sustainability | Environmental Debt

Feelings, not facts: negotiating for a new business paradigm

First published in the Huffington Post, March 6th, 2014

When I first started working with corporations on transformative green technologies, I would discuss my excitement to other environmentalists, and they would retort: “But they’re only doing that because they’re greedy… not because it’s the right thing.” I would reply, “Who are we, the morality police? They’re taking a great leap forward.” Very few businesspeople and politicians are primarily motivated by a grand vision of a better world. Some certainly are, and we need more of them — but they are often fired or dismissed as the office nag, lunatic or nuisance. It takes a huge amount of courage to be a whistleblower or to suggest something out of the box. Keeping a company profitable is daunting enough. The lyrics from Frank Loesser’s Broadway show, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying says it all… the song is called “The Company Way.”

Finch: When they want brilliant thinking, from employees
Twimble: That is no concern of mine.
Finch: Suppose a man of genius,makes suggestions?
Twimble: Watch that genius get suggested to resign.
Finch: So you play it the company way?
Twimble: All company policy is by me OK.
Finch: You’ll never rise up to the top.
Twimble: But there’s one thing clear: Whoever the company fires,I will still be here.

Ain’t that the truth? But the company way ain’t gonna take us where we gotta go. Only emotional intelligence and peer pressure will help us breach the delta between today’s business as usual and a radical rethink of sourcing, operations, profits and products. While accountants and consultancies are planning the future of financial reporting, it is time for the rest of us to pave the road for true profits. That road is less

Seven lessons on sustainability from Star Trek

First published in The Guardian, August 28th 2013

Captain Jean-Luc Picard: You know, Geordi, I spent the better part of my life exploring space. I have charted new worlds, I’ve met dozens of new species. And I believe that these were all valuable ends in themselves. And now it seems that… all this while, I was… helping to damage the thing that I hold most dear.

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge: It won’t turn out that way, Captain. We still have time to make it better.

– from Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Force of Nature” (1993)

Spanning five decades and several generations, Star Trek has deeply influenced many of us. Each of its incarnations – six television series and 12 movies – opined about courage, humility, friendship, ambition, myriad social and political structures, problem solving and the environment.

The adherence to protection of every kind of species and habitat runs through all of Star Trek, and its principles give it great relevance to sustainability professionals of today. Here are some of Star Trek’s lessons for sustainability:

On biodiversity

Dr. Miranda Jones: I understand, Mr. Spock. The glory of creation is in its infinite diversity.

Mr. Spock: And the ways our differences combine, to create meaning and beauty.

– from Star Trek, “Is There in Truth No Beauty?” (1968)

Spock: To hunt a species to extinction is not logical.

Kirk: Ironic. When man was killing these creatures, he was destroying his own future.”

– from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

The Prime Directive, in essence, states: Don’t meddle in other planet’s peoples, history, culture or environment. This remains incredibly relevant to the world today. Our use of resources far and wide is wiping out species at an extraordinary rate (30% – 50% of all species may be