climate change

I had one of those meetings this morning where I was doodling on my notebook rather than listening as attentively as perhaps I should have been, but the words 'China', 'light' and 'bulbs' caught my attention. I started paying even more attention when I realised it related to the news that China will be phasing out incandescent bulbs in the next 10 years.

Greenpeace campaigner Louise Molloy, light bulb inventor Tony Doyle and designer Jason Bruges, proud owners of an award for innovation (Photo: Philip Vile)

One more (slightly belated) piece of news from the 100% Design exhibition comes in the form of an award. The light bulb used in Jason Bruges' installation has been given the inaugural award for innovative lighting design by the event's organisers, recognising the fact that it is the world's first fully dimmable energy efficient bulb.

How to best power the UK: what with the government's endless energy reviews, its current nuclear consultation and the rapidly growing interest in low carbon energy sources, it's the question every greenie worth their salt is talking about at the moment.

So, no surprises last week as George Bush's climate change summit ended up being pretty much what everyone expected it would - a futile and elitist talking shop which was a vain attempt for the outgoing president (15 months and counting) to say that he 'did something' about climate change.

A genuinely clean and efficient energy system isn't just about technology; the decentralised approach also has profound implications for the way we view energy and its "ownership", and the way individulas relate to their communities and to businesses.

At the weekend, we held a session at 100% Design so that experienced practitioners of decentralised energy could share their experiences with businesses, architects and designers. And we took a camera along, again. Here, Juliet Davenport of Good Energy, Pete Halsall of Gallions Reach, and Ben Stimpson of Sky TV talk about their experiences of taking the low carbon road: