Journal

- Latest entries

- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008

Archive
Journal entries prior to May 2008 can be found in the old archived site here

Can not load XML: An invalid character was found in text content. Error has occured while trying to process https://api.twitter.com/1/statuses/user_timeline.rss?screen_name=volansjohn Please contact webmaster

Journal: August, 2009

Display brief entries | Display full entries

Searching for Lost Anchors
Diver finds one

Jan-Olaf at the wheel

Elderly couple cut across our bow

Andreas takes the wheel

A sight that would once have struck terror

Vikings

A second yachting venture, this time in the opposite direction, to retrieve two anchors that Jan-Olaf had lost on a previous voyage. He had called in heavy-duty help, in the shape of Odd Fellow II and a diver, who soon found the first anchor, in nine metres of water, but discovered that the second had gone at least 50 metres down, and could well be irretrievable. Later, when we got back, Elaine spotted a yacht called Volans: then she and I headed across to the Hotel Bristol, ahead of the Sustainability Summit tomorrow.... more >

All at Sea with Jan-Olaf
Out and about on Oslo Fjord

Windowsill

Breakfast

Implements

Deck of the Inspired

Elaine

Oslo Opera House

Elaine and I arrived yesterday in Oslo, to stay with Jan-Olaf Williums and, a few days later, to attend the Oslo Sustainability Summit - where I was was due to speak on the second day. Today, Jan-Olaf took us out on his yacht, Inspired, sailing around Oslo Fjord. Our first glimpse of the extraordinarily beautiful Oslo Opera House. Afterwards, we visited the Folk Museum, which was fascinating. Rain played across the landscape, cross-cut by sunshine. During one downpour, we sampled pancakes made by a couple of young women, later we sampled fresh-made soup in a small cottage: only when Jan-Olaf had seconds and the pot was stirred did I realised that this wasn't entirely vegetarian. The girl cooking and entertaining mentioned that she was studying architecture - and deeply embroiled in ... sustainable development.... more >

Teddy Goldsmith
Saying farewell to another key influence

I first met Teddy Goldsmith, who died on August 21 and whose obituary appeared on the 26th in the Times, over 30 years ago - in 1977 - when he and I shared a bedroom in Reykjavik during Nicholas Polunin's 'Growth Without Ecodisasters' conference. First met and, I should say, pretty much fell in love with. We got on like a house on fire. ... more >

Day Out With Bayer
Leverkusen, 26 years on

Figure in reception

Reflections

Charmian (Love) and I flew to Cologne yesterday, ahead of meetings and a dinner at Bayer, Leverkusen. Among those we met was Patrick Thomas, who I last worked with when he was at ICI Polyurethanes. The last time I was in Leverkusen was in 1983, I think, when Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth invited me to serve as an independent member of a 3-person group touring Bayer's operations at the invitation of Dr Eberhart Weise, after Bayer had successfully won an injunction against Greenpeace after the group had blockaded the chemical company because of acid dumping at sea, though Bayer were quick to point out that they had shifted to this option, which offered higher dilution rates, while some competitors still discharged acid wastes direct into the Rhine.... more >

Brainstormed
A day with the Value Web

Patrin, Alejandro and Kavita

Sam laughing

David Christie of Innovation Arts and the Value Web facilitated an away day for us today at the Value Web's place near the Oval. Extremely productive, partly involving tearing apart what I have been doing with the team in recent weeks - and then putting it back together again. By the end of the day, after a visit to a local pub, I was beginning my first major migraine for years - too much going through limited bandwidth, I suppose. But the day was a huge contribution to the evolution of our collective thinking.... more >

Proposing
A Team Effort

Glorious cycle into Bloomsbury this morning, open skies, my brain racing all the way - as it has been for weeks - to colour in  the outlines of the proposal we have been working on since last month. Ale(jandro) back from Brazil, Zheng Jieying (our new Chinese MBA intern) started yesterday, and the office is abuzz. Took in a couple of figs from the fig tree in the garden, which has finally started producing full-bodied, lush fruit.  What next: British pineapples?... more >

Blooming
A riot of flowers

The kitchen is ablaze with flowers, sunflowers that Elaine bought, irises from Roger across the road in thanks for a looked-after cat, and some astonishing hydrangeas Jane Davenport brought this evening. A stunning evening with two of the most important women in my life - and Venus and Mercury burning bright in the sky. Am enjoying August.... more >