Social Action helps school getting 500.000 kr. for green education.
December 02, 2011 12:39pmAs a direct result of Social Action's involvement in a project we're working on, we have just been told that our client has recieved 500.000 kr. from a foundation. The resources will be used for our client's new green school.
A substantial amount of work from Social Aciton has been an important part of securing the grant.
We're sorry to sound so secretive, but in order to let the project continue to flourish over the coming months, we gather that limited amount of information to our readers and the public is required.
Geeks! Unite! (And what InterfaceFlor and Apple have in common).
November 30, 2011 12:00am***** This post is a copy of our monthly blog at Borsen.dk - the website of the biggest Danish business magasine. Follow our blogs at http://borsen.dk/blogs/alle_blogs/profilvisning/7231180/tobias-lau.html. The post is in Danish. *****
Nørder! Forén Jer!
Hvad har det succesfulde tæppefirma Interface Flor og Apple til fælles?
De stoler begge lidenskabeligt på deres nørder i firmaet.
Apple, inden for ingeniørkundskab og design (for at udvikle ’insanely great products’); Interface inden for ingeniørkundskab og kemi (for at udvikle bæredygtige tæpper designet til det 21. århundrede).
Hvilke nørde-orienterede virksomheder har vi i Danmark, som ambitiøst kobler forskellige typer nørder til at arbejde sammen? Hmm... Forslag modtages gerne.
Ikke at vi ikke udvikler nørder. Vi har mange tusindvis af ingeniør-nørder og, for eksempel, tusindvis af design-nørder. Men hvor meget arbejder de egentlig sammen?
Lader det ikke til at være tilfældet, at design-nørderne skaber deres egne firmaer, mens ingeniør-firmaerne starter deres egne firmaer? Lader det ikke til at være tilfældet at de danske nørder isolerer sig og kun hyrer hinanden inden for i alt for rigide og formelle samarbejder (mellem to eller flere firmaer), frem for at lade sig integrere i ét firma.
Hvorfor lader store designvirksomheder (industrielle, grafiske, web-baserede, etc.), sig ikke opkøbe af store danske ingeniørvirksomheder, som udvikler fremtidens løsninger? Hvorfor lader store ingeniørvirksomheder ikke til at have den store lyst til at investere i og opkøbe designvirksomheder?
Hvorfor er, for at skære ind til benet, forskellen mellem teknologi og kunst så stor i Danmark?
Vi har stærke teknologi-orienterede virksomheder (Grundfos, Vestas, Danfoss, Stirling DK, Shark Solutions, etc.) og vi har store design-orienterede virksomheder (Fritz Hansen, Kvadrat, DesignIt, 1508, etc.). Men hvilket dansk firma synes at fatte hvilke kompetencer der dagligt skal integreres på de danske arbejdspladser, for at masseproducere de løsninger der er behov for i det 21. århundrede?
Løsningen er lige for: de dansk-uddannede nørder – nørder inden for for eksempel kunst og teknologi – skal forene sig i virksomhedskonstruktioner. Problemet er at der findes få steder i Danmark hvor nørderne kan mødes. Design-studerende er sjældne gæster på DTU og forsøger man på DTU at integrere kunst og teknologi (som eksempelvis på den interessante Design & Innovation masterlinje), sker det inden for DTUs murer, dér – langt ude i Lyngby.
Interfaces Ramon Arratia har et udtryk der lyder ’the geek is the hero’. For Steve Jobs hed det ’real artist ship’.
Lige nu er der ikke andet for end et opråb til danskerne; kunst- som teknologi-interesseret: Nørder! Forén Jer!
Patagonia continues: "Stop Buying Our Products!"
November 04, 2011 12:03pm*** This post has been edited from our up-coming newsletter "Den Gode Avis No. 2" that will be published to our network in November. If you want to sign up for the newsletter, write to info@socialaction.dk. This post is in Danish ***
Der findes en række amerikanske firmaer der er værd at holde øje med, for at forstå hvordan virksomheder kan skabe massive positive aftryk i verden og dermed skabe mere loyale kunder. Et af dem er outdoor-tøjmærket Patagonia.
For nylig lancerede de et nyt initiativ som skal hjælpe dem med at fuldføre deres mission: ”Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”
Initiativet? Et samarbejde med eBay om at få Patagonias kunder til at sælge brugt Patagonia tøj til hinanden. Projektet er en del af deres Common Threads Initiative, der har mantraet: ”Reduce, Repair, Reuse, Recycle” (på projektets hjemmeside står blandt andet ’There is a reason that ’recycling’ comes last in the mantra’; en holdning der kan være værd at huske en genbrugs-orienterede Skandinavien).
Projektet er en satsning af dimensioner, som kun få store virksomheder – hvis nogen overhovedet – ville turde at igangsætte. Konsekvensen for Patagonia, tænker man konceptet til ende, er at de ikke vil sælge nogle produkter i fremtiden; deres kunder vil simpelthen bytte tøj og købe brugt tøj over eBay.
Sådan vil det dog næppe gå.
I stedet opnår Patagonia en solid mund-til-mund reklame, båret frem af de sociale medier og artikler som denne. Hvem ved? Måske du aldrig havde hørt om Patagonia –
men det har du så nu. Derudover vil kunder som sælger deres brugte Patagonia tøj føle sig fristet til at købe splinternyt Patagonia-tøj og de vil endda sælge deres brugte tøj til nye kunder, som ikke før kendte til Patagonia, og derved udvider firmaet deres loyale kundebase.
Er du nysgerrig efter at se hvordan Patagonia sælge deres brugte tøj, så kig ind på:
http://www.patagonia.com/us/ebay/used-gear
Launching website, animation and logo for one of the most promising cases of sustainability in the world.
November 04, 2011 11:59amThe Kalundborg Symbiosis is known in sustainability circles all over the world.
Social Action was, together with brand bureau Campbell & Co., asked by the symbiosis (Dong Energy, Novozymes, Novo Nordisk and others) to make the sustainability case more appealing and easy to understand; in our own words, more sexy.
We did so by creating a new logo for the commercial collective that includes members such as Statoil, Gyproc, the Kalundborg Municipality and others. The case can be read below where you also can find links to the websites, logos and films we have designed.
- - -
Communication of The Kalundborg Symbiosis + Symbiose Center
Challenge
Kalundborg Symbiosis is the world's first and most advanced industrial symbiosis. An industrial symbiosis is a system where one company's waste is another company's raw material. The idea and experience of the Kalundborg Symbiosis is a world-class example of sustainability. The only problem is, that few now about it.
In 2011, Kalundborg Symbiosis was granted resources to start a Symbiosis Center, also located in Kalundborg. A new type of communication that shows the potential of industrial symbioses as well as knowldege about the new Symbiosis Center had to be created.
Diagnosis
Social Action uncovered data about the 50-year old symbiosis, which included interviewing the old personel who no longer worked in the symbiosis; collecting old new paper articles and making visual research in how to communicate a complex concept as an industrial symbiosis.
During the process, it became clear that Social Action in collaboration with (Campbell & Co.) had to help Kalundborg Symbiosis and its newly founded Symbiosis Center to make services development more efficient in order to sell the idea of industrial symbioses to other regions and countries.
Solution
Social Action has developed and executed a brand strategy that - among other things - resulted in a new website, a new logo, a new animated film and a new graphic identity. The identity for both the Kalundborg Symbiosis and the Symbiosis Center have been developed as sister-brands as can be seen on the websites:
www.symbiosis.dk and www.symbiosecenter.dk
On how to change people.
November 04, 2011 11:53am*** This post has been edited from our blog on sustainable innovation at Børsen. The post is in Danish ***
ADFÆRD: Social Action er meget interesseret i at forstå, hvordan mennesker ændrer adfærd. - Ny adfærd der vel at mærke, er et lille skridt mod en bedre og mere vækstrig verden. Forleden faldt vi over historien om, at der er nyt håb for truede kattedyr som den sibiriske tiger og amurleoparden. (Note: Antallet af tigre er faldet fra 100.000 til 3.500 de seneste 100 år.) Dyrene vil sandsynligvis sættes ud i Kasakhstan og med gode kår for at yngle og overleve.
Hvorfor det? Blandt andet, og ifølge leder af WWFs tigerprogram, Barney Long, nærmest udelukkende fordi Vladimir Putin har kastet sin kærlighed på dyrene.
Og her kunne historien ende.
Men jeg synes det er interessant at afdække HVORFOR Putin fik den nye hobby. Hvad oplevede han, som ændrede hans opførsel? Hvad så, læste, hørte han, som betød at han pludselig fik lyst til at gennemtrumfe de store ændringer for kattedyr?
Jo, under en jagt i 2008 ramte han en fem år gammel sibirisk huntiger med en bedøvende pil. Putin blev betaget af det bedøvede dyr og klappede dens kind. Han gav den et gps-halsbånd og siden har man kunnet følge huntigerens færden på Putins webside. Dén oplevelse for et enkeltindivid, kan have været vendepunktet for en hel dyreart.
Se Putin nedlægge huntigeren og klappe dens kind her:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hkt5G0uHO0g
Travelling to Indonesia, Thailand, South Africa, Russia and Belgium to communicate low-energy pig farm ventilation. Yes, pig farm ventilation.
November 04, 2011 11:50amTo understand the impact of low-energy pig farm ventilation (yes, we know it sounds geeky), lets focus on Denmark, just as an example:
In Denmark, we have more pigs than people. The pigs are standing inside stables and these stables have to be eqiupped with ventilation for the pigs to live a decent life. The ventilation consumes a lot of energy, since they have to run 24 hours a day 365 days a year. In this very second the ventilations run in the farms in Denmark - - and also in the rest of the world.
SKOV A/S has figured out a way to cut this energy need by developing smarter ventilation systems. In the coming months, they want Social Action to communicate the use of they products around the world.
The result will be a 6 minute film. We will let you know when it's done - probably in early February.
. 
Uploaded with
The Kalundborg Symbiosis is known in sustainability circles all over the world. Social Action was, together with brand bureau Campbell & Co., asked to make the case more sexy.
We did so by creating a new logo for the commercial collective that includes members, such as Novo Nordisk, Novozymes, Statoil, Gyproc and many others. The case can be read below where you also can find links to the website we have designed.
- - -
Challenge
Kalundborg Symbiosis is the world's first and most advanced industrial symbiosis. An industrial symbiosis is a system where one company's waste is another company's raw material. The idea and experience of the Kalundborg Symbiosis is a world-class example of sustainability. The only problem is, that few now about it.
In 2011, Kalundborg Symbiosis was granted resources to start a Symbiosis Center, also located in Kalundborg. A new type of communication that shows the potential of industrial symbioses as well as knowldege about the new Symbiosis Center had to be created.
Diagnosis
Social Action uncovered data about the 50-year old symbiosis, which included interviewing the old personel who no longer worked in the symbiosis; collecting old new paper articles and making visual research in how to communicate a complex concept as an industrial symbiosis.
During the process, it became clear that Social Action in collaboration with (Campbell & Co.) had to help Kalundborg Symbiosis and its newly founded Symbiosis Center to make services development more efficient in order to sell the idea of industrial symbioses to other regions and countries.
Solution
Social Action has developed and executed a brand strategy that - among other things - resulted in a new website, a new logo, a new animated film and a new graphic identity. The identity for both the Kalundborg Symbiosis and the Symbiosis Center have been developed as sister-brands as can be seen on the websites:
www.symbiosis.dk and www.symbiosecenter.dk
K skulptur from New project. Coming up.
Social Action in Los Angeles to bring back ambitious thoughts to Europe.
September 05, 2011 07:16amPart of the Social Action office has moved to LA in the next couple of weeks to visit interesting people and broadening our network.
Also, we use the opportunity to think big thoughts and come up with new, bold and opportunistic ideas - something that can be challenging in safe and secure Denmark.
Building one of the first high schools for hands-on green education in the world.
June 19, 2011 04:54pmFor the moment we are working with Campus Bornholm to create one of the first green campusses in the world.
If you think you can help out, somehow, to make the 300 million kroner project, please give us a shout.
Beating 84 global firms: Working with Henning Larsen and SLA on remaking the rivercity of Gothenburg.
June 19, 2011 04:49pmWe won a competition against 84 global architecture and design firms to help remake the harbour of Gothenburg. The basic task from the city of Gothenburg: make it sustainable.
From June 6th-11th we worked in Gothenburg in a grand workshop that included 10 teams (picked out of the pool of 84), among them Transsolar who we admire (and have previously worked with together with BIG Architects).
To see our work, click on the blog our team created during the work days in Gothenburg:
http://udrcg.blogspot.com/
We presented the work for the city at a big citizen+politicians meeting on June 11th.
The first 10 slides of the 22 slide-long presentation is the Social Action analysis...
ROTOR - a new great studio we've found.
April 17, 2011 06:26pmReading the International Herald Tribune today, we stumbled across the Belgium studio, Rotor.
Check out their website at
http://http://rotordb.org//
What astonishing work.
For the moment they are gaining publicity for the exhibition they did for the Prada Foundation in Milan.
Looking at their website, you'll find much more astonishing work.
Now we know who we also will visit next time we travel to Belgium... nice.
Please close the high schools in Denmark.
April 09, 2011 08:02pmLately, Socialaction.dk has not posted the many posts, Tobias from Social Action has been posting at Børsen - the leading business paper in Denmark.
Sorry.
Here's the new post from Tobias.
As usual, only in Danish:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Luk landets gymnasier
Hvordan står det til med den umiddelbare, håndværksbaserede, erhvervsrettede viden som unge i dag kan opnå tidligt i deres liv på landets erhvervsskoler og tekniske skoler?
Det er relevant at spørge om, da verden er ved at blive genfødt; den nye verden er lavet på billig arbejdskraft, udført med højt motivationsniveau, bygget på en viden om økonomiske og økologisk vækst, og drevet af en tro om en bedre verden. Men de danske unge på landets tekniske skoler kan ikke få lov til at blive en del af den.
Fordi her går det helt og aldeles ad helvede til.
Det viser en ny undersøgelse som Politiken og Uddannelsesforbundet har lavet og som blev publiceret i weekenden. Undersøgelsen viser blandt andet, at 72% af lærerne på de tekniske skoler er enige i, at ”Andelen af dårligt motiverede elever er vokset i forhold til for 5-10 år siden.”
Undersøgelsen bekræfter noget, jeg i længere tid har tænkt over: At vores erhvervs- og tekniske skoler er undervurderede og at vores gymnasier er overvurderede.
Hvorfor? Fordi status quo er død.
Som det ser ud nu, vil den nye verden skabes i Kina, USA, Tyskland, Brasilien og Afrika. I mellemtiden er vores produktivitet i Danmark helt i bund.
Når man prøver at skygge for solen og skue ud over fremtiden, hvad ser man så?
Man ser:
* En verden der ved mere og mere om materialer - fysiske materialer som aluminium, jern, zink, træ og intelligente materialer vi end ikke har fatteevne til at beskrive, da de endnu ikke er opfundet.
* En verden hvor erhvervssektoren forstår at koble økonomisk vækst med økologisk vækst. Altså, en implementering af forretningsmodeller som belønner en bæredygtig produktionsform.
* En verden hvor sociale udfordringer såsom uddannelse og sociale netværk betyder mere og mere - i udviklingslande, såvel som i vesten og Asien.
* En verden der kan koble praktisk håndværk med videnbaserede indsigter.
Sceneskift.
Ok, hvad er det vi lærer de unge i gymnasiet i dag?
Lad mig kort fundere over hvad det var JEG lærte i gymnasiet for små 15 år siden (jeg er 31 år i dag).
Jeg kan huske jeg læste en masse Sten Steensen Blicher. Jeg lærte latin. Jeg lærte fransk (som jeg nu har glemt igen). Jeg lærte at det ofte er de studerende der gennem historien har skabt revolutioner. Jeg lærte noget om biologi og fotosyntese. Jeg lærte at blive bedre til engelsk. Jeg lærte noget om geografi (hvad kan jeg ikke huske).
Faktisk har jeg svært ved at huske noget som helst af det jeg lærte i gymnasiet, som jeg faktisk anvender i dag. Det skulle da lige være at tænke - en ret almen evne. Det som jeg desværre også lærte, var at afkoble mig selv fra den fysiske verden. Det vil sige PÅ TRODS af, at jeg havde naturvidenskab og biologi, var det i bøgerne at min verden bestod. Det var ikke i verden at min verden bestod.
På de tekniske skoler og på erhvervsskolerne er det anderledes. Her lærer man praktisk erfaring om hvordan træ opfører sig når man skærer i det. Her lærer man praktisk erfaring om aluminiummets smeltepunkt. Her lærer man software som Illustrator og Photoshop så man kan visualisere ens tanker og drømme. Man lærer hvordan man skal opføre sig overfor nye kunder og hvordan man skal sælge idéer. Alt sammen noget jeg gennem min gymnasietid (og min universitetstid) ikke lærte en disse af.
Her kommer det paradoksale, som jeg først i forbindelse med research på denne blog, har fundet ud af:
En uddannelse på erhvervsskoler og tekniske skoler, giver ikke adgang til videregående uddannelser! Herre jemini! Hvad ER det for et kasseopdelt stupidt-elitært lilleputsamfund vi har sat sammen?! Så kan jeg sgu godt forstå at min mor og far og folkeskolelærerne tvang mig på gymnasiet uden overhovedet at tænke over erhvervsskolen eller den tekniske skole som mulighed. Akademikeren (ikke praktikeren), Tobias Lau blev hermed skabt.
Den praktiske viden som den nye verden undfanges ved hjælp af, præmieres med et gok i nødden i Danmark. Uddannelserne på erhvervs- og tekniske skoler er en videnmæssig stopklods som tvinger de unge til at udføre jobs som blikkenslager og tømrer; arbejdsopgaver som ikke hører hjemme i et 21. århundredes Danmark. Katastrofalt.
Men det lysner lidt - lidt - ude i horisonten.
På Bornholm arbejder de hårdt på at få sat et nyt uddannelsescampus sammen; et campus der skal knytte den gymnasielle, tekniske og erhvervsskole sammen over ét tag.
Indtil det kopieres i hele Danmark, kan man for min skyld lukke alle gymnasier og tvinge de lattedrikkende studerende over på landets erhvervs- og tekniske skoler, hvor de kan lære noget om, hvordan vi opbygger en ny verden sammen.
Need help: Please write to us if you want to help to make the Massive Change Network on June 2nd.
April 09, 2011 07:56pmHi.
We are working to make the second Massive Change Network session in Denmark.
Tobias Lau from Social Action is the Optimizer from Denmark. The Massive Change Network will also launch on June 2nd in Guatemala City, Sydney, Cape Town, Toronto, Chicago and many other cities.
If you want to know more, see this link:
http://www.massivechangenetwork.com/
We need volunteers who would like experience in creating a global event about change. The help might be very practical - but we promise a positive ambiance and connections to a great network at Social Action.
If you want to volunteer for help, please write to Xavier from Social Action at xavier[at]socialaction.dk.
Please write: MCN in the subject area.
Hope to hearing from you.
Communicating one of the most awesome projects in the world to the rest of the world.
April 09, 2011 07:48pmWe have just won a competition to make the new graphic identity and website for the Kalundborg Symbiosis.
"The Kalundborg Symbiosis", you might think, "What on earth is that??!".
Well, if you are not from Denmark, chances are higher that you would know the symbiosis. Fact is, that the sustainable wonder construction of the Kalundborg Symbiosis is world known - except in Denmark.
Shortly put, it's an industrial ecosystem where 8 industrial companies such as Novozymes, Statoil and DONG Energy, located around the city of Kalundborg in Denmark, are sharing waste.
One company has waste heat. This is sent - via tubes under the surface of Kalundborg - to another company. This company might have waste water. This is then sent to another company. And so on and so forth.
Our job is to communicate the wonder.
First by making two brand new logos:
one for the industrial symbiosis collaboration and one for the new Symbiosis Centre.
Furthermore, we will make the website for the two institutions. Wicked.
We are superexcited.
Also because we have teamed up with Josefine Campbell to make the project.
From the design site, we are lucky to work together with Jeppe Morgenstjerne who will join the team over the next few months. He is also helping us on another project we are doing together with Bruce Mau.
The two sites are up in the summer of 2011.
Waste is cool.
April 02, 2011 11:53amWe are in the midst of delivering video, insights and images to Hillerød Municipality.
The project is just one out of many steps Social Action has taken in the sustainability research topic on waste.
And - as always when we work with this topic - we realise how freaking cool waste really is when understanding the massive potential of change this phenomenon must undergo in the next few years and decades.
Watch out; if you are not already aware of it; waste solutions and technologies will be hot shit in the coming years and you will hear much more of it. Not just from us, but from everybody else who is working with sustainability.
Getting visit from the youth in Egypt. They asked: "How do we create movements?" We said: "You tell us."
March 10, 2011 07:38pmAs part of a program partly arranged by Concito, the Danish green think tank, Social Action was paid a visit from young Egyptians between 20-28 years.
A few days earlier the very same people had stood on the Tahir Plaza screaming their lungs out to celebrate their succesful revolution and freedom.
Today, some of them were visiting Denmark together with people from Jordan.
And what did they ask us at the Social Action office? "How do you create movements?"
They didn't know that they are the real, global experts.
Another question was: "How do we build a better society than yours?" We answered: Rethink the way you measure growth.
De-mystifying waste behaviour in people's flats to make smarter waste solutions.
February 26, 2011 08:02pmWe are collaborating with Vestforbrændingen and Hillerød Forsyning to de-mystify people's behaviour around waste in flats.
In Denmark most studies around waste management have been focused on houses - not flats.
Since more people will move into flats over the next decades, smarter waste solutions for flats will be in high demand.
We are happy to be part of contributing intelligently to this important corner of building the sustainable society of the future.
Launching the Massive Change Network February 24th. Join in.
February 05, 2011 07:34pmTogether with Bruce Mau Live, Social Action & friends are planning to launch the Massive Change Network together with Bruce Mau.
The public showing of a new documentary by two Swedish directors will launch the network. The documentary is called The Plan and is about how to design new solutions for at better world. See more about the movie here:
http://www.theplanfilm.com/
The event starts at 18:00 on February 24th and everyone is invited. Whoever shows up is the right people.
The location will be announced in the coming weeks.
Social Action wins 1st price in Corporate Social Innovation.
February 05, 2011 07:25pmSocial Action is the best Danish consultancy to advise about Corporate Social Innovation (CSI). Or so say The Danish Ministry of Business and Economic Affairs and their jury in relation to the first national competition in CSI.
56 companies were competing for the 1st price that Social Action ended up with.
We won for developing a clever concept for the Danish chocolate manufacturer, Økoladen.
Økoladen wants to do more business in Africa and Social Action developed a smart way for Økoladen to be comercially active in the agricultural environments in Tanzania while at the same time improving the natural wealth and overall productivity of the soil.
With the prize followed 100,000 kr.
Please contact tobias@socialaction.dk for more information about the case.
Teaming up with Arkitema to build social movements in neighbourhoods.
December 14, 2010 09:28pmArkitema, one of the biggest architecture firms in Denmark, called us up to join them in the competition for the redevelopment of Sundholdskvarteret, a neighbourhood in Eastern Copenhagen. We will get an answer from the City Hall in January whether we won it or not. Exciiiiiting.
Shortly put, we contributed by making sure that a social movement around sustainability would be 'build' into the new construction of the neighbourhood. It's no longer enough to construct buildings for architectural competitions (if your ambitious); it's time to construct social movements.
Lecturing at the Danish Designschool on CSR and design.
December 14, 2010 09:21pmJoin in at the Danish Designschool to listen to Social Action, Tobias Lau, giving a lecture on CSr and design. It'll be a blast. And merry christmas (!) if we forget to wish you that in the next few days.
December 05, 2010 10:06pmWe won the competition to make 4 short animations to communicate the purpose of Fornyelsesfonden (The Renewable Foundation).
The fund gives out 760 million kroner (around 120 million dollars) until 2012 to support green innovation and welfare innovation in Denmark.
We won the competition to make 4 short animations to communicate the purpose of Fornyelsesfonden (The Renewable Foundation).
The fund gives out 760 million kroner (around 120 million dollars) until 2012 to support green innovation and welfare innovation in Denmark.
We won the competition to make 4 short animations to communicate the purpose of Fornyelsesfonden (The Renewable Foundation).
The fund gives out 760 million kroner (around 120 million dollars) until 2012 to support green innovation and welfare innovation in Denmark.
We won the competition to make 4 short animations to communicate the purpose of Fornyelsesfonden (The Renewable Foundation).
The fund gives out 760 million kroner (around 120 million dollars) until 2012 to support green innovation and welfare innovation in Denmark.
Waste Doesn't Exist (Affaldfindesikke.dk) - website is launched!
September 26, 2010 12:54pmAs part of our project around bioethanol, we have launched the project website, www.affaldfindesikke.dk
We hope you will enjoy the reading (and some of the movies and images) if you are interested in user-driven production of green fuel.
The project was funded by EUs Regionalfond and Puljen for Brugerdreven Innovation.
Saying "Yes, thank you" to be part of X-Faktor.
September 26, 2010 12:46pmSocial Action has been selected as one of 8 Danish CSR consultant agencies to be part of X-Faktor.
No, it's not the music competition - instead it's an X-Faktor in corporate social innovation. That is, an X-Faktor in companies' ability to improve the world. Wonderful.
Our role will be the same as the three judges in the 'real' X-Faktor. We think ourselves as Remee. Our job is to find talents; not singers, but companies who have the potential to create a CSR product (a product that solves an environmental and/or social challenge in society).
Then we help them to create the product concept. And the best concept wins 100,000 Danish kroner.
Cudos to The Danish Commerce and Companies Agency for making this happen. And for thinking of Social Action.
Working on the LOVE THE CITY project in Dublin.
September 26, 2010 12:36pmWe were asked to give a lecture in Dublin this month. The client was the interesting organisation (with the interesting name) 'Design 21st Century'. Design 21C is undertaking a project called LOVE THE CITY where students from different disciplines work with city hall people to improve the city of Dublin.
Social Action was asked to give a speech on societal change.
The visit in Dublin also made it possible to visit the Patagonia store. We are big fans of Patagonia, the outdoor (and highly environmentally friendly) clothing company. We spend a good chunk of time to get generally inspired.
Making greening of society sexy for Dansk Energi (The Danish Energy Association).
July 13, 2010 02:34pmWe have just won a new project. The client is Dansk Energi (Danish Energy Association).
We will write the scripts, illustrate, animate and communicate new, sustainable projects commissioned by ELFORSK. The way to communicate the projects: by using the moving image (a medium eternally loved by Social Action). Also animation and 3D graphics will be used to make greening of society sexy.
We would like to prove Thomas Friedman wrong when he is saying "If it isn't boring, it isn't green". Instead, we will make communication that inspires to the maxim "If it isnt sexy, it isn't green".
The programs used for this specific job:
Illustrator, Photoshop, Rhino, AfterEffects, Cinema4D and Word.
Cameroon, Taiwan, Greece, Italy, Israel, Iceland, Denmark.
July 13, 2010 01:45pmWhat do these countries have in common??
One thing (out of many possible others): All countries have citizens now enrolled as interns at Social Action at our office in Copenhagen.
The 7 new interns are helping us launch a new (and rather big) project.
It's still a secret WHAT the project is about but we are pretty psyched about where it's heading.
Find and more by tuning in to this website - - or check out this (still somewhat secret - or as secret as a website on the world wide web can get) website:
designstochangetheworld.blogspot.com
Communicating design for the 21st Century at the Danish Design Center.
July 01, 2010 10:30amIn relation to the new design exhibition 'Design for the 21st Century', Social Action is exhibiting a video made by our staff.
It's a pretty simple and crude video about a design firm's work to do CSR. The case was found by Social Action in collaboration the Ministry of Business and Economic Affairs back in 2008.
The case illustrated in the video (orginally made for the Ministry), shows how the firm 1508 examines solutions for patients with chronic lung disease /'smoke lungs').
Social Action recommends the building of new factories in Denmark in order to manufacture products for the future - and to keep industrial jobs in the country.
June 12, 2010 08:53pmA new world demands new sustainable products and therefore, new sustainable factories. It's that simple.
But where should the new factories be build in the world? Social Action suggests Denmark.
That's the rationale Social Action puts forward in an interview published in a central article in this week's Ingeniøren ('Engineer').
Read the interview with Social Action here (in Danish).
Winning competition to make films about sustainability and welfare.
May 31, 2010 08:04pmHow can you visualise and involve an audience to understand the possibilities to solve the world's problems; whether it's environmental or social challenges?
That's the challenge set by the Danish Ministry of Business who have invited the best agencies in Denmark to make films about their new foundation. Social Action was invited for the competition and won.
We are totally psyched to get started and you will hear more about the process in the coming weeks. The films (which will be heavily soaked in animation) will be ready in August 2010.
Den Onde TV Pejs. En gratis gave fra Social Action.
May 10, 2010 05:57pmDen Onde TV Pejs viser dig pejsen hvor der virkelig god fut i flammerne: ikke nødvendigvis i folks pejse, men på Danmark afbrændingsanlæg.
En gratis gave fra Social Action til forårets pause-skærme i hjem og på job.
Download Den Onde TV Pejs her.
More bans, please. Social Action involves itself in debate on bans in Danish newspaper.
April 30, 2010 11:06amThe political atmosphere in Denmark is moving in a direction where less bans equals more good. Social Action disagree and share our viewpoints in the below oppinion printed April 29th:
http://www.information.dk/231635
Talk at the Copenhagen Business School about how to make revolutions once you're done being a student.
March 25, 2010 11:18amSocial Action will speak at the Copenhagen Business School Thursday March 25 at 15:45.
We will present the Corporate Social Innovation roadmap we have developed for the Danish Ministry of Business.
The walk-through of the roadmap is intended to inpire and motivate the students at CBS - notoriously known for NOT starting up their own businesses - to create what we all need in this small world: new business traditions that help improve the world thorugh sustainble practices, products and services.
Watch the trailer of our new project by clicking here.
March 15, 2010 10:58pmWatch the trailer here:
http://www.vimeo.com/10191148
We have started a new project that we will tell you much more about when it goes public. For now, we can only offer you this trailer.
If you miss a place as an intern and if are curious about the project, let us now and maybe we can figure something out. Email tobias@socialaction.dk.
Web-opgave til interesserede: Lav en hjemmeside om fremtidens energi for 50.000 kr.
February 15, 2010 02:25pmSocial Action har sammen med Biogasol og Bornholms Affaldshåndtering sendt følgende tilbud ud. Alle - også studerende - har en chance, sålænge de har et CVR-nummer.
Vi håber du vil sende et tilbud ind. Vi er meget åbne for nye, friske løsninger.
Venlig hilsen
Social Action, Biogasol og Bornholms Affaldshåndtering.
---------------------------------
Tilbud om design og implementering af hjemmeside om
”Brugerdreven Energi”
Tilbydes af Konsortiet for Det Brugerdrevne 2. Generations Bioethanolanlæg
15. februar 2010.
Indledning
Virksomhederne Biogasol, Social Action og Bornholms Affaldshåndering har siden april 2009 arbejdet på et projekt der undersøgte lokalsamfunds evner til at omdanne organisk affald til brændsel (2. generations ethanol).
Projektet er støttet af EUs Regionalfond og puljen for brugerdreven innovation (BDI). Læs mere om projektet under følgende link:
http://www.ebst.dk/brugerdreveninnovation.dk/projekterbrugerdreveninnovation/0/14/5088005
Som resultat af projektet, skal der udvikles en inspirerende og levende hjemmeside som præsenterer resultaterne af undersøgelsen.
Formål
Hjemmesidens formål er at inspirere andre parter i samfundet (eksempelvis kommuner, virksomheder, skoler) til at begynde at se sig selv som en naturlig aktør i bestræbelserne for at få skabt et bæredygtigt samfund.
Formidling
Fokus på underholdende historiefortælling
Hjemmesiden skal udstråle lethed og vitalitet omkring evnen at udføre teknologiske miljøprojekter i samspil med lokalsamfundet og lokalbefolkningen. Det betyder at kompleks viden skal kunne visualiseres på dragende og underholdende vis. Det anses i den forbindelse som et succeskriterium at hjemmesiden skal kunne sprede sig til brugere på nettet i ind- og udland alene på grund af dens brug af form. Det æstetiske udtryk og måde hvorpå historien fortælles visuelt vægtes derfor højt. Erfaring og interesse inden for informationsgrafik og anden måde at vise kompleks viden visuelt vægtes derfor højt.
Formidling
Samlet visuelt udtryk
Hjemmesiden skal have en samlet visuel stil som sammenbinder de mange typer data-materialer fra projektprocessen. Det betyder blandt andet at nogle elementer i datamaterialet fra tilbudsgiver skal rentegnes eller videre-layoutes for at indgå i den visuelle stil som tilbudstager foreslår.
Sprog
Hjemmesiden vil overordnet fremstå på engelsk, men enkelte artikler vil forekomme på dansk. Al eventuel oversættelse vil blive oversat af en oversætter af tilbudsgivers valg.
Eksisterende materiale
Tilbudsgiver vil bidrage med tekst, billeder og videomateriale. På nuværende tidspunkt (februar 2010) findes der ca. 200 billeder, ca. 30 videofilm af interviews med respondenter, ca. 30 illustrationer af processen og resultater. Det er op til tilbudstager at udvælge hvor meget materiale der skal anvendes på siden. Dog vil der være minimumskrav som kan læses under kravspecifikationen.
Videoarbejde
Det er en fordel hvis tilbudstager har erfaring inden for videoredigering idet dele af videomaterialet bør sammenklippes til minimum 4 video af 2 minutters varighed med henblik på at kunne vises på siden.
Udnyttelse af internet-mediet
Det forventes at tilbudstager vil deltage aktivt for at skabe nye ideer og værktøjer, der kan skabe opmærksomhed og brugbarhed omkring sitet. Det kunne for eksempel være inkluderende måder hvorpå lokalbefolkninger verden over kan søge om at være med i et bæredygtigt projekt; det kan være måder hvorpå virksomheder kan dele deres ønske om at demonstrere en miljøteknologi i et lokalområde eller noget helt tredje. Sådanne ideer og værktøjer vil tilbudsgiver hjælpe med at opfinde og udvikle.
Associationer
Sitet skal fremstå således at følgende associationer mødes når man besøger siden:
- Inspirerende
- Levende
- Visionær
- Stilrent
- Legende
- Let
- Informationsrigt
- Fortællende
- Energisk
- Inddragende
- Handlingsorienteret
Kravspecifikation, tekniske
-Siden skal fremstå på samme måde på minimum Firefox, Safari og Internet Explorer.
- Dele af siden skal kunne opdateres let og brugervenligt af tilbudsgivere.
- Downloadtiden på hjemmesiden må ikke overstige 5 sekunder.
- Databasen i et evt. CMS-system bør kunne tilpasses andre CMSer, uden dette er et krav.
Kravspecifikation, indholdsmæssige
Nedenstående indhold leveres af tilbudsgiver med mindre stjerne (*) er indført.
Hjemmesiden skal
- Minimum indeholde 10 interviews med respondenter fra Bornholm.
- Minimum indeholde 50 billeder fra projektudførelsen.
- Minimum indeholde 1 analyse af projektet.
- Minimum indeholde 1 artikel om processen i projektet.
- Minimum indeholde 3 film fra projektet af hver 3 minutters varighed*.
- Minimum indeholde 3 hele interviews i mp3-format.
- Minimum vise 3 prototyper som resultat af projektet*.
- Minimum skabe 3 muligheder for brugeren at komme i kontakt (værtøj)*.
- Minimum vise 5 illustrationer* i overensstemmelse med hjemmesidens stil.
Vedligeholdelse
Tilbudstager har ansvaret for vedligeholdelse af hjemmesiden. Dette indebærer teknisk assistance ved udfald og andre tekniske fejlforekomster.
Bæredygtighed
Det bør overvejes hvordan man har tænkt sig at udføre arbejdet så det får mindst mulig negativ påvirkning på miljøet.
Deadline
Deadline for lancering af hjemmesiden er 31. maj 2010.
Budget
Budgettet for udvikling, design og implementering af hjemmesiden er på 50.000 kr.
Tilbudsdokumentet
Tilbudsgiver har til hensigt at gøre valget af tilbudstager afslappet og menneskelig. Det er vigtigt at de rigtige får opgaven. Tilbudsgiver har ingen præferencer hvad angår tilbudstagers virksomhedsstørrelse. Så længe man har et CVR-nummer er man med. Modige designstuderende med CVR-nummer kan derfor også føle sig inkluderet. For at lette processen skal interesserede ikke gøre andet end at skrive et dokument som skal indeholde følgende:
- Kort beskrivelse af erfaringer (halv side).
- Kort beskrivelse af interesse i projektet (max en halv side).
- 5 links fra hjemmesider fra verden, som man mener er interessante inspirationskilder for at guide en løsning på opgaven.
- Navne på involverede mennesker i projekter.
Interesserede vil omkring 1. marts blive kontaktet af tilbudsgiver om yderligere eventuelle spørgsmål.
Bedømmelseskriterier
Bedømmelsen vil foretages på baggrund af:
- Ambitionsniveauet hos tilbudstager for at løse opgaven.
- Evne og motivation til at vise kompleks viden på inspirerende og visionær vis.
- Levering af mængden af kvalitet inden for budgetrammen.
- Motivation og lyst til at få hjemmesiden til at blive et hit på nettet.
Send tilbudsdokumentet til
tobias@socialaction.dk
Good luck,
Biogasol, Social Action & Bornholms Affaldshåndtering
www.biogasol.dk
www.socialaction.dk
www.bofa.dk
We don't know what we have just created, but it looks pretty cool.
December 30, 2009 01:13pmWithout really knowing how and why, Social Action has co-created the first augmented reality eco-database in Denmark.
So what does that mean? Frankly, we dont have a clue.
It was a fast and furious collaboration with Fast Company favourites, SenSaris from Paris, and Layar from Holland. The whole shabang was organised by long time friend of the company, Ronni Pedersen.
So what is it? Well, it's a way for people to see air pollution - through their wide-screen cellphone. Simply point the cellphone to see the city through the city and you will be able to see where in the city the NOx-level (air pollution) is alarming or low - or anywhere in between.
So why did we help develop it?
First of all because it was fun. Because it makes something as unvisible as air pollution visible. Because it is a tangible way for everyday citizens to collect data about their surroundings.
The air pollution is measured using Sensaris' newly developed sensors that the team now have criss-crossing Copenhagen.
In early in 2010 Sensaris will be able to measure CO2 as well. Exciting stuff. Then finally people will be able to see the CO2 emissions they co-emit for real - a long time aesthetic dream of Social Action.
Social Action søger partnere: Skab en bedre verden. In Danish only.
October 14, 2009 06:40pmHar du lyst til at ændre verden på en profitabel måde, så er du måske den rette til at indgå som partner i Social Action ApS.
Lige nu planlægger vi at udvide vores markedsområder. For at rammer interessante markedsflader, åbner vi op for partnerkredsen og søger personer der vil være med i eventyret sammen med os.
Vi har ikke stress, så finder vi ikke den rette, fortsætter vi væksten som hidtil.
Men tror du, at du har hvad der skal til for at blive medejer i en ambitiøs, legende og verdensforbedrende virksomhed, så har du chancen for at slå til nu.
Social Action har skabt projekter for kunder som Lego, Novo Nordisk, Dansk Retursystem, Aarstiderne, Biogasol, Dublin City Council og Økonomi- og Erhvervsministeriet.
Social Action har
- forbedret brugen af CO2-reducerende bioethanol i Danmark.
- muliggjort at brintbilindustrien kommer tættere på lokalbefolkningerne og lettet overgangen fra et oliebaseret til et hydrogenbaseret transportnetværk.
- analyseret og visualiseret processen for hvordan store virksomheder bruger deres kapacitet til at løse globale udfordringer på markedsvilkår.
- involveret medarbejdere til at forbedre deres arbejdsopgaver på måder som både løser konkrete virksomhedsrelevante og globale udfordringer.
Vi arbejder med etnografi, design, film, arkitektur og business. Kernemetoderne i vores projektarbejde er brugerdreven innovation og designtænkning.
Der findes ingen kriterier for at søge partnerskab i Social Action. Hvis du kan ændre verden og kan dedikere dig 110% er du måske den rette.
Det skal dog nævnes, at har du haft ejerskab i en virksomhed før, eller sidder du som ejer i en virksomhed nu, er det en fordel. Men det er ikke et kriterium.
Har du interesse, så skriv en kort mail til Tobias Lau på tobias@socialaction.dk.
What can you offer a company that intends to use 1,000,000,000 euros on solar panels?
October 13, 2009 02:48pm************Social Action's blogpost 13/10 2009 at Børsen Klima*************
En lavine af handling.
En ting er at ville forbedre verden. En anden ting er at gøre det. Som virksomhed. Som sælger. Som køber.
Selv kæmper vi med det i vores egen virksomhed. Vi er af den type virksomhed der sælger forbedringer. På linje med virksomheder der sælger vindmøller, solceller og jordvarme. Vi sælge bare ikke fysiske produkter. Vi sælger motivation og involvering. Involvering af forbrugere og af involvering af medarbejdere der gerne vil komme med ind i den grønne revolution.
Hvordan sælger man positiv forandring på den mest optimale vis? Hvis alt ikke skal gå helt ad h til, skal alle samfundets industrielle processer og måder at leve på, blive grønne, bæredygtige, på under 30 år; det vil sige, de skal undergå positiv forandring. Bla bla bla, det har vi hørt før, men hvordan skal det gøres? Hvordan skal det sættes i system? Hvordan kan det masseproduceres? Hvordan skal det indpakkes?
Selv havde vi et møde med et af verdens største firmaer forleden. De ville gerne undergå en positiv forandring og de arbejder blandt andet på at udstyre deres butikker med solceller – et projekt der i følge dem selv let kan koste 1 milliard Euro.
Vores virksomhed råder ikke over 1 milliard Euro til grønne investeringer. Men vi sidder med et firma, der vil ud over stepperne for at få innovation og arbejdsgejst i firmaer til at gå hånd i hånd med de grønne mål, virksomheder opsætter for dem selv. Og den indsats udfylder et hul, selv den store virksomhed jeg før omtalte, mangler at udfylde.
Jo, med deres solcelle-projekt gør de i kvantitet mere end hvad måske 99% af alle verdens virksomheder kan formå.
Men det ændrer ikke ved, at 99% af deres ansatte, ligesom alle andre virksomheder, i det daglige arbejdsliv ikke tænker over, hvordan virksomheden kan blive grønnere.
Et kæmpe potentiale findes i hver en medarbejder på arbejdspladsen, som kan ændre den lille arbejdsrutine, som kan skabe en lille besparelse i virksomheden. Det kan starte en lavine af handling. Det kan starte en ny måde at være medarbejder på. Det kan starte en innovationskultur i alle dele af virksomheden.
Det er dét vi vil tilbyde den store multinationale virksomhed. Det er dét selv dén mangler – på trods af deres allerede mønsterbrydende solcelle-investering.
Facilitating Dublin City Council to liberate communities. Using 1700 ideas to make it happen.
October 04, 2009 04:29pmIn the past week, Social Action was in Dubling to facilitate Dublin City Council in creating community engagement tools for the citizens in the Dublin surburb of Clongriffin.
The work is being conducted by the new design school, Design21C (C for Century) and led by Social Action Fellow, Vannesa Ahauctzin.
In the past 2 weeks the people at Design21C have gone out to meet and talk with the community in Clongriffin which inhabits around 4,000 people.
Much can be written about the work-in-progress to galvanise social engagement to the grey-looking surburb (the solutions will be read by late-November) but the most giving that SA got out of the visit was the 1,700 relevant ideas the 17 people at Design21C had found on the internet as part of the research.
Based on 2 research efforts:
1) the 1,700 ideas and
2) the ethnographic work that had been carried out in Clongriffin,
SA facilitated a workshop where the immense amount of knowledge was narrowed to concrete scenarios and action steps.
Found out more at Design21Cs website or contact us.
Apple reinvents CO2 accounting - the company can nolonger be understood without its consumers.
September 28, 2009 07:26pm*******Social Action's blog entry at VIP bloggers in Børsen 29/9 2009*******
I sidste uge fremlagde Apple deres længe ventede CO2-regnskab.
De havde længe holdt det for dem selv, men pga. pres fra blandt andet Greenpeace offentliggjorde Apple den 24. september deres CO2-aftryk for første gang.
Men Apple gør jo ingen ting, uden at genopfindelse er en del af bestræbelserne.
Så modsat deres konkurrenter, Dell og HP, er Appels CO2 regnskab langt mere relevant og nyskabende.
I stedet for, som konkurrenterne, at offentliggøre virksomhedens fremstillingsrelaterede CO2 aftryk – dét det kræver at producere en computer – inkluderer Apple den CO2 udledning, produktet vil skabe i forbrugernes hænder.
Og regnskabet viser at forbrugernes brug af Apples produkter skaber et større CO2 aftryk end hvad det kræver Apple at producere produkterne.
Ikke alene er det en god historie for Apple (som dermed kun fremstår som del-ansvarlige for deres CO2 udslip – ’Du, kære forbruger, har så sandelig også et ansvar’, synes det at fremstå); det er også fantastisk nyskabende for fremtidens CO2 regnskaber.
Selvfølgelig skal forbrugeres brug af produkter og tilhørende CO2 aftryk inkluderes i det overordnede CO2 regnskab.
Det er jo ikke virksomhedens skyld at de producerer gode produkter, som folk vælger at købe. På samme måde – med omvendt fortegn – er det lige så meget op til forbrugeren som producenten at benytte produktet, således at det skaber mindst mulig CO2 udslip. I klimaets navn; det er en fælles indsats.
Selvfølgelig har virksomheden et kæmpeansvar for at lave produkter der bruger lidt energi. Og dét burde være et område som virksomheder som Bang & Olufsen, Louis Poulsen og Grundfos i Danmark arbejder voldsomt på i disse år.
Men forbrugernes brug af produkter – deres vaner og adfærd omkring produktet – må også indtænkes for at få den maksimale CO2-nedsættelse realiseret.
Virksomheder og forbrugere (eller produkter og deres forbrugere) må tænkes ind i hinanden, og folks brug af produkterne må afdækkes og indtænkes i virksomheders grønne innovationsinitiativer, for at skabe den grønne, brugerdrevne fremtid vi har brug for.
Dét kunne i sidste ende skabe mere loyale forbrugere, der virkelig respekterer det produkt de benytter i deres dagligdag.
Enabling 100 people to teach 8000 pupils about climate change.
September 26, 2009 04:51pmThis week and next Friday, Social Action is motivating 100 people on how to teach about climate change.
The 100 people in the age group 20-25 has volunteered as Climate Ambassadors and will visit 300 Danish schools to teach kids between 10-13 years about what to do about the climate challenges.
The Climate Ambassador program is headed by Concito, a Danish green think tank, and funded på Tryg Fonden.
Creating succesful waste concept for CO2-neutral and energy-producing music festival.
September 12, 2009 04:47pmSocial Action is the brain behind Co2penhagen's waste concept. Co2penhagen is the world's first CO2 neutral music festival.
With intense and immense help from students from the IT University of Copenhagen, Social Action led the development of the waste concept. The concept has been underway since May and was realised and worked for the 3 days the festival lasted.
In short, the concept was grounded in dogma that people's waste sorting and behaviour HAD to make functional sense. If the sorted waste was burned in the same incinerator as usual, the sorting would become a mere spectacle and not reflect the complex solutions that are needed in the future.
As a respond to the challenge, we made a strategic alliance with coming-up waste-to-energy companies, such as Stirling DK, Viking and Bio Vækst. This led to 3 baskets with each their functional purpose at each of the 12 waste stations:
- 1 basket for used wooden plates and cutlery to create electricity and heat at the festival (Stirling DK and Viking),
- 1 for food left-overs to create manure and biogas for farmers in Sealand (Bio Vækst) and
- 1 for everything else that will be burned by Vestforbrændingen to create heat in homes in Sealand.
Please contact Tobias (tobias@socialaction.dk) for more information on the waste concept, research and development and execution.
Read article on the concept in Ingeniøren by clicking on this link.
Feed-me Feed-you Feed-us Feed-in tariffs and why it's important to know about.
September 09, 2009 12:26pmWe have been asked to blog on climate and innovation at Børsen Klima.
We have just published our second post. Read it here or read it below.
It's about how to actively and meaningfully engage local communitites - people - in climate accomplishments.
Read also the blog entry below:
(in Danish)
Fra Not-In-My-Back-Yard til Local Tech innovation.
For ganske nylig offentliggjorde Vattenfall at de ville udsætte deres millioninvestering i deres stort anlagte CO2-lagringsteknologi (CCS) i Nordjylland. Hvorfor? Naboerne vil ikke ha’ det. De mener det er både miljøskadeligt og farligt.
Den hændelse er værd at bide mærke i, hvis man har til hensigt at skabe klimaløsninger til det 21. århundrede.
I England sker det samme inden for vindmølleparker. Ud af alle vindmølleparker der kunne bygges i England inden for de sidste 5 år, er 80% ikke blevet bygget på grund af manglende lokal opbakning. Jeg gentager: Firs procent.
Lad os ikke begræde den manglende opbakning, men i stedet gå lige til kødet: De klimaløsninger, især energiløsninger, vi må skabe over de næste årtier, for at møde de vækstrater der forventes af klimateknologi-virksomheder, vil i høj grad bestå af løsninger, som kan skabe decentral energiproduktion. Decentral energiproduktion sker, når der lades el op i garagen til elbilen, eller når solceller og tag-vindmøller på ens tage skaber energi. Decentral energiproduktion; ikke central energiproduktion fra centraliserede kraftværker som i det 20. århundrede.
Så langt, så godt. Men decentral energiproduktion kræver, at lokalsamfund skal involveres langt mere effektivt for at skabe den fornødne energi. Det kræver, at lokalsamfund forstår deres rolle som lokale energi-producenter. Lokalsamfund, ned til den mindste borger, er ikke længere energi-modtager, men energi-medejer og medansvarlig. Det er en ny rolle for lokalsamfundene rundt om i Danmark (for ikke at glemme lokalsamfund i EU, USA og resten af verden). Lokalsamfundene skal lære at forstå, at de spiller en aktiv rolle, for at realisere fremtidens klimaløsninger. Og dét kræver igen, at man skaber brugerdrevne klimaløsninger; man kunne kalde det Local Tech.
Et bud på en definition på Local Tech: ”En metode om hvordan lokalbefolkninger involveres i miljøprojekter for at føle ejerskab og engagement, for, på sigt, at ændre adfærd således, at miljøprojektet modtager det nødvendige input til at skabe varig vedligeholdelse.”
Ét eksempel på Local Tech, er et projekt vi selv arbejder med på Bornholm, hvor lokal produktion af bioethanol af affald, vil være en af de første steder i verden, hvor strategisk involvering af lokalsamfundet danner grundlaget for hele energiprojektet. Hvis ikke lokalsamfundet er overbevist om fordelene ved bioethanol-produktionen, vil de ikke kunne se meningen med at sortere deres affald, og millioninvesteringen i et 2. generations bioethanol ville være nytteløs. Ligesom fiaskoen i Nordjylland.
Det man kan lære er:
- Involver lokalbefolkningen tidligt i klimaprojekter.
- Lav ikke borgermøder, men skab bruger-indsigter.
- Skab engagement og ejerskab om miljøprojektet i lokalsamfundet.
- Sigt efter at forstå motiverne for de 4 målgrupper der udgør et lokalsamfund: Virksomheder, Det Offentlige, Landmænd og Borgere.
- Formidl på fyndig, sandfærdig og saglig vis om projektets udvikling og lokalsamfundets rolle heri.
- Følg op.
Det er vores erfaring, at lokalsamfund er villig til at gå på kompromis med deres adfærd eller deres fysiske udsigt, hvis de forstår meningen med klimaprojektet. Dén del af de miljøteknologiske ingeniørbedrifter, der også involverer adfærdsmotivation, kan dermed kontrollere risikoen ved NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard)-effekten og få udført deres projekter inden for den planlagte tid og inden for det planlagte budget. Til glæde for alle – inklusiv miljøet.
Project on climate, Hollywood movies and celebrities.
September 04, 2009 10:57pmLast Saturday we launched a sold-out event for 200 people at the Danish Design Center. We showed 15 clips from Hollywood movies, YouTube films and music videos and related them to the climate challenge, innovation and new design solutions. It was a great and interesting experience. The medium - mixing speeches with movie clips from famous movies - is soemthing we will make sure to investige and explore more in our future work in Social Action.
We got the Danish actor, Jesper Lohmann, to introduce each clip with a statement about the climate that we had written.
Just before the intermission break - after the first 8 movie clips - we were afraid that people would leave. But after the whole event was done, we were told by several people that they were really touched by what they had seen.
Jesper also told us in the intermission break that he too was moved by the event.
After the event we asked people in plenum if they had any questions. No one said anything. Then we asked if any of the shown movie clip had made any immediate impressions. No one said anything.
After the somewhat awkward Q&A, when we hanging out in the bar, a kind lady approached us. She said, 'Guys, it's no so much about what questions we had to you after having seen what we had seen. It's more about what questions we are going to ask ourselves.'
We thought that was a beautiful way of describing the intention of the evening.
If you are interested to get a presentation similar to the one we gave at the Danish Design Center, please contact tobias@socialaction.dk.
- - - - - -
Read the introduction made by Social Action before Jesper Lohmann was introduced and the clips were shown:
- - - - - -
Aftenen i aften er et eksperiment som ligger mellem fri fantasi og virkelighed.
Det er en aften der fejrer filmmediets evne til at kommunikere følelser på samme tid som aftenen fejre evnen til at drømme og evnen til at blive inspireret. Sidst men ikke mindst er det et abstrakt og nærmest sjovt/psykologsi forsøg på at lave et 'call to action' blandt de fremmødte for at skabe nye klima-løsninger.
Idéen bag aftenen opstod i biografen. Mange mennesker har måske oplevet, at de i biografen kan se og føle nogle af de følelser og udfordringer, som er så svære at snakke om ude i den virkelige verden. Det er dén evne som filmmediet har, som vi gerne vil lege med i aften.
I Social Action arbejder vi dagligt med klima- og miljøudfordringer fra et innovations- og socialtvidenskabeligt perspektiv, og vi kan derfor ikke, når vi sidder i biografen, lade være med at tænke klima ind i de film vi ser.
Vi er ude efter at skabe mange følelser i aften. Både følelsen af inspiration og desperationen vil vi prove at få aktivt i spil. Og ikke mindst følelsen der bedst kan beskrives som smilet.
Om det lykkes at skabe de følelser hos os I aften, er et åbent spørgsmål.
Følelserne skal bruges til gavn for et fælles mål: at skabe klimarigtige løsninger, produkter og services. Om det lykkes, er hvad eksperimentet handler om i aften.
Aftenen i aften handler om at skabe nye billeder i vores hoveder.
Om aftenen viser sig som i succes i Social Actions øjne, vil vise sig hvis bare en enkelt af jer her i lokalet om nogle dage eller om nogle uger eller om nogle måneder vil bruge nogle af de billeder i har set her i aften som en ny reference-ramme til at argumentere inde i jer selv - eller over for andre - om hvorvidt i skal lave en klima-indsats.
Det kan enten være når i står i supermarkedet og udvælger indkøbsvarer, eller når i skal igangsætte nye initiativer eller nye produkter på jeres arbejdsplads. Hvis nogle af de billeder i vil se, er billeder i vil bruge som personlige hukommelseskort som fordre til aktion i jeres hverdag, så er succesen for i aften i hus.
Nu vil fortælle lidt om spillets regler i aften:
Det I vil udsættes for, når vi om lidt går i gang, er en gennemgang af korte filmklip, som kan skabe nye perspektiver og pointer om klimaudfordringen. Klippene stammer fra Hollywood-film, YouTube klip og musikvideoer. Til hvert klip hører der sig en pointe. Pointen vil blive læst op før i ser filmklippet. Det er pointer, som vi tænkte på, da vi så filmklippet. De oplæste pointer vil altså henvise til det tilhørende filmklip, set gennem en klima-linse.
Det skal for god ordens skyld siges, at de oplæste pointer på overfladen intet har med filmklippene at gøre. Filmen har intet med klima at gøre overhovedet. Men det er heri, at eksperimentet bliver interessant og nyt for os allesammen i aften.
Nogle klip vil måske skabe mening for jer, mens andre vil flyve hen over hovedet på jer, og i vil tænke, "hvorfor var det lige, at vi sku se dét klip?" Men den forventningsafstemning afklaret, og med at give jer forvisningen om at hele aftenen er planlagt med et glimt i øjet, håber jeg at i vil nyde denne aften i filmens, inspirationens og klimaløsningernes tegn.
Learn final cut for free in our exhibition space 1/9 at 13:00.
August 31, 2009 08:47pmWe love movies and love to make movies. Only some of us in Social Action know how to use the professional movie making software Final Cut. That's why we arrange a workshop for ourselves so that everyone in Social Action know how to use Final Cut. We have asked a Final Cut expert to go through the basics for an hour or two. You are most welcome to join the workshop for free. This week we are located in the exhibition Show How, so that's where the workshop will take place. The address is Strandgade 95A - on Christianshavn.
Opening of exhibition - showing cartoon, grass, newspapers and ethanol.
August 23, 2009 05:50pmWe have been selected to showcase our process and working methods as we are working ahead to create new socially driven solutions for the new 2. generation bioethanol plant that will be build for islanders on Bornholm.
Come to the opening of our exhibition space at Hal D in Christianshavn, Copenhagen. The exhibition is open everyday from 10-18 starting from Friday 28/8 until the 6/9.
We are exhibiting with other companies who are making efforts to create environmental change, such as IKEA, Velux, Nikea and Interface. In our space you will be able to see a Post It Note Wall, walk on grass and see how your garden grass can become fuel for cars. And we will be having made a great cartoon showing what we do and how.
Read more about the overall exhibition by clicking on this link.
Social Action is now VIP Blogger on climate for Børsen. First post out now.
August 23, 2009 05:39pmSocial Action has been asked - together with other corporate interests in the climate issue, such as Klimakonsortiet, Concitio and Danske Bank - to comment on the climate development leading towards the climate conference in December.
We are happy to influence the debate which is often domintated by - in our view - irrelevant discussions and topics.
Our first blog post is regarding climate and innovation. Read it here. We are already planning our second blog post which we think will be about how to galvanise energy in local communitities to embrace new green tech solutions such as CCS and 2. generation bioethanol.
Read our blog post at Børsen by clicking on this link.
This week we made Iben Hjejle laugh.
August 23, 2009 05:21pmCan you copy the feeling you get when you sit in the cinema, watching a movie and become inspired?
That's the experiment we want to test out when we perform the movie evening Make Us Dream at the Dansih Design Center on Saturday 29/8 at 20:00. sign up here.
During the event different movie clips from Hollywood movies, YouTube clips and TV shows, will be showed. We called up Iben Hjejle to ask her whether or not she wanted to respresent the culture / actor scene during this event for climate and action. Her job would be to introduce each clip with a specially narrated text written by us. When she heard we were going to show clips from everything from Chaplin to The Muppet Show, she began to laugh and was eager to investigate if it fitted with her calendar. We waited in excitement. After 1 day her manager replied that she had to do a film shooting in Sweden that weekend, but we were welcome to contact her again for other such events.
Even without the actress, we hope the movie evening will stand out as a special evening. Time will tell. And maybe we'll do another Social Action event with Iben Hjejle another time...
Join our movie night at the Danish Design Center on Aug 29th at 20:00.
July 27, 2009 05:53pmNow, the movie night is here and you can read more and sign up below (limited seats).
Social Action's movie night will be an experiment in how to use the moving image to inspire behavioral change towards sustainable visions and actions.
In more detail, the movie evening aims to give people an inspiring and visual aspects of the design process to develop sustainable products and services.
The movie evening will primarily be an inspiring event that show various short clips from pop cultural movies and youtube clips. The screening of various short movie clips about design, innovation and change will be complemented by networking opportunities in more informal, party-ish settings.
read more and sign up for the evening here.
Supporting a CSR-driven innovation tool to inspire SMVs.
July 02, 2009 10:25pmSocial Action has been asked by the Ministry of Business to give creative input on how to develop a new web-based tool that will inspire CSR-innovation among Danish small and medium sized companies (SMVs). Many companies don't know how to combine world change with innovation. The intention of the tool is to close this knowledge gap. The tool will be launched in the autumn of 2009.
Working with the Ministry of Food and the UN on the climate conference.
July 02, 2009 10:15pmSocial Action has been asked by the Ministry of Food to vividly tell their vision of how a sustainable farm will look like in the future. The vision will be showcased at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December. The vision is to show a farm that works in cycles instead of efficient liniear behavioral patterns. A sustainable farm could mean that an area of 180 ha can provide enough food and vegetables for 10,000 people in their local surroundings - as long as the hectars are used intelligently. In order to showcase the sustainble farm, Social Action is planning to build the farm in Lego in a 4x4 meter model. The amount of crops and animals that is needed to sustainably provide the necessary food is estimated by the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences in Aarhus.
Engaging 44,000 people to turn waste into energy.
June 30, 2009 09:07pmSocial Action has been hired to engage the island of Bornholm to participate in the production of locally-manufactured CO2 neutral ethanol. The ethanol is produced by one of the few 2nd generation bioethnaol plants in the world. The one on Bornholm will be build be Biogasol. Social Action will help Biogasol to uncover how citizens, companies, farmers and public institutions can be part of the organic waste gathering. Furthermore, the project will enlighten how new visual representations can motivate the island inhabitants to see a meaning and purpose with their waste routines. The project is public, so call us for any questions.
Hollywood Project will be magical.
June 07, 2009 10:09amWe are working ahead to create the most amazing and inspirational movie night about sustainable design. Just arrived from the Hollywood state of California, Mads Jensen from Berkeley and his friends are working at Social Action to find vivid and delirious clips and scenes from a variety of movies. The intention is to use the emotional power of the moving image to inspire change and hope amongst the audience. We are excited to share these clips on August 26th - the location is not yet set. The event is created together with the Danish Design Center.
Making Bornholm a real green island
May 23, 2009 05:35pmWe have started our 2nd generation bioethanol project together with Biogasol. We are super-excited. We are talking to experts daily (from Denmark and abroad) and in mid-June we are going to the island for a few weeks to interview, brainstorm (and hopefully to enjoy the sun). A group of 4-5 people from Social Action will be on the island to do the study. The main purpose is dual: 1) to find lots and lots of organic waste that are now not being used effectively and 2) to understand how to motivate ordinary people on the island to participate in new waste management behaviours. In other words: we'll try to funk up the way waste is understood. As we are beginning to say more and more: waste is the new black.
Photoshoping a Museum of Nature
April 21, 2009 01:46pmIlkka Halso is the name of a Finnish photographer who's artwork we at Social Action for the moment find insanely inspiring. Click on this link and click again on "Museum of Nature" to his artwork.
Movie Night!
April 05, 2009 05:22pmSocial Action is curator on a Movie Night about sustainable design made in collaboration with the Danish Design Center (DDC). The movie night will happen in one of the cinemas in Copenhagen. Instead of giving answers to and defining 'sustainable design', the movies will show vivid, surprising, abstract, inclusive and colourful angles on the topic, supported with discussions from communication and sustainability experts. One of the more informal movies we are considering to show could be this one. It shows the life cycle of a tomato while telling a personal, everyday story in 4 minutes. It's from 1997 but we are still fans. If you know of any good movies that we should show, please let us know. The movie night will end with a party for the participating crowd. The Movie Night will probably happen in late August. We'll post more when we know more.
Making our surroundings sustainable
April 05, 2009 04:50pmWe are working to begin a new project on the future of architecture. The project will uncover the environmental and human impact that architects can galvanize and manage if planned in advance. For the moment we are in discussion with various partners to get the project up and running sometime in 2009. We'll keep you posted - - if you will cross your fingers for us.
Participating in Beyond Kyoto
March 06, 2009 03:57pmWe are present at the conference Beyond Kyoto together with other members of the green think tank, Concito. If you are going to the conference as well and want to meet up, send an email to Tobias and you can meet up. If you are Steven Chu: Why did you cancel the conference, mister?
Travelling across Denmark
February 15, 2009 08:03pmIn January, Social Action has been visiting 18 companies around Denmark that solve global challenges in audacious and inspirational ways. Out of the many companies, we met visionary people who are turning car windows into 'green glue'; we met people that ship used Danish bikes to Africa and people who design groundbreaking fuel cell stations for the coming green roadsystem in Scandinavia. Read about our findings in the upcoming case-report from the Danish Ministry of Business.
Project with top cleantech firm
December 12, 2008 05:32pmWe have just been told that we will receive enough funding to start a project with the upcoming bioethanol firm, Biogasol. Biogasol is the top rated Danish firm in The Guardian's Cleantech 100. The purpose of the project is to come up with smart ways for people to use their organic waste to generate energy. Waste = Food.
Working with Edward Burtynsky
December 05, 2008 05:02pmWe have just been told that we are allowed to use the beautiful photographs of Edward Burtynsky for a project we are doing for the Danish Ministry of Business. It's a great honor to use these photographs since the artwork of Mr. Burtynsky is in the world-class of photography. - Especially when portraying our civilisation's impact on our environment in a breathtakingly beautiful and disturbing way. See more at http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/
Invited for roundtable talks by Minister
November 29, 2008 06:34pmSocial Action was one of the selected invitees for an informal, solution-oriented talk with the Danish Minister for Climate and Energy, Connie Hedegaard. The discussions will happen on December 1st at the Danish Ministry for Climate and Energy and focus on concrete ways Denmark can spearhead new cliamte solutions and create a public movement around the revolution at hand.
Movie-making process
November 01, 2008 04:48pmAt Social Action we have a hidden love for the moving picture when telling purposeful stories about sustainability. For the moment we are working with designers, artistst and animators from 3 countries on 2 continents to finish a movie on how (some) companies are improving the world. We look forward to show the result. Stay tuned.
Social Action in India and China
October 30, 2008 10:59pmSocial Action have been working on an ethnographic project in Indian and China in August. The work was a Base of the Pyramid project to help the health conditions for the urban poor in the two countries. The work was done for a major Danish company.
Green Career Day at the University of Co
April 06, 2008 05:22pmWe are presenting our work and coming projects at a career day for students focusing on "green careers". Other companies will also present their work on energy, climate and the environment, including DONG energy, Vestas, Novozymes, Maersk, SAS and Velux.
Venue: Festsalen på Vor Frue Plads
Time: 13-16
Link: http://alumni.ku.dk/groenkarriereboers/
Teaming up with Transsolar and BIG
February 23, 2008 05:17pmAs part of a new city development project in Copenhagen, BIG and Transsolar are teaming up with Social Action to develop sustainable and user-friendly solutions for the Copenhagen citizens. BIG is a well-known Danish architecture firm while Transsolar is an internationally acclaimed German climate engineering firm. They have previously worked with Frank Gehry & Partners and Auer+Weber. Social Action will provide ethnographic research and develop services and other information technology resources to enable, measure, and promote sustainability achievements in the area.
Seminar on concept development
February 23, 2008 04:57pmTobias Lau will give a talk on concept development as part of the Creative Partnerships seminars. The talk will not touch on sustainability but strictly be around an investigation Social Action helped the Ministry of Business to develop on how international design consultancies are working with concept development. It's open for everyone.
Venue: Danish Architecture Center
Time: 27/2 at 15:30-17:00
Lecture on green concepts
February 23, 2008 04:42pmTobias Lau will be speaking on how to use different methods from various disciplines to develop green concepts and products. He will touch upon the development of "Min Regnskov" among other projects.
Venue: IT University, Auditorium 3
Time: 22/2 at 10:00.
Revolutionaries of the Future
February 14, 2008 07:13pmSocial Action was mentioned among others as "Revolutionaries of the Future" in a front cover story in the newspaper Information. Read the article here (in Danish).
Opening for academic interns
January 28, 2008 12:05pmIn February we will start writing the first report on Corporate Social Innovation in Denmark. We are looking for two academics from the social sciences (political science and sociology) and from the business schools to investigate the CSI area with us. Are you interested to hear more, then contact tobias@socialaction.dk
MTV Party
January 02, 2008 03:29pmMTV has asked us to make a Social Action Room at their party January 19 in Råhuset, Copenhagen. And that we will do. Please come and join us.
Venue: Råhuset, Copenhagen V
Time: January 19 // 20:00-05:00
Entrance: 25 m2 rainforest
See Flyer
Tools for Sustainable Design
December 15, 2007 05:23pmWe are very happy to announce that Social Action will run the first course on sustainable design in Denmark in spring 2008. The course is named Tools for Sustainable Design and will be available for all students at the Danish School of Design in April/May 2008. The course schedule will be released later on dkds.dk
Social Software
November 26, 2007 04:08pmKasper Kofod is guest lecturing on social services for mobile media on the course Social Software at the IT University of Copenhagen.
INDEX: Summer Camp
October 15, 2007 06:13pmTobias Lau from Social Action was member of the jury when international design and engineering students from the INDEX: Summer Camp presented their work. Their projects are now available from this link:
http://www.ciid.dk/summercamp/projects.html
Concept Development
September 26, 2007 04:08pmWe are guest lecturing at the IT University of Copenhagen on concept development and sustainable design.
Venue: IT University of Copenhagen
Time: September 28 // 10:00-12:00
Pecha Kucha
September 26, 2007 02:22pmCome see our Pecha Kucha at Danish Architecture Center in Copenhagen on September 26 at 19:00. It's open and free. See you there.
Venue: Danish Architecture Center
Time: September 26 // 19:00-23:00
