I’ve always been one for shaking things up, and you could say I was a bit of a rebel without a cause during my youth. Truth is, I’ve never really had respect for the status quo. I could never accept a system that pollutes our lands and seas or causes bloody wars over resources. Today, I still feel very much the same, albeit with a bit more respect and understanding of how we got here. That and a heavy dose of compassion, with a deep desire to create a better world for all. A rebel with a cause, if you will.

My passion for creating a better world began from an early age, with the best part of my childhood spent on roofs helping my father install solar panels and wind turbines, also being small enough to fit into tiny lofts saw me fitting insulation in those hard to reach places. Thanks, Dad! Later in life, this turned in to a career becoming operations director for my father’s renewable energy company. But then my life and career took a complete pivot, and I was suddenly a rock n roll singer with songs played on MTV and BBC Radio 1, it’s a strange life I tell you! 

After several years working in what was a fun, but bizarre industry, I found myself looking for something new and meaningful. At the same time, I was becoming increasingly alarmed by the latest warnings from the United Nations that we had just 10 years to mitigate and avoid a complete climate catastrophe. I had to do something. But after joining several climate protests, I soon realised raging demonstration was just not enough, I had to do more. So I decided the most effective form of activism would be to lead with solutions and inspire others to do the same, and I could do all this by utilising my talents and creativity. And so, my switch from rockstar to conscious entrepreneur had begun. My mission, rebellion against planetary-tyranny.

“Deeply effective activism works at the level of story. In the long term, effective activism happens through changing the story.” - Charles Eisenstein

As global citizens, we all have a huge role to play. I see us all as temporary caretakers, lodgers of a household with a fragile ceiling, and so I feel it is our duty to protect it. But we can only do this by moving into the future much more consciously, more wisely, with a deep awareness and consideration of the impact of our actions. We are all here on this planet at the most profound cross-roads humanity has ever faced, no war or struggle has ever been greater than this moment. But I believe in the power of progress, whilst knowing perfection is never immediately attainable, and in full knowledge, we live in an incredibly complex society. And yet the solutions are actually quite simple, they can all be solved with technological solutions and innovations, and a better, more efficient way of doing things. After all, it was technological solutions that got us into this mess in the first place. So let’s innovate our way out of it by designing the future we want to live in.

Welcome to the new age of energy. 

We are in the midst of the fastest, most profound change in the energy sector in over a century, driven by renewable energy technologies that are now extensively proven, reliable and economically viable. These technologies have become so advanced, that we are now at the point where we can meet 100% of our electricity demand through the use of renewables.

A 100% renewable energy powered future will open up extraordinary new possibilities for our economies and societies. And when you have a superabundance of renewable energy, well, that’s when things get really interesting, and entirely new business models will emerge, creating entirely new value systems. Plus our planet will be cleaner, and our cities will be quieter. And now, all of us can have the ability to generate our own renewable energy too. This decentralizing of energy will result in a shift away from the traditional utility model of distributing energy from large power plants to the consumer, making way instead for the prosumer, individuals who both consume and produce energy. It will also end our dependence on foreign energy corporations and global energy markets, ending our reliance on foreign oil, and ending what seems like the endless oil wars. Renewable energy can give us energy made here in our own backyard, making us all better off, keeping money in our pockets, in our local economies and creating new jobs for our local jurisdictions. Power to the people, for the people, by the people. With renewables, we are all better off. How beautiful is that?

We must accept and acknowledge that our very survival is reliant on this planet. The water we drink, the food we eat, the air we breathe all comes from this earth. It is totally illogical to pollute and destroy the very ecosystem that sustains us. This is a profound health and safety issue of the greatest magnitude. The current way of doing things is literally killing us. And this is all down to fossil fuels, transportation and the food we eat. Not only are we polluting the air we breathe, but we are polluting our food too. Pesticides used in agriculture is poisoning us and destroying our lands and crop yields, animal agriculture is also a major contributor to global emissions. Eating a plant-based, organic diet will help decrease your carbon footprint and improve your health. I know this is a stretch for many, but if I can do it, so can you.

"The situation the Earth is in today has been created by unmindful production and unmindful consumption. We consume to forget our worries and our anxieties. Tranquillising ourselves with overconsumption is not the way." - Thich Nhat Hanh

Right now, reducing emissions is the most important moment of our lifetime. Do we want to be a part of the generation that chose to get to carbon-zero, the generation that chose a better future? Or do we want to be the generation that hands over a dying planet to our children and grandchildren, knowing that they will end up fighting a losing battle for survival? I know which side I choose. Our future is a choice, and having the belief in where we want to go will get us there. Sadly, I see and feel a deep nihilism running through my social circles, a hopelessness and despair. If we trade belief of better days and give in to this existential melancholy, we will fail.

We are at the beginnings of a new and exciting industrial age, with fast-paced technological innovations and developments which will profoundly revolutionise the way we live. Let this reinvigorate our efforts. Progress is possible, solving this crisis is possible. We are in the arms of the atmosphere, and we are in the arms of ourselves, this moment counts, it’s time to turn the page.