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Pitch

How do we create the change we want to see? Empowering everyone through community pride, economic democracy, and grass roots innovation


Description

Summary


A few years ago I took over a branch in a small town on the California central coast.  As a new financial adviser I envisioned a burgeoning career.  Unfortunately there were flaws in my thinking. These were apparent in the environment.  The office was on Main Street where potholes, boarded windows and gangs were more prolific than prospects.  How could I change it?  I started a mural society to clean up the downtown.  What I discovered was a community of stakeholders ready to become engaged the change.


Category of the action

Mitigation/Adaptation, Changing public attitudes about climate change


What actions do you propose?

My experience showed me what legislation, changes in economic policies, and the government couldn't do.  They cannot mandate empowerment.  Consequently we cannot make anyone care.  It has to grow from the individual to the community to government.  Not the other way around. I found that creating public spaces where people meet, take pride and are stakeholders in their personal, community and cultural ties far outweigh the obligation of law.  This is the sweet spot for eco-artists and designers. 

Artists have solved problems for many decades.  da Vinci created a different world with his art, architecture, engineering, flying machines, canals, study of nature and municipal construction.  It would not have been near as dramatic if his only interest was art.  He enjoyed science and applied it to his art

Companies are making voluntary mandates for reducing CO2 in 1-3 year time spans.  They hire consultants and cast a wide net resulting in about 10% of what they need.  This method is costly, labor intensive and they don't know if it works.  Suppliers are selling products.  They look for markets where they don't have to go into bidding wars. It's inefficient and doesn't net the results we want.  Innovation suffers.

Artists create a big picture approach by looking at all aspects of a site specific project and creating an effective method for every part of the whole.


Who will take these actions?

Business engaged in the larger overall design is more effective than products. 

Government should give incentives to start ups and art organizations involved with creating site specific CO2, conservation and climate change mitigation projects.  There are hubs in Europe working with public/private organization support of these types of start up's

This is the mission of my company, CALPAA eco- art and design to fruition through public art. 

It is a place where artists can engage communities while they create a sense of place.  This way everyone is a decision maker and a stakeholder.  There is ownership.


Where will these actions be taken?

This can happen all around the world.  There is more to be gained by developing countries however I believe Europe and the US need to lead the way.


How much will emissions be reduced or sequestered vs. business as usual levels?

It is hard to say what could be saved as part of the creative problem solving is the ability to innovate.

There are a few ways that we can compare this.  Economically and mitigating the effects of climate change. 

Billions of dollars and billions of tons of CO2 will prevent the catastrophic effects of climate change.  People are capable of changing what they created.  We just need to give them a market.


What are other key benefits?

Sense of community, resident stakeholders, big picture infrastructure, and proliferation of innovation are just a few.

This creates a market for personal and community investment.  Hence absolute empowerment.


What are the proposal’s costs?

Costs would be much lower than the current cast a wide net approach.  Business as usual method is costly and labor intensive with no real viable way to see if it works.  It nets about 10% of what organization needs to reach their goals.  I.e. Walmart hires Deloitte, Navy asks for prototypes and some companies buy products. 

Costs would be calculated by what each community needs.

2% of current capital projects goes to art. Dedicate existing budgets to creative ways to mitigate effects of climate change 


Time line

5-15 Integrate eco-art into public art projects. 

Create innovation market

15-50 Create worldwide market of design sharing, matching sustainability goals with site specific project eco-artists/designers.

50-100  Database matches through data mining for efficient matches with designers depending on geographic locations, developing economy and sustainability needs.


Related proposals


References