blog
No Bad Weather – Just Bad Clothes
These past few months have been a real emotional climate rollercoaster. The latest round of scientific research reports that glaciers are disappearing at even more alarming rates, and that previous projections on the rate of global warming were sorely underestimated, etc. Then adding insult to injury, reactionary politicians seemed to be gaining ground in their attempts to sabotage success in Copenhagen by deliberately lowering expectations for a legally binding treaty. Think Lars Rasmussen, Denmark’s Prime Minister or EU President Fredrik Reinfeldt or … the list goes on and on.
Thankfully there have also been some really bright spots as well. Such as a recent meeting with Huang Ming, founder and CEO of Himin Solar Energy Group, the world’s largest solar thermal company based in Dezhou, China.
Huang Ming was an engineer in the petroleum industry when he read a book on solar energy in 1987. He then experimented with his first model, which was enthusiastically received as a gift to a relative. Huang continued his solar energy research, and finally quit his job in the petroleum business in 1995, after a large order from a state-owned factory. The company he created became the market leader in three years, and now employees over 5,000 people. The company is behind the creation of China Solar City with over 5 million inhabitants, where 95% of the water is solar heated and where solar accounts for 60% of heating and cooling.
Huang Ming’s vision is that 90% of the world’s electricity will come from solar energy by 2050. And after having spent a few days together, I have no doubt that Huang will see that his vision becomes a reality. When asked about what he thought the outcome of the upcoming meeting in Copenhagen might be, he looked a bit bewildered. Eventually he answered, “I hope for an outcome that will lead the world to a sustainable path. But really, I don’t trouble myself too much with politics. Politicians usually just want to avoid responsibility. I want responsibility because it means opportunity.”
When we asked Huang what he’d especially like to do or see while visiting Stockholm, he said “football.” So we politely explained that unfortunately the football season had already ended and there were no longer any matches to see. “No, no. I want to play football!” was the unexpected response. Now if you’ve ever been to Sweden in November, I’m pretty sure that football wasn’t the first thing that sprang to your mind. And if it did, you’d probably realize pretty quickly that it’s virtually impossible to play at this time of year. You’d either need steel crampons under your cleats or rubber galoshes, depending on the weather.
But of course none of this occurred to Huang. Nor did it matter that he only had dress shoes with him on the visit, “No problem, I can borrow. My regular shoe size is 43, but I’ll wear any size you can find me.” Nor could he imagine that it might be a challenge to find enough people at such short notice who would be willing to get up early on a Sunday to play football on a dreary November morning. And as it turns out, Huang had no reason to doubt. 12 climate heroes showed up tired but happy the next morning, and played an awesome game of football. It was a bit chilly and it did rain now and then during the match, but we hardly noticed. Huang’s energy and spirit shed plenty of warmth and light on us all.
Latest posts
- Climate Solver Tool for Everyone - Over to you to explore high impact innovation
- Secretary Sh. C. K. Mishra recognize Indian SMEs with the potential to avoid 40 million tonnes of GHG emissions
- Five Climate Solver honorees coming to Mission Innovation in Malmö
- Twelve Nordic Startups on a Mission Innovation journey to combat climate change
- Actions and innovations strengthen our confidence in a low carbon future
- Is your country up to innovation speed in a changing climate?
- Six new Climate Solver Nordic companies honored as Helsinki hosts Finland's 1st Cleantech Forum Europe
- Making Innovation count: Workshop for cleantech SMEs in Bengaluru
- A new dawn for start-ups in India may impact us all
- South Africa celebrates entrepreneurial innovations
Related blogs
Categories
Archive
- June 2012
- February 2012
- November 2011
- October 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- September 2010
- October 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- October 2008
- September 2008
- July 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- November 2012
- December 2012
- January 2013
- February 2013
- March 2013
- April 2013
- June 2013
- July 2013
- September 2013
- October 2013
- November 2013
- January 2014
- March 2014
- June 2014
- August 2014
- January 2015
- February 2015
- April 2015
- May 2015
- June 2015
- September 2015
- May 2016
- June 2016
- September 2016
- April 2017
- May 2017
- June 2017
- April 2018
- May 2018
- October 2018
- February 2019