Tripling the Bottom Line
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By caroline on Jan 31 2010, last modified on Mar 14 2010.

The world can no longer afford to exploit its resources. Society must now empower authentic, accountable economies that maximise what we have.

We need innovative solutions able to significantly impact change - economically, socially and environmentally.

RMOW_Presentation_Slide13ii

Resolution in the C's

Tripling the bottom line means waking up to the notion that the fundamental elements of our world - ENVIRONMENT, ECONOMY, SOCIETY operate as one. Like a finely balanced equation, you cannot change one without having an impact on all three.

Therefore, for a sustainable future, whichever element we are focused on at any given time, we must consider the influence our initiative has on each. This can be enabled through empowerment of the C's:

Community
Collaboration
Communication

Environment

The greatest pressures on our environment concern our dependancy on finite resources and population growth. We need to:

Discover and take action on new ways of both sourcing and
reducing our energy needs.
Reduce population growth .

Reducing Population Growth

Whereas reduced birth rates in many developed nations have led to population decline - lack of education, deprivation of women's rights and political unrest within impoverished and war torn nations has lead to increased birth rates so deepening of wealth divides.

By increasing access to knowledge and information in deprived communities, they will be better equipped to empower themselves - to get informed and able to establish sustainable economies of their own, so enabling society to create greater balance in prosperity and power.

Population growth will begin to slow down and the subsequent pressure on the earth’s resources will be reduced.

We live in a time of great change. As more and more people in privileged communities awaken to the need of global community empowerment, an increasing number of grassroot initiatives designed to make it happen are springin to life.

Local examples include Bicycles for Humanity and Playground Builders(click on the links to find out more).

Bicyles for Humanity Playground_Builders_OriginalLogo

We need to work together (collaboration) in doing all we can to ensure deprived communities can begin creating local economies of their own (community). To enable community empowerment, gathering awareness and having a means to learn is essential. Access to information is key (communication). Interactive online media needs to be made available to these communities, as this will provide both the information they need and the ability to market themselves beyond the confines of their local environments.
Think New. Think Forward.

Generating Grassroot Ideas

Social Media breaks down traditional boundaries of bureaucracy so enabling the open sharing of information and grassroots ideas.

By giving ordinary individuals a voice and the ability to assert their values and influence issues directly affecting their lives, people want to engage.

The resultant increased flow of authentic, grassroots communication helps to drive accountability and promote real needs.

Economy

Social media is a powerful way to grow and engage your audience. By embracing Social media, business can make better use of their resources - so increasing their chance of success.

Reduced consultancy expenses:identifying the way forward, research and costs time and getting information for your business means time & money. Interactive media encourages people to openly share information online. Why duplicate what has been done?
Free market research:inviting open interaction acts as free marketing for business - free flowing information identifying real needs.
Empowering brand:Social conscience

Connecting by Community

Connecting participation through community empowers both business and individuals:

Promotes sharing of resources and information between communities.
Increased levels of grassroots communication breaks down social and cultural barriers.
Helping local business to promote themselves beyond the gateways of their home community
Enables larger scale business to reconnect with where it matters most.

Society

Social Media serves politicians can better identify how to be accountable to the people they serve.

It's time for us all to connect - for we all have a stake in one another's success. Equal opportunity to access information

Summary

How society reached this point

Over the last 100-150 years - socially, economically and environmentally, the earth has taken quite a hit:

Industrial revolution
Inequality/imbalance of power
Rapid rise of technology
Finite global resources
Lack of awareness
Limitations of information exchange

The development of science and technology over a relatively short blip in time has affected mankind in unprecedented ways. In its beginnings, the birth of Information Technology (IT/Computers) arguably did more damage than good.

Increasing access to and promotion of information, the Technology Revolution meant that business with the initiative and ability to afford jumping on the bandwagon greatly benefitted by doing so. Now able to gather, store and analyse data for more effectively, they were much better equipped to cater towards demand and supply (consider the impact IT had on the Steel Industry for example).

Although saving resources and improving service, the new-found competitive edge increased the wealth gap. Corporate enterprise was on the rise, robust local economies declined. Larger business had greater marketing power.

Those with access to power had greater influence on the way information was exchanged. The puppeteers of traditional one-way marketing focused on increasing bottom lines and gaining political advantage. Manipulating societies perception (and so demand), most corporations negated real needs.

Dependency and increased demand on depleting natural resources turned them into political bargaining tools giving rise to conflict and furthering imbalance in power. This has hastened their extortion - extortion we can no longer afford to make.