(non)Governmental Creates New UK Ministry
Posted on 29. Oct, 2009 by annied in DEFRA, Kew Gardens, carbon trading
The New Economics Foundation (hence, NEF) launched its informal study of personal carbon budgeting via an art cultural piece at the Bigger Picture Festival of Interdependence last Saturday. A “rationette” explained the new Ministry of Actually Trying To Do Something About It and handed out carbon ration booklets. [Click to Watch an explanation of the study, and how you can get involved]
Click to watch a short explanation of the Ministry of Trying to Do Something About It!
The presenter, artist Clare Patey, said the campaign comes from “more a cultural space [sic].” The presentation is funded jointly by NEF and the UK’s Arts Council.
While not affiliated with any major report, NEF says, it’s interesting that the IPPR recently released a report on personal carbon trading that contradicts DEFRA’s judgement that such a scheme would be impossible. NEF’s way of informally measuring the viability of such a scheme (but not the same schemes as the IPPR report) in the way presented by this campaign certainly is interesting.
The IPPR found that the UK government’s position that implementing personal carbon budgeting would be costly and unduly burden those at the lower end of the income scale, is highly sensitive to assumptions made about the implementation process and willingness of participants. It’s quite a good read if you’ve got the time…
The Bigger Picture Festival of Interdependence took place this last weekend at London’s Oxo Warf. NEF, who put on the event, underestimated the number of people to attend as people queued up for hours outside. Fire regulations mandated no more than 430 people in the building at a time, and by 7pm when Festival ended the final count was over 1300. Well Done!
NEF isn’t the only one offering tips on how you can reduce your carbon footprint on a daily basis: Kew Gardens has some suggestions too, like cooking with compost!
For more films from Kew Gardens and what they are doing to adapt to and mitigate climate change, click here.