NRDC: Ocean Acidification: The Other CO2 Problem
via nrdc.org
Typically sentimental in the music but the logic seems pretty straight forward.
I can't find any argument disputing this thesis. Anyone?
Anything that will fit in the bag.
Filed underSustainability
Green is: Digital
via mail.google.com
Some friends of mine are having a Green/Digital event.
Check it out: http://greenishere.eventbrite.com/
Fixing Conferences: Six Lessons From the Designers Accord Summit
via fastcompany.com
Valerie Casey expresses a weary abhorrence for conferences in this recent blog post at FastCompany.com.
I hear her pain but I am less ready to give the conference the cold shoulder. Perhaps I am for the underdog here but I like conferences...or rather I like what conferences are supposed to be in my fantasy land of intellectual stimulation and civil discourse. I like get together with people, learning, talking about interesting things, solving problems, going out and finding a lunch spot somewhere...etc. Unfortunately, conferences are not always like that by design.
One thing I really like about this post is that she articulates her thought process in thinking through how she wants her conference (a gathering on how to integrate sustainability into college design programs) to work in response to a series of issues (to twitter or not to twitter). She has obviously led a number of brainstorming groups before and I am stoked to see that she embraces the value in providing structure.
I also like her language around using "lenses" to reframe questions for the brainstorming. If you follow the link to the conference page itself it lays out the lenses they used.
The one big unaddressed issue is the one of power. Valerie's lessons might seems reasonable but how would they implemented? Can they be implemented in enough situations to say that we are improving conferences in general? How is the "design" of the conference expressed beyond a creating a ruleset? Are we just looking at an argument for worldview here rather than a fundamental design solution?
We are setting ourselves up for problems if are too pollyanna and assume these good-hearted design and education folks are all just going to play nice by nature. These communities are fraught with big egos, politics and all the problems that plague most collaboration processes.
Thinking about other possible contexts where people gather for conferences...not every event planner has the power to ban twitter from an event...few educators working in inner-city schools have the power to see to whole systems change.
I love that she was able to get her sponsors to participate in the intellectual work of the event...I think that is the ideal way to include a brand, but try selling that to most companies...they are not quite there yet.
Valerie, of course, built some consensus by having some pre-meetings to identify the content of the event. Bringing stakeholder together and including them seems like the best solution most of the time to the general questions of navigating the politics of creating a good conference.
But if we are looking for a general design solution to improve all conferences then we have to address the politics of putting it on and navigating the politics in the room. In the case of the Designers Accord Summit, it should be made explicit that Valerie brings a certain level of cache to the table, important institutions were present, and the sponsors were particularly forward thinking.
I think the power issues of large group meetings have been addressed in a number of ways in design approaches like Open Space Technology and Appreciative Inquiry. I think some of these methods are worth exploring in the context of designing better conferences.
I list a few leads to existing alternative approaches to designing large group gatherings on the Goodmeet.org website if you are interested: http://www.goodmeet.org/DIY.html
Apparently a "free toolkit" is coming from the Designers Accord folks. I will be interested to see how it approaches building consensus and navigating the power dynamics of groups.
StartingBloc: BLOC PARTY II
Hi folks,
My company Double Happiness is a proud media sponsor of BLOCK PARTY II. Join us. Details: StartingBloc invites you to join 250 movers and shakers at Studio 54(yes, THE Studio 54) on Saturday, October 24th for our second annual
Fellow-run fundraiser, BLOC PARTY II. Together, we will enjoy
delicious food, libations, and inspiring people. Hosted by Intertek
Sustainability Solutions and will feature silent and live auctions
with prizes from the Metropolitan Opera, Urban Escapes, In Good
Company, the Council on Foreign Relations and Milk & Honey, among
others. This year’s theme is Celebrating Social Innovators and we are living
up to the name by presenting the inaugural StartingBloc Social
Innovator of the Year Award to Majora Carter, an environmental justice
and green jobs pioneer from the South Bronx. Also joining us at BLOC
PARTY II will be a number of tremendous individuals in the world of
social entrepreneurship and innovation from organizations and
companies including Acumen Fund, All Day Buffet, Ashoka, CSRwire,
Echoing Green, Endeavor, Fast Company, JustMeans, Net Impact, and
NYWSE. Purchase your tickets today! http://blocparty2009.eventbrite.com BLOC PARTY II :: CELEBRATING SOCIAL INNOVATORS Date: Saturday, October 24, 2009 Time: 7-8 pm VIP Cocktail Hour 8-11pm Bloc Party II (open bar, light hors d'oeuvres and dessert) Location: Studio 54 Dress Code: Festive Tickets: $40 in advance $50 at the door $75 VIP tickets Regular and advance tickets entitle attendees to hors d’oeuvres, an
open bar, DJ and the opportunity to bid on stellar auction items. VIP
tickets include a swag bag and an additional hour of mingling with top
names in social innovation and entrepreneurship. Tickets are available
now at http://blocparty2009.eventbrite.com
Sustainability Case Studies
My friend Doug Pereira is working on his MBA at Yale at the
moment...you can follow some of his learning here:
www.onceadaymba.posterous.com He was kind enough to forward me some leads on sustainability case
studies. Perhaps they might be of interest?
All of these cases are from Harvard, at: http://hbsp.harvard.edu/product/cases I believe they cost is like $7/each to see the whole thing.
A few interesting cases regarding sustainability: · Ikea’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child
Labor (HBS 2006) · Forest Stewardship Council (HBS 2002) [non profit org case] · UBS and Climate change: Warming up to Global Action (HBS 2007) · Sustainable Development at Shell (A) (HBS 2003) Below are the blurbs on each: Ikea’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor (HBS 2006) Case summary: Traces the history of IKEA's response to a TV report
that its Indian carpet suppliers were using child labor. Describes
IKEA's growth, including the importance of a sourcing strategy based
on its close relationships with suppliers in developing countries.
Details the development of IKEA's strong culture and values that
include a commitment "to create a better everyday life for many
people." Describes how, in response to regulatory and public pressure,
IKEA developed a set of environmental policies that grew to encompass
a relationship with Greenpeace and WWF on forest management and
conservation. Then, in 1994, Marianne Barner, a newly appointed IKEA
product manager, is surprised by a Swedish television documentary on
the use of child labor by Indian carpet suppliers, including some that
supply IKEA's rugs. She immediately implements a strict policy that
provides for contract cancellation if any IKEA supplier uses child
labor. Then Barner is confronted by a German TV producer who advises
her that he is about to broadcast an investigative program documenting
the use of child labor in one of the company's major suppliers. How
should she react to the crisis? How should the company deal with the
ongoing issue of child labor in the supply chain? Forest Stewardship Council (HBS 2002) Case summary: In just a few years the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
made impressive progress toward its mission of promoting
"environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically
viable management of the world's forests." By 2001, 25.5 million
hectares of forests in 66 countries had been certified as meeting
FSC's standards for sustainable forestry. With members in 59
countries, the FSC had managed to bring forestry's mainstream close to
its viewpoint, with 80% of the industry recognizing the need for
third-party certification. However, by mid-2002, the formula that had
brought success to the organization as a small start-up was proving
inadequate to sustain the healthy growth of a global, mature,
multi-stakeholder organization. Its management and staff were finding
themselves lacking critical skills to take the organization to the
next level. Some of its governing structures were paralyzing it.
Serious imbalances between supply and demand of certified wood were
threatening to break the organization. Moreover, competing
certification schemes backed by powerful business groups were moving
swiftly to capitalize on those imbalances and displace FSC as the
global standard of choice for certification. Finally, the organization
also suffered from a chronic financial weakness. In that context,
Heiko Liedeker, FSC's executive director, is compelled to rethink the
organization. UBS and Climate change: Warming up to Global Action (HBS 2007) Case summary: Marco Suter, Executive Vice-Chairman, UBS Board of
Directors, carefully studied the chart on his desk. It showed the
public commitment of major financial institutions to help mitigate
global warming. Evidently, UBS lagged behind its competitors. The
graph was part of a report that environmental specialists and senior
executives at UBS had compiled. It suggested the company adopt a more
progressive policy on climate change. Suter thought about the options
that the working group had generated. These ranged from stabilizing
the company's current carbon emissions to complete carbon neutrality.
The UBS Corporate Responsibility Committee would meet early next week.
Suter wondered which option he should support. Sustainable Development at Shell (A) (HBS 2003) Case summary: Describes the complex and challenging process by which
social and environmental concerns are integrated into the existing
strategy of a large, multinational firm. Details the circumstances
leading up to a large-scale effort to transform Shell's strategy to
take into account principles of sustainable development. This case
describes corporate-level sustainable development initiatives and the
process through which a comprehensive sustainable development strategy
was initiated and developed.
moment...you can follow some of his learning here:
www.onceadaymba.posterous.com He was kind enough to forward me some leads on sustainability case
studies. Perhaps they might be of interest?
All of these cases are from Harvard, at: http://hbsp.harvard.edu/product/cases I believe they cost is like $7/each to see the whole thing.
A few interesting cases regarding sustainability: · Ikea’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child
Labor (HBS 2006) · Forest Stewardship Council (HBS 2002) [non profit org case] · UBS and Climate change: Warming up to Global Action (HBS 2007) · Sustainable Development at Shell (A) (HBS 2003) Below are the blurbs on each: Ikea’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor (HBS 2006) Case summary: Traces the history of IKEA's response to a TV report
that its Indian carpet suppliers were using child labor. Describes
IKEA's growth, including the importance of a sourcing strategy based
on its close relationships with suppliers in developing countries.
Details the development of IKEA's strong culture and values that
include a commitment "to create a better everyday life for many
people." Describes how, in response to regulatory and public pressure,
IKEA developed a set of environmental policies that grew to encompass
a relationship with Greenpeace and WWF on forest management and
conservation. Then, in 1994, Marianne Barner, a newly appointed IKEA
product manager, is surprised by a Swedish television documentary on
the use of child labor by Indian carpet suppliers, including some that
supply IKEA's rugs. She immediately implements a strict policy that
provides for contract cancellation if any IKEA supplier uses child
labor. Then Barner is confronted by a German TV producer who advises
her that he is about to broadcast an investigative program documenting
the use of child labor in one of the company's major suppliers. How
should she react to the crisis? How should the company deal with the
ongoing issue of child labor in the supply chain? Forest Stewardship Council (HBS 2002) Case summary: In just a few years the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
made impressive progress toward its mission of promoting
"environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically
viable management of the world's forests." By 2001, 25.5 million
hectares of forests in 66 countries had been certified as meeting
FSC's standards for sustainable forestry. With members in 59
countries, the FSC had managed to bring forestry's mainstream close to
its viewpoint, with 80% of the industry recognizing the need for
third-party certification. However, by mid-2002, the formula that had
brought success to the organization as a small start-up was proving
inadequate to sustain the healthy growth of a global, mature,
multi-stakeholder organization. Its management and staff were finding
themselves lacking critical skills to take the organization to the
next level. Some of its governing structures were paralyzing it.
Serious imbalances between supply and demand of certified wood were
threatening to break the organization. Moreover, competing
certification schemes backed by powerful business groups were moving
swiftly to capitalize on those imbalances and displace FSC as the
global standard of choice for certification. Finally, the organization
also suffered from a chronic financial weakness. In that context,
Heiko Liedeker, FSC's executive director, is compelled to rethink the
organization. UBS and Climate change: Warming up to Global Action (HBS 2007) Case summary: Marco Suter, Executive Vice-Chairman, UBS Board of
Directors, carefully studied the chart on his desk. It showed the
public commitment of major financial institutions to help mitigate
global warming. Evidently, UBS lagged behind its competitors. The
graph was part of a report that environmental specialists and senior
executives at UBS had compiled. It suggested the company adopt a more
progressive policy on climate change. Suter thought about the options
that the working group had generated. These ranged from stabilizing
the company's current carbon emissions to complete carbon neutrality.
The UBS Corporate Responsibility Committee would meet early next week.
Suter wondered which option he should support. Sustainable Development at Shell (A) (HBS 2003) Case summary: Describes the complex and challenging process by which
social and environmental concerns are integrated into the existing
strategy of a large, multinational firm. Details the circumstances
leading up to a large-scale effort to transform Shell's strategy to
take into account principles of sustainable development. This case
describes corporate-level sustainable development initiatives and the
process through which a comprehensive sustainable development strategy
was initiated and developed.
