Tick tock

Yesterday saw the first of three Welsh Assembly Government Community Climate Change events with a good starter in Llangollen's International Pavilion. Chaired by Steve Harris from Science Shops, with contributions from me on Million Minds, Doversity and biomimicry, Ken Peattie on his research into social change and digital communications and Rachel Nunn from Carbon Neutral Stirlingshire Project on the excellent progress that she and colleague made from a front-room project to a fully funded 20 year journey to 89% CO2 rediction.

The key to progress for us was the launch of the Do Connect - the project to map out the complex, connected actions that need to happen in the next three years to lay down the routemap for carbon reduction and sustainability. Emma Metcalf and Emma-Louise Hardman ran the workshop session which resulted in 100 action suggestions which will be built on at the next two events in 10 days' time.

Tick tock. 500 days to make the plan. 6 events in the next three weeks to get it populated. Join us.

Wake Up, Freak Out

I watched this again the other day, and once again thought that it's a film that should be seen by everybody before the leave school. And if they didn't catch it there, watch it now.

Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip from Leo Murray on Vimeo.

Down to the wire

Working with government can be the most frustrating thing in the world, or the most inspiring. Today was the latter; I spent a while in conversation with Simon Bilsborough, the brains behind much of the best climate policy and action that is coming out of the Welsh Assembly Government; it's a high standard that he has to follow as Wales leads the world in areas ranging from CO2 reduction targets to built environment standards. We spent time talking about the first day of Hay on Earth, when the First Minister, Rhodri Morgan, and Minister for Environment & Sustainability, Jane Davidson, will be launching Wales' new Sustainability Plan. Apart from spending a couple of hours facilitating a process to get large organisations working out how to do things differently, and change much, much faster, we're going to building content on a wire timeline over the four days - putting 'smart' actions and real dates onto the line so that the urgency and need for action becomes clear and compelling to all who see and contribute to it. Simon was fully behind the plan, and could immediately see how it could gel action;  he is a doer of the first degree, and inspiring to work with as a result. Hay will be even more fun than I was expecting a day ago.

Names in Hay

Spent a great afternoon checking the lists of people coming along to the four days of Hay on Earth - we're up to around 200 folk that range from the First Minister to students, chief executives to Transitioners, business leaders, activists, farmers and shop keepers.

The alchemy that this mix creates will be just what we need to create properly considered plans that take into account real questions about how to make change happen, rather than just what needs to be on the list. If you think you should be joining us, then drop an email by.