Globalization Links Dive Deeper than People, Culture and Economies December 17, 2008
Posted by businessmatter in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Global Mindset, Globalization, Reefball, Sustainability.add a comment
The ties that bind the nations of the world are often summarized by quoting the globalization link we share between people, culture and economies, but a new link has been established, our coral reefs.
“Scientists have identified two new species of extinct corals — Isopora curcaoensis and Isopora ginsburgi, which provide an important link between corals in the Atlantic and Pacific. Scientists sampled 67 localities around Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles. The coral genus Isopora, a sister group of the modern dominant Acropora, until now was only known from the Pliocene to Recent of the Indo-Pacific The occurrences of Isopora reported in this study are the oldest records of Isopora worldwide, and are important for understanding the biogeographic separation between reef coral faunas in the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific regions” (Reference 1).
Who knows how many more links may be discovered, but if our reef systems are not protected from human activities, we may loose the opportunity to find them. “Coral reefs continue to be threatened from direct human activities of pollution and over-fishing, but now the threat of climate change is being recognized as the major threat to the future of reefs around the world. One fifth of the Earth’s coral reefs have disappeared since 1950, and a NOAA authored report, “Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2008“, states that nearly half of U.S. coral reef ecosystems are considered to be in “poor” or “fair” condition” (Reference 2).
Organizations like The ReefBall Foundation are here to help corporations add to their corporate social responsibility activities. Helping solve the ailments to the coral reef systems cannot be undersestimated when there is significant risk to the lives of the people in developing countries of loosing their sources of food and tourism dollars.
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CEO’s and Managers in the Making! December 12, 2008
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How does a person develop leadership skills to be used later in life? By immersing yourself in fun educational projects! Lutherville Elementary students acting as lead project managers engaged older students from Chesapeake High in a collaborative knowledge transfer on how to construct reef balls. There is nothing like being in charge to boost a young person’s ego and sense of accomplishment. Will, the boy featured in the announcement reminds me of my own son, also age 8, wanting to embrace the world and claim expert status. Learning to receive instruction and the art of giving clear instructions by both older and younger students respectively, each age group is exposed to essential skills needed to compete in the global workforce. Because the two schools meet several times during the school year, seasoned leaders are being nurtured in a sustainable fashion. Corporations interested in developing our youth into tomorrow’s leaders may wish to consider sponsoring programs at the lower grades in their local communities. Classroom learning intertwined with practical experience, imagine the possibilities! If our youth are challenged to embrace the building blocks of critical thinking and leadership skills (while having fun) before they enter high school, the extra years may be rewarded with increased college enrollments. Lutherville Elementary and Chesapeake High school students and teachers reveal how learning can be fun and serve as incubators for creating America’s future business leaders.
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Globalization vs. Ocean Bio-Diversity, Nature Wins Round One December 10, 2008
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At a time when governments are trying to stimulate their local economies to combat the current market downturn, building and construction activities are looked upon as the best approach to stimulate growth. So why shouldn’t the Okinawa General Bureau of Japan move forward with the Marine Resort Facilities project to build hotels, a marina and artificial beaches in the Awase tidal flat? The investment would surely stimulate the local economy with new job opportunities and encourage tourism. However, the plans call for landfill that would cover a thriving underwater ecosystem, burying alive 121 endangered fauna species (108 Mollusks, 7 Crustacea, and 6 fish). This area is known to have the highest diversity of sea-grass in Japan and is home to an unknown sipunculan worm species. Fortunately, If it were not for the efforts of organizations like JAWAN (Japan Wetlands Action Network) and the fact that the world-class and biodiversity-rich wetland meets the criteria for protection under the Ramsar Convention, nature would have suffered a tragic loss. On November 19th, The Naha District Court issued an injunction giving Nature the winning victory. Thankfully, the ecosystem will remain a little longer and not have to contend with artificial beaches. Personally, I would enjoy strapping on a scuba tank and seeing this unique creature with my own eyes in its natural habitat. Researching the effects of coral reef and under water habitat devastation in my spare time, I am thankful that this marine system will live to see another day.
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Google Trends: Can Internet Searches Predict the Future? December 4, 2008
Posted by businessmatter in Global Mindset, Globalization, Resource Stumble.add a comment
Can Google Trends, the analysis of Internet searches, be instrumental in predicting global trends? I question the predictability attributes of this program? In my opinion, Internet searches are conducted most often when a person is in need of information at the time of a crisis. Considering a recent study on flu related search words keyed into a browser, could Google’s one to two week head start on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) influenza-like illness (ILI) surveillance reports serve as an early warning system to the medical profession that a flu epidemic is on the rise? Typing while being sick, hasn’t the key words placed into a browser occurred after or just before a doctor visit? Is the lag time for the CDC ILI report a useful prediction tool or does Google Trends data confirm what the CDC may already know? The Nature article and Google Trends website both question if the data is accurate and a reliable model of real-world phenomena? Google found that some search queries tend to be popular exactly when flu season is happening, but is that predictive enough? You be the judge. The trend spotting is intriguing and may work for other phenomena, but I am not convinced that the predictive qualities will be realized in time to effect any meaningful global change.
“To learn more about the research behind Flu Trends, please read Detecting influenza epidemics using search engine query data, published by Nature. To further explore the data behind Google Flu Trends you can download CSV spreadsheets containing Flu Trends estimates going back to 2003″.
Source: Google Trends
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The littlest State with Global Impact: Rhode Island November 18, 2008
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Rhode Island, my home state is making their mark on the globalization front. Rhode Island was cited as a top performer in the 2008 State New Economy Index, a report published by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF). The 2008 Index ranked Rhode Island 11th in the nation in a state-by-state analysis of how state economies are transitioning to economic development strategies that focus on the creation and retention of high-wage jobs in growth industries. Rhode Island has moved up four places from its 2007 Index position, and has moved up from 29th when the Index was first issued in 1999. The Index also cites Rhode Island’s Research & Development Tax Credit as a key driver for R&D investment being made in the state. Rhode Island offers a 22.5% tax credit for increases in qualified research expenses-the highest rate in the U.S.
According to the 2008 report, Rhode Island ranked:
- As the “Top Mover” in the nation for inventor patents;
- 2nd in the nation for health IT;
- 2nd in the nation in broadband communications;
- 3rd in the nation for industry-performed research as a percentage of total worker earnings;
- 4th in the nation for non-industry investments into Research & Development;
- 5th in the nation for scientists and engineers as a percentage of the state’s workforce
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Green Advertisements: A Green, Yellow or Red Light, You decide? November 9, 2008
Posted by businessmatter in Business, Carbon Offsets, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Fraud, Global Mindset, Resource Stumble, Sustainability.add a comment
Passing with 94% compliance, only 6% of UK ads were found to have breached the Committee of Advertising Practice Code (CAP Code). The 2008 survey conducted by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) was set in motion to combat a significant rise in complaints about “green” and ethical claims. Knowing full well that consumer trends in “green” products have become a preferred option, the ASA plays a significant role in ensuring advertisers eager to promote their products as beneficial to the environment are in fact legitimate and ethical. A key requirement of the CAP codes is that advertisers should be able to provide evidence of their claims through a cradle-to-grave assessment. The burden of proof falls on the advertiser to prove their claims and not confuse the customer. Even relevant debates should be acknowledged.
While the 94% compliance rate is promising that the “green” industry is policing itself, the ASA report acknowledges that “carbon neutral” and reduced emissions type claims is difficult to ascertain without conducting a full ASA investigation. Had a full investigation been initiated, the ASA admits they may have found a significant larger number of breaches (pg. 8). To the discerning internet savvy customer, advertising claims in general should be scrutinized before making a purchase. The report in my opinion is a message to “green” advertises that there is another watchful eye on their niche industry. Many thanks to the ASA team for their timely report and detective skills helping concerned environmental conscience consumers understand the importance of fact checking. For regular updates on the ASA investigations, subscribe to their RSS feed. The increase in consumer complaints shows there is a growing awareness and with future communications from the ASA, we can all participate in the effort to encourage good advertising practices.
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CR&S is Rearing its GREEN Little Head in M&A evaluations November 5, 2008
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What value or premium price would your corporate responsibility and sustainability (CR&S) command if evaluated as part of a merger and acquisition (M&A)? Highlights of this trend are presented in Deloitte’s newest report, “How Green is the Deal? The Growing Role of Sustainability in M&A”. Fueling this trend is the stringent environmental regulations companies must contend with. Determining a corporation’s environmental liabilities if encapsulated within a verifiable CR&S plan could alleviate most transparency concerns. For the acquiring company that has dedicated years building a strong CR&S reputation, determining if the new company will add or detract from their good standing is a valid consideration. Now more than ever, the corporation that does not address these concerns could find their valuation discounted. Developing a philosophy that addresses the company’s global resource footprint in terms of emission, power and water consumption throughout their supply chain, operations and distribution systems maybe a daunting task, but nevertheless essential to effectively managing global competitiveness. Those companies that evaluate and reduce their foot print in an effective manner will undoubtedly command a premium price. In today’s market with greater demand on depleting global resources, I think everyone can agree that adding a line item on the M&A risk premium calculation for CR&S long over due and should be a requirement. But the question that comes to my mind is what should the percentage be? What would be an acceptable value? Would the value require an industry specific weighted average? Which standard should the used? These questions jumped into my mind as I read the article. I open the floor to anyone wishing to comment.
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Green Treasure in Paris: Living Walls by Patrick Blanc October 16, 2008
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In September 2008, I had the opportunity to visit Paris for business and pleasure for the first time. If you have visited Paris, I am sure I don’t have to convince anyone that the city has many wonders. Besides the Eiffel Tower and Musée du Louvre, I found another treasure, a green treasure! The Living Wall at the Musée du Quai Branly, a Patrick Blanc creation captured my attention for twenty minutes. I have read about green wall technology, but I did not believe I would ever see one first hand. Designer Patrick Blanc created not only a masterpiece of green art, but a living space for small birds and insects. I have to admit, I spent as much time observing close up the structure and living habitat as I did the many works of art in the Musée du Louvre. Excited about my discovery and having performed additional research after the trip, I did not know that there are over 120 such green structures around the world. At 8600 square feet, the plant wall was really eco friendly and pleasing to my eye. Frankly, I am unsure why there are not more structures in existence today? Patrick Blanc may have 120+ designs to his name; I wonder how many artists have taken up the challenge to introduce more green space into cities. Familiar with the LEED LiveRoof Systems through their literature, I would expect the four walls that hold the roof up would also warrant more attention. If my readers know of other designers, please leave a comment.
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Allocation of Greenhouse Gases: Are Cities Unfairly Penalized? October 8, 2008
Posted by businessmatter in Carbon Offsets, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Global Mindset, GreenHouse Gas, Sustainability.add a comment
Is your city accused of generating absorbanent amounts of greenhouse gases? With 75 percent of the nations greenhouse gas emissions believed to be generated from cities, David Satterthwaite offers a new perspective on how unfair current allocations of greenhouse gases may in fact be. In his paper, “Cities’ contributions to global warming: notes on the allocation of greenhouse gas emissions”, David wrestles with how best to assign greenhouse gas emissions. Are the producers or the consumers responsible? The report identifies the inequality of dominate assumptions of where greenhouse gases are generated and assigned. Are cities accurately assigned blame when most industries such as cement fabrication, petroleum refineries, fertilizer plants and pulp and paper mills are located outside the city limits? When cities like New York import electricity from outside the boundaries, they are assigned the emissions as well. David continues with his logic by suggesting that under the model, an emissions credit may be necessary for New York when they export goods consumed outside the city limits. David suggests, the focus on “cities” in greenhouse gas emissions draws attention away from the main driver (the middle and upper income groups) of carbon emissions. Even worse, cities like Detroit with five times the quality of life of Copenhagen or Amsterdam are hidden by the fact that US cities on average have three to five times the gasoline usage per person than most European cities. Establishing the best allocation becomes even more important when the emissions are assigned a price tag.
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Reefball Project: Requesting Project Information September 30, 2008
Posted by businessmatter in Carbon Offsets, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Global Mindset, Reefball, Sustainability.add a comment
Independently, I am working towards developing a Reefball Project. Ideally, if you are a coordinator, I would like to talk with you. If you have participated in a Reefball Project, your experience would be helpful as well. Any level of knowledge transfer is encouraged. I am specifically in search of supporting budget or planning guides that were utilized in your planning. I have read Todd Barber’s Draft Guide, but need actual planning material to draft my rough outline of the project elements. I have an interest in coordinating and eventually leading a program of my own for the purpose of enhancing a large corporation’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The region of the world I will examine first, is the Baltic Sea. My personal training will most likely occur local to Virginia, USA. Any information is welcome!
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