Tag Archives: ProxThink

Slowing Climate Change: Faster and Smoother Transitions to Better Situations – Part 3

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Note: See also Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.

NOTE TO READER: THIS POST IS NOT POLISHED YET, BUT I THOUGHT IT MIGHT HAVE SOME VALUE EVEN IN THIS UNFINISHED STATE. THANKS, DAVID LOUGHRY.

The ProxThink Growth Model may contribute in situations where governments and markets are helping with climate change, as well as situations in which governments and markets are having challenges dealing with climate change. [Reference scale argument at beginning of Part 1, and how PTGM can help at various scales (sm, med and large). Also how the PTGM can augment governments and markets when needed, replace them when needed, and work in unserved proximities as well.]

The ProxThink Growth Model offers opportunities for people and groups of varying sizes to create their own RelatePoints, ProxMonitors, Difference Agreements and ProxRewards, individually and/or collaboratively. So it isn’t top down or bottom up or middle-driven, but all three.

As a suggestion, we might begin by creating ProxMonitors and RelatePoints. A variety of ProxMonitors could be created to help people monitor relevant climate change data from local, regional and global perspectives. A variety of RelatePoints could be created for people and groups to relate to each other. Via the RelatePoints and aided by data from ProxMonitors, people could create Difference Agreements relevant to various proximities. The Difference Agreements would define the valuable differences people want to preserve, and then agreements could be crafted which help those valuable differences to persist, adapt and change as needed. ProxPatterns could help people create both the Difference Agreements, as well as appropriate ProxRewards as part of the Difference Agreements. As time goes by, people can experiment with and improve the RelatePoints, ProxMonitors, Difference Agreements and ProxRewards they create and use to relate to climate change.

Several further suggestions:
1) It may be very useful to view various proximities as resources. These become resources which we strive to make self-sustaining, to support us over long periods of time. [Examples.]
2) It also may prove useful to not try to keep track of every single contribution each person or group makes. Of course, keep track of some, but don’t get hung up on it. In other words, it may prove useful to a) set some directions or goals, b) provide feedback on how we are doing via ProxMonitors, and then c) encourage many people do things which can help us reach the goal or stay on course, and celebrate the efforts of these many, rather than celebrating the efforts of each. [include kevin kelly “group-steering” video game example, and also reference the group efforts of wartimes]

[provide more links into site for parts of the PTGM]

[links to learn more]

These ideas also have some value related to other resources we can make more sustainable.

The three parts of this series are a kind of strategy-level approach to slowing climate change with faster and smoother transitions, anchored by a set of ideas (ProxThink and the ProxThink Growth Model) which are of value in a wide variety of situations.

[Extra appeal to proxri me, since there is not just one government or company or foundation or group or continent that either could have hired me to do this or should reward me for it, since climate change is something that affects people on earth. Reference my startup debt and my ProxMonitor.]

Proxri Deal: As you find our relationship rewarding, proxri with the proximity in mind.

Slowing Climate Change: Faster and Smoother Transitions to Better Situations – Part 2

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Note: Part 1 of this series can be found here.

In this post, I’ll begin to discuss how ProxThink ProxPatterns and the ProxThink Growth Model can be used for faster and smoother transitions to better situations, as we coordinate efforts to slow climate change.

I suggest you join ProxThink so you can pick up some of the terms I use as you read the post. At a minimum, you’ll need four definitions to start.

Definition of “situation”
A situation is whatever you are dealing with or considering. It might be a problem, challenge, opportunity, place, time, state of affairs, combination of circumstances, you or something related to you, etc.

Definition of “element”
An element relates to other elements. Examples: Elements can be objects, people, ideas, feelings, situations, times, processes, descriptions, groups, relationships, and the proximity, as well as parts or aspects of the preceding examples. Note: An element may be described with one or more words.

Definition of “relationship”
A relationship is any kind of association or connection between elements.

Definition of “proximity”
Most simply, the proximity consists of elements and relationships. Perhaps more usefully, the proximity consists of elements related or potentially related to a situation, in physical, mental and other ways. Proximate elements may be known or unknown. Proximate elements may actually be close, like along dimensions of space or time. Or, proximate elements may seem close in some way, such as mentally, emotionally, logically, etc. The proximity is usually not completely fixed or given, so we can often choose some elements and relationships, and can consider the proximity of a situation to be flexible.

Now, returning to climate change, bold words in the rest of this paragraph will refer to ProxPatterns or parts of the ProxThink Growth Model. People with some entrenched interests in maintaining the status quo related to climate change may need to increase their ProxAwareness to accept more of the depth of our climate change challenges. They may need to use the value of some to honor the integrity of some elements, while allowing some uncertainty regarding other elements, in order to relate to their proximity which now includes climate change. On the other side, people who relate to those with some entrenched interests may need to honor the integrity of some elements in the proximity of the entrenched. Meanwhile, both sides may need to relate to the variety in their new proximity, and seek to find valuable differences with which they can create Difference Agreements which help valuable differences persist, adapt and change as needed. Continuing to find ways for valuable differences to persist, adapt and change as needed, is a challenge which may benefit from the use of a number of different ProxPatterns, as well as ProxRewards.

Here are some links to explore ProxThink, join ProxThink, learn about ProxThink ProxPatterns, and learn about the ProxThink Growth Model.

Proxri Deal: As you find our relationship rewarding, proxri with the proximity in mind.

Slowing Climate Change: Faster and Smoother Transitions to Better Situations – Part 1

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Climate change may well require us to make some transitions faster than markets and governments are typically capable of. There is usually resistance to change among those with entrenched interests, in both business and government. Competition can hamper speed when it is hard to share innovations because of intellectual property protections. And markets can be good for middle scale projects, but can have trouble managing changes when they require many small ad hoc efforts and/or efforts which require larger scale collaboration and coordination among diverse markets, governments, people and other elements.

So it is possible we will need some ways to coordinate efforts which get around these challenges. The ProxThink ProxPatterns, and the ProxThink Growth Model, may provide some help. Just as importantly, they can help in non-emergency situations as well, such as non-emergency climate change situations and other challenging situations.

The ProxThink ProxPatterns can suggest ways to change or adapt elements and relationships in a proximity, as well as evaluate or check actual or proposed changes. ProxPatterns provide clues about ways to start and how to progress, as well as provide options and help us deal with change. ProxPatterns allow for contradictions and complexity, yet can prevent situations from collapsing into chaos. ProxPatterns can help increase viable alternatives. ProxPatterns are simple enough for daily use, and powerful enough for some of our toughest situations.

The ProxThink Growth Model provides ways to collaborate and manage resources while encouraging growth. It contains aspects of ideas found in areas such as sustainability, open source development, competition, systems thinking, innovation, and cooperation, without being any of those exactly. It’s a synthesis, and results from taking a ProxPatterns perspective. It can encourage growth in a variety of ways and of various kinds (not only economic growth), for resources as well as people. This growth model has the potential to be sustainable, flexible, healthy, fun and efficient for people in the proximity of situations in which it is used. In turn, these qualities can help people grow, change, survive and thrive.

So combined, the ProxThink ProxPatterns and Growth Model may help us create more viable alternatives, collaborate and better coordinate our efforts to slow climate change, which may result in faster and smoother transitions to better situations.

Here are some links to explore ProxThink, join ProxThink, learn about ProxThink ProxPatterns, and learn about the ProxThink Growth Model.

Proxri Deal: As you find our relationship rewarding, proxri with the proximity in mind.

What People Want

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It’s entirely possible that what people mainly want is not stuff that is free, or to save or make money, or even things which might make their individual lives better.

It’s entirely possible that what people want is to be related to, and to be in, stimulating proximities. To have rich, varied, rewarding relationships that nurture and sustain them, in proximities and contexts and environments which encourage and support such relationships, and make such relationships more likely.

Individually and together in groups, we may be going through transitions toward greater emphasis on relationships and proximities. Three aspects of the ProxThink site and set of ideas may help people in these transitions. To find out more, join ProxThink here. Then come back and click this Transitions for People link.

Proxri Deal: As you find our relationship rewarding, proxri with the proximity in mind.

The Key Word in this Story was “Plenty”

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Perhaps one lesson from a story about websites that practically run themselves, is it shows that we can create resources, which once up and running, provide a lot of value and don’t require much maintenance. Knowing this is possible, let’s create more such practically self-sustaining resources. Specifically, let’s create self-sustaining resources which allow more life, are engaging, and in turn create proximities in which a wide variety of people and situations can flourish.

One of the sites in the story is a dating site called Plenty of Fish. There is plenty to learn from this and the Craigslist example they mention. There are plenty of opportunities to create proximities which function like self-sustaining resources for a variety of people and situations. Such resources can themselves be a source of plenty. Further, the ProxThink Growth Model may be a way to help manage such resources.

A couple examples of possible practically self-sustaining resources: We could create energy systems which tap renewable energy sources, providing most or all of a proximity’s energy needs and practically run themselves. Another might be some community resources which don’t need much maintenance if a few different people provide just a little time, money, energy or work, but do need a sustainable way to coordinate people’s maintenance activities for that resource.

What resources or proximities can you think of, which could be created to practically run themselves, and provide richer relationships for the people involved?

To learn more about using ProxThink ideas and the ProxThink Growth Model, visit ProxThink.com.

Proxri Deal: As you find our relationship rewarding, proxri with the proximity in mind.