Dear employer, the last few weeks we are seeing a flood of news about climate change, and not only that, we're checking in our own skin, for example, the warm celebration of All Saints we had this year - and I am not referring to politics -. First was the Stern report (Stern Review: The Economics of Climate Change), after the Al Gore documentary, An uncomfortable truth, and finally the twelfth UN Conference on Climate Change being held in Nairobi until the next November 17. I do not want to extend too much about the implications of this phenomenon as the references just mentioned do profusely: heat waves, so humid forests, melting the North Pole, sea level, water less, threatened biodiversity, etc. .
Despite the controversy about the scientific reality of climate change, it seems increasingly obvious their existence, if only because politically it is given more importance and is done from inside the system, because I do not think Nicholas Stern or Al Gore - by the way, great promoter of the Internet in his time as vice president of the USA - the rate of one alternative or anti. Having seen the certainty and sensitivity, there is to worry seriously. Now, instead of complaining about it and express our dissatisfaction with the nature of human beings, the more we contemplate it that this misfortune as a source of opportunities. Someone may say: "damn source of opportunity" and probably right, but what we and our ancestors did not know we provide, we have to do it now for future generations. In an OECD report of in 1999 entitled The Future of the Global Economy: Towards a Long Boom? is revealed that the global economy could keep growing by the confluence of historical factors, technological, social and economic properly, correct or incorrect management of which could determine expansion, but the recession. Namely: a) development of a society and a global economy based on knowledge, b) the emergence of a global economy based on international trade and investment flows and technology, and c) finding a sustainable global environment. That is the challenge of having a world in which humanity can continue living raises the opportunity to create alternative ways to meet the needs we have created, and that these alternatives do not go back to the nineteenth century, because, after all, live substantially better than those people lived.
The fault of all is the capitalist system - some say - but, nevertheless, their own agents have been pioneers in taking measures to contribute to a sustainable environment, especially those that incorporate more risk, such as the chemical (Bayer, Dow Chemical, Du Pont, ...) or oil companies (BP, Shell, ...), and not only have done to reduce risks - despite zero risk is impossible - but still introducing new products ecological types. Going a step further in this line, General Electric (GE) - which as you know, is one of the world's leading companies and as such is trendy - has launched the concept ECOMAGINATION: "The environmental challenges of today have an opportunity for GE to do what GE does best - imagine and build innovative solutions for our customers and society as a whole. "Ecomagination is GE's commitment consists of: 1) to double investment in R & D 2 ) introduce more ecomagination products, 3) reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that cause and improve efficiency, and 4) keeping the public informed.
With this new concept, GE is consistent with the words of its founder, Thomas Edison, and the reason for the companies: "I never perfected an invention without thinking of the service could do to investigate the needs of others ... world, then keep inventing. " This is the challenge facing humanity and the challenge for companies.
Dear entrepreneur friend, Rome was founded in the seventh century BC and the rule terminating the fifth century of our era. If God or the circumstances they want - each one you choose - in a perspective of eleven centuries, climate change is only an accident of XX and XXI centuries of development in a world that now has just over 200 years. This is the challenge and humans will be able to approach it with the imagination - and science - that will allow us to innovate.
