He started out with some work philosophy: "thinking is not something that happens inside, but what happens when people interact." Then he related this to an internal forum/knowledge sharing network they have at his company. He stressed that for a company like Pöyry, coming from a small country, to get contracts internationally they have to offer some added value, something unique.
The discussion was generally about future trends, and considerations about sustainability. Ecological footprint in "number of Earths required" was discussed. Today the global average is 1.3 Earths. Which country has the highest Human Development Index and is below "1 Earth"?...Cuba. Are we ready to adopt Cuban living standards in order to become "sustainable"? An interesting question.
The interplay between pollution, economy and population is not always intuitive. E.g. compare Eastern Europe before and after the Iron Curtain fell: the population is about the same, pollution is down, and the standard of living/economy is supposedly higher.
Some more points that were mentioned:
- The development of agriculture thousands of years ago was a turning point in human history...are the environmental challenges we now face another turning point? This is also the first time we are experiencing an exponential rate of population increase.
- The concept of "de-growth" was brought up...this is interesting, after all, pollution goes down when the economy goes down...isn't this a good thing then?
- A future prediction was discussed, that water will become a private commodity...so now is a good time to buy watershed land.
- Positive development: companies starting to take pride in meeting environmental legislation.
- Don't really have to try and predict too far ahead, can learn by testing...go in a few different directions, and continue in the ones that work.
Overall, a good lecture/discussion to wrap-up the course.
No comments:
Post a Comment