Dear Chris,
one of a number of pretty impressive ways to make a contribution for
less CO2 is to reduce travelling (car, plane, et.). One of the proven
and impressive ways for osnicks like me is to travel to other countries
primarily in the role as trainer of other osnicks. An example is
Ukraine. Jo and I went there and were involved in training some 50
colleagues who are now actively facilitating os events in Ukraine (have
a look at the world map and the worldscape). And eventually will conduct
their own trainings there. Same was true for Hungary, Denmark, Russia,
Pakistan and the many other places many of us went to train colleagues
to never or rarely go there again just as facilitators.
These days (which is different from lets say 5 or 8 years ago)the
need/urge/necessity/excuse/etc. for me to go to far off places is
increasingly deminishing since osnicks are showing up all over the
place. I still enjoy travelling, mind you, and am envious when I see
where some of us are going to all the time. But when I take a closer
look, I increasingly wonder why I or others go to far off places where
there are osnicks, maybe not in huge numbers maybe, but certainly
capable to do the job locally. We might enjoy honoring that and work
less all to further sustainability and the spread of os.
One neat tool to use next time one of us gets a call is to look at the
open space world map and have a look-see who is closer by.
Of course, this discussion re-opens the window on the future of WOSonOS.
Gads, I love those gatherings!!! One less thing to do? Having more
local, citywide, national, regional Open Spaces on Open Space?
At the same time people are booking million dollars/ million tons of CO2
flights into outer space and soon to the moon and back.
Greetings from Berlin where my family encourages me to walk to the
bakery or to take the bike and we are discussing the need of a car in a
city like Berlin where in fact you can get any place by public
transportation and mostly even faster and certainly safer than by car
mmp
Here the link to the world map
http://www.openspaceworldmap.org/
and the worldscape
http://www.openspaceworldscape.org/
Chris Corrigan wrote:
This is an interesting conversation froma number of perspectives. I am
currently looking at ways to make my business as green as we can get it
and purchasing carbon offsets is on my mind. I travel A LOT and a lot
of it is by air, so I'm pretty aware of how much carbon is being
consumed to move my body around the world.
My current thinking is that there are more tangible and real ways of
bringing a sustainability consciousness to my work and investing money
to support that. I agree with Monbiot that purchasing carbon credits
without also having a sustainability consciousness isn't really the
shift that is needed. For me. it is a far more productive practice to
find ways to make Open Space meetings less dependant on non renewable
resources, offering good local or organic food where we can and
minimizing the amount of paper we use. Doing that is tangible because
it is action that proceeds from the consciousness we are talking about
AND is actually makes a difference. Unlike Open Space meetings, planes
fly anyway, and to some extent, it feels like I am hopping a ride on an
already scheduled carbon event. If I pay more attention to the small
choices that I make in everyday practice, ironically it has a bigger
impact. It;s about bringin presence and mindfulness to the work.
Not to say that purchasing carbon credits is a bad idea, it's just that
I'm looking at it from the perspective of spending money. If I am going
to put my money where my mouth is regarding climate change, I am leaning
towards investing that money in local economy, with local businesses who
are operating sustainably too. I am a member of the Business Alliance
for Local Living Economy, which is a North America wide network of local
business hubs focussed on sustainability and thriving local economies.
Supporting other businesses in our network is a useful and tangible step.
It's an interesting thing to be thinking about. The challenge for me,
from an Open Space perspective, is how to marry passion and
responsibility to bring about the changes I want to see. A vibrant
local economy with supplies purchased not from Staples and other big box
office supply stores but from my friend down the road who runs
Frogfile.ca <http://Frogfile.ca> is a more tangible way of doing it for
me.
Thanks for the carbon credit links though...definitely putting it in my
mix..
Chris
On 4/12/07, *cliodhna mulhern* <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
To quote wikipedia which highlights the views of a fellow Oxford
resident - George Monbiot:
"Many environmentalists disagree with the principle of carbon offsets.
George Monbiot , an English environmentalist and
writer, has compared carbon offsets to the practice of purchasing
Indulgences during the Middle Ages, whereby people
with money could purchase forgiveness for their sins (instead of
actually repenting and not sinning anymore). Monbiot also says that
carbon offsets are an excuse for business as usual with regards to
pollution. To date, no authoritative studies have been
performed concerning offset buyers' behavior (e.g., whether they take
other measures to reduce their CO_2 output.)"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_offset
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello Jon and thank you for this posting. I think George Monbiot's
thoughts give us a helpful nudge to be realistic about the
limitations of carbon offsetting as a strategy while embracing the
motivation behind it...it is really great that there is such a surge
of self-awareness in travel planning and I take my hat off to
everyone who is thinking twice about how to get from A to B...
From the (unusually) sunny Faughan Valley in North West Ireland.
Cliodhna Mulhern
flowstone
+44(0)7929 328513
"All meaningful and lasting change starts first in your imagination
and then works its way out. Imagination is more important than
knowledge. "
Albert Einstein
*On Wed Apr 11 23:50 , Jon Harvey sent:
*
Catherine
No - I did not think your posting was a hoax. My response was
whimsical
(perhaps to lighten the mood a little on this listserv at the
moment...
the website I recommended - which I parenthesised - is a real spoof
website that is quite funny).
But I do think there is a serious point here as well (which lies
behind
the spoof website too) as to whether carbon offsetting is an
effective
response to global warming.
To quote wikipedia which highlights the views of a fellow Oxford
resident - George Monbiot:
"Many environmentalists disagree with the principle of carbon
offsets.
George Monbiot , an English environmentalist and
writer, has compared carbon offsets to the practice of purchasing
Indulgences during the Middle Ages, whereby people
with money could purchase forgiveness for their sins (instead of
actually repenting and not sinning anymore). Monbiot also says that
carbon offsets are an excuse for business as usual with regards to
pollution.^[15] <#_note-7> To date, no authoritative studies
have been
performed concerning offset buyers' behavior (e.g., whether they
take
other measures to reduce their CO_2 output.)"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_offset
<http://parse.pl?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCarbon_offset>
I do have some sympathies with his point of view. And I do
appreciate
your commitment to using trains. This is a complex area of
ethics and I
am still working out my own standards.
Hope this helps and keeps the space open..
Regards
Jon
Catherine Pfaehler wrote:
> Jon, my posting was serious. Did you check out the website of
> www.myclimate.org
<http://mail.uk2.net/parse.pl?redirect=http://www.myclimate.org>,
or did you just think it was a hoax?
>
> I'm using it regularly when I fly (which I avoid whenever I
can take a train
> around Europe), and so is our company for its car. I have
followed this
> initiative from its beginning. It's now 5 years old and has
become a serious
> and ethical business.
>
> Regards - Catherine
>
> Catherine Pfaehler Senn
> lic.oec.HSG
> Open Space Begleitung
> Kellersriedweg 8
> CH - 2503 Biel
> +41-(0)32 - 365 68 41
> [email protected]
>
>
> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: Jon Harvey
[[email protected]','','','')">[email protected]]
> Gesendet: Mittwoch, 11. April 2007 23:34
> An: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
> Cc: [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
> Betreff: Re: climate-neutral flights and drives!
>
> Hi all
>
> I would also 'recommend' a website called:
>
>
<http://mail.uk2.net/parse.pl?redirect=http://www.cheatneutral.com>
www.cheatneutral.com <http://www.cheatneutral.com>
>
> ...where people who are committing adultery can have their
behaviour
> offset by someone else who is committed to a single life or
fidelity...
>
> I have also resolved to drink only flat beers from now on - as
I think
> that gassy beer can only be adding to greenhouse gases...
>
> Happy space to everyone!
>
> Jon
> Oxford
>
>
>
> Catherine Pfaehler wrote:
>
> > Harrison and everybody - wishing you well...
> >
> > Did you know that on
<http://mail.uk2.net/parse.pl?redirect=http://www.myclimate.org>
www.myclimate.org <http://www.myclimate.org> you can buy climate
tickets along
> > with your airline tickets to CO2-neutralize your flights, and
even your
> >
> car
>
> > drives? A great initiative by swiss students which is doing a
wonderful
> >
> job
>
> > in investing the money they make in neutralizing projects!
You enter your
> > points of departure and arrival and the system calculates how
many tons of
> > CO2 you emit by sitting in that plane. Then it tells you how
much a
> >
> climate
>
> > ticket costs. You buy it with your credit card. Absolutely
affordable!
> >
> > Love, Catherine
> >
> > Catherine Pfaehler Senn
> > lic.oec.HSG
> > Open Space Begleitung
> > Kellersriedweg 8
> > CH - 2503 Biel
> > +41-(0)32 - 365 68 41
> > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
> >
> > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> > Von: Harrison Owen [[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>','','','')"> [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>]
> > Gesendet: Mittwoch, 11. April 2007 01:50
> > Betreff: For My Friends in Kiev
> >
> > Just so you know - I think what you are doing is wonderful,
and I hope
> >
> that
>
> > everybody who can - will come. For myself - I would be there
except for a
> > Sciatic Nerve that reminds me that I am not as young as I
used to be, and
> > further -- that multiple hours on planes is not a good thing
at this
> >
> point.
>
> > I was amazed (depressed) to find that on United Airlines
alone I had
> >
> clocked
>
> > ¾ of a million miles. Just think of the tons of CO2
(greenhouse gas) I
> >
> have
>
> > contributed!!! Anyhow, I have to stick closer to home at the
moment, and I
> > know you will have a grand time!
> >
> > Harrison
> >
> > Harrison Owen
> > 7808 River Falls Drive
> > Potomac, Maryland 20854
> > Phone 301-365-2093
> > Skype hhowen
> > Open Space Training
<http://mail.uk2.net/parse.pl?redirect=http://www.openspaceworld.com>
www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com>
> >
> <
<http://mail.uk2.net/parse.pl?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.openspaceworld.com%2F>http://www.openspaceworld.com/>
>
> > Open Space Institute
<http://mail.uk2.net/parse.pl?redirect=http://www.openspaceworld.org>
www.openspaceworld.org <http://www.openspaceworld.org>
> > Personal website
<http://mail.uk2.net/parse.pl?redirect=http://www.ho-image.com>
www.ho-image.com <http://www.ho-image.com>
> > OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view
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<http://www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html>
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<http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html>>
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> >
> >
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--
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Facilitation - Training
Open Space Technology
Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
<http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot>
Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com
Principal, Harvest Moon Consultants, Ltd.
http://www.harvestmoonconsultants.com
<http://www.harvestmoonconsultants.com> * *
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