Richard's Blog - July 2012

Lemurs thriving on screen but disappearing in Madagascar

Lemurs are thriving on screen in hit films but disappearing in the wild in Madagascar. Read an excellent article over at the Huffington Post by Russell Mittermeier, President of Conservation International, on the plight of the lemur. He explains that while the animated lemurs of Madagascar are breaking records in the cinema box office, the real thing are close to extinction. In fact, lemurs are the most threated mammal species in the world, according to a new study by The International Union …

Ideas for plastic alternatives?

Does anybody have a great idea for alternatives to using plastic to secure bags at airports? It is currently a necessity at some airports to use plastic to secure some passengers’ luggage, due to the high risk of theft. However, this is resulting in even more plastic in the world, and this is causing huge problems – especially for fish and seabirds. Above is a disturbing video called Midway about a beach ‘clean up’ that illustrates the huge scale of the plastic pollu…

We can’t end AIDS until we end the war on drugs

The International AIDS Conference, the world’s largest gathering of HIV/AIDS experts and activists, is taking place this week in Washington DC.One of the clear messages of the Conference is that criminalisation of drug use is fuelling the global HIV/ AIDS pandemic. It is the perfect opportunity for leaders around the globe to begin treating drugs as a health issue not a criminal problem.Last month The Global Commission on Drug Policy released a groundbreaking new report that detailed how t…

Disrupting old education models

As we all know from sharing on the internet every day, the old ways of learning new things have changed forever. Yet education models are not moving with the times. When thinking about education, the question that needs answering is what king of people do we need for society? Are the traditional methods still fit for purpose? I didn’t go to university, and it is certainly not for everyone. There needs to be more flexibility when it comes to course length, and more support for peo…

Proud of British cycling

With the Olympics now almost upon us, what a fantastic time for British cyclists to do us proud with such an astonishing performance at the Tour De France.This is probably one of the toughest - if not the toughest - sporting endurance challenges. Bradley Wiggins has not only won the Tour De France, he has been supported all the way by fellow Brit Chris Froome, who finished 2nd.They were also backed up by the likes of Mark Cavendish, who claimed a record-breaking fourth consecutive sprint win on …

Virgin airlines always pull out on time

A mother and her young son were flying Virgin Australia from Brisbane to Melbourne. The son turned to his mother and asked: “If big dogs have baby dogs and big cats have baby cats, why don't big planes have baby planes?”The mother, who couldn't think of an answer, told her son to ask the flight attendant. So the boy asked the flight attendant: “If big dogs have baby dogs and big cats have baby cats, how come big planes don't have baby planes?”The flight attendant responde…

Virgin Records - a sleeping beauty

I have had informal talks with both Lucian Grainge and Patrick Zelnik about Virgin Records. I have known Lucian and Patrick for both 30 years. They are great record men and Patrick has committed to revitalise Virgin Records - which has been mismanaged in the last 10 years. Lucian and I feel it is a "sleeping beauty" which could become an innovative and leading label once again with the right management and investment.  The potential disposal of Virgin Records by Universal is an exciting opp…

Things you learn with age

There are some things you learn with age that are worth sharing with other people. What are your suggestions?Reading glasses can be a real pain. If you go to your optician, ask them about wearing a reading lense in one eye. Your brain quickly adjusts and reading can be a lot more enjoyable.When I wake up, I always put a reading lense in one eye. This little trick has made a big difference, especially when I am doing a lot of reading.What else have you learned with age?…

Decriminalising drug possession

Decriminalisation of drug possession does not lead to increase in drug use, a new report has found.As part of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, we have consistently called for countries to experiment with new approaches to tackling drugs.Now new research from Release, a UK drug policy organisation, illustrates how countries that have already taken the brave step of changing their drugs policies are not experiencing adverse effects.The study (A Quiet Revolution: Drug Decriminalisation Policie…

Thank you!

Thanks to everyone for all of the birthday wishes today. It has been humbling to read all of your tweets, comments, emails, Facebook and Google+ posts - not just today but every day. As we mentioned earlier, today is also Nelson Mandela’s birthday and it has been touching seeing all of the messages online celebrating Madiba’s special day too. A special happy birthday to all of the people who share July 18th as their birthday - @LyndaDaboh, @DanielBailey, @I_am_Linz, @DanC…

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