GREEN BUSINESS

This is the new book by Ray C. Anderson. As you may or may not know, he owns a carpet company. But more importantly, he is one of the very first industrial leaders to take on his own impact on the environment, in recognition of the unsustainability of our current society. As a manufacturer, he is leading the way for environmentally sustainable industry.

This is one of the most important things that we need. This book is a follow-up to his first book, "Mid-course Correction: towards a sustainable enterprise." Of all the CEOs, how many are thinking like this?

Anderson worked for decades in his industry, which is extremely polluting and petroleum based, without a second thought for the environment. Then an employee sent him a copy of Paul Hawken's "Ecology of Commerce." Since then, he has been a pioneer; and that was in 1994.

He's a pioneer in the idea that while protecting the environment and being ecologically sustainable is incredibly important to the future of the planet, it is also just good business sense. Common sense, you might say. I remember I first heard of him when I saw "The Corporation", which is still a very pertinent documentary in my opinion. Most companies still aren't environmentally conscious or fair to their workers. Most set up overseas (known as 'outsourcing' or 'offshoring') to poor countries with corrupt governments, lax labour and environmental laws, and high fiscal debt. In fact, that's where most of our wealth comes from, and where most of our waste goes.

It's great to see him in at one part in 'The Corporation', when he's calling out a room full of the top CEOs in the States, for their unsustainable and irresponsible practices, calling them "plunderers," and referring to himself as a former plunderer. He makes a great analogy of the early 20th century, when people are trying to design a working flying machine. You know the footage. He describes our society as being like a totally non-working attempted airplane that can't possibly fly, going over a cliff. We're gonna crash.

In transforming his company, it was something that hadn't really been done before, so they had to try something new. Their were lots of surprises and happy accidents, and ultimately true innovations and an inspiring story of pioneering green business.

What's really important is the fact that environmental consciousness and sustainability is actually sound business and makes total financial sense. As John Kerry said, "It's a win-win for the marketplace." Most of Europe has already gone down that road, and they're way ahead of North America in terms of sustainability.

He calls his work "Mission Zero " - zero footprint, by 2020.  Zero footprint is pretty damn ambitious.

Here's a clip of Ray Anderson. In it, when talking about reading "Ecology of Commerce," he mentions E. O. Wilson. Wilson is one of the world's top biologists, particularly entymology and microbiology. Anderson refers to him in reference to the current mass extinction going on in the world.

Spreading the idea of Green Business is important, because it's definitely the future. Otherwise, there will be no future.

Also here's a link to an interview with him: Sustainablog