Times of the Internet by Faith Popcorn

The End Of The World As We Know It

I think Al Gore said it best during his July, 2008 appearance before Congress, when he stated, "I don’t remember a time in our country when so many things seemed to be going so wrong simultaneously."

The problem is it’s not just the economy, but also the coincidental failure of what I call the "Triple E"--economy, environment and ethics. In that Bermuda Triangle of elements, it’s become clear that we must undergo fundamental and permanent change, if we have any chance at all of surviving--as a planet, and as a people. Hence, this is not a "down-cycle"; rather it is truly the end of the world as we know it.

The Triple E is obviously highly inter-related to each other, and to the broader geo-political environment. None can be fixed, in our view, in a vacuum--the solution to one has a direct impact on the others.

Consumers are living a lifestyle increasingly dictated by the pressures of a complex and increasingly broken economy. And, as we look at the future, yes, the economy may "turn" over time, but the changes that will be left in it’s wake will be permanent: Simplification, the desire to have less "stuff", to recognize that consumption has consequences -waste, impact of manufacturing, shipping, storage, will be the most profound and durable change after the numbers say the recession has passed.

Look at progressive companies like British grocery chain Tesco’s, which has made a corporate commitment to cut their energy use by half by end of year 2008, as well as experimenting with carbon labeling on products so consumers can identify the carbon footprint of their shopping; these leaders are gaining the loyalty of their customer base, by walking the talk.

"One Downsmanship" This is a new manifestation of a Trend in FBPR’s TrendBank called Cashing Out (a questioning of personal/career satisfaction and goals; with a result of opting for simpler living). Whether the movement to Cashing Out is of financial necessity, or an emerging phenomenon we are calling "one downsmanship" among those who actually have money, yet feel better by trimming their sails, we think we’ll finally be living in a culture where "less is indeed more."

Lastly, on the issue of ethics we’re seeing, in our just completed Recession Survey, a clear and present crisis of confidence. A random and representative sample of Americans, when asked, "Do you trust the ethics of major corporations," 64% answered in the negative. And the fieldwork was done before the Lehman/AIG meltdowns.

Clearly, it’s going to be a long, slow road back to trust, if it can ever be recouped. We’re seeing signs of a different kind of shadow economy emerging, built on self and inter-personal, vs. institutional, reliance -everything from Farmer’s Markets, to trading/bartering goods and services, to new kinds of co-ops, hyper-managing everything from housing, to childcare, to education.

It’s no surprise that in our survey on the Culture of Recession, seven of ten people believe it is our individual actions that will improve society vs. institutional behavior.