Green Sky Thinking

A solution to our centralised (inefficient), carbon intensive energy system is to start to develop distributed, off-grid renewable energy solutions.  We are supporting this initiative by the UNDP and NESTA to search for prize-worthy, renewable energy innovators:

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina is now issuing a challenge to find a renewable energy solution capable of providing off-grid power to cover the needs of an average war-returnee family in rural Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Video about the challenge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=s9LTLotHQkQ

 The challenge is to design a sustainable, cost-effective solution for a standalone, off-grid renewable energy supply that can produce an average of 2,25 kWh and 120 litres of hot-water a day, to cover the needs of an average returnee family in rural areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina that will not cost more than €5.000.

The winner will receive a $20,000 cash prize. In addition, UNDP in Bosnia and Herzegovina will pilot the winning solution in a rural area for up to 50 returnee families in 2013. 

Furthermore the winning solution might be replicated in other parts of the world to produce off-grid renewable energy for refugees and returnees. The market potential for the challenge prize winner is significant.

Deadline for entry: 12pm, Wednesday 1 May, 2013

Contact short-listed: 12pm, Friday 31 May 2013

Confirmation of the winner: Summer 2013

More information on: http://www.nesta.org.uk/areas_of_work/challengeprizes/assets/features/undp_prize

Good Luck!

There is a classic game played at funfairs called ‘whac-a-mole’.  The aim is to try and hit moles that keep popping up from different holes.  The more you hit, the more pop up in different areas, more quickly.  Setting aside the implied cruelty to moles, this strikes me as an apt analogy for problem-solving in our complex world.

Taking a linear approach to solve the complex problems facing the planet often creates new problems.  A good example is the development of early biofuels which, although they looked to solve energy problems, created others problems in shifting land use and resulted in escalating food prices. A reductionist approach may also shift the problem to others areas instead of solving it. For example, burning small-holed fishing nets to prevent over-fishing, shifts the problem to income generation for dependant fishing communities. Moles popping up all over!

Yet, most of our institutional and social structures are organised to view or break problems down into constituent parts  and deal with them through silos labelled ‘government’ or ‘human resources’ or ‘operations’ or ‘financial services’.

How then, do we address these large, intractable problems – or even view them in all their complex detail?

Last night a small group of sustainability and innovation practitioners’ trialled a game invented by the International Futures Forum, which aims to do just that.  The purpose of the World Game is to harness collective intelligence to address complex issues

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The game is based on generating thinking from 12 different dimensions of a viable eco-social system. These are: climate, well-being, governance, food, community, habitat, water, energy, trade, biosphere, wealth and world-view.

We chose the challenge “What needs to happen for us to live within Earth’s limits?”

Across the different dimensions, a hearty discussion roamed around:

• Decoupling habitat, ownership and wealth
• Internalising externalities in pricing
• Encouraging social enterprise
• Supporting a mind-set shift towards true happiness
• New governance structures to promote long termism
• The value and practicality of localism
• Regulating the earnings differential between top and bottom earners
• Relatedness to Gaia theory
• Building truly ecologically integrated homes

Many of the points were contentious and discussion was heated and entertaining. Although there is no clear answer, the themes touched on included:

• Diverting human effort
• Revealing the inter-connectivity of things
• Reprogramming and empowering society around ‘public service’ and its relatedness to happiness
• Normalising new corporate models which truly serve society

The IFF game forced us to broaden our thinking across multiple areas and through combining initial solutions, to take a more interconnected view.

A good tool to encourage systemic thinking and therefore, towards constructive complex problem-solving.

No moles were injured in the playing of this game.

Thank you to the creative and fun-spirited game participants:

Patrick Andrews, Julia Bindman, Louise Carver, John Gilbert and Rachel Millson.

For more information and to download the IFF World Game game see: http://www.internationalfuturesforum.com/world-game

For a bit of harmless fun, try:

http://www.addictinggames.com/action-games/whackamole.jsp

Microsoft recently revealed new software which allows users to get clear cut outs of items within pictures from photographs or off the web.  They proudly illustrated its capabilities using a Llama.

As you know, Microsoft is one of the world’s biggest companies with access to significant resources and many of the world’s best brains. But is this the best they can do around innovation? And is this really innovation at all?

If imagination is the ultimate renewable resource and the single most important human attribute that will allow us to innovate out of the global challenges facing the species – wouldn’t it be good to focus imagination on things that really matter?

Recently, for a 6heads webinar, we defined innovation as ‘new and creating value for society’.

While I’m sure society has a range of interpretations of value, we set-out a number of things that we called ‘unnovations’. We defined them as offering no real value to people or the planet.  This list included a toupee for babies, a self-rotating ice-cream cone and, controversially, bottled water.

The demand for bottle water has grown exponentially in the last few decades to more than 200 billion bottles of water consumed globally, per annum. The bottled water market is expected to reach $65.9 billion this year*. But in a world facing extreme survival challenges, popularity or commercial return shouldn’t be enough to make something ‘valuable’.  There are a few reasons why bottled water falls on our list of ‘unnovations’:

• It deflects water from rivers required to maintain natural environments (which serve people in numerous ways – from agriculture to purification to aesthetics).
• It incorporates valuable resources in the machines, people and packaging used, which could perhaps be used to create other more necessary items or, in the case of the oil used for packaging – not used at all.
• It adds to carbon challenges through transportation all around the world.
• Bottled water, unlike tap water, is not necessarily monitored by authorities or treated and may contain chemicals, hormonal disruptors or other contaminants that could impact health of consumers over time.
• Once consumed bottles are discarded, primarily for landfill.

But this blog is not intended to stop you ordering bottled water (although that would be a good unintended consequence). It’s to encourage you to take all your creativity and apply it to developing solutions that really matter.  Imagine if, instead of kick-starting a micro-finance industry that has transformed the lives of billions of people, Yunnus had chosen to waste his talents designing a new flavour yoghurt. Delicious yoghurt, I’m sure, but it’s like asking Einstein to rather count pennies or Michelangelo to paint houses.

Maybe you don’t feel like you could be a Yunnus or a Einstein or a Michelangelo, however, any of us can be more useful and thereby impactful in the world through making the conscious shift from unnovation to innovation. Here are a few ideas** –

1. Don’t encourage unnovators. Don’t get taken in but the next “new new” thing. Ask yourself ‘so what’ before you buy. Realise that its about trade-offs – do you want a great big fuel-consuming vehicle so much you’re prepared to sacrifice the beautiful Canadian wilderness or pristine Antarctic to oil-seekers?
2. Do what matters.  You spend most of your life at work. Why not work on something worthwhile?  Your life is your legacy – make it count.
3. Do what you can. To quote Kermit “it’s not easy being green”. But, even a small decision can make a big difference.  This could include:

• Innovating around your ‘inputs’ to incorporate products that are positively impactful on the planet (e.g. as a builder using carbon positive cement, as a home owner using Method washing liquid, or buying organic and local ingredients for food production). A major American airline recently started using Eleather on its seats.  This is not only an environmental win as it uses discarded leather in its production, but also a commercial win as the seats last longer than those covered in conventional leather.
• Innovating around your process to rethink the way you do things. This could be as simple as using less water and energy or creating less waste.  However, you could also consider renting instead of buying  (e.g. Christmas trees – see the Little Christmas Tree company), looking for modular solutions (e.g. removable in parts, carpet from Interface, Xerox copiers) or looking for collective solutions (e.g. Zipcar).
• Innovating around your business model to incorporate the new thinking around shared value and inclusivity and environmental care. Whether it’s as simple as reviewing your suppliers to understand environmental risk or as complex as launching a shared value emerging market new product.

We are facing multiple challenges that threaten our future – climate change, water scarcity, food scarcity and population growth.  We have sufficient human ingenuity to develop truly innovative solutions, to identify game-changing opportunities and to create a sensible future.

We need less cut-out llamas and more real innovators.

*Sources: BBC, PR Web, Wikipedia

** These are my ideas – what are yours?  Sharing is caring…

***Companies mentioned:

Eleather: http://www.eleatherltd.com/

Method: http://methodhome.com/

Little Christmas Tree: http://www.thelittlechristmastreecompany.co.uk/

Zipcar: http://zipcar.co.uk

Interface: http://www.interfaceflor.co.uk

Xerox: http://www.xerox.co.uk/

Thank you to those of you that participated in, and/or contributed to the recent learning series.

The series received extremely positive feedback and, we hope, will result in new approaches and ideas implemented by our listeners.

The slides are available as follows:

Part 1: http://www.slideshare.net/NicolaMillson/inspiration-innovation-and-impact-series-part-1
Part 2: http://www.slideshare.net/NicolaMillson/inspiration-innovation-and-impact

The first session opened participants up to a fresh view of their abilities, their organisations and the innovation opportunity. This was followed by a series of booster creativity exercises and a further webinar that focusses on idea generation and effective implementation.

“Well done! This was a great innovation for change webinar. I love how interactive and action-oriented you made it”.

This was delivered in conjunction with Global Giving, an organisation that gives local CSOs around the world the chance to connect to sources of finance, learning and support. Their network includes over 2,000 nonprofits in 110 countries.  This webinar is part of a programme of organisational learning and development and aims to encourage greater strategic thinking, creativity and effectiveness in the sector. http://www.globalgiving.co.uk/

“Creative thinking is not a talent; it is a skill that can be learnt. It empowers people by adding strength to their natural abilities which improves teamwork, productivity and where appropriate profits.” Edward de Bono

Please contact me for further information on our learning opportunities.

Please contact me for details of related learning opportunities.

My Dad had a compost heap.  We grew up seeing all sorts of extraordinary plants grow out of old tea bags, meal scraps and decaying flower cuttings.  The miracle of a perfect dahlia springing out of last week’s coffee grindings always surprised us and the somewhat smelly obsession in the back garden was largely tolerated by the family and neighbours.

My first business operated on a similar principle.  We offered a disposal service for excess horse manure to a number of stables in the town.  We then repackaged this manure and on-sold it as fertiliser to various keen suburban gardeners.  This was not very glamorous business and a bit of a passion killer to handle, but a double financial score.

We are starting to see this lucrative miracle repeated across a range of industries.  Waste is being redefined as an important input into the creation of new products. Savvy entrepreneurs are accessing waste as a cheap input into creating new products.

Some examples we like (which are far more glam than horse manure):

• A ‘waste’ fashion line developed by H&M that utilises unsold clothing in the creation of new items. http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/archive/2011/01/24/h-m-waste-not.htm
• An Intimissi initiative which takes old underwear and uses it to produce insulation – a double bonus of lowering waste and lowering carbon emissions. http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/intimissimi-bra-recycling
• Unusual jewellery made by a designer from recycling PET bottles. http://www.petcelljewellery.co.uk/index.html
• Trendy furniture made from 100% recycled products at East London Furniture. http://www.eastlondonfurniture.co.uk/

Beyond these consumer products, businesses are also looking within their processes to re-use outputs.  An example here is the review of ‘waste’ heat and water as re-usable resources. The Carbon Trust offers advice for business on how to capture and use waste heat (www.carbontrust.co.uk).

Of course there is a great business model underlying this – waste is becoming more expensive as landfill costs increase and consumer awareness rises.  Un-utilised heat or water is an opportunity foregone. Seeing waste as an opportunity and potentially even a revenue generating resource useful to others – is a new way of thinking.

This leads to the killer idea of the ‘circular economy’ where, similar to natural systems, nothing is wasted, all industry is linked and one entities waste is another entities valuable input.  Whilst we are a long way away from this on a global level, there are small pockets where this is successful. The most well-known is the Kalundborg Eco-Industrial Park in Denmark. For the last 20 years, a group of industries, including a power company, a pharmaceutical plant, a wallboard producer, and an oil refinery, have shared and circulated resources. Excess heat is used by the community and other by-products not usable within the park are sold to companies in the vicinity.

As individuals we can take part in a circular economy by:

• Separating out our waste to ensure more is recycled and less is land-fill
• Buying recycled or second-hand products (e.g. you could try ‘schwopping’ clothes with friends or visit an Oxfam bookshop)
• Re-using where we can or even re-inventing waste as new useful product (e.g. Innocent has some great ideas on how to use their tubs…)
• Upcycling items e.g. ‘renewing’ clothes or repairing broken equipment (e.g. Start UK run ‘thrifty couture workshops)
• Seeing leftovers as interesting ingredients rather than something to throw out (e.g. left over new potatoes make a great Spanish tortilla)

And, of course, composting…

Of course, no waste is far better than recycled waste.  My next blog will look at companies that have leapfrogged others by inventing ‘waste-free’ models.

In the meantime, on this sunny Sunday, I’m off to empty my coffee grinds onto the flower beds.

Apple briefly became the world’s largest company, by market value, earlier this year.  Its rise and fall is closely linked to Steve Jobs. Yet, Steve Jobs legacy extends far beyond his role at Apple.

As innovators we have learnt that there is a place for independent thinking.  It is possible to retain an individual approach in a world of established norms. Steve Jobs ignored entrenched industry norms to reinvent music, personal computing and entertainment. He co-founded Apple and Pixar. He delivered the Apple ‘renaissance’ with the iPod, iTunes, the iPhone and the iPad and opened Apple own retail stores. He demonstrated the power of vision connected to action.  That dreams need delivery.

As business professionals we can take a lesson in courage. That radical innovation can leapfrog an industry, create a sustainable lead on competitors and provide unparalleled financial returns.  That ‘first-movers’ can win. Apple delivers premiums above competitors, across its product range. We can learn that failure is only a lesson along the way and not a destination.  Apple’s successful iRange is built on failures like the Newton, the Pippin and the Tam. Business professionals don’t need to conform.  They can succeed by taking a punt on things that are radically different from the accepted norm and being willing to fail as well as to win.

As human beings we have learnt that it is possible to be successful in business and to remain true to yourself.  Jobs never stopped believing in his own personal magic and refused to compromise his ideals for an accepted view of personal or business success.  He showed that we can stop judging ourselves and reframe perceived ‘failure’.  Steve Jobs was devastated to be fired from Apple.  He reframed this as an opportunity to begin without the weight of expectation. We can learn that there are no excuses.  That being adopted or a college drop-out is insufficient to explain a wasted life. Mostly, however, Steve Jobs dented my universe because he stayed ‘hungry and foolish’. He trusted life and followed his heart.

As the Apple board acknowledged “The world is immeasurably better because of Steve”.