doctrine (first edition published 2007) and as reviewed by The Guardian newspaper (2007) a neo-liberal critique by journalist George Monbiot (2016) and a book by Susan George (2010) Whose crisis, whose future?: towards a greener, fairer, richer world.UN Declaration on the Right to Development (1986)Prof Dominelli writing on climate change and the fuel poverty solutions project in Gilesgate, Durham UK (2011).Promising new energy efficiency technology research – on thermoradiative diode capabilities which may one day be able to utilise infrared radiation leaving the Earth during night time.Scottish island of Eigg’s energy self-sufficiency solutions (2020)BASW (British Association of Social Workers) CPD Guidance on Social Work Roles Undertaken During Disasters.New Zealand – article on granting legal rights to rivers and forests (2022) GUEST AND CONTACT DETAILS: Prof Lena Dominelli E: lena.dominelli@stir.ac.uk Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE) T +61 7 4639 2135 Email WEB Facebook Production: Produced for HOPE by Andrew Nicholson. Tel + 61 411082028 E: counsel1983@gmail.com This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on 30th August 2022 Artwork: Daniela Dal’Castel Incidental Music: James Nicholson
