After reading the article from Chipotle and thinking about social effects a company or business can have on it's employees, workers, and inventory/product sources.
So, for this weekend think on this:
What could the company, business, or place of employment you are at do better in regards to the social leg of sustainable businesses?
Friday, September 28, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Current Topic Thursdays: Farm Workers
This week in current topic Thursday I am bringing up the topic that weighs heavily in the SOCIAL leg of the sustainable business stool.
The problem?
Workers (in general) are paid low-to-near-nothing wages, have what would be considered by 'regular' workers inhuman working conditions, and labor for hours without anything better in front of them.
Take the events happening with Chipotle.
I was not aware of Chiplotle's ethical meat before this, and at first I was all, "Yay ethics!" But then I was like, "Oh... half-assed ethics.
In brief the article written by Christopher Weber explains and summarizes the food business's past positives with ethical meat processes, but wonders why the jump from pigs to human work ethics is so far apart.
The problem?
Workers (in general) are paid low-to-near-nothing wages, have what would be considered by 'regular' workers inhuman working conditions, and labor for hours without anything better in front of them.
Take the events happening with Chipotle.
I was not aware of Chiplotle's ethical meat before this, and at first I was all, "Yay ethics!" But then I was like, "Oh... half-assed ethics.
In brief the article written by Christopher Weber explains and summarizes the food business's past positives with ethical meat processes, but wonders why the jump from pigs to human work ethics is so far apart.
"But those values get complicated fast when you’re talking about an
enormous mobile workforce, and it’s not clear that Ells gets that. Says
Ratner, “You can’t take the same top-down approach that you might use
for humane treatment of animals and just apply it to farmworkers. It
takes the recognition of those workers as equal partners every bit as
important as Chipotle’s customers.”
If you remember from before, social positives and ethical changes for the best for all are the bulk of the social leg of sustainable business. With that in mind, what are your thoughts on not only Chipotle, but the topic of worker's rights in general (unions, traditional workers, hired hands, immigrant ... any and all).
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Energyception
Here is a simple image to show how the different types of alternative energies stack inside of each other. Does this help make it easier to see how not all alternative energies are sustainable?
Again - alternative is anything not oil, coal, or natural gas.
Renewable includes sources like nuclear, biomass, or wood.
Sustainable encompass solar, oceanic, and wind.
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| Energy inside energy inside energy.... |
Renewable includes sources like nuclear, biomass, or wood.
Sustainable encompass solar, oceanic, and wind.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Alternative Energy =/= Sustainable Energy
Not all alternative energy sources (or systems) are the same. At first this might be obvious, solar is very different from wind, which are both very different from coal, nuclear, or oil sources of energy. But when people say alternative energies are better than coal or nuclear energy is this really true?
Often that statement is said with a specific implication that alternative energy is best. But listen to this. Alternative energy is anything that is not traditional, ie, coal, oil, or natural gas. Renewable energies are energy sources that (by their definition of being 'renewable') are materials that can be continually obtained from the Earth, ie, wood burning, biomass (corn, grass, etc). Finally there is sustainable energy. Sustainable energy comes from sources that are renewable, but also have no harm on the Earth or it's inhabitants.
Solar comes from the sun, which is captured by solar panels or some sort of solar collector. Wind technically comes from the sun's effect on our atmosphere, but blows and whips around the Earth without any human-made cause. Oceanic - let's take tides, will always push back and forth without any aid from anything beyond the moon's pull. Geothermal is natural ambient heat found in the Earth's crust.
All the sources in the above paragraph are sustainable, renewable and alternative.
Renewable energies are only renewable and alternative.
And alternative? That's anything that's not traditional (coal, oil, gas).
Nuclear power is one that can be 'iffy to sort. It's not traditional, but isn't fully renewable, yet is obviously not sustainable. (Haven't you heard of all the nuclear waste resulted from those power plants?)
Hopefully it is clearer now that not all alternative energy is considered sustainable. Tomorrow I will post a graph that visually demonstrates what I've explained here.
Often that statement is said with a specific implication that alternative energy is best. But listen to this. Alternative energy is anything that is not traditional, ie, coal, oil, or natural gas. Renewable energies are energy sources that (by their definition of being 'renewable') are materials that can be continually obtained from the Earth, ie, wood burning, biomass (corn, grass, etc). Finally there is sustainable energy. Sustainable energy comes from sources that are renewable, but also have no harm on the Earth or it's inhabitants.
Solar comes from the sun, which is captured by solar panels or some sort of solar collector. Wind technically comes from the sun's effect on our atmosphere, but blows and whips around the Earth without any human-made cause. Oceanic - let's take tides, will always push back and forth without any aid from anything beyond the moon's pull. Geothermal is natural ambient heat found in the Earth's crust.
All the sources in the above paragraph are sustainable, renewable and alternative.
Renewable energies are only renewable and alternative.
And alternative? That's anything that's not traditional (coal, oil, gas).
Nuclear power is one that can be 'iffy to sort. It's not traditional, but isn't fully renewable, yet is obviously not sustainable. (Haven't you heard of all the nuclear waste resulted from those power plants?)
Hopefully it is clearer now that not all alternative energy is considered sustainable. Tomorrow I will post a graph that visually demonstrates what I've explained here.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Where is Energy Coming From?
What energy sources did you come up with that best fits your living location?
Then the fourth overall category of oceanic/hydro/water should be obvious - the oceans and large natural lakes, like the Great Lakes around Michigan and Canada.
Did these maps affirm or change your mind about what energies are best in your area?
 | |||
| See? Not everywhere is best for solar |
 |
| Notice where wind might work better? |
 |
| Detail of the US for geothermal, showing just how varied sources can be within a single area |
Did these maps affirm or change your mind about what energies are best in your area?
Friday, September 21, 2012
Something to Think About: Alternative Energies
Not every country, state/providence, county, city, town, village, or home has an equal opportunity for different energy sources. Some areas of the world are obviously more inclined towards solar energy, whereas others might be attracted to others such as wind, geo-thermal/earth, and ocean/water energy.
Know one knows the weather in a local area better than the locals themselves. For example, as I have lived in the 'palm' Michigan for all my life I know that it will rain at least 65% of the fall season, snow can vary but can start as early as Halloween and go past Easter. I have no idea what weather is like in the Thumb/Bay City area, Upper Peninsula, or in Michigan's neighboring states of Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
So this weekend think about the sort of weather you experience where you live. In the four main over-arching categories of wind, water, earth, and solar what would fit best? And yes, more than one can be applied.
Know one knows the weather in a local area better than the locals themselves. For example, as I have lived in the 'palm' Michigan for all my life I know that it will rain at least 65% of the fall season, snow can vary but can start as early as Halloween and go past Easter. I have no idea what weather is like in the Thumb/Bay City area, Upper Peninsula, or in Michigan's neighboring states of Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
So this weekend think about the sort of weather you experience where you live. In the four main over-arching categories of wind, water, earth, and solar what would fit best? And yes, more than one can be applied.
 |
| So many choices! |
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Current Topic Thursday: Wind Turbines in MI
Have you ever been driving along on the highway, driving a respectable 70 mph on cruise control of course, when you see one of those HUGE LOAD truck/semi/ carriers in front of you just as you've finished merging from one highway to the next? The thought that crosses your mind is "Darn it! This ruins my cruise control and gas mileage!" Okay, so maybe not everyone is concerned about their highway gas mileage, but having to adjust your speed from cruise to slow for a large truck is always a drag.
But what if you noticed that barge was carrying a blade for a wind turbine?
Have you ever seen one? They are HUGE! I've studied wind turbines, seen plenty of pictures, and thought about how neat it would be to climb to the top of one. Never had I seen one in person, however. Until then.
And that's just a single blade. Imagine how huge the whole turbine will be once it is assembled!
Turns out Michigan is installing many of these energy creating beauties. If a TV commercial is to be believed, all the parts can and are made here in Michigan. I don't see why that wouldn't be true. Michigan is where automobiles were first mass-produced, so why not move with the times and convert all that empty manufacturing space to develop wind turbines?
Check out an article here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/05/dte-energy-wind-turbines-huron-sanilac_n_1570985.html
But what if you noticed that barge was carrying a blade for a wind turbine?
Have you ever seen one? They are HUGE! I've studied wind turbines, seen plenty of pictures, and thought about how neat it would be to climb to the top of one. Never had I seen one in person, however. Until then.
 |
| See? They're HUGE! |
Turns out Michigan is installing many of these energy creating beauties. If a TV commercial is to be believed, all the parts can and are made here in Michigan. I don't see why that wouldn't be true. Michigan is where automobiles were first mass-produced, so why not move with the times and convert all that empty manufacturing space to develop wind turbines?
Check out an article here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/05/dte-energy-wind-turbines-huron-sanilac_n_1570985.html
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
American vs Local
A huge topic that gets bounced around in the new media outlits is thus: (at least, in my home country of the United States of America)
But then we are told in the same lines, generally perhaps even in the same article, that we should buy local. Why?
BUY AMERICAN! CAUSE AMERICAN IS BETTER THAN ANYTHING ELSE!
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| 'MERICA! |
BUY LOCAL! CAUSE LOCAL IS BETTER THAN ANYTHING ELSE!!
 |
| LOCAL! |
Here we are given two seemingly similar topics that might seem parallel (ie, the same). Buy things that are near you (in my case, from America) which is buying locally which is awesome for the economy and local businesses. They are not. Let me explain.
For example.
You are dying to own a sweet awesome super-legit solid oak chair. It would look perfect in your living room, you just know it. So you start shopping online and find two chairs that fit what you are looking for perfectly.
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| Oh my gosh it's perfect! |
One is crafted and shipped from Toledo, Canada and the other Houston, Texas. You now live in Michigan. What woodsmen and distributor do you choose? If you want to buy American, you choose the one from Houston. But if you want to buy local which do you choose? Toledo.
But wait, that's not American! No. No it's not. But it's local. Local in terms of being in close proximity to the community you live in. Local as in the money going to Toledo has a better chance of coming back to your community thorough Canada/Michigan trade relationships than purchasing from Houston.
Mind-boggling, isn't it? Country made isn't the same as local made. Buying local means buying within a radius that evolves around your community, not just because there is a MADE IN AMERICA sticker on it. If you were to buy from Houston you might not be paying anymore online than from Toledo, but think back to yesterday's post about full cost accounting. What sorts of fees are you not paying that would incur were you to buy from Texas over Canada?
Think about it.
Buy local.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Full Cost Accounting
There is the idea in sustainable business called full cost accounting. This idea encourages and requires the complete notation and inclusion of all costs created within a process. This process can include services, product manufacturing, energy sources (like gas), food gathering etc.
Gasoline prices are the easiest idea to apply full cost accounting with, as most everyone has at least once had to pay at the pump. The numbers I put into this post are not legit numbers, but a generalization to get the point across.
Okay, so gas right now is $4.10 a gallon. That's a lot, as over the weeks and months the price keeps going up and people shout about the unfairness of it all.
But what is that $4.10 covering? The cost of the actual liquid being pumped into your car, some taxes, and some other odds and ends, like the bit the gas store gets for giving the product and service of gasoline.
What's not covered?
The cost to transport the gas to the station.
The cost of refining the oil to gas.
The cost of transporting the oil to the refineries.
The cost of the drill equipment.
The trucks themselves.
The stations.
The employees working at the stations.
The oil spills and effects on the natural world.
I could keep going, but you get the idea. Some sources put the true cost of gas at $15 dollars. I'll be nice and give you a link to read (and watch a video) early this week. It was published February of 2012, so is decently current.
http://www.treehugger.com/fossil-fuels/true-cost-gasoline-closer-15-gallon-video.html
If we had full cost accounting applied to our gas we would be paying that $15+ dollars a gallon without any problem.
Gasoline prices are the easiest idea to apply full cost accounting with, as most everyone has at least once had to pay at the pump. The numbers I put into this post are not legit numbers, but a generalization to get the point across.
Okay, so gas right now is $4.10 a gallon. That's a lot, as over the weeks and months the price keeps going up and people shout about the unfairness of it all.
 |
| "Are you kidding? Back in my day gas was just a dime!" |
But what is that $4.10 covering? The cost of the actual liquid being pumped into your car, some taxes, and some other odds and ends, like the bit the gas store gets for giving the product and service of gasoline.
What's not covered?
The cost to transport the gas to the station.
The cost of refining the oil to gas.
The cost of transporting the oil to the refineries.
The cost of the drill equipment.
The trucks themselves.
The stations.
The employees working at the stations.
The oil spills and effects on the natural world.
I could keep going, but you get the idea. Some sources put the true cost of gas at $15 dollars. I'll be nice and give you a link to read (and watch a video) early this week. It was published February of 2012, so is decently current.
http://www.treehugger.com/fossil-fuels/true-cost-gasoline-closer-15-gallon-video.html
If we had full cost accounting applied to our gas we would be paying that $15+ dollars a gallon without any problem.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Magic of the Cherry Tree
If there is one topic, phrase, and/or big idea that sums up the idea of how we sustainable business students from Aquinas College think about how something should effect others it is the idea of the cherry tree.
Why the cherry tree? Well, lets break it down, shall we?
The tree has only benefits to offer. There are no negatives to a tree living it's life as a tree. Let a tree do it's tree-things and magic happens.
The tree overall is a home to many creatures, from small mammals and birds to insects and microorganisms. Shade is created to protect the more vulnerable plant life that tends to grow on the ground level (like grasses, flowers, and small shrubs) a food is produced (the cherries) that feeds an entire community, gives back oxygen as its only 'waste' and releases no negatives to its near and far communities.
What's not to love about the cherry tree?
The idea of waste equaling food is prominent in the cherry tree. Nothing negative occurs, only positives. Food for the community, shelter, protection
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| It's so pretty I'm tearing up |
The tree has only benefits to offer. There are no negatives to a tree living it's life as a tree. Let a tree do it's tree-things and magic happens.
The tree overall is a home to many creatures, from small mammals and birds to insects and microorganisms. Shade is created to protect the more vulnerable plant life that tends to grow on the ground level (like grasses, flowers, and small shrubs) a food is produced (the cherries) that feeds an entire community, gives back oxygen as its only 'waste' and releases no negatives to its near and far communities.
What's not to love about the cherry tree?
The idea of waste equaling food is prominent in the cherry tree. Nothing negative occurs, only positives. Food for the community, shelter, protection
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Stewardship vs. Kinship
Ready for another word verses word post? Today's topic, stewardship verses kinship. Do either of these words sound familiar? I hope so. If not, consider this phrase: "We are stewards of the Earth". This phases is quite popular with some environmentalists and other groups with concerns towards the Earth and it's upkeep and care.
So what is a steward/stewardship? It's being responsible for something else - usually life, whether it be plants, overall landscape, an animal, a zoo, etc. Really any single to group of lifeforms. Steward implies the life you are responsible and in charge of absolutely needs your help. Like, there is no way possible for the life to continue living without outside interference.
Kidding aside (I'm sure those chickens would be fine on their own) this illustrates my point perfectly, as you will see as I describe what kinship is.
Kinship is very similiar to stewardship but the overall principle of why you act is different. The word 'kin' invokes thoughts of family, relationships, being kin with one another. Kinship therefore, in terms of sustainability, that we are partners with the earth with equal footing, levels, respect, etc, and that we help one another. There is no dominate partner in this relationship of being kinsmen.
Or, as my professor Dr. Tuteh puts it, "a kinship relationship - that involves a basic equality of all biota, including man." His phrase for describing a stewardship relationship? (Since I know you are all curious) "Many Americans and Europeans believe man's proper environment role is as a wise steward for all biota and regions of the natural world. Our superior intelligence and natural dominance, so the familiar ethic implies, places us in this position of control to skillfully supervise all planetary wild lands."
Technical definitions aside, let's bring in the chickens again. Chickens have no problem living as chickens do, chillin' around, eating bugs and other grains on the ground, making little chickens, fleeing from predators. You know, chicken things.
Most of what we care for we have the thoughts that the life would not be able to survive, function, or carry on with any higher meaning of life without us. But that's not true. Really the Earth and all it's inhabitants wouldn't notice that we humans were gone (though they might notice the cleaner air, water, and less noise). We haven't, as a species, been around for that long. So what makes us so qualified for making everything ours and ours to monitor alone?
So - stewardship verses kinship. What you believe is fine, just open your mind to other ideas. Traditionally how we were raised will shape which term we respond to better. Westernized cultures grasp stewardship faster while Eastern cultures see kinship as making more sense (as a common stereotype. Please, don't be offended)
Just think on the terms and how they fit into your viewpoint of the world. Does the Earth really need us as supervisors or is it fine doing Earth-things all on its own?
So what is a steward/stewardship? It's being responsible for something else - usually life, whether it be plants, overall landscape, an animal, a zoo, etc. Really any single to group of lifeforms. Steward implies the life you are responsible and in charge of absolutely needs your help. Like, there is no way possible for the life to continue living without outside interference.
 |
| These chickens would NOT SURVIVE without this classy state of the art chicken coop |
Kidding aside (I'm sure those chickens would be fine on their own) this illustrates my point perfectly, as you will see as I describe what kinship is.
Kinship is very similiar to stewardship but the overall principle of why you act is different. The word 'kin' invokes thoughts of family, relationships, being kin with one another. Kinship therefore, in terms of sustainability, that we are partners with the earth with equal footing, levels, respect, etc, and that we help one another. There is no dominate partner in this relationship of being kinsmen.
Or, as my professor Dr. Tuteh puts it, "a kinship relationship - that involves a basic equality of all biota, including man." His phrase for describing a stewardship relationship? (Since I know you are all curious) "Many Americans and Europeans believe man's proper environment role is as a wise steward for all biota and regions of the natural world. Our superior intelligence and natural dominance, so the familiar ethic implies, places us in this position of control to skillfully supervise all planetary wild lands."
Technical definitions aside, let's bring in the chickens again. Chickens have no problem living as chickens do, chillin' around, eating bugs and other grains on the ground, making little chickens, fleeing from predators. You know, chicken things.
 |
| See? They are great at making baby chickens. *gasp* With no help from us? Who'd have thunk it! |
So - stewardship verses kinship. What you believe is fine, just open your mind to other ideas. Traditionally how we were raised will shape which term we respond to better. Westernized cultures grasp stewardship faster while Eastern cultures see kinship as making more sense (as a common stereotype. Please, don't be offended)
Just think on the terms and how they fit into your viewpoint of the world. Does the Earth really need us as supervisors or is it fine doing Earth-things all on its own?
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
A Question for You
To all my wonderful readers out there, I question from me to you, for me in return.
What don't you understand? Is there something about sustainability and sustainable business you want to know more about? Confused about? Anything?
Let me know!
I am in the process of creating a topic guide that will last for the month, but just like any teacher I want to know what you want to learn about.
Leave a message below in the comments section!
What don't you understand? Is there something about sustainability and sustainable business you want to know more about? Confused about? Anything?
Let me know!
I am in the process of creating a topic guide that will last for the month, but just like any teacher I want to know what you want to learn about.
Leave a message below in the comments section!
Rainy Thoughts
So, how did thinking about the rain go over the weekend?
Overall, when rain falls it soaks up all the contaminants and washes it away into the nearest moving body of water. In which the water mixes with other bodies of water and either evaporate and then fall again as rain (this is how acid raid forms) or it soaks into the earth and pollutes the soil (causing plants to grow toxic and our food be tainted).
For a better, more in depth view, read Sandra Steingraber's book Living Downstream.
Overall, when rain falls it soaks up all the contaminants and washes it away into the nearest moving body of water. In which the water mixes with other bodies of water and either evaporate and then fall again as rain (this is how acid raid forms) or it soaks into the earth and pollutes the soil (causing plants to grow toxic and our food be tainted).
For a better, more in depth view, read Sandra Steingraber's book Living Downstream.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Something to Think About: Rainfall
www.rainymood.com
It's raining right now, there, outside my window. And as it is a Friday night and it's been a day full of essays and preparation for a meeting to finalize the end of my internship tomorrow morning I am leaving you to ponder this over the weekend.
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| So soothing. |
When it rains, just like in a shower, the water washes away anything it hits. Take a moment and think about what that means for the outdoors. Pesticides, herbicides, pest killer, animal waste, car wash soap, spilled oil, tossed out food containers (tossed out anything containers and even the things they contained), rust, paint, decaying road kill, escaped car liquids... the list goes on.
So what happens to all that horrible-ness when it rains?
Why it washes into your local watershed, area ponds, lakes, streams, or other labeled bodies or water. That water then either flows to connect with larger bodies of water, or sinks into the ground to mix with the soil and the underground water reservoirs. Those always then flow to even larger bodies of water like the Michigan Great Lakes and/or the oceans. The pollutants never go away, so where do they end up?
Think about it.
I'll address more on Monday. Until then, enjoy your weekend.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Current Topic Thursday: Greenwashing
Now that everyone understands a decent basic understanding of sustainability, sustainable business, and all that encompass it's time to move onto what will now be labeled as "Current Topic Thursday". On Thursdays now I will link all you lovely people an article currently published online that relates to the many, many topics that deal with either the broader sustainability, as well as the more narrow sustainable busienss.
It could also simply be an interesting article I want to share.
Onto the first Topic Thursday article!
This comes from Grist.org, a site I browse through frequently. It's not long, so take a moment to read though it.
http://grist.org/food/is-the-natural-label-100-percent-misleading/
So... how do you feel about your food being 'all natural'? Annoyed, foolish, enraged, hopeless, depressed... I could go on but I think we all know how we feel.
Cheated.
The ploy you have just read about is a term called greenwashing. Green-washing is not regulated or controlled. Anyone can slap the label of 'natural' 'eco- friendly' 'planet friendly' on it, add some smiling flowers, green leaves or plants, fresh looking air - anything that would lead you to believe it was sustainable - good for you, having no or little harmful effects, healthy, better for the planet, etc.
But it's not.
That's greenwashing.
But it can be even sneaker... How you ask?
Pick up an aerosol can and it will probably say "NO CFC'S! (CFCs = chlorofluorocarbons, an ozone destructive material). You would say, "That's great!" But did you know CFCs have been banned from use in the United States since the year of 1978? No aerosol cans in the United States have CFCs in them anyways. So why advertise it? CFCs may not there in to begin with, but having that stamp of NO CFCs makes their product look better and therefore more people purchase their product. Told you they were sneaky.
Google greenwashing if you wish to learn more. Yes, tons more information will come up and it is overwhelming and depressing. But important to know and understand. My hope is that I spurred enough thought in your head and gave you enough basic information that you will think before blindly believing facts printed on a package or in an advertisement.
It could also simply be an interesting article I want to share.
Onto the first Topic Thursday article!
This comes from Grist.org, a site I browse through frequently. It's not long, so take a moment to read though it.
http://grist.org/food/is-the-natural-label-100-percent-misleading/
So... how do you feel about your food being 'all natural'? Annoyed, foolish, enraged, hopeless, depressed... I could go on but I think we all know how we feel.
 |
| 100% Eco FALSE |
Cheated.
The ploy you have just read about is a term called greenwashing. Green-washing is not regulated or controlled. Anyone can slap the label of 'natural' 'eco- friendly' 'planet friendly' on it, add some smiling flowers, green leaves or plants, fresh looking air - anything that would lead you to believe it was sustainable - good for you, having no or little harmful effects, healthy, better for the planet, etc.
But it's not.
That's greenwashing.
But it can be even sneaker... How you ask?
Pick up an aerosol can and it will probably say "NO CFC'S! (CFCs = chlorofluorocarbons, an ozone destructive material). You would say, "That's great!" But did you know CFCs have been banned from use in the United States since the year of 1978? No aerosol cans in the United States have CFCs in them anyways. So why advertise it? CFCs may not there in to begin with, but having that stamp of NO CFCs makes their product look better and therefore more people purchase their product. Told you they were sneaky.
Google greenwashing if you wish to learn more. Yes, tons more information will come up and it is overwhelming and depressing. But important to know and understand. My hope is that I spurred enough thought in your head and gave you enough basic information that you will think before blindly believing facts printed on a package or in an advertisement.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Sustainability vs Sustainable Business
Those who have been keeping up to date will have noticed I use two different terms when speaking about things that are sustainable: sustainability and sustainable business. They, as I learned when speaking with my professor Dr. Tueth about an upcoming lecture like volunteer speech I was to give at a local high school, are two completely different things. Until that point I had no idea.
First - sustainability!
I defined sustanibility my very first post, and I will re-post it here.
I then wrote this: Sustainability is simply the way of having an item, thing, process, whatever, being so awesome it keeps going on without the help of anything else.
This is still true, but it is not 100% complete either. Now don't get upset. I didn't want to overwhelm you the very first day. Sustainability also includes this important fact - it (item, thing process...) does not harm others like it, where it lives, or negatively effects anywhere or anyone else in the world. There is also a continual loop cycle with nothing being waste. Everything is for a purpose to either help the current organism, its surroundings, or its future generations.
Now before you say, "Well, some animals hunt one another, and plants get eaten! And what about weird fish that sticks onto whales and other fish and suck the life out of them?" let me say this: harm is not done purposefully for the sake of being harmful. There are always reasons animal and plants do what they do as a general rule.
This is how humans become different. We do things that harm others for the sake of harm. We design products that have highly negative attributes when there could be another way, or a different product all together. For us to be sustainable there would have to be no negatives associated with any of our ways of living, products, or services.
That's pretty big to wrap your mind around, isn't it? I hope it makes you think, and as always, if you have any questions let me know!
Now for sustainable busienss, this is the easier one. It's what has been spoken about for the past few days. The three legged stool. A sustainable business is a business model, not the whole world of sustainability.
I know this has been mostly a repeat of what was said my first post, but it is worth repeating. The two terms are not the same and interchangeable. I learned it the hard way with my professor sternly correcting me in that 'you are being foolish, think!' voice. Trust me, you don't want to be subject to it.
Think of the two as a circle within a circle. There is the first larger circle of 'sustainability' with a smaller circle inside of it labeled 'sustainable business', as well as others like 'sust. living', 'sust. transportation', 'sust. building', etc.
First - sustainability!
I defined sustanibility my very first post, and I will re-post it here.
sus·tain·a·bil·i·ty
[suh-stey-nuh-bil-i-tee] -noun-
1. The ability to be sustained, supported, upheld, or confirmed.
2. Environmental Science . the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance: The committee is developing sustainability standards for products that use energy.
I then wrote this: Sustainability is simply the way of having an item, thing, process, whatever, being so awesome it keeps going on without the help of anything else.
This is still true, but it is not 100% complete either. Now don't get upset. I didn't want to overwhelm you the very first day. Sustainability also includes this important fact - it (item, thing process...) does not harm others like it, where it lives, or negatively effects anywhere or anyone else in the world. There is also a continual loop cycle with nothing being waste. Everything is for a purpose to either help the current organism, its surroundings, or its future generations.
Now before you say, "Well, some animals hunt one another, and plants get eaten! And what about weird fish that sticks onto whales and other fish and suck the life out of them?" let me say this: harm is not done purposefully for the sake of being harmful. There are always reasons animal and plants do what they do as a general rule.
This is how humans become different. We do things that harm others for the sake of harm. We design products that have highly negative attributes when there could be another way, or a different product all together. For us to be sustainable there would have to be no negatives associated with any of our ways of living, products, or services.
That's pretty big to wrap your mind around, isn't it? I hope it makes you think, and as always, if you have any questions let me know!
Now for sustainable busienss, this is the easier one. It's what has been spoken about for the past few days. The three legged stool. A sustainable business is a business model, not the whole world of sustainability.
I know this has been mostly a repeat of what was said my first post, but it is worth repeating. The two terms are not the same and interchangeable. I learned it the hard way with my professor sternly correcting me in that 'you are being foolish, think!' voice. Trust me, you don't want to be subject to it.
Think of the two as a circle within a circle. There is the first larger circle of 'sustainability' with a smaller circle inside of it labeled 'sustainable business', as well as others like 'sust. living', 'sust. transportation', 'sust. building', etc.
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| Now you're thinking with circles! |
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
What is: Financial?
The last leg of the sustainable business stool is the financial leg. This is the easiest to understand and here's why:
Financial is how a business traditionally runs, how it makes money, and stays in business, manages it's funds, etc.
Crazy simple, right!?
Sure there are more aspects to the financial side, but that's the gist of it. And I'm here to make things easy to understand. In later posts I will talk in much more details specific aspects and traits of each of the three stool legs but for now I want to be sure everyone is on the same page - the basics of the three legs and why they are important.
Since the only pictures for financial related topics are (in my opinion) boring, here's a picture of the the newly discovered upward track we are all hiking together.
Just think how rewarding it will be when we get to the top!
And if anyone has any questions or request in a topic being cleared up that you are confused about just leave a comment! I promise you I will do my best to answer the question with my knowledge and/or otherwise look up and research a topic I'm not as firm on.
We must stick together after all.
For science.
Financial is how a business traditionally runs, how it makes money, and stays in business, manages it's funds, etc.
Crazy simple, right!?
Sure there are more aspects to the financial side, but that's the gist of it. And I'm here to make things easy to understand. In later posts I will talk in much more details specific aspects and traits of each of the three stool legs but for now I want to be sure everyone is on the same page - the basics of the three legs and why they are important.
Since the only pictures for financial related topics are (in my opinion) boring, here's a picture of the the newly discovered upward track we are all hiking together.
 | ||||
| It's steep, but worth it. |
And if anyone has any questions or request in a topic being cleared up that you are confused about just leave a comment! I promise you I will do my best to answer the question with my knowledge and/or otherwise look up and research a topic I'm not as firm on.
We must stick together after all.
For science.
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