Paddling Pools In April – Dan Vivian
May 9th, 2011
Having just enjoyed a fabulously sunny and warm Easter, I’m wondering if adaptation to climate change is so tough. The kids certainly love being able to run around the garden in swimming costumes, jumping in and out of the annually purchased paddling pool – glorious if not desperately sustainable.
However even my five and seven year olds are beginning to notice the changes that seem to be embedding in our climate – “Daddy, Spring is becoming Summer and Autumn becoming Winter,” or words to that effect. Probably said in a much cuter way but after snow arriving last year in November and 25 degrees in April who can argue.
It may be easy to be facetious about global warming (deliberately used as opposed to climate change) as one is enjoying a cold beer in the garden but I fear we are not genuinely recognising the urgency of our situation and the legacy our happy splashing kids will inherit. The sustainability sector is rightly recognised as very complex but is, in my view, sometimes considered as an intellectual and academic pursuit not a practical necessity for our generation.
Our politicians are making capital of it but failing in their promises. Much is being placed on the shoulders of big business but results are trying to be achieved with outmoded models. We can only nudge the consumer so far with behavioural economics. So what are we left with?
We have to be radical and embed sustainability into everything we do. Not under the increasingly tainted umbrella of Green initiatives but under a moral imperative. We have to give the whole sector a massive shake up from the foundations up. New practices and innovations have to be the driving force.
Many seem to believe we are already lost and it is only through massive economic shock that we will recognise the crisis and change – “None of our chosen solutions break the atomising, planet-wrecking project.” George Monbiot, Guardian May 2nd 2011. I am more on the optimistic side, believing that Man’s ultimate resilience and resourcefulness will find and implement the necessary solutions, but only if we really get moving.
We at Vivian Partnership are planning on giving some emphasis to this by launching a series of seminars under the title the Oomph Seminars (get it?) where we hope to emulate Ernest Rutherford’s statement – “We have no money, therefore we must think” and I’d like to add “… and get on with it”.
These should be fun and challenging but most of all aim to motivate action not just hypothesising and pontificating (good words though they are). We will put more out in due course but it is time to tighten the belts and galvanise our various organisations
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Testimonials
It is fantastic to leave a seminar feeling inspired and full of practical ideas. Thursday’s oomph seminar did exactly that, Ben and Dan are naturals at putting an audience at ease which meant real participation from the group. As environmental professionals often form a one person team, it is fantastic to share a room with like minded individuals from local businesses who have faced and tackled similar challenges and can offer insight and advice. Eagerly anticipating the next installment of Oomph!
Nicola Duffy, Environmental Co-ordinator at Highcross, Leicester
Thank you both for inviting us to today’s Oomph seminar. From our point of view, we found the stimulus material and subsequent debate insightful from a sustainability perspective, but also in a wider context applicable to the successful deployment of general business initiatives.
Participant at Oomph Seminar 30 June 2011
Really enjoyed this morning. I have attended very few seminars over the past two years simple because they are all too similar, often the the same speakers and follow the same theme. Today was most importantly enjoyable, interesting and got the brain cells working. I like small groups with variety of people and backgrounds.
Participant at first Oomph Seminar 30 June 2011
