Will there be no ice at the north pole by the end of this summer? I have a friend who believes this is the year it will happen. Looking at the data and taking into account positive feedback loops, it’s certainly possible. Whether or not it happens this year, when it does happen, the moment will mark another major wake up call. A call to adapt, to redesign, to invest, to rethink and reassess. How can we transition peacefully to new models of enlightened agriculture and food distribution, water conservation, circular economies, low-carbon travel, magnificent reforestation and working cooperatively rather than competitively?
Fortunately, many of the solutions and ideas are already here for us to engage with. The even better news is that they don’t always mean giving things up. Our freedoms, our characters, our relationships can stay intact. We just need to be open to changing how we go about our lives, radically reframing what is valued as important. Luckily, many solutions that create a more sustainable society also happen to create a healthier society, with cleaner air, more empowering jobs and communities with a greater sense of belonging and connectedness. Living with a lighter footprint may just be a convenient bonus.
Transition will unlikely be smooth or easy. It will be rather messy with lots of people and companies pushing against the grain, fighting for outdated paradigms. That’s no excuse for us to remain in our old ways. Which story we are part of is a daily choice. With every meal and every move and every purchase.
