There’s a growing school of thought that unfettered information about the environmental impacts of our world will smoke out the bad guys and help the good guys win.
I wish it were that simple.
That’s Joel Makower, long time veteran of the sustainability world, in his review of Daniel Goleman’s Ecological Intelligence.
I think he’s right. It’s not that simple.
Unfettered information isn’t enough. Total access to data isn’t enough. Radical transparency from companies isn’t enough.
In my opinion, we need that information translated, interpreted, organized, communicated, taught. We need stories that move us. Honest, humble, creatively-delivered narratives that stick in our minds and shape our understanding of consumers, businesses, and the world in which we all operate. For me, personally, I need to see corporations as bike mechanics; I need to know them well enough that it makes me smile every time I contribute to their success.
And telling those stories is far from simple. But, then again, I didn’t get the impression that Goleman said it would be.
Here’s the link to Joel’s review again. His concerns are legitimate. As is Goleman’s response.