It’s the weekend. And I found this clip that I think is worth watching (here’s the link for the email subscribers): 130 Years of Global Warming.
The video comes from a company called Pale Blue Dot LLC. And I find what they’re doing mildly interesting, in that:
- We have a global problem; but
- There is no obvious global solution to that problem; mainly because
- Political will.
But in the internet age, we tend to be quite autonomous. For example:
- I don’t listen to scheduled programming on the radio – I choose what I want to listen to on my iTunes playlist and/or my Podcasts app.
- I don’t watch scheduled television – I pick things I want to watch off Netflix.
- I don’t read a newspaper – I can pick my news content provider/providers online (and/or pick my journalists of choice on twitter).
- I don’t have to shop based on what’s available in the store – I have amazon, ebay and takealot.
In many ways, our lives are far more self-directed than they were (even if our experience is somewhat…curated*).
*there’s a buzzword for you
So why shouldn’t that extend to other areas of life as well?
I mean – in many ways, we’re doing it already. Like people going off the grid and becoming self-generating with their solar panels (and even over-generating!).
So when it comes to the environment, why not directly offset your carbon footprint by paying someone to do it for you? You don’t need to vote for a politician and hope that they can push the agenda from the background. You can intervene directly. At base level. And there might even be a market for it.
I’m not sure if pale blue dot LLC or whoever are good for your money. But still – I like the idea of that kind of market-based initiative. It feels communal. And positive.
And it gives me hope.
Happy Friday.
Rolling Alpha posts opinions on finance, economics, and the corporate life in general. Follow me on Twitter @RollingAlpha, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rollingalpha.
