Climate Change is an Opportunity to Seize
“Climate is not just a problem to solve, it’s an opportunity to seize.” — Steve Case ~ Co-founder of AOL and author of ‘The Third Wave’
How we perceive something defines our willingness to go after it, defines our willingness to work hard so that we can accomplish it. If we look at things from a negative perspective then we subliminally define it as a problem which likely we will not want to face. Instead, if we see that obstacle as an opportunity to reach a goal we want to attain, we are much more likely to tackle it willingly.
With that being said, it is less what we have to face and more how we identify what we have to face that determines how much of ourselves we put into a task. We are only limited by our attitude and the realization that how hard we work affects those around us.
There are innumerable problems that we face as a species that affect our ability to survive and allow our future generations to thrive. Quite possibly the largest issue that casts a dark cloud over the survival of mankind is the unhealthy shift in climate of which we are largely responsible.
If we look at climate change as a problem, human nature is to avoid it. We stick our heads in the sand at times because it’s easier to act like there isn’t a dilemma rather than facing our difficulties head on. If instead we look at climate as an opportunity to create new jobs and to grow and evolve the way we procure, store, and transfer energy, we are much more willing to do whatever it takes to make a positive change.
Most importantly, climate change needs to be perceived as an opportunity because of how important it is to provide our children and grandchildren a shot at freedom. It is on us to ensure that we allow future generations to live a life filled with hope rather than despair. Our lives may be short in relation to the existence of our planet but the impact that we can and need to make now, in order to allow all that we have to survive, is paramount.
Many studies have shown that in only the last thirty years we have seen the world’s coral reef population cut in half while in the Caribbean alone the number increases to an 85% death toll. These underwater forests may go unseen but they are just as important as the Amazon to our survival and to the survival of all other species of plants and animals.
The waters are rising daily for those nearest to the oceans which is never more evident than for the city of Miami whose town is slowly being consumed by the sea. It is also undeniable that hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes are not only becoming stronger as the years go by, they are becoming more frequent as well. We need to move past the point of arguing what is causing these problems to how we can work together towards a solution or we may get to a point where we no longer have the ability to.
But there is hope for a brighter future when we realize the opportunities that we have at our fingertips. In 2017, the US Energy and Employment Report found that clean electricity jobs now outnumber fossil fuel related jobs by a staggering five to one. Those working for clean energy companies on average bring in a better income than their counterparts who continue to work for those whose main source of income relies on the procurement and burning of fossil fuels.
The untapped resource of clean energy is not just good for the environment, there is an immense amount of capital that can and will be made by those companies who are willing to adapt to the change in time, to the change in weather. Despite the large amount of reasons for why we need to seize the opportunity that is climate change, it will ultimately come down to investors.
It is those who are willing to sacrifice our natural resources for their short-term gains and for an increase in the quarterly dividends that plague our ability to make the change necessary to fight back against climate change. The best investors are those who are in it for the long run and that could never be more impertinent than it is now. It is investing for the long term that allows us to cede the money that we will make today for the much larger amount we can acquire tomorrow, while also allowing our world to heal.
It is on us to influence those in power to make the change necessary for our world to survive. Our generation is already impacted by the adverse decisions future generations have made, let’s make sure we don’t follow suit.
The time is now and the opportunity, not the problem, is climate change. The only way we will able to make a lasting impact on our climate is by banding together. See how you can get involved with various groups in your community who are focused on making the necessary changes to help reverse the negative effects that are going on in our environment. Band together and create online groups who will bring people together to share ideas and allow their members to take the necessary steps to forge a new beginning.
It’s our time to stand up for what we believe is right and to work together to change all that is not.
@SteveCase
