Creative Problem Solving: Global Ecological Crisis

Issue Description

Nowadays, humanity is closing to the edge of irrecoverable climate changes caused by its industrial activity and resource consumption. The forests are cut down, oceans are polluted with oil and garbage, CO2 level is growing each year because of machines exhausts. We have forgotten about the fact that a man is not the nature’s master; it is just another ‘brick in the wall’. Our time on this planet will soon run out if we do not make rapid steps forward to save our environment. Lately it has been observed that the climate is changing globally. There are storms, floods, temperature rises and extreme cold in the areas that used to be different a few decades ago. It is all caused by our ignorance and lust for money, which resulted in global warming. While we are seeking to declare wars, build huge enterprises, hunt endangered species, produce more and more fuel consuming vehicles, and popularize non-intelligent pop stars instead of thinking critically and realizing  that we are standing at the abyss of our extinction. According to Hahnel (2014), the next ice age is predicted to happen at the end of 21th century at best (p.98). The root of all ecological problems lies only in our attitude and unwillingness to change. The doubtless choice to solve Earth’s environment problems is the most valuable issue in the modern society. That is the reason why it was selected.

However, ecological technologies are always evolving. There are solar and wind power plants, electro cars, recyclable materials, alternative fuels, computer-aided industrial manufacturing and air filtering, improved wastes’ decomposition and other appliances. Despite the fact that people are familiar with them, they do not implement them in their daily life. The purpose of this assignment is to solve the issue of global ecological crisis with creative problem solving tools and techniques such as Osborn – Parnes, Tidd, Bessant & Pavitt, and Tony Robbins’ technique.

Osborn – Parnes Creative Problem Solving

Explanation. CPS is known as the awareness plan for addressing variety of challenges that has had extensive application in education and business. A key feature of this CPS is that at each stage of the process problem solvers alternate between divergent and convergent ways of thinking. Each stage begins with divergent thinking activities – exploration of possible issues, options, and actions. Each stage closes with convergent thinking activities – analyzing, organizing, evaluating, and selecting of preferred ideas or actions. Milton describes the stages of Osborn-Parnes CPS as:

1. Challenge Finding. (Considering a variety of possible challenges and selecting one challenge upon which to focus)
2. Fact Finding. (Asking questions, collecting and recording data, sorting and organizing the facts that are most relevant)
3. Problem Finding. (Considering different ways of viewing the problem and identifying subproblems)
4. Idea Finding. (Generating as many as possible solutions to the problem)
5. Solution Finding. (Evaluating and selecting the most promising ideas from step 4)
6. Acceptance Finding. (Asking ‘w’ questions and developing the precise plan of action) (Milton, 1989, pp. 116-118).

Application. Suppose my main purpose is to save the planet from ecological disaster. I will follow the steps given previously:

1. Variety of challenges. (CO2 emission, wastes disposal, polluted water, political conditions)
2. Fact finding. (CO2 emission has the most powerful influence on climate changes)
3. (People do not consider CO2 emissions to be harmful; no one knows how they affect the atmosphere and how much of them vehicles exhaust)
4. (Upgrade vehicles, improve society awareness, implement CO2-free machines in common life of citizens, discover a new ecological type of fuel)
5. (Upgrade vehicles with electrical power and fuel control, improve society awareness with media)
6. Precise Plan. (Make a contract with Tesla Company; shoot a video about ice age with Morgan Freeman as a narrator; spread the video via Internet and TV)

Tidd, Bessant & Pavitt CPS

Explanation. Comparing to Osborn – Parnes CPS, this CPS is more agile and operative. It also has six steps, but they are less complicated and form a loop. They are:

• (What problem needs to be solved)
• (Separate subproblems and symptoms from the main problem)
• (Find as much solutions as possible)
• (Choose the most promising solution)
• (Use the solution to perform it in real life)
• (Discuss the result and make a conclusion on whether the problem is nullified or not)

Application. Global warming => Increased temperature; glacier’s melting; ocean level rise => Decrease the quantity of fuel vehicles, increase the forest areas, cooperate with top enterprises and governments to create an ecology safe plan => Cooperate with top enterprises and governments to create an ecology safe plan => Creation of EESS – Earth Environment Safety Society => The EESS is a global organization with billions $ of budget. It is the biggest society of scientists and caring citizens of different countries, including even presidents.

This cycle may continue further, granting additional improvement to the current plan. This CPS is well-organized and can be used in almost every problem solving situation.

Tony Robbins CPS

Explanation. This is the simplest technique, but not the worst. There are only three steps in it:

1. (Describe the problem you are dealing with)
2. Solution making. (Create a few reasonable and practical solutions)
3. Respond back. (Does the problem remain? Explain why not. Offer additional/alternative solutions)

Application.

1. The problem is waste disposal. The more we consume, the more waste we have to dispose. It includes garbage, radioactive substances, and non-organic matters.
2. The solutions may be: refusal from using radioactive substances, creating a non-organic matter that decomposes faster, and garbage filtering and improved recycling.
3. The problem remains. Many power plants cannot refuse to use radioactive substances. To avoid this problem in future, a new way of neutralizing radioactivity of used material should be prepared.