This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

As part of our commitment to set sustainable examples through our actions, we have recently reviewed and updated our policy regarding business travel. The policy is adaptable to other organisations of a similar nature and location, and contains valuable research about “best practices” for travel within and outwith the UK.

The travel policy can be viewed in its entirety here.

Some tips when designing your own travel policy:

• Think about the various aspects of your organisation – and remember to include travel to work
• Consider your public transportation options, especially if you’re based in an urban location
• Explore whether your current level of travel is neccessary, and if there are more suitable alternatives: would a phone call achieve the same result?
• Design your policy so that all employees can access and understand it relative to their own activities

For more information about green travel, be sure to check out the following case studies and articles-

Case Study: Staff Travel- Halcrow’s Parking and Public Transport Scheme

Case Study: Travel Policy – Scottish and Southern Energy

Case Study: Carbon Innovations- Eco Drama

#GreenFests: Behind the Wheel

The post New Resource- Creating and Updating a Travel Policy appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.

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Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

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Speakers David Greig, theatre writer, and John Tusa, former Barbican Centre managing director, shared their thoughts with chair Dolina MacLennan and the audience participants.

Greig began by sharing memories of a time when radicalism was prominent in the Scottish art scene, reaching its peak in the 1980’s around the miner strike and the height of Thatcherism. During this time, artists brought work to underprivileged groups and included performances in prisons as part of their tours. Greig described the ideas of these young artists “flourishing in a moment of defeat.” Though the years to follow saw a quieter and less challenging time on the arts front, the energy of this moment proved the yearning for politics within the cultural sector. “What do we do about our belief if there’s no struggle to append ourselves to push forward?” Greig asked. Drawing these trends in recent history to current situations, Greig explained, “everything is on the table” yet again; the desire to address contemporary politics has seen a re-emergence of radicalism particularly in Scottish theatre.

John Tusa’s argument was centred on the poor effects of instrumentalism and forced-radicalism being part of the government’s agenda. Upon examining the current context, Tusa explained that there are admitted and unadmitted issues within our current politics, though politicians “certainly aren’t addressing” many of the underlying issues to recent and upcoming political events. Does this responsibility lie within the hands of the artists then? Tusa warned, “I don’t think you can force radicalism. If you set out to be radical, you certainly won’t be very good.”

Both speakers very obviously acknowledged the effects of the referendum on the art world, Greig saying that the referendum has caused an enormous upwelling of hope and ideas that have sent out sparks; to Greig, “its those sparks that are fascinating.” Within the artist’s job there lies an important ability to reflect, and the turmoil of this moment certainly gives a lot for artists to reflect upon. John Tusa warns however, that “we mustn’t lay an expectation on artists and poets to respond to the here and now…maybe we don’t know where the radicalism is going to come or when it’s going to emerge.”

A key difference between Tusa and Greig’s opinions is the role of government within the arts. The frequently evaluated and debated concept of arts funding is a pitfall in Tusa’s opinion; government-funded art runs the risk of being instrumentalised as a “creative branding exercise for a country.” For Greig, government support for the arts in Scotland is a fantastic and nuanced occurrence of the funding situation. It was discussed that in England, arts bureaucrats often protect the arts from the government; in Scotland, the opposite is true.

After hearing from Greig and Tusa, the audience was brought into the discussion. An audience participant asked, “if you do have a radical or cool art scene, how can you see that from outside?” Tusa admitted that often the creative energy might not be as reflected as it should be. Greig mentioned the BBC’s involvement in the issue; the way BBC programmes are funded has resulted in “Scottish cultural products being demoted for what can be sold to the network,” a symptom of a broader issues of what film is actually getting made in Scotland. Citing the filming subsidy in Northern Ireland that made Game of Thrones possible and locally-profitable, Greig thinks it is strange that Scotland has not funded a similar subsidy.

The discussion certainly reflected the mosaic of current social, economic and political trends in Scotland, leaving audience participants to evaluate their own role in fostering the future of Scottish arts, suggesting audience members can help advocate for more progressive creative outputs.

Dialogue 14: Culture was one-off event held on 24 August 2014 as part of the Edinburgh International Book Festival. More information about the event can be found here.

The post #GreenFests Highlights: “Are the arts in Scotland radical enough?” appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.

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Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

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This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

The Fringe Reuse and Recycle Days were more popular than ever this year, with many companies bringing and swapping items. We were fortunate to have photographer Julien Pearly capturing the two-day event. His video (below) shows the amount of traffic in and out of Fringe Central.

More information and images to follow regarding our data collection from the 2014 Fringe Reuse and Recycle Days.

Fringe Reuse and Recycle Days from Creative Carbon Scotland on Vimeo

Image and video by Julien Pearly.

The post Fringe Reuse and Recycle Days 2014: Video highlights appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.

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Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

Powered by WPeMatico

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

Take One Action is a Scottish-based organisation dedicated to promoting social and environmental justice through film. The organisation is hosting an upcoming film festival in its eighth year of running, and borrows the theme “Another World is Possible” from the World Social Forum. The entire programme is rich in film and discussion events ranging from family-friendly animated tales to chillingly accurate documentaries of environmental plight.

Here are our top five green-tinged film recommendations from the festival’s programme-

Bidder 70 (with short films Feel Like a Mountain and For the Love of…)

“In response to huge areas of public land being sold off for oil and gas leases in Utah, nascent activist Tim DeChristopher disrupted the auctions by successfully bidding $1.7 million he didn’t have for thousands of acres he wanted to preserve. Arrested and threatened with prison, he defies the courts to inspire others to take action for better environmental policies, arguing that civil disobedience is one of our most powerful tools in the fight against climate change.

As hopeful and defiant as its protagonist, Bidder 70 is a powerful portrait of a man coming to grips with the destruction we have wrought on the planet and deciding to keep up the fight.”

Big Men

“Brad Pitt exec produces this extraordinary expose of the hope, scepticism and corruption that threaten to exacerbate Africa’s resource curse and leave its ordinary citizens behind.

In Ghana, a small American energy company fights to hold onto its discovery of oil just as a new government comes into power. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, an established industry continues to take its toll from the people. Amid political uncertainty, power-plays are made, reputations gambled, and pipelines attacked by militants.

With unprecedented access and an unflinching eye Big Men shows the global and all-too-human drama behind the fuel that we continue to take for granted.”

Millions Can Walk (with short film This is Water)

“Can one fight for one’s fundamental rights without resorting to violence? In 2012, hundreds of thousands of Adivasis, India’s aborigines, embarked upon a country-wide march spanning hundreds of kilometres to demand a life of dignity.

Adivasis have borne the brunt of India’s destructive agricultural policies and large-scale infrastructure projects, as land grabs and environmental destruction have robbed them of their homes and traditional existence. Millions Can Walk provides insight into their lives and, in bearing witness to the philosophy of non-violent resistance at the heart of this epic march, offers an inspiring tribute to their perseverance.”

Once upon a Forest (with short films Earthbook and Feel Like A Mountain)

“This magical pilgrimage from the director of March of the Penguins transports you body and soul into rainforest canopies in the Amazon and Africa to celebrate some of the untold wonders of trees.

In a tropical forest 200 feet above the ground, botanist Francis Hallé makes intricate drawings of all he surveys. His images then come alive in Oscar®-winning director Luc Jacquet’s sensory spectacular, using innovative, soaring cinematography techniques to illustrate how trees communicate, co-operate and fight for their lives. Drawing on vast research and knowledge, Jacquet and Hallé lead viewers on a journey into the depths of the tropical jungle.”

Seeds of Time (with short films After My Garden Grows and Sausage)

“Around 10,000 years ago, human populations embraced agriculture, embarking on a path of fundamental social and environmental transformation. 10 millennia later, food security across the globe is threatened by diminishing crop diversity, new diseases and the effects of climate change. Can we future-proof global food production?

Crop diversity pioneer Cary Folwer believes we can – if we act now. Battling natural disasters and international bureaucracy, he has set out on a race to protect the one resource we can’t do without: our seeds. Seeds of time follows Fowler on his impassioned journey to re-invent a global food system that can “live forever”.”

Watermark (with short films Vezo and Thank You Toilet)

“Tumultuous, lush, unfamiliar and epic – multi-award winning director Jennifer Baichwal (Manufactured Landscapes) returns with this mesmerizing symphony on humankind’s relationship with water, reflected through the vision of internationally acclaimed photo artist Edward Burtynsky.

Shot in stunning ultra-HD, The Watermark plunges you into the turbulent interconnections between our seas and watercourses and neo-industrial human endeavor. We visit vast floating farms and the biggest arch dam in the world, the leather tanneries of Dhaka, the US Surf Open, and the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, where thirty million people gather for a sacred bath in the Ganges.”

The Take One Action Film Festival full programme can be viewed here. For more information, please visit the Take One Action website. Image and film descriptions courtesy Take One Action.

The post #GreenFests Tips: Top green films at the Take One Action Film Festival appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.

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Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

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This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

In charting 1945 to the present day context, and specifically the development of nuclear weaponry, one must consider the events of the past century as one of the most major human forays into irreversible environmental destruction. “A Century on the Edge: From Cold War to Hot World, 1945-2045” explored whether subsequent Cold War nuclear lessons have really affected our outlook, and if we can learn to live within our worldwide limit.

With a background in the biological and environmental sciences, but a later career in international security, Rogers was able to blend environmental and social sustainability concerns in a global warfare context. He propositioned that climatic change and the marginalisation of certain groups is the new form of insecurity that must be addressed by governments and agencies that might previously have focused on traditional weaponry as a primary fear.

The talk, chaired by Dr Andrea Birdsall from the University of Edinburgh and hosted at The Hub, also managed to explore and provide proof of how international cooperation had mitigated environmental threats in the past. The audience was reminded of the confirmed erosive impact of CFCs to the Ozone layer, and the successful international agreements that led to the global eradication of CFC production and the continuing recovery of the ozone hole in the Antarctic.

Rogers also drew from personal experience to demonstrate his first-hand experiences of climate change and his motivations for pursuing the topic. Although whilst joking that it would be all the audience members took from the talk, he evidenced his personal experience growing grapes and producing wine in England, enabled by obvious climatic changes that have taken place within his lifespan.

The 45-minute talk was also followed by 25 minutes of unexhausted questions from the varied audience. However, the breadth of audience query itself reflected the huge amount of material encapsulated within the topic, with further depth requested on food security, population pressure, the impact of religion and personal culpability. At several points, Rogers even suggested that whole evenings could be dedicated to discussing such topics in the context of security – demonstrating that the framing of sustainability dilemmas as ‘threats’ might provide more urgent engagement and ultimately solutions.

“A Century on the Edge: From Cold War to Hot World, 1945-2045″ was a one-off discussion event that took place on 27 August 2014. The event was part of the 2014 Edinburgh International Festival programme.

Image: Hiroshima 1945, courtesy Maarten Heerlien/Flickr.

The post #GreenFests: Highlights from A Century on the Edge: From Cold War to Hot World, 1945-2045 appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.

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Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

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This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

The Edinburgh Mela celebrates its 20th birthday this year! Join in the fun this weekend at Leith Links, 30-31 August from noon-9pm. Here are Creative Carbon Scotland’s tips for enjoying everything green at the festival.

Walk or cycle

The Edinburgh Mela boasts extensive cycle parking, and even a mechanic (provided by the City of Edinburgh Council) to give bikes a “once over” free of charge! The festival is located within a short cycling distance from the city centre, estimated times can be found on the Mela website here. The website also includes information about desirable walking routes to the Leith Links.

Enjoy the Global Food Village

In 2013, the Edinburgh Mela set progressive packaging regulations for their Global Food Village; non-compostable packaging has been banned since then, but with Vegware as a partner the Global Food Village is still a roaring success.

Wee Green Cinema

Global cinema advocates Take One Action are at the Edinburgh Mela this year with their Wee Green Cinema, a pop-up cinema powered by solar energy and cycles. The Wee Green Cinema will screen feature films in the evenings, along with daytime activities, animations and even an exclusive UK film premiere!

Social sustainability

Not only does the Edinburgh Mela promote environmental sustainability, but the festival also celebrates cultural diversity and inclusivity. Edinburgh Mela Director Chris Purnell describes the range of cultures at this year’s festival as going “beyond its beginnings as a celebration of the city’s Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities.” This year’s programme includes music, dance, fashion, film and food from all corners of the globe.

Image courtesy David P Scott and Edinburgh Mela. 

The post #GreenFests tips: 2014 Edinburgh Mela appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.

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Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

Powered by WPeMatico

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

The Himalayan Centre for Arts and Culture has recently released their Autumn 2014 programme, which includes a variety of workshops supporting all aspects of green living.

For more information, please contact harriet@himalayancentre.org

Image courtesy Himalayan Centre Edinburgh.

The post Upcoming Events: Himalayan Centre for Arts & Culture Autumn Programme appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.

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Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

Powered by WPeMatico