Inspirational Adventurers to speak at The Marine Institute Blue Lectures

Inspirational speakers from the world of sport, adventure, film and science will be presenting at The Marine Institute Blue Lectures over the weekend of The Blue Mile event in Plymouth on 3rd July 2010. The lectures will feature seven remarkable people who have witnessed firsthand some of the challenges faced by the earth from climate change. Between them they have scaled Everest, stood at both Poles, dived in the world’s oceans, and sailed non-stop around the world. Each speaker will motivate you to change matters you really care about.

The Marine Institute Blue Lectures will take place at the Barbican Theatre, which is centred in the heart of the Barbican Event Village and will run throughout the day on Saturday 03 July 2010. Places are limited, so people are advised to book early at the Barbican Theatre Box Office.

Tickets are priced at £15.00 for a Double Bill (chose any two lectures) and a special discounted price of £10.00 for those who have already signed up for main Blue Mile event (www.thebluemile.org). Details of all the speakers can be found on www.theblueproject.org/1430.

For bookings please contact the Barbican Theatre Box Office;
Tel No: 01752 267131
Email:   bookings@barbicantheatre.co.uk

For further information please contact the Barbican Theatre Box Office or visit their website; www.barbicantheatre.co.uk/booking.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7s_2BBSnj4

Momentum is really gathering in this space and I’m very pleased that it is. A year ago sport and social responsibility conferences were still dominated by other more established social agendas such as health or social inclusion. At the recent Beyond Sport awards, only seven projects filled the Sport/Environment category out of over 200 applications, and this was only two months ago.

With the count-down to the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen and the urgency to identify other mechanisms with which to engage the public to change their over consuming behaviour, Sport is increasingly the vehicle of choice.  There are still questions to be evaluated over whether sport can really inspire long term change. Eon’s partnership for example with the FA Cup claimed a saving of 22,000 tonnes of CO2, through pledges made by fan’s, but did their “Carbon Footyprint” campaign make any lasting behavioural change?

Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote an article for Sport Business magazine about the opportunity for global brands developing links with environmentally clean sports and suggested that this could provide a welcome financial boost for some of our minority sports.  This week, sailing has been given a shot in the arm as the Government funded Carbon Trust has joined forces with Sir Keith Mills, multi-million pound America’s Cup campaign, the “Race for Change” to inspire action against climate change and encourage global partners to join the programme and fund the British Teams chances of winning one of sport’s oldest trophies.

Will it work? The key here lies in the mission and values of the Project and its leaders. Certainly the image of the sport is very strong, but not strong enough if the programme and the partners don’t walk the talk. And what about the Fan’s – do they switch off when their sporting elite suddenly start talking like politicians, or are they inspired to follow their lead?

Over the last few years we have spent some time in this space, particularly with our own project, BLUE.  Much of that time has been spent researching the touch points for behaviour change and wrestling with the un-inspiring language of climate change, which still does little to motivate people to care for the environment. There is a lot that can be learnt from working with behaviour change psychologists and also young people, who seem to be far more in touch with the planet limited resources.

I’m certainly convinced that sport can play a major part in inspiring positive change for our environment, but it is essential that Sir Keith Mills and his team stays close to their core values and often in sport, a winning mentality can start to blur the edges.

Conrad Humphreys, Managing Director, Sport Environment,

The Times reports that this week, that British America’s Cup team is set to join forces with the Carbon Trust in an effort to attract new environmental sponsors to the British sailing campaign. The brand values of sailing can be very attractive to commercial partners, so this has the potential to be a strong association for the right brand assuming that it is backed by a very credible campaign. 

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article6832242.ece

Vendée Globe yachtswoman Sam Davies and Windsurfing Olympic Medallist Bryony Shaw joined triple round the world yachtsman Conrad Humphreys at Plymouth’s (UK) historical Mayflower Steps as Paul Deighton, Chief Executive of The London 2012 Olympic Organising Committee fired the starting canon for the launch of the BLUE MILE – Race for the Environment.

Speaking from the launch Paul Deighton said: “This is absolutely brilliant what you are doing – there is no better example of a project than the Blue Mile, what the athletes are doing and how this filters through to how people can get involved”. “Sometimes I think of the Olympic games is happening in the SW with a peripheral activity in London!”

Commenting on the launch event, Sam Davies said: “I was here in Plymouth last year for the Artemis Transat – it’s an ideal location to host an event like this and I’m pleased to be involved with the BLUE Mile.”

Bryony Shaw also commented: “The BLUE Mile is one of our most important races to date – the race to protect our oceans and natural environment and I urge as many people as possible to join in to the challenge of completing a mile – either on the water, in it or alongside it.”

Conrad Humphreys, Triple Round the World Sailor: “Today’s launch was stunning. It had all the ingredients with passionate athletes and VIP’s, children having fun on the water and a fantastic backdrop for host city Plymouth. I am very excited that the Blue Mile has been launched and am really looking forward to seeing as many people as possible taking part in the Blue Mile and enjoying our natural environment.”

To get involved with The Blue Mile visit the official website at: www.thebluemile.org

-Ends-

Notes to editor:

About The Blue Mile

The BLUE MILE – Race for the Environment is the UK’s newest mass-participation event designed to engage people actively with our BLUE Environment. It will be open to everyone to take part and complete a mile in, on or next to a water environment. The inaugural event will take place in Plymouth in the summer 2010 with additional waterfront cities being invited to take part in future events. The BLUE Mile – Race for the Environment aims to increase participation in our natural environment and provide a learning experience to help encourage more people to take steps to care for the health of our planet.

Plymouth has been selected as host city for next summer’s inaugural BLUE MILE –event where thousands of participants of all ages and abilities will complete one mile – in, on or next to – water, in an incredible ‘race for the environment’.

Children from the Mount Batten Centre joined on the water by Beijing windsurfing Olympic medallist Bryony Shaw, 2009 Vendée Globe yachtswoman Sam Davies and freediving world record holder Sara Campbell at the launch event.

The launch was also attended by Paul Deighton, chief executive of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Deighton also used his visit to the South West  to mark the start of the London 2012 Open Weekend (24 – 26 July 2009), a series of events across the country enabling access to excellence in the arts, culture and sport and celebrating three years to go until the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Deighton said: “The Open Weekend and BLUE Mile events are aimed at inspiring people to open up to try new things, and they will help to build the excitement towards the Games in 2012. The Games are expected to transform lives and communities in the South West and deliver a discernible and lasting legacy to thousands of people in the region.

“We hope that people and communities from Plymouth – and across the wider South West – seize the opportunity to challenge themselves to do something truly different and exciting during Open Weekend.”

The BLUE Mile is being run in partnership with Plymouth City Council and Team South West, the South West RDA-led partnership working across the region to maximise the opportunities presented by the London 2012 Games.

In summer 2010, the BLUE Mile will see swimmers, sailors, rowers and paddle-boarders take to the water in a bid to encourage young people to get actively involved with sport and the environment. Plymouth Hoe will be transformed into a BLUE village, with the creation of the city’s first natural sand beach to host a series of beach games to sit alongside a BLUE village which will include impressive experiential learning and activity zones.

Plymouth council leader Vivien Pengelly said: “I’m thrilled that Plymouth is hosting the first ever BLUE MILE. As a city boasting one of the world’s most spectacular natural harbours there could no better starting point for one of our most important races to date – the race to protect our oceans and natural environment. I fully intend to take the plunge myself and urge as many Plymothians as possible to join me in rising to the challenge of completing a mile – either on the water, in it or alongside it.”

With plans to grow the event each year, The BLUE MILE also aims to be replicated throughout cities nationally and internationally with Plymouth at the forefront of the initiative.  To find out more about the BLUE MILE and how you can get involved visit www.thebluemile.org

Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes have teamed up with the Masters of Digital Media (MDM) students to launch Project Blue Sky – http://www.projectbluesky.ca.

Inspired by athletes, built by students and supported by the Official Carbon Offset Supplier to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Offsetters Clean Technology Inc. (Offsetters), and the Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee (VANOC), Project Blue Sky uses the latest in on-line digital tools to motivate individuals and groups to take steps in their personal lives to fight climate change through increased physical activity and sustainable travel.

“Project Blue Sky is a place where you can connect with your favourite athletes, challenge your friends, tell your story and use kilometres to track your efforts to reduce your carbon emissions. You can cut your carbon emissions by cycling, walking, taking public transit or by coming up with other physically ingenious ways to save energy,” said B.C. Olympian Dave Calder, silver medallist (Rowing), a member of the Canadian Olympic Committee’s (COC) Athletes’ Council that has spearheaded development of the project.

Calder and his fellow COC athletes believe the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games represent an important opportunity to encourage more people to take action on climate change as well as draw attention to carbon saving initiatives already underway. “VANOC and its partners have set an ambitious goal of convening carbon neutral Games. Project Blue Sky’s goal is on an equally ambitious scale: by the end of the Closing Ceremonies for the Paralympic Games in March 2010 we want to have inspired individuals who care about climate change to contribute 1 billion kilometres of carbon-reducing activities from their daily lives.”

For full article please see: http://www.olympic.ca/en/news/project-blue-sky/

It had me from the first snowflake.

http://vimeo.com/5056784?pg=embed&sec=

Video and words taken from steve casimiro

The elements of skiing’s appeal are quite simple. Crisp, cold, clean air. Mountains. Gravity. Speed. And above all, the magic of snow. It is a romantic pursuit, this skiing thing, a beautiful one, and if you love it as I do, with everything you have, you will find something, many things probably, in this video to make you feel like you’ve come home.

The video is an ad for Telluride. It’s an ad, yes, but it more perfectly captures the sweet love affair with skiing than anything I’ve seen in a long time, and that includes documentary ski movies and magazines. There are a few cliches and some obvious bones thrown to the marketers, but they’re far overshadowed by the sense of wonder and spirit of appreciation that we actually get to ski and to experience places as delightful as Telluride. So, kudos to Ben Knight and Felt Soul Media for applying their patient cinematography to skiing and to the folks of Telluride who funded the project and trusted that words are unnecessary. There’s a difference between sharing and selling, and this video proves it.

http://vimeo.com/5056784?pg=embed&sec=

Shot and edited in the winter of 2009 in collaboration with the Telluride Visitors Center, Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association, Telluride Ski Resort and Telluride Mountainfilm in hopes of giving viewers a soulful, non-commercial look at the winter experience in Telluride. Filmed & edited by Ben Knight | Music by Explosions in the Sky

The crucial role played by Sports in various aspects of sustainable development was discussed by UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner in an address to the ‘Forum on Productive Youth Development through Sport in Africa’.

The Forum brought together practitioners and experts in the field of sport and productive youth development to share experiences on best practice, discuss collaboration strategies and make recommendations on Sport and Development.

Describing the role of environmental sustainability in sports, Mr. Steiner cited the success of the Beijing Olympics in not just meeting, but exceeding the environmental standards outlined by the International Olympic Committee.

Mr. Steiner, who is also UN Under-Secretary-General, said “I think Beijing stands out at the moment when the Olympic games had perhaps its most transformative impact in terms of the host city going well beyond the parameters in terms of Beijing itself and the country”.

Over the past ten years, UNEP has worked closely with the International Olympic Committee in setting criteria to define the sustainability of cities that want to host the Olympic Games.

Mr. Steiner also acknowledged the intersection between youth, sports and the environment, that was most evident in the work of Tunza, UNEP’s youth network.

“Sports has become a way in which youth can combine the reality of their enthusiasm to be engaged in sports while also taking social responsibility and doing something about their communities, neighbourhoods and the issue of environmental sustainability.”

Taken from: http://www.azocleantech.com/Details.asp?newsID=5964

Making sport operations and activities environmentally-friendly is possible, underlined the director of a French observatory for sport and sustainable development in an interview with EurActiv.

Sustainable development is the answer to sports-related global problems, said Nathalie Durand, director-general of the French Observatory of Sport and Sustainable Development (OSDD).

The problems to be addressed include air pollution affecting athletes’ health, greenhouse gas emissions generated by sports equipment and water used by swimming pools and golf courses amid current fears of water scarcity, she explained.

According to Durand, irresponsible economic practices and intensive production of sports equipment should also be considered.

She described sport as an actor in territorial development, with environmental, social and economic impacts. It also affects competition for land, consumption of goods and foods, and waste, transport and CO2, she said. Durand believes in furthering cooperation between all actors.

Making sport sustainable requires global consideration of the impact of sports infrastructure, equipment, events, clubs and related transport, Durand underlined, adding that OSDD had developed the idea of life-cycle assessment (LCA) for sporting activities as well as an accompanying means of evaluating progress.

The full article can be found at http://www.euractiv.com/en/sports/eu-sport-sustainable/article-182872

A source inside Vancouver 2010 has told GamesBids.com that the Olympic organizing committee will soon unveil a zero carbon footprint Olympic cauldron. The unprecedented design that follows years of intense research and development will use solar energy to power the flame both day and night.

Rumours of the new technology were rampant among delegates of the World Conference on Sport and the Environment in Vancouver this week and all were hoping for an announcement before the end of the conference Tuesday. An insider said VANOC is instead preparing a separate future unveiling of the technological breakthrough.

While the details have not yet been released – solar energy will be captured by panels and stored in fuel cells that will be harnessed to create a ‘flame’ without any combustion.

“It’s an unbelievable breakthrough” our source said. “It’s hard to imagine how it all works until you actually see it. This will change everything.”

But does the flame look real? We’re told that we won’t see any difference and the cauldron will still be ‘lit’ by the last torch in the relay.

The new technology will also be useable in other applications including heating and manufacturing. This promises to be the Olympics single biggest contribution to the world – next to our gold medal heroes.

Vancouver 2010