Earth911 Podcast: The Solutionists Author Solitaire Townsend On Solving Climate Change

Society is moving from sustainability naive to sustainably native, a new era in which the language, practices, and values of sustainable thinking will be taken for granted. When we have a shared language, changes start to happen- a trend we can see emerging now. Solitaire Townsend, author of The Solutionists: How Businesses Can Fix The Future, has written a guide to using the many threads of transformation that are already weaving the circular economy, albeit often behind closed doors and never as fast as all of us would like. 

The Solutionists documents how debates about the value of ESG reporting and what factors it should account for, whether only the financial risk faced by companies or the full spectrum of environmental impacts a company or country creates, is representative of a transition in which people with vision, grit, good humor, and the soul to roll with rapid changes can change the world for the better. Solitaire recounts hundreds of interviews and projects that show the progress and hope that can lead to a profound change. That change is not guaranteed, but as she writes near the end of the book, “Being a successful Solutionist means stepping up to conversations that challenge you, with an openness to learn.” It’s an uncomfortable time, and the curious, driven leader can make vast changes real for their organization and community. You can find The Solutionists at Amazon, Powell’s Books, and local bookstores.