‘Mainstreaming’ Sustainability, and a Different Definition
Good Monday morning to all here in beautiful WNC.
A soon-to-be-published special issue of Fortune magazine contains the following article about the mainstreaming of sustainability in business, with a list identifying the “Green Giants” of industry: http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=34754.
Like me you probably run into nay-sayers who begin anti-green arguments with, “When business adopts these practices then REAL change will happen, and not before.” Well, that day has come and that real change is here, now. Happily, such articles and ‘evidence’ are presenting themselves everywhere these days - not so long ago they were few and far between. Put them to good use as you advocate and model sustainable business practices.
Personally, I’m especially thankful for the day, today, having just received heartbreaking news of the death of the wife of a long time friend and colleague, back ‘home’ in Washington DC. She was killed crossing the street Friday evening on the way to synagogue. She leaves a wonderful husband, son and daughter - in fact their son’s bar mitzvah was scheduled for next Sat., March 31.
Thanks for letting me share this private sadness in this public place.
The ‘family’ aspects of this tragic news does have a sustainability link. In many talks with diverse groups about instilling a sustainability ethic I often use the following snippet, from an article I wrote some time ago for Warren Wilson College’s Heartstone journal, published each year by the College’s Environmental Leadership Center (http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~elc/):
“…I had occasion to meet Christopher Uhl, a professor of Biology at Pennsylvania State
University and author of the book, “Developing Ecological Consciousness”. He defines sustainability in a simple and moving way – as love. We sustain what we love; what we love we consider worth sustaining.”
More to come….Steve
March 26th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Steve
Thanks for getting started on your blog. I have some trepidation about allowing the responsiblity for moving our community into sustainability in the hands of business. The old fox guarding the henhouse sort of thing. I beleive that we have come to a place where the old paradigm of the invisible hand of the market has destroyed the fabric of earth’s systems, and letting the solutions be “profit” motivated will not work anymore.
We need more citizen democracy - more input into corporate responsiblity - and the three legs of the sustainability stool that are underdeveloped (the social and ecological legs) must get more respect, dollars, and civic energy. I beleive that corporations need to begin to take less profit, and give back to support the other two legs of the sustainabilty stool.
March 27th, 2007 at 10:37 am
Thanks for your thoughts, Richard.
I’m in complete agreement about needing more citizen democracy and involvement in coporate responsibility. (See www.americaspeaks.org, and http://www.solsustainability.org/ for some great examples of what’s really working - both organizations that I’m fortunate to be associated with).
However, we can’t mandate respect, which must be earned, and as to dollars and civic energy, we see that happening at dizzying speed on a state-by-state and regional basis. Thanks to the current administration’s lack of action, many states empowered themselves toward sustainability - and like the results.
I also agree that shouldn’t abdicate the responsibility for moving our curent community into sustainability to business. However, “business” doesn’t make decisions, people in leadership roles in business do. And those decisions are based upon demand. If we demand and support responsible products and services - and live our values as well as speak them - we will get the response we want. There are too many examples of corporate success based upon responsibility, now (see the FORTUNE link, mentioned earlier)to be regarded as anolmolies - and of course much of the rest of the world has already learned this. There are also many examples of the ‘less profit, more give back’ you support. But again, in a free economy, we must educate, act and reinforce what we want, and those who provide such.
I’m not a Pollyanna about this - just excited about the reality of the evolving ‘green’ marketplace and it’s potential for REAL systemic change - but absolutely aligned with, not against the other sectors.
Best - Steve
March 31st, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Hey Steve — Thanks for sharing your experience and expertise. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on this bit of good news: a new, locally-owned hardware store is opening downtown across from the French Broad Food Co-Op. Are you familiar with any “mutual support” organizational models for locally-owned businesses?
For example, MAIN is a member of the Avl Area Chamber of Commerce, but we find that Charter and BellSouth have much more influence on Chamber policy than do locally-accountable service-providers like us.
wally
http://citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770329096
April 1st, 2007 at 9:39 am
…those decisions are based upon demand. If we demand and support responsible products and services - and live our values as well as speak them - we will get the response we want.”
Demand is driven by what the companies see as highly profitable (small cars vs SUVs is a prime example). What a business can make money on they will advertise and drive demand for their products. They will also spend tons of money to influence our public leaders to support that created demand (again, SUV tax break of a few years ago). I agree each of us must do our part, but the mainstream public is informed by the news and advertising they see and the tax code that affects their quality of life.
Combined with profits as the driving force, as opposed to a survive or die-driven need to change, (no people, no demand), the profit motive will be too little too late and will not drive business leaders to suboptimize profits today in order to be here tomorrow. The profit motive only goes as far as the next quarter’s results report and its impact on the stock price which drives those leaders’ salaries. Wal-mart has been messing around with a “green” building for a long time but it costs more to start up so no massive roll out has occurred, just some additional tests.
Yet, without the corporate cooperation and participation nothing significant will happen. But it will not be enough soon enough. Unfortunately, we must count on our public leaders to lead and do it soon.
I guess I am not Pollyanna about it either!
August 15th, 2007 at 8:03 am
Frandsen Publishing…
Useful, thank you!…
August 18th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
Tractor Supply Company…
Thank you for your post!…