John Elkington

Maquette of ‘The Angel of the North’   With this image I took a couple of months back in the entry of the British Museum of a large maquette of Anthony Gormley’s ‘Angel of the North’, I send my best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to everyone with an interest in this website and the wider world it represents.  For me, at least, the photograph captured the expansive, embracing-the-future, waiting-to-fly spirit of Volans in its first year.  At the back of my mind, though, is the question whether we will look back at 2009 rather like we now look back at 1929 or 1939 … or, more positively in some ways, 1989.

 

 

 

Alex Nick at SustainAbility has made this little video with me (as a straddler of SustainAbility and Volans) in my first starring role of December — alongside himself (he’s German), Kavita Prakash-Mani (she’s Indian, based at SustainAbility), Patrin (she’s from Thailand and SustainAbility) and Sam (she’s of African Asian origins and a Volander).  I quite liked it ….

Rupert and audience (Sam Lakha)

Fish on the menu today.  Rupert Howes of the Marine Stewardship Council came in to do a lunch-time session with team members from Volans and SustainAbility.  MSC have made extraordinary progress in recent years, but the scale of the challenges the world faces is horrendous. Rupert described the collapse of oceanic fisheries as second only to climate change in terms of global importance.  Very lively session.  Rupert, who I first met when he was at Forum for the Future, is an inspirational leader and speaker — we could have continued for much of the day.  Had to apologise early on about my blinking eye: post-op tic rather than my trying to send significant signals.

Global fisheries trending towards collapse (Sam Lakha)   Later in the day, talking to Environmental Defense: Charmian, me, Alejandro (Sam Lakha)

After a busy day, which included a brown-bag lunch at Volans with SustainAbility co-founder Julia Hailes and several people from SustainAbility, I headed across to King Edward VII’s Hospital for my first cataract operation. It’s said that this is the world’s oldest operation, having originated in India and been brought back to the West by Alexander the Great.  Whoever I need to thank, thank you – given that failing eyesight is a pretty depressing experience.  Elaine came to keep me company and we spent some four or five hours going through the rituals, even though the surgery itself took only 15-20 minutes.  Looked after a wonderful nurse from Zimbabwe, who was about to fly back to the country for 5 weeks: we talked about the cholera epidemic there and the terrible state of the country.  Later, when I had recovered from the sedative and anesthetic, Elaine and I took a taxi home, getting out by Barnes Pond – and when I looked up the street lamps and incoming aircraft lights were surrounded by 180-degree coronas of brilliant sparkly lights.

Julia shoots the office   Sam, Julia and Charmian

The fire alarms went off at the Science Museum this evening, part way through the celebration of the Cambridge Programme for Industry’s 20th anniversary.  Several hundred of us were herded out into the street while what look like the Ghostbusters crew moved in the opposite direction.  Earlier, I had taken part in a lively panel discussion in the IMAX theatre.  Polly Courtice kicked us off and then Professor Robert Mair (Master, Jesus College)  chaired the panel, with Jonathon Porritt (Forum for the Future), Doug Parr (Greenpeace), Emma Howard-Boyd (Jupiter Asset Management) and I in the hot seats.  Charmian, Sam and Smita came from Volans — and Sam took the middle pair of photos below.

Science Museum, detail   Perhaps accidentally, a Sam’s-eye view through rail   Sam’s-eye view of panel: Jonathon, Doug, Robert, Emma and me   Christmas lights as I head home