Happy 10/10 Day,

Whilst Team Stupid have been busying themselves with the small matter of
launching some film or other simultaneously in 63 countries ("all in a
sticky-tape and scissors rocket" - Angus, Italy), Team 10:10 have been
hatching a genuinely brilliant competition to mark this, the 10th day of the
10th month...

Yes, one very lucky Ten Tenner is going to win a complete green makeover of
their home, worth at least £15,000, courtesy of the Great British
Refurb http://www.greatbritishrefurb.co.uk/do-you-want-to-win-a-complete-eco-makeover-of-your-home

Here's the blarb:  At 10.10am on November 10th, we'll draw five names at
random from the 10:10 database to receive a visit from our crack team of
analysts. Each shortlisted home will receive a carbon consultation worth up
to £500, including state-of-the-art thermal imaging, an Energy Performance
Certificate and expert advice on how to stop their building from wasting
energy. In the final round, our panel of judges will choose the most
suitable property from the shortlist to undergo a total energy overhaul,
comprising a ground-up retrofit of all the latest energy-saving technologies
as the winning house is transformed into the 10:10 Home of the
Future. Whichever technologies suit the winning house best, the 10:10
upgrade will halve the energy bills, halve the energy use and halve the
carbon pollution of a typical family home. What’s more, with up to £10k of
solar electric technology fitted thanks to SolarCentury, the 10:10 Home of
the Future will even earn money for its owner each year as it generates and
pumps clean, carbon-free electricity back to the grid.

If you've already signed up to 10:10 - ie have committed to cut your
emissions by 10% next year - then you've already entered the draw. Put your
feet up. (Or, better, persuade 10 friends, your workplace and your kids'
school to join 10:10 too. "We're all in this together", as High School
Musical would say.)

If you haven't yet signed up, there is still time for you to get your hands
on Kevin McCloud, I mean the eco-makeover... enter the competition here:
http://www.1010uk.org

10:10's favourite cheerleaders have done us double proud this time, with a
special 10:10 Guardian supplement
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/oct/10/10-10-kevin-mccloud to
mark 10/10 Day. Best is their selection of ten-tenners snaking round the
pages... *Accenture*, Achordus Inc, *Adnams Brewery*, Aecom Europe, A*frican
Cultural Awareness*, Alertme.com, *Ali Smith*, Alistair Darling, *Ambler
Primary School*, Andrew Motion, *Anish Kapoor,* Anthony Horowitz, *Antony
Beevor*, Antony Gormley,* Architecture Foundation*, Arcola Theatre, *Arts
Council England*, Aston University,* Atkins Global*, Aviva, *Ayers Explorer
Scout Unit*, Aylesbury High School,* B&Q*.... and on and on...

Then Kevin McCloud (he of Grand Designs / the Great British Refurb / great
spontaneous wrap-up speech at 10:10 Tate Modern launch) wrote a really
touching article http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/oct/10/10-10-kevin-mccloud:
*"**10%* *is the first stage on a journey where we begin to judge our lives
less in terms of "standard of living" – which has come to embody the ideas
of speed, convenience and the value of material goods like cars and
televisions – and more in terms of "quality of life", which might be
expressed in terms of happiness, sociability and a sense of well-being.
I can't think of a more obvious example than the 10:10 commandment:
"Fly less, holiday more.""*

And then they asked some Ten Tenners how they plan to cut their emissions
next year. A small selection below - get your hankies at the ready - and
lots more here http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/oct/10/10-10-reducing-carbon-emissions%0A%0A.
Meanwhile, Comic Relief (love their red nose-meets-10:10-tags-pic attached)
have made a snazzy 10:10 animation http://www.1010uk.org/1010/comicrelief and
just over 150MPs (from a total of 350, I think) have now signed up. If you
haven't bugged your MP yet, please use this easy online
form http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/speakout/1010 to
do so.
* http://www.1010uk.org/1010/comicrelief

Back to Stupid...  Lizzie was on Sky News this morning on a show talking
about the failure of British independent film... They only went and used Age
of Stupid as the example of the film which has broken the mold and is not a
complete flop... Apparently in the same breath as Trainspotting and Four
Weddings.... You've gotta laugh....  If only they could see our bank
balance, we'd have been moved swiftly over into the reject pile....  Still,
all spin is good spin.

See you,
Franny