Losing My Virginity

by Richard Branson

  ‘Instead, I favour matter/anti-matter annihilation as a means of propulsion. When matter and anti-matter meet up, they disappear in a burst of radiation. If this was beamed out of the back of a spaceship, it could drive it forward. Travelling at just below the speed of light, it would mean a journey of about six years to reach a new star. It would take a lot of energy to accelerate to near the speed of light.

  ‘My next goal is to go into space; maybe Richard Branson will help me.’

  There was a ripple of excitement amongst our budding astronauts. We all felt privileged to be part of a project he felt so enthusiastic about. I never cease to be amazed by Professor Hawking – a man I admire greatly. I have met him a couple of times over the years, so I picked up the phone and called him. I explained that we had not given away any free tickets on Virgin Galactic to anyone, despite the large number of celebrities approaching us, but if Stephen really felt up to it and was medically shown to be fit to fly, it would be a privilege to carry him into space.

  Using his computerised voice he explained that mankind simply had to get into space if we were going to maintain life on Earth. ‘There is a threat to life on Earth posed by humans. The two main causes of concern are global warming and the genetic alteration of vaccines and other microorganisms. Because we now have enough knowledge of the things that could happen to this planet to know that we need to use the resources of the rest of the solar system if we’re going to survive as a civilisation. And we need also to have the incentive to go out and explore; and it can’t only be about robots going into space although that is part of the answer. People have to be able to go there.’ He added, ‘Virgin Galactic is a step towards taking access to space out of the hands of the chosen few.’

  At my request, Stephen Attenborough, head of astronaut relations, went to see Dr Hawking with our Chief Medical Officer to discuss the logistics of arranging a simulation gravity flight for him as soon as possible.

  Continuing on from Dr Hawking’s interest in our project, we looked into many other aspects of why space matters. There is the short-term reason of understanding climate change and providing us with the communications and information to keep the planet producing food it needs for its burgeoning population. But, as he said, in the long term we also need to be in space to provide the future sources of energy for the planet and possibly even some of the solutions to climate change. For example, many exciting ideas are being developed, such as solar umbrellas. They are not as big as people might think, but small crystalline structures made of transparent film that are scattered in space like bubbles at the Lagrange Point, which is halfway between the sun and the Earth. Here, the umbrellas would reflect back about 5 per cent of the sun’s rays, which in real terms is a lot. People also think that the Internet is somehow energy free; but it emits masses of greenhouse gas. Scientists have been looking into Serva farms, for example, which are fuelled by solar panels and beam back radio signals from space direct to computers, saving a massive 80 per cent in electricity. One of the things I am also very interested in is the possibility of taking a Virgin Fuels research team to the moon – then building a fleet of spaceships so we can work there. This might sound like science fiction, but at the start of the decade I had no idea that I would be running a spaceship fleet and would be taking a suborbital flight into space with the most brilliant physicist alive today. In keeping with Stephen Hawking’s opinion that our future could lie in space, I have been looking at a space-age fuel: Helium-3. It is an incredibly rare form of helium on the surface of the Earth, and freely available at the Earth’s core, far beyond our present capabilities to tap. But there is a rich abundance of it in moon dust. When I considered that just a single spaceship load from the moon would power the US for a year, it did make me pause and do more research into the possibilities. Helium-3 is made under extreme pressure and extreme heat. It was made when the moon ripped out of the Earth and flew into orbit around it, and continues to be made by solar winds down countless millions of years. Scientists can make only minuscule amounts, at a cost of billions of dollars, in the accelerator at Cern. Getting it from the moon – where it would be ‘mined’ from the dust and then heated to release the gas itself – would not be wildly expensive, nor beyond our ability. Helium-3 could supply all of the Earth’s energy needs way into the future by using fusion, which is both clean and safe. It would allow the land being earmarked to grow biofuels to be given over to growing food. As far-fetched as it might sound, Helium-3 could one day save humanity.

  In February 2003, when it had looked inevitable that the US and UK were going to invade Iraq, I decided that I could not just stand by and watch. I had to do something to try to stop it. Sadly, before I could, America began bombing Iraq. But it got me thinking: maybe we should gather together a group of global Elders, in the hope that their voices and wisdom and negotiating power could avoid such conflicts in the future.

  At the same time, at his home near Bath, my good friend Peter Gabriel had a wonderful vision that technology was propelling people into one large global village – yet there was no one there to lead this village and use technology as a powerful force for good. Many of today’s leaders are not there to do the right thing for humanity, but instead most of them have some other type of agenda linked to political, military, economic or religious power. Our ideas converged on a poignant trip to South Africa in November 2003 when we were helping Mandela launch his 46664 campaign. Since then we have been on a deeply satisfying journey with the help of some amazing individuals to build a dream of pulling together a group of Global Elders. We believe that men and women who have shown moral integrity and leadership have a great deal of wisdom to offer. It is the kind of wisdom that has always been historically passed down by tribal or village elders. Ancient, intuitive wisdom is what our frantic, high-tech, global village needs. When Mandela and his wife Graça Machel agreed to be the Founding Elders and Archbishop Tutu agreed to chair the group, we knew that we had the core of something very special.

  In July 2006 on Necker, we held a gathering of some of the top leaders in the fields of technology, philanthropy, business, science, the arts and many other areas, all of whom had come together to debate the Elders concept and to take it forward to the next stage.

  Peter and I opened the first day by explaining where the idea for the Elders had originated. Peter said, ‘I see it based on African tribes, who look up to the elders in their village. But now we’re way beyond the little village. Now there’s Google and Wikipedia and all the other links to connect people.’

  I nodded. ‘There have been individual Elders operating alone for a long time. Good men and women who speak out. The idea is if the most respected people in the world work together as a group, they will be more effective. Instead of the power of one, we’ll have the power of twelve.’

  It was two weeks filled with incredible ideas and debates, but most of all the overwhelming confirmation that the world needs a group like this. It was the most fantastic experience to be in the presence of some wonderful individuals like Archbishop Tutu and President Carter. Both of them added such deep insights into the Elders concept, and Tutu of course added a playful sense of humour. I will never forget some of the magical moments, like Peter playing ‘Biko’ on the grand piano in the living room of the Great House with Tutu and his beautiful wife Leah dancing. Or when Peter, in a long, white flowing shirt, was teaching Tutu how to swim in the ocean. He seemed to enjoy it because he spent some time with Peter and me practising in the pool.

  ‘I’ve got a pool at home I don’t use. My wife and children do, so perhaps now I can join them,’ he said, smiling broadly.

  We also had the pleasure of having some amazing grassroots Elders join us to give their views on how the Global Elders could make a difference. Zachie Achmat from the Treatment Action Group inspired us all with his passion to ensure that everyone who is HIV positive has access to antiretroviral drugs. He has truly given up his whole life to fight for the lives of others, refusing to tak
e treatment himself until everyone can get the drugs. Hopefully the Global Elders can play a role in amplifying the voices of people like Zachie and Taddy Bletcher – individuals doing impactful work who need their stories heard around the world to help them scale up their efforts. Everyone spoke freely and frankly, putting forward strong and sensible opinions and points of view.

  Jean Oelwang led off one session by commenting about Mandela. ‘This is an amazing time in history. Mandela has true moral courage. He’ll say the same thing behind closed doors and out in public. He’s focused on what’s best for humanity, and he’s demonstrated leadership, not just through a course of action but through compassion.’

  She handed over to Archbishop Tutu. He got up with difficulty from a low seat and joked, ‘That happens when you are at this age. You have to have a discussion with your body and say, Body, we’re about to get up now, how about it?’

  I gave him a shoulder rub – but joking aside, all of the things Tutu said were moving. ‘I’m glad I’m not God. God must be weeping; God is omnipotent but seems weak. We wonder why he doesn’t zap people who do wrong. But there are people who rise up and do good things – they overthrow apartheid. Sometimes, like sun shining through the rain, God looks and smiles. He’s smiling today on this island. I firmly believe this is a moral universe. Despite all appearances to the contrary where it often seems so clear that evil is on the rampage. But in the ultimate end, good prevails. Compassion, caring, are what will ultimately have the last word.’

  One important issue we discussed was what difference the Elders could make, without replicating the role of the United Nations, or the important work of the World Health Organisation (WHO). I started the ball rolling by saying, ‘We have all discussed the idea that the Elders would cover areas that the UN and nation states are not covering.’

  Obviously, Jimmy Carter had personal experience not only of working through the UN, but also working through his own foundation, the Carter Center. He said that one of the problems that beset the UN was the veto, and that there was a lot of horse trading behind the scenes to get some resolutions through. ‘You can’t get past the veto in the UN. It would be feasible for the Elders to bypass this. There isn’t anywhere now people can go for conflict resolution. To further the peace process. To provide experts on how do you negotiate peace. There are organisations – Harvard, the Carter Center – but you can’t go to the UN because you know the US will veto one side, Russia, China, the other. So the Elders as a peace foundation or whatever, so that people will say as a first response, Why don’t I go to the Elders to help prevent this war? If we had a perfect UN we wouldn’t need it. But the UN isn’t dealing with peace or the alleviation of suffering, or human rights violations, the oppression of women. You can’t get them to debate the oppression of women because many Muslim countries are against that. Christians too. This is the kind of thing Elders could address without constraint and the hell with the fact that it isn’t being done. I bet that Kofi Annan would be saying Amen on all this. The Carter Center worked to set up a High Commission on Human Rights which the UN didn’t want. We are talking about an organisation that could supercede the UN and avoid the inherent constraints of a two-hundred-member organisation.’

  It was heavy stuff. We had a consensus during that session that the Elders should seek to reinforce women’s rights, and to do it from a position of being above politics.

  ‘But with no authority,’ Jimmy said. ‘That’s important. Only moral authority.’

  Where the work of the World Health Organisation was concerned, it was thought that the Elders would need a broad agenda to look at controversial issues, such as HIV/AIDS, helping to ensure clean drinking water for all – 80 per cent of the developing world does not have access to clean drinking water – and disease. While the Elders would support eradicating malaria, for example, only WHO would have the authority to use the term ‘eradicate’.

  Jimmy said, ‘The Elders could try to promote the quality of life in the poverty-stricken world. If they don’t want to create something, they can help with the structure of something. Alleviating suffering through disease eradication is part of that.’

  Every day was like that – filled with solid debate and discussion, each time moving the concept and our dreams forward a little. We all understood exactly where he was coming from when Peter said, ‘The world is a living mirror. Astronauts say from space you see the Earth as something you can hold in your hand, a little blue ball. Light bounces off it; everything is reflected. My four-year-old son was telling me a story. He said, when people get touched, they light up. When they don’t, they go into the shadows; so we should try to get everyone touched. They’re not numbers and statistics, but real people.’

  Ideas seem to stimulate ideas. It was as if we’d had these hopes buried inside, just waiting to burst out. Even just before Jimmy Carter left, he turned back with some last-minute thoughts. ‘Elders can be the conscience of the world. They can be a guide to the world, an entity that is recognised for putting forth ideals of peace and justice. Being here has been delightful. It has been an inspirational, exciting, unpredictable and gratifying experience.’ Then with a wave and his characteristic broad smile, he went up the steps and the helicopter lifted him and his wife Rose up and away.

  Back at the house I asked Tutu if he would like some tea. ‘No, I’m not English,’ he replied with a twinkle.

  ‘Oh, you’d like Peter’s tea. He has more time to make tea than I do,’ I joked.

  A month later we met with Graça and Mandela at their home for them to make the selection for the initial group of Elders. Grandchildren scurried around us, and Jean and I walked out of this wonderful meeting, feeling that the Elders was finally a reality. We went on to Ulusaba and had a wonderful celebration signing the invitation letters. It was even more emotional as my father and mother were there to share this special moment with us. The dream that Peter and I had so many years ago was gathering momentum.

  32 Flying high

  2007

  IN MOST OF THE Western Hemisphere that February morning of 2007, it was bitterly cold, with reports of snow, high winds and ice storms. Meanwhile, my mum was enjoying her morning swim in the crystal-clear waters inside the reef at Necker – being in her eighties has never stopped her from doing anything – and I was gazing northwest towards an island that I couldn’t see, but had just bought for £10 million, which was a far cry from the modest £180,000 Necker had cost in 1976. Having a fresh challenge gave me a buzz and my head was filled with plans.

  Now, you might think that one paradise island would be enough for anyone, and you’d be right. However, I had bought this second pristine jewel of an island to prevent it from being ruined by overdevelopment. Moskito is named after the original Moskito Indians who had lived there back when Sir Walter Raleigh arrived and named the Virgin Islands after Queen Elizabeth I. It has one slightly scruffy dock and a few small buildings that looked as if they might blow over in a light breeze – but, other than that, the island hasn’t been touched almost since time began. It is a beautiful place and I wanted to do the minimum possible to make it comfortably habitable. An island is a perfect microcosm of the world – and this could be a Utopian model for dealing with global warming. Towards this end, I asked Dan Kammen, a professor at Berkeley, and Ken Kao from Harvard University to do a study to come up with suggestions that would turn Moskito into the greenest island in the Caribbean.

  I bought Necker more than thirty years ago, when I was just twenty-eight years old. I wanted a desert island hideaway where my friends could roam around with bare feet. Consequently, Necker has remained an unspoiled Eden, a family home where our friends could come and share with us in peace and privacy. I had already asked the people on Necker to use environmentally friendly materials, such as long-lasting light bulbs and organic cleaning products. We have planted an organic vegetable garden, are using biofuels in the generator and have wind and solar power. One bonus is that we’ve proven these natural method
s are cheaper than conventional fuel. But Moskito was a clean slate, where I could do a lot more.

  When I walked over Moskito for the first time as its new owner, I was filled with excitement. I don’t think you ever get over that desert-island feeling. There are many beautiful birds and masses of flowering trees, a small Caribbean rainforest, hills that are higher than on Necker with magnificent views, and some dramatic cliffs. I found a large salt-water lake that had silted up and one of the first things we did was to fill it with water to encourage birds and fish. I decided there and then that all the materials we used would be green and renewable. Vents open to the windy side of the island would provide free air conditioning.

  Living inside an ecological experiment will be a challenge. If you go around the world saying that, in order for the world to survive you have to make huge changes in your way of life, it does help if you yourself walk the walk and talk the talk. Moskito will be a role model for the chief minister of the British Virgin Islands; and, after, it could be a model for the Caribbean as a whole – perhaps even for the world. Someone suggested that I should change its name though!

  Sometimes, I feel bad about the number of times Joan packs and unpacks suitcases as we travel around the world, and I wondered once, ‘Don’t you get tired of always having to pack?’

  ‘Oh, it’s all right,’ she said matter-of-factly, folding another sweater, ‘I know how to do it properly. When I was younger I used to work in a pawnbroker’s shop in Glasgow. I’d unpack everything when people brought it in to pawn it on a Monday, and repack it when they came in on Friday to redeem it.’

  I laughed. What a different life she’d had since being brought up in a caretaker’s flat and working for a pawnbroker in Glasgow. But the matter-of-fact way she’d compare our travels to working in a pawnbroker’s and her straightforward approach to life is one of the things I love about her. Shortly after I had signed the Climate Initiative with Bill Clinton, I was sitting on the end of the bed watching a discussion on the TV news about the urgency of global warming. Joan was behind me, packing yet another suitcase that lay open on the bed.