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There's a fascinating article over on Earth Policy Institute detailing significant trends in carbon emissions. Definitely worth a read. Among the most shocking bits in the piece: "The carbon dioxide that is not absorbed by these natural sinks remains in the atmosphere, where it traps heat. The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which stood between 260 and 285 parts per million (ppm) from the beginning of agriculture until the Industrial Revolution, has risen rapidly in the last two-and-a-half centuries, to over 387 ppm today. The last time carbon dioxide levels were this high was roughly 15 million years ago, when sea level was 25–40 meters (80–130 feet) higher and global temperatures were 3–6 degrees Celsius (5–11 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer." [emph FT]
Shocking to think about... consider that natural systems are going to face some dramatic changes in the years ahead. How would such a sea rise or temperature shift affect the area where you live? 
Jaime Lerner is an architect by trade, who served as the long standing Mayor of Curitiba Brazil. Both in Curitiba, and also as Governor of Paraná State, he lead sweeping changes that helped alleviate poverty, improve the quality of life, and attract some US$20bn in investment to the region. Winner of numerous awards and nominated by Time magazine as one of the top 25 most influential thinkers in the world, the maestro of civic leadership joined us to talk livable cities. Forward Thinking: At the World Cities Summit (WCS), there was a lot of talk about the important role leadership plays in making a great urban environment. For you, how much did leadership play a role in the transformation of Curitiba? Jaime Lerner: I think when you want to have change, you must first have political will. You have to have solidarity and strategy. You must know how to build a good equation of core responsibility, one that transforms problems to solutions. This will has to be a commitment from people to the areas that leadership wants to improve. It has to be a team effort. (article continues) 
In concert with Eco-business.com, we're pleased to announce the next Forward Thinking Thursday will be held on Thursday 15 of July 2010 at Fou De Fa Fa from 7-9 p.m. The venue boasts a wide range of healthy food and drinks (wine too!) and is just steps off the Tanjong Pagar MRT. Please join us for an evening of making connections, progressing ideas, and being inspired. We try to keep the crowd small and meaningful, so please RSVP if you'd be so kind. (psst Forward clients: If you join us, your food/drink is on us!) See you there! Venue details are as follows: Fou De Fa Fa - 168 Robinson Road - Phone 6327 9418 Restaurant reviews can be found here, in case you're wondering.
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Businesses often associate corporate social responsibility (CSR) with philanthropy. While charitable acts are noble, businesses might not only be missing out on making a bigger positive impact, but also on opportunities to build brand value. Entrepreneur, traveller, and founder of Buy1Give1 (B1G1) Masami Sato shares the logic behind her social enterprise, and the key to unlocking the business benefits of giving.  Forward Thinking: As an entrepreneur running a food manufacturing business, you and your business partner David believed quite strongly in philanthropy and “giving back.” Could you explain what that meant for you running the business, and where your thinking was at the time?Masami Sato: As you know, the way business works in our world continuously evolves and that fascinates me and drives me to become ever more curious. There is no end to what we can learn in business. And I enjoy it the most when I see how a simple business idea can impact our life in a meaningful way. We first went into the food business 10 years ago. I used to be a chef and I believed that everyone deserves to eat nutritious and wholesome food no matter how our lifestyles change. So running a business that could provide what we believed was one way for us to take an active role in creating a better world. But there was something more. I traveled a lot when I was in my twenties and saw different realities of life. While there were people who had so much and were still feeling dissatisfied, there were people who had very little yet they were feeling more connected and contented. I’ve come to think that it’s not about how much we have or how much we get that make us feel fulfilled; it’s about how much we care and contribute that really nourishes our life. By running a company that aimed to do more than just trading commodities and making money, we wanted to be part of creating a new movement – creating a giving culture in business and as a result, in our everyday activities. (article continues)
Over on Orion Magazine, Eric Zency gives some thought provoking discussion to our favourite "S" word, sustainability. Noting both its potentials and drawbacks, he gives 18 points for consideration... it's a damn good read. Our favourite? Number 5: "ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY describes the point at which a less-developed economy no longer needs infusions of capital or aid in order to generate wealth. This definition is misleading: for many of those who use it (including traditional economists and many economic aid agencies), “economic sustainability” means “sustainable within the general industrial program of using fossil fuels to generate wealth and produce economic growth,” a program that is, of course, not sustainable."  Pending international regulation and turbulent financial markets, carbon market development is likely to remain uncertain in the near future. According to industry expert Lukas Heer of First Climate, the ongoing financial crisis has jeopradised investor interest in many projects, and increased the volatility of carbon prices. Big issues on the table include outcomes of the forthcoming Congress of Parties (COP) 16 held later this year in Mexico, and the next steps that will be taken there following Copenhagen late last year. The fundamental question it boils down to is which nation will take the lead? At the centre of the attention is the United States. In the U.S., President Obama proposed a 17 percent emissions reduction by 2020, but it is subject to legislation that is currently still pending. National climate legislation in the U.S. has been sidelined due to numerous setbacks including healthcare reforms that have been highly contentious. Some question if any serious solution will be politically feasible given sharply divided camps, as well as extensive lobbying by vested fossil fuel interests. Worth noting however is at state and local levels, a variety of climate focused initiatives, such as the Western Climate Initiative, are underway. China has pledge a reduction of carbon intensity of 40-50 percent, but relative to GDP by 2020. The good news on the ground is that China is rolling out substantial amounts of non-fossil fuel energy projects, as well as making progress on reforesting many depleted areas. There is also potential for a Chinese market emissions trading scheme (ETS). The European Union has taken a leadership role in emissions reductions and is likely to meet its 2012 Kyoto target of eight percent, in part due to slowed economic growth alongside concerted emissions reduction efforts. In terms of an international agreement, the EU has pledged 20 percent target by 2020 if no agreement is reached, and 30 percent reduction if there is an international consensus reached at Cancun and beyond. The localised EU ETS has also been in operation and garnishing some interest, though prices remain deflated due to only localised, rather than international demand. Surprising developments in recent months have been from South Korea. While South Korea is a non-Annex 1 country (e.g. one that is not considered historically responsible for the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions, and off the hook for Kyoto responsibilities), President Lee Myung-Bak has shaking the boat. He pledges that Korea will have a 30 percent reduction by 2020, and is working emphatically to make his country a cleantech capital through both legislation and industry incentives. It is the first time a “developing” country has taken a leadership position in such a manner. Countries like Brazil and Indonesia are facing steep liability from emissions due to deforestation. The good news is that at Copenhagen, there was some progress made on clean development mechanisms (CDM), including some clarifications on Reductions in Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (or REDD for short). Tackling deforestation with a variety of incentives for leaving forests intact will be critical for Brazil and Indonesia both going forward to protect their remaining forested land area. It is anticipated further clarification and agreement on REDD will take place in Cancun later this year. Given the internationally complex issues surrounding climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, it is easy to understand why progress has been so slow to date. When it comes to carbon markets and trading emissions credits, the financial uncertainty, as well as competing markets (such as between Kyoto related credits and localised initiatives such as the EU ETS) have driven the price of credits down. Mr. Heer of First Climate sees the price for carbon credits hovering at €10-15 at least through 2012. Under such conditions, he anticipates that EU demand will be the key price driver. Prices would be more robust if there was one unified market for global trading, he said. Currently, are 1.2 billion certified emission reductions (CERs) to be issued through 2012 by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Of these credits, the majority of emissions reductions projects certified are in developing countries. China, India, and Brazil comprise some 72 percent of the projects, and primarily consist of renewable energy projects. In an attempt to tackle the loss of creative young people, stimy economic development, and address some serious land planning issues, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing has some bright ideas. Among them is to convert some 139 square miles of vacant urban land into urban farming developments and other uses. Check out more here.  Renewable Energy: If you're among the people who believes there's no potential for windpower in Singapore, think again. On Eco-business.com, we explore Cygnus and their unique vertical wind turbines, as well as get their CEO's thoughts on local attitudes towards wind energy.
New Economic Models: Coming out of the financially shellshocked EU, we found this take on economic growth really interesting. There has been growing dialogue in recent months on "degrowth". The synopsis: economy has taken the driver's seat for far too long, with growth being the only mantra. At the same time, this emphasis has meant outstripping ecosystem resources, the destruction of communities, and transfer of wealth to an elite group of people. Interesting though that there is a growing tide of people questioning this alignment, and the logic of unchecked economic growth. Watch this trend in the months ahead. Why Doubling Agricultural Production is Unnecessary: And on similar lines to above, have you heard headlines from major world organisations as well as industry groups pushing agriculture production increases? The idea is that we need to double our agricultural output by 2050 (where, on the other hand, is open for discussion...). The Soil Association is tackling these arguments head on. They've dug into the figures and found that, among other things, part of this called for "rise" is to cover meat production in certain developed countries. It turns out that part of the reason for these inflated statistics is entrenched business interests and farming groups pushing for a bigger piece of cake. The report only gets more interesting from there and we'd recommend a read. Pssst... by the way... Our colleague Paul Dunn, Chairman of Buy 1 Give 1 is giving several public talks in New Zealand at the end of June. He's a brilliant guy and we'd recommend you check it out if you're down under. Christchurch, evening of 29 June: http://bit.ly/fwdchch Wellington, evening of 30 June: http://bit.ly/fwdwell Auckland, evening of 1 July: http://bit.ly/fwdakl Since you're reading Forward Thinking and are quite enlightened, you can attend the talks... for free. Do enjoy! And finally, a parting word of wisdom on simplicity: "Eliminating unnecessary possessions also means you'll need a smaller home, which will save on rent and heating/cooling. Buying fewer things means less debt. Spendingtime with loved ones or doing things you love means you spend less. All of these things are good whether you're wealthy or not." - Leo Baubuta Climate Change: First, check out this hard hitting interview with author Clive Hamilton in the Ecologist on why he thinks "Solving climate change is out of the question." From tackling geoengineering to "green" consumerism, he holds back no punches and demands a critical examination of what systems we invest in during the decades ahead. The critical point that emerges: think not of people as consumers, but as citizens. "Individuals as citizens - that is political actors - can be very effective because it is only through far-reaching mandated policy change that we will get anything like the response we need." Well put!
Sustainable economies: Over on YES! Magazine, there is a fascinating recap of a native American society in Alaska that has thrived and adapted in the same region for-- get this -- 9000 years. Rome lasted 500 years by comparison, and while we won't put bets on the U.S., it's not looking particularly bright at the moment. What are the keys to long term economic stability and human survival? Find out in the article. There's a lot we can learn and implement. Water management: With a changing climate, water issues are pegged to be a major issue in the years ahead. Also from YES! Magazine, find out three keys to managing water resources around the world and how several communities have scored huge successes. 
In concert with Eco-business.com, we're pleased to announce the next Forward Thinking Thursday will be held on Thursday 17 of June 2010 at Fou De Fa Fa from 6-8 p.m. The venue boasts a wide range of healthy food and drinks (wine too!) and is just steps off the Tanjong Pagar MRT. Please join us for an evening of making connections, progressing ideas, and being inspired. We try to keep the crowd small and meaningful, so please RSVP if you'd be so kind. (psst Forward clients: If you join us, your food/drink is on us!) See you there! Venue details are as follows: Fou De Fa Fa - 168 Robinson Road - Phone 6327 9418 Restaurant reviews can be found here, in case you're wondering. If your organisation is trying to get it's head around greenhouse gases (GHG) and how to monitor and reduce them, Betsy Fargo from BSR has a really useful summary appearing on GreenBiz. She discusses the types of tools available, the leading ones on the market and their features, and how to select the most appropriate one. Geothermal energy has enormous potential for meeting the energy needs of low-carbon economies. How much? According to MIT, an "estimated that tapping just 2% of the potential resource from so-called enhanced geothermal systems between 3km and 10km below the surface of continental USA could supply more than 2,500 times the country's total annual energy use." Problem is, thusfar it has often been quite expensive to access and involves expensive drilling projects. Good news on the way however, as Guardian reports a new tool has been developed and tested by Potter Drilling. The tool has managed to reach a depth of 1000 feet deep in the earth, which is a good first step. The bulk of geothermal energy potential lies as much as 3-10km deep in the earths crust, so there is still some way to go. But the technology is proving very promising and it is likely this depth may eventually be reached. This would have a massive effect on lowering project costs and improving the potential for geothermal energy to be tapped worldwide. Something to watch in the years ahead. Courtesy of Green Habitat Design, here's a quick primer on how geothermal works: 
 “How dare they claim the right to block the sun? To colour the clouds? To change the chemistry of the ocean? Look at the oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. If we learn one lesson from this disaster, let it be that we cannot control the effects of our technology, nor is our technology capable of fixing the Earth disruptions that we unleash. It’s time for some collective humility in the face of awesome natural forces, not more eco-hubris.”
Naomi Klein, author The Shock Doctrine Word up Naomi. To anyone who agrees, please take a moment to join the Hands Off Mother Earth Campaign to stop geoengineering.  How will recent developments in Copenhagen and elsewhere affect progress on climate change?
Check out our interview -- Eco-business.com has an exclusive with Professor Tim Flannery, scientist, explorer, conservationist, and Chair of the Copenhagen Climate Council. (Special thanks to SAVE at NUS for helping us get access) On behalf of our client, we are looking for a large parcel of agricultural real estate in the larger north Auckland region. This includes Kumeu, Helensville, Riverhead, and Kaipara Harbour areas, as well as Matakana and Wellsford region. Approximate land area sought is 100 acres (30-50ha) that is at least 30-30 metres above sea level. For full information on our real estate requirements please click here. Please feel free to contact us if you know of a worthwhile site, or might be looking to sell your land in the near future. Note: land parcels currently under organic production are highly desired. Check out this month's issue of Idealog Magazine and see our article on New Zealand business leader's cleantech plan for the country. Two very interesting resources have come across the radar this week: 1) The Blue Economy: What would the world be like if we took the most promsing 100, nature inspired technologies and ganged them up together into one system? The answer Gunter Pauli insists is an economic "ecosystem" complete with symbiotic relationships, reinforcing technologies, and recycled nutrients. To the critics who might think this is just another researcher's impractical wet dream, Pauli involved a project team to review and assemble the ideas-- everyone from corporate strategists to economists to financiers and policy makers. The ideas go beyond the "less bad" in order to do "more good". The book is forthcoming and it looks damn promising. 2) AltUse: The website presents alternative re/uses for everything from egg cartons to banana peels. Some very worthwhile and economic ideas here, from coffee grounds in the garden to hairspray as a stain remover.  This week's resource roundup is very DIY on the gardening front. Gardening has been experiencing a huge resurgence in popularity, both from an economic point of view as a response to the financial crisis, as well as amongst people looking to reconnect with what they eat. Two really great resources have come across that are easy to pursue when space and resources are at a premium:
1) Balcony Gardening, courtesy of Callum Saunders-- some good pointers and references here. 2) How to make a Low-Tech Vertical Farm-- step by step instructions with illustrations from Kris De Decker. In other random oil related news (as we don't seem to be having enough about oil on here lately), check out the inside story of how a 22 year-old student caught out the IEA for fudging their energy numbers. Pretty gobsmacking article. COMING NEXT WEEK: Join us for Forward Thinking Thursdays, March 25th from 5:30 at Mezze Bar. Hosted in the heart of Auckland's CBD on Durham Lane, the event is a great chance to kick back with a glass of wine and connect with a small group of switched on professionals about what you're up to. It's a small crowd, laid back, and informal-- not your high pressure cattle car networking event. RSVP's appreciated. We hope to see you there! Check out this interesting analysis (in very simple terms) explaining why energy is difficult to store and harness, and why there is no easy substitute for oil. (Thanks to John T. for passing along good stuff as always) Scary: an 860-billion-tonne chunk of Antarctica's Mertz glacier broke off and is staying put in a precarious spot, one that is likely to upset the delicate flows of global ocean currents. Read the full story here. Here is the second series from Money as Debt. The videos put the complexity (and unsustainability) of our financial system into a very clear light, and present some possible alternatives for the future. [note: Series 1 available here]. It is incredibly easy to understand and runs about an hour in several parts. A must see for anyone who would like to actually understand what goes on with the banking industry and how it affects us all. Gloriously free from punditry and speculation that you'd see on the likes of major news networks-- it actually gets to the core of what's wrong. This week, Ray Skinner at Sustainability Matters practically did the job for us. Thanks for the great stuff mate. What you need to know: Around the world, earth has traditionally been used as a durable, readily available, and low-carbon building material. Check out this interesting documentary on the subject which explores earth building in the larger context of man-made environments worldwide. First Earth Documentary Home Page On 25 Feb 2010 at 10 a.m., Chris Tobias, Lead Strategist at Forward, will deliver a guest lecture at National University of Singapore's School of Geography. The lecture will cover Energy Production and Sustainable Societies. If you are interested to attend, please contact him for more information. ... It is something we are continuing to explore with much enthusiasm. A really great new source of information on the topic recently came from WWF, entitled Meeting Environmental Challenges: The Role of Human Identity. Touching on similar areas to George Lakoff's explorations of cognitive psychology, it looks into how environmental campaigns can avoid pitfalls and be more effective. Some pointers and highlights include: - To combat the power of self-enhancing and materialistic values, encourage people to place greater priority on values such as self-acceptance/self-direction, affiliation, benevolence, and community feeling/universalism.
- By previously embracing self-enhancing, materialistic values and life goals (e.g. playing by the current rules and norms of society, such as trying to put a $ value on ecosystems), the environmental movement has actually served to reinforce the dominance of these values and goals. These are the very values and goals that lead to more negative environmental attitudes and damaging behaviour.
- Studies have shown that a more sustained, reflective meditation on the feelings aroused by thoughts of death can actually decrease material strivings, bringing a greater sense of meaning in life.
- Highlighting the scale and finality of an environmental threat may actually be counterproductive. It is important to spread the understanding of such impacts, but should not be done in a way that stimulates fear.
- Exaggerating environmental impacts of simple and painless steps might actually encourage people to deploy strategies for diversion (e.g. avoiding the topic, seeking pleasure, or blaming the problem on someone else), and also potentially leave people less inclined to adpt other more difficult and signficant behavioural changes.
- Blaming other groups or nationalities (such as SUV drivers around carbon emissions for instance) also is counterproductive in that these campaigns might heighten the sense of threat of those targeted, encourage them to dig in further into their damaging behaviour, and engage others outside the group to deny their own responsibility, instead projecting the problems onto the target group (e.g., the target group becomes the "bad guys").
- Behaviour is a strong determinant of opinion, which is why one cannot drive behaviour with information based on opinion. People adopt views which explain or are consistant with their their behaviours.
- In terms of wider social/environmental movements, it has been commonly noted that "Any oppression helps to support other forms of domination." Basically then, wars that dominate one group over another, abusive treatment of animals, and oppression of women all have some common causes. Working systematically and connecting these dots shows promise to changing the bigger picture for social and environmental issues of global importance.
Check out the WWF study, and also a related post here on Forward Thinking. Energy involves many complex issues, from how it is sourced to where it is used. Crafting intelligent energy policy also means understanding how cultural, social, and political issues come into play. Dr. Michael Quah is one of the well versed experts in this area. With qualifications from Harvard and Yale, a 20+ year career in as an engineer and consultant, his latest work is with Energy Studies Institute and Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. He also does research and development for the U.S. Army around energy technologies. According to Dr. Quah, taking a systems-of-systems approach is advantageous. The bigger picture view, taking into account even some of the smallest details, is useful to understanding complex interrelationships. With energy, nothing can be oversimplified. Beyond that, energy projects-- whether from renewable or traditional energy sources-- need to be carefully analyzed for lifecycle costs and long term impacts. “Anyone who champions one source of energy doesn’t get it,” Quah says. “We need everything.” It is this diversity in supply and generation that will yield ultimate energy security and independence. (continues)  Like many countries, Thailand has an issue with waste. From buildings, to manufacturing and agriculture, to consumer goods and tourism leftovers, mountains of garbage go to landfill each year. Agriculture alone in Thailand churns out 58,190,000 tons of refuse annually (Land Development Department, Government of Thailand). Think about that the next time you frolic on a Thai beach. Throughput of industrial system today, from source to end consumer ends up in landfills or incinerator. For every truckload of product with lasting value, 32 truckloads of waste are produced. On a finite planet, it doesn’t take a genius to realize this sort of system is totally unsustainable. Singh Intrachooto is an unlikely hero in this pile of waste. Closing the loop on society’s byproducts has become Singh’s claim to fame. On one sunny afternoon just outside Bangkok, on the campus of Kasetsart University, we caught up with Singh for an intimate look at his work. (article continues)
In many developing countries, eco-tourism projects are heralded as one way to bring money into communities and create economic benefits for local people. The premise is simple: showcase the local culture and natural heritage and gain the tourist dollar. Unfortunately, this seemingly simple business idea gets messy when implemented.
Small communities are often overrun with waste from materials brought in for or by tourists. Mountains of plastic water bottles and other refuse are the usual suspects. Too, communities often lack sufficient water and sanitation infrastructure, which leads to sewerage issues. Local natural attractions can be overrun and degraded by unscrupulous tour guides and their groups. Culturally too, it is far too easy for communities to be culturally overrun by outsiders and lose the very elements that make them unique to begin with. Thankfully, in the Spiti Valley of northern India, one social enterprise is taking these concerns into consideration. Ecosphere got started in 2002 with the premise to take a holistic view on ecotourism and what it could provide the local community. The crux of the organization’s work is to couple economic empowerment, development, and conservation efforts so that no area goes lacking. (continues) 
Slammed by the economic crisis? Been laid off? Hating your job and wishing you were? Yearning for something more meaningful? Congratulations, you’re not alone. If you’ve been pounding your brain and the pavement in search of alternatives, look no further as there is something perfect for you. Called “ Half Farmer/Half X”, it’s a concept created by a rather astute Japanese man named Naoki Shiomi. The idea is simple: roughly half your time you devote to raising food and connecting with nature-- be it in a backyard garden, veggie patch, window box, or on a farm. The other half of the time, you spend developing your “X”— that is, your bigger purpose in life. Shiomi got the idea after being a “salaryman” (Japanese corporate hack) for nearly a decade in Japan. Back in 1995, he got tired of his day job and found himself wondering how else he might spend his time. Around that same time, he also became conscious of a number of environmental issues, as well as thousands of hectares of abandon rural land in the Japanese countryside. In exploring the issues and his own desire for change, he realized that most environmental problems are connected with people’s often misguided attempts at finding their identity. They consume to satisfy deeper emotional needs to the point it becomes addictive, an unquestioned pattern of behavior. (article continues)  As the keynote speaker at the Singapore Energy Lecture, Dr. Daniel Yergin was toeing his usual line of optimism on the subject of oil and energy. As the Founder and Chairman of Cambridge Energy Research Associate ( CERA), Dr. Yergin has a long career in the energy industry, though one some challenge as upholding the status quo of business and industry. “The century ahead of us will be defined by energy innovation,” he said in his keynote address. “We need availability and security of energy, and a depth and diversification of energy sources.” He spoke of the odd timing of the Copenhagen agenda of lowering carbon emissions (of which fossil fuel energy sources are a key contributor) by 2050, as well as projections that by 2030, there would be a substantial growth of energy needs worldwide. Some 80% of which these energy demands are to be met by hydrocarbon sources. Indeed, humanity faces some difficult decisions and conflict in the years ahead: development at what cost? (article continues)  Trying to stop the destruction of the world’s remaining forests is a complicated affair. One proposed mechanism to help in the battle is a clean development mechanism for developing countries called REDD, or Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. The general idea behind it is to give developing nations an incentive to maintain intact forests by assigning them value and finding alternatives to industries like logging or slash and burn farming. On the ground, it works like this: a set area of land with tree canopy cover is assigned a value for the ecological service of carbon absorption. Polluting companies can purchase a credit for this value as a means of offsetting their carbon emissions elsewhere in the world. Whoever owns the land benefits from the financial transaction. (article continues)  One of the keys to keeping carbon emissions, and therefore climate change, in check is getting reductions in place. One of the easiest and most palatable ways to sell this to business is through energy efficiency measures. Energy efficiency in business is considered low-hanging fruit, something that can be easily achieved in many cases, with both environmental and economic savings. They have one of the highest internal rates of returns (IRR) and companies can usually see the business case to do it. However, Frederic Crampe, Managing Director of ReEx Capital Asia stumbled onto difficulty with one of his case studies.
In discussing a client project in the Philippines, Crampe mentioned that some simple steps were taken to conserve energy in one of the properties of a shopping mall developer. The net operation savings were in the vicinity of US$1 million in the first year, and likely to be similar going forward. (article continues) The upcoming climate negotiations in Copenhagen have highlighted an interesting dilemma. Nations worldwide are trying to shirk their responsibilities around emissions and their economies. So called “developed” nations like the U.S., U.K., and Australia are having a difficult political time getting industries to swallow the fact that big changes need to happen. Industry needs to clean up its act. Of course, then the political dance begins: (article continues) Don’t expect climate change to get fixed by the governments of the world. Don’t expect that, however noble in intention, the efforts of Gore, McKibben, Stern, and their many cohorts will succeed either. Not on any large scale. It won’t be clean tech or green products saving the day either.
Climate change, like energy scarcity, water pollution, and other serious global issues is merely one symptom of a larger global problem. Tackle the symptoms individually, and at best you might get lackluster results. Tackle the source of the problem, and everything attached to it will be positively affected.
That problem is consumerism. Too many people want too many things on a finite planet with limited resources. The process of obtaining and manufacturing those things is what has gotten us into trouble: carbon emissions, resource depletion, deforestation, species extinction, etc.
The consumer economy is the cornerstone of “democratic” governments worldwide. As a result, governments have no genuine interest in changing the status quo. It would be too problematic, too chaotic, and mean transcending too many vested interests. Don’t count on Copenhagen to come to much.
And while Al Gore and company have some good ideas and rational arguments, the problem is that the arguments are rational, while the roots of consumerism are not.
For decades, the worldwide public both in the U.S. and any country that has emulated the American formula for “success” has had their minds absorbed by consumerism, and their emotions compromised by its advertised promises. At this point, the average consumer is largely driven by irrational motives, advertisers tugging at the heart strings, making promises that products will solve “problems”.
In this emotional landscape and this mindset, at best you might get a few people to change to energy efficient light bulbs. You might get their attention just long enough for a few token actions. As for significant lifestyle shifts, they will be few and far between. Any significant shift will come from reaching people on an emotional, and likely irrational level—just as advertisers have been doing for decades.
What we need is a shift to a new model—for our lifestyle, for our economies, for our livelihoods, for our planet.
A rational argument is not going to bring those about. What will?
Not clean tech, not green products, nor any other model that looks similar to the one we already have. Merely re-positioning “stuff that is less bad” for consumers to consume is just shifting the nature of the problem. As Buckminster Fuller advised, to make an existing model obsolete, one must create a new model worth aspiring to.
Or as Einstein so elegantly put it, “We cannot solve problems using the same logic we used to create them in the first place.”
There needs to be a shift in people’s values and behaviors on a wide scale.
The terrain is there for exploration. Here is a well documented series from the BBC tracing the origins of consumer behavior and how they got us to where we are today. It’s a long series to watch, but incredibly detailed and insightful. If you are serious about wanting to change the way things are, study and reflect on these videos.
As the old adage goes, “Turn the problem into the solution.” In this case, the answer is getting consumerism to quickly consume and snuff itself out. Will it be another banking crisis that does it? Some other social movement rooted in the masses? Some other driver yet undetermined? Who knows, perhaps you will be the one coming up with the next golden idea on that one.
The Century of the Self Part 1
The Century of the Self Part 2
The Century of the Self Part 3
The Century of the Self Part 4
Economy and jobs seem to be on people's mind a lot lately. Here are some really great articles to help reframe your reality: - First, to set the stage, our colleague John Thackara has some useful thoughts on the way the world is going, emerging trends, and some promising news-- we are in fact on the cusp of a major shift in business as usual. He's quite a worldly man, and we tend to trust his instincts and observations. Check out his keynote speech from a recent event in Japan for some inspiration and a glimpse into our future, starting now.
- Secondly, there's been a lot of swirling discussion about "green jobs" and "green shoots" in the "new" economy (that's a lot of air quotes for one sentence!). GoodWork Canada has some interesting food for thought on actually creating green jobs/opportunities for yourself, rather than just milling about waiting for something to come your way ... or not.
- And if you're thinking one step wider about lifestyle issues as well as career, well then Half Farmer/Half X might just be for you. Created by a Japanese man interested in rebalancing his life and cutting out the fast paced, consumption-focused norm, he engineered his own lifestyle and then made it a mandate to help others do likewise.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a critical issue across Asia. From local companies to multi-national conglomerates, how successfully business interacts with its environs and community is of supreme importance. The CSR-Asia Conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia gave some worthwhile perspectives in a region home to roughly 60% of the world’s population. But how many of the case studies demonstrated a genuine portrayal of companies doing good work, and how much was at best blatant greenwash? What countries, industries, and companies are emerging as leaders? What are they key issues facing the region? (article continues...) Yup, it can be done. Living without money for a year was an ambition of Mark Boyle, and he succeeded. Check out this fantastic article on one person's journey. Previous Page | Next Page  | |