Tag: planting trees

Big Problems Require Numerous Solutions

I was posting
on social media about
how I direct some of my donations
toward planting trees.

An angry guy
commented
that I was a f*ckin’ idiot.
Planting trees
won’t solve climate change.

Of course, it won’t
‘solve’ climate change
on its own,
dumb a$$.
Climate change
is a HUGE problem.
Huge problems
often require
multiple solutions.

If you want to tackle
a huge problem
with the business
you’re building,
consider
tackling a small slice
of that problem
first.

Then build out
from there.

That’s manageable.
That’s doable.

Long-Running Charities

Yesterday, I talked about
how I keep a tally
of my contributions to charities
and their associated impacts.

Any long-running charity
should be able to provide us
with the impacts
they have made
over the years.

On the website
for #TeamTrees ,
for example,
they announce
how many trees
they’ve helped plant
thus far.

They show you
the locations
they’ve planted those trees.

They also know
how much it costs them
to plant a tree
(which is an easy calculation
– the amount spent
divided by the number of trees).

We should be able
to see the impact
of a charity
on the cause
we’re supporting.

If you’re in a leadership position
at a charity,
ensure you supply this information.

If you are a donor,
expect to see it.

Keep Track Of The Changes You’ve Helped Make

Yesterday,
I talked about finding
the right charity for you.

One of the things
that increases my joy
around giving to charity
is
keeping a tally
of my donations
and their projected impact.

For example,
I donate to
#TeamTrees .
$1 US helps to plant
1 tree.

Planting 1 tree
might not seem
like it would make
a huge difference
but planting 1 tree
a day
for 10 years
creates a mini forest
the size of a nearby park.

THAT is impressive.
THAT would make
any tree-lover happy.

Track the differences
you make
in this wonderful world.

If We Want Improvement

If I wanted simply to offset
the carbon I use,
I would fund the planting
of X trees per year.

But I know some people
won’t or can’t offset their carbon usage
and
I want the world to improve
so
I fund the planting
of at least 2X trees per year.

The standard tip
for housekeeping
when we stay in a hotel
is expected.
The employee factors
that into her earnings.

Doubling that standard tip
will change her life a bit.

Seth Godin
shares

“Whether it’s splitting a check,
getting a project done
or making an impact on the culture
or a cause,
if you want things to get better,
the only way is
to be prepared
to do more than your fair share.”

If we want the world
to improve,
we should do
MORE than is expected.

Should You Start A New Organization?

A well known marketing guru
is setting up an organization
to help fight climate change
(and, I suspect,
to sell more books).

The thing is…
similar organizations
already exist.
Their structures are in place.
They are ready to go,
are getting to work,
are making a difference in the world.
Today.
They merely need more support
and more people involved.

In contrast,
when the founders started #TeamTrees ,
they set it up
as a conduit for Arbor Day Foundation,
an existing organization
that plants local trees by local people
worldwide.

#TeamTrees could focus
on the huge task
of driving awareness and support.

They’ve helped plant
over 19 million trees thus far.

If your goal
is to make a difference
in the world,
ask yourself
if you can make a bigger difference
by supporting an existing organization
rather than starting a new one.

Prepare For Net Zero

The climate is changing.
That is indisputable.

Rules, laws, customer expectations
will change with it.
Net zero, for example,
will be an expectation
for businesses.

As business builders,
we should be preparing for this.
It is easier to make
these changes gradually now
than wait
and
have to modify everything all at once.

How do we prepare?

Canada is
planting trees
that can survive
in warmer climates
than Canada experiences right now.

If we plant trees
around our business buildings,
seeking to lower energy usage
and offset carbon output,
we should do the same.
Dead trees won’t provide
those benefits.

We should consider
installing solar panels
on those buildings,
adding outlets for electric vehicles
and
rain barrels to capture water,
having natural ground cover
instead of grass,
low usage toilets,
more insulation, etc.

If we need a company car,
we should consider
buying an electric car.
It is better for the environment
and it relays to customers
we’re preparing
for the future.

We should consider
alternatives to single use plastic,
should find
environmentally-friendly alternatives
for our packaging,
keeping recycling rules in mind.

Every aspect of our businesses
should be examined
and modified
so our businesses
have a minimal impact
on the environment.

Net zero, as an expectation,
is coming.
Start preparing for it now.

Track Cumulative Effort

I donate toward
the planting of some trees
every month.
That monthly number isn’t very large.

I, however, also track
the lifetime-to-date,
the cumulative number of trees
I’ve helped plant.
After years of giving,
that number is now HUGE.

I’ve helped plant
the equivalent of
an entire forest.

I’m proud of that number.
I feel good about
making that difference
in the world.

Right now,
there’s likely something small
you’re doing every day/week/month.
Maybe it is social media posts
or
number of words written
or
cans of soup given to the food bank.

Consider tracking that effort
over time.
I suspect you’re making
a bigger impact
than you believe.

Not Everything Has To Be Broadcast

I donate a portion
of my book sales
to planting trees.

I don’t talk about this.

Why?

Because some of my readers
won’t like that I’m donating
to that specific cause.

Because many of my readers
will think,
because I donate to charity,
I don’t need or value
book sales
and my books will then
be heavily pirated.

But mostly because
it won’t increase my joy
by sharing this information.
And there’s a very real possibility
posting about it
on social media
will decrease my happiness,
will demolish my good feelings
around these donations.

Not everything we do
has to be broadcast.

We should assume
people, if they dig,
will eventually find information out,
but we don’t have to shove
that information
in front of their faces.
We don’t have to make it
impossible to ignore.

If publicity around an act
won’t help you or others,
consider saying nothing about it.