Food and ICT – solutions for the future

A simple breakdown of the impact we have on the planet as individuals show that three areas are dominating, housing/infrastructure, transportation and food. The last few years I have focused on the first two, but I now find myself in different contexts where food is the focus. The increased pressure on natural resources will result in a situation where we need to think a lot more about how we use the available land. Food, energy, fuel and material is all needed at the same time as we need to preserve the little untouched nature we have.

Will talk about the link between ICT and the food industry later this spring and by then I will have a few things written in the "One billion tonnes project":

http://www.ciesit.com/

Food and ICT – solutions for the future

A simple breakdown of the impact we have on the planet as individuals show that three areas are dominating, housing/infrastructure, transportation and food. The last few years I have focused on the first two, but I now find myself in different contexts where food is the focus. The increased pressure on natural resources will result in a situation where we need to think a lot more about how we use the available land. Food, energy, fuel and material is all needed at the same time as we need to preserve the little untouched nature we have.

Will talk about the link between ICT and the food industry later this spring and by then I will have a few things written in the "One billion tonnes project":

http://www.ciesit.com/

Obama, Clinton, Edwards, Huckabee, Romney, McCain, Giuliani

I find it amazing that most of western media is so focused on the American election. I would guess that more people know the names of three candidates in the US than the name of China’s and India current prime ministers/presidents.

I would like to explore the possibility to introduce an “(re-)emerging economy knowledge index” as well as an “engagement index” for countries in the OECD. That might be able to differentiate between those how will fade away and those who will still play a role 20 years from now…

PS:

Hu Jintao, Wen Jiabao, Manmohan Singh and Pratibha Devisingh Patil

Obama, Clinton, Edwards, Huckabee, Romney, McCain, Giuliani

I find it amazing that most of western media is so focused on the American election. I would guess that more people know the names of three candidates in the US than the name of China’s and India current prime ministers/presidents.

I would like to explore the possibility to introduce an “(re-)emerging economy knowledge index” as well as an “engagement index” for countries in the OECD. That might be able to differentiate between those how will fade away and those who will still play a role 20 years from now…

PS:

Hu Jintao, Wen Jiabao, Manmohan Singh and Pratibha Devisingh Patil

The end of climate conferences as we know them - From problem to opportunities and from talk to action 2008

So far most of the “action” from large companies have been little more than talk, talk and talk. Some time linking it to PR material meant for more talk (Like Vattenfall’s work with McKinsey and their 3C initiative), just green washing campaigns aiming to convince people that even though they are investing in unsustainable solutions and only have a symbolic activities in sustainable areas (Basically all automotive companies, and especially their business associations, and oil/energy companies), or sponsoring things that do not change their business models (most philanthropic work in the carbon intensive industries).

However more and more people now understand that it is real action that is needed. Some who have been organizing conferences for years without any other result that talk are getting nervous and want to see some real result.

I have been looking into the possibility to rate conferences depending on how much real action they are resulting in (note that talk is not bad, it is just that it is almost the only thing we have today).

A few conferences January-March that could be possible arenas for new thinking include (and where I’m trying to do my best for result that delivers):

- Davos/WEF
http://www.weforum.org/en/events/AnnualMeeting2008/index.htm

- Sustainable Energy Week (Participation in GeSI panel and they pay for it)
http://www.eusew.eu/page.cfm?page=events&selEvent=115

-UNEP Expert meeting on trade and climate, Geneva
http://www.unep.ch/etb/events/index.php

- BITKOM, Sustainable ICT, Berlin (Invitation to talk about sustainable ICT)
http://www.bitkom.org/Default.aspx

- Greening the Economy, European Business Forum, Brussels
http://www.ebsummit.eu/

As I will be in Europe then the list is EU based, but as I move first to Asia and then US I will track other conferences. Gartner in Las Vegas could be a key event later this spring for example…