Hope, good will, and fairness are participatory. Without active, committed, forward-thinking collaboration and attentive participation, they are just words. Whatever political system we live in, it is a universal longing that leaders show deep loyalty to the graces that would allow their leadership to liberate people as they move through the everyday. We must remember … Continue reading A Time for Wild Mercy
Hypoxia means “low oxygen”. Hypoxic zones in the ocean are known as “dead zones”, because entire ecosystems break down under hypoxic conditions. The New Scientist reported earlier this month: OUR actions today will change the world’s oceans for thousands of years. That is the conclusion of a study simulating a little-discussed consequence of climate change: … Continue reading Future-building Never Stops
The elephant in the room is everything we do not count. When investors say a speculative opportunity is a “sure thing”, most people know to treat their certainty with suspicion. Some prefer to focus on the emotional satisfaction of having come in contact with a “sure thing” windfall opportunity, but it’s easy to see the … Continue reading The Unconsidered Elephant
The business models and technologies that dominate the later part of this century will transcend old-fashioned thinking about value management and resource allocation. Connection and ephemeralization would make them appear downright magical to us. Four critical capabilities that will drive these trends: Anything can be made anywhere. Technical knowledge can reach anywhere. Advanced services will … Continue reading The Magical Future of Smart Energy
Data integration must empower people to make sovereign personal decisions, informed by reliable evidence. Free will is irrevocable. We are always engaging it, yet countless editorial decision points determine the list of options from which we will choose. In other words, the limits on human freedom are curated boundaries, set by the powers that be. … Continue reading Free Will vs. Hyper-convergence
The perfect company has long been thought to be structured around externalizing cost and avoiding risk. The modern limited liability company—modeled on Queen Elizabeth I of England’s sovereign guarantee to the British East India Company—was designed to invite investment by limiting the cost of failure and spreading risk across an entire society. But, perfection starts … Continue reading How to Build the Perfect Company
In the life-giving tangle of Earth systems, the ocean is an undeniable and critical force. Its absorption and distribution of thermal energy drives prevailing climate patterns, and helps to regulate temperature and weather everywhere on Earth. But while climate is an all-pervading macrocritical driver of economic health, risk, and possibility, not everything that connects the … Continue reading Blue Economy: The Future of Earth’s Ocean
Full-spectrum financial sector transition to low-emissions business models is possible. In fact, it is already underway. Resilience-focused finance enhances the health and longevity of investments and expands the capability of any given dollar to generate added value in the world. The why is both simple and complex: simple, because it is simply better to avoid … Continue reading The Irrestible Efficiency of Climate-Smart Finance
The unknown is a vast and threatening landscape. Acting without exploring the boundaries of what we know is still more perilous. Misinformation disempowers people and institutions. Confusion disrupts our sense of capability. Exploration gives purpose. In finding truth, we learn about ourselves—about our limits and how to transcend them, and about our role as witnesses … Continue reading The Civics Lesson in Cassini’s Saturn Ring Dives
Diplomacy is often referred to as “soft power”. That framing is more a measure of diplomatic prowess than a result of the simple fact of having diplomats. Bad diplomacy may, in fact, reduce the amount of overall influence a nation has. Soft power is not a given; it is a complex, high-stakes endeavor, and necessary … Continue reading Diplomacy is Capability
The Poet Economist 