Fundamentals of Sustainable Business

Contents......Page 20
Preface......Page 8
Acknowledgements......Page 18
1. Houston, We Have a Problem......Page 24
1.1 Our Early Approach to Mounting Problems......Page 25
1.2 Our Problems Continue......Page 27
1.3 Early Visionaries and the Resistance to Change......Page 30
1.4 Do Current Free-Market Mechanisms Help?......Page 31
1.5 An Intelligent Beginning......Page 34
1.6 Are the Results Worth the Effort?......Page 36
2.1 The Problem with Stewardship......Page 42
2.2 Naturally Our Best Foot Forward......Page 45
2.3 Pernicious Material Processes......Page 47
2.4 Nature’s Path of Production......Page 48
2.5 Two Closed-Loops into One......Page 52
2.6 Nature’s Energy Path......Page 55
2.7 Following Nature’s Energy Path......Page 57
2.8 Other Sun-Powered Opportunities......Page 58
2.9 Envision a Sun-Powered Human Society......Page 59
2.10 Cutting Our Nuclear Power Losses......Page 61
2.11 The Advantages of Local Energy Production......Page 62
2.12 Changing Energy Trends......Page 63
2.13 Innovations Solving Multiple Problems......Page 66
3.1 The Triple Top-line......Page 68
3.2 The Short Post on the Three-Legged Stool......Page 70
3.3 The Nature of the Movement......Page 71
3.4 High Stakes and New Takes......Page 72
3.5 How Do We Begin?......Page 74
3.6 No Silver Bullet......Page 76
3.7 The Better Part of Valor......Page 77
3.8 The Toyota Way......Page 81
3.9 Approaching the Bull’s Eye......Page 82
3.10 Intelligent Building Design......Page 84
3.11 Urgent Challenges, Appropriate Remedies......Page 86
3.12 Early Organizational Change......Page 89
3.13 The Score Card......Page 90
3.14 A Helping Hand......Page 93
3.15 Staff Roles in the Transition......Page 94
4. Businesses Taking Care of Business......Page 100
New Belgium Brewery, Fort Collins, CO — Beer Brewery......Page 101
New Seasons Market, Portland, OR — Grocery Stores......Page 102
Google, Mountain View, CA — Internet Information Access......Page 103
Patagonia, Ventura, CA — Outdoor Performance Clothing......Page 104
GoLite LLC, Boulder, CO — Outdoor Clothing and Equipment......Page 106
Aveda, Blaine MN — Hair Care, Skin Care, and Makeup Products......Page 107
Burgerville, Vancouver, WA — Fast Food Restaurants......Page 108
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Waterbury, VT — Coffee, Tea, and Cocoa Processor and Distributor......Page 110
Wainwright Bank, Boston, MA — Commercial Bank......Page 111
Bazzani Associates, Grand Rapids, MI — Commercial Real Estate Development......Page 112
Interface, Inc., Atlanta, GA — Soft-Surface Floor Covering Manufacturer......Page 113
Shaw Industries Group, Inc., Dalton, GA — Full-Service Flooring Manufacturing......Page 114
Herman Miller, Inc., Zeeland, MI — Commercial Office Furniture Manufacturer......Page 115
Steelcase Inc., Grand Rapids, MI — Commercial Office Furniture Manufacturer......Page 116
Allianz SE, Munich, Germany — Insurance, Banking, Asset Management......Page 117
Co-operative Financial Services, Manchester, United Kingdom — Consumer Cooperative......Page 119
Switcher SA, Lausanne, Switzerland — Garment Manufacturer......Page 120
Precious Woods, Zurich, Switzerland — Sustainable Timber Harvesting......Page 121
Abengoa, Seville, Spain — Sustainability Technology in Energy and Infrastructure......Page 122
Tiamo Resort, South Andros Island, Bahamas — Sustainable Tourist Resort......Page 123
The Black Sheep Inn, Cotopaxi, Ecuador — Sustainable Tourist Resort......Page 124
East Japan Railway Company, Tokyo, Japan — Rail Mass Transit......Page 125
Aeon Corporation, Chiba, Japan — Large-Scale, Multi-Product Retail Centers......Page 126
Sharp Corporation, Tokyo, Japan — Electronic Communication and Information Equipment and Components, and Home Appliances......Page 127
4.6 Non-Profit Organizations......Page 129
4.7 Sustainable Business Forums......Page 131
West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum, Grand Rapids, MI......Page 134
Rocky Mountain Institute, Old Snowmass, CO — Sustainable Living Systems Instruction......Page 135
Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, San Francisco, CA — Local-Focused Economies Facilitator......Page 136
California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA — Scientific Research and Education......Page 137
4.9 Laying the Foundation......Page 138
5. Greasing the Cognitive Skids......Page 142
5.1 Connected on All Levels......Page 144
5.2 Field-Based Education......Page 145
5.3 Re-educate the Educators......Page 148
5.4 Obstacles for Education Reform......Page 150
5.5 The Operations Side of Education......Page 153
5.6 An Academic Prototype......Page 154
5.7 Research and the Movement......Page 159
5.8 The Interdisciplinary Aspect......Page 160
5.9 The Academic Program and Curricula......Page 161
5.10 Current Undergraduate Programs......Page 162
5.11 Graduate Programs......Page 164
6. Government Finally Gets It Right......Page 168
6.1 Not Repeating Mistakes......Page 169
6.2 Crafting Sustainable Business Policy......Page 171
6.3 Reforming the Corporate Rules......Page 174
6.4 Operational Advances for Government......Page 176
7. Healthy, Beautiful, Diverse, and Durable......Page 182
7.1 Your Home......Page 183
7.2 Transportation......Page 186
7.3 Your Retail Experience......Page 187
7.4 Formal Education......Page 193
7.5 Out on the Farm......Page 195
7.6 Your Workplace......Page 198
8.1 Recognizing the Threats......Page 206
8.2 Opportunistic or Altruistic......Page 207
8.3 An Aversion to Risk......Page 209
8.4 The Overwhelming Cost......Page 210
8.5 Indecent Exposure......Page 211
8.6 Pretenders and Emasculators......Page 215
8.7 Six Essential Characteristics......Page 216
8.8 International Implications......Page 218
8.9 Back to the Front......Page 221
Bibliography......Page 224
Index......Page 226