Journal

Our Somerset House offices have been slightly packed this summer, with just some of the team shown here.

Very sad to hear this news just now, as I prepare to do an online speech in Brazil from Manchester. John was both a colleague and a friend – and a source of profound wisdom during my SustainAbility days. He genuinely will be much missed.

A new podcast/interview was launched today by Samuel Tini on Spotify. Good summary of my current thinking on related themes.

After two years without a car, because of London’s ULEZ scheme, of which we wholeheartedly approve, we found our horizons being slightly cramped. So, as mentioned in a prior post, we subscribed to a Tesla Model Y for four years via a salary sacrifice scheme set up by Volans. Teslanomics – making the whole thing much more affordable.

For some weeks now I have failed to post because WordPress has stopped accepting images in my posts. Am trying to sort. But am now trying an image-less post given that something slightly momentous happened yesterday. Here is how I described it to my colleagues Laura and Louise:

Dear Laura and Louise,

Unlike my father, I have never been a car junkie, but the (Tesla) Model Y we took delivery of yesterday – in not-entirely-romantic Staines – has quite simply blown my mind away.

Everything about it is spectacularly well designed – and it is a joy to ride.

Because it was handed over with a low charge, we have also now had experience with supercharging it – on the way back into London along the M4 – which was a relative doddle, once we had worked out how to plug the thing in.

So, both Elaine and I want to thank you both for your Herculean efforts to set up our salary sacrifice scheme. We appreciate how challenging it was at times, but sense that the Y will be liberating.

This morning, for example, we went to Pen Ponds in Richmond Park. We were surprised to see that the heronry on one of the islands seemed to have been bulldozed and replaced with expanses of exposed gravel. I said to Elaine that it looked as if they had been trying to dislodge the herons – then, later, I stumbled on the real story. One of nature restoration, regeneration, almost literally in our own backyard.

As we sat by the larger lake, I saw my first swift of the year – they are remarkably scarce – and grebes, schooling fish, and a range of damselflies and dragonflies, including a broad-bodied chaser that landed just in front of our feet to sun itself.

All in all, a wonderful reminder of how much we have missing on our doorstep for two years without access to wheels.

Having missed our beloved Volvo V70, snatched from us ULEZ (a scheme with which I wholeheartedly approve, despite its impact on poorer motorists, which I believe should be better compensated for), the hole in our hearts has been superbly bridged : )

Thank you, thank you’ll etc.