Hi Folks:
Friday once again, and time for this week’s ‘Being Green‘ post. I usually decide on a weekly topic based on something I pick up during the week past, and for this week’s post I had a few ideas… all of which evaporated when I received a note from a fellow forum user this morning (thanks, D.!) He pointed me to a Youtube video of William McDonough giving the opening keynote address for “Global Forum 2009: Business as an Agent of World Benefit“. The video is a little over an hour and I haven’t listened to it all yet, but I will. I really like the reference near the beginning of the talk to the green roof on the Ford plant instead of asphalt (‘ass fault’, as two words denoting blame). I’ve been a fan of William McDonough and his work for a number of years now, both in the work of his architectural firm and from his founding partnership with MBDC, the people behind the ‘Cradle to Cradle’ certification. In his opening for the TED talk he did in 2005 he lamented how a ‘rubber duck’ sold in the state of California needs to carry what amounts to a biohazard label. There’s just no reason for that.
What impresses me most about Bill McDonough (in addition to his extensive knowledge, experience, drive and expertise) is his indefatiguable optimism. He titled his keynote speech for Global Forum 2009 ‘Celebrating Abundance‘, and he maintains that the way forward for the earth and its species (all of them, including us) is through design that seeks to improve the world rather than ways that continue to denigrate it. As he underscores in his talk, we have to move forward by celebrating abundance rather than collapsing under the fear of lack. At the Bioneers 2000 Conference, Bill asked:
“How can we love all of the children of all species for all time?”
Execution of the answers to that question may be difficult, may be challenging at times, but by definition it is a process that must also be loving and fulfilling in its intent. In its own way the question is similar to the ‘Seventh Generation’ philosophy of some Native Peoples – that we must plan now for the children seven generations from now. All I can say is that I would be happy to live in a building/ city/ environment and on a planet that Bill McDonough and those of like mind have had a hand in designing. My thanks to him and his associates for their contributions to our world!
Before I forget, public comment for the USGBC’s LEED Rating System Development is extended until Wednesday, January 19, 2011 (until 11:59 p.m. EST).
Okay, the links for this week include:
- Janine Benyus presents the Langfang project at the 2010 FIT Conference (Vimeo video)
- CSR 2010: New Times; Old Challenges
- Business Doing Better at Doing Good- 2011 Trends in Business Philanthropy
- TOP 100 THOUGHT LEADERS 2010
- Placemaking and Economic Development
- GE’s Connected Home of the Future
- The 15 Top Posts on Good Business of 2010
- CSR 2010: 5 Reasons Why Sustainability Grew Up in 2010
- Macrowikinomics: Rebooting Business and the World
- Building on Reliability
- Ontario’s Green-Energy Program Creates Jobs, But Uncertainty Looms
- The return of the Zeppelin: not just a flight of fancy
- U.S. Green Building Council Announces Recipients of 2010 LEED for Homes Awards
- Water Quality Takes Center Stage
- Green Building Focus Seminar Series: Atlanta, GAA – January 20, 2011
- New International Sustainability Standard for Cell Phones On Its Way
- Novel, sugar-based surfactants more stable and sustainable.
- Fewer pesticides: higher yields and incomes
- Ceres & Trillium Seek Nominations to Honor Leaders in Building Sustainable Global Economy; Nomination Deadline is March 1
- Defection: As part of the New Economy 2.0 series
- 4 Lessons From 2010: Why Bad Social Impact Happens to Good Companies
- CSR for HR is rather jolly
- AES Report Shows Increased Value of LEED Homes
- Klean Kanteen introduces new Reflect plastic-free bamboo stainless steel water bottle
- PROJECT: Green – Highlighting sustainable projects featuring tile + stone (.pdf – entry deadline is today, January 14, 2011)
- MCA Selection Guideline for Insulated Metal Panels (.pdf)
- Sustainable Value: Chapter One
- The funny but also true side of the global warming terminology
- How to maintain business ethics through a successful business communication and change leadership?
- Ecodesk: Sustainability training and key data all in one place
- WWF Canada: Cleaning a mile of shorline, miles away
- Practising Law Institute to Offer Energy and Environmental Law Institute with the University of Houston Law Center
- Togo to ban sale of plastic bags
- The Vertical Farm – Book Review
- Rock-Munching Mollusks A Model For Artificial Bones
- Green Cars to Watch for at 2011 Detroit Auto Show
- Corporate Social Responsibility – What Is Wrong with This Picture?
- Banking on Green
- Student awards cut to foster teamwork in B.C., Alberta
- Vitalis PET bottle uses less material
- Why Don’t Executives Understand CSR?
- CSR and the little ‘uns
- Igloo-shaped ‘Poo-Gloos’ eat sewage
- Majora Carter: 3 stories of local eco-entrepreneurship (TED video)
- A Billion Acts of Green – The World’s Largest Environmental Service and Advocacy Campaign
- State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet
- Bushpunk and the Future of Africa
- Smaller Companies Lagging in Climate Change Reporting
- 5 New Year’s Resolutions for the Modern CEO
- The Ice Cream Ball Sustainability Reporting Methodology
- First Look: The Second Annual Sustainability & Innovation Survey
- Women Farmers Are Key to Halving Global Hunger by 2015
- http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/women-farmers-are-key-to-halving-global-hunger-by-2015/
- How Top CEOs Use Twitter for Branding
- Global Action Network of Entrepreneurial Women
- National Residential Efficiency Measures Database Unveiled Webinar, January 18, 2011
- RETScreen Annual Conference & Training Institute June 20-22, 2011, Niagara Falls, ON
- Planet Green
- Building Green Bulletin
- VPP News: Towards a Redefinition of Scale
- LEEDuser Newsletter
- Green Building Advisor eLetter
- Continuous Insulation: Plaster & the Energy Code Webinar, January 26, 2011
- ECO Canada Networking Event January 27, 2011, Vancouver, BC
- WRI: Environmental Stories to Watch in 2011
- Healthy Building News
- Greenroofs.com Projects – Headquarter Honda
- inhabitat weekly news
- Conduct Befitting a Great Power: Responsibility and Sovereignty in U.S.-China Relations
Okay, that’s it for now. Have a great week!
Hugs,
Mike.
P.S. Chris Anderson (the man behind TED.com) lost his daughter Zoe late last year to an accident involving carbon monoxide poisoning. Chris posted some images showcasing Zoe’s life here: My dazzling Zoe: Snapshots of a life cut short and Zoe’s sister Anna performed a song that she wrote, here: “For Zoe” (1986-2010) – Original Song by Anna Anderson. To Chris, to Anna and to Chris’ wife Jacqueline, we send love and support.
In tough times it can be difficult to remember any of the joys of life, so I thought I’d suggest a TED talk by Neil Pasricha: The 3 A’s of awesome. Neil also wrote a blog called 1000 Awesome Things. Finally, if you need to build a place to hide out for a while, these look really cool and can be a reminder to let some fun back into your lives… Haworth Enters the Art and Design World with the Innovative Clouds Collection (with Video)