The World is On Fire and I Launched a Business

As I've written before, I didn't plan to launch a business in the midst of a global pandemic. It's been two months since launch, or 192,000 coronavirus deaths in the US, or 182 days since Breonna Taylor was killed with no criminal consequences for Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, or Myles Cosgrove, or 3.1 MILLION ACRES burned in California this year alone.

The world is on fire and I launched a business. I spend my evenings looking for new content to post, thinking of dog-related captions to write that will resonate in authenticity with a community of real dog parents I'm trying to build. But tonight, more than other nights, it felt distinctly senseless.

Photo credit: Twitter user @mithrilmaker

The world is on fire and my heart is heavy. Seeing photos of my hometown of San Francisco engulfed in a smoky haze hit me hard. Karl the Fog was nowhere to be seen, replaced instead by Daryl the Doomcloud. On the North side of the Golden Gate Bridge, there are terrifying images of fires burning on the hillsides of Marin County. This isn't the city I love and spent my childhood in. I think about my friends and their kids, the next generation, who are growing up in this apocalyptic reality, and it breaks my heart.

Photo credit: Twitter user @mithrilmaker

The world is on fire and life goes on. Or does it? How many years do we actually have left if we continue down this path of destruction? Yes, climate change is real. Sure, I could post a photo of a cute dog with our treats to mitigate what's going on. "Climate change is real, y'all. And so are our treats. Real good, that is." Oh man....I cringed even writing that. Climate change is real. But what does that mean? How do we take action? What am I able to do now with a company that I wasn't able to do as an individual? Where do I even start?

In the year leading up to launch, I've often been paralyzed by the pursuit of perfection. Yes, progress over perfection....but in my case, I needed perfection to progress (forward, that is). It's hard for me to stop thinking and just act. I'm constantly analyzing which line of action would have the most impact, and I suppose I'm nothing if not consistent. Maybe I start with a question and a list.

What is the pain point? Greenhouse gas emissions are increasing, leading to the escalation of the Earth's temperatures, making us more susceptible to natural (and man-made) disasters such as the raging wildfires.

What can we do? Don't think. Just make a list.

• Spread awareness and open up channels of communication around climate change
  
  
• Educate ourselves on environmental legislation and raise awareness around why it's so important in 2020 (and always) to vote
  
  
• Reduce our individual carbon footprint
  
  
• Donate to the Wildfire Relief Fund to support relief and recovery efforts

Was all of the above a smoke screen? A bait & switch tactic meant to redirect your attention from the elephant in the room? Absolutely not. I am very much aware that animal agriculture and deforestation contributes to global warming. To be completely transparent, I am committing to taking a more serious look into the environmental consequences of offering Beef & Beef Liver treats, and what a more sustainable option could be. I believe that dogs need meat in their diets, but I think that doing our part means taking a look at what changes, small as they may be, can be made to reduce our impact as a company on the environment.

The world is on fire and I launched a business. The question is, what am I going to do with it?