Monday, February 27, 2006

The implementation logjam [Ask The Experts, February 20 2006] It's been hard enough identifying the sustainability opportunities at my company. But it's even harder getting them implemented. Any suggestions? Gil: This question's been troubling me too. We have found that a surprising number of companies -- our clients, our competitors' clients, and companies working on their own -- fail to implement measures that have clear benefits and handsome returns investment. It's an odd and disturbing observation. We tend to think of businesses as economically rational organizations, designed to make decisions that maximize profit. But organizations are rarely purely rational. How could they be, composed, as they are, or individual people who are themselves only partly rational, only some of the time? Enough philosophy. Why does money get left on the table, again and again? We see many reasons, including: Habit ("we've always done it this way") Turf ("it's not my department" -- or the variant: "my department would have to make the investment, but Joe's department would get the payoff" Misapplied capital hurdle rates Analytical tools that fail to capture full costs and benefits The persistent assumption that "we can't afford it" -- even if the ROI is hefty -- because "environment costs money" I could add more barriers to the list, but I'd like to hear from you. What stands in the way of effective implementation at your company? How do you how to overcome these obstacles. Next month I'll share the best of your responses, and discuss how to break the implementation logjam. Please either comment here, or send your thoughts to Experts@GreenBiz.com * * * * * PS: Send your questions about environmental management issues to Experts@GreenBiz.com. And visit the Ask the Experts archive. 8:53:41 AM    comment []  trackback []

Green roof / green city design Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (the North American trade association for the green roof industry) is bringing its Green Roof Design 101 Introductory Course to San Francisco, on March 31, 2006. Day long course, education credits available, $345. 'Space is limited.' Register online. Meanwhile, read about rain gardens Sustainable cities, we're increasingly realizing, are cities alive with greenery. Designers are increasingly using artificial habitats with living plants to cool our roofs, reduce our energy consumption, make us more mindful of our water use, control erosion and help wildlife move through built-up areas. Now, it turns out, they can also cleanse the water running off our streets and parking lots. A new study shows that rain gardens -- shallow swales and holes which catch run off and let it trickle slowly through soil and roots -- can filter most of the pollutants from stormwater. and Danish Design for Urban Bioremediation: Green spaces can go a long way towards renewing cities. So, too, can housing developments and neighborhoods that facilitate community interaction. Bring these things together, and you have the makings of a vibrant urban community. Add bioremediation to the mix, and you have something that looks like Boase Concept: 'a supplement to the existing ways of urban living.' 8:43:46 AM    comment []  trackback []