We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them Albert Einstein
Everyone knows that the Inuit have 29 words for snow. That’s because for an Eskimo, snow conditions can determine whether they will be able to haul a seal carcass home before dark, whether their fishing hole will be frozen over, or whether they will come back with stalactites in their nose.
Accurate communication can mean the difference between life and death.
In our society, we suffice with “snow” and “sleet” while Kalahari bushmen have no need for a snow word whatsoever.
You can tell a lot about a culture by the words that it has lots of, and even more by the words it lacks.
That’s enough of linguistics. Now to the point.
For the last 10,000 years we have been happily utilizing the world’s resources, come to dominate the planet, and developed a highly efficient market-based system.
Unfortunately, while our economic system has thrived, it has been at the expense of our social and environmental biospheres.
While experts have been saying it for decades, most of us have just
realised that we cannot continue to consume the planet’s natural resources at our current rate. When I say we “cannot” I mean it literally – they are simply are running out.
At the same time, we are too dependent on the machinations of our economic system to abolish it. And that means (leaving aside a revolution requiring barricades, flag waving and the printing of new stationary) that we have to find socially and environmentally positive solutions within the system we’ve got.
We urgently need to find ways of thinking and ways of doing that solve our pressing social and environmental problems AND are economically viable.
What is astounding (and this is where we return to linguistics) is that in a world beset by urgent economic, social and environmental problems, there is no word in the English language which means "a solution which provides positive social, environmental and economic outcomes all at once"
Its like Eskimo’s having no word for “shivering”
Its like (in fact, it is) having the word “problem” without having the word “solution”
The REASON that there is no word which means “provides positive social, environmental and economic outcomes all at once" is that it has always been assumed that social, environmental and economic goals are mutually exclusive. We've all heard people say "if its green it must be more expensive" or "I'd like to be more sustainable but my duty is to my shareholders" or "sure its a good thing but it won't ever make money" and any number of similar statements which are equally short-sighted and dumb. We have to get beyond this thinking
The CONSEQUENCE of having no word which means "socially and environmentally and economically positive all at once" is that every time you are trying to have a conversation about sustainability, Socially Responsible Investment, energy efficiency or anything else which is "socially and environmentally and economically positive all at once" it drives you nuts because your sentences end up so long that you kind of lose momentum and find it very hard to be succinct. See what I mean?. Its pitiful.
Getting over the assumption that social, economic and environmental goals are mutually opposed is critical if we are to resolve our environmental problems within our existing financial system.
Its obvious that we need such a word.
And the word which will save us all that time and tongue tied-ness, the word which will allow board room level discussions on social and environmental issues without the assumption of a share-price plummet, the word that will assist people to think about environmental and social problems as economic opportunities is ....
(drumroll…..)
"the triple positive"
There, I’ve said it. So can you.
Triple Positive: A project, concept or way of thinking that is socially, environmentally and economically positive *.
Usage: As a noun: “Yeah it’s a nice idea, but is it triple positive?
As a verb: “shows promise, but needs to be triple positived."
As an adjective: “We’re seeking a triple positive solution”
Use it well
©Simeon Michaels 2002
*can the advanced thinkers who are already incorporating spiritual development and calling it the quadruple positive please recognise that we need to walk before we can run
***Japanese***
イヌイットは29もの言葉で雪を表す。暗くなる前に獲物を持って家に辿り着けるか、釣り穴が凍らないか、エスキモーたちに知らせるためだ。
正確なコミュニケーションが生と死を分けるのだ。僕たちの社会では雪かみぞれか、その程度で雪については十分だ。言語から、文化について多くのことを知ることができる。
過去1万年、僕たちは資源をうまく活用し、この星を支配し、効率的な市場ベースシステムを発達させてきた。
しかし、経済システムが成長している間、僕たちは社会・環境生態圏を犠牲にしてきた。専門家たちは言い続け、ほとんどの人がもう同じスピードで天然資源を使うことは出来ない、と気付いている。"出来ない”－と言うより、もう足りなくなっているのだ。
その上僕たちは、もう抜け出せないくらい、この策略的な経済システムに頼り切ってきた。だからこそ、このシステムの中で環境・社会へのポジティブな解決策を見つけ出さなければいけない。僕たちは本当に緊急で、この差し迫った環境・社会問題、そして経済を救っていかなければいけない。
何が驚くって僕たちの言葉には、あるべきはずの“経済・社会・環境一度にすべてにいいもの”という意味のものがないことだ。だから常にそれらは相互に排他的なゴールしか成し得ない。
｢環境に良かったらちょっと高くなるね｣とか
｢sustainableな道を目指したいけど株主への義務があるから｣とか
｢ものすごく良い事だけど稼げないね｣とか今まで散々聞いてきた言葉たち。
もうそんな考えは越えなければならない。 だからこそ“The Triple Positive―経済・社会・環境一度にすべてにいいもの”。これを経済・社会・環境の中で駆使していこう。