Mapping the Big Green Challenge - The Skills & Learning ...

Mapping the Big Green Challenge 1578.6.4 Examples of Innovative ProposalsIt was clear that some Challengers did have novel ideas but did not know how to go about gettingthem developed or marketed. Often they were keen for someone else to take on this task and assuch it is possible to see one aspect of 3 rd sector innovation as providing an idea bank for others inthe sector or more widely to take forward.Three proposals at the research and development stage had engaged interesting resource support.Land Based Cultivation of Sea Algae (714) was developing an approach using algae combined withsea nutrients to produce a fertile growing medium that can convert derelict land to land suitable forgrowing crops. They had involved a school as well as other actors to test the viability of the idea.Compressed Air Zero Carbon Energy (185) was aiming to set up a wind turbine to power acompressor which could produce compressed air which would then be used to power a prototypecar. Development of this idea for widespread adoption would clearly need significant resources.They planned to develop a demonstration turbine and vehicle which would be promoted locally.They intended this to generate enthusiasm from local people which might then lead to pressure onthe commercial sector to take the idea seriously. Carbon Mootral (321) had developed a foodadditive to reduce emissions from livestock and planned to work with a dairy herd association to testthe product and gain sponsorship from a commercial organisation. This package of resources andsupport might not have been so readily available if they had not been planning to distribute theproduct free through a community interest company.Some organisations consisting of members of a particular profession or occupation made proposalswhich provide an interesting way in which individuals currently within existing sectors andbusinesses can nevertheless develop new structures to develop alternative approaches. Examplesfrom the design profession and the food production sector were described in section 8.3.4 above.The use of some form of alternative currency such as a personal carbon allowance has beenconsidered as a way of framing alternative lifestyles with lower carbon impact. The way these mightoperate is not familiar to most people despite their inclusion within political discussions and use bysmall self selected groups. Aspects of this model were proposed for wider use by a number ofChallengers with a regeneration focus in the form of a LETS scheme or Loyalty cards. These wereintended to encourage people to buy locally (hence contributing to one dimension of low carbonliving) and where they operate alongside the ability to purchase in the normal way they can bringideas to the attention of those who might not have the interest to seek them out. One example wasa proposal called Transition Penwith: lower carbon for a better community (737) which included asmart loyalty card for local food producers and purchasers, with rewards for high users andincreased business for producers.A surprising type of demonstration for niche innovations (normally centring on forms of renewableenergy) were proposals based on public buildings undergoing some form of low carbon renovationor new build (see Section 7.6). These public buildings had a number of advantages in this regard.First they attracted people for reasons other than their green credentials: for example for meetings,recreation or as tourist attractions. Such visits provided opportunities (which were recognised tovarying extents by Challengers) to extend learning about low carbon solutions that would nototherwise have been encountered at first hand. Second, because they were often seen as significantbuildings for the community the demonstration they offered may well generate a deeperAppleby Ltd July 2009