Episode 07: When Sustainability goes Sideways

In this episode, we look at what can go wrong in sustainability. Lying to ourselves, overcommitting, and taking token actions are pitfalls we can all easily fall into. We highlight a few strategies for overcoming this, we share a couple of sustainability bloopers on the personal front, and address how expecting us all to go “cold turkey” or take sides more often creates too high expectations or distraction, undermining our ability to move quickly toward better solutions and incremental transition. We advocate for a mindset of adaptation and getting comfortable with chaos while remaining curious, watching out for silver bullets and blind spots, and still taking action based on the real data we do have. We giggle about some public sustainability fails in the product/branding world — check the Shownotes so you don’t miss out on some good laughs! Finally, Renée walks us through the Rebound Effect and how to watch out for it. We hope this episode really moves you.

In a somewhat unconventional 12-episode podcast series, a Novelist and an ex-Googler – Libby and Renée, based in Switzerland – draw on science and data as well as humanity's creativity and flawed beauty to come to terms with – and find actions to address! – our global, local and personal sustainability challenges.

Dan Ariely Spotify podcast about his book “The (honest) truth about dishonesty” https://pointofinquiry.org/2012/09/dan_ariely_the_honest_truth_about_dishonesty/

Simon Sinek leadership videos https://www.youtube.com/user/SimonSinek 

From "The Conversation": After 25 Years of Trying, Why Aren't We Sustainable Yet https://theconversation.com/after-25-years-of-trying-why-arent-we-environmentally-sustainable-yet-73911

Podcast: This Jungian Life (episode containing the discussion of Symbols and Archetypes unknown) http://www.thisjungianlife.com/ 

Bill Gates's Blog - Outlining the 5 big sources of CO2 https://www.gatesnotes.com/Energy/My-plan-for-fighting-climate-change#

The UN's Sustainable Development Goals  https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

Michael Moore's documentary: "Planet of the Humans" https://planetofthehumans.com/

A few brand sustainability fails  https://www.askattest.com/blog/innovation/sustainability-fails

The Rebound effect  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebound_effect_(conservation)

Working part time studies and environmental effect https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959378013000472?via%3Dihub and https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652616301044?via%3Dihub

Other links

What people get wrong about sustainability with Jeffrey Hollender  https://www.businessinsider.com/what-people-get-wrong-about-sustainability-2018-6?r=US&IR=

The music!

’Optimistic Life' performed by The Smithereens, used under license from Shutterstock