What’s Your Money On? Blind Faith in Fate’s Invisible Hand? Or Something a Bit More Earthly?

It’s Earth Day, or it just was or it nearly is; you know, depending on a whole host of factors that are just not possible to pin down right now.

This means that a trillion and one articles, tweets and LinkedIn posts are vying for the slim pickings of what’s left of your attention.

The fact that you’re reading this, the fact that this article and you, the reader have become connected in the face of the infinite odds that were stacked against us - must mean that fate’s strong invisible hand is playing its part.

Unfortunately, too many of you are happy to believe that fate’s strong and invisible hand will continue to play its part through the remaining years of this decisive decade and beyond; guiding us to the sunlit uplands where science and nature live in sustainable, carbon reduced harmony.

Dear reader, it will not.

As comfortingly numb as that strategy is – it’s time you, and me – get a fucking wriggle on, as they used to say.

To encourage, persuade and cajole you into using some of your energy, some of your influence and some of your capital (whatever form that takes) in making a positive difference this Earth Day, then please consider these 4 things.

1) All hope is not lost. An April release from the IPCC, is surprisingly enlightening – because it stresses that we have the power and capabilities right now to reduce emissions by half. With no carbon capturing magic beans in sight. The technology is within our means. Whilst as individuals it can feel hard to enable change in the way governments and business can – the truth is we can do something.

2) Small steps and giant leaps. Through my work on Electroheads and Extra Brain, I’ve recently started to work more closely with sustainability and business impact experts from the world of B-Corp.

Whilst there’s much to be inspired by, learn from and aim for – it’s startlingly obvious the power to change and make a difference comes from action. Even small steps when aggregated create momentum and power. At a time when the term ‘overwhelm’ feels all too within reach – it’s worth remembering that we all have the power to do something. In the end doing something, or doing nothing – is simply a choice. This might mean re-evaluating your whole approach to transportation – and deciding to get an e-bike so you can ditch some of those car journeys AND get fitter in the process.

3) What side are you really on and where’s your energy going? I recently read a brilliant article called Horizontal Hostility by Ian Leslie (https://ianleslie.substack.com/p/horizontal-hostility?s=r) which made sense of the oxymoronic but very real dynamic – which surfaces time again in all facets of our social structure – where groups spend more time arguing with people who are basically on the same side as us. I’ve seen this a lot in the e-mobility industry.

People fundamentally on the same side arguing passionately about advancing one form of sustainable travel over another. Our power to change lies in collective cohesion and solidarity against the big enemies like the pervasive power of the Fossil fuel industry or those that are running interference on positive progress using misinformation.

4) The water’s warm; come and jump in the pool. In the end, humans are simple beasts. Smart yes, complicated for sure – but whilst it feels we live in divided times (we do, but we always have) – the opportunity for change has to include being fun and entertaining. At Electroheads – this is what drives us. To advance the cause of electro-mobility we need to make that world interesting & entertaining and we need to do that in a way that makes the most of the platforms that the global influencers engage with. That’s how we’ve managed to create a staggering level of engagement on TikTok. But this isn’t about TikTok – it’s about understanding that to get people – be that your customers, your partners, your suppliers, your investors to see things differently – you have to be engaged and entertained. As our good friends at world class digital agency Tommy tell us all the time; it’s a battle for attention out there. And boring and earnest isn’t enough. You’ve got to earn it.

Right, with that in mind, time for us to go make some more 1m+ TikToks and try and get a few more folk to go electric.