Earth Song... Blowin' in the wind.

“Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To know that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice”.

- Robert Frost

Sustainability… a word that conjures up images of a post-apocalyptic wasteland…

The BP oil spill…

An exhausted oil-covered brown pelican tries to climb over an oil containment boom along Queen Bess Island Pelican Rookery, 3 miles northeast of Grand Isle, Louisiana June 5, 2010. Wildlife experts are working to rescue birds from the rookery which has been affected by BP's Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and transporting them to the Fort Jackson Rehabilitation Center. (REUTERS/Sean Gardner)

A sea turtle is mired in oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Grand Terre Island, Louisiana June 8, 2010. (REUTERS/Lee Celano)

The Iceland volcano…

Climate and Energy policies…

Spill and emission protection… 

“The trouble with our times is that the future is not what it used to be”

– Paul Valery.

Images tempting us to discount Motherhood-and-Apple Pie buzzwords as Pie-in-the-sky gibberish? Or not? You decide.

But iStart2day… 

....to embrace and support the untapped latent artistic and cultural talent of Communities all over the World to inspire sustainability and develop responsible citizenship.

We aim to achieve a few key objectives:

- To change the “reality” of how we view the world to a better, more sustainable reality.

“We all have a moral duty to ensure that whatever we do today doesn’t compromise the needs of those who come after us. None of us is the owner of this Earth. We are all caretakers, and transient at that. As transient caretakers, we have a duty to save the planet.” – Mervyn King, Transient Caretakers

With COP16, to be held in Cancun Mexiko, in November, and COP17 in South Africa towards the end of 2011, we have the ideal opportunity to share the magic of South Africa with the rest of the world. Even more importantly, we can show the rest of the world that we as South Africans can contribute in our unique way to making life on earth sustainable. To this end we have also partenered with COPART to connect our planet and re-imagine together.

Michael Jackson asks “Do we give a damn?” in his ‘Earth Song”? Is it really about saving the earth? Or is it actually about saving the human race?

Do we give a damn?

Do we, really?

- To unite the different ideas of what sustainability is, and so unites the varying governments, institutions, cultures and communities to strive for the collective goal of a sustainable world. 

“Our situation can only be improved if corporations, governments and individuals all realize they have a shared interest, namely to improve the quality of life on our planet by reducing the negative impacts on our environment caused by our conduct and the actions of those who came before us.” – Mervyn King, Transient Caretakers.

- To reconcile the intuitive understanding of sustainability to it’s practical application in…

Water…

“When the well’s dry, we’ll know the value of water”

- Benjamin Franklin

The clock is ticking for South Africa’s stretched water supply, and in another four to five years demand will have caught up with supply, according to a top official. Jones Mnisi, acting chief operating officer at Johannesburg Water, the public utility overseeing supply in the country’s economic hub, told a recent conference on water security that the tipping point where demand outstripped supply may not be far away.

South Africa is projected to have a higher relative irrigation demand under a plausible future climate scenario, irrespective of its being a wet, average or dry year. (Technical Report on Long Term Mitigation Scenarios, prepared for the Department of Environment affairs and Tourism, 2007)

According to Dr Mervyn King we need to play our part in solving the water crisis in the world. He makes it clear that not all water is accessible to humans. Efficient use of water and improved harvesting methods together with efficient and sustainable water use and distribution are needed to fight physical water scarcity.

Waste…

“An amazing amount (of food) is thrown away, but people don’t see it as a problem,” says Stellenbosch University’s Prof Linus Opara, who is leading a study of post-harvest food losses in Africa.

“I’m hoping that our research will raise awareness, particularly among consumers. Technology can only do so much. We want to be able to put an economic loss to this for businesses and the consumer: imagine if you could save 20% of your food bill each year. You could take the family on holiday,” he says.

Prof Opara’s preliminary research has found most food waste in developed countries occurs in households and eating establishments, while in developing countries a greater proportion is lost on farms or during storage and transportation.

The South African picture, which will emerge only when his students complete their investigations into the local supply chains for fruit and vegetables, may combine aspects of the two extremes, he says.

“We are wasting a lot of other resources — land, water, fertiliser, energy — by wasting food,” he says.

A US study reported by New Scientist in July aptly illustrates the point: it found more energy was wasted each year by US consumers throwing out perfectly edible food than was generated from the oil and gas reserves along that country’s coastline. About 16% of the energy consumed in the US is used to produce food, yet at least a quarter of it is wasted, said the report. Fresh produce and dairy foods were the worst culprits.

I met a member of Generation X
Said, "What's in with you kids these days?
I'm so old I'll probably never've heard of it" -
And then he said, "Purple Haze."

Now I know that we should separate our garbage -
The environment'll give us thanks;
But it's going too far when teenagers re-cycle
Their parents' adolescent angst.

- Tism

I was walking through a town the other day
And I saw it had changed in many ways.
It seems some kids and adults got together
And made that town look a whole lot better.

The parks were clean, 
the river was clean, 
and even...downtown!

Now, you may not think a clean town's strange
But I smiled when I saw how it had changed......

.....

So I asked what was the hardest part
And one girl said it was getting things started,....

.....

Everyone said they really cared
Everyone said the work was shared......

..... 

Once they had things nice and clean
They planted trees and flowers and things......

.....

So they found that many hands make work light,
Young and old worked with all their might
They made their town a better place to be
For people, like you and me.

Talking Clean Town
Joan Maute

and Energy…

Eskom will not be able to keep the lights on by itself over the next two years. It will need the help of the whole of SA, says the utility's CEO, Brian Dames, October 2010.

“Changing our mindsets and the way we choose energy sources and use energy is one part of the answer. Change in policies and alternative and sustainable energy sources, technologies and markets is another (Mervyn King)

Shine, shine, shine on down,
Shine upon the city and the town.
Sun shine on you and me
Warm us up and make us free.

You see solar panels on a satellite,
Collection panels at a building site.
Solar water heaters, ovens and cells,
Where it'll end you never can tell.

Shine, shine, shine on down,
Shine upon the city and the town.
Sun shine on you and me
Warm us up and make us free.

 

So use the principles the sun respects;
Dark absorbs and light reflects.
Low winter sun should shine in your house,
Overhang'll keep the summer out.

Shine, shine, shine on down,
Shine upon the city and the town.
Sun shine on you and me
Warm us up and make us free.

Solar Power Rag
Joan Maute

- Collaborating and actively sharing solutions among businesses, governments and communities in creating a sustainable world

“Sustainability Reporting is the practice of measuring, disclosing, and being accountable to internal and external stakeholders for organizational performance while working towards the goal of sustainable development.” – The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)

It is not only important to share solutions amongst businesses – people everywhere can contribute solutions through social media like facebook and Twitter. iStart2 aims to provide a platform for people to contribute solutions on a large scale.

- Using music and art, to speak to the hearts, heads and hands of people. 

In the words of Oscar Wilde:

 "The artist is the creator of beautiful things”.

• To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim.
  The critic is he who can translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beautiful things.
• The highest as the lowest form of criticism is a mode of autobiography. Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault.
• Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope. They are the elect to whom beautiful things mean only beauty.
• There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.
• The nineteenth century dislike of realism is the rage of Caliban seeing his own face in a glass.
• The nineteenth century dislike of romanticism is the rage of Caliban not seeing his own face in a glass.
• The moral life of man forms part of the subject-matter of the artist, but the morality of art consists in the perfect use of an imperfect medium. No artist desires to prove anything. Even things that are true can be proved. No artist has ethical sympathies. An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style.
• No artist is ever morbid. The artist can express everything.
• Thought and language are to the artist instruments of an art.
• Vice and virtue are to the artist materials for an art. From the point of view of form, the type of all the arts is the art of the musician. From the point of view of feeling, the actor's craft is the type.
• All art is at once surface and symbol.
• Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril.
• Those who read the symbol do so at their peril.
• It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors.
• Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital.
• When critics disagree, the artist is in accord with himself.
• We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it. The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely.
• All art is quite useless."

Some interesting insights? Huh?

I fully believe that art and music speaks to your soul…. And if you listen and experience things with your heart…. And it makes sense on a cognitive level… then the hands will start doing the right things…

- Contributing to charities who focus on people with disabilities

“There’s a Star Bangled Banner Waving Somewhere” is a song that combines unabashed patriotism with a maudlin disability perspective. The singer asks, “Can the U.S. use a mountain boy like me… Though I realize I'm crippled, that is true, sir, Please don't judge my courage by my twisted leg.” The absurdity of a boy who wants to go to war when his disability provides him with an exemption and one of the few benefits of disability is striking. Can we even start thinking about caring for the earth if we can’t even care for disabled people…? Isn’t it time for us to start looking beyond the disabilities of other people and recognise our own disability in caring for one another and the earth?

Three of my dearest friends, Karin Hougaard, Philippe Elan and Reyer Zwart, have recorded a song, Quiet Love, for the iStart2 initiative, highlighting how all of us have become “disabled” in our communication with one another.

- Building bridges between South Africa, the Netherlands (the first two countries to come on board) and other countries across the world

Since 2006 I have had the privilege to live in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. My focus was sustainability through leadership and diversity, and I explored ways of getting business and Government in the Netherlands to take hands with South Africans. Through my passion for music and the arts I have realised that in order to create a significant shift in the minds of people relating to sustainability issues there can be no other way, but to create massive awareness and have people start changing their behaviour on a personal level.

Over the past 12 months I have had the opportunity to research and also present our iStart2 idea to more than 200 unique individuals in South Africa and the Netherlands. My approach was to connect to people who have already achieved something significant with their lives.

My search to find out and research what people think about the idea took me to several places in the world... from Texas to New Orleans (during the oilspill), Oak Ridge, Nashville, Memphis, Amsterdam, Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya, Ephesus, Prague, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Dusseldorf, Brugge, Cairo, Paris, London... I had the pleasure of connecting with diverse individuals from Radio Stations, meeting with the SABC Board of Directors, the Chamber of Mines, the Dutch Ambassador, Greenpeace, Magazine editors, the Police Academy, prominent people in the Water, waste and energy industry, people in Health, people with disabilities, artists, actors, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), politicians, friends, the Sustainability Institute, universities, even church leaders. Too many to mention...

My research created and contributed to my belief that people in the Netherlands and South Africa really want to take hands to create a better world. The positive response evoked by the way the iStart2 concept proposes to make significant shifts in creating a sustainable world, is inspiring.

Stef Bos, one of the most prominent songwriters, performers and bridgebuilders in the Netherlands and Belgium wrote a song “ Die tydbom tik” (The timebomb ticks”) … and he sings “ … jy kan ‘n fok voel vir die toestand in hierdie land… of jy kan ‘n brug bou na die ander kant…” ( You can feel a f… about the situation in this country… or you can build a bridge to the other side….) Being an ardent fan of Mr Bos, this inspired me (and I hope others) to start building those bridges.

- To unite and inspire the diverse people of the world to take hands and make a better tomorrow, today.

It doesn’t matter what religion you belong to, it doesn’t matter what the colour of your skin is, it doesn’t matter where you are from, it doesn’t matter who or what you are… it matters how ALL of us take hands to leave behind a sustainable world.

Stef Bos, Karin Hougaard, Philippe Elan, Malefane Mokoena, the Parlotones, Sibongile Khumalo and others are in the process of recording songs contributing their magic towards the Istart2 project. Negotiations with a number of artists are ongoing to join the movement. Artists wishing to take hands with us on this project are encouraged to contact/ email me @ Pierre@istart2.com as soon as possible. A number of initiatives are planned and your involvement will be highly appreciated.  

The iStart2 (I = starts with me, S = Sustainability T = Thru ART, 2 = too) idea uses music and art, to speak to the hearts, heads and hands of people. Creating awareness and actively sharing solutions, in an authentic natural manner on the largest of scales. Let us touch the soul of people.

How do we go about achieving these objectives? 
The iSTART2 TEAM will be organising a country wide competition ( in SA and The Netherlands) whereby people in every town (TOWN VS TOWN) enroll to compete in 7 different categories ( all ages) focussed on the theme of water, waste and energy, to find new talent in the following areas

•         Music – a song

•         Acting – Story telling

•         Writing - Poem or short story

•         Photography or video

•         Dance

•         Painting and craft

•         Fashion

•         And for the scientists… Istart2-science.

The idea being that Towns' winners compete with each other on a regional basis, province to province. The winner of the regional competition moving on to the finals.

Competition finalists to compete in a Television series of 13 episodes to find the ultimate winners in each category

Creating skills development for 350 finalists through an educational coaching and mentorship program to enhance and sustain their talent

Collaborating with businesses to market solutions and products through the project

Engaging with possible role players for funding

Creating opportunity for entrepreneurs, scientists, artists and communities to collaborate in making this initiative a reality

 

I had and get the opportunity to connect and gain commitment and/or support from a number of individuals. I am also currently involved in discussions with the boards of Directors of the largest organisations and government in amongst others Water, Waste and Energy.

Negotiations and discussions with a wide range of people in business, the media, government, institutions and Entrepreneurs  (amongst others) are ongoing:

"iStart2 is a novel project which could make a meaningful contribution to making life on earth sustainable" 

 

- Mervyn King, 2010. Chairman of the GRI ; King III

 

"Our transition to a sustainable world will need revolutionary
 change. People only change happily when their hearts whisper to their hands that they should do so... Because art speaks to the heart, I believe ‘iStart2’ can spark the change we need. I have started 2" 

 

- Sietse van der Woude, Safety and Sustainability Adviser, Chamber of Mines, October 2010

(Personal note to self:  I am literally blown away by the positive response I am getting in every single discussion about this initiative)

Thank you to the iStart2 teams in South Africa and the Netherlands for their unselfish work in making this initiative a reality. It is my belief that we have gathered together a core group of people who are willing and able to deliver on an extraordinary project to change the lives of a great many people. This iStart2 team is more than willing to contribute to the creation of a sustainable world… today.

“Let us take the hard lessons learnt on this road and recommit ourselves to the global sustainable agenda” . DEPUTY MINISTER REJOICE MABUDAFHASI AT THE HIGH LEVEL MINISTERIAL SEGMENT OF THE CONFERENCE OF PARTIES HELD IN NAGOYA, JAPAN, 27 OCTOBER 2010

Let’s embrace and support the untapped latent artistic and cultural talent of  Communities all over the World to inspire sustainability and develop responsible citizenship. Getting 10 million people in every country that commit to iStart2 do one thing different, and doing it…

In Summary, We can do this by:

•         Changing the “reality” of how we view the world to a better more sustainable “reality”, in the practical application of how we manage water, waste and energy. 

•         Using music and art, to speak to the hearts, heads and hands of people

•         Collaborating and actively sharing solutions among businesses, governments and communities in creating a sustainable world.

•         Contributing to charities who focus on people with disabilities

•         Building bridges between South Africa, the Netherlands (the first two countries to come on board) and other countries across the world

•         Uniting the diverse people of the world to take hands and build a better tomorrow today.

•         Getting 10 million people in every country that commit to iStart2 do one thing different, and doing it.

Blowing in the wind?

We need all the support we can get. If you are interested to collaborate on this initiative, please email me at Pierre@istart2.com with your ideas, questions and suggestions.

We will be launching the websites, facebook and Twitter pages and other initiatives towards the end of 2010/ beginning 2011.

Looking forward to hearing from you! :-)