Andy Steel - Social Entrepreneur

Khao Yai Nursery Project - Funding needed

2010-01-20T20:02:00.000-08:00

Raimon Land Plc Thailand, through its 2007 sponsorship agreement with PATT Foundation, expressed the desire to fund a long-term PATT initiative in the Khao Yai area of central Thailand. PATT's vision was to establish a nursery to provide the foundations for ongoing sustainable reforestation and community development projects in and around Khao Yai National Park. The nursery centre would also act as a training centre for local people and an environmental education facility. A few years on, the nursery has now been built, staffed and opened, however there are ongoing maintenance costs associated with the nursery and we are urgently looking for funding towards this aspect so that the valuable work in Khao Yai can continue.

PATT and Andrew Steel by Greg Jorgensen (July 15, 2006)

2009-10-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

In the few lazy, meandering years between High School and University, I had some friends who would pack a bag during the summer months and head up to Northern Canada to plant trees. They would usually come back 30 lbs lighter, telling stories about angry bears, swarming bees, homesickness, bad food, drunken brawls – and with $20,000 in their pocket. Before leaving again the next year, the last thing they'd usually say is 'Why am I doing this again?' The answer of course, was money.

But for Brit Andrew Steel, Founder/Director of the Plant a Tree Foundation (PATT), money is the last thing on his mind, which is a really refreshing change. Unlike logging companies who are legally required to re-forest huge swaths of land (at least in Canada), Steel is on a mission to re-forest the world simply because he wants to make a difference.

"I really started PATT because of my kids," he says, showing me their pictures like all proud Dads are legally required to do. "Having children really changes your outlook on life. I'm an engineer by trade, and spent time in the navy travelling all over the world working on power stations, and things like that." After living in Sri Lanka for five years, he needed a change and saw the developing opportunities in Thailand. "The more I travelled and saw, the more I realized there was a serious problem with global warming, which got me thinking – what if one day there's no more beaches to take my kids to? What's the use of having lots of money if you can't do anything with it? So I got the idea of planting trees."

The timing couldn't be better, as Thailand is suffering from the same pressures that many countries rushing to keep up with the rest of the world are. Rapid expansion, a growing population, heavier industry, illegal logging and a sharp rise in the amount of natural resources being consumed sure aren't fixing the problem. Consider the numbers: in 1961, more than 50% of Thailand was covered in trees. The rapidly expanding Thai economy back then soon took care of that, and by the late 80's, that number had dropped to 28%. The alarmed authorities in charge implemented some quick and controversial anti-logging measures, which halted the decline, but it hasn't really recovered that much since; current reforestation efforts simply can't keep up. But PATT's plan to plant one million trees annually around the globe is starting in Thailand, and will hopefully help in driving that number back up.

Any kid over five can tell you the benefits of having trees around – basically, they breathe in the crap we make (carbon dioxide) and crap out the stuff we breathe (oxygen). And before you start to say "But I don't own a car or start forest fires," let me remind you that we're all guilty of polluting. That air-conditioned air you're breathing? That Starbucks Frap-Zapaccino you just drank? Those dusty shoes you're wearing? They've all contributed to the production of carbon dioxide somewhere along their production timeline.

The positive reception that Steel has received has surprised even him. "We only registered ourselves in November, 2005," he explains. "The last few months have seen some phenomenal growth." He starts to tell me how PATT has changed and adapted itself as it has grown. "In addition to planting trees, we've realized that there's a whole lot more we could do in terms of sustainable development. One of these avenues we're working on is the idea that by planting a group of trees, we could significantly improve the economy of an entire village." I wonder if he's talking about turning an entire village into luberjacks, but immediately realize that doesn't make much sense.

"If you plant the right type of trees, you can make a kind of cottage industry out of them. What we'd like to do is set up a fund in the village bank that collects the proceeds from the industries the trees provide," like harvesting the fruit or even the bark and leaves to make OTOP-style products. "This money would then be put towards setting up SME's (Small and Medium Enterprises) for the people in the village such as shops, salons, that type of thing. Hopefully it would stem the tide of people being pressured to move to Bangkok to make ends meet."

Support from other groups has bolstered their cause as well. The growing list includes former Miss Thailand Janjira Janchome as the face of PATT in Thailand, XL Group Chairman Roger Hamilton, The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), Senator Meechai Viravaidhya of Cabbages and Condoms fame, and the WWF (not the wrestlers, the World Wildlife Fund). "We simply wouldn't have been able to do what we've done without the support of our friends," he adds.

But Steel, who reminded me of a Bullitt-era Steve McQueen, wants to make planting trees a much more personal experience for everyone who gets involved. "When you look at what Bob Geldof did with Live-Aid – which was amazing, don't get me wrong – you start to see that it was kind of a temporary fix. Someone says, "Hang on, I gave my dollar to Bob Geldof and those kids are still starving." But if you plant a tree, you have a personal investment in something that's going to be there for years," something that benefits the entire globe with its atmosphere scrubbing abilities.

"It takes approximately 500 trees to process the 9.75 tons of carbon that each person emits per year, on average," he continues. "At PATT, we call those trees a Carbon Life Credit (CLC). So by planting 500 trees, you're effectively doing something to counteract the CO2 you put into the air each year. By buying more than one CLC, you're now actually doing more than your fair share." Steel starts to get a bit more excited as he tells me the next part, which takes it one step further. Eventually, the PATT website (www.plant-a-tree-today.org ) after being officially licensed as a charity in the UK), will allow people to cut through all the bureaucratic nonsense that plagues many other charities, enabling them to quickly and easily donate to the cause online and giving them the ability to track 'their' trees via the internet.

"Eventually, every tree that we plant will have a unique ID number. What you can then do is log into the PATT website, and check the status of any tree that you've bought, allowing you see how it's doing, what it's contributing to (and taking out of) the environment, and where in the world it is." Taking it one step further, you could decide to donate your CLC's to one of the sustainable-village projects he talked about earlier, checking to see how your donation is helping a particular village prosper. There's no other way to describe it – that's pretty damn cool.

You'd think that all that would be enough for one guy to involved in, but Steel isn't finished yet. Through PATT, he is also helping to create an educational portion to the charity that will enable teachers to create lesson plans around environmentally themed activities. This will help educate young minds on the importance of the environment and their place in it, something that Steel is acutely supportive of. After all – if a person isn't familiar with an issue, how can they help to improve it?

His other company, Equitech, is working to develop crops of something called jatropha curcas, a plant that can yield a bio-fuel for low-speed diesel engines, as well as offering all kinds of other environmental services and solutions. His company also recently signed a number of exclusive distribution deals for various environmental technologies in SE Asia.

His earlier claim that he's doing this all for his kids got a shot in the arm when he sent me a quick email that said simply "Have a look at the attached, which gives a picture of why I do what I do." It was a commercial that saw a guy standing on some train tracks with a locomotive rumbling toward him in the background. "Global warming?" he says, "That's thirty years away. It won't affect me." He then steps off of the tracks to reveal a young girl standing behind him as the train barrels down on her, which then cuts to the message "There's still time." Yikes.

It's easy to see a future where Steel and his family are relaxing on that beach he talked about earlier, where he can finally take a break from being proud of his kids, letting them instead be proud of him.

Five Silly Questions:

Favorite movie? I'm ex-military, so Full Metal Jacket
If you could eat only one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? Green curry.
Most embarrassing moment? After thirteen years in the navy, I have too many to mention.
How did you meet your wife? She was the girl next door.
What's your favorite tree? The Oak tree, as it represents the very essence of England. We also hope that PATT will be as strong as long-lasting as an oak.

PATT 10 COMMANDMENTS of RESPONSIBLE TREE PLANTING

2009-10-20T17:20:00.001-07:00

We will aim to regenerate degraded areas back to natural forest

We work in forest regeneration projects on government land or national parks. We fund conservation, reforestation and forest restoration projects. This means we are planting trees on degraded land to restore the area to back to natural forest. Our project aim is that we are restoring degraded or denuded land, so when some trees eventually die, there is natural regeneration as with in any forest. This is a carbon sink. Forests in the tropics are effective carbon sinks. They also help regulate rainfall, sustain watersheds, and provide food and habitats for countless animals.

We will not plant plantations for carbon sequestration or to harvest trees

We don't plant in plantation projects and or harvest the timber. Our aim is to plant native trees for conservation.

We will plant on protected land

Our projects are on protected land such as but not limited to national parks or government land set aside for conservation. We will not conduct reforestation projects on private property or public land which may be sold or developed in the future putting the survival of trees in danger, except in the case of an urban forestry project.

We will plant a large variety of native species

We work with experienced partners on forest restoration that have experience in selecting appropriate native species to provide the framework for natural regeneration. Often a nursery will be set up nearby the site and seeds collected from the immediate area for germination to ensure species are local to the immediate area.

We will work with experienced and reputable organisations

The organisations we work with to implement projects are experts in their fields and include university forestry departments, government environmental agencies and non government conservation organisations. We have every confidence in them and we monitor projects regularly.

We will work with local authorities

We always cooperate with local authorities such as village councils, district government, national parks authorities and the government environmental and forestry department on projects within their jurisdiction.

We will always work with local people such and villagers and incorporate their needs in our projects

In area such as South East Asia, trees can have extended development benefits. We engage local villagers who can directly benefit from projects in their area. They benefit from the restoration of watersheds, soil quality improvement and a return of biodiversity. They may also benefit from being directly employed in the project to monitor and maintain seedlings, for fire prevention and trained to run a nursery (capacity building) among other things. In some cases, funding from planting, maintaining and protecting trees can be used for funding village development projects for sustainable economic development.

We will promote reduction of carbon dioxide emissions before offsetting

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a key greenhouse gas which is contributing to climate change. At PATT we believe reducing CO2 emissions is the most vital step in combating climate change. We encourage everyone to be aware of their energy usage and its effects, and take steps to reduce this. Our website features 14 things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. In addition we are involved in emissions reduction campaigns on various levels.

We will budget for maintenance and monitoring to ensure minimum mortality and success of projects

Budgets for projects may include up to 3 years of maintenance and monitoring costs so every effort to ensure success is made. By the time seedling are that age, they are usually big enough to survive conditions and fight against weeds and other trees. Monitoring may also include fire prevention strategies. We will not plant trees and walk away.

We will replant trees which have been destroyed

In the event of a natural disaster such as fire, flood or disease outbreak which destroys trees, PATT will undertake to replant the equal number of trees in the most suitable project at the earliest convenience. However, for natural mortality (thinning) in a forest type scenario there will be natural regeneration in the same place and another tree will grow to replace it and also take up the carbon released.

Some information on trees and carbon sequestration

Forests – a vital carbon sink

Trees absorb carbon dioxide and are vital carbon sinks. It is estimated that the world's forests store 283 Gigatonnes of carbon in their biomass alone, and that carbon stored in forest biomass, deadwood, litter and soil together is roughly 50 per cent more than the carbon in the atmosphere.

UNEP

As globally important storehouses of carbon, forests play a critical role in influencing the Earth's climate. Forest plants and soils drive the global carbon cycle by sequestering carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and releasing it through respiration. Although carbon uptake by photosynthesis eventually declines as trees age, many mature forests continue to sequester carbon in their soils.

Union of Concerned Scientists

Planting forests, managing existing forests, and changing land uses and farming practices can all lead to more carbon being sequestered and thus provide an effective way of combating climate change. Forests play an important role in the carbon cycle removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it as carbon in plant material and soil. Half a tree's mass is carbon, so large amounts of carbon are stored in forests - the total stored in all of the forests on Earth is estimated to be 1,150 billion tonnes of carbon. Planting forests can provide a relatively cost-effective way of creating a carbon sink, where more carbon dioxide is being removed from the atmosphere than is being released.

Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Accounting –Australia

Turn off the light

2009-10-19T17:21:00.001-07:00

Have you ever considered the effect of that little red light on your TV? That little insignificant red glow that stays on after we have gone to bed if we leave the TV on standby. A TV on standby contributes to around 4 KWh when in standby mode for 16 hours. Doesn't sound a lot does it but multiply that by 60 million potential TV's in the UK alone and its starts to add up and your maybe getting the picture. Add in a few more countries and you start to see the wastage on a far bigger scale.

We don't see it as it's not in our homes but somewhere someone is emitting CO2 through generating the electricity you that little red bulb is using. Look at the other appliances in the home, the DVD, PC which are often left on standby when not in use, most households now have at least one of these items snuggled in the corner of the room, used by the family when they arrive home and quite often this wastage is not considered.

The workplace has no excuses. How many times have you sat freezing in a meeting because the air conditioning temperature is set too low? We don't need fleeces in Asia but it could be big business. The office server, the photocopier, printers are all contributing to carbon dioxide emissions when left on. However we still leave them on, just like the light bulbs that we haven't replaced yet with efficient versions that we leave on unnecessarily!

So why is it that we know about the problems but many are still failing to act? It's a simple task, but for many of us who know about the warming planet that's facing us don't take action! Are we just too lazy to switch things off or are the facts not hitting home? The latter cannot be true as there is so much hard data and truth in the media surrounding this topic that it cannot be denied. In the words of Al Gore – "People go from denial to despair and forget to take action". It's so true and the action part can be so simple.

We are creatures of habit and old habits die hard. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks but we all need to start learning. These are simple steps that can have a profound collective global effect if only we all adopted them.

Have a look at the checklist below:

Have you replaced your old-fashioned light bulbs with energy saving ones which use around 20% of the electricity?
Do you need to use the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher that much?
Are you putting these appliances on without a full load, can you wash at lower temperatures?
Is it time to invest in an A-rated energy efficient washing machine or fridge freezer?
Are you leaving equipment on standby instead of turning it off?
Do you leave lights on when you're not in the room?
Are there things that are on the whole time which you only use for a few hours a day (e.g. modems, set-top boxes)?
Do you leave you mobile phone charger plugged into the wall when not charging your phone?
Do you only fill the kettle with the water you need

Simple but effective measures that actually help your keep money in your pocket, you have earned it so no need to waste it. Over the course of a year it can add up. Its makes more sense to advocate reduction rather than offsetting your carbon footprint but adopting the simple steps above will save you money. It makes sense to start with the small items first in the home before moving onto other areas like leaving the car at home or using public transport to get to the office, can also be considered.

We all have a carbon footprint and its size is determined by your actions and the savings above could be used to make your self carbon free by planting trees, the only medium on the planet that actually removes CO2.

So start learning some new habits today if you're not using it 'Turn it off or turn it up' your grandchildren are counting on you.

Week in View

2009-10-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

A busy week with a few early morning Boxing sessions with Reed & the boys. Getting Bri ready for fight night in Bangkok in November - not long to go. Had a flat tyre Friday at the gym - funny to see the wheel of my Motor sitting on the back of a bike taxi with 2 fellas off down the road to get it sorted.

I have to say thanks to my Mam also for running around so many times trying to get my new Blackberry fixed. Rule No.1 in Thailand - never buy a mobile phone in MBK. Mam has been back 6 times after they had supposedly changed the motherboard. Now they have misplaced the memory card! It never ends... so its one last chance to get it fixed of buy a new one. :(

Equitech: Looking to get the BG oil extraction rate enhancer equipment financed for oil mills at the moment which is proving more difficult that I thought. They system can extract 99% of oil from the waste water - hence for Palm Oil Mills it can mean nearly a $1M a year revenue in recovered product.
We also put out quotes for desalination equipment and continued work on our village water projects. Hopefully we can look at an ADB grant from the water for all projects to set up a pilot as we are bringing in some new technology Electrical Coagulator Units (ECU), Electro Magnetic Principle Device (EMPD) & also WR Filters to bring cost effective and VERY clean water to villagers. http://bit.ly/1tJK7g

We have also been working on launching our new Yeast Inhibitor technology which is great for all breweries & pubs - a development of the EMPD that inhibits bacterial growth and hence can lengthen the time between pipe cleaning and saving beer! http://bit.ly/34XFtV

PATT: Dan is heading back to Scarborough for a few weeks - (bring me back fish & chips mate!) - think the cold weather will kill him after time in Bangkok - where the monsoon rains have kicked in and slowed traffic down a lot ..... not that difficult really to do that.

We conducted a project at Bang Pu today - starting with a beach clean up and then onto Mangrove planting. Great to see the place after a few months and to see the growth of trees also. We were there with the guys from the Australian Embassy who had organised to bring the kids from the Bangkok slum area (Kloeng Toey) for a great day out. Hats off to Sister Joan that helps out and keeps a watchful eye on the kids and is looking for donations of clothes and anything else that you think might help. The kids had a great day and finished it off with a hearty lunch, thoroughly enjoying the day & the grub. No doubt they will ALL have been fast asleep on the hour long trip back home! Sumo also had fun in the mud...........no surprises there. He has not moved all afternoon and is snoring his little head off.
We also sent out a report on one of our village development projects in Buriram to Crown Relocations (UK) who supported us on this project. Thanks for that guys and hope the support continues in 2010.

Asia Forestry

Niek & Nick (Our interns) did a great job putting together a promotion video for Asia Forestry. See below. A few beers in the office Friday afternoon went down well as a reward - thanks to Richard.
Our accounts team also headed down to our factory in Trat to get the accounting procedures in place. I hear all went well..... phew!

Ecokids by Lauryn Steel

2009-09-25T21:31:00.000-07:00

Great little promo video put togetehr by Lauryn (my little girl) amazing how kids are technically adept even at 8 years old!

Our Next Eco Kids camp will run October 19th - 23rd for more information - please click here

Andy Steel nominated in the 2009 XL Extraodinary Lives Award

2009-09-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

Andrew Steel - Thailand

PATT Foundation / Equitech / Asia Forestry

www.plant-a-tree-today.org , www.equitech.biz, www.asiaforestry.com

“Reshaping the world one tree at a time.”

When Andrew Steel set a goal to plant 1million trees in a year to tackle deforestation and climate change so that our earth is habitable for our children, you know you have met a man whose commitment and dedication to the environment will achieve sustainable results.

Many projects have been launched to this end, including the construction and opening of a Tree Nursery in a World Heritage Environment at Khao Yai, launching Carbon Free micro financing projects in Buriram, Thailand each planting 15,000 trees in order to access funds from the co-operative bank. An initiative that has recently won a UN SEED award for excellence in environmental sustainable development.

Dedication to environmental education saw the launch of Eco-kids school holiday program in October 2008 that continues to be a success and the Initiation of the IUCN project in Doi Mae Solong, a reforestation/sustainable farming project in collaboration with the Thai army Chiang Mai University and PATT are among the many list of credits for his dream of Plant a Tree Today (PATT) to implementing projects at ground level globally.

Combined with numerous Company/School tree planting events, Andrew is living his passion with true purpose the list goes on whilst still being involved with his 2 ‘other’ companies Equitech & Asia Forestry Management.

Ollie Steel - following in his Dads footsteps

October 9th & John Lennon

2009-09-25T19:16:00.001-07:00

Now here is some interesting trivia as PATT is looking to plant trees for Standard Chartered Bank on 9th October in Mumbai, India

Beatles disbanded in 1970 – year I was born

John Lennon was born on Oct 9th when they light a candle in NY until Dec 8th (the day he died)

He would have been 69

If I recall he had a great affinity for India and also peace……..

There might be more but think the date actually has some significance.

Andy Steel - Social Entrprenuer

2009-09-25T02:41:00.000-07:00

A number of people may be aware of the PATT Foundation which we set up over 4 years ago now to take positive action to help the environment ( see our website for more details www.plant-a-tree-today.org ) however many may not know the other environmental areas that I have been working at since our arrival in Thailand over 4 ½ years ago. After working in the military and the power sector and setting up a small real estate company in Sri Lanka I realised that I was an entrepreneur at heart and I got the chance to continue my ambitions when I came to Thailand setting up our company Equitech back in 2006 – As the company slogan suggests and where we derived our name – Technology in Equilibrium. We saw an opportunity to use technology to solve environmental issues and give the planet a helping hand and we later launched Asia Forestry Management offering people socially responsible investments into forestry products.

At the same time we also wanted to demonstrate positive action on the ground and show that it is easy to make a difference – you have to want to first of all; but then you have to show up and step up to give back effectively and hence the PATT Foundation was formed in . It was at this point that I realised that I wasn’t just an entrepreneur but moreover a social entrepreneur; creating social enterprises.

Social enterprises are social mission driven organizations which trade in goods or services for a social purpose. The aim is to accomplish targets that are social and environmental as well as financial. Social enterprises are profit-making businesses set up to tackle a social or environmental need, however we went a step further creating our own environmental charity to effectively give back.

So please follow my updates on the 3 entities I am involved;

PATT Foundation

A pretty busy week for PATT Foundation organising tree planting events for a number of high profile companies and organizations. We are currently working with Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) on a project in Mumbai, India and also Bali, Indonesia - yes it does have degraded forests as well as great beaches & surf!

We are also pleased to announce that we were recipients of the UN SEED award this year for our sustainable environmental development programs. A great accolade for our work with recognition from 8 senior panel members that have been involved in social development work for a long time. So if you’re looking for a charity to support then PATT has many offerings that need your support from environmental education to microfinance and not forgetting - planting trees also.

The team in Thailand is busy preparing for October with a number of tree planting events with the Australian Embassy & BED lined up plus our ongoing work with the International Schools. Our Eco Kids camp will also run during the half term break in October - so if your kids are at a loose end - send them along, we gaurantee they will have lots of fun getting VERY dirty whilst learning about nature & the environment.

Equitech

We are currently working on putting together sustainable village water projects using new technology that we have introduced from Australia - have a look at our site www.equitech.biz for more info.

I have recently returned from Shanghai after looking at some new chiller plant control systems that will improve energy efficiency up to 30% thus saving lot on your bottom line. The great thing is they can be retrofitted to existing buildings which is great news for the environment and also your company’s bottom line.

Asia Forestry

Work continues as usual on our factory in Trat, Thailand run under our subsidiary company Asia Forestry Distilleries (AFD), that is producing Oudh oil – a very high value aromatic oil that is sold into the middle east. We now have 60 stills installed which at present I think makes us the 2^nd largest producer of Oudh oil in Thailand. The largest being 200 stills – we hope by the end of 2009 to have increased our capacity by 60%.

If you’re looking for a socially responsible investment or simply just wanting to diversify your investment portfolio then Asia Forestry Management offers niche market forestry investment products with very attractive returns.

As for me – the work never stops but when you enjoy your work then can you actually call it work?