Category CURRENCY

THE POWER OF HABIT

Habit is strong. It is so strong that oftentimes people only do things because that’s the way they have always done them. Wake up, hit the alarm clock, get in the car, pick up coffee, drive to work. But, at what point do we stop and think, “change or die?”

Ever thought of bicycling? Taking the bus? Making your own coffee? Individually the benefit to the environment would be minimal, but multiply it by a million and you’d get real change.

Greenpeace is using this same philosophy to help China protect their diminishing forests. China uses 45 billion pairs of disposable wooden chopsticks annually, eliminating an appalling 25 million trees each year. If this astounding consumption continues, in 20 years, China will become a forest-less nation. The good news is, this deforestation is completely unnecessary. We have reusable alternatives to chopsticks, just as we have green alternatives for just about everything else. The bad news is, we refuse to use them. There Habit goes again, closing out minds and driving our actions.

To encourage the use of these alternatives, Greenpeace created a petition for people to pledge their abstinence in using disposable chopsticks. They also assembled a ‘disposable forest’ in the heart of Beijing to raise awareness of the dangers that can come from following Habit blindly. Stark, leaf-less trees, constructed entirely of used chopsticks, created a message that would not soon be forgotten- Change or die.

by Robert Shaw West Brand Futurist The Republik Companies Chairman/CEO

Photo Credit: © Greenpeace

CHANGE IS THE ONLY ABSOLUTE

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Change is the only absolute.

This was the subject of a memo I received less than two years into my first job.  It came from the president of our small-but-growing agency outlining some sweeping personnel changes designed to improve our offering by tapping into individual skill sets previously unknown or under-used.  The moves didn’t directly affect my role or responsibility, but it forever changed the way I look at business and the world.

It was the single most empowering message I ever received. Fear of the unknown is replaced by a new world of possibilities. Wake up tomorrow with the expectation of change and you will not be disappointed.  And after 25 years, every day is still a new opportunity.  Change or die, indeed.

For me, it was five simple words.  How about you?  What has caused you to change the way you see things?

by Dwayne Fry Brand Futurist The Republik Commander Strategic Ops

Photo Credit: via abcnews.go.com

AMERICA ISN’T EVIL – THEY JUST NEED A GOOD PR FIRM.

Why is America’s brand suffering? Mainly because no one’s paying attention to it. We’re like the company you’ve always hated, but you soften up when you find out they’ve given billions to charity. America needs a kick-ass PR firm to remind the world that the reason we’re criticized so much is that we’re held to a higher standard. For example, if regimes in China, the Middle East, or Africa slaughter 10,000 of their own people, the world looks the other way, for it’s expected. If America kills 12 civilians in an accidental bombing raid, we’re universally condemned, and there’s calls to testify in front of a world body. How about, “America. We’ve killed less people in 225 years than many countries do in 3 weeks?”

No matter what anyone says, America is the freest country in the world, with the most opportunity, the highest standard of living, and the highest acceptance of foreigners, bar none. When was the last time you heard of someone wanting to move to France to open a business, or risking their life to escape America? Ask Craig Ferguson. How about, “America. Cubans never push off their make-shift rafts from the South side of the island” or”America. Good luck opening your business in France. ”

We need to remind the world about our standard of living. Our poorest people live better than most middle-class people in other countries. Put it this way – as a whole, our poor people have plenty to eat, have cable TV, own cars, and drive them on well-maintained roads. Their poor people work hard labor 18 hours a day, are hungry, sleep on the ground, poop in an outhouse (if they’re lucky) and have a life expectancy 25 years less than ours.

I suppose we get a bad rap when it comes to wars. Sure, America has interests. When we fight to protect them, we’re condemned. However, other countries are not. (China and Russia, we’re talking to you). America has the kindest, politest foreign policy of any great power in history. Really. America saved the world from the horrific and murderous Italian Fascist, German Nazi, and Soviet totalitarianism regimes. When we do win a war, unlike any other country, we do not annex their territory – we help rebuild it. For example, we destroyed Germany and Japan in World War II, yet spent billions to help rebuild them. North Vietnam’s biggest mistake was winning a war against us, for today, they are a poor impoverished nation. Had we won, we would have helped rebuild and modernize them, and maybe, put in a government friendly to us. Oooh – bad America!!

How about this for a PR campaign – imagine the world without the United States – like the scene in Back to the Future when the nutty professor gets out of a Canadian car. Or we could show the whole world speaking German, living under a socialist regime.

Then again, it might be difficult – I’m doubt if TVs, radios, and the Internet could have been invented under a socialist regime.

by Francis George Brand Futurist The Republik Commander Creative Ops

Photo Credit: Team America: World Police © Paramount Pictures

ON THE EIGHTH DAY…

Italy plans on building a 200ft tall statue of Padre Pio, a religious heavyweight canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002. This isn’t that spectacular in itself, but what makes this statue a little more green than most in the vast papal realm, is the fact that it will have magical, god-like energy producing powers.

“The statue will be coated in a special photovoltaic paint which will enable it to trap the sun’s heat and produce solar energy, making it an “ecological” religious icon.”

I’m sure he could have done more, I say.  {insert sarcasm here}

by Mike Randall Brand Futurist The Republik Captain Strategic Ops

Photo Credit: Unknown – Licensed CC-BY-NC-SA

GEE, WHAT A TREE GE

GE Scientists Display First-Ever OLED Christmas Tree
GE scientists and engineers have created a present for the entire world. Members of GE’s OLED research team turned on the first-ever OLED Christmas tree. Made with GE’s flexible OLED panels, the tree provides a glimpse at how this revolutionary lighting concept is going to transform the lighting industry. Click here to see the video of the lighting of the OLED Christmas tree.

Cheers to GE for making our wish for more efficient and environmentally lighting come true.

Read more here

What do you think GE will create next with its OLED lights?

by David Smith The Republik
Photo Credit: © General Electric Company