Your day of reckoning?

The end of the year is normally time when we make conclusions of the past and prepare for the coming year. But when, actually, is the real moment of reckoning? One can say that yes, we do make conclusions and nice reports of the past year. Some of these are even read by others, but do we really change the way we behave or work? Do we learn from the mistakes done or is something else needed to trigger the process?

For many the real day of reckoning is not the last day of the year. It is the day when someone has time to go through the achievements and questions the gaps and mistakes. An extra effort is needed for that, it does not come automatically. The reasons behind the analyze can vary a lot. The main thing is that the real day of reckoning is possible only if we allow the change to happen for better or worse.

The real day of reckoning takes only place when the circumstances are right and the decisions-makers are brave enough to make decisions in favor of sustainability of all sides. In this, we are all decision-makers - so let us not forget that during year 2011!

Thank you for reading the blog this year - only a month to go to the Solutions local, together Conference!

Nearly 350 registered!

What is it that makes people do things in the last moment? Whether it concerns shopping, sending X-mas greeting or doing the last urgent bits of work before a break, it is always the same story. Planning ahead is sometimes not possible, but in most cases, one could avoid the last rush of stress. Or is it in fact the truth that we all want to be loaded with stress before we get anything done?

We want to feel important and needed. Partly for this we also want to complain how busy we are. The hard thing is to actually stop and enjoy the current moment without guiltiness and negative stress. The good, sustainable thing about X-mas is that it comes, whether we have cleaned the house of not. So no last moment stress is needed. Congratulations for those who have understood it!

It is not yet the last moment to register and we are reaching already 350 registered participants. This means that several sessions and restaurants at the conference are getting full and soon we are in the situation, where the last ones to register are too late. This is new for many, as normally conferences are hunting for persons to attend, this time this is not the case. Thank you for a nice X-mas present and see you at the conference!

Shopaholism?!

Some claim that the more we buy presents, the more we feel guilty of the time unspent with the ones we care. This was suddenly true with Lucas. He felt that during the past year he had been selfish and focused on himself, rather then on his family and friends. And this was influencing his behavior in shop now. He was looking around and thought that one present was not enough for his daughter and son, his children deserve more. Therefore he returned back to get one more, as all the others were buying so many presents too.

Lucas returned back home with bags full of shiny presents and extra plastic bags from all the lovely shops. His wife commented his bags with saying - "I hope you left something for the others too". Lucas stopped and felt ashamed - he had been lured to buy things, shopaholism had attacked him. In the midst of changing his thinking and behavior, he faced a setback. Lucas thought that the sustainable thinking would have been rooted in himself already, but this was not true.

If we are not careful, anyone of us, can be lured to buying unnecessary gifts in unrecyclable packages. Being sustainable requires more thinking and listening to the real needs. It is easy to be lured. In the end, our sustainability is measured at the counter...

Over 200 registered!

Some count days to the Christmas eve, some to the start of the New Year - for us - the counting goes a bit further until the start of the conference. This means, we have 51 days to go and many details to put in place. It has been great to see, how the word is spreading round and how conference participants and delegations are forming up. Already 200 participants are coming - are you still considering?

Location means everything. This is true as we face it daily. It is one thing to live close to other countries with just a short distance on train to reach other them, then in "far" North. This means that before reaching us, one needs to make a decision if it is worth while to create CO2-emissions for that. Some claim that we could create the same effect with video-connections. This is unfortunately not yet true, as how could we pass following things true it:

• person to person discussions with new people
• atmosphere and cultural insights, dancing
• smells and tastes of pure northern ingredients
• the feeling of excitement when solutions found their new homes
• market atmosphere with freedom to decide on what to see and hear
• excellent hosts with inspiration

Day to day communication can nicely be replaced with on-line connections, but this you need to experience yourself to be motivated to continue back home!

Responsible - trendy adjective

Responsible tourism, responsible food, responsible consumer, responsible travel... Everyone has suddenly woken up and manifastates that being responsible is now the trend that you should not just pass by.

There used to be a time that we were looking into WHO is responsible, rather than what the concept responsible means. From who the focus then shifted into responsible FOR WHAT? And only now the real analyses of what responsibility really means have started.

Responsible actions take into account the entire organization, not just the surrounding where the actions take place and the external stakeholders, but also the values of it, working environment and personnel. It is not enough to change the slogans of the organization and claim that we are truly responsible, if the actions are limited to recycling of papers or offsetting CO2 emissions.

It is time to focus on responsible solutions and start to use them - be trend-setter with true actions, take part in Solutions local, together - Conference. If you have already registered, you are among 200 forerunners, if not it is time to act. 

On a mission

Lucas was reading the latest publication on the Brand of Finland and thought that for the first time, the document was actually quite practical and he was able to spot realistic tasks also for himself. The Mission to Finland consists of tasks under three topics: In 2030 Finland will be

• functionality: the problem-solver of the world
• nature: all the lakes are drinkable and organic food is served
• education: teachers are without borders
• and Finns are bold enough to tell about all this!

Inspired by all the suggestions, Lucas decided to organize a party for his neighborhood as they had recently finished a road construction on their street. He also gave up on water bottles and decided to have the next meeting in a library, rather than in an ordinary office building. 

The report stated that a functional society is not fulfilling by controlling, but by doing things together. This is what the Solutions local, together is all about!

Talking about money

The recent months have shown that it would be so much easier, if we would talk about money instead of sustainable development. When we talk about the use of resources and quality of life, it is as if they would not have financial implications. In reality, many municipalities need to raise their taxes and service costs in future, as the basic resources, such as water and energy, will cost more. By being sustainable, we would get savings that everyone is so much searching for.

Talking about money would also mean that

• Local authorities would all be eager to prioritize the sustainable solutions, as that would mean savings in the long run.
• The decision-makers would see the prize tag on some things that in the end are considered prizeless, such as clean air, water and soil.
• No one would expect the events dealing with sustainable development to be free of charge, instead they would pay without any questions daily fees around 800 EUR.

I have then seriously considered naming the conference in the end - "Financial solutions local, together - maybe then we would all wake up?

First snowfall

It felt cold to get out of bed this morning. As Lucas slid his feet into the slippers he wondered if the weather forecast had been right and it had snowed during the night. Peeping through the curtains he saw that it had. Coffee, I need hot coffee, Lucas said to himself and headed for the kitchen.

He had come across a promising contact while surfing on the social media. And now his business idea was starting to take shape. Lucas got dressed and went out to do the snow work. He was whistling.

Lucas felt that he could do anything, as making contacts was so easy through services like Facebook and Twitter. It was like first snow, lots of promises of fun, but still too fragile to stay...

Network of networks?

When looking into the sustainable development from the city perspective -it is evident that every day resources are wasted in reinventing the wheel again. When serious changes would be needed, we rather focus in starting from zero then on looking outside and benefiting on what has already been done elsewhere. Internal process is needed, but why not speed it up a bit?

It is amazing, that the flow of information inside the organizations is still, in many cases, on a random level. More faster would be to consider each local authority as a network or a spider web that would have the same aim/interest in mind. This way, the message might reach the right nodes faster. For this to succeed, it would need a change in the way we consider the role of the local authorities. And in this respect, we would need a network of networks to speed up the exchange of good practices in the Baltic Sea Region.

Is a network of networks even possible to be created? Would we finally be ready to share experiences, both good and bad, for the benefit of the common sustainable future of our region?

Come and check out, how we succeed with creating a node for the networks, namely Solutions local, together -conference! 

Seize the innovation

Today I had the pleasure to participate in a so called Signal Session on Sustainable events. The introduction to the topic was given by Guy Bigwood, who has been part of several greening processes of the tourism industry. It was facinating to realize that he was repeating the same stories that have been discussed already for a long time in different connections, especially in relation to sustainable development in the cities. There was nothing new and also his tips were just pinpointing that we should move from words into action. The video conference had gathered participants from 5 different locations in Finland and the after discussions showcased that within the industry in Finland, we all approach the topic from very different perspectives and it will take a while before we can truly be competitive in the sustainable event sector. It is evident that the Solutions conference will bring its share to the development.

All this discussion made me realize, that the efforts done on one field, that is in relation to integrated management systems, could easily be transferred to the event manager field. Local authorities, in some cases, are actually forerunners when we are talking about integrated approach on sustainability and this should also be highlighted for the business sector. With minimal resources, vital transformations have been carried out in cities in order to facilitate the entire market to become greener. The opportunities that exist demand you to seize the moment for innovations to appear!

Networking and the exchange of good and worse practices are beneficial in this respect. The visionary skills and communication capabilities are needed like air nowadays. We all have to face the challenge of safeguarding the value and this is not an easy task. Over hundred participants have already now registered for the Solutions conference - hopefully you are one of them, as that is the place to be when we talk on showcasing how things could be done in the event sector!

Challenges of participation

The past weeks have showcased, in many different ways, how we all face the same challenges whether we discuss about decision-makers, employees or citizens. One of  the biggest challenge of our time is how to activate, involve and motivate our stakeholders or target groups, even colleagues, to participate in different processes, actions or events. It is not an easy task, as the tempo of our life is hectic, and many are not able to be in the moment anymore. Even in meetings, many are having a second discussion through channels of social media and claim to be present in both. Possible or not, that is the trend nowadays.

Will it then be possible to create an event that really involves people - not just their bodies, but also their minds? Event that is so interesting that participants do not even want to open their mobiles for e-mail check-ups, but are taken by the moment? All the possible ingredients for having this are in our hands and with partners we are able to create even something bigger. Some claim that only the change is permanent so is the Solutions -conference able to create a change for sustainability?
The early-birds are registering at the moment and many more will follow, so why not you too?

Social networks

Lucas is trying to find suitable networks and services for marketing his eco-idea and future products. He has heard a lot about social networks but has only been involved in them as a private person. The main thing he knew is that one thing in social media, such as link or hint, can lead to totally different topic. This way it is very time consuming.

Thanks to his good friend in the IT business, he got an introduction to what social networks are, the difference between some of them and are how they can be utilized for marketing purposes. He found out that on most networks, the creation of a presence is easy, as all you need to do is register yourself. But getting people to know and find you is not an easy thing. You need to know the tools, how they work, what their purpose is and what kind of messages you can get out there using them. 

Getting your own message heard in the noise is not easy and that is why he was recommended to use a combination of services to get his own message out to public. Lucas wondered should the main focus be on social media or would it just steal his time and energy. All the big gurus nowadays are speaking highly of it, so maybe it is worth to try.

Setting the trend!

Yesterday, the annual Best in the city of Turku -party was arranged to celebrate a wide range of initiatives/people/happenings awarded in 2010 by the regional City-paper. The Local food initiative, that was started by the Solutions local, together -conference was awarded as the best Food initiative of the year in the city of Turku! This makes the work carried out even more valuable, as the so called trend-setters in the city have noticed the work done. The fact that we have not yet even marketed the initiative with full volume raises the value of the award even more.

In the same event, the Campaign, that also has originated from the conference preparations, used the surrounding of a pub to raise awareness on how everyone´s own actions can really make a difference. Although at first one would think that the surroundings were wrong it turned out to be a success. Several young people were reading the Campaign information from the walls, discussed the issues and no one could avoid hearing what was said by the commentator. It felt very natural, as that´s where the young people are - so why not bring there also the campaigning on sustainable development?

We really need to approach things from outside our normal ways of thinking - whether these are organizational, mental or socials. Bring different people together, be enthusiastic and bold! Without a big vision and enthusiasm, no big things will happen. More trend-setters are needed to bring the message across!

Looking for networks

Lucas was thinking how to get started with his business plan. He had realized that in order to make himself and his idea known, he would need to be linked with potential customers. He would also make his marketing in person. This is not as easy as one might first think.

At first, one needs to have the business idea and the target audience clearly defined. Many good ideas fail to do this. Lucas felt strongly that his plans were focused correctly. The second step was to find key events that would bring the marketing to the right audience, but this couldn't be too expensive. The reality is that many marketing opportunities are too expensive for starting small business to join, although one could cooperate with like-minded.

In order to find the like-minded people, Lucas asked his friends to assist and started in Facebook and Linkedln. Let's see what happens.

Last change - practical solutions competition

Have you got a practical solution to climate change? Take part in a competition for organizations in the Baltic Sea Region and the Nordic countries! The competition deadline is 30 September 2010, so you still have some more days to it.

So far several organizations have taken up the competition and send in their proposals. It has been great to see that the issue of climate change has been looked upon different view points. In many cases, proposals easily exist, but have not been evaluated from the climate change perspective in order to see how meaningful they really are. The competition offers a good opportunity for this!

The competition winners are going to be awarded at the Solutions local, together conference. They also have an opportunity to take part in the Market of Solutions during the conference. Therefore the PR and marketing are in place for the solutions to be spread around the Baltic Sea Region - take a moment to rethink what you have and benefit from the opportunity!

Rewarding work

Promoting a conference is hard work. Let’s say that you book a stand at a fair that is aimed at the right target group. You know you have a good message that would benefit many. But how do you get that message across when you are surrounded by fellow promoters who think that also their message is beneficial to many? How do you get people to stop at your stand and listen to what you have to say? And can you do all that sustainably?

All kind of free material from bags, pens, different sized leaflets (even catalogues), drinks and bits to eat is offered to be taken home. Many visitors take at least a brochure and sweeties (individually wrapped-up, of course). Hands up - how many of you have actually read the leaflets? Or did they end up in a bin on the way to a cloakroom or did you just leave them laying somewhere on a bench? What a waste in many ways.

How about the stand itself? How sustainably can you make it? There are manufactures that make stand frames of wood but they are not many. Most use aluminum. Most of the paper posters are recyclable providing they are not shrink-wrapped. The frames of aluminum roll-ups and walls can be reused but the posters themselves not.

Proving you have managed to make the stand as sustainable as it is possible today is it still also attractive and inviting so that people come and have a closer look? Is it the wooden poster frame or is it the colorful whole wall that attracts people? Or is it your smile that does the trick? Well, that at least is sustainable and reusable.

Yes, promoting a conference is hard work - but also so very rewarding when you see and feel that the person is listening, asks questions, and promises to come to the conference. Then you know all the hard work was worth it.

Small actions turning into big impacts!

Lucas had an intensive discussion with his friends about what each and every one of us can do to make a difference. It is easy to make promises, like politicians, but what if we would just do things instead of talking. How much could we influence in the end?

Lucas and his friends decided to take part in a campaign organized in the South-West of Finland. They had ran into the campaign through newspaper adds and thought that it would be quite interesting to take part in. Through campaign everyone is able to look into their water consumption and electricity in houses, food choices at shops, transportation modes and the amount of waste created. The campaign website (in Finnish) gives practical indicators on each action made and through them it is easy to see how the actions can make a difference.

As the first easy action, Lucas reduced the temperature at his house one degree and no one complaint or noticed this change! And this reduced the heating costs by 5 %. Amazing. After that Lucas started to use a cup while washing his teeth and that made a saving of 56 cents per week and saved nearly 170 liters of water. It was much more easier and fun than he thought. Why didn't he think of it before?

Programme available!

Finally we have reached a moment, when the Solutions local, together Conference programme is launched and the registration has started! From now on it becomes easier to explain what the conference is all about, as all the side events, praxis and the entire concept of a sustainable conference becomes a reality.

It is amazing to see the enthusiasm surrounding the topic of sustainable development at the moment. Everyone we have approached recently, has been exceptionally positive and wanted to be engaged in the process.The sustainable spirit in Turku is growing. Still there is a change to include your bit into the process or programme - so just contact us or write a comment on the blog.

Do not miss the change of being part of the conference, as places are limited! The early bird prices for individuals and groups are available when registering by the end of October 2010. All ready now several groups are being formed..

What spoils the conference for you?

Preparations for the launch of the conference programme are on the way and soon you are able to see what has been planned for participants and get registered before all the places are booked.
Meanwhile we have thought of possible things that can ruin the conference spirit, so that we could avoid them. Here is the start of the list, hope you can add more to it:

damaged heating conditions on the place

too tight schedule

bad interpreter - reading directly from the documents

presentations do not have any red line, only formalities

speaker is too fast or too loud

speaker not answering to the questions from the audience

during the conference, you do not see anything of the host city

participant list not up to date

no professional use of computers

photographer blocking the view

...

Turn damages into benefits

Lucas owns some hectares of forest. Lucas went to check if his forest had suffered any damages of a recent storm. It was obvious from the very first moment he reached his part of the forest, that this was the case. He was faced with hundreds of broken birch trees on the ground. After clarifying the situation, it was clear that the amount was too little to get anyone to buy it (app. 50 trees) or it would only be bought sometime next year. Lucas therefore considered what he could do with it. Surely he did not want it to rotten in the forest - it rather be used as soon as possible for something good.

He found out that several school yards looked very dull and needed some benches for kids. He contacted the rectors and made a deal with them, that they could get the junks for free from his forest, if only they would use it for the yards and some for handcrafting during the school year. This way 10 junks were used. He also offered the trees for nearby cottage owners, who willingly made some logs of it. It this was worth of 5 trees. 15 or so junks, went to the theater for decorations and benches and a good number of them were used by a cottage builder close to his forest. After all this effort, Lucas was left with 5 trees and with those he decided to do some wood crafting for his garden.

All the setbacks of the storm were turned into a goodwill after active offering of the junks. This resulted in nice thank you letters, great fun while cutting the junks and in a big smile every time he passed the school yard with great new wooden benches.

What to get from a conference

From time to time, it is good to stop and reflect when it is worth while to take part in a conference. One can question what can events in their best give to the participants. Here are some of the things listed:

• new solutions and ideas
• contacts - new and old
• innovative discussions during and between sessions
  
• motivation and inspiration, especially if more than one from the same organization is attending
• ideas on how to become more efficient and sustainable
• ideas on how to involve more stakeholders in your work
• great food and company
• getting to know something about the city where the conference is held (other than just the venue and hotel)
  
• good atmosphere
• fun!

This is what we are aiming to deliver - soon you are able to judge if our plans are able to meet your own expectations or not. The conference programme is launched on 1st of September and after that you are welcome to register with early bird prizes.

Climate change accompanied by extreme weather phenomena

We have experienced various extreme weather phenomena during the last weeks. During the last few years, heat waves and heavy rain have become more frequent worldwide, with less snow, more fires, more heavy rainfall and more intense storms.

In Northern regions, such as Scandinavia, changes in climate are approximately twice as strong as elsewhere in the world because of the contraction of the polar snow and ice cover, and the after effects of this in heating created by radiation.

July was exceptionally warm in Scandinavia and various temperature records were broken on several occasions. The hot weather have given rise to violent thunder squalls and thunderstorms that have caused extensive damage in different areas. According to the weather forecast we might still experience some of these phenomena during the following weeks.

The occasionally intense heat wave that affects large areas of Scandinavia and the other extreme weather phenomena happening all over the world, are a reminder of the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The demand for solutions that help reduce emissions, and thus reduce the extreme weather phenomena, is increasing.

Getting on with the idea

Lucas was making prototypes based on the idea he had developed earlier. He had decided to make few variations just to see how they worked and what would be the best material for the final version. He was also writing down all costs and the availability of materials for each prototype. Sustainable consumtion and material effenciency were important issues for Lucas, and he wanted to follow these when ever he could.

Good imagination is essential when inventing something new. Courage to try something nobody else has done before is another important factor. This doesn't mean foolhardiness, mind, the realism is good to keep in mind. Lucas knew that these were qualities he needed to keep developing at all times because if you don't believe in yourself why should the others do.

A step closer

Even tough it’s summer, without sounding like a pessimist, the winter is soon here. The excitement knowing that the conference dates are closing in on us and soon we’ll be enjoying 3 days of different sustainable solutions, interesting programmes and above all, interesting people.

At the moment, preparations are progressing; for example several of the interesting speakers have confirmed their coming to the conference. The different parts of the conference are published step by step, and the final programme will be released in August. And as every story and announcement is done in three languages, you can imagine the time spent on just the writing, not to mention any other activity.

At least seven restaurants in Turku that have committed on advancing local food during the conference and the whole year 2011. They are listed on the web site, where you can also find information on how to take part in the local food symbol competion. Go and take a look!

But remember also to enjoy this lovely summer!

Count your blessings

Lucas lifted the oars and let the boat glide on the shore. The surface of the lake was totally calm, only movement was made by the night flyes that were flying around. He had been fishing together with his children on a nearby little island. They had got some coarse fish but also one big sander. It must weigh over 1 kg, Lucas thought. It will make a good dinner for tomorrow, or for today actually, Lucas said to the children while they were walking back to the cottage.

It had been a good holiday; warm weather (occasional rainy days were just welcomed as they encouraged to do some reading or playing games), loads of swimming and sauna, making good simple food with fresh ingredients bought from the little village market and shops, making day visits to friends, and staying a bit longer with the grandparents. The whole family had gone and picked strawberries as his daughter had wished for it. They had chosen a local farm that had advertised that they only have organically grown berries.

They had spent a good time together as a family. Everybody had decided on one activity and the others had followed that desicion without a murmur. The rest of the time was spent at the cottage with no big plans or timetables. Lucas felt relaxed and content, and that made him realise how lucky he actually is, after all. He knew that future holidays would be more hectic, especially once the children got older, but right now this was enough. "I must remember to count my blessings more often", he promised to himself.

Sustainable holiday solutions

After a cold winter it's time to enjoy the summer holidays!
It's easy to forget the environment during the holidays, but a more sustainable holiday may not be as difficult as we think.

Whether we're heading to a summer cottage, a nearby lake to pitch a tent, taking a citybreak or boating, there are numerous ways to keep our eco-impact to a minimum while also supporting the locals. Instead of bringing all the food with us, why not buy it when we arrive at the holiday destination? Instead of taking the car everywhere, why not enjoy the weather and excercise by biking or hiking?

The solutions are small things done repeatedly like shopping locally for local products, reduce, reuse and recycle!

Steps towards local food!

I am happy to tell that we have 7 restaurants committed on advancing local food in Turku and more are welcomed! These restaurants are ready to launch local food menus on 1.2.2011 during the conference and also offer it during the entire year 2011. They have committed that the food offered with a special symbol, for which there is a competition ongoing until 31.8.2010, minimum of 80% of the food is locally produced. This is really high on Finnish standards. More information in Finnish.

The initiative for local food started in 2009, when while analyzing the selection in Turku, it was realized that so far Turku does not have restaurants, that would be able to answer to the requirements of the Solutions local, together - conference. The process got speeded up, once we decided to create synergy with Valonia´s Kelaa- project and Lounafood -project of the University of Turku, Brahea Centre for Training and Development. The organized workshops for producers, restaurants and logistical organizatins enabled a fruitful cooperation to speed up.

Already now it can be said that open cooperation focusing on the interests of the producers and restaurants has been a key. The approach used is bottom up. It is vital that this is not a project, but a common commitment, which hopefully carries a long way into the future.

Midsummer fever

Now that Lucas had been for a longer time unemployed, he had become more and more annoyed with his friend´s comments about working times, difficult boss and too many tasks. It seemed like everyone was living only to have vacation. And once they were on the vacation, they still were not enjoying the moment as something was still missing. Sometimes it was the good weather, fancier place or nicer people around. He wondered - when were they truly happy anymore?

Especially Lucas felt, that things got even worse around the Midsummer time. All the expectations that had been piled up during the winter time, his friends assumed to be filled during the Midsummer. And if something was wrong, he sure got to know about it, as "he was the one who had time" since he was unemployed. This year, Lucas had decided to do differently. Instead of having a Midsummer with friends and relatives, he had hired a cottage and escaped there with only his family. It was the most sustainable solution that he could think of, without being reminded of not having the work from which he could be on vacation.

Great sustainable Midsummer to you!

Competition on practical solutions

It is very often that we have come up with a very good and practical solution in our own daily work and we do not even think of marketing it to others. This is partly because we are too shy or modest, but also we do not want to see the trouble of going out with it. To address this situation, a competition on practical solutions is organized. The competition’s goal is to bring together the solution providers and new customers in the Baltic and Nordic countries.

Practical solutions to climate change -competition is targeted at the Baltic Sea Region and the Nordic countries is searching for new or as yet unestablished business concepts, practices and technologies to assist municipalities and other local and regional actors to better control the effects of climate change. The competition winners will gain publicity, customer contacts, and concrete expert assistance in the marketing of their own solutions.

The competition is looking for projects that would

• combat climate change,
• support local and regional economics, employment and general well-being,
• lead to concrete changes in the practices of the municipalities and their residents, and
• can be broadly implemented as a successful measure.

Competition entries do not have to meet all of the criteria. The competition is part of the ‘Solutions local, together’ Conference. Do not hesitate to take part in it!

Degrowth for my family?

Encouraged by couple of friends, Lucas had started to read about degrowth.fi -project. It sounded so interesting. After getting into the topic, Lucas was all mixed up, as he was thinking of how to create well-being and employment for himself without thinking of economic growth? He knew that the mega trends of the future are expected to be environmental, wellness and security sectors. And what ever he was to start should use minimal resources. Following this logic, would the service sector be the only one that would answer to the limitations ahead?

Lucas became aware that the family consumption follows mostly the wishes of children. The entire taxation policy of Finland over the last years has guided people to consume more. This had also raised children and youngsters as a key focus group of marketing. Lucas noticed that his children have been truly influenced by the media. Also the peer pressure his children experienced daily at school guided their consumption in many cases. "Something has to be done to that or otherwise we are just fooling ourselves without changing our consumption patterns at all", thought Lucas. The double standards that he noticed in his family had to be changed, but how?

It is one thing to say that you are supporting sustainable development, but still you are saving for a trip to South, as your kids and friends expect you to do so. Lucas was not an exception yet, was anyone really?

Hey you - solution hero!

Tomorrow on the World Environmental day 5.6. - the world is in need of not only climate heroes, but also exceptional individuals advocating solutions for all environmental issues. We are all challenged to change our habits and make a difference. For this plenty of events are organized around the globe.

But where are the heroes that have true solutions in their pockets? We have gone through many proposals for the programme of the Solutions local, together Conference. Everyone has their own idea of what is a solution and this makes the selection of the presentations even harder. It is our utmost aim to be solution focused and require more than before. We need to be able to reach another level of discussion and be very practical. I am sure we are ready for that in the Baltic Sea Region.

Very soon we are able to reveal some of the side events of our conference. So stay tuned - meanwhile look for the solution hero inside yourself!

Wanted: New Fresh Ideas & Ways

Wood, metal, paper - or maybe something softer? All would allow the use of recycled material and they would also be further recyclable. On the course they had spent days on thinking and calculating what would be lucrative business to start. They had visited several fairs to get ideas but somehow most of the stalls sold the same ideas. Lucas has discussed the issue also at home and with friends, and they had given valuable comments. Hmm...

At the end it wasn't too hard to make the decision. Lucas knew what he wanted to do, and more importantly what he didn't. He also remembered the lady with inner spirit.

"We have never done anything like that before.", "It is going to cost you a lot.", "We are not interested as the amount is so small." Lucas was getting frustrated - where are all the innovative ways of thinking that our country is famous for? Do you know?

Speed dating of local authorities

Conferences offer a good platform for speed dating, that is for quickly creating a network of people that can be then further improved. The continuation of the "dating" depends then on both of the parties and their interests. Very often, the connections done create a spin that will have real results only after some time has passed.

Different declarations, such as now the latest declaration that has come out of the Sustainable cities and towns conference in Dunkerque, France stress the need of innovative, sustainable and inclusive communities. The unifying of the message that comes from the local authorities is a challenging task, as we need a permanent speed dating of local authorities on different levels. This means that we should be focused on our efforts when we try to influence on legislations, EU programmes etc. Lobbying is to be done by all of us!

Solutions local, together - conference offers an excellent speed dating spot for the Baltic Sea Region to get our actions together and have a direct discussion between the different levels, as all of the levels will be there. We can take the talk to the actions and show that if we look on the actions together - we are all winners.

A solution for everyone

Over 70 proposals for the solutions to be presented at the conference were received during the open call for solutions. This is more then we dared to expect! The results are now being evaluated and the Nordic group of the Conference is adding more good examples from their respective countries. The mixture that will be offered during the conference will be great.

The topics of education and climate change processes were the most popular out of the 12 different topics under Earth, Water, Air and Fire. It reflects well that the focus in Finland has been on those topics for the past years. The proposals received are all approaching the sustainable solutions from very interesting perspectives. I am sure everyone attending the conference will find something for their own use.

If you feel that you have still a solution that should be share to others - contact us!

Inner spirit

Weeks had gone really quickly since the course had started. Many new issues have been thought and now it was time to transfer the new knowledge to actual work - Lucas had started his internship at the local enterprise.

The owner was a lady with a long background of working and who had seen many changes in attitudes and ways of behavior over the years. Sometimes it had been really hard to make a living and she had been near to closing down. But somehow she had kept the spirit going on and had managed to get by.

The lady told Lucas that the thing that keeps her going is the inner spirit she has for the work. This Lucas has seen many times in her when she was talking to the customers or was wondering how to solve a problem caused by an assignment. Love for the work, told the lady, was the secret. Lucas wanted to have that too in his future job what ever that was going to be, but how to get it?

Couple more days to go!

First of May with Spring celebrations are just around the corner. My best early flowers of the Spring are the proposals coming in to my mailbox for the Call for Solutions. Several have noticed the open call, but still more are welcome. I have slightly extended the time till 5.5. - so you have still some days to submit your solution.

It is really fascinating to see how the message of the Call goes around and finds the right persons. For many it is about right timing, suitable content and the possibility to see the potentiality in it. This has made so to many wake up and take part in submitting a proposal or wanting to be part of side events etc of the Solutions local, together Conference. The role of the social media in that can not be ignored.

The Conference is about creating something bigger together, it is not meant for an exclusive club or forum but for us all. This is what makes the entire difference!
Enjoy the first of May!

Celebration every day!

Have you noticed that nearly every day of the year has a certain meaning to part of the people on the planet. Weather we are discussing about a specific year, week or day that is dedicated to raising awareness on various topics. This week has been focused in Finland on the consumption with a topic of "Consume less - live more" by several organizations. I took part on the week by recycling books and baby cloths and doing my food shopping in shop selling only local products.

Yesterday was the Earth Day on 22nd of April and this made me think how to illustrate the different topics. Excellent and cleaver comics for the variety of our celebrations can be found from Seppo Leinonen´s blog. He is a very well known Finnish cartoonist and illustrator. One of my absolute favorite one that makes you think is the one were the father of the family is taking the coins out of his child´s piggy bank. This being the natural resources of our planet Earth. If this does not wake people up - what does?

The entire year 2010 is dedicated to Biodiversity by the United Nations. One of the interesting topics on the Solutions local, together is biodiversity and how do we incorporate that into urban planning. Now is still some time left to submit your solutions on this and several other topics on the website - have a look and create the added synergy with the conference.

And of course, happy St George´s day - I greet you with left hand!

A night out

Lucas was having a rare night out. He was going to the theater with his wife. The play they were going to see had got good critics, which was the reason why Lucas had agreed to go in a first place – he wasn’t much for the cultural things. Nevertheless, tonight he was going with an open mind and would enjoy the night.

As they were sipping wine at the interval, Lucas was trying to decide how he felt about the first part. The topic was well chosen and the characters were credible. The play made him think about the nature of people – what did they think was important, what were their values and what impact they actions had. How often do we adapt viewpoint of others and somehow hide our own wishes and hopes but also fears under a surface of artificial coating. Lucas wondered how much art, and especially today’s art, could influence on people’s behavior and their way of thinking. Could it make a difference and what would it take in order to do so?

Call for Solutions!

Finally, we are in the stage, that the Solutions local, together - conference themes are out and a Call for Solutions is open for anyone to propose good sustainable solutions to the conference programme. The Conference focuses on four themes, that have an origin from the classical elements. These are:

• Earth - Urban planning for citizens and nature
• Water - Water for life
• Air - Climate and energy
• Fire - Inner inspiration - knowledge, new skills and partnerships

Through these themes, the conference has a good ground to address well cross-sectoral topics that are in need of sustainable approaches. Also several side events are soon to be released for public and these will add significant value to the conference topics, especially addressing the local aspects and involvement opportunities.

All possible linkages are very welcomed to the conference, so do not hesitate to contact us. I am sure our enthusiasm will get to you, too, and we will be able to advance the passing of sustainable solutions around the local authorities, companies, communities and citizens in the Baltic Sea Region.

Motivation inside an Easter egg?

Lucas was very keen on getting all possible information related to the business entrepreneurship, but realized that not everyone was as keen on following the lessons. He started to note down the different behavioral habits of his co-students and questioned their motivations.

Here is a list of most common characteristics in his class:

• speaking on the phone while "listening" - same claim that this is possible, maybe, but at least it is rude for others.
• listening to music with one ear
• reading a news paper/book while trying to follow
• discussion with the person next to you - if on the topic, fine, but if not...
• walking back and forth - normally this takes place in the end of the class room
• sleeping participants
• ....

This made him very sad, as although several efforts were done for the future of the students, those were not appreciated. Lucas started his Easter break by writing a letter to himself on how his own attitude, behavior and motivation influence on his future. Like an Easter egg- his future has several layers still to be revealed.

Earth Hour every hour?

During the past two weeks, preparations of the conference have taken big leaps forward and soon we are able to come out with practical news about the content and more on what has been planned. Locally a big effort has been given to improving the use of local food in restaurants. This has meant that the logistical chain from production to table has been widely discussed.

For many of the restaurant owners, the immediate reactions to sustainability are linked to switching off lights when not needed, saving water and avoiding garbage. These actions mainly happen automatically for those that are committed. But for others they need to be reminded or made automatic. The same goes for the local food, it needs to be made so easy to get and use, that there is not anymore the arguments of "more work is needed" or it is not cost-effective. Even the most dedicated green thinkers use these arguments and not in vain, as at the moment you need to make a big effort in order to fill your plate with ingredients that are locally produced.

Campaigns like Earth hour are needed to showcase the power of decision in our daily lives. We need to rethink our systems so that the Earth Hour would be every hour for us all!

Any business ideas?

The first morning of the course for future entrepreneurs had come. Over 25 participants with different backgrounds all expressed their expectations towards the content. It became evident, that the financial depression was forcing all of the participants to rethink about their future and this course had high hopes for it.

The course was mainly based on self development and practical tasks. Once the basics had been taught it was time to find a business idea that could be developed further. Lucas wrote several ideas for himself.

---A copy of Lucas´notebook--

• production of ice cream or frozen yogurt several of my friends are producing milk and eggs that could be used for this.... No - to many are trying the same.
  
• use of recycled materials for something else well, what would be the thing here..
  
• delivering of fire woods would this be rewarding enough
  
• garden planner trendy idea, but could I really do it
  
• logistic dealer for local food a lot of investment and networking.. needed but difficult
  
• ...
  

More carrots

On national level, a lot of discussion has been focusing on the future vision and what alternatives do we have for it. There seems to be a consensus that a change is needed and everyone has role to play in it. Still we are not burning yet for the change. Is it so that we do not have a huge need that forces us to do anything radical?

Before sustainable changes take place, we need to have many measures in place, both carrots and sticks. We can force some changes to take place by laws, taxes and limitations. Still the hardest challenge is - how to change the behavior of the citizens so that they feel positive about it? What changes trigger a behavior change and what kind of measures are needed for that? Many experts are looking for the answers in their own surroundings.

Many say that it does not, in the end, matter how do we reach the change, as long as it takes place. I do not totally agree on that, as we need to ensure that everyone is going to be on board. The carrots make things easier and we can all create them by being/looking for role models, organizing competitions or offering peer support. Hopefully the conference will be one of the big carrots! Let´s create the positive spin among our networks!

Life-course

Two weeks had gone since the citizens’ forum. That evening had not resulted in any decisions yet. A month had gone since he had lost his job. The job applications he had sent hadn’t resulted into anything either. Lucas wasn’t worried about it – the compensation from his ex-employee would help him to get by for a while. But Lucas was bored. What would he do?

While scanning through the Sunday papers in the library he saw an announcement of adult education meant for people who would like to be entrepreneurs. Maybe there would be something for me, he thought, and wrote down the Internet address for more information. One of the courses especially sounded interesting. It would be something totally different to what he had done earlier. He felt excitement rising within him. Could this be for him? Could it help him to utilize all the new information he had recently found out with his new way of thinking?

His imagination run wild when thinking about the possibilities that lay ahead of him. Even some of the new ideas would be nice to accomplish. He knew that that would require a lot of hard work but he wasn’t afraid of that. Some luck would also help. But, first he must send in his application.
---

Lucas was getting coffee ready for his wife who was due to come home any minute now. He had even bought some locally baked cakes as he felt like celebrating. He had just heard the news: he had passed the interview for getting on that course.

The real cup

Gathering hundreds of people together requires careful planning on catering. Well-organized coffee breaks and meals combined with in-between-refreshments are points that shouldn't be overlooked when planning a successful conference. But what is different when the catering should also be environmentally friendly - well, is it possible?

Real cups and glasses, not to mention the other necessary cutlery, napkins and tablecloths are the basic parts of catering for Solutions local, together - Conference. Locally produced food and drinks are also a must. The first contacts to local restaurants and other service providers were made already last year, and the latest one this week. They have all shown real enthusiasm towards the idea of a sustainably organized conference and have also expressed that "Nothing is impossible - just give me a bit of time to find out."

Cups and locally baked bread are the visible signs of environmental thinking. But where do the cups and napkins go after the coffee break is over? Or where was the flour or butter made used by the local bakery? We need to go to the origins when we think about the life-cycle of a product. Therefore the communication all the way through, from beginning to the end, is important for finding out the real carbon footprint. Very few have thought about it yet thoroughly. Are you one of the forerunners?

Disposable cup

On the way to the citizen forum on wind energy, Lucas meets his old friend that he has encouraged to attend the event.His friend lives next to the planned wind energy park and is very concerned about the value of his property if wind park is to be constructed next to it.

In the citizen forum, they meet several like-minded participants, but also many suspicious and even negatively orientated stakeholders. While zipping coffee from the disposable cups and eating imported cookies, the audience gets more and more emotional and starts to defend their own backyard, without thinking about the larger picture. The event finishes without reaching a shared consensus.

Lucas is surprised how little the organizers have thought about the small important elements of the event. As to him, the truth lies behind the details. Would the discussion have been different if fare trade coffee would have been served from real mugs?

From informing to involvement

During the resent years the focus from environmental awareness raising has changed more towards involvement of stakeholders. This means that the skills demanded from the employees of the local authorities are changing. Employees should be able to handle challenging communication, understand the dynamics of involvement and different methods of involvement.

A lot of cities have tested a number of stakeholder involvement methods and some have proven to be good practices in their local surroundings. A good number of these cases, can be found from a Good Practice Database in the Baltic Sea Region . The diversity of topics approached through active involvement is very wide. Nearly everyone of the practices evidence a more effective implementation of the topic developed through an involvement process. This is very important.

Solutions local, together - conference offers you a change to be involved as much as you would like to. Involvement requires an active approach from both sides. At the moment, we are trying to develop different ways for involvement. It will be challenging as the conference has tree languages to work with. If you have good ideas - let us know them.

Involve yourself

Lucas has decided that he will need to be well equipped to participate in the citizen forum on wind energy and sits by his computer. He goes through the search engines and find out that wind energy has been promoted quite widely, but it still has not spread all around the Baltic Sea Region. He wonders why it is so and decides to understand what it needs to get a decisions like this through.

What is the true aim with the citizen forum, is it to inform, influence or decide? Or all of this? Lucas is not sure anymore what kind of possibilities he has in order to enable a more sustainable change to take place. He would like to encourage his friends and relatives to join in, but is afraid that he would mislead them. He calls to the organizers of the forum and they tell him that the forum offers a possibility to discuss and share opinions. Lucas doubts that.

Lucas is convinced that he would have a lot to say and familiarizes himself with information on citizen forums. Luckily he found many good cases about it and feels that with the information gathered he is ready to take part and heads to the citizens forum on wind energy.

New synergy

Solutions local, together -conference has been speeded up by a workshop last week. In the workshop the content of the conference was further developed by representatives from different levels. It was fascinating to see how the interaction between the different representatives describes really well the state of the sustainable development in the Baltic Sea Region. Common will with several approaches to reach it.

Baltic Sea Region can be described as a huge web with different networks that are interlined with each others. The amount of strategies that aim to guide the development is numerous and it is sometimes very hard to see the red line that would run through all of them. If we add to it also the plans of the local levels, we are definitely going to be exhausted and most likely also confused. If we limit the look at the Nordic countries, we are most likely to see some similarities and common challenges. These are the areas that the conference will focus on.

One important aspect to the sustainable development is the role of the media in relation to the citizens, decision makers and science. The common language is still in many cases missing and for this we are in need of tools that would enlighten the Baltic Sea web for all of us. It remains to be seen if we are able to find solutions for this too in one years time!

Balanced article?

In the kitchen, Lucas opens the local news paper where there is a long article about energy company that would like to locate wind mills near the city. The local residents are opposing the plans and claim that it would spoil their view and also damage the local attractive surrounding. The article also raises possible noise as one reason to oppose the project.

Only in couple of sentences the positive results of such investments are explained. Lucas is surprised, as this is exactly what would need to be highlighted. He would be willing to buy wind energy knowing that it is renewable and will not damage the environment. In the long run it would even be cheaper for the locals as they are not so dependent on external sources. Are the pros and cons in balance in the article?

Lucas would like to support the company and starts to think who actually has the power in matters like this. Is it really in the hands of consumers or actually does media have a bigger role to play? In the article all interested stakeholders are invited to take part in a citizens forum organized tonight in the city hall. Lucas decides to take part in it to find out more.

Why so hard?

During the planning process of the conference, it has become evident that we all need to change they way we think. We have been taught to be good consumers and put the benefits of our own organization or family before anything else. Sustainable thinking requires that the common benefits are the main ones to be concerned about without necessarily ourselves as the direct beneficiaries. This means that we need to question a lot, such as our purchases and travels.

It is not easy to start to think what is really needed and what could be done for the benefit of others, rather then just thinking individualistically. A new way of cautious consumerism is rising. All of our actions have an effect and if the effect causes a chain reaction, a positive spin towards sustainability, we have been successful. The satisfaction that can be received from that is huge.

The Solutions conference is looking for such new way of thinking that has caused chain reactions for the benefit of us all. You can start today by asking for locally produced food in a restaurant or from the shop. Good luck!

Meet Lucas

Lucas has a family with two children, a wife and a dog. He was recently made redundant. The company decided to transfer the entire operations to China. For couple of weeks he had been feeling low, but now a new inspiration comes through in his behavior. He has decided to cope with the situation.

Lucas has gone though the family expenditures and decided that it is time to think again. Luckily his wife still has her job, so it is more to do with the lifestyle and living conditions that Lucas has decided to focus on. He has listed all the necessary expenses and started to wonder what they are composed of. As doing that he realizes that things could be done differently without loosing the standard of living. For making the right decision he needs to get more information.

After hours of searching via Internet, he is confused. Lucas realizes that he needs to change, not just his expenditure, but also the whole way of thinking. This will not be easy. Lucas heads for kitchen to have a cup of coffee.