Making a difference
I encountered David Mery on Wednesday, lurking suspiciously outside Southwark tube station. He was about to be interviewed by the BBC for a programme to be shown tomorrow at noon. See this on
his website for details.
He remarked to me later that my Livejournal isn't updated very frequently. That's because what goes on in my life is either too private or too uninteresting to post. But David picked up on something I said about the Eden Project being an example of how individuals can make notable changes to the world so I'll expand on that.
The contrast is between what happens when individuals obtain the resources to build something, compared with what happens when governments or large corporations do. Contrast the Eden Project with the 'Millenium Dome' in London. Another example is the work of Augustus Smith on the Isles of Scilly, continued down the generations by his descendants. This individual left such a mark that the island of Tresco has a significantly different ecosystem with trees and a beautiful garden which simply would not be there today without his efforts. His impact on the lives of the islanders was even larger. He was the first in Britain to introduce compulsory education.
Another example that struck me a few years ago was the contribution that George Newnes made to the towns of Lynton and Lynmouth. I too personally benefitted from reading various Newnes publications like 'Practical Wireless' in my childhood.
I am left with an opinion that it is good for a society to have a structure that allows such individuals to operate. This could be an argument to retain an aristocracy as one form of that. In our conversation, David remarked on the importance of sustainability. For example, the Eden Project flourishes after Tim Smit has moved on because he created an organisation to institutionalise his ideals.
There are a number of ways in which people can build companies founded on principles better than the profit motive. Francis Irving is interested in such things if you want some examples. If you want to make a difference to the world I think it is worth paying attention to this.
He remarked to me later that my Livejournal isn't updated very frequently. That's because what goes on in my life is either too private or too uninteresting to post. But David picked up on something I said about the Eden Project being an example of how individuals can make notable changes to the world so I'll expand on that.
The contrast is between what happens when individuals obtain the resources to build something, compared with what happens when governments or large corporations do. Contrast the Eden Project with the 'Millenium Dome' in London. Another example is the work of Augustus Smith on the Isles of Scilly, continued down the generations by his descendants. This individual left such a mark that the island of Tresco has a significantly different ecosystem with trees and a beautiful garden which simply would not be there today without his efforts. His impact on the lives of the islanders was even larger. He was the first in Britain to introduce compulsory education.
Another example that struck me a few years ago was the contribution that George Newnes made to the towns of Lynton and Lynmouth. I too personally benefitted from reading various Newnes publications like 'Practical Wireless' in my childhood.
I am left with an opinion that it is good for a society to have a structure that allows such individuals to operate. This could be an argument to retain an aristocracy as one form of that. In our conversation, David remarked on the importance of sustainability. For example, the Eden Project flourishes after Tim Smit has moved on because he created an organisation to institutionalise his ideals.
There are a number of ways in which people can build companies founded on principles better than the profit motive. Francis Irving is interested in such things if you want some examples. If you want to make a difference to the world I think it is worth paying attention to this.