Just getting through a backlog of blogs. Two excellent posts from Joel Makower on the massive trend towards “green business” these past few months.

Is there a green business bubble? talks about some of the press asking if this current momentum is just a fad. The key pull-quote for me (though I recommend reading the whole thing):

… With no [definition of "green business"] standards, the bar is free to drift continually higher. And that seems to be what is happening. For example, as more companies claim some form of carbon neutrality, the value of carbon neutral as a marketing claim becomes increasingly devalued. And as the bar rises, laggard companies, even if fully compliant on the regulatory front, are finding themselves further and further behind, from a reputational perspective.

I’ve actually spoken to a lot of people lately that have commented on whether all these businesses rushing to be “carbon neutral” are just greenwashing. Joel’s take is quite interesting in this regard.

But on the topic of greenwashing, Joel posted: The Greenwasher in All of Us.

Another great article, but the highlight:

I’ve been seeing the “G” word showing up more and more, in both local and national media. And while it’s generally good that we maintain high standards for companies’ seeking to claim environmental leadership, I can’t help but ponder the hypocrisy of it all: how much more we expect of companies than of ourselves.

I’ve heard the sentiment that “government and companies aren’t doing enough” as a reason not to try harder or do better. It’s an easy escape hatch from taking responsibility for our own actions. Heck, I’m just as guilty.

In some cases it truly is an issue - a lack of infrastructure, a lack of products readily available etc. But I think on some level it’s also a sense of powerlessness - that my personal efforts won’t make a difference unless business and government do their bit. There’s truth in that - but it certainly doesn’t let us off the hook.

I don’t usually do big quotes, but this next passage from Joel’s post is really powerful, to my mind anyway:

When I speak to audiences about the greening of business — nearly every week these days, or so it seems — I often conduct an informal poll to see how audience members behave in their personal lives: how many drive hybrids or carpool to work, or are simply driving less; how many have installed solar panels or purchase green energy for their homes; how many use organic or low-toxic gardening techniques; how many seek out locally produced goods; how many have taken the basic measures at home — have installed energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances, water-saving devices, insulation and weatherstripping, and the like.

Some audiences are more tentative than others in volunteering answers, but even the most enthusiastic groups tend to have only a handful of members who appear to taking more than a few token actions.

That is, few of us have gone very far out of our way to make changes that we all know are necessary to address today’s environmental challenges.

This admittedly unscientific research has limited value, of course, except to raise the inevitable question: Why aren’t we doing what we’re asking companies to do?

I’m guessing that in the few seconds it took for you to read the preceding question you’ve already formulated some kind of answer: It’s hard to do everything right … It takes too much time and costs too much … I want to do these things, but never seem to get around to it … My spouse/partner/friends don’t share my interest in being environmentally responsible … I’m not sure which products and companies are truly the good ones … I have doubts that if I do these things that it’ll really make a difference.

Sound even a little familiar? Does that make you malevolent? Probably not, though reasonable minds will disagree.

One need modify the above statements only slightly to make them appropriate for companies.

And that is the sentiment I hear from business that I’ve spoken to about this stuff. It’s very similar things that stop us individually from taking action. So if a company takes some steps, it’s sometimes easy to bag them (I’m as guilty as the next person). But they also deserve some credit for taking those first steps. Sometimes those steps are incredibly difficult - with lots of competing interests, internal politics, inertia pushing back.

Sometimes it has taken an enormous effort from just a few people in an organisation to get those changes off the ground. As much as it’s easy to forget - companies are made up of people. If we bag out their efforts, it’s easy for them to throw their hands in the air and say “why bother?”

I, like Joel, am not saying businesses should be let off the hook. But I do think that the attack mentality that sometimes follows when businesses announce a new green initiative is counter productive. Sometimes it’s warranted too. Where that line is drawn is pretty difficult to determine - but perhaps thinking about it as if it were us making the change and responding accordingly might help put it in perspective.

SMH: Hybrid-driving media mogul discovers that it’s easy being green.

Wow…

The key pull-quote for me:

Although some of his newspapers were once sceptical about global warming, he said that although he was no scientist, he understood how to assess a risk.

(Emphasis mine)

And that is what it’s all about. Whether you agree with the IPCC or green groups on the detail, the risk is clear. Is the debate over yet?

(P.S. the news was splashed over the Daily Tele print edition, but I didn’t find it on the website. If someone has a link, pass it on in the comments.)

EcoGeek reports: “Wal-Mart has announced that its electronic suppliers will have to fill out scorecards indicating the environmental impact of its products”.

It’s voluntary and un-scrutinized, but it’s a start. It would be cool if the manufacturers, or Wal-Mart, published the results on the web - though I doubt we’ll see that, except maybe from the ones that perform well…

I’m a believer in the idea that sustainability doesn’t have to mean increased costs. Particularly in business “extra cost” is raised as a roadblock to making sustainable choices.

If we focus on the costs of doing what we currently do, but more sustainably, often this is the case. But if we instead focus on the opportunities that being more sustainable presents, then perhaps we can turn that equation around.

Treehugger has a brief article on Bags from Keen Shoes which is a great example/case study.

They have managed to recycle much of their excess material - which previously would have been considered waste - into bags. And they’re looking to raise the amount of recycled material in the bags from 40% to 100%.

David posts an interesting take on long-term weather markets.

I think it’s a good idea - mainly after reading The Wisdom of Crowds (an excellent book). Apart from the money handling (and security etc.), it would be pretty easy to set up I would think…

Jason Kottke points to this great visualisation of the amount of CO₂ a car produces each day.

This has to be the best visualisation I’ve seen of emissions from cars…

(It’s interesting that I found out about this action through Jason’s blog, and not WWF itself - the power of social media eh?)

Well - Earth Hour was a lot of fun, and a roaring success.

Check out the official press release for more detail, but the highlights are:

• An estimated 2 million Sydneysiders participated by switching off their lights or taking other energy saving measures;
• A 10.2% drop in energy usage across the Sydney CBD;
• A significant drop in energy usage across Western Sydney - the same amount of electricity required to power 6500 homes.

Ang and I walked through Circular Quay for the start of Earth Hour, then attended the WWF fundraiser event.

On the bus on the way to the Quay, I started noticing the difference at around World Square, with Ernst & Young having their lights off. IAG was amazingly dark.

When we got the the Quay, AXA and AMP were both in darkness. A lot of the restaurants around the Quay were also candlelit.

It was both eery and cool and exciting to be walking through the city. You really could notice the difference. I’ve heard a report of a cab driver thinking there was a city blackout…

The Earth Hour Flickr group has some great shots. The before and after of Centrepoint is great, as is the blurry one at the end. Although side-by-side they don’t look as impressive, when you overlay one after the other the difference is amazing!

What’s really cool is a lot of the businesses remained in darkness all weekend - meaning an even bigger energy saving. Integral noted the same thing in the areas where they operate.

Anyways - had a great night, and it feels wonderful to be part of the team that made it happen. I’ll remember it fondly for a long, long time methinks…

Well, that’s what it calls itself anyways. And this is a screensaver with attitude, and a sense of humour

The world’s most useful screensaver. For Mac OS X and Windows.

I laugh every time it runs… and it makes you think to boot.

P.S. big props to the team at Leo Burnett for making this happen.

P.P.S. If you’re a digg-er, digg it.

Ander, Andrea and me at WWF just whipped up a little ditty for Domain.com.au, Fairfax’s real estate site, in support of Earth Hour.

It’s a visual introductory guide to reducing energy consumption around the home. Mebbe you’ll find it useful…

Noimpactman makes a statement.

The fact Seth is mentioning this trend and reckons it’s going to hold for a while speaks volumes to me…