In a precursor to Copenhagen, U.S. thought-leaders got together to examine the global energy outlook, climate change and U.S. policy on sustainable energy supplies. Makes interesting reading…

The Copenhagen show is about to start, and for some uplifting specifics on what may be possible, as well as the broader challenges, take a look at some of the European Union leadership regarding climate change responses.

The European Commission underlines the crucial importance of reaching a global, ambitious and comprehensive climate agreement at the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen on 7-18 December.

The lessons New Orleans learnt, and must learn, from Hurricane Katrina are important to all low-lying coastal cities in the time of climate change. This is a book review by local Sandy Rosenthal, Executive Director of New Orleans non-profit Levees.org, of Craig E. Colton’s book,”Perilous Place, Power Storms: Hurricane Protection in Coastal Louisiana” – a comparative study of the cities responses.

An often over-looked application of renewables in communication infrastructure is being addressed – renewable energy mobile phone base stations and networks. Read more…

Environmental reform is an opportunity for new business models, not a cost. 2thinknow trends support Alinga Consulting’s view.

VIDEOS, USA — Some interesting ideas from nature. From TED 2005. Janine Benyus speaking on “12 sustainable design ideas from nature”.
The Shells Story is very interesting, and there are opportunities.
Da Vinci got his ideas from nature. Many designers do.
Where do you get your ideas from?

Environmentalism is not all complex plans, and Emissions-Trading. There are some simple basic concepts – here Arzu Durukan of Alinga Consulting outlines them.

COMMENT, Korea –A design agency in South Korea exploring new materials have arrived at a new design incorporating green ideas into the design of a shop.

The basis is a French botanist using a light material on the skin of a building, on which various plants can be grown.
From the site:
“Mass Studies was founded in 2003 by Minsuk Cho in Seoul, Korea, as an investigation of architecture in the context of market-privileged culture of mass production and intensely over-populated urban condition. Mass Studies explore building materials/techniques, space matrixes and building typologies …

ANALYSIS, Global – At one stage, the world of global shipping ran on steam.
But before that shipping and cargo ran on sailboats. Ships like the clippers ferried goods around the world, although their cargo was often human.

Sailing ships have a bright future once again. Because of climate change.
Why not create lighter weight sailing ships, and use light-weight sailcloth technologies. And light-weight shipping containers.
An innovation would be sailing ships. A further innovation would be light-weight freight ships powered by sails and solar sun energy. There are many recent scientific inventions that …

COMMENT, Melbourne — You may not know this but Melbourne is about to approve genetically modified crops. GMO food. Canola to be precise.
This is based on economic benefits, and the current advice of leading scientists.
I say current advice, as scientists often change positions. Scientists criticized Pasteur’s theories and penicillin. In the 19th century, many surgeons ridiculed the idea that clean environments reduced infection.
And politicians are often wrong too. Many thought World War I would be a short war (forget about foreseeing World War II, or preventing it at Versailles).
Am I …

ANALYSIS, Global –Sometimes the logic for oil usage sounds crazy.
Rather than reduce use of oil we go into a war using oil to fight for more oil supplies so we can have more plastic goods made from oil.
This itself increases global oil consumption further reducing oil supply.
Huh?
Does that Sound rational? Read it out aloud. No.
Economically it is not rational. Common sense tells you it is not rational.
Sounds like a panic because we might run out of oil to:
a) drive our big cars/SUVs/motor homes
b) manufacture more plastic cr*p we don’t …

ANALYSIS, Sydney, Australia – Too often too much of what we buy is too disposable.
The innovation zeitgeist is to be found in returning to an old paradigm.
Innovation is the old sensible paradigm
Buy goods that last and are reparable. That is the paradigm.
For environmental and quality of life reasons, this is now an emerging innovation trend in the infancy stages of innovation.
But I’m not saying that this is now easy.
Remember our grandparents repaired what they bought?
Our grandparents saved and purchased long-term value goods. We may think we are wealthier, but …

COMMENT, Sydney, Australia — Network goods are an economic term. Basically they mean the more people on the network the greater the value of the network.
Myspace is an obvious one. Telephones an older example. The internet a modern-ish example. Airports.
Anything where building more users/locations/access points or effectively nodes, increases the value of the network.
Network goods: the concept that explains the value of your life

The web of interrelationships that is your or my life, is a web of intersecting networks. In our published research to be released soon, we will be …

ANALYSIS — Innovation (a positive social change) is rare. Innovation is needed in environmental issues, not reliance on just scientific solutions.
This means, governments, business, people and their communities need to act. And to varying degrees each of them are.
The Big Innovation Guerrilla/Gorilla in the Room – Our Environment
Your beliefs on Climate Change don’t matter, nor mine. Our environment is the issue.
A reasonable person would agree beyond reasonable doubt that there is evidence of harm to human and animal life attributable to environmental damage.
That is the standard of proof in …