Let’s be clear. We do not want to downplay the seriousness of the corona virus worldwide pandemic. This is a serious threat and should be treated as such.
The resultant turbulence has given us at Ceres great pause. This is a chance to evaluate who we are as a company, what we stand for and what message we want to send to our community.
Who is Ceres?
Designing for a better future is our creed. What does this mean?
Energy efficiency and sustainability are obviously key components of our core tenets. But, let’s dig a little deeper into why. Underlying efficiency and sustainability is the desire to better people’s lives. A “better future” is one where people feel safe and united in their communities, where local economies are stronger, and where people are healthier.
The Importance of Community
Community strength and resilience go hand in hand. Whether that community is your family, neighborhood block, or workforce, we have an opportunity to come together for a common purpose and redefine what living in a community means to us. While “social distancing” is not to be ignored, we can find ways to reconnect with our neighbors. We can work together to grow food for each other. We can start thinking about reorganizing our communities to be more resilient for the future, we can focus on the things that matter, what keeps us alive and what keeps us connected.
Local Economies
As regions become more likely to move towards lockdown and isolation we can take the time to rethink our local economies. How do we support ourselves and each other in a more contained environment? How does our understanding of what is “local” shift? Growing food closer to home can be a great way to encourage new small businesses.
Building a Stronger Immune System
Eating more vegetables is one of the more obvious ways to build a healthier immune system. Perhaps this is a good opportunity to rethink how we eat? Fresher food is also shown to have more vital nutrients than food that has traveled long distances. And food grown in healthy soils, teeming with good microbes has also been shown to boost our immune systems.
What is Our Message?
Let us take a moment to slow down and take a breath. Many of us will be working remote, or even working less. Perhaps this will allow us the time to reimagine the world we want to be a part of? Remember, scarcity breeds scarcity. If we believe there will be shortages we will create shortages. Let’s fight scarcity by designing systems that work better. Let’s come together as communities and discuss new and better solutions. And let’s focus on the things that matter; our families, communities, and our personal health.