Catching Our Eye

While we have seen headline-grabbing announcements from major US firms who are committing to a greener future, research from Bloomberg Green reveals that the biggest US companies – even those with ambitious green agendas – are donating more money to members of Congress seeking to obstruct climate policies than they are to climate-friendly politicians. “Bloomberg Green examined political donations by businesses in the S&P 100 and large US-based corporate contributors to climate change identified by the Climate Action 100+, which seeks to help them lower their emissions. For every dollar these corporations gave to one of the most climate-friendly members of Congress during this election cycle, they gave $1.84 – nearly twice as much – to an ardent obstructionist of proactive climate policy.” Full story here

Founded by Surfers Against Sewage and the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation in 2019, the 2021 Plastic Free Awards is open for entry. Described as “celebrating innovation and activism tackling avoidable, single-use plastics” nominations are open to the public across twelve categories including Best Plastic Campaign, Design Innovation and Plastic Free Creative. Deadline: January 24, 2021. Details here

From The Guardian comes news of a plan to grow diamonds “made entirely from the sky”. Apparently, UK millionaire Dale Vince is backing a project to create lab-grown gems which will be the “world’s first zero-impact” diamonds. Story here

The Annual Circular Economy Stakeholder Conference – the main event for the circular economy in Europe – takes place from November 3-4. Sessions will be livestreamed. Details here

Worth Watching/A Listen

Alarmed by the carbon footprint of touring, in 2019 Massive Attack commissioned the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research to report on the live music industry and make recommendations for decarbonisation. In partnership with the city of Liverpool, Ecotricity, The Good Business Festival and others, an event was planned for this year which would provide a template for lower carbon gigs in the future. Unfortunately, Covid led to the cancellation of the gig but this new short film explains more about the project and its ambitions

Check out Katie Treggiden’s Circular podcast “exploring the intersection of craft, design and sustainability”. Treggiden, who wrote Wasted: When trash becomes treasure, interviews “the thinkers, doers, and makers of the circular economy. These are the people who are challenging the linear take-make-waste model of production and consumption – and working towards something better”. Listen here

Also recommended is BBC Radio 5 Live’s podcast What Planet Are We On? In this week’s episode, The Repair Shop's Jay Blades talks to host Liz Bonnin about his call for people to buy things in a completely different way to help save the planet, and return to the era of 'make do and mend’. Listen here

URGE activities

URGE’s Ella Doran has set the latest Maker Challenge for Dominic Wilcox’s Little Inventors, the “creative education organisation that inspires imagination by taking children’s amazing ideas seriously”. It sets regular briefs for its primary school-age audience to encourage inventive young minds. For her challenge, Ella has asked the worldwide community to “invent something spectacular with wool”. More details here