SBP021 Ray Anderson / Google Video Interview

The personal story of Ray Anderson's realization that businesses need to embrace principles of sustainability, and of his efforts, often frustrating, to apply these principles within a billion dollar corporation that is still measured by the standard scorecards of the business world. While the path has proved to have many curves, Interface is demonstrating that the principles of sustainability and financial success can co-exist within a business, and can lead to a new prosperity that includes human dividends as well.

The video is an interview of Ray Anderson, the CEO of Interface. Interface is a maker of carpets, and in the interview Mr. Anderson describes how he was accidentally thrust into the role of leading his company to making sustainable products. Carpets like many products draw raw materials, and I'm sure there are many ways that carpets can be made so that they are healthy and sustainably produced and easily recycled.

The video is very interesting in terms of describing the leadership it requires to lead a company towards producing sustainable products.

http://media.libsyn.com/media/sbpradio/SBP021.mp3

Article Reference: 

SBP021 Ray Anderson / Google Video Interview

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2769291606811106137

http://interfaceraise.com/

http://www.interfaceglobal.com/

http://www.interfacesustainability.com/

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"Fatal flaw" for green technology companies

Hmm, interesting thought raised by Michael Kanellos. Can 'green' technology or business become hip to the extent that people will camp out overnight for a green product launch?

Hurm. He portrays green technology like solar panels as incredibly boring. He suggests that green business is soley about energy generation. Well, energy generation is rather boring and it's especially boring watching a solar panel do it's job because, well, it just sits there. But I find them rather interesting technologies. Maybe that's why I end up with a 'group 4 boarding pass' though I totally have missed the point of why he thinks that means anything.

He suggests this is a flaw of these companies. That because they can't help but be boring, then 'nobody' will pay attention to these technologies, and because they're not ever going to be hip they'll never make an impact. Hurm.

If that's the way things turn out, then it's a sad commentary on human's ability to reason. Supposedly the ability to reason is the great achievement of humanity over other animals. That ability to reason is what enabled our species to win out in the struggle of evolution to become the dominant species of this planet. But we are in a trap created by the technology created by our ability to reason.

It is clear, in a reason and logic way of looking at our situation, that 'we' (humanity) need to change our ways. But to say we aren't going to change our ways because the alternatives aren't hip, well, that says our human brethren are not using their reasoning abilities.

Sigh. Can I migrate to another planet? Please?

Article Reference: 

"Fatal flaw" for green technology companies

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