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Patrin at the Habor Court Hotel

Edie Lush with aircraft engine Ferry Building through an Autodesk concoction Form Sculpture – designed on Autodesk, carved by hand Surfboard design Climbing axes Tail light Concept car Part of a motorbike 3-D print-out views another print-out, quizzically Rapid prototyping via 3-D printing of solid objects Seeing is believing – almost Puddle outside Historic slot machine, showing something a bit like the Donner Party Jolly Jack Tar, reminding me slightly of Ronald Reagan WWII sub

The day started at Autodesk, where we were completely seduced by the Gallery of objects that have been made using their software and programs. Like HP Labs and Serious Materials on the first day, Arup last night or the City Hall and Better Place teams we met today, it seems that these people use sustainability in almost every paragraph they speak. The City Hall people, thanks to the overarching vision of Mayor Gavin Newsom, who Elaine and I met some years back while tramping around a snowy Davos. 

The Better Place visit out in Palo Alto sparked a pretty fiery exchange between some of our party and the Better Place folk, but as their Aliza Peleg put it afterwards, Better Place is full of Israelis – and they are more than used to vigorous exchanges. Then on to the opening reception for the Cleantech Forum, though I headed back to the hotel earlier than most, nursing a headache. A case of future overload? Where is the Dr (Alvin Toffler) when we need him?

Skateboarders, last night Nick Parker in full flow Propellor outside 100 Spear, 1 Propellor, 2 Illumination, British Consulate UK Trade & Investment Minis Jennifer (Biringer) Patrin (Watanatada) and I Wattson – offered by DIY Kyoto, one of the Mission’s 19 UK cleantech firms James (Lawn), Jaclyn (Mason), Oli (Barrett) and Bronwyn (Kunhardt)

First full day of the Cleantech Forum, which provided a huge amount nof grist for the six columns I have to write on Sunday – on which more anon. In the evening, we made our way across to the British Consulate for a wonderful reception to mark the ending of the Clean & Cool Mission, with participants radiantly happy about the collective adventure we have been on this past week.

My congratulations to Brownyn and James of Polecat, Oli who compered, Richard Miller of the UK Technology Strategy Board, whose support was crucial, and Jaclyn Mason of UK Technology & Investment, based in San Francisco.

Am more than ever determined to see how SustainAbility (already based in San Francisco, in the form of Jennifer Biringer and Patrin Watanatada) and Volans can do to help drive and shape the sustainability movement in this part of the world.

 

The Clean & Cool Mission to San Francisco is going very well, though I’m finding my frequent flights of recent days have hammered whatever it was that I got a week-and-a-half ago down into my lungs. Still, I managed not to collapse into paroxysms of coughing during the Green Cities event last night. Great to see Tim Brown of IDEO, one of the other panellists – and a member of the Volans Advisory Board.

Extraordinary event last night hosted in a humungous house on Outer Broadway/The Gold Coast by Bebo founders Michael and Xochi Birch. Had great conversations with the likes of Edie Lush, who had moderated the panel session, and with Chris(tina) Page, Director of Climate and Energy Strategy at Yahoo!, who I first encountered when she was with the Rocky Mountain Institute. Sara Olsen, a long-time friend, drove me back to the hotel.

Today, the city is cloaked in rain, but I ventured out to have lunch with Jennifer Biringer and Patrin Watanatada of SustainAbility’s San Francisco team at a nice vegetarian restaurant. This evening: an event at Arup – cities again, a theme that makes much sense, since that’s where the bulk of us now live, and that innovations tend to evolve not independently but in clusters. Jean Rogers took us through two key Arup projects: the sustainability aspects of the planning of the redevelopment of two old naval bases, Treasure Island and Hunters Point.

Sculpture in front of building where we brunched on the 39th floor Coit Tower and Bank of America building, head in cloud Bay Bridge, in rain Bay Bridge 2 Picture in my room – and Bay Bridge reflected Self-portrait, in Harbor Court Hotel room Bay Bridge from my window Lemons at Will Rosenzweig’s house Morning sun Reflection and artwork at Orrick Serious Materials machinery on a roll Serious Materials helmets Waiting for the bus Getting that last, perfect shot Bird cage, Outer Broadway/Gold Coast Artwork, Outer Broadway/Gold Coast Vantage point, Outer Broadway/Gold Coast Golden Gate from Outer Broadway/Gold Coast verandah In Arup’s SoundLab