Courtesy Goes A Long Way
On Wednesday we presented our submission to the Wellington City Council on their Draft Long Term Plan 2020-22 for the city. We were really interested in the presentation from the another submitter – Allan Brown, Chair of the Great Harbour Way Trust – who discussed the progress of the Great Harbour Way project which will provide a safe and continuous ...
On our funding, our new name and our origin
An article by George Monbiot, titled ‘Secretive thinktanks are crushing our democracy’, was recently brought to our attention by Nick Tucker. The article, published in The Guardian in September 2020, highlights the difficulties of uncovering funding sources for private research institutions engaging in public debate and producing research to influence public policy. Monbiot argues that...
Sustainable Future Institute Changes Name to McGuinness Institute
Since the end of February, the Sustainable Future Institute has been operating under a new name, the McGuinness Institute. As our Chief Executive, Wendy McGuinness, explains, the new name is reflective of both where our principal funding comes from, and our purpose; namely private funds invested for the public good. The change therefore allows us...
Sustainable Future Institute Agenda 2020:
2020 is the Chinese year of the dragon and is believed to bring abundance, prosperity and good fortune to those born under its sign; a timely prospect as global economic woes and civil unrest continue into the New Year. It also looks set to be another busy and exciting year for the Sustainable Future Institute...
Tipping Point for the Spread of Ideas
Scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have found that when just 10 percent of the population holds an unshakable belief, their belief will always be adopted by the majority of the society. The scientists, who are members of the Social Cognitive Networks Academic Research Center (SCNARC) at Rensselaer, used computational and analytical methods to discover the...
James Hansen asks Key to lead on climate change
Below is a press release following NASA climate scientist James Hansen’s talks in New Zealand. Only minor variations have been made for the purposes of this blog. At the end of his tour of New Zealand, eminent climate scientist Dr James Hansen has written an open letter to Prime Minister John Key on behalf of...
Video: Keeping the Best and Brightest in NZ
It has been predicted that 400,000 New Zealanders will migrate to Australia in the next 10 years. This has led people to question how can we keep businesses here? And how can we provide the conditions for thriving business? As businesses provide the higher wages that people are seeking elsewhere. Jeremy Moon, the founder of...
SFI Presentations
On Wednesday 15 June 2020 Jess Prendergast presented at the Leadership NZ 2020 Conversation Series at Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School. Wendy McGuinness has also recently presented at Otago University as part of the Women and Leadership Course. Speaking on the topic of connecting with people through storytelling, Jess illustrated how the three factors of...
Better Life Initiative
GDP and economic statistics are only two factors to consider when evaluating the quality of life in different countries. The OECD has developed an index that allows you to compare well-being across countries based on 11 topics they think are essential. You can choose how significant you want to make each of the topics and...
Personal account – Surviving 2 disasters
Our hearts go out to all of those in Christchurch affected by the recent after shocks. In light of the circumstances, it seems all the more important to draw your attention to Roger Dennis’ blog entry ‘Lessons learnt from 2 disasters’. This is a personal account of how being prepared helped Roger and his family...
First Light NZ to compete internationally
Congratulations to Anna Farrow, Nick Officer and the rest of the team at First Light NZ. First Light NZ is one of 20 teams selected to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2020 for their Meridian First Light house. This award winning house is designed to run entirely off solar energy, and produce at...