Geography

I usually have a long answer to the question “what do you do?”. Risk and Geography aren’t fields that many people are familiar with, and as a result, two common reactions to my studies are either “the board game?” or “so, like maps?”. Yes, I do spend time looking at, analysing and creating maps, but what makes Geography unique is the study of human interaction with the earth. I couple this knowledge with a Risk framework, which is to look at past events in order to project the future, and in turn hopefully create preventative techniques based on models.

One fun projection is that of world population, the statistic is that we will gain another 2 billion people by the year 2050. It is somewhat likely I will still be around in 2050 (age 66) and the Geographer in me simply cringes at the thought of sustaining the needs of that population.

Well, what can I do about that? I most certainly do not want any of my creature comforts to be taken away, especially not around the time that I should be retiring. I am a strong advocate that the future is about compromise and not sacrifice, and it turns out now is the time to start making these compromises.

Quality over quantity is a really easy sacrifice and if you live this every day maybe the future won’t be so grim. This applies to all your indulgences. Food, travel and one that I haven’t mentioned yet, clothing.

I don’t think we really take into consideration the true cost of our clothing.

What do I mean by the true cost of clothing? On top of the dent in your wallet, each year manufacturing textiles uses 1,074 billion KWh of electricity and wastes up to 9 trillion liters of water. From the growing of cotton, to the production of cloth, to sewing then the freighting of the final product, a single pair of jeans creates 6 kg of CO2. It is estimated that clothing production is in the top 5 contributors to carbon dioxide emissions.

Now internalise the environmental cost of chemical contamination from pesticides, dyes, bleaches and societal costs of health care due to human interaction with these chemicals and the bargain prices of Primark and H&M really are not worth it.

The solution? When you go shopping look at where the garment is made, and consider only buying things that are made within an acceptable distance. Sure you will buy less, but you will be buying products that you will be able to wear more than a few times.

There once was a time when Made in China was exotic, but no more.

Therefore, I am adding local UK made clothing and accessories as one of the central themes of this blog.

Be Unlimited

I met Bianca Elgar on a plane from Marrakesh to London. Bianca was reading a behavioural classic by the legendary Daniel Kahneman called “Thinking Fast and Slow”, and being Canadian as well as overly friendly I asked her what she thought of the book. We started chatting heuristics and anchoring and before we knew it we were in London 5 hours later. Bianca is a statuesque and creative woman with a fiery yet sensitive soul. She makes scarves. Beautiful silk scarves with vivid colours and versatile non-symetrical patterns. Hand printed, made in the UK, buttery soft scarves.

(Get it? – I want me to go to Marrakesh, not my clothing.)

Be Unlimited is about versatility, luxury and most importantly, quality.

I was lucky enough to visit Bianca’s home office in Oxford and was asked to do a little modelling. Within a few minutes of agreeing, she had set up a home photo studio in her kitchen.

I present to you, my first ever photo shoot.