New Sloan Report on Sustainability & Profitability

Thank you to Jerry for this one.

The Innovation Bottom Line, MIT/Sloan Management Review
http://sloanreview.mit.edu/feature/sustainability-innovation/
Free registration necessary to get a copy in PDF.
Or
http://aca3318ae75562500643-ca1b2d270cca3d1f89a77092d5cd33a3.r63.cf2.rackcdn.com/MITSMR-BCG-Sustainability-Report-2013.pdf

Speaking of innovation. How about a reality based look at the history of perhaps the premier place of entrepreneurship and innovation in the 20th century?
Silicon Valley, 90 minutes streaming, from American Experience.
http://video.pbs.org/video/2332168287

2 degrees limit "Highly Unrealistic"

The Price Waterhouse Cooper* report about climate change for business readers, Too Late for Two Degrees ? (Nov. 2012)
http://www.pwc.com/en_GX/gx/low-carbon-economy-index/assets/pwc-low-carbon-economy-index-2012.pdf

*The accounting firm has an interesting site re sustainability, CC, risk, etc., at
http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/sustainability/index.jhtml

Local Energy Movie

Most Wisconsin businesses and consumers  import nearly a their energy from out of state. Watch the film about one of our greatest local energy resources,
Cow Power
(Trailer)
http://cowpowerfilm.com/

In case you are doing some planning...

National Climate Assessment: Midwest Technical Input Report

"At the request of the U.S. Global Change Research Program, GLISA and the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment formed a Midwest regional team to provide technical input to the National Climate Assessment (NCA). In March 2012, the team submitted their report to the NCA Development and Advisory Committee. The following white papers comprised the chapters of the report, focusing on the potential impacts, vulnerabilities, and adaptation options to climate variability and change across many sectors."
http://glisa.msu.edu/great_lakes_climate/nca.php

For other regions, the National Climate Assessment site: http://www.globalchange.gov/

How to Green a Supply Chain?

The ezine Greenbiz (http://www.greenbiz.com/ )and CFO Magazine, recently reported about changes in Walmarts supply chain initiative. If you are a supplier to Walmart, or somewhere in that supply chain, you have probably already encountered their sustainability initiatives

If you have not, essentially, it comprises a coordinated change plan addressing high ROI practices and products that are address Walmart’s concerns about energy, climate change, fresh water, and a supply chain that will eventually fully incorporate life cycle analysis/assessment (LCA).

Part of that is the development of a database that will use LCA to record and compare the CO2 intensities, among other things, of the products they carry and are interested in carrying. This will eventual provide new label information for the products sold in Walmart and Sam’s Club.

“In 2009, Walmart provided the initial funding for The Sustainability Consortium (http://www.sustainabilityconsortium.org/ TSC)… to develop and promote science and integrated tools that can improve informed decision making for sustainability throughout the entire lifecycle of everyday products. “ ( Greenbiz)

This month, TSC has begun operations in China. “The expansion will see The Consortium collaborate with existing members, Chinese stakeholders, civil society organizations and local research partners to improve the systems and tools for product sustainability assessment. .This work will support product sustainability improvements in China and beyond.” (Greenbiz )

TSC is has developed the Sustainability Measurement & Reporting System, “…a standardized framework for the communication of sustainability-related information throughout the product value chain. The framework… serves as a common, global platform for companies to measure and report on product sustainability. It enables rigorous product level Life Cycle Assessments to be done at a fraction of today's time and cost, and provides a platform for sustainability-related data sharing across the supply chain.”

Walmart and its partners carry a lot of weight. Essentially, they have started a multi-part process of private sector solutions to problems. For example, I would not even try to guess how difficult it would be and how long it would take to develop a federal government CO2/LCA product labeling framework. Walmart and its partners, are creating that, as part of their business strategy.

Food and Value Added Agriculture

Food and Value Added Agriculture
The Food and Value Added Agriculture program was originally developed by the Agricultural Innovation Center through the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension. The work of the Center is now part of the Center for Community & Economic Development. It works towards increasing the supply and visibility of Wisconsin farms and food products by providing resources for entrepreneurs and educators as well as information about active programs. These programs focus on increasing the market for wholesale and retail local foods in grocery stores and institutions as well as farmer’s markets, restaurants and community kitchens.
http://fyi.uwex.edu/aic/

A Film That Among Other Things, Explains Those Boxy Looking Cars

What is the most aerodynamic shape for a car/van that also has maximum interior space?
Turns out is the Boxfish http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0710-DaimlerChrysler.html

This kind of thinking and design innovation is called Biomimetics or Biomimicry.

For a very entertaing introduction to this new path to product improvement and design, watch this documentary for free on the Web. "NatureTech, a multi award winning series, explores biomimetics – the science of looking to nature for answers to modern problems. Why are blossoms never dirty and can we also make our cars that way? Why can geckos walk on the ceiling and can we use their tricks to create better adhesives? Why is the spider’s web tougher than steel?

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/naturetech/