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Ray Burger

The New Green Paradigm
July 28, 2008

For years, the foundations of environmentalism have been summed up in a tidy triumvirate: reduce, reuse, recycle. The three words were memorable, just right for posters and easy enough to apply. A few years ago, it seemed that changing the world required little more than getting our children to repeat these three magic words over and over again. Today, a new paradigm is required.

Business people, economists, futurists and environmentalists recognize that these now traditional tactics cannot sustain our society alone. As we harness the powers of innovation and inspiration to make progress, we need a new “recycling triangle” that works for ideas the way the old one works for cans.

Respect is the first step. Any person or organization hoping to make a green change must first anchor their thought process in respect. This means more than just respect for others and respect for nature. A healthy respect for reality is crucial anytime ideas are being “recycled.” A green business recognizes the realities of capitalism and applies them to its strategy. The environmentally friendly products and practices that catch on fastest are the ones that are simple, easy and save people money. The laws of economics stem from the laws of nature, and both systems can provide an effective green leader with guiding principles. Self-respect is equally worthy of focus when it comes to creating change. People are reliably self-motivated. Where “Save the Planet” and “Save Money” appeals fail, a “Save Yourself” approach is bound to work.

Second, we are required to Rethink. While we respect the things we cannot change we must be willing to rethink everything else. The new paradigm thrives on scientific analysis, uncurbed curiosity and a willingness to overturn convention. Business and organizations that take a second look at things have always prospered. As your green product or idea begins to take shape, you must constantly question and seek new perspectives on things. Rethinking is often done better by a creative team. The goal of this step of the process is to find the insight that leads to action. Once we understand reality, we are ready for the epiphany that can lead to global progress, higher profits and a healthy planet.

The third and sometimes most difficult R is Redesign. Making green ideas a reality will require new technologies, materials and skills. Scientists and engineers are leading the way when it comes to this R, but innovations and commitments from business people, political leaders, students and consumers are equally important. Fortunately green options abound regardless of what you are working on. Redesigning your home, your product or your entire company to be as green as it can be requires a thorough approach that couples big steps such as buying solar panels, with smaller ones such as fixing leaks.

Of course, the classic Rs are as good as ever. Unfortunately, the old Rs aren’t really the whole answer. Recycling, like so many of the solutions our society produces, treats the symptoms and ignores the problem. The new Rs allow us to be more sustainable from the outset, building the old ideas and the new innovations in at the beginning and seeing everything through to the end.

Posted by Ray Burger on July 28, 2008 | Comments (2)