Up in the Air

Comments on Discussion Paper

Just in case you haven't seen it, you can download the Icarus Discussion paper on Climate Change here.

Download icarus_discussion_paper.pdf

We welcome and really want your comments, creative ideas and concerns - so please send your comments by clicking on "comments" at the foot of this post.

Gore Takes a Cue from Wayne Gretzky

While I've never really been that interested in sport and the finer points of hockey always eluded me, I always remember the confession of Canada's most succesful players, Wayne Gretzky,  who said, "I pass the puck not to where they are but where they are going to be."

Gore quoted Gretzky in an impassioned speech delivered in Bali a few hours ago talking about the need not just to anticipate (which is what I think the hockey player had in mind) but also to hold space for a player who clearly wasn't yet playing the same game. He urged the participants in the climate change conference not to wait on the US to create an agreement but to "move forward keeping a large blank space in your mandate, saying our mandate is incomplete but we're moving forward in the hope that it will be filled in by the time we have a treaty in Copenhagen at the end of 2009". Gore also said that the US was not the only country that could move forward and that directing anger at the US delegation could result in the entire world losing momentum.

I read into his comment  a request for charity (such an old fashioned word nowadays) as well as anticipation and urgency - wise counsel that reflects the growing awareness of people everywhere that spaceship earth does not have lifeboats; we're all in this together;  and that, unless we see ourselves as  one global family, able to both coach the reluctant as well as calm the reckless we make matters infinitely worse.

Here is a link to the most recent summary of Gore's Bali speech.

For more inspiration - below is a video of Gore's acceptance speech in Oslo on December 10th.

When I think of all that lonely travelling through all those soulless airports and mindless, inconsistent airport security checks that he had to do with a bunch of slides before enough of us "got it" , I feel deeply indebted.......

 

Take a Stand, Exercise your Political Will

Anna Pollock

I am writing this several thousands of miles away from Canada. Sadly I am not in Bali but in Europe, from which vantage point it is less and less possible to ignore the way in which Canada's reputation for fairness, forward thinking and international diplomacy is being trashed so visibly by a Premier who can think only of his own self interest. The issue is no longer about left and right politics and shaming others; it is simply about taking the right action now. The western world has grown prosperous and mean spirited on the back of cheap oil and cheap credit. Both may be diminishing in supply and that will bring its own set of challenges and conflicts.

Right now, however, as Canadian citizens, we have a chance in Bali to do the right thing; to create a multilateral, multi-national agreement and, thereby, show that each of recognizes that nature knows no political boundaries. We're all in this together, rich and poor...., urban or rural, environmentalist or capitalist.

But our democratic rights are curtailed. Unless we petition our leaders between elections, they appear to be able to do what they wish or think they can get away with. many are cut off from voter sentiment by advisors, pundits, spin merchants. There's a small window available. Avaaz - a social network of concerned citizens invites Canadians to expres their concerns by signing a petition.

I reproduce their e-mail in full below. Click on Avaaz above or the first link in their email below to get to the petition form quickly.

Dear friends,

Right now, a major UN summit in Bali has just a few days left to hammer out an agreement on stopping catastrophic climate change. But instead of helping out, Canada is actually sabotaging the UN talks! On Saturday, experts gave us the global "fossil" award for being the worst country in the world on climate change.

There's still a few days left to save Canada's reputation -- and the climate -- but we need a massive democratic roar to remind our Prime Minister what Canada is all about, and stop him from blocking the world at Bali. Click below to sign the petition and we'll advertize the number of signatures we get in an ad campaign across Canada this week. Our goal is to get 25,000 people to sign in just 3 days before the ads run. Click below, then forward this email to all your friends and family right away:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/another_canadian_climate_crime/4.php

Enough is enough. Prime Minister Harper's short-sighted, undemocratic and big oil-driven policy on climate change is damaging the world and destroying our image as a good country. We're supposed to be the nice guys, who try to do the right thing in the world.

The vast majority of Canadians are hopping mad on this issue -- we can win this. We just need to show Harper how serious we are that he change course. Sign up now and forward this email to everyone you know - we've got just 3 days to hit 25,000 signatures!

With much respect and hope,

Ricken Patel,
Avaaz.org

PS - Here are links to some more info on this:

David Suzuki (the Nature of Things) calls the government's spin on climate change "humiliating" and "ludicrous"
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/283829

The former editor-in-chief of CBC news discusses the damage done by Canada's climate policy to our international reputation:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_burman/2007/12/canada_flounders_on_issue_of_c.html

The Fossil of the Day Award site:
http://www.avaaz.org/fossils

Smoke up in the Air

Compelling video demonstrating the relationship between California's forest fires and global warming.

Headlines and Skylines From Davos - Anna Pollock

It’s Official. Over 400 delegates from 110 countries were delivered an uncompromising message at the Second International Conference on Climate Change organized by the UNWTO, UNEP and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).  For recent coverage, see Swiss Info and check the UNWTO climate change pages here.

We met under clear autumnal skies in the pristine mountain resort of Davos, the brilliant sunshine bouncing off the sparkling granite mountains and burbling rivers transporting melted glaciers to the ocean -- an idyllic setting with only the multiple contrails of jet aircraft on their flight path from Milan overhead to provide sensory evidence of the impending crisis. 

So what was the official line, what was communicated most clearly?

· Climate Change is Unequivocal (WMO & UNEP)

· Climate Change is no longer an environmental issue but a developmental issue (UNEP)

· Tourism is both a victim and a vector of climate change (UNWTO)

· If global average temperatures reach 2 degrees Centigrade above pre-industrial levels, the impact on global tourism will be devastating – the author of the IPCC report on Ecosystem Impacts, Dr. Fischlein, came from Zurich to deliver this news to the conference in person. (IPCC)

· Even if all emissions generated by human activity ceased today, the global average temperature will rise by 1.4 degrees C in a matter of decades, so the 2 degree threshold/tipping point is not that far off.

· Tourism pumps 1.3 million megatons of CO2 into the atmosphere annually – just 5% of the global total. (UNWTO report commissioned of a panel of scientific exports as a major contribution to the conference)

· Tourism is, apprently,  in danger of being demonized by the western press (notably in Europe) and prevented from fulfilling its vital role of poverty alleviation and wealth transfer.  

· Less developed nations will be doubly hit if demand declines and climate changes continue to increase adaptation costs.

· Tourism should play a leadership role by encouraging the global community to develop and implement both mitigation and adaptation strategies now and ensure the tourism community is involved and its unique contribution taken into account.

Now this marks a huge step in bringing the climate change agenda forward and the organizers are to be highly commended. Justifiably described as a remarkable exercise in institutional collaboration, personnel from UNWTO, UNEP, WMO and WEF had clearly worked very hard to ensure we didn’t lack for information. The agenda was packed with over 30 presentations delivered between 3:0 PM on Monday Oct 1 to 12:0 noon on Wednesday. Some might say too  packed as there was limited room for serious debate. But the mission of this event was clear from the start – we were there to observe and contribute to a second set of words on the subject: the UNWTO’s Second Declaration on Climate Change and Tourism and that mission was accomplished pretty well.

The draft Declaration document was a brilliant piece of “word smithing” and diplomatic craftsmanship and serves its purpose – it declares tourism’s concern, identifies the actions required of its stakeholders and can be used by policy makers and advocates to direct attention. But sadly, it is not enough to prevent the earth’s thermostat from continuing to move upwards. To achieve that, we need more discipline, clarity and downright honesty. For example:

· Implied, but never discussed with rigor, was the notion that tourism’s contribution to wealth distribution and poverty alleviation should justify special treatment for tourism compared to other sectors. It was as if tourism had recently discovered religion – a moral reason for existence when, for so many years, the message was consistently financial and employment. We must be careful how this message is conveyed as “our” sincerity and track record will be subject to laser like scrutiny by the same press that “demonize” tourism for its carbon footprint. Supposing other sectors like agriculture and power generation used the same argument – that they should be let off the hook because they produce the food we eat or the energy used to heat and or cool our dwellings?

· There was no response to the IPCC recommendation that the 2 degree C warming increase could possibly be avoided only if emissions peak between 2010 and 2015 and only if global emissions are then reduced to between 25 and 50% by 2050. Is tourism willing to lose 2100 megatons of excess carbon weight each year by 2050? If so how?

· There was no emphasis given to the impact that climate change will have on the global economy - either for the worse or better. There was no mention of the Stern report and discussion of the distinct possibility that WTO's optimistic forecasts might need to be revised downwards if global demand does more that simply adjust geographically and seasonally. 

· There was no opportunity for delegates to exchange invaluable information and experience regarding actions that have worked in their jurisdictions in terms of reducing carbon emissions. That will have to happen now and in another post I’ll suggest ways in which we could do that.

Don’t get me wrong – it was a start of an arduous journey and, again, the organizers should be commended highly for their efforts. It’s now up to each of us engaged in the tourism industry to move out of denial, anger, fear or even bargaining into concentrated focus on mitigation and adaptation action.

25 years have passed since Rio. We were warned then but did little but grow. Business as usual prevailed. We no longer have time on our side.

The Icarus Foundation will endeavour in the next few days and weeks to address and discuss the topics that formed the agenda at Davos. The UNWTO has promised to make all the presentations to the public who didn't wish to burn more carbon getting there but can use the invaluable material to help this industry play its part in addressing the biggest issue of the century.

What Are We Waiting For?

Where Did All the Ice Go?

This set of photographs was obtained from the Corporate Knights Forum and shows simply how fast the Arctic Ice Cap is melting. Apparently scientists are "stunned" by the loss of ice, with an area almost as big as Britain disappearing in the last week alone (Sept 5th, 2007)

So much ice has disaapeared that the northwest passage across the top of Canada is now fully navigable. If this pace of melting continues, the Artic will be free of ice by 2030.

More details can be found in an article published by the ever vigilent Guardian Newspaper here or you could go straight to the National Snow and Ice Data Center and read their Fall Summary that shows the extent to which the NorthWest Passge is opening up and ice levels are receding. 

Why is this not front page news in Canada? The entire geography and economy of this country is changing in front of our eyes with enormous political, economic and ecological consequences. The pace and magnitude of this change is unprecedented. We're looking at the destruction of an entire way of life and economy of the Inuit people,  the potential extinction of the Polar Bear and many other species that comprise the Arctic ecosystem. The competition to stake claim on the Artic's mineral and subterranean fuel resources will undoubtedly stiffen with Russia, Denmark and Canada asserting their rights. Huge changes in shipping patterns will follow as the faster polar route cuts months off the time required to ship goods from one continent to another.

Even if you're in shipping, mining and energy and stand to benefit materially from these changes, you must be wondering how and why an entire population can manage to avoid a vociferous public debate on the pros and cons of this change and whether or not there are benefits to slowing the pace while we examine the consequences?   

Public Affairs Discussion on Climate Change

On Sept 5, 2007, DR. Rachel Dodds, co-founder of the Icarus Foundation, attended a panel discussion entitled: Climate Change: Differing Views on Reaching Kyoto. Here's her summary: 

The discussion focused first locally on the new plan by Peter Love, Chief Energy Conservation Officer, Ontario Power Authority who outlined the news plan by Ontario’s government on the conservation of electricity. 82% of production and use of energy comes from electricity generation in

Canada

and Mr. Love focused on the need for a megawatt reduction.

The second panelist, Dr. Vicky Sharpe, President and CEO, Sustainable Development Technology Canada then discussed the role which government needed to play in order to meet Kyoto targets. Suggestions from Dr. Sharp included the need to look at climate change as an economic problem in addition to an environmental one and that the government needed to take financial risks, use incentives and recognize that such industries such as agriculture could benefit from new technologies such as biofuel production.

Dr. John Stone, Vice Chair, two working groups of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was the final panelist who summarised the discussion by outlining the role of the IPCC and the findings of their recent May, 2007 report. Dr. Stone outlined that there is now no question that all scientist agree that there is an irreversible problem and the need for action in the next ten years is urgent and a policy imperative rather than just an option.

Sadly, mitigation and adaption of climate issues are still discussed separately and they still need to be discussed in a wider framework. The speakers outlined how targeting climate change solutions can not only foster the development of new technologies but provide greater energy security and give Canada in a competitive advantage.

Although there was no direct discussion of tourism in this panel discussion hosted by Toby Heaps, Editor, "Corporate Knights Magazine”, the message is still the same – making development more sustainable can reduce environmental vulnerability and be a strategy for positive growth.

Moving Canada From Good to Great, When Less is More

Yesterday at the Annual General Meeting of the Vancouver Coast and Mountain tourism association,in beautiful Pemberton, under the watchful gaze of majestic Mount Currie,   I presented the first rough thoughts about how Canada could move from a good to great destination.

Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, once remarked that "what a company stands for is becoming more important than what it sells". This statement applies to tourism destinations as well. Most tourists can be pretty confident that a country as mature and as wealthy as Canada will offer decent transportation, accommodation and hospitality services and a range of interesting things to see and do. But what is Canada all about? What do we stand for as a country? How can we differentiate ourselves by standing out for the land we call home and that we share with the plants, animals and landscapes our visitors come to see? Do the policies emanating from our national leaders reflect our views and concerns? If not, how do we communicate an alternative, more grass roots vision? Canada used to attract respect because of its international peacekeeping role but that strength has ebbed and Canada's prominence in the consciousness of global citizens has probably never been more subdued, more fuzzy and more overshadowed by our neighbour to the south.

It's time for tourism to play its full role in Canada and help to re-shape its image in the eyes of the rest of the world. This is especailly needed in Europe that remains a vitally important source of long-haul, "high yield" visitors yet where a growing number of conscious consumers are seriously contemplating reducing their long-haul travel.

One in four respondents to a Trip Advisor survey conducted recently said that they plan to reduce the number of trips taken each year and 38% would prefer an "environmentally friendly" hotel and pay for it.

Given that traffic from our closest neighbour - the US - continues to plummet and our dependence on either domestic or long-haul sources will neeed to rise to compensate, then some creativity and innovation is overdue.

What we need is a Green Tourism Strategy - a bold vision for an industry that is willing to:

1. Tell the truth. Tourism, as currently practiced and growing at or aspiring to grow at rates of over 4% per annum is unsustainable. Unless we find a way of reducing that impact, any growth in this sector will impede national efforts to reduce ghgs and will render our sector subject to closer scrutiny and possibly regulation and taxation. That's because we rely on a fossil fuel to bring our guests  to the point of the consumption and generate a variety of noxious, heat trapping wastes in the process;

2. Face up to our responsibilities. It's one thing to be asked to be recognised as important, it's another to then assume responsibility for the consequence of our importance. Just how much does the tourism industry contribute to national and global greenhouse gas emissions and what are we doing to reduce that contribution? Have we weighed ourselves in carbon terms recently?

3. Re-think the nature of the product sold - how do we enrich and fulfill our customer's search for rest, relaxation, meaning and purpose? Where and how has our obsesson with cost cutting, efficiency, process and product distracted us from our essence and impaired our ability to care for our clients? How often have you walked through airport security recently? All the root words associated with tourism - recreation (to re-create), holiday (from holy day - time out contemplating something other than one's material existence), vacation (from vacare, latin to empty, to let go) suggest that we can play a vitally important role in meeting customer's spiritual and emotional needs. Our worsening health care statistics (stress, diabetes, cancer, depresson, mental illness) also suggest that it's in national interest that we soothe and calm.

4. Slow down and limit supply. Newsweek (May 14-21, 2007) ran a series on tourism. Interestingly the cover title in Europe was "Slow is Beautiful" . In the US it was "luxury travel". Never has the notion of "less is more" been more appropriate. The issue was full of articles showing that when supply was limited and labelled "exclusive" and "luxury" then yields soared; when customers slowed down and saw less but experienced more, more money was left on the table. Can growth be understood as better rather than simply more? Before we blanket more green space with second homes and car parks, can we ensure that every existing supplier is operating at full efficiency - generating maximum yield and profit before encouraging more investment? Can we increase average annual occupancy of existing facilities from 60+% to a situation where there might even be a waiting list? Can we increase average daily spend?

5. See the challenge of Climate Change as an Opportunity to be embraced and not a Problem to be resisted, avoided or ignored. The good news is that a growing number of consumers want to save the world too. They are the one's influencing progressive politicians at city, province and state level to be proactive. They are the ones that are enabling Green Brands such as Whole Foods, Toyota, Patagonia etc to enjoy higher than average profits. Canada's tourism cannot afford to be caught up in the downward vortex of commoditisation - we have to attract customers who value our clean, green, wild spaces and the comforts and excitement of our contemporary urban areas.

The Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), that focuses analysing on the high yielding green market, stated yesterday that customers are seeking a deeper values experience.

"The retail and brand "New Luxury" explosion that made consumers expect an extremely high level of experience at every touch point is now evolving beyond the physical and emotional dimension to the experience of fundamental core values. From luxury hybrid cars to couture dresses made from organic and sustainable fabrics, it is not enough to have it all, consumers also want to feel better about what they have."

Canada has the chance to satisfy this growing demand for meaning and our visitors' slow but steady progress towards redefining wealth as "wellth", balance and wholeness.  But to capture and serve that market, we need to get back to the very essence of what it is we offer and ensure that every step along the visitor's journey, we can deliver verifiably responsible, "green", wholesome, value while supporting our customer's in achieving their need for calm, re-jevenation, peace.

A radical re-think of how we market Canada, how we define growth and progress, how we serve our customers and what we stand for is needed. Nothing less will earn us the accolade "great". Nothing less is worth aiming for.   Achieving such a re-think' stimulating a nation-wide conversation about tourism's place in a greener world, is what The Icarus Foundation is all about. Come join in the conversation.....Anna Pollock

More Ice Melting - but to music!

I came across this video reading Patagonia's blog. One of their former reps, Hansi Johnson,  has turned filmaker.Hansi comes from Duluth and was asked to make a film for the new, environmentally-themed album Drums and Guns by Low.

The short movie accompanies the track called Belarus which Hansi compares to his hometown of Duluth. It includes childhood films of ski events and compares them with the quality of skiing in and around the town of Duluth today.....

This what Hansi has to say about it:

It is a short three-minute flick that uses Nordic skiing as a vehicle to make people understand what the warming trends are doing to historical ways of living. The video is getting some really cool comments from a lot of people who are not skiers, never have been and never will be. So in that regard it has been a great way to one, introduce the sport to the general public, and two, make them see blatantly that [skiing] is something that is being directly affected by global warming and the loss of snow.

Posted by Anna Pollock

Travel: The New Tobacco

Travel: The new Tobacco?  - this is the title of an article in the UK Guardian newspaper and picked up other papers in Europe this weekend. The article cites Mark Ellingham, the youthful founder of Rough Guides who has made a living encouraging people to explore the Planet. It seems as if he has had a change of heart, commenting that

"It is hard to say the positive impact travelling has can ever outweigh the damage done by simply travelling to the destination."

Mr Ellingham wants a £100 green tax on all flights to Europe and Africa, and £250 on flights to the rest of the world. He also urges investment for a low-carbon economy and a moratorium on airport expansion.

He said: "The tobacco industry fouled up the world while denying it as much as possible for as long as they could. If the travel industry rosily goes ahead as it is doing... we are putting ourselves in a very similar position to the tobacco industry."

For those of living in North America, where environmental concerns are not as strongly felt as in Europe, this might seem "over the top". I have just attended a weekend course with a wide cross section of people (five nationalities, mostly European). Naturally, I was happy to invite my colleagues to come and explore Canada and visit me. You'd be surprisesd at the number of people who said "thanks but no thanks". Their reluctance to accept this exciting invitation had nothing to do with my cooking - they simply felt it would be imoral to fly long-haul give the carbon cost of the flight.....My experience in the UK last week echoes concerns relayed in an earlier blog post - see here.

Food for thought.... and again, I'm not referring to my cooking..... Change can occur in a twinking of an eye......To be forewarned is to be prepared?????  How well do we know our customers? And if this is thr fringe, when will the mainstream follow?   Anna