What if you could make saving the climate your calling?
Before I'd read the dire UN report on the climate crisis, I'd planned to focus this week's letter on climate change. In case you missed it, the report discussed how where we're locked into a 1.5 degree celsius increase in temperature resulting in more of the fires, floods, heat and drought as we've seen this year.
We need to fix the dent we’ve made in the universe
We can't expect our governments to fix this. Nor can we wait for Jeff, Elon and Richard to either. The problem is so massive it requires all of us. Or at least enough of us doing enough things to make a dent in the universe. While Steve Jobs didn't necessarily have the climate in mind when he encouraged us to make a dent in the universe, he may well should have. Because we've made a very huge dent. And now we need to remove it. As in now. Before the tipping point when it goes from dire to catastrophic.
What's that got to do with your work? Potentially a lot. Imagine if you built your work portfolio on solutions to the climate crisis? Money talks.
We all need enough to sustain our lives and thus toil away to produce enough. Own the Cow is less about toil and more about meaningful work. Imagine how directing your work to solving the climate crisis could also bring you financial freedom. Talk about sustainability in business.
There's nothing more pressing nor more rewarding than making a positive impact on the climate. Its a daunting task I think about often yet aside from switching to bamboo toothbrushes, an electric car (I haven't yet), and recycling more, I feel a tad skeptical that my efforts will have a measurable impact.
BUT if WE ALL did such things and more, we could.
That brings me to food waste, which if it were a country, would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the United States. Just pause right here and wrap your head around that!
Here are 9 more facts to ponder:
- 1/3 food produced globally is wasted.
- Annual food waste costs $1 trillion dollars and weighs 1.3 billion tons.
- All of the world's nearly 1 billion hungry people could be fed on less than 1/4 of food wasted in US, UK and Europe.
- An area larger than China is used to grow food that's wasted annually. (Let that sink in a moment)
- 25% of our fresh water supply ANNUALLY is used to grow never-eaten food.
- Reducing food waste is the number one solution to fighting climate crisis
- Over half of food waste is in the home in developed countries
- $730 lbs per 2,300 dollars per household - $15 billion pounds yearly wasted
- A 60 - 70% increase in food required by 2050 in global food production to feed the projected population increase.
The problem with food waste is that it's divided between billions of people. It highlights the collective impact each of us has. Which also highlights how the little things we do collectively add up massively.
I got these facts from Tessa Clarke who cofounded Olio, an app that makes sharing extra food easy. Just let your neighbors know you've got some extra cucumbers and on average someone picks them up in 20 minutes or so. Her goal is to get 1 billion people using the app and sharing - rather than wasting - their unneeded food.
Talk about impact!
Besides checking out Olio and using it to reduce your household food waste, I share this to spark your thinking on what kind of work you might do to help solve climate change. If I had the answer for myself, I'd be there. This definitely woke me up to how I approach food.
Another byproduct of food waste is the methane produced and released into the atmosphere by rotting food. Not only does it suck our fresh water, it compounds.
Tessa has taken one approach as a founder. Think about where and how your unique skills can benefit companies working on climate solutions. Or how you might create a venture that does so. For me, I'm wondering how I can support awareness of solutions via the written word and imagery. What project could I do to highlight what's possible? Better yet, what idea or solution can I contribute to? What kind of marketing campaign can I put together to spark action?
The best ideas are often right under your nose. I know I'm looking under mine and my wheels are turning. Get inspired to make a difference.