To the Polypropylene Makers
4 hours ago
- #economic-incentives
- #volunteerism
- #emergency-response
- People are often eager to do useful work but are hindered by financial constraints or restrictive rules.
- The open-source movement flourished in the 1980s when personal computers became accessible, and regulations hadn't caught up.
- During the February 2026 NYC blizzard, raising pay for snow shovelers from $19.14/hour to $30/hour (with $45 overtime) effectively mobilized emergency efforts.
- In the COVID-19 pandemic, Braskem America workers volunteered to live in their factories for four weeks to ensure continuous production of N95 mask materials.
- These workers were compensated with full wages, even while sleeping, and received a paid week off afterward, leading to 40M pounds of polypropylene production (enough for ~500M N95s).
- Higher compensation during emergencies signals urgency and incentivizes critical contributions.
- Braskem's approach demonstrated how empowering ordinary people with fair pay and creative solutions can address vital gaps in crises.