The Inspired Economist

Frank Dixon is the founder of Global Systems Change and the former Managing Director of Research for Innovest Strategic Value Advisors, which is the largest corporate sustainability research company in the world.  His perspective on corporate thought and sustainability is that flaws in our economic and political systems make it impossible for any company to become sustainable. In fact, Mr. Dixon managed to shake my belief in many of the fundamental “sacred cows” I learned in business school! 

Frank attributes his revised perspective to his tenure at Innovest.  He found that companies tasked with the holy grail of sustainability usually were able to mitigate no more than 20% of their negative environmental impact before starting to suffer financially. Profits could initially be increased by going green, but then most corporations hit a wall.  Why?

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Video blogger Jeff Korhan, in his “Black Friday” video blog, had an interesting perspective on the new green trends. It is hard to remember when PCs were “new and different”, but Jeff reminds us of when people didn’t quite trust them yet, and still used a typewriter when it absolutely had to be done right.

Likewise, the masses see the greening of America, but don’t yet trust that this is a trend here to stay. According to Korhan, there are two things that can happen that could give our current green trend a huge push forward. One is a serious event, such as a severe water shortage or other environmental disaster. The other is for all of us dedicated to the preservation of the earth to join together and form a grassroots effort to educate others.

Yes, there IS hope for your SUV driving, energy wasting neighbor!

As Jennifer Lance mentioned in her post this week on Red, Green and Blue, last Tuesday was a win not only for Barack Obama but also for the environment. Hours after being elected the new President of the United States, Obama has already selected fellow Illinois Democrat, Rahm Emanuel, a strong supporter of the environment, to be his Chief of Staff.

Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff Designate

Emanuel introduced a far-reaching cleanup package for the Great Lakes in 2003 committing millions of dollars to clean up toxic hot spots. He is a man who swims in Lake Michigan for exercise and has an intimate connection to the environment. One environmentalist called Emanuel “the godfather of Great Lakes restoration”(Cleveland.Com). Read the rest of this entry »

In case you missed it or want to read it again, here is the full text of the speech as prepared for delivery Tuesday night in Chicago by President-elect Barack Obama:

“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It’s the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

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