Name: The Necessary Revolution
Rating: 3.6 (43 reviews)
Author: Peter Senge, Bryan Smith, Nina Kruschwitz, Joe Laur and Sara Schley

What’s in it for me? Join the necessary revolution.

In December, 2015, when the Paris Agreement, a legally binding global climate change deal, was signed at the Paris Climate Change Conference, people all over the world took to the streets to celebrate. We’ve long known about the devastating effects our constantly growing, resource-draining economies have on the environment, and a universal push to deal with climate change is indeed a big step forward.

But it’s nowhere near enough.

Many of the underlying causes of climate change haven’t changed or are changing too slowly. It’s time for a revolution.

But what should that look like?

In these blinks, you’ll learn

why constant growth is no longer an option;
how Per Carstedt helped bring ethanol cars to Sweden; and
why we should never underestimate our power as consumers.

The necessary revolution is a shift toward environmental sustainability.

We are in dire need of a paradigm shift. Today, that old tune about constant progress for prosperity’s sake is getting old. The financial crisis of 2008 was the final, damning piece of evidence that the neoliberal ideal of unlimited growth via open financial markets is utterly misguided. Our planet and its future is at the true heart of things – and it’s high time we started acting like it.

In 1972, a report called “Limits to Growth,” published at the global-sustainability think tank The Club of Rome, laid out the necessity of acknowledging mankind’s limited resources. Since then, public concern about our unsustainable industries and economy has grown. These days, achieving environmental sustainability is no longer seen as a preferable option – it is a necessary revolution.

The necessary revolution impacts all humans, and must be conducted on an individual, political and economic level. By raising public awareness through word of mouth, and by sharing studies and initiatives on social media, the individual plays the first crucial role in the necessary revolution.

Companies should also get involved in the necessary revolution by shouldering corporate social responsibility. A concept that’s been around since the early 2000s, CSR weaves social causes into the objectives of companies. For instance, major players in the food industry demonstrated CSR by reducing the use of unhealthy ingredients in their products.

Finally, the government must support the necessary revolution by subsidizing sustainable corporate initiatives and by implementing effective laws and policies. The Kyoto protocol, an international contract for sustainability signed in 1992 by nearly all world leaders, is a landmark example of governmental support for a greener future.

Kickstart the necessary revolution by maintaining an empowered mentality.

If you consider the devastation climate change will wreak on our world, you’ll probably feel pretty overwhelmed. The damage we’ve already done may seem too dire to reverse. But, of course, despairing won’t get us anywhere. It’s crucial that we develop an empowered mindset to push for a sustainable future. But how?

The first step is realizing that, in spite of everything, we aren’t helpless. It doesn’t take a national government or transnational organization to create radical change. Indeed, small groups constantly prove themselves capable of shaking up the system.

Create the change you want to see by fostering positive focus.

If you want to be active in the necessary revolution, where should you start? Well, first off, with your mindset. Anything to which you dedicate time and effort will move forward, a fact it’s vital to remain aware of. So, in other words, we’ve got to stay optimistic. Of course, this is easier said than done.

In part, this is because it’s much easier to concentrate on eradicating what we don’t want than on creating the things we do want. The way we name our causes certainly reflects this. From anti-nuclear groups to anti-smoking protests, a negative focus creates a complain-and-protest mindset, rather than a push toward constructive action.

Corporations have a powerful hold on our society.

Corporations play a central role in your life – not just because you might be employed by one but also because, for better or for worse, you probably rely heavily on their products.

Thanks to certain legislation, corporations have what’s called limited liability. This means that, if a business fails, the business owner owes nothing to their investors. Furthermore, business owners are more or less free to damage the environment, so long as their business is economically successful. This is especially true if the products provided by the business are deemed vital for the people where the business is located.

We’re all part of the necessary revolution.

How will you contribute to the necessary revolution? Well, you have a lot of options. One option we don’t have, however, is impartiality. Like it or not, we’re all part of the necessary revolution.

Disgusted by our corporate, consumption-driven society, some individuals decide to start living outside the system, becoming autarkic marginals. This act of protest may be radical, but it isn’t actually effective.

Kernaussagen in The Necessary Revolution