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One of Britain’s finest contributions to the art of well-informed conversation is The Chatham House Rule. Frustrating, too. Had dinner this evening at the Chef’s Dining Room, Mews of Mayfair. Others around the table included the CEOs of well-known companies.  The conversation revolved around climate change in general – and, in particular, the conclusions of Fred Krupp of the Environmental Defense Fund in his new book, Earth: The Sequel.

 

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg had this to say about the book: “Krupp and [Miriam] Horn have turned the doom and gloom of global warming on its head.  Earth: The Sequel makes it crystal clear that we can build a low-carbon economy while unleashing American entrepreneurs to save the planet, putting optimism back into the environmental story.”  These – at the for-profit end of the entrepreneurial spectrum – are some of the people we aim to find new ways to help through our fledgling new company, Volans Ventures.

Ganesh carving from Nepal

Some inventors and innovators have claimed to be under divine inspiration when making their breakthroughs.  Among five gods of invention flagged up in The Observer Book of Invention, that came free with today’s paper, is Ganesh – the elephant-headed god who Hindus see as the harbinger of success, prosperity and wisdom.  He is known for putting obstacles in front of those who need slowing down and for removing them ahead of people who need speeding up – and celebrated as a champion of new ventures. 

Given the fact that The Elephant Family preceded us in the new Volans Ventures offices in Bloomsbury Place, and that the garden contains two wonderful elephant head sculptures, I choose to take this as a reassuring portent – just as I take the sight of herons on the Thames or Barnes Pond in the same vein. It would be different if I were a fish farmer or fancier: twice in the past week I have met people who have had koi carp or similar stripped from their prized fish-ponds by extraordinarily cunning herons. 

One of the other gods of invention spotlighted was Thoth, generally thought to sport the head of an ibis, so not that far removed from a heron.  He was seen as the author of all works on science, religion, philosophy and magic, so it may be worth trying to get him on our side, too.

Sam and Patrin

After a brown-bag lunch with Diana Verde Nieto of Clownfish today, a group of us continued talking for a while – and then I asked Alexa (Clay) to take a few photographs.  Nice enough of the girls, but it strikes me that I come out looking a bit like Jack Nicholson in one of his less salubrious roles – perhaps The Witches of Eastwick, launched the same year as SustainAbility.  

Diana Verde Nieto and I Let’s get them in, 2 Sam, Diana, me, Patrin

One of the saddest monuments in London is the memorial fountain to Diana, Princess of Wales, which I pass on my cycling journeys to and from SustainAbility. Stripped of the people – particularly the children – who used to paddle in its rivulets, it now seems a desperate waste of space. But today I spotted a crow playing there, which in the dark light of the Ted Hughes plaque I saw at Highgrove a few days back made me think there must be a dark, feathery thread running through all of this somewhere.

 

After a day in the office, I made my way across to the Institute of Directors, to celebrate Christopher Ward’s last day as Chairman of WWF UK. Quite humid, but good to see people like Christopher, David Nussbaum, Tessa Tennant, Camilla Toulmin and Bob Worcester. Then, as I walked home by Barnes Pond, I snapped this – which rather caught the slightly Bocklin-like ‘Isle of the Dead atmosphere. Somewhere a woodpecker was calling.