return to top page JACKIE CARPENTER born 10 September 1950 I remember as a ten-year-old being desperately, inconsolably upset when a field of orchids that I loved was ploughed up. Who were 'They' who dared to damage such natural beauty? During my youth I carried out a great deal of voluntary work for 'Hampshire Wildlife Trust', believing then that the protection of wildlife against the onslaught of the destructiveness of people was the most important issue of our time.
As an 'amateur' naturalist I know the name of all the wild flowers and much about birds, insects, mosses, ecology and the ways of nature. The most complex and wonderful interdependency and balancing mechanisms can be observed in an ecological system, with each element being nurtured by all the rest but not at the expense of any other.
Now I am fifty, my heart still swells at the wonder of it all, and I dream that ultimately our species will be re-integrated into the life system and return to the Garden of Eden.
About the time that I went to university in 1969 there were many developments: Rachel Carson's 'Silent Spring', 'Club of Rome', 'European Conservation Year'. I thought, naively, 'They' understand at last, everything is going to be all right now. But since then it has become worse and worse, with the arrogant domination of nature and the desperate need to acquire fashionable goods growing like rampant cancers.
Being good at maths and of a practical nature, a 'Mover and a Shaker', I studied Mechanical Engineering. I qualified as a Chartered Engineer and became a Senior Project Manager at 'Vickers Design and Projects', which later joined with the American company, 'Brown and Root'.
Eventually in 1992, I was picked to be part of the Strategy Team working directly for the Managing Director. In a company of 15,000 people I was one of the 5 most senior women. There were 130 men at our grade and then five grades above us, occupied by 70 men. I don't believe there was a 'glass ceiling' but the culture was very male, cut-and-thrust; not fulfilling to the whole person, man or woman.
The Strategy Team position gave me the chance I had been seeking: to try to influence a very big corporation from the inside. I tried my best, giving presentations to the American directors about the future of the planet and how a large company like 'Brown and Root' could make a positive contribution. I fear that my words fell on deaf ears, but I tried and that is what mattered.
Twenty years on from my time at university, the world was ready to hear about sustainability at the 'Earth Summit' in Rio in 1992, and perhaps the way had been paved by myself and millions of others, each saying our few words.
I left 'Brown and Root' in 1993 and with my partner Ian Daycock set up a small consultancy called 'Hebe' ('Helping to Engineer a Better Environment'). We had been inspired by the results of the Rio conference and felt that our engineering know-how could help to make a difference.
Both of us had observed with horror the development of nuclear energy, intensive farming and so many other unspeakable threats, but we had never put much time into negative campaigns, fighting against issues. We both felt that the way to make best use of our skills, knowledge and personal energy was to work positively for a good and better way forward for humanity. We proceeded to develop our knowledge about all aspects of sustainable engineering and appropriate technology including water management and energy efficiency but eventually found that most of our work was with renewable energy.
Ian and I moved to Stroud in Gloucestershire in 1995 and became part of the 'Vision 21' movement, the 'Local Agenda 21' community in this county. We put in an unsuccessful bid to the 'Millennium Commission' for funds to build a 'Renewable Energy Park', a demonstration centre that would give people a vision of a sustainable energy future.
This led to the founding of a new organisation called 'Energy 21', which is now an educational charity. After the basic needs of food, water and shelter, energy is surely the next in importance, for without energy we can have no heat, light or transport and it is hard to envisage a high quality of life for the future. Future lifestyles need to be far less energy-intensive in order to be sustainable, but the energy must all come from renewable sources in harmony with nature that do not damage the local or global environment and that provide local jobs and local wealth.
Developing this new energy infrastructure is the most urgent priority of our time! As Director of 'Energy 21', I am part of a team of dedicated, inspired individuals working to raise public awareness about renewable energy and its wonderful possibilities.
'Energy 21' belongs to an international network - thinking globally, acting locally. It is the UK branch of 'Eurosolar' (the European Association that works for 100% renewable (solar) energy) and we have close relationships with people in Denmark, Germany and Japan. Each year, 'Energy 21' organises events and conferences that bring the ideas of renewable energy to a wide audience. Our fun events that provide practical training in renewable energy are becoming very popular.
I have worked with the 'Women's Engineering Society' too, culminating in being the organiser of a wonderful conference on Sustainable Technology at Swansea University in 1998.
My two daughters, Viv and Mel, are in their twenties and I often observe with humility that raising them has been the greatest achievement of my life, even though I am just a mother among millions. I know and work with many young people and I try to help and inspire them to the best of my ability.
I used to earn £30,000 per year (plus posh car) ten years ago, now I live on about £5,000 per year. I live as sustainably as possible in a cottage with wood-fuel heating, renewable electricity, no TV and organic vegetables in the garden. I do not crave for material things and I am very happy and at peace in my heart.
When I buy clothes I either (very rarely) buy expensive high-quality items that will last many years and never go out of fashion, or I buy clothes from charity shops, sometimes just for fun, wearing something for a few weeks and then taking it back to the charity shop for further recycling.
I try to keep a true perspective, for example I know that growing my own food is one of the most important things I do, so if I have an urgent deadline for a funding application or it is time to plant the potatoes, then the potatoes take priority!
I eat meat with enthusiasm even though it is hard to find sources where the animals are reared to the ethical standards that I would like. I believe that the world would be a poorer place if people were not surrounded by farm animals. I hope that the future will see a return of good animal husbandry, not only organic but deeply ethical with the animals loved up to the moment of slaughter, and not treated like commodities that can be caged and shipped around to achieve more profit. My personal dream includes the re-establishment of local dairies as well as many small local craft industries, producing clothes, building materials and every human need from raw materials grown locally.
Being a professional part of the establishment is important to me, rather than being a 'drop-out'. I ensure that the conferences, proceedings and reports produced by 'Energy 21' are to a high professional standard. I am a member of committees such as the 'Renewable Power Committee' at the 'Institution of Mechanical Engineers'. I give talks as a Chartered Engineer in my smart suit. Audiences often expect me to speak from the 'Business as Usual' perspective, then I can surprise them by telling them the truth.
For example I often state that renewable energy is not economic. The theories of economics plainly show that the idea of basing our future on clean, sustainable energy is not a good idea. Then I go on to say that as renewable energy is the only energy idea with a long-term future, this proves that the theories of economics are nothing more than 'stupid'! I ask the audience to think.
It is like that story of the Emperor with no clothes. Can't they see through the ideas of economic growth, globalisation and market forces? Don't they realise that the materialistic goals of more wealth, more travelling and more belongings for everyone for ever are glossy, false promises? Don't they know that they and their families are being exploited and hood-winked? That they are being led down a blind alley with only pollution, waste and ultimately the death of the planet's life system at the end? Can't they see?
In December 2000, my partner died of cancer. Usually my life is very busy indeed but for a month I gave up absolutely everything and only left the cottage for two half-hour periods. Our home became full of the most wonderful love and holiness and Ian died in a state of deep happiness: he had no pain, no drugs, no nursing by strange people.
This experience of how to die well has affected me profoundly and has left me even more inspired to carry on our joint work. Accepting death and approaching it humbly and lovingly made us both realise that quality of life and quality of death are intricately linked.
Modern thinking is too much about power and control, getting enough money so you can make sure you can have what you want, do what you like, fight against things that you don't want to happen.
Death, however, is inevitable and must be fully embraced and accepted. In the face of death, materialism and arrogance become so obviously hollow and all the values that Ian and I believed in together in life became strongly reinforced in those days leading up to his death.
It is hard to be left on Earth without Ian but I love his spirit and his memory with the same passion that I loved him, and I feel strangely elevated by his death. It is as though I know all the answers now, even though I cannot put even the questions into words.
I plan to go forward with my work as part of the 'Energy 21' team to the point where we establish a renewable energy demonstration and training centre, one of the network of centres that is fast developing in the UK.
I have become the Parish Clerk of my village, so I now participate in local government at the very lowest level. I intend to write a book which will set out my vision of a sustainable future in which people are truly happy and fulfilled.
Meanwhile I write poems trying to capture the essence of my thoughts and sing choral music, finding being part of such music the most uplifting experience there is.
copies of this document may be obtained from 26 The High Street, Purton, Wiltshire SN5 4AE, UK
Tel: 01793 77 22 14 Fax: 01793 77 25 21
e-mail: john.papworth@btinternet.com
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