Transition Culture

4 Dec 2015

Rob reports from COP21 in Paris: Day Six

I spent the morning at Place to B doing interviews, one for National Geographic France, and the other with an online magazine who wanted to know what my ideal house would be like in 2050.  Enjoyed that.  Given that I would be 82 by then, it was a rather fetching strawbale home with clay plasters, part of a collection of houses with, no doubt, a rather fetching rocking chair and some splendid slippers.  And ideally with trees growing on the roof.  The idea was that they would then get an artist to draw a picture of your future house, so I look forward to seeing that.  Simultaneously, Albert Bates of Global Ecovillage Network and other things, gave a talk organised by Transition Paris in a bar round the corner which sounded great.  

In the afternoon several of us travelled across the city to Paris Maison de l’Europe, a rather fine venue for a meeting organised by Energy Cities, and hosted by the City of Paris.  It was called COPowering change: the role of local governance in delivering the energy transition, and the audience brought together Mayors and local government from around the world. 

I talked about the places where Transition overlaps with local government, and what that ‘edge’ looks like.  You can download my slides at the bottom of this post, and here is the audio of my talk.  Feel free to download both and to almost create a substandard version of me giving a presentation in your very own living room.  Cut out a picture of my face and stick it on the cat, be almost like I’m actually there.  Never let it be said that we don’t spoil you rotten here at Transition Culture.

After the talk there were presentations from Mayors from different places, including Daniella Radice, deputy Mayor of Bristol, who, rather charmingly, traced many of the climate change activities happening in Bristol to hearing me speak in Bristol in 2007!  So any time you think that talks you give aren’t having an impact, think again.  You never know who might be there, and how it might touch them. 

When the session as a whole came to a close there was drinks and nibbles (unless, like me, you’re vegetarian, a demographic which Paris, in spite of its many other charms, neglects somewhat) and meeting lots of interesting folks.  We also sold some of our ’21 Stories of Transition’ books, thanks to our wonderful salesman, the lovely Henry.  

And that was kind of it really.  A few of us went out for pizza, and on the Metro on the way home, I took this photo of really quite the most appalling Christmas jumper I’ve seen since about 1978.  This jumper is advertised all across Paris.  I really can’t imagine even one person buying this, never mind enough people to warrant to cost of advertising it.  Buy hey, I’m most likely completely wrong on that…