Focus On The Solutions

Making a shift away from focusing on the problems to getting excited about the solutions.

“There are two forms of energy. You have the electrical version, and you have the human energy which can blast through anything.  It can go around the problem like water.” This is from a new documentary from outdoor clothing company Patagonia that focuses on how communities around Europe are breaking down barriers to take power back from big energy companies and put it in the hands of locals. Talking about and being part of solutions is a much more effective way of engaging than focusing solely on the challenges. Solutions don’t have to be big or perfect. Solutions come in all shapes and sizes. Take a tour around REScoop.eu, an energy cooperative where citizens jointly own and control enterprises that work on renewable energy, for all sorts of inspiration. Universities can also bring together and celebrate these approaches (for example, “100 companies for resource efficiency” compiled by Pforzheim University Business School as part of an alliance between state government and leading trade associations in Germany.)

+How does, how could the university rethink the way they approach their energy (and bring this discussion into the classroom and research)?