At the recent Creative Performance Exchange meet we discussed Climate Change by sharing the experiences we have had that had the biggest impact on us. Shawn led a really interesting storytelling exercise that really got me thinking about how different people and companies approach the topic.
I see climate change pushing us in two directions – efficiency and sustainability. I’m referring here to the decision making process that we use to figure out what we’re going to do to make ourselves, our organisations, our lifestyles and everything else in the system sustainable in planet-friendly fashion.
Those who aim for Efficiency try to take what they are doing and squeeze a bit more out of it, hoping that it is in the right direction. This is where we see open cut mines planting trees, the corporate office that doesn’t have rubbish bins and turns the heaters off at 4.30pm, that guy driving his Prius to the airport to catch a private jet somewhere, and of course the carbon trading schemes that are emerging. I’m not saying efficiency is a bad thing, there is no doubt it is important – but the thought processes behind it can often lead to actions that might make the numbers balance while not actually providing a net win for the planet.
Then there is Sustainability. This is about renting and reusing things instead of buying them, using passive cooling systems, recycling old stuff into new stuff, restaurants that cook whatever they find at the local market instead of what the supermarket can import from anywhere, using local suppliers to reduce transport requirements, technology that is made from easily recyclable materials like aluminium and glass, skateboarding or riding to work instead of driving, and more. I describe Sustainability as looking at the whole system of inputs and outputs to ensure an integrated system that makes sense all of the way through.
These are two perspectives that you can look through when thinking about your footprints.
The best illustration I have seen of this integrated ecosystem thinking recently has been Apple’s new Environment page, which shows the influence that Al Gore has had while sitting on the board. They have ripped apart their entire process from digging material from the ground to recycling the relics when they are no longer functional.
Next time you are faced with a climate change question, ask yourself if you are looking at a truly sustainable answer or just a product of superficial efficiency thinking?
This post was written as part of Blog Action Day 2009 (#bad09), where bloggers around the world unite to focus on a particular issue. Last year was Poverty, this year is Climate Change.
By Ross Hill - October 15th, 2009 at 7:51pm with 875 views - al gore apple blog action day creative performance exchange federation square haul mr price rentoid shawn callahan
