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The problem, the consequences and the solution
The problem:
The statement below is also referring to pollution, city convergence, life style, mobility, hunger, migrations, financial manipulations, power abuse, etc.
The consequences
Need I say more? It is in our self interest to do something about it. Consequence driven investments damage economies and societies while proactive attention may give an innovative boost that keeps us busy for centuries. The Dutch have experience since we suffered our own water catastrophy in 1953, killing 1500 people. The implications now would be devastating, affecting 47% of the country. Time to act?
Solution:
The easiest way to “solve” this is to wait for the problem to pass by itself.
The problem will indeed solve itself over time but scientists, economists and religious leaders now tend to agree that by that time there will be no human beings left to assume responsibility for our species.
10 years ago I stopped blaiming the world for unawareness and lack of sense of responsibility. For most individuals the issues are too abstract and mindblowing to picture one’s own responsibility. Surrounded by definitions of economic patterns and efficiency tools I could not find any definition for sustainable human progress that I could relate to myself. So I created one.
The commitment to myself and my natural surroundings evolved into the STIR Foundation, the cooperative venture AiREAS and FRE2SH and the STIR Academy for 21st century society and entrepreneurship. It changed my life and many others that got involved in these ventures. We can now involve the world by providing guidance, tools, inspiration and innovation.
Try it. It will change your lofe and that of your surroundings, always for the better.
Jean-Paul Close
Changing ways of looking at life
Not many people understand the functioning of our complex human systems called society. We interact without asking too many questions, suffering large consequences as they come along. We protect the selfinterest by living life as it comes making choices based on cultural norms, tradition, fears and ambitions. We do not really believe we can do a lot about the bigger picture as individuals.
When effects of pollution, global warming, migrations of desperate people, financial crises, scandals, etc reach our awareness we do tend to take a broader view of our reality. We may even reach a point that we adjust our daily choices with this new information.

Awareness places me and society within the context of the universe and our planet Earth. We start seeing the reality in a different way, not just what is expected from me by society
Empathy
This awareness has an interesting extra effect on people as we begin to question the way we organize ourselves. We open up to an inner reality called “empathy”. This is a state of consciousness that does not just want us to survive in a competitive world. It helps us try to “do good” too. This “to do the right thing” is a state of mind that requires us to learn to feel sympathy for our surroundings. We open up to observing new realities, such as the suffering of other people, the effects of our actions on nature, the immorality of manipulation and injustice of certain human actions of greed. We arrive at a point that we project our daily choices on the world wide issues and take action accordingly within our span of control. We open up to understanding the bigger picture and see our own role with more clarity. Changing this role changes the human world of systems that, as a consequence, are forced to adjust.
Consumer conscience
On a worldwide basis we see our shops being packed with goods through an old system of supply and taxes on which institutions (business, government, banks) rely.
You can’t solve problems by increasing them
It is in their system’s interest to keep this chain functioning because it produces labor, involves technology, keeps consumption going and produces funding for infrastructures and bureaucracy. It also provides means to address the consequences of this system. As the consequences grow exponentially, so does the need for money in this globalized system.
We understand that it produces the problems but we all depend on its functioning. How do we change it without putting this machinery on hold?
The first change is our own sense of “empathy” we the related change of our daily choices. We force the human systems to adjust to the newly growing popular mentality.
The second change is that the supply chain is stressed due to unsustainable chackles inside the system. The supply chain tries to optimize and reorganizes itself to remain strong.
The third change is provoked by the global issues themselves. If for instance competition for raw materials becomes as demanding as competition for sales the intellect is forced to look for adaptation to avoid system’s collapse. There is a lot of stress everywhere demanding leadership to cope with stressful circumstances.
Two complexities
The way we (STIR) addtess this at yhe top level of regional goverance and economuc development is by introducing a new complex system next to the old one. It is a system based on responsibility of change rather than keeping a supply chain going. It helps participants anticipate without being surprised by circumstances and the unexpected.

Awareness means that we manage to place the human system as instrumental, not dominant in our human evolution
When tension builds up locally in the old system relief is found by looping initiatives through the new system in a multidisciplinary way. This exercize helps people in charge to open up their minds to alternatives and choose their best options.
By doing so we achieve another interesting process, the development of the consciousness (to be) with the use of instruments to change things for the better (to do).
The biggest challenge we face in human reality is to integrate our growing awareness and empathy (awakening to new realities) with the systems that produce sustainable human progress and wellness. It becomes clear in our minds that for our own stability we need change. This is excitingly new when we come from an era of conservatism due to lack of awareness. The more we all become aware, the peacefuller we adjust our lives and systems through innovation of our structures and lifestyle. We start enjoying the prospect of progress rather than fearing the consequeces of change.
Awareness changes the world
Earth day
Earth day
Today, April 22nd 2014, is Earth Day. This just to remind us what we have and should cherish. I suspect that the rest of the year we don’t bother at all while there is nothing to remind us other than disaster, illnesses and system’s neglect.
At AiREAS we spend year in year out thinking of our planet and the giant issues we face. We also experience the difficulty to redesign and transform human societies, cultures and system’s complexity. The old money driven structure is extremely dominant and diverts attention all the time, making things worse faster than we can make it right.
Pollution day
I would like to turn things around and create a global “pollution” day. A day to commemorate the intense stupidity of human systems that were about to destroy our habitat and sustainable life perspectives. It will be a day that we laugh at ourselves and party all day to celebrate the return of common sense.












