{"id":11768,"date":"2010-09-02T07:41:53","date_gmt":"2010-09-02T07:41:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress72\/?page_id=5639"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:36","slug":"columns-gail-em-volume-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2010\/09\/02\/columns-gail-em-volume-13\/","title":{"rendered":"Columns Gail EM Volume 13"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Football Fever<\/h2>\n

15-06-10<\/p>\n

What better way to bond with your EUR colleagues than to watch the Dutch team win its opening match in South Africa. On 14 June from 13.30 until 15.15, university life (as we know it) seemed to stop.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know about you, but I came into work that Monday especially to watch the game. Wearing orange and filled with nerves, many of us gathered in boardrooms, or lecture halls (e.g. T3-05), or better yet sitting outside In de Smitse watching with a drink in hand in the sun.\u00a0 Watching football is a collective and egalitarian activity. Cleaners mixed with students and with management team members, all of us squeezed together with a common intent. Fabulous.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

During the match, a professor said to me, \u201cI think the whole Dutch economy has stopped to watch!\u201d And why not? It isn\u2019t often that the World Cup happens. And who wants to make a tough business decision when you know that there is still no goal after 30 minutes? (But take heart, the economy of pubs and cafes must have picked up the slack).<\/p>\n

Aside from being an avid football fan myself (and I confess to an emotional tie to the English side), I know that football is increasingly concerned with being green. The Dutch team are wearing uniforms made of recycled plastic bottles by Nike, along with Brazil and Portugal.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

In advance of the tournament, the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism estimated the carbon footprint of the 2010 world cup to be 2.8 million tonnes of CO2e (that\u2019s all greenhouse gases combined into a CO2 equivalent figure). The study was conducted with the Norwegian embassy in South Africa and estimated the direct footprint from travel and accommodation of players and those they travel with, the construction of buildings, the energy used at stadiums and fans travelling. That breaks down to 230g of CO2e per fan-hour.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

This number doesn\u2019t include the energy we emit by watching TV. But that\u2019s an easy part to tackle: the best way to reduce our footprint is to watch it together in a big Public Viewing on EUR campus: we don\u2019t need all these little rooms with people watching separately. Let\u2019s erect an outdoor cinema screen and all watch the World Cup together: a great way to reduce our footprint and increase our sense of community.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Breathe<\/h2>\n

07-06-2010<\/p>\n

As the 2009-2010 term ends, there still seems much to do. Finish making (and marking) the resit exam, organize September teaching, finish the EM column, submit that paper, buy flipflops (recycled Ipanemas), book flights home, arrange a birthday party, attend a PhD defence, give input on the Master plan for the new campus (how sustainable can we be? do we have to cut down the trees?), find a parka for a trip to the Arctic sea, get recycled business cards, respond to a request from the US embassy, fix the kitchen sink (literally), attend parent-teacher night at my kids\u2019 school, finish marking papers, buy new sunscreen before the sun leaves again, decide on whether to buy a Blackberry or an iPhone (I am Canadian after all), and finish that EM column (did I mention it\u2019s now overdue)?\u00a0 <\/p>\n

I also need time to call the guy from Dutch Spirit about the eco-business suit, download the new Laura Marling CD, and meet that student about biofuels. These are things that I really want to do, but\u2026 where does the time go? Besides the realization that I said pretty much the same thing last year, in the same period, and in the same magazine, I will admit that while not much seems to have changed, one thing has: I have a plan. A plan to identify when to breathe (and do nothing else).\u00a0 <\/p>\n

When life speeds up, a common piece of advice is to stop and breathe for a moment. We all know this. But I, for one, don\u2019t actually put \u2018Taking Time to Breathe\u2019 into my Outlook agenda. Maybe I should. To paraphrase Gertrude Stein paraphrasing William Shakespeare, a breathe is [not] a breathe is [not] a breathe. It really matters how we breathe. If you breathe right (e.g., using full capacity), experts say that you will be more successful, become healthier and have more friends (Actually, I don\u2019t know if they really say this because I don\u2019t have time to check; but it sounds plausible). Plausible or not, just imagine saying, \u201cI can\u2019t meet you at that time, I\u2019m busy breathing.\u201d Or \u201cI can\u2019t come to the phone right now because I\u2019m breathing.\u201d <\/p>\n

We take breathing for granted \u2013 but should we? I remember in grade school my French teacher telling the class to breathe deeply, to completely fill our lungs \u2013 she found it essential for the learning environment. Maybe she was right. So next time I\u2019m late, or you can\u2019t reach me on the phone, imagine it\u2019s all just part of the plan. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

A Good Holiday<\/h2>\n

17-09-09<\/p>\n

A good holiday is about forgetting a few things: like work, responsibilities, stress. A good holiday is not about the last day. Because if you focus on the last day, then you might forget the fact that you had a good holiday.<\/p>\n

On the last day of this year\u2019s family trip to Sweden, the weather changed: dark clouds, cool winds, rain. On the last day, we had to pack up, clean the summer house, vacuum the rental car, go for one last swim in the suddenly ice cold water, say goodbye to the kayak, throw out food, find the passports and e-tickets for home, stop our kids from fighting and get harassed by our rental agent for various unclear reasons. Needless to say, the last day made us all forget that we had a good time. Our kids yelled, \u201cWe hate this holiday!\u201d<\/p>\n

I nearly agreed. And then my husband and I remembered all the great things: the deep woods of Sweden, the brackish water of the Archipelago, the loan of a vintage 1933 canoe, Swedish hospitality, close up encounters with deer, the invasion of the slugs, time to re-read \u201cTo Kill a Mockingbird,\u201d and so much sun that we looked like we had gone south.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But on the last day, a good holiday is vulnerable to disruption and emotional reframing.\u00a0 And that was the point we were at on Vind\u00f6 (Windy Island), about 40 minutes east of Stockholm. Then we decided enough is enough: let\u2019s just go out for dinner.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re on a small island you don\u2019t expect to find a great restaurant. Mostly, you just expect to find nature, and outdoor sports. But as luck would have it, we encountered a small restaurant. We pulled into the parking lot with kids screaming in the car. My husband courageously took them onto the terrace while I decided to stay in the car. At that moment, I really hated this holiday.<\/p>\n

However, a good waitress can save the day, and the holiday. After I finally pulled myself together and joined them on the patio, Monika-The Wonderful-Waitress, asked me how was my day. When I replied that I\u2019d really had enough of this holiday, she asked me if I\u2019d like some wine with a smile. She then proceeded to recommend great food, put on great music, and generally just looked after us. Even the kids had a good time.<\/p>\n

A good holiday doesn\u2019t need more than that. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Copenhagen Calling<\/h2>\n

01-10-09<\/p>\n

One of the first questions students have at the beginning of a course is how to pass the final exam. Some even want to know how to get a good grade.\u00a0 To address this issue, I try to give examples during class. For example, in the opening lecture, I asked my second year undergraduate class this question:<\/p>\n

\u201cWho\u2019s going to Copenhagen in December?\u00a0 List four reasons why a business executive should go. \u00a0<\/p>\n

1. _______________________________________________________________. <\/p>\n

2. _______________________________________________________________. <\/p>\n

3. _______________________________________________________________.<\/p>\n

4. _______________________________________________________________.<\/p>\n

Not many knew the answer, and a few thought it was a joke. But I was serious. This was a really good final exam question for December. Finally, someone said, \u201cIsn\u2019t that where the climate summit is going to be?\u201d Yes, Copenhagen is calling us. Not just because it\u2019s a wonderfully cultural design-oriented city. But from December 7-18, Copenhagen is the host of COP 15, the United Nations Climate Change Conference. \u00a0<\/p>\n

This is not just any conference \u2013 it is the last chance for the world\u2019s political leaders to determine how we can address the growing threat of climate change after the Kyoto Protocol expires. Copenhagen can\u2019t do everything. But it will be decisive on the next global approach to climate change. Yvo de Boer, the UN climate chief, says \u201cIf Copenhagen can deliver on [these] four points I\u2019d be happy\u201d:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0How much are the industrialized countries willing to reduce their emissions of greenhouse\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 gases?<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0How much are major developing countries such as China and India willing to do to limit \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 the growth of their emissions?<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0How is the help needed by developing countries to engage in reducing their emissions \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 and adapting to the impacts of climate change going to be financed? <\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0How is that money going to be managed? <\/p>\n

Business executives already know that Copenhagen is calling. They visited the city en-masse in May, and many will return for December. Global business executives also issued a \u201cCopenhagen Call\u201d on May 26 after the World Business Summit on Climate Change. They agreed that the world needed to take drastic measures to reduce climate change and deal effectively with climate adaptation.<\/p>\n

By the third class, I had students asking me how they could go to Copenhagen.\u00a0 I thought it was a great idea! An EUR student delegation in Copenhagen. Now all we need is some funding for the hostel.<\/a><\/p>\n

More information<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Eco Economics<\/h2>\n

29-10-09<\/p>\n

Elinor Ostrom is the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Economics, shared this year with Oliver E. Williamson.<\/p>\n

Not only is this a momentous break through the glass ceiling, but Ostrom is also a renowned political scientist working in sustainability. Her path-breaking and detailed case studies on natural resource management in many parts of the globe have convincingly shown us that there are more sustainable routes to development than the tragedy of the commons. She has also developed sustainable design principles for our shared resources that can help guide future development: she challenges the world to think beyond the simplistic choice of either government regulation or free market privatization. <\/p>\n

In their October press release, the Nobel committee said that \u201cOstrom\u2019s work teaches us novel lessons about the deep mechanisms that sustain cooperation in human societies.\u201d Her research shows how the active participation of local users of common property can avoid overexploitation of resources if there are identifiable boundaries, strong paths for communication, and incentives for individual action and group monitoring and enforcement of self-organized rules.<\/p>\n

At the end of September, I was lucky to have lunch with Professor Ostrom and a few of her colleagues on a small island off the west coast of Canada. We were attending a meeting of the Resilience Alliance, of which Ostrom is an active and renowned member. A grey-haired scientist in her 70s, Lin (as she is known) was charming, down-to-earth and endlessly curious. She presented her latest research and actively illustrated how sustainability is about informed choices within dynamic non-market institutions, while acknowledging the difficulties in governance, transparency, and the limits of cooperation. <\/p>\n

Part of her brilliance is her ability to bring these questions down to the local level. For instance, at a presentation at the Pacific Biological Station on Vancouver Island, she wanted to know how a consumer could tell if the fish they buy in the supermarket in Arizona was sustainable or not, which choices were more or less harming to the commons. She remarked that while she carried a card outlining sustainable fish choices, she was not sure if and how she could act on this information at the grocery store check-out.<\/p>\n

This question is easy to ask but not easy to answer. So if you\u2019re looking for a sustainable thesis topic, you might consider walking in the footsteps of Ostrom and Nobel.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

I Will<\/h2>\n

01-10-09\u00a0<\/p>\n

I will is better than I won\u2019t. I will is a positive promise of action \u2013 something that most of us find exciting. I won\u2019t can be an important statement when we need to delineate our boundaries personally or professionally. But it doesn\u2019t have the same motivational energy as I will. <\/p>\n

Having just finished teaching a special class for RSM\u2019s new marketing campaign, I can attest to the educational power of I WILL. For RSM, this is a global announcement that it is the first business school that thinks, lives and communicates in the future sense. That\u2019s a big promise, but even if we take only a part of this into our educational approach, we might be onto something. <\/p>\n

Today in Trompenburg Gardens and Arboretum (www.trompenburg.nl), we taught a special class on business and climate change to nearly 80 undergraduate students. Together with a team of 5 faculty members and lecturers (Luca Berchicci, Ingrid de Vries, Ismaela Stoteler, Li An Phoa, and Shanti Kalicharan), we tried to convey the message that \u201cI WILL Hug Trees and Still Do Business.\u201d It was filmed live and broadcast via satellite globally. <\/p>\n

An important part of I WILL is to be provocative, experiential, and innovative. That\u2019s why I thought it would be an ideal fit with business education on climate change. During today\u2019s launch session, we gave students two exercises: they discussed the business case on climate change for a multinational forestry company and prepared recommendations for the CEO.<\/p>\n

Students also had to analyze if the forestry company was doing enough \u2013 what was their strategy for Copenhagen? How would they help save the world, and their business? <\/p>\n

Forestry is essential \u2013 we need robust and resilient forests to help regulate global and local climate. We also need forests for our own lifestyles. The trick is to try and balance these needs and to see how multinationals like Stora Enso can help to save the world, in a just and equitable way. <\/p>\n

The second exercise confronted an oft held stereotype that those of us interested in sustainability are just \u201ctree huggers.\u201d So what we did was just that: we hugged trees. Why would we do this? Because it helps break us out of our comfort zone, to learn how to experiment, and to reconnect more directly with \u201cnatural capital.\u201d It also fit with our forestry case. <\/p>\n

Even with preparation, students found this case challenging and faced time constraints. And that is realistic: There is no easy answer to climate change. It will require us to change the way we produce, consumer and organize ourselves. And we have to act fast without all the right answers. The time for action is now: Join the movement and go to the website<\/a>. Tell RSM what you will do to help deal with climate change. (You can also see our tree hugging class J).<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Isolation<\/h2>\n

15-10-09\u00a0<\/p>\n

Spending a week at an isolated cabin with no heat, or running water doesn\u2019t appeal to everyone. In fact, Wikipedia argues that \u2018Cabin Fever\u2019 is a common yet negative reaction to this type of situation. But getting back to basics, can also be a great way to carbon-cleanse. For example, I recently stayed at our friend Marianne\u2019s cabin, two hours outside Stavanger, Norway. I went with my 7 year old son Max and he learned how to light a fire in the wood stove (our only sources of heat), gather buckets of water from a mountain stream (our only source of water for drinking and cleaning), and light candles (our only source of light after it got dark). The air was fresh, and there was snow on the mountain tops.<\/p>\n

We didn\u2019t get any cabin fever, although Max did start to crave a pizza. We found the positives outweighed the negative as we learned how to play new games, hike, tell stories and paint the landscape in order to pass the time. We also found out how easy it was to massively reduce our footprint (if you don\u2019t count our transportation to get there). We didn\u2019t need a lot of things, and we were still happy.<\/p>\n

This is exactly what No-Impact Man found when he chose to try to live in New York City for one year with no environmental impact. His popular blog proved that many people are curious.<\/p>\n

During the week that we were in the hytte, the Huffington Post coincidentally launched a one-week \u2018No impact\u2019 campaign. \u201cThe focus of our program is to help you live a happier life that will result in a happier earth. And so, this manual is about you\u2026.Think of this guide as your personal trainer for a week\u2026 Each day builds on the day before, so by Friday you are not shopping for new goods, not making trash, only traveling by sustainable transportation, eating locally, using less energy, and wasting less water.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fact that using less can bring more happiness is not new to Norway. Norwegians call this \u2018hytte lievet\u2019, which holds an important place in the cultural landscape. Norway has 400,000 cabins and 4.5 million people, which means that almost every family has a hut they can retreat to (or a friends).<\/p>\n

Thanks to Marianne and her family, we learned that a carbon-cleanse is fun. No-Impact Man shows that we can experiment with cabin fever \u2014 even in the city.<\/p>\n

No-Impact Guide is available here<\/a> <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

818<\/h2>\n

23-11-09<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a long way to hitchhike \u2013 818 km. That\u2019s the distance from Erasmus University to Copenhagen.<\/p>\n

As many of you focus on +5,5 (passing final exams), a brave group of students have their focus set on 818. True, it\u2019s a long way to hitch a ride, especially given the likelihood of rain. But the students of GreenEUR <\/a>and RSM want to raise their voice for climate justice \u2013 they are part of the growing part of society demanding that the world acts fast enough to deal with climate change. And we need this force because the international deal does not look all that promising.<\/p>\n

From December 7 to 18, the Danish government will host COP 15, the UN Climate Change Conference. Politicians have already conceded that is unlikely that there will be binding agreement on reduction targets, especially since the US Congress has not passed their domestic climate bill. To save face, Obama and others are hoping to sign a political agreement in Copenhagen, with binding targets agreed upon later in 2010.<\/p>\n

But time is running out, and emissions keep rising: In 2008, CO2 emissions were 29 percent higher than in 2000. This is 41 percent higher than 1990 levels (the base year for the Kyoto Protocol which Copenhagen hopes to replace). We need to break through the political delay.<\/p>\n

The university can help: for example, RSM will co-host of an official side-event on Climate Justice, and RSM professors and students will conduct research on climate policy and social movements. EUR students also believe that research and teaching is not enough \u2013 they want to join the massive protest on the streets in Copenhagen.<\/p>\n

There are many ways to get there: by train, by plane, by car or electric scooter. Thanks to Stijn Otten (an RSM alumni), I will be on the Kopenhagen Express along with Ministers Kramer and Koenders. But for Johannes, Dennis, Barnab\u00e9, and about 20 other students, they will carbon-share their way to Copenhagen by hitchhiking. They will offer carbon-hugs in exchange for the free rides, and pay for carbon offsets for the length of their journey. They will also make a film about the journey. Once in Copenhagen they will join the tens of thousands of citizens of the world demanding action NOW.<\/p>\n

All they need is a little money to pay for food, accommodation, and the carbon offsets. Adopt an 818 student today and donate what you can: contact GreenEUR. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Super Hero<\/h2>\n

08-12-2009 <\/p>\n

As kids, we probably all read comic books filled with the action adventures of Super-Heroes. At EUR, we now have one of our own: Super SustainableMan.<\/p>\n

While you may not have read about him in American comic books (or at least not yet), he is beginning to make his mark at the EUR. Like all Super-Heroes, Super SustainableMan has a strong moral code and is dedicated to protecting public interest. In this case, he\u2019s not fighting street crime in Gotham City, or a dangerous anti-hero.<\/p>\n

Super SustainableMan is fighting a bigger more complex injustice: climate change. And he\u2019s going to Copenhagen to try to use his super powers to make the world\u2019s super powers (China, US, EU, Russia, India, Brazil and so on) listen up and listen up fast. The Copenhagen Climate Summit unfolds from 7 -18 December. And Super SustainableMan will join tens or hundreds of thousands of activists in the hopes of making a difference.<\/p>\n

Super SustainableMan recently visited the EUR campus collecting climate wishes along with our Dutch Sinterklaas. Many of us wished for a better world, and more action on climate reduction. But the world\u2019s leading climate expert, Dr. James Hansen who is head of the Nasa Godard Institute for Space Studies in NYC, has a different wish for Copenhagen: he hopes that the talks are a complete failure. <\/p>\n

No, he hasn\u2019t changed his mind about climate change just because of a few leaked emails from U of East Anglia. Hansen says: \u201cThe whole approach is so fundamentally wrong that it is better to reassess the situation. If it is going to be the Kyoto-type thing then [people] will spend years trying to determine exactly what that means.\u201d And we don\u2019t have time for that kind of political delay.<\/p>\n

The good news is that the world\u2019s biggest emitters (US, China, EU and now India) have announced proposed cuts. But a number of key issues are still hugely problematic \u2013 how to fund the plans needed by developing nations to reach their reduction targets, how to move from 450 ppm of CO2 to 350 ppm (the real magic number) and how to move away from a far too heavy reliance on the illusory magic of carbon trading.<\/p>\n

Super SustainableMan has his work cut out for him. Stay tuned for more on his action adventure from EUR campus and the RSM I Will website<\/a>. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Copenhagen shut-out<\/h2>\n

14-01-2010\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to imagine being in prison over Christmas and New Year\u2019s Eve. But for the \u201cRed Carpet 4\u201d that\u2019s exactly where they landed. Who is this illustrious and dangerous gang? What crime did they commit? No jewellery heist. No hijacking. They simply crashed a red carpet affair at the Copenhagen Climate Summit and hung up a Greenpeace banner demanding action on global warming.<\/p>\n

Unlike the two socialites who crashed Obama\u2019s White House dinner a month earlier (and became celebrities), the Red Carpet 4 spent three weeks in a Danish jail with no charges. And they are not the only peaceful protestors that spent the holidays this way. While most of us ate Christmas dinner, marvelled at the snow in Rotterdam, and spent time with family and all our new toys, these folks were imprisoned for their beliefs.<\/p>\n

Copenhagen was, for me, the low point of the last decade. Not that I believed that a legally binding deal would emerge, but I was unprepared for the complete shut-out of civil society and academia. I was in Copenhagen as an official observer, with a registered side-event in the Bella Centre. You would think that that meant I could actually get into COP 15. I assure you, this was no easy task. I arrived in a low-carbon way via the special Kopenhagen Express with the Dutch delegation, Minister Kramer, and Ingrid de Vries, our Greening the Campus Coordinator. We were off to a good start.<\/p>\n

But on the first day I spent eight hours standing in line outside the conference centre in freezing weather, no food, no water, and no toilets along with thousands of other registered observers. COP 15 decided to shut people out, and it was NOT just any kind of people \u2013 mostly civil society and academia. NGOs like \u2018Friends of the Earth International\u2019 were targeted and all were barred from the conference despite official registration. When Jos\u00e9 Bove, Member of the European Parliament, questioned the UN security on this, they tried to throw him out too despite diplomatic immunity. I saw this happen.<\/p>\n

By Thursday almost no-one except politicians and their friends could get inside. A German industry observer said to me, \u201cThey\u2019re treating the NGOs like dogs.\u201d EUR students got first-hand coverage of the protests and police action. These students were brave and should be applauded. Luckily none were arrested, though many others were.<\/p>\n

Originally, I wanted to leave this column blank as a protest at being silenced at COP 15. But an explanation is in order.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

More snow!<\/h2>\n

22-01-2010\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Not everyone would agree that Rotterdam needs more snow. But I come from a cold country, and I love the snow. During the eight winters that I have lived in the Netherlands, I have never had so many snow days. Yeah! <\/p>\n

Benefits of snow (over rain) include: more beautiful landscape, ability to throw snowballs, make snowmen, more bright light during the day (from snow reflection), gives the possibility of sledging or snowboarding (at Outdoor Valley), and you can finally feel connected to the winter Olympics. And, I would add, snow gives you the possibility of learning how to give up control to good old Mother Nature.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Yes, snow can wreak havoc on your travel plans as trains and planes stop or get delayed, and traffic jams pile up. But what\u2019s the hurry anyway?\u00a0 Snow gives you a good reason to stop and play outside. I remember this well from my childhood in Canada \u2013 deep snow, crisp air, and bliss, the possibility that we would get snowed in and school cancelled. No work! Just play! We haven\u2019t (unfortunately) had that much snow here. But with over forty \u201csnow\u201d days so far, this is a real winter in the Netherlands.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n

For some of my acquaintances who come from warm places like Egypt, Spain, Zambia, or Brazil, the cold this year is just too much. They didn\u2019t relocate to the Rotterdam for its snow. In general, the warming effect of the Gulf Stream means that the Netherlands has a moderate climate. Amsterdam is pretty much on the same longitude as Calgary, Warsaw and Irkutsk in Siberia. Without the Gulf Stream, there would be a lot more snow. And that might be what is happening \u2013 climate experts argue that when the arctic ice melts, it changes the salinity of water, which changes the direction of the Gulf Stream, which can mean colder temperatures in certain regions and more extreme weather events. Over the long term, this may not be good news. <\/p>\n

But in the short term, if you can find your flow within snow, you\u2019ll be a happier person.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Waste not want not<\/h2>\n

08-03-2010<\/p>\n

Old proverbs are usually a bit boring, but often a bit useful. I don\u2019t know about you, but I seem to be facing a mountain of waste: at home, in the office, in the world. <\/p>\n

What is waste? Wikipedia defines it as \u201cunwanted or unusable materials\u201d. Ray Anderson, founder of billion dollar company InterfaceFLOR defines it as unnecessary: both as a financial expense and as an irresponsible use of natural resources. InterfaceFLOR created Mission Zero which \u201cis our promise to completely eliminate the negative impact our company may have on the environment by 2020\u201d. Since 1996, the company has reduced waste globally by up to 76 percent and saved 405 million dollar. <\/p>\n

At the EUR, we have lots of waste. In fact, we have tonnes of it. For instance, in 2009, the EUR community generated over 2500 tonnes of waste (2.5 million kilos), with a total budget expenditure of 55082.28 euro. The biggest contributors to waste are paper, cardboard, followed by glass. Unfortunately, waste is not measured for each faculty. <\/p>\n

The central facility at EUR is actively trying to green our waste and signed an agreement with van Gansewinkel, a Dutch waste management company. But there is a collective nature to the problem: waste is produced by all of us, and its reduction requires the same commitment. Waste just isn\u2019t that inspiring: when we\u2019re finished with something \u2013 a plastic cup for coffee, a draft copy of a Master\u2019s thesis, our leftover food from lunch, our can of Fanta, we routinely throw the waste \u201caway\u201d. But there is no \u201caway\u201d. Waste ends up some place. Even if we recycle it, it ends up some place, often not a good place (despite rumours to the contrary, Roteb in Rotterdam doesn\u2019t take out aluminium cans from garbage before they burn it: go on the plant tour if you don\u2019t believe me). <\/p>\n

On campus, there are more recycling facilities. But user behaviour is inconsistent. In a random test of RSM green practices, paper recycling bins on different floors were investigated in the T-building. Was our paper waste being recycled properly? In some cases, yes. But people often recycled incorrectly \u2013 e.g., throwing in plastic thesis covers along with the paper (why do students use those plastic covers anyway?). A small mistake but the reality is that the entire bin will be thrown away as \u201cgarbage\u201d. The biggest shock was the discovery of a microwave oven wrapped in a plastic garbage bag and thrown in with the paper recycling. <\/p>\n

Who did that?! Maybe we need to offer a reward to help catch these \u201cwaste cowboys\u201d. Or maybe it\u2019s time for EUR to be bold: adopt its own Mission Zero and provide incentives for each faculty to waste not, want not. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

The Inspiration of Friends<\/h2>\n

12-04-2010 <\/p>\n

\u201cIf I accept you as you are, I will make you worse, however if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that.\u201d Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Even if you haven\u2019t read Faust (I haven\u2019t), chances are that you\u2019ve probably heard of Goethe\u2019s fame. While I don\u2019t know the details of how Goethe\u2019s friends contributed to his success or vice versa, I do agree that the inspiration of friends is essential to intellectual, emotional and creative well-being. Sometimes a friend can bring you back to your roots and your core values. Sometimes a friend can challenge you to grow in a new direction.<\/p>\n

Sometimes a friend simply demonstrates through their own superb performance that the \u2018next level\u2019 is possible. A good example is my friendship with Gabriele Jacobs, Associate Professor at RSM. A German psychologist by training, Gabriele is an expert on leadership, identity and change. She has recently won the largest EU grant that RSM has ever received for COMPOSITE, a multi-country study on change initiatives within European police organizations. Incredibly, she will coordinate multi-millions of research funds! <\/p>\n

She chose this topic not because of its fashionable appeal, but rather because she found it to be interesting and important. According to Gabriele, \u201cpolice forces in the EU face serious challenges. Integration in the EU has increased the need for cross force collaboration. Technology has created new capabilities for criminals but also possibilities for the police. Changes in the public opinion and in political expectations have created extra challenges. Responses to these challenges\u2026require major changes to the culture and structure of police forces\u2026So far, change management in police organizations has not been addressed in a comparative interdisciplinary study with a European scope.\u201d <\/p>\n

Gabriele is a friend that follows the sound of her own drum, and does so at a very high level with very little ego. She also believes strongly in the capabilities and potential of those around her: She teaches us that we too can reach for the stars. After spending two days together at a leadership course, I can confirm how inspirational this is. Goethe is right. It is good to have a friend like Gabriele. <\/p>\n

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All Eyes on Cochabama<\/h2>\n

26-04-2010<\/p>\n

Cochabama is a city in the middle of Bolivia, roughly the same population size as Rotterdam. Once home to the Incas, Cochabama has repeatedly been recognized as a powerful global actor. Centuries ago, the city\u2019s riches played an important role for the Spanish (the surrounding area supplied Spain with mineral wealth throughout the 17th century). More recently, the city was the site for civil society protest (the Water Wars at the start of the new Millennium), and on Earth Day<\/a> (April 22, 2010), Cochabamba will become the global hub of climate solution-seekers. <\/p>\n

In 2000, Cochabamba gathered world attention when thousands of people took to the streets over a four month period to protest the privatization of the city\u2019s water supply. Bolivia had been asked (or forced, depending upon your perspective) to seek privatization when the World Bank threatened to withhold financing unless the government complied. Multinational company, Bechtel Corp., was a key part of the privatized consortium who were to control and charge Bolivia\u2019s citizens for water. <\/p>\n

The poor of Bolivia revolted (they couldn\u2019t afford the high charges), and many took to the streets for violent encounters with the government forces and police. Eventually, the protesters won. Evo Morales, then a congressman and activist, won popularity and eventually became the first Indigenous president of Bolivia. <\/p>\n

Cochabamba is again gathering our attention. After the failure of the Copenhagen Climate Summit, the President of Bolivia and U.N. Ambassador Pablo Solon invited governments and interested NGOs to a conference, on April 20 to 22, 2010, to discuss the \u201cStructural Changes for the Environment\u201d. <\/p>\n

The World People\u2019s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth isn\u2019t just another NGO gathering. Governments have specifically been invited to join in a deep and practical conversation about how to resolve structural barriers to dealing effectively with climate change. Ten heads of state are expected, and representatives from over 100 governments (hopefully the EU) are thought to be attending. <\/p>\n

BBC reporter, Richard Black, says (on his blog): \u201c[Morales] wants us to use a wider sense of Mother Earth and our guardianship of Earth, and derive policies on issues such as climate change from a deep ecological understanding rather than from Powerpoint presentations in hotel conference rooms in places such as Bonn.\u201d <\/p>\n

On 22 April, 2010, the EUR will host its own Earth Day event \u2013 a launch of the new film Oceans accompanied by a panel debate. At the same time, all eyes should be on Cochabamba. <\/p>\n

pwccc.wordpress.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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Urban Eco Action<\/h2>\n

17-05-2010 <\/p>\n

Most of us live and work in big cities, and we like it this way. We like the things cities offer: clubs, museums, architecture, restaurants, friends, fashion, and yes, universities. But it doesn\u2019t take a scientist to realise that city life puts strain on well-being, whether the root cause is a neighbour partying too loud and too late, a vandal breaking into our car, someone stealing our bike, or air pollution choking our lungs. <\/p>\n

I love cities when there\u2019s lots of great things to do, and people to meet. I hate them when I can\u2019t find an easy place to put my kayak in the water, or can\u2019t find a green space without a caf\u00e9. I also know the world can\u2019t live without cities, and that they are the front-line in sustainability. Cities consume 75 percent of the world\u2019s energy, and produce eighty percent of all GHG emissions. Cities also provide opportunities to green our world and can provide efficiencies in transportation and other sectors that reduce per capita impact. <\/p>\n

Major cities like Rotterdam have taken bold steps in committing to reduce their carbon emissions by fifty percent by 2025. But it\u2019s a tough job. Organizations like the Rotterdam Climate Initiative play a critical role in building new eco networks and encouraging sustainable innovation. Companies also have a part to play. <\/p>\n

Take the example of Cisco and the Urban EcoMap<\/a>, available in San Francisco and Amsterdam, two cities with similar population sizes but different residential footprints. Most of Amsterdam\u2019s emissions come from energy use (50.0%), while most in San Francisco come from transportation (78.1%). And despite Amsterdam\u2019s significantly lower residential CO2 per capita (4.3 tonnes vs. 8.2 tonnes), some neighbourhoods perform better than others (e.g., Centrum is the worst and Westerpark is the best). That\u2019s the beauty of this pilot: <\/p>\n

\u201cUrban EcoMap gives every person the ability to see the collective results of individual climate change actions, while also motivating people to make responsible environmental choices and creating competition among neighbourhoods to reduce their carbon footprint. Urban EcoMap provides information on carbon emissions from transportation, energy and waste among neighbourhoods, organised by ZIP [postal] codes.\u201d <\/p>\n

Cisco\u2019s strategic consulting division hopes that it will lead to real change in alternative-fuel vehicle ownership, recycling, and reducing household energy use. Let\u2019s hope so.<\/p>\n

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