7gen Bloc

If I could say it better I would, but I can't so I won't. PLEASE read this excerpt from the introduction to "The Greenwash Guide" by Futerra, a UK consulting company. "Greenwash isn't simply annoying, it's dangerous. In a market economy the consumer is king, and consumers have started sending strong environmental signals through their purchasing. This growing 'green trend' is a powerful force compelling the economy to clean up its environmental act. ...

Recently the Wall Street Journal explored one aspect of this perennial question. Will consumers pay more for products they believe are ethically superior to regular products or even products produced in an unethical fashion? I have known the answer to this question for quite some time. If consumers weren't willing to pay a premium for products that are ethically produced, Seventh Generation would simply not be in business. ...

I hate leaving home on Sunday afternoons. The weekend is short enough as it is. With spring in Vermont in full bloom, and my daughter home from college, I was sad to be taking off. My week began with a Monday morning speech at the Front End of Innovation conference, which was held in Boston's World Trade Center. I spoke about "What Does Green Business Really Mean?" -- a subject that is often discussed and little understood. I ended up focusing on the basics of what "corporate responsibility," "green," and "sustainability" really mean. ...

I'm a big fan of Jim Collins, author of the business classics Built to Last (with Jerry Porras) and Good to Great. In a special issue of Fortune magazine, Collins documents the amazing frequency with which Fortune 500 companies disappear from the list -- and often from existence. ...

I was not a fan of The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, the book that catapulted C. K. Prahalad to international fame in both traditional and responsible business circles. The book was much too excited at the prospect of using our short-sighted capitalistic model to sell little packages of laundry powder at reduced prices to poor people who probably don't need them. ...

Climate Counts just released its second annual ranking of big brands, and how they performed (or didn't) in regard to cutting CO2 emissions and fighting global warming. While the scorecard covers just 56 large organizations, it's definitely worth the few minutes it takes to check out where your favorite business ranks. ...

Recently the New York Times reviewed The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker, by Steven Greenhouse, a reporter for the newspaper. The book, published by Knopf last week, examines how companies like Fed Ex and Wal-Mart bleed workers to reap hundreds of millions of dollars in savings, and points to Patagonia and Costco as models that inspire employees to bring all of their creativity and passion to work every day. ...

Every day that the Bush administration stays in office we are less safe, and not just from growing worldwide terrorist networks. The administration is once again undermining the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to determine the health dangers of toxic chemicals by letting non-scientists have a large and often secret role in the vetting process. ...