Well I thought this year's conference, which ended yesterday was absolutely great. And I can say that somewhat dispassionately having done next to nothing to organise it. We were spoilt for choice on workshops and that doesn't happen very often for me. Mayer Hillman's workshop (90% by 2030) was great. He dispenses with all the soft music and atmospheric lighting. It's not how many flights we should be taking next year; we shouldn't be taking any flights, full stop. He attacked all the TV programmes that tell us to buy a second home in Bulgaria (but buy now before the Bulgarians can afford to buy them). He said, sometime in the future, people will not be able to afford the tax or carbon allowance that would allow them to fly there. The man is seventy plus but speaks with the passion of a thirty year old.
Colin Challen M.P. talked about carbon rationing. He said that a personal carbon allowance scheme would only get support from M.P.s sitting in safe seats. But M.P.s would ditch carbon allowances and any other radical policies in order to secure a marginal seat. That's why cross party co-operation was necessary to move climate change legislation forward and that that cross party co-operation was weak.
The memorable comment from the floor this year was 'Do we need to dismantle capitalism to solve climate change'. Well after listening to Colin Challen, you'd have to say yes. Most of the plenary speakers declined to comment but COIN's George Marshall boldly pronounced that we just haven't got the time.
Well done to Yana, Abi and Phil who did most of the work getting the conference together.
Many thanks
Not only was it the first time that I'd attended the conference, but the first time that I'd been a speaker too.
My experience from both viewpoints was fantastic. It was really clear how much commitment and passion there is among the team behind the event.
Many thanks to everyone for creating a great success.
A Man to Watch
It was frustrating not to be able to attend all of the many wonderful workshops, but I have to say that the man who really made my day on Sunday was Wael Hmaidan, the Lebanese director of IndyAct. Here is a guy who, like a well shaken cocktail, combines all the important elements that make for a great activist: vision, courage, strategic ability, humour, psychological acumen, persuasiveness and approachability. If he succeeds in his rather ambitious aims of converting the entire array of Arab nations to become users and large exporters of renewable (CSP) energy, this will also constitute a deep social revolution in the Arab world. I have now learned that the oil-producing nations are as great an obstacle to a low-carbon society as the oil-consuming ones. I had always given more thought and attention to the renegade United States, but somehow failed to analyse the likes of the Saudis and the UAE. If you haven't seen his powerpoint presentation, ask him for it.
Flipside Vision