Utopia Dispatch

In this episode, George and Sarah speak to Rob Hopkins, author of the book From What Is to What If: Unleashing the power of imagination to create the future we want. Rob is well known for his work as co-founder of the Transition Network and many other related initiatives. His latest book is strongly linked to our ability to solve the climate crisis and is a call to action to reclaim and unleash our collective imagination, told through the stories of individuals and communities around the world who are doing it now. In this conversation we hear all about why he wrote it and what he found along the way.

Find out more:

- Rob's podcast From What If to What Next - https://www.robhopkins.net/podcast/

- From What is to What If - https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/from-what-is-to-what-if/

- Untitled project - https://untitled.community

Also listen to:

- Episode 1.3 - Just Build It

In this episode, Sarah interviews Leila Fortunato, volunteer Director of Banister House Solar which is a community-owned and managed solar energy project in Hackney, London. Leila talks about her journey to becoming Director of a community solar project on her local housing estate, and all the benefits that projects like this can bring to communities. The Banister House project was launched with help from Repowering London, an organisation that has been empowering communities across London to fund, install and manage their own renewable energy supply.

Find out more:

- Banister House Solar: http://www.hackneyenergy.org.uk/banister-house/

- Repowering London: https://www.repowering.org.uk/

- Community Energy England: https://communityenergyengland.org/

- Community Energy Scotland: https://www.communityenergyscotland.org.uk/

- Community Energy Wales: http://www.communityenergywales.org.uk/

Join George as he explores one of the most important strands of the climate crisis; climate justice. It's a phrase that crops up again and again, but what does it mean and how does it inform how we should respond to climate change? Without understanding it, can we ever arrive at anything worthy of being called a solution? To help us understand, we hear from Dr Leon Sealey-Huggins about the origins of global climate injustice and the imperative for incorporating this understanding into our actions.

Leon is a lecturer on the Global Sustainable Development Programme at the University of Warwick. His research looks at the social and political relations of climate change, with a particular focus on the Caribbean region, and he investigates what climate justice means in the context of global historical, and present, inequalities.

Links

- [Bio] Dr Leon Sealey-Huggins https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/schoolforcross-facultystudies/gsd/aboutus/peoplenew/drleonsealeyhuggins

- [Twitter] Dr Leon-Sealey Huggins https://twitter.com/Leon_Ayo

- [Book Chapter] 'The Climate Crisis is a Racist Crisis‘: Structural Racism, Inequality and Climate Change, Dr Leon Sealey-Huggins http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/103485/13/WRAP-climate-crisis-racist-crisis-structural-racism-inequality-climate-change-VoR-Sealey-Huggins-2018.pdf

- [Article] ‘1.5°C to stay alive’: climate change, imperialism and justice for the Caribbean, Dr Leon Sealey-Huggins https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01436597.2017.1368013

- [Article] Extreme weather linked to CC https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/climate/climate-and-extreme-weather

- [Data] Cumulative carbon emissions https://ourworldindata.org/co2-and-other-greenhouse-gas-emissions#cumulative-co2-emissions

- [Data] Emissions by region https://ourworldindata.org/co2-and-other-greenhouse-gas-emissions#emissions-by-world-region

- [Wiki] Cyclone Idai https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Idai

- [Wiki] Hurricane Irma https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Irma

- [Wiki] Colonialism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonialism#Premodern

- [Article] Philip Hoffman https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/europe/2015-10-07/how-europe-conquered-world

- [Article] Apartheid in Global Governance https://www.jasonhickel.org/blog/2019/10/16/apartheid-in-the-global-governance-system

- [Site] CARICOM Reparations Commission http://caricomreparations.org

Music

- April 16 by Nathan Cheetham https://soundcloud.com/nathancheetham/april-16

Sound Effects

- distant blasts by suburbanwizard https://freesound.org/people/suburbanwizard/sounds/455513/

- marching concrete loop by stib https://freesound.org/people/stib/sounds/240732/

- ganpati celebration in street clapping chanting horns cowbell distant surf india by kyles https://freesound.org/people/kyles/sounds/451417/

- tykki laukaus big gun cannon 76 mm single shots gunshots by ylearkisto https://freesound.org/people/ylearkisto/sounds/332935/

- atlantic ocean waves by tim-kahn https://freesound.org/people/tim%20kahn/sounds/197714/

- vanhan ajan sota taistelu miekkailu ancient old time battle combat horses snorting and galloping men shouting and barking fencing swords clanging mix by ylearkisto https://freesound.org/people/ylearkisto/sounds/258207/

- marchingband by daveincamas https://freesound.org/people/daveincamas/sounds/43799/

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Join George, Ollie and Sarah as they continue to search for the people, stories and ideas that can help us to solve the climate crisis, and build a better future at the same time. In this episode, the team talks to Mariama Kamara, Founder and Director of Smiling Through Light, and Leila Fortunato, volunteer Director of Banister House Solar - two brilliant women putting solar energy in the hands of the people.

Mariama grew up in Sierra Leone, and set up a company as a way to empower local women through selling solar lamps, bringing clean, renewable energy access at the same time as creating employment and income opportunities in rural areas.

Leila lives in Hackney, London. She talks about her journey to becoming Director of a community solar project on her local housing estate, and all the benefits that projects like this can bring to communities.

Links:

Smiling Through Light: https://twitter.com/smilingmk

Mariama’s article in The Beam: https://medium.com/thebeammagazine/women-in-sierra-leone-the-invisible-force-of-the-energy-transition-2c309e3bdf39

Banister House Solar: http://www.hackneyenergy.org.uk/banister-house/

Repowering London: https://www.repowering.org.uk/

Sound Effects

- hamster in a jar by Liancu https://freesound.org/people/Liancu/sounds/344728/

- Rat in the attic, possum in the roof by Darius Kedros https://freesound.org/people/Darius%20Kedros/sounds/276857/

- alarms by guitarguy1985 https://freesound.org/people/guitarguy1985/sounds/54048/

- hamster2 by ondrosik https://freesound.org/people/ondrosik/sounds/165906/

Photo by Rohan Makhecha on Unsplash

Join George, Ollie and Sarah as they continue to search for the people, stories and ideas that can help us to solve the climate crisis, and build a better future at the same time. In this episode, the team talks to Mariama Kamara, Founder and Director of Smiling Through Light, and Leila Fortunato, volunteer Director of Banister House Solar - two brilliant women putting solar energy in the hands of the people.

Mariama grew up in Sierra Leone, and set up a company as a way to empower local women through selling solar lamps, bringing clean, renewable energy access at the same time as creating employment and income opportunities in rural areas.

Leila lives in Hackney, London. She talks about her journey to becoming Director of a community solar project on her local housing estate, and all the benefits that projects like this can bring to communities.

Links:

Smiling Through Light: https://twitter.com/smilingmk

Mariama’s article in The Beam: https://medium.com/thebeammagazine/women-in-sierra-leone-the-invisible-force-of-the-energy-transition-2c309e3bdf39

Banister House Solar: http://www.hackneyenergy.org.uk/banister-house/

Repowering London: https://www.repowering.org.uk/

Sound Effects

- hamster in a jar by Liancu https://freesound.org/people/Liancu/sounds/344728/

- Rat in the attic, possum in the roof by Darius Kedros https://freesound.org/people/Darius%20Kedros/sounds/276857/

- alarms by guitarguy1985 https://freesound.org/people/guitarguy1985/sounds/54048/

- hamster2 by ondrosik https://freesound.org/people/ondrosik/sounds/165906/

Photo by Rohan Makhecha on Unsplash

Join George, Ollie and Sarah as they continue to search for the people, stories and ideas that can help us to solve the climate crisis, and build a better future at the same time. In this episode, the team talks to Natasha Parker from Global Action Plan, and Claire who runs the blog Wantless.

Natasha's work connects the environment and our mental wellbeing, through consumer culture. She runs programmes at Global Action Plan and does research at the Centre for Sustainable Prosperity investigating how all this stuff isn't good for the planet, and might not be so great for us either.

Claire has lived experience of the all consuming power of our materialistic world. She tells us the story of her journey in to the world of debt and back out again through a more mindful and minimalist relationship with material goods, which she writes about on her blog.

Links

- Global Action Plan: https://www.globalactionplan.org.uk

- Wantless: http://www.wantless.co.uk

- Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP): https://www.cusp.ac.uk

- Simplicity Voices: http://simplicityvoices.com

Sound Effects

- toolbox by yadronoff freesound.org/people/yadronoff/sounds/320385/

- van-stationary by vinci7 freesound.org/people/vinci7/sounds/451266/

- wild-boar-grunting-growling by theveomammoth11 freesound.org/people/theveomammoth11/sounds/492655/

Join George, Ollie and Sarah as they continue to search for the people, stories and ideas that can help us to solve the climate crisis, and build a better future at the same time. In this episode, the team talks to Natasha Parker from Global Action Plan, and Claire who runs the blog Wantless.

Natasha's work connects the environment and our mental wellbeing, through consumer culture. She runs programmes at Global Action Plan and does research at the Centre for Sustainable Prosperity investigating how all this stuff isn't good for the planet, and might not be so great for us either.

Claire has lived experience of the all consuming power of our materialistic world. She tells us the story of her journey in to the world of debt and back out again through a more mindful and minimalist relationship with material goods, which she writes about on her blog.

Links

- Global Action Plan: https://www.globalactionplan.org.uk

- Wantless: http://www.wantless.co.uk

- Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP): https://www.cusp.ac.uk

- Simplicity Voices: http://simplicityvoices.com

Sound Effects

- toolbox by yadronoff freesound.org/people/yadronoff/sounds/320385/

- van-stationary by vinci7 freesound.org/people/vinci7/sounds/451266/

- wild-boar-grunting-growling by theveomammoth11 freesound.org/people/theveomammoth11/sounds/492655/

Join George, Ollie and Sarah as they continue to search for the people, stories and ideas that can help us to solve the climate crisis, and build a better future at the same time. In this episode, the team talks to Prof. Mike Berners-Lee, author of the book There Is No Planet B.

Mike tells us how the climate crisis is just one symptom of a series of connected human issues which are defining our time as the Anthropocene. He walks us through issues such as food, transport, energy and economics, and argues for changes that will keep us in balance with our planet.

Links

- Mike Berners-Lee https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lec/about-us/people/mike-berners-lee

- There Is No Planet B https://theresnoplanetb.net

- How Bad Are Bananas? https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7230015-how-bad-are-bananas

Sound Effects

- Blips and Blops by prim-ordial https://freesound.org/people/prim-ordial/sounds/382948/

Photo by The New York Public Library on Unsplash

Join George, Ollie and Sarah as they continue to search for the people, stories and ideas that can help us to solve the climate crisis, and build a better future at the same time. In this episode, the team talks to Prof. Mike Berners-Lee, author of the book There Is No Planet B.

Mike tells us how the climate crisis is just one symptom of a series of connected human issues which are defining our time as the Anthropocene. He walks us through issues such as food, transport, energy and economics, and argues for changes that will keep us in balance with our planet.

Links

- Mike Berners-Lee https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lec/about-us/people/mike-berners-lee

- There Is No Planet B https://theresnoplanetb.net

- How Bad Are Bananas? https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7230015-how-bad-are-bananas

Sound Effects

- Blips and Blops by prim-ordial https://freesound.org/people/prim-ordial/sounds/382948/

Photo by The New York Public Library on Unsplash

In the fifth episode from the STIR to Action festival, we hear all about how the new economy can drive sustainability and form a new political power with Paul Chatterton and Grace Blakeley.

Paul Chatterton is a Professor of Urban Futures at the University of Leeds and author of the book, Unlocking Sustainable Cities. He talks to us about the idea of sustainable cities and how the new economy can help to unlock them.

Grace Blakeley is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research, economics commentator at New Statesman, and author of the book, Stolen: How Finance Destroyed the Economy and Corrupted our Politics. In this conversation, she tells us the story of how the political left in the UK is forging a movement that brings together people and politicians, to create a new politics of democratic socialism.

The STIR to Action Festival: Playground for the New Economy ran in July 2019 and featured a packed programme of thinkers and doers running workshops and giving talks about the new economy. Find out more about their New Economy Programme of training with the link below.

Links

Paul Chatterton:

- Profile: https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/geography/staff/1015/professor-paul-chatterton

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulChatterton9

- [Book] Unlocking Sustainable Cities: http://unlockingsustainablecities.org/home.html

Grace Blakeley:

- Profile: https://www.ippr.org/about/people/staff/grace-blakeley

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/graceblakeley

- [Book] Stolen: How Finance Destroyed the Economy and Corrupted our Politics: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43455150-stolen

STIR to Action:

- Website: https://www.stirtoaction.com

- Workshops: https://www.stirtoaction.com/workshops