What was the most successful economy of the past decade that got workers back to work after the economic downturn in 2008 and empowered the masses to earn supplemental income to make up for their losses? It was the Sharing Economy with companies like Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb. People had an instant opportunity to use their shared resources such as the car they owned or extra room in their house to earn revenue.
For many, the Sharing Economy was perfect timing. The economic downturn brought panic as people were trying to figure out how to get by. A similar helplessness is happening now. This time people are watching increasing atmospheric temperatures, more severe storms, and unstoppable wildfires from California to Australia, and everywhere in between.
So why not capitalize on what has been successful in the past to solve this current problem? This time people can use a different set of shared resources and tools to make a difference. That is where the Sharing Green Economy comes in.
The premise of the Sharing Green Economy starts at the individual level; specifically from each and every one of us asking what we can do do make a difference about the environment and climate change.
When the average person asks themself this question: What can I do about climate change? they typically arrive at the same two conclusions:
1. I can limit my own consumptions of energy and resources. And,
2. Only big business and big government can solve the problem.
These resulting conclusion bring about the following sentiments: conclusion number 1 is boring, uninspiring, and isolating (yet necessary), and conclusion number 2 leaves a feeling of helplessness and pessimism, (and unknowingly inaccurate).
In fact is there is so much that we haven’t thought of that will empower citizens and consumers to take action and use shared resources, profit from, and make the climate fight a lot more interesting and inspiring. Humans are innovators and everyone has the capacity to solve problems.
The Sharing Green Economy is about us. Keeping busy and tapping into your creative abilities to find your own solutions will go a long way to ease your panic and worry about what we are facing.