What will the future look like? + Bonus podcast episode!
Ryan Hagen
Huge sustainability nerd. Writing a book! Founder, Crowdsourcing Sustainability. Empowering people to help reverse global heating asap. Write newsletter for 200,000+. TEDx & UN recognized | Speaker | LinkedIn Top Voices
As 2021 came to a close, I wanted to write a 10,000-foot reflection about where we stand on climate and where we may be going as I've done in previous years.
But, to be honest with you, I'm not sure what I think right now about where we're headed because?a lot?is happening and everything is accelerating (both the good and the bad).
So I have more work to do to try and wrap my head around it. But I'll share the gist of where I'm at right now because you may find it interesting. And because any ideas, feedback, or questions you have will only help to make the final version stronger.
As?I mentioned in July , we've already exceeded the safe zone in four of the nine identified planetary boundaries. And there's a high chance we exceed both the 1.5°C and 2°C targets.
I think this is where many of us, myself included a lot of the time, tend to look away to protect ourselves.
But it's important we all take a good hard look at what all this actually?means?for society in the future so we can simultaneously prepare for the impacts and do everything we can to solve the root causes of them.
At the moment, I'm thinking about it in two parts:
(Image from?Wait But Why ...text modified by me.)
For the first question, my mind keeps wandering to?something I wrote ?in 2019 that touched on a useful framework to start from:
"Two things to keep in mind:
We think linearly. But these things move exponentially."
Environmental systems and human systems. I believe these are the two basic, interconnected forces whose pace of change and interactions over time will determine where we end up as a society.
I'm more scared of #1 now than I was when I wrote that.
But I also think society's response to the pandemic has proven #2. We can change the way we live and work?on a dime?when we decide to treat something like a global emergency (and thankfully, unlike Covid, most climate solutions make our lives better, not worse).
The second question I've been pondering can't be answered until the first is finished.
But if we're being honest, our?current?trajectory doesn't look good.
领英推荐
So the other thing my mind keeps wandering to are my personal?"Truths and life intentions" ?because this is my north star. It helps me to stay grounded and keep moving in the right direction.
(I also know it resonated deeply with a lot of people when I originally shared it. And the end of the year feels like a good time to re-share it. Some of you even told me you were going to make your own. If you have one you'd like to share, I'd love to see it!)
Two more (action-oriented) things
New Podcast Episode
A student (Monique!) recently reached out to me, asking for advice on how to change her university. We decided to record our conversation in case anyone else (student or otherwise - it's broadly applicable to any institution or orgs) may find it helpful!
As always, you can?watch ?or?listen ?- let me know what you think/if you'd like more of these or not.
Crowdsourcing Sustainability Community Climate Talks
We're working to increase connection and collaboration in the CS community. If you're interested in meeting other people who care about climate and read this newsletter sometime, I'd encourage you to sign up for our smaller, more timely newsletter here (same stuff mostly, but comes with some perks like community meeting invites).
Take care!
Ryan
P.S. Crowdsourcing Sustainability is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit run by myself and 3 wonderful volunteers. If you believe this work is valuable, please consider?investing in us ?so we can keep increasing our climate impact. Large or small, your donation is deeply appreciated!
If you're unable to comfortably give financially, sharing the newsletter with a friend also helps a lot! (email newsletter ?|?this LinkedIn newsletter )
You can sign up for our main sustainability newsletter here ?to receive every newsletter I write when I write it and get access to the growing Crowdsourcing Sustainability community on slack where you can connect and collaborate with others working to reverse global warming!
Finally, you can find us on all the socials?here , as well as listen to the podcast and other good stuff.
(This article was originally published?on Crowdsourcing Sustainability .)
Writer | IIFT | I talk about nature conservation, good businesses and mental health
2 年Insightful Ryan Hagen I remember reading something similar in Enric Sala's book...He said we are running the planet like a Ponzi Scheme.
--
2 年Obviously this Sustainable Construction DECATHLON is ment for the global concerned student community in the first place. Date for launching the idea is January 24 at the GLOBE Consensus meeting.
--
2 年Good stuff to be funneled (focussed) on specific economical sectors and milestones. Mine is one of the largest carbon emitter and material consumers, the CONSTRUCTION ECONOMY. The milestone in mind is COP 27 November 2022 in Sharm Al Sheik, Egypt were we should do something. Not exactly a place easy to get at, except if you are a green washing CEO flying in with your private jet. No walk (I did part of the Climate Miles, organized by URGENDA, from the Netherlands to Paris. Or by bike or train to Glasgow. But we have now some ideas we launched yesterday in Groningen, as long as we get real Pilots at the end since we cannot wait till the curriculum has been adapted. We would like to organize a Sustainable Construction Decathlon Identifying best local construction practices for a global climate cause. Besides civil and building engineering we need the right communication operational marketeers. Be in touch please. Boudewijn Piscaer, Amsterdam
Say NO to CO2. n0co2.org removes your carbon footprint by planting trees for SME's and families. For Investors and big Business we plant trees for Carbon Credits
2 年Thanks for sharing Ryan Hagen Yes, we are capable of transforming fast
Certified Trainer: FMR - Humanitarian Cash Transfer Consultant at UNICEF : FMR - IRC - Senior Cash Program Transfer Officer : FMR - Regional PO at Deutsche Gesselschafti für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH ...
2 年Strategic and nople thoughts that are really basics for the efforts to reverse the CC