Bridging the Gap Between Nature and Humanity - Pranav Bhardwaj
If the entire history of the earth were condensed into one year, humans would only appear on December 31st at 11:55 PM. In those five minutes, humanity will have altered ecosystems, and in some cases, caused irreversible changes. The IPCC is increasingly finding substantial evidence proving that global temperature change, sea-level rise, and glacial melting are all caused by man-made greenhouse gas emissions.
In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists stated that polar bears could be extinct by 2100 due to prominent glacial melting. While a powerful statement, this rhetoric unfortunately distances us from the issue, given that it will theoretically occur after our lifetimes. With this accurate but future-oriented mindset, humanity is often seen as separate from the environment, enabling us to exploit it for our needs without considering the longer-term effects. Therefore, climate solutions and suggestions that lead to more conscious decisions must bridge this gap between man and nature, effectively communicating just how essential natural ecosystems are to our artificial ones.
Take the business ecosystem, for example: like individual animals, organizations run on energy, water, and other resources to fulfill their overarching goals and to survive, or in this case, to maintain a healthy bottom line. With rapidly depleting natural resources, our business ecosystem cannot provide the necessities that our society relies on, such as nutritious foods, pure water, and raw materials. Organizations also interact with other stakeholders, such as businesses, clients, and investors, similar to how natural ecosystems host a variety of interconnected species. Without getting too into the predator vs. prey analogy, a healthy ecosystem thrives on diversity. The co-existence of numerous industries and players helps to develop the mindset that is necessary to sustain a healthy business and a healthy planet. In the diverse ecosystem of business, organizations can rely on their customers, employees, and shareholders to be direct and indirect co-leaders in sustainability.
Companies that actionably emphasize the importance of sustainability have shown long-term profitability, stronger positive public images, and key differentiation through their environmental initiatives. As covered in our blog last week, Microsoft recently came out with a variety of sustainability initiatives to address its historic carbon emissions. As some of the largest companies in the world make strides towards environmental sustainability, carbon neutrality, and eco-friendly consciousness, the rest of the business ecosystem will soon follow in their footsteps. However, industry leadership should not be just limited to the corporate giants of the world - in order to truly ingrain the values of sustainability into humanity, it should start with individuals, small businesses, and communities as well.
My name is Pranav Bhardwaj and I’m pleased to be a part of the RyeStrategy team as a Carbon Consultant. I am a recent graduate of the University of Washington, where I completed my B.S. in Earth Sciences and my B.A. in Environmental Studies. I wore many hats during my undergraduate career, but one thing remained constant: my interest in scientific communication and climate movement intersectionality. The climate crisis may affect us in different ways and at different scales, but I believe that we all have a responsibility in our communities and workplaces to affect change.
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Based in Seattle, RyeStrategy is a CDP-accredited, mission-oriented company specialized in carbon accounting, mitigation coaching, and climate disclosure solutions for organizations at any point in their sustainability journey. Learn how RyeStrategy helped Salesforce, Ideascale, and Wazoku achieve their sustainability goals.
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