Volcanoes, Business, and Sustainability
Funny thing about the planet – we often forget that it is much bigger than we are and often has a mind of its own. Take, for example, the chaos being created by the volcanic ash cloud over Europe this week. The recent eruptions of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajoekull volcano are disrupting business systems on a global scale. We have been reminded once again of nature’s brute force and primordial beauty. The continuing volcanic ash cloud is having holistic and systematic repercussions. Starting with air travel disruption, the impact is now ricocheting across international business and global supply chains. What will happen if the volcano repeats it’s last (1821) eruption cycle of on-and-off spewing of ash for 13 months?
What impact will it have on the long-term viability and sustainability of companies in the region and around the world?
Why attend an RTA Rally?
Last Saturday I took part in a rally to support the creation of a SE Wisconsin’s RTA. RTA stands for Regional Transit Authority, a governing body that coordinates and champions transit systems in a region. Most metropolitan areas have one. Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin does not.
You may be asking, what does this have to do with sustainability?
Everything.
PR v CSR
Q: What is the relationship between CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and PR (Public Relations)?
A: The short answer is PR can be both a blessing and a curse to CSR. It is a matter of which comes first and what is the intention.
The Great Reset (an excerpt): Time & Cognitive Surplus
Pre-Amble: This is a follow up to Twitter, transparency, and CSR I thought I’d post an excerpt from an article that I’ve been working about “the great reset” that is going on in the world. It is germane to the discussion of consumer / social media / and the impact on sustainability for individuals, families and even business.
Twitter, transparency, and CSR
Twitter and other rapid social media have created a new paradigm in terms of corporate communication, response, and responsibility. These tools have the ability to show the emperor’s clothes of companies and are doing so. True Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability leadership may help to guide and protect companies from the savages of these new communication paradigms. They may in fact become the instruments of corporate success.
Opportunity Squared: How much is your garden worth?
Why bring up gardens in a business website? We bring it up because gardens represent interesting sets of paradigm shifts for home economics and business: burden to opportunity; obscure notion to practical choices; and unexpected opportunities from being practical. It is opportunity in sustainability. Author: Matthew Rochte, Sustainability Consultant http://www.OpportunitySustainability.com
Rethinking – Saltwater Energy
There is a new idea afoot in the Netherlands these days and they have an opportunity to take advantage of it. The idea is generating saltwater power by a process called reverse electrodialysis. Is this a new clean energy? Is this taking a threat and turning it into an opportunity? Author: Matthew Rochte, Sustainability Consultant http://www.OpportunitySustainability.com
Sometimes old tech is better than high tech
Excerpt- More often that not, going sustainable mean using old technology rather than new. In our rapid search for the new new thing, we’ve abandoned some of the simple advice and tools that have served us for years. Author: Matthew Rochte, Sustainability Consultant http://www.OpportunitySustainability.com
OS In the News: NGO-Gov-Business Roundtable
Matthew Rochte of Opportunity Sustainability was in the news this week for their participation in the Wisconsin Business & Conservation Leaders Roundtable http://badgerherald.com/news/2009/02/26/lawton_talks_green_t.php
This was a start of NGO-Business-Governmental partnerships in Wisconsin in the area of Water. Milwaukee 7 Water Council along with the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters, Johnson Foundation and several other NGO/nonprofits met [...]
Opportunity Reality: Really Big Numbers
One of the challenges with sustainable thinking is the challenge of really big numbers. These really big numbers overwhelm us easily – we don’t have a mental model for them. When you look at sustainability issues of climate change, environmental impact, global energy consumptions, water volumes, and plastic production we talk in billions, trillions, and quadrillions. TED presents Chris Jordan who may have a way to do that. Author: Matthew Rochte, Sustainability Consultant http://www.OpportunitySustainability.com
Sustainability Consulting
& Green Innovation Advocacy
Matthew Rochte, LEED AP
Experienced, operations- based sustainability
and corporate responsibility (CSR) director, working with company management to navigate and realize the
opportunities in taking their company green and growing sustainably.
These works by
Matthew Rochte of
Opportunity Sustainability
are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
