I need to overturn what isn’t working. I have spent a lifetime learning the tools and techniques that will help me create change.
Why? Why am I so hung up on creating change? It stems from my understanding of the world around me. The richness of life amazes me in its abundance and diversity. A diversity of form and function creates resiliency, and the ability to survive in changing conditions. Human beings have the ability to adapt to change not just by the variety of our bodies, but also through our culture: the ability to learn new behaviours and pass them on. We have found so many different ways to survive on this planet. I became a student of anthropology to help me understand some of this richness.
Not all of our choices have been good. Seeking an energy source, we found fossil fuels, and they allowed us to do a great many good things. However, those same fossil fuels are destroying things in the world that we need. Our air, our water, our land. I have been fortunate enough to go scuba diving in the second most biodiverse spot on the planet (Raja Ampat, Indonesia). I have seen mantas soaring over reefs that sheltered miniature seahorses only a centimetre long and sharks that “walk” along the bottom. In the span of less than a decade, I have seen reefs transformed to barren wastelands, and I will not allow this to continue. The diversity of our planet keeps us alive.
I have come to the conclusion that we have to accept responsibility for our ability to change, and embrace this core strength. We can choose different ways of eating, drinking, finding shelter and powering our lives. That’s what I am about.
I am changing the way we live in the world, 1 km at a time.
I help companies change their products, their processes, even their people. In my private live, I work to change how my household consumes resources.
So what’s the “1 km at a time” about? To create change, you need a goal. It should be measurable. Right now, I’m working on reducing my household’s reliance on fossil fuels, which is why I have switched to driving an electric car in combination with the use of public transit. Every kilometre we travel marks a reduction in the CO2 emissions we produce. It is measurable.
I have another site over at www.palebluedotfoundation.com where my charitable foundation resides. If you’re interested in the philanthropic content, wander over there next.
Kirsten Oulton
change@kirstenoulton.com