Biomimicry 2010

There's a feeling in my bones that 2010 is going to see a huge increase in activity in the use of biomimicry for problem solving, design and systems thinking. Three or four concurrent conversations are lining up major events in London, Wales and elsewhere.

If you're interested in this work and are not already in touch with me or other EcoSapiens team members, then drop me a line.

Many hands make light work.

Stand up and be counted

It's a shame how many people whine about their MPs. Whilst there may be many that have abused their privilege on expenses, the majority do what they do to make a difference. Here's what my MP, Stephen Crabb had to say about 10:10

Thanks for your email regarding the 10:10 climate change campaign debate in the House of Commons yesterday.

I am pleased to inform you that I did vote in favour of the motion as I believe that that the imperative for acting on climate change is more pressing than ever and we must set real goals if we are to make significant reductions in carbon emissions. You may be aware that I have also, personally, signed up to the pledge. See: http://www.stephencrabb.com/press/pressdetails.aspx?ID=255 for further information.

Eat your way down

Seeing Nick Stern's name attached to a 'go vegetarian' headline caught my eye on the Guardian web site today, not so much for the content, which covers a story that we've known about for years, but beacause it was written by an economist. His forecast of the £3,000,000,000 A YEAR cost to the UK of supporting developing countries' fight against the impact of climate change was one good reason for shifting our diet to one that's low (or zero) in meat and high in vegetables. Human rights and environmental justice are stronger measures of course, but without £££ attached to them, don't get the same headlines. Highlights from the Guardian are:

"Farmed ruminant animals, including cattle and sheep, are thought to be responsible for up to a quarter of "man-made" methane emissions worldwide.

Stern, whose 2006 Stern Review warned that countries needed to spend 1% of their GDP to stop greenhouse gases rising to dangerous levels, said a successful deal at the climate change conference in Copenhagen in December would massively increase the cost of producing meat.

People's concerns about climate change would lead to meat eating becoming unacceptable, he predicted.

"I think it's important that people think about what they are doing and that includes what they are eating," he told the Times. "I am 61 now and attitudes towards drinking and driving have changed radically since I was a student. People change their notion of what is responsible. They will increasingly ask about the carbon content of their food."

Stern, a former chief economist at the World Bank and now IG Patel Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics, also warned that helping developing countries to cope with the adverse effects of global warming would cost British taxpayers about £3bn a year by 2015"

Still on the numbers: Government not up to 1010

Yesterday afternoon, despite much last minute emailing and phone lobbying, the UK government decided, by a majority of 79, not to support a LibDeb to mandate all public sector organisations to reduce their carbon emissions by 10% in 2010. This is their response, blogged by Cllr Alexis Rowell of Belsize ward in Camden in London:

"This House welcomes the 10:10 campaign as a motivator of public action to cut carbon emissions through individual and collective behaviour change, recognises the value of such campaigns to build public support for action by governments to agree an ambitious effective and fair deal at Copenhagen, recognises the significant effort made by individuals and organisations to cut their emissions through the 10:10 campaign, supports the world first Climate Change Act introduced by this government and the system of carbon budgets that enables Britain to set itself on a low carbon pathway, notes that carbon budgets ensure active policies by Whitehall departments and the public sector that deliver long term sustained emissions reductions not just in 2010 but through to 2022 and beyond, supports the efforts of local councils to move towards local carbon budgets by signing up to the 10:10 campaign, welcomes the allocation of up to £20m for central government departments to enable them to reduce further and faster carbon emissions from their operations, estate and transport and further welcomes the cross-cutting Public Value Programme review of the low carbon potential of the public sector, which will focus on how the sector can achieve transformational financial savings through value for money carbon reductions"

There comes a time when some behaviour, such as smoking in public places, selling cigarettes to children and excessive alcohol consumption, needs legislation for effect. Getting public sector organisations to reduce their CO2 rapidly is one that requires both carrot and stick.

Little Do: if your council and/or employer hasn't yet signed up to 1010, write a letter today asking them to commit.

24% and counting

CCW, the Countryside Council for Wales, have just joined the 1000+ organisations worldwide who have committed to support the 10:10 campaign. Signing up to a ten percent CO2 reduction in 2010 is only part of the story though, as it's a step that we were already on the way with our existing commitment to reduce emissions by 24%, by 2012.

Here's the text of the press release:

THE Countryside Council for Wales has signed up to the 10:10 challenge being promoted by The Guardian - to reduce carbon emissions by 10 per cent in 2010.
Already one of the greenest organisations in Wales, CCW is also encouraging other organisations to step up to the mark in the run up to the Copenhagen climate conference in December.
The10:10 initiative aims to unite every sector of British society behind one simple idea – that by working together we can achieve a 10% cut in the UK’s carbon emissions by 2010. The 10:10 campaign is both achievable and meaningful.
John Lloyd Jones, CCW Chairman said: “At our Council meeting in Aberystwyth yesterday, we agreed that reaching a 10 per cent cut in carbon emissions by 2010 would be a significant step towards our even more ambitious target of reducing emissions by 24% by 2012.
“As a national leader in measuring and tackling public sector greenhouse gas emissions, both these targets reflect the pace at which changes are needed to avoid the more damaging climate change scenarios.”