Things change,

Principles Don’t

Am I mostly sinking?

Afloat?

Or both?

Nature conspires against it’s own status-quo,

It’s time to feel the love,

Mutate

And let go.

(Please feel free to send in your poems regarding our future together. If you do we will create a poem page. Barnaby)  

  In this Reith Lecture entitled, Scientific Horizons 2010, “Does science have the answers to help us save our planet?” Martin Rees has effectively called for Simpol, (the Simultaneous Policy). He says that where solving global problems is concerned  he is a “techno-optimist” but it’s the politics that worries him. In the lecture, outside the box, global co-operative, open sourced thinking is called for for the procurement and implementation of global solutions. Coincidentally, many of these things are what Jeffrey Sachs, the 2008 lecturer, called for too. Sadly, neither of them say how we the people can join them in their vision of optimism, nor how we the people can enguage to resolve the main problem, the deadlock of international competition; so I added that bit at the end.  

To listen to the lecture: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00sk5nc

Before reading my selected exerts from the lecture, here is a little personal philosophical reflection about the daily injection of mixed poignancy and adrenalin I receive from so many quarters.

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It’s happened again. It happens to me everyday. It sometimes keeps me awake. I am consumed by the potential of Simpol and am urged to make it a global grassroots movement. How can I contain myself? Seek help? Be told to become “equanimous;” serenely self possessed, composed, free from agitation, aware that I am not that which urges me forward. All that is just my personality. I am more than that. I am, I am……essentially more than that.

Great, so I copy these exerts from the Reith Lecutre and post them, out there, to whoever can hear me in cyberspace. Whilst doing so, I will remain, unmoved by thoughts of the result. Will you look at it? If so, will you bite by signing up to www.simpol.org.uk? Will you blog for it? Will you wait outside Lord Rees’s door and ask him to sign up and blog for it too? Or, will you leave it until next time? Either way. What ever. I will continue doing what my personality tells me is right, to spread information so that we can move up the ladder of complexity, together. Also, whilst do so, I will be constantly aware that what ever happens is all part of an unfolding process. So here we go dispassionately forward, not in the least bit excited about the outcome. Not mulling it over “What did I blog that for? Could it be improved? More added? Should I have left this bit out entirely?” I will remain, enigmatic… Yer right! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Sue Lawley: As a cosmologist, he has an awareness of the immense scale of the future and the threats to our existence. He believes science can provide solutions to many of them, but are we capable of implementing those solutions? ‘We are stewards of the world at a very special time’, he says. ‘Man has the future in his hands.’ Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the BBC Reith Lecturer 2010: Professor Martin Rees.

Me: How global co-operation, development, health and education allows for choice:
Martin Rees: Most of those who are alive today are under 25. That’s why a continuing population rise until mid-century seems almost inevitable. But the trends beyond 2050 will depend on what people now in their teens and 20s decide about the number and spacing of their children. But in Africa about 200 million women are denied such a choice. Enhancing the life chances of Africa’s poorest people by providing clean water, primary education and other basics should be a humanitarian imperative; and it would achieve throughout the continent the demographic transition that has occurred elsewhere. Failure would be a failure of governance – the resources required are modest – and it would be a tragedy of continental proportions, which would also trigger massive migratory pressures.

…enhanced education and empowerment of women within this decade – surely a benign priority in itself – would reduce fertility rates in the poorest nations and could thereby reduce the projected world population beyond 2050 by as much as a billion people.

Me. The technology is there but the global politics and sociology isn’t:
MARTIN REES: This lecture has focused on some potential downsides of the 21^st century. But despite all that, I am actually an optimist – at least a techno-optimist. There seems no scientific impediment to achieving a sustainable world beyond 2050 where the developing countries have narrowed the gap with the developed, and all benefit from further scientific advances that could have as great and benign an impact as information technology and medical advances have had in the last decade.

It’s the politics and the sociology that pose the deepest concerns. Will richer countries realise that it’s in their self-interest for the developing world to prosper, sharing fully in the benefits of globalisation? Can nations sustain effective but non-repressive governance in the face of threats from small groups with high-tech expertise? And, above all, can our institutions prioritise projects which are long-term in political perspective even if a mere instant in the history of our planet?

Me. Sharing of renewable resources and power internationally
MARTIN REES: well, I’d agree with that. The other point I’d make is that if you do things on a full European scale, then, of course, the fluctuations in wind and sun are smoothed over so the larger the scale over which your grid can transmit power, then the easier it is to get by with renewables.

Me. Open sourcing, holistic education, science alone is not enough:

PROFESSOR ROD DUBROW-MARSHALL: Yes, hopefully not a weird question. Do you think our ultimate survival actually depends on the pooling of knowledge across science, the social sciences and humanities?

SUE LAWLEY: Are you suggesting knowledge isn’t pooled at the moment?

PROFESSOR ROD DUBROW-MARSHALL: Well in universities of course we have the traditional barriers between the sciences and the social sciences and the humanities and the arts, and of course across those barriers resources flow perhaps in different rates. But my question is: for us to survive, does it not have to break down completely in order for knowledge to be pooled to the maximum?

MARTIN REES: I think yes because technical scientific knowledge by itself is clearly not sufficient. We have to know what people want, what their preferences are. Clearly that involves social studies, and we want a humane public that is steeped in the humanities as well – if possible. So I think we do want a broadly educated public.

Me. New politics, global simultaneous interlinked policy implementation (perhaps a global Tobin Tax or Monetary Reform) to fund sustainable energy research and use.

MARTIN REES: Success in halving global carbon emissions would be a momentous achievement – one where all nations acted together in the interests of a future beyond the normal political horizon. The meagre progress in Copenhagen last December didn’t instil optimism. On the other hand – odd though this may sound – the political response to the financial crisis may offer encouragement. Who would have thought two years ago that the financial system would have been so transformed that big banks were nationalised? Likewise we need coordinated, outside-the-box action to avoid serious risk of a long-term energy crisis.

Me: Surely we need to sort out political relations with North Africa and share the energy with them too?

Martin Rees: I think an attractive long-term option for Europe is solar energy: huge collectors – most maybe in North Africa – generating power that’s distributed via a continent-wide smart grid. Achieving this would require vision, commitment and public-private investment on the same scale as the building of Europe’s railways in the 19^{th century.}  

NICK PIDGEON: Yes, thank you Martin. Your analysis points to the inescapable fact, in my view, that combating climate change will require a revolution in technology, in politics, and in our lifestyles on a scale not seen since the Second World War. Are the public and politicians ready for the scale of change that will be required here? And, additionally, are there dangers for scientists when they act as advocates for such change?

MARTIN REES: Well I think if scientists advocate a sort of bare bones approach that’s going to involve drastic life changes, they won’t get much resonance. But my view on this whole topic is that the way the problem will be solved will be by obviously first tackling ways in which we can actually save money – by using energy more efficiently, insulating buildings better, etcetera. Then we want to incentivise the development of new clean technologies and hope to end up when it is in fact no more expensive than fossil fuels. And so that will enable the transition to happen without there being any hardship involved.

SUE LAWLEY: But the thrust of the question, as I understood it, is can you take the politicians with you? Are they listening enough?

Me. Simpol Adopters worldwide are resolving the deadlock of international competition. They are driving governments to work together to solve global problems such as poverty, conflict and climate-change, by prioritising their votes for Simpol Pledged politicians. Developing and ultimately setting the global People’s Policy is through open participation. The only way is together.

PRESS RELEASE: 7th May 2010

The Simultaneous Policy (Simpol), a range of measures to solve global problems like climate change, out-of-control financial markets, and social injustice, is now officially supported by no fewer than 23 newly elected Members of Parliament coming from all the main parties. Simpol’s supporters achieved this success by writing to all candidates in their constituency announcing they would be voting for ANY politician or party-within reason-that pledged to implement the campaign’s package of global policies simultaneously alongside other governments. Or, if they had a party preference, they encouraged their party candidate to sign that pledge. In that way, supporters still retained the ultimate right to vote as they please, but they also made it very clear to all politicians that they would give strong preference to those who had signed the Pledge, to the exclusion of those who failed to do so.

In the run-up to the election, and urged by Simpol’s supporters to “work together”, 32 Labour candidates, 3 Conservative, 87 Liberal Democrat, 74 Green, and 4 others pledged, if elected, to implement Simpol’s developing package of global problem-solving policies alongside other governments. In nineteen parliamentary constituencies, two or more candidates signed the Pledge. So whichever of those candidates won that seat, Simpol gained support in parliament regardless. Citizens who have become disillusioned with politics are increasingly seeing Simpol as a new, powerful, cross-party means of re-engaging with electoral politics in a way that enhances party-political competition to achieve the international cooperation needed to solve global problems. For a full list of Simpol-pledged MPs and candidates, please go to www.simpol.org.uk/simpol-in-action/whos-signed-up

Simpol’s range of citizen-designed measures is to be implemented by nations simultaneously, only when all or sufficient nation’s have pledged to do so. By signing the Pledge, not only do politicians attract the votes of Simpol’s supporters, they avoid the fear that unilateral action could harm the nation’s economic competitiveness, an important reason why climate change and many other global problems still remain largely unaddressed. By getting nations to act simultaneously on multiple issues, Simpol becomes a win-win proposition while allowing nations that might lose on one issue to gain on another, so enhancing the chances of nations like China or the USA cooperating on emissions cuts. Meanwhile it invites citizens to develop and ultimately approve the necessary policies and to drive politicians towards their implementation.

Being perhaps the only form of global electoral politics available, Simpol campaigns are also emerging in other countries where some Members of the European and other parliaments have signed on, so building towards the global coverage needed. The campaign has supporters in over 70 countries and endorsements from many philosophers, economists and ecologists.

For further information visit www.simpol.org (global site) and/or www.simpol.org.uk (UK site) or contact UK National Coordinator, Barnaby Flynn, on 07799 603042.

Simpol-UK 27 London Road, Bromley, BR1 1DF, UK www.simpol.org.uk

PRESS RELEASE: 29th April 2010 Over 170 Candidates from all Parties sign the Simpol Pledge With only a week to go to the general election, a record number of candidates from all the main UK political parties have so far signed the Pledge to implement the Simultaneous Policy (Simpol), a range of measures to solve global problems like climate change, financial market regulation, global poverty, and other issues where global cooperation is needed.

Supporters of the campaign who have become increasingly disillusioned with politics have been writing to all candidates in their constituency telling them they’ll be voting in this and future elections for ANY politician or party – within reason – that pledges to implement the campaign’s raft of global problem-solving measures simultaneously alongside other governments. Or, if they have a party preference, they encourage their preferred politician to sign that pledge. In that way, supporters still retain the ultimate right to vote as they please, but they also make it very clear to politicians that they’ll be giving strong preference to candidates who have signed the Pledge, to the exclusion of those who haven’t.

This new way for citizens to use their votes has caused candidates from across the party-political spectrum to sign the Simpol Pledge in over 170 constituencies. In sixteen of these, more than one candidate signed the Pledge, meaning whichever of those candidates wins that seat, Simpol gains support in parliament regardless. Using party-political competition in this new, cross party way to drive politicians towards global cooperation, Simpol-UK, the campaign’s UK organisation, hopes to increase the number of pledged MPs well above the 27 secured at the last election. For a full list of pledged candidates standing in the General Election, please go to www.simpol.org.uk/simpol-in-action/whos-signed-up Simpol campaigns are also emerging in other countries where some Members of the European and other parliaments around the world have also signed on.

By signing the Pledge, not only do politicians attract the votes of Simpol’s supporters, they are also seeing the global and simultaneous implementation of policy by nations as a way of avoiding the fear that unilateral action may harm a nation’s competitiveness, an important reason why climate change and many other global problems remain largely unaddressed. By driving nations to act simultaneously, Simpol removes that fear and any excuses for inaction or delay, while allowing citizens to use their votes to drive the process. The campaign has supporters in over 70 countries and endorsements from many leading philosophers, economists and ecologists. In 2005, supporters started their own global process for developing-with the possible help of independent experts-the policies to be included in Simpol’s policy package. Simpol thus represents perhaps the only means for citizens around the world to use their votes to drive politicians to solve global problems. For further information visit www.simpol.org (global site) and/or

www.simpol.org.uk (UK site) or contact Barnaby Flynn at barnaby@simpol.org Simpol-UK 27 London Road, Bromley, BR1 1DF, UK www.simpol.org.uk

PRESS RELEASE 15TH ARPIL 2010

Simpol (the Simultaneous Policy), a campaign that invites citizens around the world to use their votes in a new way to drive politicians to solve global problems, kicked off its 2010 UK general election campaign by gaining support from candidates across the party-political spectrum. Disillusioned citizens are increasingly warming to this new, cross-party way of getting politicians, nationally and internationally, to cooperate to solve problems like climate change.

In the constituency of Brighton Pavilion, for example, Liberal Democrat candidate, Berni Millam, joined Green party leader, Caroline Lucas, and Labour candidate, Nancy Platts, in signing the Pledge to implement Simpol. So whichever of those candidates wins that seat, Simpol gains support in parliament regardless.

Simpol supporters achieved this success by telling all the candidates in their constituency that they would be voting in this and future elections for ANY politician or party—within reason—that pledges to implement the campaign’s policy package simultaneously alongside other governments. Or, if they have a party preference, they encourage their preferred politician to sign that pledge. In that way, supporters still retain the ultimate right to vote as they please, but they also make it very clear that they’ll be giving strong preference to candidates who have signed the Pledge, to the exclusion of those who haven’t.

This ‘carrot and stick’ way of voting means politicians who sign the Pledge attract those votes. But if they fail to sign, they risk losing votes to their political competitors who have, and so could lose their seats. With many seats and even entire elections around the world often hanging on a relatively small number of votes, only relatively few campaign supporters in democratic countries could make it in the vital political interests of all politicians to sign up. Using partypolitical competition in this novel way, Simpol hopes to increase the number of pledged MPs well above the 27 secured at the last election. For a full list of pledged candidates standing in the General Election, please go to www.simpol.org.uk/simpol-in-action/whos-signed-up

The simultaneous implementation of policy by nations across the world avoids the fear that unilateral action may harm a nation’s competitiveness, an important reason why climate change and many other global problems remain largely unaddressed. By driving nations to act simultaneously, Simpol removes that fear and any excuses for inaction or delay. The campaign has supporters in over 70 countries and endorsements from many leading economists and ecologists. In 2005, supporters started their own global process for developing—with the possible help of independent experts—the policies to be included in Simpol’s policy package.

For further information visit www.simpol.org (global site) and/or www.simpol.org.uk (UK site) or contact Diana Trimble at dtrimble@simpol.org

Simpol-UK 27 London Road, Bromley, BR1 1DF, UK www.simpol.org.uk

Bethnal Green & Bow and Islington & Finsbury couldn’t have been more spectacular.

A huge mixture of new adopters makes Simpol larger and greater. We have chased people nicely, but we have been chased too, that is fantastic! From a really warm day to a chilly one, pushing Simpol’s desk round town, has given us from skepticals to strong likeminded new adopters.

As always, our eye catching disco- ball- Earth-wheeled-stall has called the attention in both towns and by approaching it the neibourhoods have been swept into Simpol’s Call to Work Together. It was only at the end of the day when almost wrecked after all the work we had done but that only shows that these towns have a lot to say.

Join us 07799603042

Big ups to the new Simpol Crawley Crew.

Twitter post today: Today many Crawley-ites Adopted Simpol giving strong voting preference to Simpol Pledged candidates. 1^st mobile stall great success. Tmrw Brick Lane. Come along!

Had a great day in Crawley today with Alicia and Gabriel chasing people (nicely) with the Simpol-street-stall-on-wheels. We signed up a heap of new people as Simpol Adopters and filmed a few of the daring ones saying why they think global co-operation is a good idea.

The stall with the disco ball Earth, new banner and flag looked fantastic. The stall mainframe is handling well, nicely manoeuvrable yet with a sturdy feel behind the table. 

Off to Brick Lane, Bethnal Green & Bow constituency tomorrow. We are coming to link up neighbourhoods around the world to solve global problems problems globally. Do please join us.

Below is a link to an interview about Simpol recored earlier this year with members of World Goodwill and the Lucis Trust is now available at http://www.lucistrust.net/goodwill/JBunzl_edited.mp3

The Simpol-Mobile-Musical-Street-Stall could be coming to your town in the run up to the elections. If you would like us to visit or with help to do your own stall (music optional) please contact us.

Follow us on twitter to see where we are day to day.