The Business of Understanding- Magazine demands our culture reconsider its habits
Levees in New York? It?s a moral imperative and may create a job economy, but moreover there is no doubt that Sandy has changed the discussion. Fact- the East Coast is devastated and the death toll is rising. The police, firemen, and many agencies are restoring power and pumping out water from subways, but there is so much left to do and more storms expected.
With this extreme storm- Paul Barrett?s article opens the U.S. debate that is is over time to for Americans to address the man-made impact on weather with discussion of what is making this kind of severe storm. But the elephant in the room has been climate change?.too sophisticated to discuss, too threatening to traditional energy sources ?.but no longer as the magazine reviews the right p.o.v. that will matter given the human role in the issues. Will we heed a warning of warming from insurance agencies that they can not think that its good business to ignore the impacts of global warming? Sandy threw another October surprise into the U.S. election- who is willing to face the ?invisible conversation? in the Economy that its not either or, its here and its when.
Now that it is clear that super storms can deal damage and kill, the story recommends that ?its time to be less science phobic and look and accept facts and deal with it?. As Americans, we can change course.
In the sense of the pragmaticism or preparing for winter; it is now our business to read it and weep and then as a team rollup our sleeves and find a new kind of sustainability and resourcefulness as well.
The magazine has highlighted the weakness of market theories to respond as opposed to mediating the human cost.
The storm has had the effect of leading unlikely readers to discuss in respect of business the affair of melting ice caps. In the business of the moment, the ongoing changes in ocean currents and hurricane or extreme wind and rain conditions devastating the East Coast mean it is not ?business as usual". On the East Coast, with delayed normal functions, gas lines, ruined coastal neighborhoods, and lack of heat, food storage, access to get to work, normal power, phone service and communications down etc., its time to help each other and think out of the box. An unlikely prophet, the business community is now preparing readers about for how this kind of trajedy can be prevented in the future....unlike endtimes commentary, this is constructive and challenging in another direction, planning and investment in our cities and ourselves.
With ?It?s Global Warming, Stupid!? on the cover, Bloomberg?s Business magazine feature is looking at a bad trend, not discussing complex questions at all. It asks that society turn around expensive bias against science and get smarter about grids, power, and pollution. By sticking our heads in the sand we bear a huge cost. It's not if Climate Change now, but when. The weather that we project makes it an adamant series of issues that our voters, states, schools, businesses, and leaders must address. Our Democratic system must take on this cause and like Pete Seeger who has shown with his clean up the Hudson Initiative, we can clean it up if we see the problem. The magazine set out to lay out the issues so we can see them and make a game plan for success.
?Although in the story, BusinessWeek's Paul M. Barrett writes that while Sandy's size and power can't be attributed entirely to climate change, it's become harder to deny the serious problems that a warming world presents.
Barrett writes:
Yes, yes, it?s unsophisticated to blame any given storm on climate change. Men and women in white lab coats tell us?and they?re right?that many factors contribute to each severe weather episode. Climate deniers exploit scientific complexity to avoid any discussion at all.?
With physical evidence of huge storms across a third of the country, maps of damaged coast, and death count rising?.our habits won't get to work facing our conflicting values and making new choices, we will. If the U.S. adds its ingenuity in creating solutions, we will have an economy that will help us create work. Many states, cities, and many countries are already turning to face this real worldwide threat. The reasons are listed in links below, across the web, or in the article.
Separately, Mayor Bloomberg took a stand yesterday to ask for leadership from the White House for Climate Change resolve and risk management. Paraphrasing his comments, he asked that research be put above politics and endorsed President Obama for reelection.
Whether at the forprofit, nonprofit, or level at a family, friend, small business, or institution, Sandy hurt and continues to impact people we know.
If not now, when?-is another biblical retort that counters feeling helpless.
Disenfranchised voters and undecideds might respond to the approach that it's time for the media to stop the spinning of policies and address how we will handle problems and create jobs and restore our dreams for adults, seniors, graduates, immigrants, the disabled and children as well as those who feel left out.
The magazine lays out that it is better business to address risks directly. We use and waste alot of energy that is changing the balance of the Earth's homeostasis. Without reordering some of the probable futures that include preventing dependancy on systems that breakdown, we are in a global dependancy on Nature for support and energy issues are changing the balance we are dependent on.
When there are sun spots, floods, tsunamis, wind storms, these wreck havoc with nuclear power, electrical power, and the computers that run our business activities.
Humans are vulnerable to heat, polluntants,resource changes, and storms.
So are bees and agriculture, chaotic math, and global measurements suggest that we mitigate and redirect our efforts. The article title says it all?..?It?s Climate Change, Stupid? and it's time to do something about New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut being under water.
Whether a plan for a New Deal for levees or relook at the water management plans and watershed and power grids, there is alot to do and a demand to do it.
The need for work presented in a human capital plan for local jobs that will rebuild various infrastructures is an economic unifying force will allow Nor-Easterners to effectively and efficiently stabilize the situation. The election may have not addressed a way to create change, but the storm management and reconstruction issues at hand already have.
Business is asking us look to a more positive future of sustainability and befriending Nature with innovation and learning from our mistakes. With the threat of a 100 year storm every two years- and that?s not part of the party system- its about survival and ingenuity.
This change is our hands, hearts and minds. We can choose to vote for addressing change and read about the issues taking action on how to personally deal with our coastlines, oceans, utilities, and carbon footprints as soon as we can.
The message of Sandy is that participation in solving problems matters. As a species on "Spaceship Earth"- it is time to address our needs for a new paradigm sooner than later. The Environment hs been a question for several elections...now is the time for sticking to the idea that we have asked from our legistors for several elections. It's up to us individually and collectively to empower them to make this change a priority in daily decisions.
It will take a generation of people and actions to alter our course.
Tuesday whoever you vote for will have to be held to the course of building a sustainable and viable economic model that will prepare us for a competitive, safe, and livable future. Just as the cell phone revolution and satellites are helping with safety and with communications so we will have to invest and make a peaceful energy revolution that uses science and education in daily practice that alter our previous imperiled course. Articles can alert us together and spell out how we don't have to be at odds between needs, wants, and desires. It's up to us to get informed and join in our governance with our families, neighborhoods, and states. With scientific evidence in place, we can take action to join with federal government to create community equity, jobs, and resources that will sustain us and get things done. Bravo for such cutting edge journalism.
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Read more:
http://www.upi.com/blog/2012/11/01/Bloomberg-BusinessWeek-cover-Its-Global-Warming-Stupid/9191351793266/#ixzz2B4VDKRtC Cover Article
http://www.upi.com/blog/2012/11/01/Bloomberg-BusinessWeek-cover-Its-Global-Warming-Stupid/9191351793266/ Kyoto Protocols
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol Nonprofit Discussion
http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/ Choices that confront us
http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2012/11/1/we_are_not_powerless_to_confront_climate_change Bloomberg Endorsement
http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2012/11/01/barack-obama-michael-bloomberg-election-2012/1674967/ Flood Closure Map
http://www.wjla.com/articles/2012/10/hurricane-sandy-damage-map-charting-damage-left-in-sandy-s-wake-81538.html Map of the Storm?s Path
http://www.undispatch.com/facts-and-figures-hurricane-sandymap-of-the-day-sandys-path-of-destruction-from-the-caribbean-to-east-coast Heart breaking photo of bent Jersey roller coaster
http://www.examiner.com/article/hurricane-sandy-damage-estimated-at-1-billion-jersey-shore-town-of-seaside Man-made climate destabilization
http://oilprice.com/The-Environment/Global-Warming/How-to-Avoid-the-Coming-Environmental-and-Economic-Perfect-Storm.html Discussion
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/08/12/seven_myths_about_alternative_energy http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/10/31/blue_planet Other response to weather- End times?
http://relijournal.com/christianity/are-the-current-storms-signs-of-the-end-times/ Overviews
http://www.integralworld.net/wollersheim5.html http://www.ready.gov/hurricanes?qt-view__field_tabs_view__default__166=2 http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2012/10/31/hurricane-sandy-new-york-new-jersey-coast-line/1669745/ Stocks Rally
http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2012/10/31/sandy-rebuilding-rally-construction-home-improvement-stocks-rise/ Health Tips
http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/12948/20121031/rebuilding-east-coast-hurricane-sandy-safety-tips.htm http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=670274 Cell Phones
http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2012/11/01/29130/dining-in-the-dark-how-to-feed-your-family-during-/ http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Cell-Phone-Battery-Last-Longer Power Grid
http://science.time.com/2012/10/30/hurricane-sandy-will-put-a-rickety-power-grid-to-the-test/ Training
http://www.sunywcc.edu/continuing_ed/courses/certification.htm http://www.qbitti.com/ Jobs
http://www.new-nyc.org/ http://www.aaanet.org/pdf/dvd_anthropology_webinfo.pdf http://www.bankrate.com/finance/personal-finance/10-best-and-real-work-at-home-jobs-1.aspx http://careerplanning.about.com/od/forwomenonly/a/nontraditional.htm Living with less by choice
http://thepeacefulmom.com/2012/02/20/new-series-living-on-less-than-28000-a-year-2/ http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/29/living/living-happily-with-less/index.html http://livingwage.mit.edu/ It affects us all discussions of air, water, food, and land
http://sustainability.iupui.edu/campus-initiatives/land-air-water.shtml http://www.globalissues.org/ http://www.reef.edu.au/contents/ps/fr_climate.html http://envsc.org/esc-publications/ESC%20everybody%20s%20movement.pdf http://www.nestinteractive.org/climate_change_docs/factsheet2.pdf http://caes.ucdavis.edu/NewsEvents/News/Discover/lawr.pdf