Sunday started early at 3:30am to get to the airport by
5am. There is only one hard part of this
trip and that is leaving Amber. Watching
her face as I told her that I am leaving for a week, is truly heartbreaking for
me. I kissed her goodbye with some tears
and set out on a journey I know will be amazing for both of us.
The positive of the long 1 ½ days of travel is that it gave
me a chance to finish my homework for the conference. All the articles and books I have read have
served to increase my passion for working with others in generating
ideas/discussions regarding some of our world problems.
The topics that we will be covering by the academics from
Oxford Martin School are:
1.
Food Farming
2.
Biodiversity
3.
Nanotechnology for Biology
4.
Computational Cosmology/Citizen Science
Each of them all address current challenges that we face,
and introduce ideas/technology/opportunities that can make shifts in our
thinking, behaviors and outcomes. What
is quite fascinating is that we need to look at not only the challenges of the
problems, but the challenges of the solutions as well. One of the greatest things I think we can
come to realize and ultimately embrace is the concept that everything is connected
and that we cannot continue to create a false isolation of ourselves from what
is happening globally. Everything
impacts us all eventually, whether we believe that only that which touches us
directly is to be reckoned with. The internet
and social media has demonstrated the ability and power of being connected through
information. Our next challenge as society is to realize
that the next powerful step is to truly believe that we are interdependence and
that what happens to others does impact us.
If we can do that, I believe it will naturally engage people in wanting
to solve these problems because when we do, we help everyone, including ourselves. However,
it is going to take moving from our conditioned Newtonian-esqe linear thinking
to more creative, right brain, intuitive selves. The truly incredible solutions will be “AND”
rather than “OR”. Personally, I can
think of nothing more energizing !
One of the great books I have read in preparation for the conference
is Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think by Peter Diamondis and Steven
Kotler (highly recommended). I’d like to give you some highlights from that
book which has increased my excitement for this week.
Abundance is described as the possibility that everyone in
the world has access to clean water, nutritious food, affordable housing, nonpolluting
ubiquitous energy , education, communication, medical care and freedom.
One great example of this concept of interdependence is
shown by looking at one of the fundamental challenges: access to clean water
·
1 billion people lack access to safe drinking
water and 2.6 billion lack access to basic sanitation
·
As a result ½ of the world’s hospitalizations
are a result of people drinking contaminated water
·
If we can solve the water problem, it:
o
saves
lives
o
saves wasted GDP in health spending, productivity
losses and labour diversions all associated with dirty water
o
helps hunger and malnutrition (dehydration
limits absorption of nutrients in body)
o
few fossil fuels will be burned to boil/purify
water
o
control population (stats show that best
population control is by increasing child survival rates)
o
education rises (no longer have to forego going
to school to gather water/wood)
o
quality of employment (frees up time to get a
better job)
if we can solve one problem like that and have so many other
things benefit because of their independence – WOW!
Similarly, it is humbling to see the multiple benefits a
small amount of energy can make to standard of living:
·
60 watt bulbs to increase light to work by
·
1200 watts for a stove to cook with
These two alone would bring significant change to 3.5
million people who now cook food and get light and heat by burning
biomass: wood, dung, and crop residue:
·
Improves health (36% of world acute upper
respiratory infections, 22% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are caused
by indoor pollution caused by this practice).
·
Improves environment by preserving endangered
forests which provide us crop pollination, carbon sequestration, climate
regulation, water purification, air purification, nutrient dispersal, nutrient
recycling, waste processing, flood control, pest control, disease control which
mother nature provides to us free of charge (90% of all wood removals in Africa
are for energy)
·
Saves money – the value of the ecosystems above
that the environment provides for free is estimated at 36 trillion dollars
(roughly equal to current annual global economy
·
Raises education levels – women and children
freed from the burden of fuel gathering
When we see what impact solving certain problems has, it
should give us great encouragement, that this is possible!
An inspirational story was from the book was from Larry Page’s
talk at the Singularity University first conference and he asked the question….ARE
YOU WORKING ON SOMETHING THAT CAN CHANGE THE WORLD? This week is all about my journey to ask
myself…WHAT CAN I WORK ON TO CHANGE THE WORLD?
Let the journey begin!
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