Planet
The film: Age of Stupid
15/03/0922:48
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I’ve just returned home from the premiere screening of the film, Age of Stupid, unquestionable reaction is... see it as soon as you can.
And whether you see it or not, watch out for the reviews, they will be a barometer of reaction, intelligent, or otherwise. Apart from the fact that it’s not every day that you have a film telling the world it’s stupid (even if that’s getting a more popular subject, and do you have to wonder why...) it’s not often that you get a country’s Prime Minster publicly committing their whole country to be carbon neutral by 2010. Never-mind that it is the relatively small country, the Maldives; In the after film screening, a live national linkup allowed this one country to show that it is possible to make such a critical pledge, and most of all that it is not only driven by an ambition of thought, but action.
Franny, Age of Stupid’s director then both congratulated and condemned the UK for it’s aim of a 80% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 (the date in which the film predicts as the end of the world). Within about 10 minutes she swept environment secretary Ed Miliband aside for his unwavering commitment to his setting up of new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth (his argument suggesting that the UK needs to be a model for how to increase greenhouse gasses at a slower rate, rather than cutting them altogether, like the Maldives. Solutions are never cut and dry, for Kingsnorth or the Maldives (in the first real action needs to be balanced with highly strategic futurology, and in the second, no matter how carbon neutral the Maldives become, they will still need people to fly for the ecotourism to work), and whilst reactionism isn’t always the best policy, there is certainly clear need for new thinking, powerful response and immediate action to be taken on all fronts.
Still from Age of Stupid, image use courtesy of Spanner Films
Like most attendees of the premiere, I could write a whole blog on the issues which are contained within this film and the reactions to it (or lack thereof in certain quarters). Whilst the film has received criticism and praise in equal measure this seems to pivot on a balance between the art of the film and its content.
Two points to sum up, for now... The first view of the archive – in which Pete Postlethwaite’s character resides – shows a massive warehouse floor containing the world’s art treasures rescued by the nations of the globe and saved from the wind, fire and watery depths of climate change. How this curation of art – requiring international agreement – actually worked baffles the mind: nations were able to collaborate to save their cultural artefacts, rather than to save their people. Is our fascination with the world’s art like our addition to consumerism, there to the end? Or is it saying that if only we had embraced true creativity! Let’s say both.
Whilst the film can rightly be criticized for being a little unbalanced in some areas, like the demonization of India’s low cost airlines there are a broad number of realizations when what seem to be caricatured situations are actually real, we realise that actually the specifics aren’t the concern, it is the massive generality of Global Warming that should invite our full criticism.
Age of Stupid launches on 20 March. Check the film’s website for more information.
I’ve just returned home from the premiere screening of the film, Age of Stupid, unquestionable reaction is... see it as soon as you can.
And whether you see it or not, watch out for the reviews, they will be a barometer of reaction, intelligent, or otherwise. Apart from the fact that it’s not every day that you have a film telling the world it’s stupid (even if that’s getting a more popular subject, and do you have to wonder why...) it’s not often that you get a country’s Prime Minster publicly committing their whole country to be carbon neutral by 2010. Never-mind that it is the relatively small country, the Maldives; In the after film screening, a live national linkup allowed this one country to show that it is possible to make such a critical pledge, and most of all that it is not only driven by an ambition of thought, but action.
Franny, Age of Stupid’s director then both congratulated and condemned the UK for it’s aim of a 80% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 (the date in which the film predicts as the end of the world). Within about 10 minutes she swept environment secretary Ed Miliband aside for his unwavering commitment to his setting up of new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth (his argument suggesting that the UK needs to be a model for how to increase greenhouse gasses at a slower rate, rather than cutting them altogether, like the Maldives. Solutions are never cut and dry, for Kingsnorth or the Maldives (in the first real action needs to be balanced with highly strategic futurology, and in the second, no matter how carbon neutral the Maldives become, they will still need people to fly for the ecotourism to work), and whilst reactionism isn’t always the best policy, there is certainly clear need for new thinking, powerful response and immediate action to be taken on all fronts.
Still from Age of Stupid, image use courtesy of Spanner Films
Like most attendees of the premiere, I could write a whole blog on the issues which are contained within this film and the reactions to it (or lack thereof in certain quarters). Whilst the film has received criticism and praise in equal measure this seems to pivot on a balance between the art of the film and its content.
Two points to sum up, for now... The first view of the archive – in which Pete Postlethwaite’s character resides – shows a massive warehouse floor containing the world’s art treasures rescued by the nations of the globe and saved from the wind, fire and watery depths of climate change. How this curation of art – requiring international agreement – actually worked baffles the mind: nations were able to collaborate to save their cultural artefacts, rather than to save their people. Is our fascination with the world’s art like our addition to consumerism, there to the end? Or is it saying that if only we had embraced true creativity! Let’s say both.
Whilst the film can rightly be criticized for being a little unbalanced in some areas, like the demonization of India’s low cost airlines there are a broad number of realizations when what seem to be caricatured situations are actually real, we realise that actually the specifics aren’t the concern, it is the massive generality of Global Warming that should invite our full criticism.
Age of Stupid launches on 20 March. Check the film’s website for more information.
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Serious about sustainability
12/03/0919:03
When the subject of ‘sustainability’ comes up, it’s not often dealt with through humour. In fact, ‘sustainable’ isn’t a particularly compelling word in many ways; think about its use in other contexts, how would you react if your partner suggested your relationship was ‘sustainable’, not exactly excitement city is it!
From another point of view the ‘S’ word has been used for so long by the greenerati – scientists and longstanding campaigners and many others – who, whilst rightly passionate, aren’t necessarily the ones with facility for PR. Perhaps this has given the term associations of ‘boring’, too alternative, etc. Personaly, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the term: a word will take on new meaning, having potential to change over time: we simply need to see it as a fully 4-dimensional reality, give it a fuller life, broader meaning. Let’s understand its possibility, its massive relevance to every part of our lives, and also through humour, why not. Just maybe being sustainable doesn’t need to be that serious-a-deal after all... (so long as you watch where you recycle your plastic bottles that is!)
The site and state of land use
10/01/0911:57
The way in which a place builds into form, and the nature of how that relates to changing human relationships has always been a source of fascination to me. One reason to explain the reason I enjoy working on projects like the public consultation for the Legacy of the Olympic Park, or experiencing art installations, amongst other things.
With the constant shifting of our relationship with ‘place’ in mind, I thought the following website would be of broader interest.
The Center for Land Use Interpretation website catalogues different sites of interest within the USA. Their database includes many ‘unknown’ or lost sites, themed categories include Transportation, Water, Cultural, Industrial, Mining, Waste, Military, Nuclear / Radioactive, R&D. The website also links to better known sites such as Arcosanti (Art Urban Laboratory) by the architect often framed as utopian, Paolo Soleri. A great resource.
A less enticing image, but a fascinating website nevertheless, Subterranea Britannica deals with forgotten, inaccessible and disappeared sites, usually below ground (as the organisation’s name indicates). Curiously the site shown above doesn’t look particularly subterranean, and there are a good number of other surprising sites to be found on the website.
In both these sites, it’s fascinating to see how history is formed, recognised, remembered, or forgotten.
Positive, Neutral, or Responsible?
10/12/0822:57
This content of the post (below) is actually a steal from Andrew Zolli; I don’t make a habit of lifting complete quotes without comment (in fact this is a first) but I liked his idea of addressing the ‘Carbon Neutral’ term we are all now getting ‘familiar’ with.
Andrew is a futurologist I linked up whilst at Bruce Mau Design half a decade ago, I remember thinking then what a fascinating line of work it must be to reflect on and plot the future everyday.
And if you are wondering, the above model depicts the fullerene: one of the eight different molecular configurations which can be formed entirely of pure carbon. And now, here’s the post:
Carbon Positive, Carbon Negative, or Carbon Responsible?
“To some the glass is half empty, to others half full. It appears this question of perspective is also afflicting those looking at going beyond carbon neutral. Two terms are being used interchangeably despite being opposites: carbon positive & carbon negative.
In both cases people are referring to offsetting or sequestering more carbon dioxide than is emitted. To date, neither Wikipedia nor Google definitions has weighed in on this matter.
As the point is to leave less CO2 in the atmosphere than you put in, we at Z+ think it makes sense to call it carbon negative.
We are however willing to concede that offsetting beyond neutrality is a positive thing to do!”
Text by Andrew Zolli, from the Z+ blog
Climate Safety: Keep your eye on that big old ball
09/11/0814:24
image: George Monbiot
Interested to hear what any of these speakers have to say? Wish I was around for this talk, it should be fantastic!
Caroline Lucas
George Monbiot
Jeremy Leggett
Kevin Anderson
Tim Helweg-Larsen
A short and simple summary of the latest climate science followed by a discussion of what we’re going to do about it.
On Thursday 27th November from 7-9pm, The Public Interest Research Centre will present the Climate Safety report at Friends Meeting House, Euston, London.
The ‘Climate Safety’ report gives a clear and simple summary of the latest science, and shows how our current handling of the problem has exposed us to serious and growing risks. Modelled on the Australian ‘Climate Code Red’ report, ‘Climate Safety’ delivers a clear message that to have any chance of maintaining a safe climate, we must rapidly decarbonise our society, preserve global sinks, and address the problem with an unprecedented degree of seriousness.
Even with a commitment to 80% carbon cuts by 2050, “Climate Safety” warns that our current policy response does not match up to the scale of the challenge. Come along to this event which promises a discussion exploring ways to get beyond ‘politics-as-usual’, and to achieve ‘a full emergency response’. Worth a punt isn’t it.
If you are interested to come along then take a look check out climatesafety.org
Following the talk you can now download the climate safety report here
City Eco Lab
07/11/0811:19
In the words of John Thackara....
“If you know of another event about city-regions and design that includes permaculture, mushrooms, spin-farming, fritzing, open money, peak protein, alternative trade networks, dry toilets, sustainable urban drainage, alternate reality games, watershed planning, seed banks, de-motorisation, and VeloWalas – go to it. That way I won’t suffer remorce for my encouragement of long-distance travel. Otherwise, here are highlights of the encounters and presentations planned for the event”
Aimed at encouraging visitors to think about ways to interface with a sustainable world, the event will run from 15-28 November in St Etienne.
If you’re passing through the ‘Massif Central’ area of France you could do worse than check it out. For more info: biennalesaint-etienne.citedudesign.com
There is still a sense that sustainability is this ‘otherworld’ which we need to be forced into making a connection with. To some extent that’s understandable (ideas about Permaculture have ‘only’ been talked about for the past 30-40 years), people obviously take a little while to take new ideas on board.
I hope that the exhibition activates a positive change in the visitors who experience it. I also wish for a parallel approach that actually puts the knowledge and tools in peoples lives. Is it a dream to imagine a real life strategic project to promote social change, along the lines of Jamie Oliver’s ambitions to instigate change in the way society eats, but more successful than that. Aren’t we in danger of perpetuating the issues of sustainability as a freakshow, something which is put on display and shown to be ‘different’.
Perhaps I should just go and check it out, I might just find something new there, who knows.
Googled: it's a long, long post...
01/10/0809:45
Yes, another project with 'good' ambitions; to 'change' the world, or create a step change in peoples attitude and action. Often a project will give space for reflection, and most often it results in a series of ideas, some old, some new. One of Google's current projects is the 10 to the power of 100, based on many ideas contributing to a manifesto for change. 10tothe100 is a competition project being run by Google, submit your ideas before 20 October, 2008. Project10tothe100.com
It reminds me of the various editions of the Whole Earth catalogue, initiated by all round inspiration, Mr Bucky Fuller, and published (rather a short time before I entered this world) in 1969:
A rather worn copy, of the increasingly rare 'Whole Earth Catalogue'.
Pages have the layout of a typical catalogue of products of the era (think about warming up your Gestetner machine!). The frontispiece informs the reader, "The Whole Earth Catalogue functions as an evaluation and access device. With it, the user should know what is worth getting and where and how to do the getting."
Under the title, "Purpose", the text goes on to say, "We are as gods and might as well get good at it. So far remotely done power and glory--as via government, big business, formal education, church--has succeeded to the point where gross defects obscure actual gains. In response to this dilema and to these gains a realm of intimate, personal power is developing--power of the individual to conduct his own education, find his own inspiration, shape his own environment, and share his adventure with whoever is interested. Tools that aid this process are sought and promoted by the WHOLE EARTH CATALOGUE."
I wonder how Bucky would change his approach if he was blogging himself, and advising the people at the Google project (above). The above paragraph could be talking about the current scope of the Internet. Never before have we had so much capacity to change the world, so many tools within easy reach. To what degree does the power still remain in the word, getting traction on new ideas is still the challenge to engineering social behaviour change.
I wonder if Patrick Leavens was able to push forward this idea. It still offers an interesting and potentially viable alternative to the Internet experience, Internews/Internet. Shame that now google has to engage people with a competition that crowns an individual winner, rather than expecting that they'll enter out of good will for change...
Design the world: solutions to water crisis: competition
30/09/0820:06
Another fascinating and ambitious competition from the people at Aspen, lets see more ambition changing events like this, certainly it makes a more relevant focus than the usual, 'design a poster', water is going to be one of the most highly contested resources over the next few decades. Aspendesignchallenge.org
The future for designers
29/09/0819:13
“We won’t have a future which needs design.” That’s enough to get even the most aesthetic designers out of their shells surely? It’s interesting to see the range of approach here to the question of our changing attitude and action towards the development of sustainable design. There’s a confusion from some of those interviewed about how to get to grips with sustainability, lets look to people showing by example as well as raising the level of debate.
Seven ways to a greener life
04/07/0818:55
Do the Green Thing is a fun site designed to enthuse people about the ease of a more sustainable lifestyle, and the broader experience that results. It’s a creative exploration of the issues raised by climate change; nice design work from peepshow too.
See what you can do to green yourself up, take at look at dothegreenthing and have a smile or two at the same time.