9.30.2011

Bonus gem

Word on the street is that the folks over at BAE Systems are letting a few people go. It's a shame the weapons business isn't doing so great this year. Their take, unsurprisingly (via BBC News):

"BAE would not comment on the job cuts, but said it had reviewed operations to ensure it was performing 'efficiently'."

Gem of the day

This statement sure makes me feel comfortable (via The Ecologist):

"We believe water is turning into the new gold," said Ziad Abdelnour, president of US private equity firm Blackhawk Partners, to Reuters last month.

9.28.2011

Gem of the day

I wonder what's wrong with this quote and the influences on its source (via Grist):

"Processed foods have become the default for everything negative, and their benefits are often taken for granted," says Ms. Loving, whose employer, the International Food Information Council, has a board of trustees that includes representatives from Dannon Co., General Mills, Kraft Foods, PepsiCo, and Mars, Inc. Processed foods, she adds, "represent sources of important nutrients for consumers and should be eaten along with fresh fruits and veggies."

9.27.2011

Bonus gem

Here's an idea for how we can put more Americans to work: hire them to burn off wasted natural gas in states like North Dakota, where oil companies claim they "cannot afford" to pay for the infrastructure they need to capture and sell it (via NY Times).

Ingenius.

Thankfully because it's the New York Times there are two NGO responses integrated into the article, which give us:
  • The generic there-should-be-functioning-regulation-around-this-issue approach: “ 'It’s time for the regulators to take a hard look at the impacts of flaring and make sure that available solutions to the flaring problem are required before there is any further widespread expansion of the practice,' said Amy Mall, senior policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
  • The 1970s-inspired industry vs. environment trade-off: "Wayde Schafer, the Sierra Club’s North Dakota conservation organizer, said that the industry needed to slow down development if it could not protect the air. 'You can do it fast or you can do it right,' he said."

Gem of the day

Commentary like this makes me dizzy with its total lack of bigger picture understanding.

But then again, what else can we expect from narrow-minded vortexes like the Cato Institute?

"Can we be certain that there will eventually be a viable market for solar power or that solar panel manufacturing is in fact characterized by very large economies of scale? No, we can't."

Did we ask questions like this during the Industrial Revolution? No, we didn't. And are we hoping solar power can exclusively take the place of fossil fuels, rather than a mix of energy efficiency and other renewable energies? No, we're not.

9.26.2011

Gem of the day

What is there really to say about a transparency index which manages to place BP in 6th and De Beers in 8th?


The authors of the index claim that it is "the only ranking of corporate sustainability performance website transparency in the world which is completely applicable across sectors, industries and geographies, enabling a true comparison of corporate commitment to transparency."

Oh so that's the problem--this index is based on CR reporting alone, and focuses exclusively on quantity of information, not quality.

Even so, it's tough to understand how a company like BP, which failed to report even estimates of the Gulf oil spill last year, could achieve this kind of success on a transparency ranking.

Another non-environmental wonder

Here's an uplifting story from the dark halls of Washington's revolving door (via FT)

"Months before AT&T unveiled its $39bn bid for T-Mobile USA, Deutsche Telekom’s US mobile arm, the biggest US telecoms operator sought to sweeten regulators by sending 1,500 cupcakes to the Federal Communications Commission’s offices in Washington...James Cicconi, AT&T’s head of public policy, had served under George Bush senior and Ronald Reagan and had a reputation for getting what he wanted."

9.23.2011

Bonus gem

The networking event Green Mondays sent me a reminder of an upcoming event today with this headline:

"How Resource Scarcity has Shaped Nissan's Core Business Strategy"

Apparently this is because, in the heady winds of 2011, Nissan's R&D strategy--yes, that's right, research, not actual car sales--will be focusing on electric vehicles.

I did a double-take, mostly because of the company's clear focus (like all other brands in the automotive industry) on selling millions of cars in China. In 2010 Nissan sold 1 million cars, to be exact-- an increase of 36% over 2009. And they plan to sell another 1.15 million in 2011. Not exactly the most resource efficient or sustainable strategy.

Green Mondays goes on to say:

"If you wind back most of the next-generation Sustainability strategies, including Nissan, PepsiCo, M&S and Siemens, you find its an awareness of resource scarcity that takes it into the boardroom."

Double standard? I think so.

Gem of the day

The twisted vortex that is the world of "management", mostly centred on business schools and their refined, efficient graduates, has always loved a good analogy. Historically it was the old-fashioned baseball game--a business as a "team" playing the game to win it. Then there's the obsession with airplane-inspired terminology--are you "on board"? Are you "on course" and "on track"?

So it's not surprising that the management debate has taken a big trend and harnessed it for its own purpose, however awkwardly. That's right, I'm talking about the so-called "Arab Spring" and the extraordinary role social media is playing in putting political power in the hands of a newly networked global public.

Here's old-timer Gary Hamel, management guru, on how this trend could apply to the business world: "I don’t think it’s crazy to ask if your CEO is the next Mubarak."

But wait! It gets even better. Some actual corporate leaders are willing to take the analogy even further. “The elites—or managers in companies—no longer control the conversation. This is how insurrections start.” Says Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.com, Inc. “This isn’t just about Arab spring. This is about corporate spring.”

Wow (all via Forbes).

Another non-environmental wonder

Michelle Bachman really takes an oil industry-inspired approach to her defensive Q&As. Witness this gem from the GOP debate on Thursday, where she was asked to explain her claims that the HPV vaccine has "dangerous side effects" (via NY Times)

“I didn’t make that claim nor did I make that statement,” she said.

9.19.2011

Another non-environmental wonder

Ingenius new book title from Jim Moore that's sure to win some independent supporters (via Politico):

"Moore is the co-author, with Jason Stanford, of the forthcoming 'Adios Mofo: Why Rick Perry Will Make America Miss George W. Bush,' one of at least three new books about the Texas governor."

Gem of the day

Something stinks over at Cisco. We've known since 2008 that the company is proactively selling services to China as tools for suppressing human rights. Despite that hullabaloo, the company is taking on board even more sketchy projects. And it takes journalists with real courage to deal with it, which is why only Private Eye has actually reported on the situation.

Take this Wall Street Journal article tepidly exploring whether Cisco's intention to help build a citywide surveillance network in Chongqing could potentially be used to monitor democracy movements:

"An examination of the Peaceful Chongqing project by The Wall Street Journal shows Cisco is expected to supply networking equipment that is essential to operating large and complicated surveillance systems... The company has previously said—including in a June blog post by Cisco's general counsel, Mark Chandler—that the company strictly abides by the Tiananmen export controls and doesn't supply any gear to China that is "customized in any way" to facilitate repressive uses."

Good to know Cisco's got their legal team as the official public representatives of the project. That already tell us a lot.

Now an official lawsuit is being filed by members of the Falun Gong sect, who claim Cisco's technology is being used to persecute them in China.

So what does the company have to say?

"Cisco does not operate networks in China or elsewhere, nor does Cisco customize our products in any way that would facilitate censorship or repression," the company stated.

9.15.2011

Gem of the day

There's a lot of great things going on in the world today. Al Gore's 24 Hours of Climate Reality project launches around the world, and it's the 40th anniversary of Greenpeace changing the world.

On that note, as probably the last global NGO that works with big business to force radical change and bears witness to the entrenched battles we're fighting, Greenpeace is one of our only real hopes for a sustainable world. From literally stopping the oil industry in its tracks to winning attention from those ever-elusive "consumers" on complex issues like toxics in the supply chain, to fighting for the oceans, the world is truly a better place because of Greenpeace.

I can't say the same thing for many other organisations working on sustainability.

Here's to 40 more years.

Another non-environmental wonder

Actually it is semi-environmentally relevant. More proof that Sarah Palin's lifelong affair with the oil and gas industry is much more personal than we could ever have dreamed in the zaniest satire (via Philadelphia Daily News):

"McGinniss also claims that Palin smoked dope in college and once snorted lines of coke off an oil barrel"

It just doesn't get any better than this.

9.13.2011

Bonus gem

Finally, an example of the gamechanging innovation we're looking for around product sustainability. A new "breakthrough technology". Something that makes "long-term financial as well as environmental sense". Destined to green "an entire industry" (via Guardian Sustainable Business).

What is it?

A plastic bottle that uses plant-based materials to replace "some" that are petroleum-based and will cut carbon emissions 8-10% in the process.

Uh. Unsurprisingly this faux-revolution promo comes from the folks over at Coke.

And now for the bad news (such a balanced article!)
  • The plant-based alternative only covers ethyleneglycol – around 22.5% of PET by weight
  • Using plants is all fun and games unless ,as the author points out, it requires excessive water use, pushes up food prices (by using arable land for non-food purposes) or relies on genetically-modified technologies
  • Coca-Cola was recently thrown out of the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Index 
When will it sink into the corporate vortex that what we really need is to completely reimagine products and services, and to cut some out entirely? Incremental improvements to plastic bottles from a company that uses over 1 liter of water to manufacture 1 liter of bottled water just ain't gonna cut it.

Gem of the day

This is the third installment in the nauseating series "Rick Perry: A Real Texan Keeping it Real on the Campaign Trail 2011".

Here's the gem from a stop in Texas--where else?--this week (via ThinkProgress):

“I’ll tell you one thing: The EPA officials we have an opportunity to put in place, they’re going to be pro-business, and there’s not going to be any apologies to anybody about it,” he said. “Those agencies won’t know what hit ‘em.”

9.12.2011

Bonus gem

Another gem to add to the growing roster best slotted under the topic "Sustainability Communications: [insert name of brand here]"

ConAgra bathes in a radiant light of pseudo-leadership bestowed on the mega food corporation by the folks at the DJSI (oh they giveth, and they taketh, so easily):

"Earning a place on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index is a tremendous compliment to the work our employees do on a daily basis to do the right thing for our communities and the environment," said Gary Rodkin, CEO. "Though honored by this achievement, we know that our journey does not end here. Our employees will continue to find ways to enhance sustainable business practices and develop innovative programs to deliver on our citizenship commitment."

Gem of the day

Eric Schlosser on the new lawsuit against Con-Agra's use of the word "natural" to label products containing GMOs (via Triple Pundit)

"Food companies can no longer hide behind ambiguous labels like ‘natural’ because food essentially is natural! The label itself is an oxymoron."

9.09.2011

Another non-environmental wonder

Why does the FBI always look so dorky when they raid buildings?


Gem of the day

Gernot Wagner (best name ever?) at the Environmental Defense Fund has a new op-ed in the NY Times today that centers on an argument so misguided it's almost genius. Here's how it opens:

"You do all the right things. Good. Just know that it won’t save the tuna, protect the rain forest or stop global warming. The changes necessary are so large and profound that they are beyond the reach of individual action."

What a truly inspirational argument. Maybe Gernot has been spending too much time with A. Politicians or B. Corporates like Nestle and Monsanto.

The biggest thing that Gernot seems to absolutely not get is that it's not just about the green behaviours we exhibit. It's about all of us shifting to a completely new way of thinking about how our planet works. Which is why the ending of this article really takes the cake:

"Don’t stop recycling. Don’t stop buying local. [!] But add mastering some basic economics to your to-do list. Our future will be largely determined by our ability to admit the need to end planetary socialism. That’s the most fundamental of economics lessons and one any serious environmentalist ought to heed."

Right, because economics is a really effective way of understanding how the world actually works. Thanks Gernot!

9.07.2011

Another non-environmental wonder

Carol Bartz on her [unexpected] way out of Yahoo as the CEO, not towing the accepted line of jargon and fake excuses (Via NY Times):

"Goodbye,” Ms. Bartz wrote to employees in a message from her iPad: “I am very sad to tell you that I’ve just been fired over the phone by Yahoo’s chairman of the board.”

Gem of the day

Really Deep Corporate Quote of the Day (via Fast Company):

“You have to be rational. There’s no way you can support life on earth if you go straight from farm to table.”

Thanks Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, chair of the board of Nestle. Your fresh, logical thinking on the issue of sustainable food is really going to drive the kind transformative innovation we need.

9.06.2011

Another non-environmental wonder

This is the second installment of the unofficial series "Rick Perry: A Real Texan Keeping it Real on the Campaign Trail 2011"

9.05.2011

Bonus gem

Welcome to Russia, Exxon (via NY Times):

"Commandos armed with assault rifles raided the offices of the British oil company BP on Wednesday, in one of the ritual armed searches of white-collar premises that are common enough here to have a nickname: masky shows (so-called because of the balaclavas the agents often wear, although this time they reportedly burst in bare-faced."

Maybe Rex Tillerson was right when he chose these particular words to tout the new Rosneft deal in his quote for the official Exxon press release:

"This agreement takes our relationship to a new level."

Gem of the day

Every now and then a piece of news analysis by the FT comes out that is truly worth reading. This piece is one of them. It provides an overview of the forces at work in the conflict over Chinese businessman Huang Nubo's ambition to build a luxury hotel in a remote part of Iceland's wilderness.

This gem may be one of the best:

"[Huange] says he was dismayed by global media reaction...'I’m just a businessman – why does everyone think I have the government at my back?'"

vs. two paragraphs later

"Mr Huang, who has climbed Everest and reached the north and south poles, rejects any claim that his deal is motivated by strategic considerations. 'It’s true that I have a government background. But I didn’t want to be a bureaucrat,' he says, stroking a purring kitten. 'Could a bureaucrat keep cats in his office?'”

Another non-environmental wonder

Chris Wallace interviewing Dick Cheney on Fox News about his gig as Vice Prez (via ThinkProgress):

Wallace: Anything you’d want to take back?
Cheney: No.

9.02.2011

Bonus gem

Dan Ariely on irrational behaviour:

“Thinking is difficult and sometimes unpleasant.”

Gem of the day

Richard Gowan delivers an honest account of a UN Security Council debate on the state of peacekeeping in India (via Global Dashboard):

"When multiple speakers are highlighting the  importance of 'implementing the recommendations of previous peacekeeping reviews', you know that 'innovative thinking' is probably in short supply."

And he doesn't stop there:

"Peacekeeping is an issue on which New Delhi can show global leadership, but holding debates in New York in which everyone says more or less exactly what they’ve always said isn’t the way to achieve that."

Zing!

9.01.2011

Bonus gem

Why do people in the sustainability community write stuff like this?

"BAE Systems has clearly taken the OFR reporting statement into account, producing a report that is so full of content it is hard to find fault...The corporate responsibility agenda has been integrated within the group’s strategy this year and the corporate responsibility section goes into detail about ethics, safety and employee matters."

For a company whose core products are munitions, land warfare systems and civil and military aerospace, that's a tough line to swallow.

Something that's actually good

Clay Shirky delivers a masterful assessment of why his take on creative destruction--he frames it as the collapse of complex business models in favour of simplicity--will benefit people who live in the present, rather than gluing themselves to the past (via his blog universe):

"When ecosystems change and inflexible institutions collapse, their members disperse, abandoning old beliefs, trying new things, making their living in different ways than they used to. It’s easy to see the ways in which collapse to simplicity wrecks the glories of old. But there is one compensating advantage for the people who escape the old system: when the ecosystem stops rewarding complexity, it is the people who figure out how to work simply in the present, rather than the people who mastered the complexities of the past, who get to say what happens in the future."

Gem of the day

The twisted vortex that is the debate over GMO can be hard to follow. Here's three tidbits about the difference between the state of play in Europe vs. America that you should know, if you don't already:
  • The vast majority of Americans (90%) want companies to disclose whether their products contain GMOs (via Iowa State University)
  • Hershey develops non-GMO options for Europe, but not for the US
  • The friendly folks over at the US FDA (Food & Drug Administration) still haven't defined the word "natural", which means that most American products containing GMOs can claim to be natural