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28 Days of Inspiration – Day 18: Change the world for a fiver

Posted on February 18, 2014 | Leave a comment

Democratic Finance

What will your money do today?

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Louisa likes Abundance Generation, the UK’s first FCA-regulated crowdfunding platform that makes it possible for anyone to invest in the UK’s clean energy future. Since launching in June 2012 they have funded £4 million worth of clean, green energy generation projects.

The term democratic finance was coined by the Abundance directors to describe their desire to change the world of finance by crafting a more open, inclusive culture in which anybody can play a part. This is demonstrated by the minimum investment threshold of just £5.

REG High Down is the 8th project to go live. It is a 0.5MW turbine in Cornwall that was installed at the end of January this year, following support from Abundance through the planning and installation process. 

More info here: https://www.abundancegeneration.com/

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28 Days of Inspiration – Days 15, 16, 17: A triple whammy of ocean-based inspiration

Posted on February 17, 2014 | Leave a comment

Save our seas

We took a little break over the weekend – which means today you get a triple whammy of inspiration!

ocean bird

The theme is “save our seas” and it looks at three forward-thinking companies that are using the power of their supply chains to remove waste from the ocean, two inspirational people and one funky video.

Three forward-thinking companies make use of different mechanisms for change:

  1. Use of partnerships: Interface noticed that discarded fishing nets are a useful raw material for their manufacturing. By partnering with ZSL and other experts, they are converting these waste nets into carpet yarn. This has a three part effect: it shifts their supply chain from virgin raw material, removes ocean waste and pays poor communities for their discarded nets. http://www.interfaceglobal.com/Products/NetWorks.aspx
  2. Use of the celebrity factor: Singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams has launched a trendy denim line called G-Star raw made from recycled ocean plastic ‘bionic yarn’. https://www.g-star.com/en_us/rawfortheoceans/
  3. Use of demonstrator models: Method, an Ecover company, are showing how by clever design, alternatives exist to using virgin materials.  Working with employees and volunteers Method comb beaches for plastic which is turned into bottles. http://methodhome.com/ocean-plastic

Two inspirational people:

  1. Sylvia Earle is a passionate advocate in this area – you can view her Tedtalk here: http://www.ted.com/talks/sylvia_earle_s_ted_prize_wish_to_protect_our_oceans.html
  2. Boyan Slat, a 19 year old engineering student, has developed a device that collects ocean plastic  across vast areas and doesn’t affect marine life. His innovation could make a big difference to the cleanliness of oceans in the shorter-term and potentially could make up to $500 million a year from recycling the waste collected. http://www.boyanslat.com/plastic/

 One funky video:

This Disney video rocks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tK825QV-nZ0

Every piece of plastic ever made still exists. 

We, as individuals or part of organisations, must end our reliance on disposable plastic items and manage waste responsibly. 

Click here for more of our February daily inspiration: http://6-heads.com/

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28 Days of Inspiration – Day 14: Start a love revolution…

Posted on February 14, 2014 | Leave a comment

Start a love revolution…

Alternatives to Valentines Day

AN34198707A-BUS-driver-rushHannah suggests that February 14th becomes a ‘share the love day’. “Today let’s try to make all people feel appreciated and special. Say thank you to the bus driver, smile at a stranger, go cupid and help a single friend to find love, complement a colleague, or, if you don’t already know them, introduce yourself to a neighbour. It might just catch on!”

This is just what Abdullah is advocating in his marvelous blog: http://bit.ly/1eyhtDb
He says, love is not for a day and each day until February the 20th he is doing something “lovely” and posting a Facebook picture or status update on what he did and how it made a difference.

Why not join him or do your own ten day journey to spread the love? His suggestions on how to:

  1. Call your mum/dad/sis/bro just to tell them “I Love you” !
  2. Sponsor an Orphans food for the day.
  3. Next time you visit a coffee shop, order two and give the other to the person behind you in the line.
  4. When you see your friend tomorrow, hug them and tell them you love them unconditionally.
  5. When buying a snickers, grab two and give the other to the first beggar you see on the road with “hope this makes your day a bit better”.
  6. The dying plant in your garden, go water it and put some extra fertilizer as a thank you for all the oxygen it has given you.

These are just a few suggestions, but be innovative, don’t look for for opportunities, create them to spread the love.

Remember love is everywhere!

Happy Valentines Day. 

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28 Days of Inspiration – Day 13: Start at the very beginning…

Posted on February 13, 2014 | Leave a comment

Start at the very beginning

Customer need + design = possibility

toaster

We’ve heard about the power of design to transform products and services into new models that can support better environmental and social outcomes. We know that clever design can also improve resource re-use. Everyone is talking about the circular economy. Closed loop and cradle to cradle have been around for years. Manufacturers are looking into design for disassembly.

What I like about this particular idea – provided by the wonderful Caroline Wensley – is the fact that they started with three distinct customer contexts and then designed solutions that are more environmentally friendly in response to those particular needs.

This means:
Designing solutions to multiple, specific customer needs
Starting with design – not trying to make things better after the fact

Have a look: http://www.agencyofdesign.co.uk/projects/design-out-waste/ for the most interesting toaster project, ever… 
And – do feel free to subscribe here: http://6-heads.com/ or send us any ideas you’d like to contribute to info@6-heads.com

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28 Days of Inspiration – Day 12: Made by you

Posted on February 12, 2014 | Leave a comment

Made by you

A new industrial revolution

Carolyn Wensley reflects on the blurring boundaries between designer, manufacturer and consumers …

This blurring removes barriers of access to manufacturing. It may revolutionise many industries, including the way homes are built. This offers an opportunity to transform community well-being and provide affordable housing.

wikihouse

WikiHouse (http://www.wikihouse.cc/) is an open source construction set. It allows anyone to design, download and make houses. These can be assembled without any bolts or screws and minimal training.

This technology has been adopted and developed by designers and users around the world – adapting to different locations reflecting the diverse environmental, cultural and historical contexts. It has been used for post-earthquake development in Christchurch, New Zealand and, Facit Homes (www.facit-homes.com), has been one of the first companies to digitally fabricate and manufacture an entire house on-site in the UK.

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And in the spirit of “Made by you”, please feel free to contribute an inspiration by sending an email to info@6-heads.com. 

 

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28 Days of Inspiration – Day 11: Support for wavering resolutions

Posted on February 11, 2014 | Leave a comment

Support for wavering resolutions

HowtoLarge

Hannah notices that it is the time of year when self-improvement is in the air. Whether it’s going on a juice diet, sorting our finances, or kicking a bad habit. The start of the year is often when we try to address the parts of our lives we feel need improvement.

She recommends the School Of Life’s (http://www.theschooloflife.com) latest set of ‘everyday survival guide’ books to support you in achieving these new goals. These wonderful books offer ‘good advice for everyday life’, looking at ways to find fulfilment and happiness from the inside out. Whether that’s learning to deal with adversity, connecting with nature, changing the world for the better, or addressing our attitude to sex, the brilliant folks at the School of Life have an intriguing book for everyone. Go online to see their full catalogue:http://www.theschooloflife.com/shop/products/boxsets/

Or, if you want to go one step further, you can take one of their fabulous courses. Join Roman Krznaric to explore how empathy could revolutionise human relationships, learn how to find a job you love, or find out how to better read the news with Alain de Botton. Fill your boots with these mind-stretching ‘Sunday sermons’ and :special eventshttp://www.theschooloflife.com/shop/classroom/

More inspiration? Comments and feedback? Inspiration you are dying to share? Click here, please: http://6-heads.com/

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28 Days of Inspiration – Day 10: Hungry for change?

Posted on February 10, 2014 | Leave a comment

Hungry for Change?

Challenging accepted cultural habits

ento

Isabella challenges your current eating habits by introducing the idea of eating more sustainable food, or more precisely eating protein in the form of insects. It might not immediately appeal to people in the western world, but insects are already eaten regularly by 80% of the world. Entomophagy (the consumption of insects) is seen by many as a solution to the challenge of feeding a growing population.

Insects are also entering the UK food market – last year, Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca put grasshoppers on their menu and asked costumers for feedback on the experience. Food start-up Ento are working towards getting people to eat insects by designing exciting food experiences that also raise awareness of insects’ manifold benefits for our health and the environment. I have personally tasted Ento’s products and can highly recommend them!

Hungry? Almost lunch time – what will you choose?
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28 Days of Inspiration – Day 9: What did you do last night?

Posted on February 9, 2014 | Leave a comment

What did you do last night?

Did you dance? Any power moves?

Today’s theme, submitted by Isabella, is people powered energy. Harvesting energy from human footsteps can contribute power required to light offices, shopping centres and railway stations through floor tiles that generate electricity when they are walked over.

You can “throw some shapes” on an energy self-sufficient dance floor. The “Sustainable Dance Floor” is available for hire and your audience will help you with the electricity bill of your event. This is creates an interactive environment that is educational.

Other applications include Pavegen Systems, a UK-based company tested their installation at West Ham underground station which was a main transport hub during the 2012 Olympic Games, generating the power required to keep the station’s lights on.

For more from 6heads and to subscribe to our 28 days of inspiration: http://6-heads.com/

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28 Days of Inspiration – Day 8: Applied Biomimicry

Posted on February 8, 2014 | Leave a comment

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Designing with Nature

Applied Biomimcry

Today’s theme is provided by Isabella and it is Biomimicry – applying nature’s genius to human design challenges. Janine Benyus is the most prominent advocate of this concept that lets us apply insights from nature’s 3.8 billion years R&D to new products and processes.

There are many examples of innovation inspired by nature that have been established in different markets, but one emergent example that I find particularly fascinating is theSahara Forest Project. Michael Pawlyn and his organisation Exploration are demonstrating a pilot project that combines two proven technologies in a new way to create multiple benefits: producing large amounts of renewable energy, food and water as well as reversing desertification. A major element of the proposal is a seawater-cooled greenhouse that creates a cool growing environment in hot parts of the world and is a net producer of distilled water from seawater. The second technology, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) involves concentrating the sun’s heat to create steam that drives conventional turbines, producing zero carbon electricity twice as efficiently as photovoltaics. 

Michael Pawlyn will be giving a talk on Feb 17 as part of Exploration’s “Designing with Nature” exhibition where you can find out more about the Sahara Forest Project and other biomimicry initiatives.
Exploration Architecture: Designing with Nature  7 February – 15 March 2014

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28 Days of Inspiration – Day 7: Flying lessons

Posted on February 7, 2014 | Leave a comment

Flying Lessons

ImageMixing sustainability, education and most importantly play

Todays author is Louisa Harris – she provides some inspiration ahead of the weekend – and reminds us of the power of play

I fell in love with the book Flying Lessons by Shim Smilansky last summer. It is a colouring book designed to teach children (or in my case adults) about growing their own vegetables. On each page of the book a different line drawing of a vegetable can be coloured in. After you’ve coloured in your design, rip the page out and turn it over for instructions on how to make a paper aeroplane. The best part is that in the nose of every plane are four seeds for the vegetable which has been coloured in to create the plane – all you need to do is throw your planes into your garden and wait for the rain to dissolve the paper and for the seeds to be fertilised.

This book is beautifully thought out incorporating sustainability into all aspects of its design – the paper is made from vegetables, illustrations are done with squid ink and the manufacturing process is electricity free.

Smilansky says “My aim was to start with vegetables and end up with more vegetables without any waste or other materials used in between.”

http://www.shimsmilansky.co.uk/Flying-Lessons

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