Don't Sell the Skin Before You Shoot the Bear

This expression I heard today in the north of Sweden.

And it stayed with me.

We were talking about how we use the Earth’s resources — and where that has brought us. Over the last decades, many natural resources have been heavily used. Some are running out. Today, this shortage can even become a reason for war. And at the same time, we keep developing new solutions that require even more resources from Mother Earth.

Why?

What are we doing?

The law of supply and demand describes the relationship between production and consumption. But what does that relationship look like today?

We produce more and more. Newer, faster, “better.” Consumers struggle to choose — and 'luckily', the media tells us what is best for us. But do they also tell us where the resources come from? What the impact is on the Earth? And what happens to the “old” product that still works?

What footprint do we leave behind when we buy something new?

Many products are supported by tax money and subsidies, often to reduce our carbon footprint. The intention is good. But is the whole process considered?

For example:

Wind power is sometimes placed in areas where it harms nature more than it helps. Do we know how much CO₂ is produced during manufacturing and transport? What happens to the materials when a windmill reaches the end of its life?

Electric cars are promoted, while energy supply is not always secured. What about the batteries? What about safety in parking areas?

These are just two examples. The basic ideas are good. But the full picture is often unclear.

As a former process manager, I naturally look at the entire cycle — from production to end of life. That is why the phrase fits so well:

"Don’t sell the skin before you shoot the bear."

I have lived in the forest in Sweden for almost twenty years now. As a nature-based coach, I work to reconnect people with nature — because somewhere along the way, we lost that relationship. We forgot that we are also nature. We are mammals.

I recently read that of all mammals on Earth:

36% are humans

60% are animals we grow for food (livestock)

Only 4% are wild animals

And yet, we are afraid of bears and wolves?

I grew up in a time where success meant earning good money, building a career, starting a family. That path was shaped by my surroundings. I stepped off it and started again — a big step, without regret.

That change opened my eyes. Many questions were answered, not by logic alone, but by listening to my natural intelligence and the nature around me.

For that, I am deeply thankful.

Climate change is not just a technical problem to solve.

It is a signal from Mother Earth — inviting us to change too.

What would change if we learned to listen first — before producing more?