Monthly Archives: November 2011
Why we should take action to stop global warming and prevent catastrophic climate change?
image: piyato
The global warming debate continues
Over the past 30 years global warming has become a hotly debated topic. The debate has centered around three issues: 1. Is global warming occurring? 2. If so, are the changes being caused by human activity? 3. What are the implications of a warming planet?
Nowadays, there is widespread scientific consensus around issue 1 and 2. Scientists are confident that the global mean temperatures is about 0.5 °C higher than it was a century ago; that atmospheric levels of CO2 have risen over the past two centuries due to human activity; and that CO2 is a greenhouse gas whose increase is likely to warm the earth.
Of course there is still some contention around these issues, but most of the hype is media generated and lacks credence. In fact, some of the most noted scientific skeptics of global warming do not deny that the world is warming. No, instead their skepticism is manifest around three areas: 1) they argue that the level to which humans are influencing the warming trend is indistinguishable from natural variations; 2) they contend that the threat is less alarming than predicted, and 3) they propose that the current political and economic structures inhibit an adequate response (i.e. It is too expensive or too late to do anything about it)
In this article I set out my views on why I think we should address the global warming issue with full force and take action to prevent catastrophic climate change. I have included a comments section where you can share your views and stimulate debate. I have also provided some useful resources (which have a variety of views on the topic) if you are looking for more detailed information
I love sushi, I hate overfishing
I am a huge fan of seafood and sushi; although the latter only became a favourite cuisine of mine in my twenties. I was brought up near the coast in Cape Town where my family and I would often have fresh fish, prawns, perlemoen, muscles and crayfish for dinner (obviously, not all in the same sitting, but spread out across the week). I have fond childhood memories of going to pick black mussels off the rocks during low tide, and digging for white mussels in the water white-wash. It was so much fun. We would either boil them for lunch which we would serve with garlic butter and fresh bread; or have them as a starter before tucking into a delicious yellow tale tuna.
Future Business Success Factors
image: samarttiw
Fact: The world is fast changing
Now, I’m not talking about technological change – which has obviously been happening at an ever increasing rate since the 1950s and has had, and will continue to have, an enormous impact on the world. No, what I am taking about is a more systemic global change associated with the earth’s natural systems and the way that we, humans, interact with them. In this article I discuss three megatrends which I think will shape and define the trajectory of the world, humans and all its living things for centuries to come. In shaping the world I believe that the business of the future will have to adapt, innovate and transform to remain competitive and successful. It is too easy to go all ‘doomsday’ when looking at these megatrends, so instead, I have tried to write this article from a positive perspective – highlighting how I think the business of the future can respond with solutions that drive growth and shared value (i.e. the idea that social issues can be incorporated into core business strategies to benefit both society and a firm’s financial success).
Green awards and certifications
Green awards and green certifications are useful in promoting your green credentials to your clients, prospective customers and staff. In this article I have summarised some of the mainstream green awards and environmental certifications from different countries.
