| Given the UN Climate Report released a few weeks ago, by the time my eight-year-old daughter graduates from high school, we’ll be in very big trouble. Yikes.
After reading the report, I thought through a list of my instinctive yet unproductive reactions:
Upon further reflection, I had an epiphany. For the last few years I’ve been investing in areas that specifically solve these massive problems, and trying to galvanize the investor community as well. I’ve often felt perplexed by the lukewarm response…or lack of response at all, despite the impressive investment returns. Perhaps my problem is that I’ve been describing what these “deep tech” companies DO – engineering at the atomic, molecular, organism, and complex system levels – instead of what they SOLVE: climate change, resource scarcity, and sustainability. Maybe that’s part of the disconnect. We need substantially more investment and support of deep tech (hard science + technology) if we want any chance of solving these pressing global issues. How do we move onto the next generation of “impact investing”? Do we call it “survival investing”? And how do we incentivize it? Bryan PS. From our first conversation with Synthego co-founders (and brothers) Paul and Michael Dabrowski, Jeff and I were sold on their mission to ensure that everyone, not just the wealthy, has access to revolutionary gene editing technology… Synthego was among OS Fund’s first investments in 2015, and we’re thrilled they’re getting an additional $110M in investment to grow their business! |
| Read more at Future Literacy.
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November 9, 2018 at 1:36 am
Here’s a great idea. Faced with the complete collapse of ours and many other species on the planet, maybe that could be the incentive? Maybe everyone could just take, say, six months away from whatever capital driven vapid bullsh*t that they are engaged in and actively work to fix the problem 😀
Cancer researchers! Cancer can wait. It didn’t go anywhere for the last 20 years, but we may if you don’t pay attention.
Bankers! Your money is useless if you can’t breathe. Seriously though. I hear you went to school, do the math.
Biotech people! Carbon cycle. Get on it. Vegan meat is not a fix.
Every single person. We are about to die. Focus, please.
And people who honestly don’t believe that they have something to offer: If you are young, don’t worry, you’ll find your way. If you’re over 30 and still confused, the media has been telling us that a way to cut back on carbon is to not have kids. Do everyone a favor and remember that you were someone’s kid. Get the drift? Don’t be a waste of oxygen.
If we need to incentivise investing in not dying, maybe we’re too stupid to live. I am fed up with this think pieces on people with resources trying to figure out how to not drive the planet into a hole.
I’m genetically engineering trees to grow twice as fast twice as big and nobody dropped a dime my way. So, hurrah for your investments. We’re still totally boned atm.