In Business, Creating Sustainable Enterprises & Communities

EDITORIAL

In Business, March-April, 2006, Vol. 28, No. 2, p. 2

DISCOVERING BUSINESSES WITH SPIRIT

IN PORTLAND, OREGON this week, we had reunions with a number of old friends and conversations with new acquaintances. They are all involved in building sustainable cities and communities - and all interestingly connected to activities like composting, organics recycling and renewable energy. They were attending our 22nd Annual BioCycle West Coast Conference. As I write this editorial for In Business, I think of the connections they have to promoting new business ideas - new ways to improve our world while creating an enterprising climate that offers solutions, not more problems.
We've known Mark Musick for over 30 years and he is now in charge of the Seattle Food Waste Reduction Project that will increase diversion of edible food from the commercial waste stream. The reclaimed food will be distributed to food banks and emergency feeding programs where demand has increased 40 percent in the last four years. Program components will involve education of the public and professionals and creation of the necessary services and technologies.
Many of our old friends are working for organizations that promote renewable energy from biomass. Their employers include Energy Trust of Oregon, Cal Recovery, Inc., Active Compost Ltd., Norcal Waste Systems, New Uses Council, Andgar Engineering and Living Systems Design.
At our BioCycle Conference, we met one of the managers of the Bainbridge (Washington) Graduate Institute who told us about its MBA program in Sustainable Business “to prepare leaders to build economically successful, socially responsible and environmentally sustainable enterprises.” Their course list features: Systems Thinking; Finance and The Triple Bottom Line; Ecological Economics; Marketing and Sales; Creativity and Right Livelihood; Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship. Says BGI cofounder Gifford Pinchot:
“Business is causing many problems, but it is also the most creative and flexible instrument of change. Helping people committed to sustainability become good at business is one of the most effective strategies for creating healthy communities.”
Two projects we learned about illustrate how concepts turn into operating projects. The city of Gresham, Oregon created a clean energy resource from a waste product by generating methane gas for heat and power at its wastewater treatment plant. Co-Gen -the project's nickname - is converting methane gas into 55 percent of the plant's power needs, saving the city $17,000 a month. Project cost is $l.l million and will pay for itself in five years. Another project, described to us by a Conference participant from Canada, is in Baja, Mexico. His composting firm was awarded a contract to build a plant because the desire of the community was to be completely sustainable.
Wherever you go, be prepared to discover business ideas with fresh spirit and lasting benefits. - Jerome Goldstein, Publisher