Talking about Impact?

Sir Richard Branson’s latest “stunt” is a challenge to make true global impact. According to Green Business News (http://green.itweek.co.uk/2007/02/bransons_climat.html), Branson is offering up $25 Million to the first scientist who is able to develop a workable means of removing at least one billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year.

What a brilliant, world-changing challenge! And has this great use of celebrity gained world-wide attention? Actually, quite the contrary: Branson’s challenge has instead been called a “futile PR-stunt of a craven self-publicist.”

Personally, I think this is absurd. Not only is Branson lending his celebrity to help find a truly global solution, but he’s recruited highly credential scientists to help the cause. Al Gore, former US Vice President; Sir Crispin Tickell, former British Ambassador to the United Nations; James Lovelock, inventor of the Gaia theory; James Hansen, climate scientist and head of the NASA Institute for Space Studies; and Tim Flannery, Australian mammalogist and palaeontologist have all agreed to sit on the judging panel for the new prize.

It reminds me of an article I read last year where business leaders spoke out about NOT being recognized for their community service as the publicity inevitably led to criticism. This challenge is case and point of society’s need to be critical. How can we expect talented young people to step up to new business and political challenges if even the good things that leaders do leads to criticism, disapproval, and denigration?

I say “Bravo” Sir Richard Branson! Not only is he taking a lead role in tackling climate change through a triple bottom line approach (people, planet, profit), but he has appreciated that clean technology is a needed and valuable investment opportunity. So what if he’s using his PR skills...who better to highlight the seriousness of the threat of global climate change?