We have become really good at imagining the end of the world. This is not surprising, as we are continually bombarded with bad news about climate change. Indeed, we have the scientific data to prove it. Yet our response has been to demonize carbon, turning one of the building blocks of life into the enemy. Carbon is not the problem, says Paul Hawken. We are.
Hawken asks us to steps back and reimagine carbon. In doing so, he opens our eyes to the transformations that are occurring all around us. Hawken sees a world created by privilege transforming into a world created by community. He sees conventional wisdom transforming into collective wisdom. He sees thousands upon thousands of organizations building communities, making connections, and working to meet the needs of the world. They are present to life, and they are remaking who we are. Transformation is about more than reimagining carbon –it is about reimagining what it means to be a human being. It is about reenchantment, and it is about falling in love with life.Paul Hawken reminds us that we do not change when we are in fear or despair. We change when the narrative changes.
Paul Hawken is an environmentalist, entrepreneur, and author. His work includes starting ecological businesses, writing about the impact of commerce on living systems, and consulting with heads of state and CEOs on economic development, industrial ecology, and environmental policy.
Watch the clip from the talk Paul Hawken held at the “Transformation in a Changing Climate” conference, 18. June, 2013, at the University of Oslo, Norway:
Back to the front page.