(Photo: Allison Joyce/AFP via Getty Images)
5 ‘No-Regrets’ Actions for Tumultuous Times
In the shadow of uncertainty, let’s invest in the actions that enable us to both cope with crises and step into opportunities.
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In the shadow of uncertainty, let’s invest in the actions that enable us to both cope with crises and step into opportunities.
Most people I know seem to be holding their breath right now. There is, of course, an uncertain and deeply consequential election right around the corner. And a vast swath of the country is grappling with loss after two huge climate-exacerbated hurricanes. Many places, including my home state of Vermont, are struggling with the aftermath of less well-publicized climate disasters that are no less devastating for those in their epicenter.
Questions abound. Will the election results affect my Social Security? Will the hurricanes disrupt critical supply chains? Can my dad’s farm recover from the storm damage?
And, most of all: What’s coming next and how can we be ready?
Of course I don’t have a crystal ball. But, having worked with governments and civil society trying to head off the worst of climate change for more than 20 years, I’m certain of the trend: more destabilization, not less. Tougher shocks in more rapid succession.
The exact timing, degree, and location of those shocks is hard to predict. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do to prepare. Uncertain times are uniquely suited to an approach I call “ multisolving”—acting in service of multiple goals with a single action. For example, multisolvers plant orchards that feed people and cool cities; they design solar panels that provide clean energy and habitat for native plants. Their work has shown me that some types of action are likely to be beneficial no matter what comes next. Here are five:
In offering this list, I don’t mean to imply that I think the coming years will be easy or even safe for all of us. There’s good reason to expect difficulty, loss, and suffering that wiser, earlier action could have averted.
But I also try to remember that uncertainty cuts both ways. We don’t know what dangers are lurking, nor do we know what new possibilities might open up, some of them spurred by how people respond to the dangers. Here’s some good news: Connecting, fostering health, prioritizing equity, building in slack, and getting good at learning are excellent preparation for moments of opportunity too. In the shadow of uncertainty, let’s invest in the actions that enable us to both cope with crises and step into opportunities. I predict the future will be rich with both.
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Most people I know seem to be holding their breath right now. There is, of course, an uncertain and deeply consequential election right around the corner. And a vast swath of the country is grappling with loss after two huge climate-exacerbated hurricanes. Many places, including my home state of Vermont, are struggling with the aftermath of less well-publicized climate disasters that are no less devastating for those in their epicenter.
Questions abound. Will the election results affect my Social Security? Will the hurricanes disrupt critical supply chains? Can my dad’s farm recover from the storm damage?
And, most of all: What’s coming next and how can we be ready?
Of course I don’t have a crystal ball. But, having worked with governments and civil society trying to head off the worst of climate change for more than 20 years, I’m certain of the trend: more destabilization, not less. Tougher shocks in more rapid succession.
The exact timing, degree, and location of those shocks is hard to predict. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do to prepare. Uncertain times are uniquely suited to an approach I call “ multisolving”—acting in service of multiple goals with a single action. For example, multisolvers plant orchards that feed people and cool cities; they design solar panels that provide clean energy and habitat for native plants. Their work has shown me that some types of action are likely to be beneficial no matter what comes next. Here are five:
In offering this list, I don’t mean to imply that I think the coming years will be easy or even safe for all of us. There’s good reason to expect difficulty, loss, and suffering that wiser, earlier action could have averted.
But I also try to remember that uncertainty cuts both ways. We don’t know what dangers are lurking, nor do we know what new possibilities might open up, some of them spurred by how people respond to the dangers. Here’s some good news: Connecting, fostering health, prioritizing equity, building in slack, and getting good at learning are excellent preparation for moments of opportunity too. In the shadow of uncertainty, let’s invest in the actions that enable us to both cope with crises and step into opportunities. I predict the future will be rich with both.
Most people I know seem to be holding their breath right now. There is, of course, an uncertain and deeply consequential election right around the corner. And a vast swath of the country is grappling with loss after two huge climate-exacerbated hurricanes. Many places, including my home state of Vermont, are struggling with the aftermath of less well-publicized climate disasters that are no less devastating for those in their epicenter.
Questions abound. Will the election results affect my Social Security? Will the hurricanes disrupt critical supply chains? Can my dad’s farm recover from the storm damage?
And, most of all: What’s coming next and how can we be ready?
Of course I don’t have a crystal ball. But, having worked with governments and civil society trying to head off the worst of climate change for more than 20 years, I’m certain of the trend: more destabilization, not less. Tougher shocks in more rapid succession.
The exact timing, degree, and location of those shocks is hard to predict. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do to prepare. Uncertain times are uniquely suited to an approach I call “ multisolving”—acting in service of multiple goals with a single action. For example, multisolvers plant orchards that feed people and cool cities; they design solar panels that provide clean energy and habitat for native plants. Their work has shown me that some types of action are likely to be beneficial no matter what comes next. Here are five:
In offering this list, I don’t mean to imply that I think the coming years will be easy or even safe for all of us. There’s good reason to expect difficulty, loss, and suffering that wiser, earlier action could have averted.
But I also try to remember that uncertainty cuts both ways. We don’t know what dangers are lurking, nor do we know what new possibilities might open up, some of them spurred by how people respond to the dangers. Here’s some good news: Connecting, fostering health, prioritizing equity, building in slack, and getting good at learning are excellent preparation for moments of opportunity too. In the shadow of uncertainty, let’s invest in the actions that enable us to both cope with crises and step into opportunities. I predict the future will be rich with both.