The Power of a Local Story during COP15

ThisPlace09 like so many other ideas started with one too many bottles of wine and a non-exhaustive list of conversations which ranged from Bonobo’s over active sex life to the concept of positive reciprocity in advertising.

Anyway… something that I remember discussing was that this project belonged to anybody and everybody who contributed to it. I know that words like that are thrown around far too often, but in today’s world our strength lies in the intent of people. Each individuals intent to add value, create and participate is compiled into what will eventually be the final product.

I want to focus on the word ‘individual’ for a moment. Despite the collective movement being what brings it scale and momentum, think of it as the vehicle, nothing would happen without the individual driver. What’s my point? Well we hear about climate change very often through mainstream media.  In the midst of all that spectacle and all of the science which is thrown around it is easy to forget how personal it can all be.

The personal element is one of the motivations for this project. As I read through the submissions it strikes me how the personal local stories and worries are the entries with a really profound impact.

Examples of great submissions;

See what I mean? Individual local stories submitted by real people. Can’t think of a better reminder to the delegates at COP15 whilst drowning in politics that there is so much which is really worth saving…

*The ones submitted under the thisplace09 profile were email submissions that we then posted on twitter, in the book these will include the name and location of the person