Concordia-France research collaboration appeals to emotions to heal the world
Einstein said that we can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking used when we created them. Wise words, except few people heed them when it comes to sustainable solutions for our ailing planet. Despite decades of scientific research into everything from air pollution to species extinction, individuals are slow to act because their passions are not being ignited.
For Paul Shrivastava, the Director of the David O'Brien Centre for Sustainable Enterprise at Concordia University's John Molson School of Business (JMSB), combining science with the arts will bring about the passionate implementation of sustainable development. "No significant human endeavour has ever been accomplished without passion. Science and technology by themselves aren't enough. We need to turn to the arts in order to infuse passion into the pursuit of sustainability and get real results that will heal the planet," he says.
In a forthcoming article in the International Journal of Technology Management, co-authored by colleagues from the University of Lorraine and the ICN Business School in Nancy, France, Shrivastava argues that art is a survival instinct. "Narratives, stories, music and images served to warn our early ancestors against predators and natural disasters. Art helped them develop defence mechanisms. My colleagues and I believe that art should be used to deal with modern survival threats such as climate change and environmental crises."