Funnels are great things. They allow you to pour a liquid, or a heavy gas, into a container that has a narrow neck. Like pouring oil into a bottle. I have been thinking more and more about reverse funnels – smoke stacks that, from a point-source, such as a factory, spew various gasses from a narrow spout out into the open environment; essentially from a concentrated source to a dispersed open vessel.
The same could be thought of in terms of plastics. Factories, which are the equivalent of the narrow-neck bottle, churn out concentrated plastics in the form of products that ultimately find their way as pieces of varying size into every corner of the world. Take this concept further, and we’re talking about the externalities of economic productivity. They are, in other words, the impact on the wider environment (however defined) of producing, distributing and retailing a product or a service.
They, of course, include the greenhouse gas emissions associated with almost all our production processes.
Until recently, emitting the stuff has been entirely “free”, or at no cost to the producer. The consequent impact was not included in the “cost” of the final product. That’s because, well, you just pump the stuff into the air and then it’s gone, right? The logic was that “dilution is the solution to pollution” because the atmosphere (or the oceans for that matter) is so large that spewing some gas into it would not alter the balance. That’s until the emissions were so large that they do alter the balance and we feel the impact.
The intent of the reversal economy is not new but faces the continued challenges of providing a sort of public good
And it does not stop at the atmosphere and the oceans. Our bodies are also ready recipients of various externalities that have been demonstrated to cause life-threatening disease. Allergies, asbestosis, various cancers (including lung), to name but a few, are the direct result of us stuffing our bodies – voluntarily or not – with externalities.
Taking the impact of externalities a little further still, we might think of effects on the workforce (mental health, accidents on the job), and on wider society in terms of opportunities, obligations and equity, for example.
For centuries, even millennia, externalities were ignored by and large, as part of a necessary consequence of production, or even explained away because they were uncomfortable or too expensive.
To simplify but sharpen the point even further, our economies have grown thanks to externalities. We are at a tipping point where we are not only seeing a reversal, but the next big business opportunities and business models are about reversing the process and making money off internalising these externalities.
We have inherited this externalised world, and now our survival hinges on cleaning it up.
We might coin a new term – like the reversal economy, or the internalised economy – to drive home the need and the concept. It’s already happening; carbon removal credits are doing exactly that, as they are essentially a financial reward for taking greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere and locking them away, in an effort to reduce climate change.
This is where the funnel analogy is helpful again.
Current technology uses large fans to extract and concentrate carbon dioxide from the air, and then injects it into rocks, removing the stuff forever. Similarly, startups have been popping up to address the mental health challenges we are familiar with. Same for plastic removal initiatives big and small: microplastic-eating bacteria that are being engineered at universities around the world, and the efforts by the non-profit Ocean Cleanup to tackle the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Some reversal economy pioneers are using the latest technology. Crispr, the tool that allows for genetic manipulation, is being used by Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna to “enhance the natural ability of plants and soil microbes to both capture and store carbon from the atmosphere”.
The intent of the reversal economy is not new but faces the continued challenges of providing a sort of public good.
Public goods are products, activities or services that have collective rather than individual benefit. While most of the traditional economy has been the opposite: conferring a benefit whether in the form of a profit or a product, to individuals or specific target groups. In the reversal economy, everyone stands to benefit from reducing the load of greenhouse gases in the environment. In the reversal economy, everyone benefits from clean water and oceans. In the reversal economy, everyone benefits from positive mental health.
Alas, it is still more common to see funding going to products and services that provide immediate benefit, pleasure and profit to the customer. Many of the digital economy businesses continue to create new externalities in the form of financial loss or mental health issues. But I am hopeful that the future transition from externalising economies to internalising economies is imminent.
It will not happen without the proper policy inputs, such as requirements to include externalities in product costs. So, next time we purchase, consume, work on, or invest in anything, we must ask ourselves which end of the funnel are you on – the narrow neck that only benefits you and the manufacturer, or the wide rim that has amplified and social benefit.
The choice is ours and the shift towards the reversal economy could be that simple.
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
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Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The%20specs
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
The%20Woman%20King%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Gina%20Prince-Bythewood%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Viola%20Davis%2C%20Thuso%20Mbedu%2C%20Sheila%20Atim%2C%20Lashana%20Lynch%2C%20John%20Boyega%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
RESULT
Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’
RESULT
Copa del Rey, semi-final second leg
Real Madrid 0
Barcelona 3 (Suarez (50', 73' pen), Varane (69' OG)
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Ibrahim's play list
Completed an electrical diploma at the Adnoc Technical Institute
Works as a public relations officer with Adnoc
Apart from the piano, he plays the accordion, oud and guitar
His favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach
Also enjoys listening to Mozart
Likes all genres of music including Arabic music and jazz
Enjoys rock groups Scorpions and Metallica
Other musicians he likes are Syrian-American pianist Malek Jandali and Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou Khalil
TRAINING FOR TOKYO
A typical week's training for Sebastian, who is competing at the ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon on March 8-9:
- Four swim sessions (14km)
- Three bike sessions (200km)
- Four run sessions (45km)
- Two strength and conditioning session (two hours)
- One session therapy session at DISC Dubai
- Two-three hours of stretching and self-maintenance of the body
ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon
For more information go to www.abudhabi.triathlon.org.
The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
more from Janine di Giovanni
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Zayed Sustainability Prize
RESULTS: 2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING - EUROPE
Albania 0 Italy 1
Finland 2 Turkey 2
Macedonia 4 Liechtenstein
Iceland 2 Kosovo 0
Israel 0 Spain 1
Moldova 0 Austria 1
Serbia 1 Georgia 0
Ukraine 0 Croatia 2
Wales 0 Ireland 1
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Mission%3A%20Impossible%20-%20Dead%20Reckoning%20Part%20One
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Christopher%20McQuarrie%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tom%20Cruise%2C%20Hayley%20Atwell%2C%20Pom%20Klementieff%2C%20Simon%20Pegg%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
