Mind mapping for a green future
Al Gore allegedly uses mind maps to study the environment. Last week, a group of local students tested Mr Gore's secret brainstorming weapon by participating in a mind-mapping contest.
'A Brain New World' was sponsored by Buzan Asia, Tony Buzan's learning centre, and Friends of the Earth. The activity involved teaching 29 students from five schools how to mind map, and then having them use the non-linear thinking technique to explore every possible way Hongkongers can help the environment.
Their findings were integrated into an enormous mind map - dubbed the biggest in Hong Kong - which was presented to the Environmental Bureau. Some of their ideas included taking showers instead of baths, using second-hand textbooks and uniforms, and visiting sewage treatment centres.
'We believe every student has infinite potential,' said managing director of Buzan Hong Kong, Almon Ma. 'Gathering different students' brain power enhances intellectual capital and the competitiveness of individuals, groups and even the whole city.'
Mr Ma added that policy makers should use mind mapping. 'Mind maps help them generate more ideas, organise their thoughts and integrate different people's brain power to solve problems,' he said.
Mr Gore is not the only prominent person using mind mapping. Mr Buzan said that after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, New York's leaders used mind mapping to identify all the immediate problems. 'They estimate mind mapping helped them solve these problems four times faster,' he said.
Mind mapping is also more environmentally friendly, Mr Buzan said at the awards ceremony held in Cyberport Arcade. 'You can fit pages and pages of notes onto a single sheet,' he said, adding that when you 'use a mind map, [you] save a tree; use mind maps, save forests'.
