Green Future Solutions is the Official Curator for TEDxGreen
TEDxGreen is an independent TEDx event operated under license from TED, and is curated by Green Future Solutions with the theme: Ideas for a Green Future. Our mission is to share, discuss and spread ideas for a green future through monthly salons and annual conferences in Singapore. At our TEDxGreen events, TED Talks videos and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group.
Green Future Solutions is a Singapore-based business that promotes environmental awareness and action for a green future, through our network of green websites, events, presentations, publications and consultancy. We are the publisher of Singapore’s leading websites on the environment, including AsiaIsGreen, Green Business Times and Zero Waste Singapore. Read more
Dark Green and Bright Green Environmentalism
During the Q&A session for the In Conversation Forum organised by the Raffles Girls School, a student mentioned that talking about the environment has become cliche and gives the feeling of “not again”. We replied that this is partly our fault, partly the fault of environmentalists who turns people off with our Dark Green environmentalism.
We have been focusing on the Dark Green mindset for too long and it’s time to embrace the Bright Green mindset. Our mindsets shape our actions and it is important to adopt the right mindset. There’s nothing wrong with both mindsets except that Dark Green tends to inspire fear and denial while Bright Green tends to inspire creativity and action.
Learn more about Dark and Bright Green from Worldchanging.
Dark Green
It’s about sacrifice and the horror stories.
Use less and buy less.
Switch off the lights and use less energy
Save the whales.
Save the polar bears, the polar bears are dying.
Don’t do this, don’t do that.
It’s about pessimism and negative mindsets.
It’s about “I have a nightmare”.
Bright Green
It’s about solutions and innovations.
Think possibilities and green technologies.
It’s about creating jobs and improving lives.
Better quality lives and environment for all.
Embrace green businesses and clean energy.
Achieve energy and water independence.
It’s about optimism and positive mindsets.
It’s about “I have a dream”.
The time has come to focus on Bright Green and let’s work together towards a bright green future.
Photo credit: Raiden256.
Why We Do What We Do
We gave a brief presentation on Why We Do What We Do at the In Conversation Forum organised by the Raffles Girls School. The forum discussion is on environmental actions and we thought it would be good to share with the students 4 typical mindsets behind Singapore’s environmental actions. Our mindsets shape our actions and it is important to adopt the right mindset.
A grid was used to show the 4 different mindsets. The horizontal axis ranges from local actions to global or regional actions. The vertical axis ranges from passive actions to active actions.
Wait and See
Local passive actions are shaped by our Wait and See mindset.
We’re not really sure so let’s wait for others to take the lead.
There’s too many changing factors so let’s wait and see.
Solar energy is too costly so let’s wait for the cost to come down before we see how to adopt solar energy.
Let’s wait for the developed countries to take the lead on climate change and then we see how to respond.
When we adopt a Wait and See mindset, our actions tend to be passive.
Clean and Green
Local active actions are shaped by our Clean and Green mindset.
We want to be a clean and green city.
We want to be a garden in a city or city in a garden.
We want to prevent pollution, increase our natural spaces and achieve water independence.
We want a clean and green Singapore so that we will have a good quality living environment and we can attract tourists and businesses.
When we adopt a Clean and Green mindset, our actions tend to be active.
Little Red Dot
Global passive actions are shaped by our Little Red Dot mindset.
We’re just a little red dot, what can we do?
We’re just a small island state with no natural resources, no hinterland and we import most of our food and fuel.
We’re just a little red dot, who are we to tell our bigger neighbours to take care of their environment.
We produce only 0.2% of global carbon emissions, we’re just a little red dot.
When we adopt a Little Red Dot mindset, our actions tend to be passive.
Help You Help Me
Global active actions are shaped by our Help You Help Me mindset.
By helping other countries, we are actually helping ourselves.
When we help China to build an eco city in China, we are helping ourselves because we benefit when China goes green. We get to export our expertise and help our local companies do business in China.
When we help Indonesia to combat forest fires in the Jambi province, we are helping ourselves because we will have less haze problems.
When we help others, we are helping ourselves and enjoying the benefits.
When we adopt a Help You Help Me mindset, our actions tend to be active.
The four mindsets are not exclusive and our actions tend to involve one or more of the mindsets. What we want to see is more focus on the lower half instead of the upper half. More of the Clean and Green and Help You Help Me mindsets, and less of the Wait and See and Little Red Dot mindsets.
