One,Two,Three – Here Comes Climate Change
Three approaches to the impending warming of the globe's climate emerged after reviewing the applications for this year's Buckminster Fuller Challenge award - a $100,000 grant with no strings attached. The recipient is a pragmatic visionary who fulfills Bucky's holistic world view and confirms his faith in human ingenuity. Serving as one of six jurors provided a rare glimpse at problem-solving innovations that are capable of planet-wide impact.
None displayed the public's prevailing response to predictions of climate change - DISREGARD. Some were pro-active. Others were re-active. But all were active.
1. ACCOMMODATION: These proposals were based on the assumption that disturbances were going to be severe and inevitable. No human intervention could prevent drought, storm, food shortages, etc. The best we can do is limit the consequences by anticipatiing emergency conditions by, for example, designing architecture to withstand extreme winds.
2. PREVENTIVE INTERVENTION: These proposals revealed faith in the ability of humans to mitigate the severity of climate change by drastically reducing fossil fuel dependence, conducting large scale reforestation, inventing carbon-digesting compounds, etc.
3. ENHANCED RESILIENCE: These proposals functioned in the manner of health providers who bolster the immune system of the patient instead of treating the illness. Thus, this climate change strategy enhanced the vitality of ecosystems so that they could adjust to conditions that were likely to be intense and unpredictable. Their strategies included improving soils, replenishing aquifers, increasing bio diversity, etc.