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Projects I like

Have You Got One Minute To Save The World?

1 Minute to Save the World, an environmental non-profit organisation is running a video competition for people under the age of 18. They’re after original, inspiring, creative and clever video content from the younger generation about how climate change is affecting them personally or culturally. It’s a lovely idea and there is some amazing quality content to come out of the competition so far (this is it’s second year running). Here’s the 2009 Winner, My Paper Boat:

You can have a look at all of the entries in this year’s competition on 1 Minute to Save the World’s site.

If you’re under 18 or know someone who is under 18 and has a minute to spare, enter! The deadline is 17th January 2011.

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community Environment Projects I like Social Innovation

Gate Crashing the Energy Sector

Sometimes things need to get shaken up. Switched around. Reinvented.

The energy sector happens to be one of these things. For too long many people have accepted their provision of energy as something that’s untouchable and something that must remain the way it is. The type of energy we use is another aspect of the sector that people don’t really think twice about. We’re so dependent on oil for fuel that we forget that there is or can be a better way.

There are of course, a few pioneers, setting off on their journey of disruption. Places like 1bog and the Carbon Co-op help neighbourhoods purchase renewables collectively, lowering the cost of the technology but also allowing for the communities to control their own energy creation and monitor the demand. There are many more ideas like this out there and this is why I’m very excited to  be helping Forum For The Future out with their new project: Gatecrash the energy sector.

Here’s some more info:

Gatecrashing the energy sector is about creating a sustainable energy system and prevent the worst impacts of climate change.  We need to urgently develop radically different ways of generating, distributing, storing and using energy.

History shows us that real disruption rarely comes from within a system and the energy sector in the UK is currently dominated by powerful incumbents, the majority of whom are wedded to the current system. So, we are embarking on an exciting new project to invite people to ‘gatecrash’ the energy sector and create disruption by bringing expertise and ideas from outside.

Over the next 5 months we will be bringing together people from a range of disciplines and organisations to generate new ideas and prototype alternatives to current systems. We are reaching out to anyone with an interest in creating disruption in the energy sector; from multinational ICT companies and home tinkerers to social entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Through a series of events and prototyping workshops we hope to generate and support alternatives.Our aim is to produce 3-4 projects that we can showcase in 2011 – these might be working prototypes or detailed business plans but will be at a stage where they can been seen as genuine alternatives to current systems. The conversations have begun with people wanting to get involved and we will hold the first of a series of events in September.

If you’d like to be a part of it, please contact Gemma Adams g [dot] adams (AT) forumforthefuture [dot] org or Hugh Knowles h [dot] knowles (AT) forumforthefuture [dot] org. More information can be found on Forum’s website and you can keep up to date with the project @lightbulbmoment on Twitter.

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Projects I like Uncategorized

Good old fashioned snail mail

If you’ve got nothing planned for this weekend (24th April) why don’t you write a letter?

Claire Medcalf, one half of the GlovePuppet team runs something called Letter Lounge and the next one is this Saturday at Brixton Village Market.  The way it works is simple. Turn up. Write a letter to a friend/family member/random stranger. Post the letter to your (insert appropriate person here) Ta da! It’s that easy.