Brainstorming on Climate Change: The mainstream has failed. We need to hear from outliers - those missing from the decision making table.
Can we afford to waste time on ideas that come from those who still look through the lens of mainstream neo-liberal capitalism?
Hi Everyone. I’m looking for your ideas. I’m working on my next article/essay and I want to bring you into the process. Your ideas are a valuable part of this growing community. I usually reserve brainstorming events for paying subscribers but due to the richness of these conversations, I’ve decided to extend this feature to everyone until the New Year.
The topic I’m exploring is:
Where should we look for ideas on how to address our climate emergency? Can we afford to waste time on ideas that come from those who still look through the lens of mainstream neo-liberal capitalism OR do we need to look to the outliers? Those who aren’t getting a seat at the decision making table.
Consider this analogy…
Imagine the human brain as a tree. Ideas are flowing in all directions, like branches getting smaller and smaller, and ending with the tiny veins in individual leaves that leave no corner untouched. That’s the kind of brainpower that humans have access to but we don’t seem to be using it.
It’s as if the tentacles of our vast creativity has been chopped off - just like a tree where most of the branches have been removed.
Now visualize this:
We’re in a canoe - leaving our toxic system behind. The shoreline is about to disappear and there’s no land visible on the horizon. We see a massive storm coming to engulf what we’ve left behind - a storm that will bring pain and suffering to all life on the planet, on a scale that is difficult if not impossible to even fathom.
Do we go forward into the unknown or back to what we know? Back to where a few ignorant, sociopathic and greedy people have used their wealth and power to hijack the levers of regulatory power. Back to where the mainstream thinking that brought us to this point - is still firmly in charge.
It’s time to hear from the outliers - those whose creativity hasn’t been shaved down like a tree without branches. We desperately need to hear ideas from minds that haven’t been gripped by the old system.
Do you agree?
Can we count on the mainstream any longer or is it just a deadly distraction?
And perhaps most importantly…how do we wrestle power away from those who control the levers of regulatory change - the corporate elite and billionaires?
Thanks for being part of my community!
Brad
I don't know if we can wrestle power away from the incumbents in a way that will bring more order to the system. I would explore a way of show-and-tell, for example bring stories and visuals of people and areas who have been severely affected by climate change, from a location that's familiar to them, and hopefully plant a seed of 'optimistic anxiety' in them to drive action. Most efforts don't add up on a larger scale because there is no enforcement of behaviors or penalties levied. Rather than have climate crisis conferences in cosy boardrooms, I would take them to the field where they can witness what a show we've put up so far.
You're on the right track but focused on the wrong brain. The brain power we need is in the heart and we need to switch from "I think" to "I feel" as the quickest way to engage this other brainpower in order to define the path back to reconnecting with all life on Earth. We can't try to "think" our way out of this and use the same processes that created the problem to solve this one. Only by having a change of heart can we get realigned to see the solutions.