I recently watched Vara Küps, a touching movie that sheds light on the destruction of Estonian forests by industrial logging and the resulting ecological crisis. The trailer can be viewed via this link on YouTube. It is a powerful reminder of the environmental damage that is happening in our region.
After the movie, I was chatting with my girlfriend Kadri, who asked me a question that got me thinking: How can it be that people who work in these industries remain unaware of the environmental damage they are causing?
At the time I was stumped, but later I remembered a quote from Upton Sinclair that is fitting: “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”
The people responsible for these industrial activities may be willfully ignorant because acknowledging the problem could jeopardize their livelihoods.
Famous investor Charlie Munger has said, “Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome. If you have a dumb incentive system, you get dumb outcomes.” The actions of individuals and organizations are often influenced by the incentives they receive. If these incentives are not aligned with environmental wellbeing, the consequences can be disastrous.
The film showed a stark contrast between the narratives of ecologists and the timber industry. Even basic facts such as the amount of wood cut down or the remaining forest cannot be agreed upon. The polarizing narratives seem so different that it is difficult to make sense of them.
Yet controlling the narrative is a powerful tool to initiate change. Environmental scientist Donella Meadows believed that changing the mindset of a system is an effective way to bring about change. She identified changing the narrative as one of the 12 critical leverage points where interventions can bring about significant changes in a system’s behavior.
It is important for individuals to understand who controls the narrative when making sense of the world. Every story is constructed for a purpose, and by examining the motivations behind these narratives, we can begin to decipher the truth.
If you are trying to find out who is responsible for the narrative, you should consider these questions:
- Who is directing the narrative?
- What story are they telling?
- What is considered important and why?
- Who benefits and who suffers?
These questions can help us trace the origins of the narrative, which can often be traced back to financial interests.
In conclusion, the crisis is a stark reminder of the power of incentives and narratives. If we understand who controls the narrative and why, we can change the discussion and ultimately the system itself. It is time to craft a new narrative that values our environment and promotes sustainability for future generations.