Happy Holidays from Sustainable Seattle

I just got finished opening my presents from my mom, her boyfriend, and my sister and I have a few hours to reflect to myself since my family members have all gone off to other gatherings they are expected at. I looked at the floor of the living room, covered with opened presents from and for the four of us, scattered around with the miscellaneous wrapping paper or bow that didn’t make it into the recycle or trash, I can’t help but think about how the holidays vary for different people.

Back when I was in high school and Facebook was just getting popular, friends used to post pictures and updates about all the presents they got. “I got two Coach purses, a new laptop, an iPod…” Needless to say, some of the kids I went to high school with were quite spoiled and grew up in what we would call the “nice” neighborhood. (But to put it in perspective, their houses could eat my house for a midnight snack, and the rumor is that the neighborhood bylaws still had it written, although it wasn’t talked about or followed, that African Americans couldn’t live there.) The problem wasn’t so much how much they got, or what they got, because I myself grew up with a family who was always…comfortable…and they could tend to go overboard for the holidays. It was the fact that people felt the need to run around and brag about everything they got like it was a competition of who could get the most stuff.

So, almost 6 years later, looking around my living room post-Christmas-morning made me think about the old times, how far we have come, and what it all means in the greater world. At just 1 PM, I have already had two friends who had texted me “Merry Christmas” also ask what I got. I don’t understand the point of this… I'm not embarrassed of what I got, how much I got (whether a lot or too little), or any combination. I merely question their motivation. To me, Christmas is not about gifts. This does not mean that I didn’t give or receive any. But what makes me happy is making other people happy. Many of my gifts, especially for my friends, were homemade craft projects. I made my sister a set of earring hangers made out of two pieces of wall art I got at a secondhand store for two dollars each and a roll of lace ribbon I got for $1. It was the hours of hammering, sawing, and cutting, and hot gluing that really “cost” me.

This year for Christmas, I vowed to donate something equivalent to everything I got. If I got a new sweater, I would donate a few of my old sweaters. I am encouraging my family to do the same, because even in the economic hard times the world is going through, we still have SO MUCH STUFF.

As your holidays wrap up, and you are looking to see what you got, what you didn’t get, what you feel you need or don’t need, I encourage you to critically evaluate your situation and try to downsize. Whether that means regifting something you aren’t going to use, donating something you got that you didn’t want or don’t need, or donating something old that has been replaced by a new item. Always remember, there is someone out there who has less, but they are usually the ones that need less and want less too. All you NEED, is what you NEED to survive. This doesn’t mean we should feel guilty for having more than that, but I hope that you will all take a moment to think of the less fortunate with me.

Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and Happy Holidays from everyone at Sustainable Seattle.

New Year’s Resolution: Lose Weight AND “Trim the Fat” From Your Supply Chain

It is easy to commit to generic goals like losing weight and getting a better job, but without identifying specific factors that you can keep track of along the way, many general New Year’s resolutions end up like road kill in the middle of a messy highway paved with good intentions. By applying S.M.A.R.T. goals to increase the efficiency of your sustainable supply chain procedures, you can fulfill at least one of your New Year’s resolutions.

Certified supply chain managers and recent graduates in any business management program have certainly encountered S.M.A.R.T. goals in courses that study best practice management theory. For those that are not familiar, the acronym is meant to help managers build strategic goals that are:

S= specific

M=measurable

A=attainable

R=relevant

T=trackable

In this discussion we are going to focus on sustainable supply chain management and review goals that are attainable and relevant.

Attainable goals are essential for success:

Good goals should be like a productive exercise routine; you want to feel the stretch, but be able to walk the next day.

· Any long term strategic plan needs employees on board that will propel the momentum.

· Goals most aligned with specific job performance indicators will be the easiest to follow.

· Employees should feel a strong degree of authorship on his or her specific goals and in the process of monitoring progress.

Teams of individuals with specific goals share positive experiences which promote unity.

· Clear goals that can be articulated, monitored, adjusted, and shared become a vehicle for increased cooperation among departments.

· Assessing the supply chain process from the top down and bottom up, can help identify specific ways to “trim the fat” and become more sustainable.

· By focusing on reports that document a series of very specific goals like minimizing waste and procedural redundancy, increasing communication accuracy and corporate social responsibility, or increasing departmental profitability, the entire company benefits.

Relevant goals create momentum:

Just like in a weight loss program, goals that are relevant are the ones that are most easy to embrace.

· Be sure the focus of the employee’s review goals are relevant to their job description and day-to-day professional life.

Goals that focus on controlling external factors can be divided up into parts so that individuals can incorporate accordingly.

· Communication in all parts of the supply chain is vital, so be sure that at least one of every employee’s individual goals reflect this emphasis.

· Excellent customer-relations reduces cost, can reduce production costs, and makes the customer feel valued, so be sure there are goals that support your commitment to customer satisfaction at every level.

Review of goals need to be ongoing so that feedback, mentoring, and adjustments are relevant and timely.

· Moving forward with the dedication and consistency needed to stay the course and achieve long range goals means utilizing skilled managers who can mentor employees.

· Employees flourish when they are properly supported in their growth. Meeting regularly with a manager in a mentoring relationship is analogous to showing up to the gym because a trainer is expecting to see you; both situations boost commitment and motivation.

When all employees are involved in a cohesive company- wide goals program to increase profits and sustainability while decreasing inefficiencies and waste, the entire process gets a momentum of its own. This energy drives success, sometimes even beyond goal expectations.

Creating a sustainable supply chain in a tough economy is more important than ever. Applying a S.M.A.R.T. goals program to your sustainable supply chain in the upcoming year can help you achieve long range planning resolutions, especially if you are particularly mindful to create company-wide goals that are reflected in job descriptions and review procedures. Getting everyone on board to promote relevant and attainable (and sustainable!) goals builds camaraderie and forward movement. When specific and measurable goals are applied strategically and consistently, “trimming the fat” from your supply chain and making it more sustainable becomes more than a wishful new year’s resolution – it becomes a success story.

University Alliance submitted this article on behalf of The University of San Francisco’s online program. The University of San Francisco provides all the tools and resources necessary to gain a sustainable supply chain management certification online. For further information please visit http://www.usanfranonline.com.

Hungary? Go Jump in a Lake

Day one of my amazing Hungary journey by Laura Musikanski.

The Balaton Group is 30 years old today. What is the Balaton Group - it is a "network of professions" but really, it's a love fest. Well, not in the sense you are thinking of - but in another way. It's called Balaton because it all happens on the shores of Lake Balaton in Hungary, where 30 years ago, people from the Eastern block could meet with people from the West.

When I heard I was awarded a Donella Meadows fellowship I jumped for joy. Literally. It meant a group of very respected scientists, professors, researchers, politicians and professionals from all over the world thought the Happiness Initiative is an project worth hearing about. To me, it meant we were on the right track. And then it set in- eek. I was going to be among all these giants. As the days passed, I grew more anxious. The night before a case of the nerves kicked in resplendent with upset stomach, headache and even tooth-ache.

Well, I had nothing to worry about. Orientation quickly showed The Balaton Group is a place to get nurturing, help, and ideas from people who have the experience and knowledge of successful large projects. And the people are real. Somehow, this setting, and this organization breaks down the class, sector and other barriers and allows us to look at each other and the work we are doing with the eyes of a child and hearts full of love.

Each day, I will post about what is going on- what we learn, what others are doing and what it is like here.

Healthy Money?

Join a stellar line up the week of January 24-27th and learn from leading authors and leaders on how you can create a healthier, happier, more productive relationship with money and, culturally, how we can transform our relationship with money as well.

Click here to learn more.

Hosted by Vicki Robin, bestselling author of Your Money or Your Life, the Healthy Money Summit will feature lumminaries such as Riane Eisler, Lynne Twist, John Robbins, Satish Kumar, Hazel Henderson, David Korten, Alisa Gravitz, and many more notable authors, thinkers and leaders.

With so much fear and confusion about the economy and record unemployment levels across the U.S., we truly need to create a new relationship with money that brings renewed hope for our communities.

During this free four-day telesummit, you'll learn all about:

• Earning and spending habits that liberate your time and passion for your real life's work
• Investment strategies that favor the triple bottom line and sustainable business practices
• How to practice the state of being that favors generosity and sharing over hunkering down
• New currencies that favor connection and community over hoarding and lack
• New economies that favor Main Street over Wall Street, and prioritize community well-being as the new bottom line
• Developing a new money spirit of "enough for all," rather than "winner takes all"

A healthy economy, healthy habits and healthy attitudes toward money are possible; and the speakers in this series will reveal their latest insights and wisdom on how we can create a better financial future for us as individuals and as a collective whole.

You can participate live on as many calls as you like and interact with both the featured leaders and other participants via the state-of-the-art MaestroConference platform, which will connect you to participants from around the world.

Join Vicki Robins for the Healthy Money Summit, and let's transform our relationship with money! Click here to register now.

Race the Power of Illusion: Part Two

It was a beautiful Thursday evening. We began with a reminder of Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point and the concepts behind the Open Source: who ever is in the room is the right person. This made us feel good about being here on this evening. We partnered, taking turns telling and listening to each other about when we first became aware there were other races and how was it explained to you or how did you explain it to your self. Part Two covered where our ideas of race came from and how they shifted over time, and how people took that information to rationalize their actions. We finished the session with small groups discussing the story of race in Seattle. This discussion helped bring home the institutional part of institutional racism and bias in our region.

Brown Bag Event Wrap Up

The Brown Bag event on January 20, 2010 was a resounding success. The event was held at Elliott Bay Books in historic Pioneer Square on a blustery Wednesday night. Over twenty five people were in attendance in the underground reading room of the expansive book store and the staff had to bring in extra chairs to accommodate all the participants.

The event was put on by a partnership of Sustainable Seattle's STARS program and Elliott Bay Books. The topic of discussion with author Jacqueline Powers was Transitioning to Green.

The book is all about making changes as home owners and to some extent renters to make the places we live more sustainable and green. Ms. Powers kept repeating the need to be "Green and Sustainable," numerous times as she sees the green movement as only the beginning. We cannot simply lower our amount of waste, but we must also gain some material benefit as well. People will do the right thing more often if they get something tangible in return.

Ms. Powers is an Interior Designer and General Contractor who was a member of the United States Green Building Council creators of the LEED certification awards. She talked about how as an interior designer she did not have the control necessary to insure that the materials being used in the homes were sustainable or from verifiable lands of origin. She realized that in order to be sure that the materials actually had the properties they claimed, she would have to be able to check the authenticity of said materials.

She launched into a review of her book Transitioning to Green with a caveat towards knowing where your building materials originate. One of the main problems that people have when they are remodelling is not knowing the origin of the materials. She suggested calling the manufacturers and requesting the certificates of authenticity especially for wood. Wood as a resource is going to be the most used material and the origin of the wood used in construction is one of the many reasons for deforestation of the tropical rain forest. It is important to make sure the wood is from the United States as it is from plantations that did not erase the carbon dumping rain forest to put in that extra porch.

The audience had a chance to ask questions and most were about different materials she would recommend for various projects. One man asked about insulation and the response was unexpected, "Fiberglass, spray soy, caster bean foam and shredded blue jeans." The follow up questions about the use of former linens as insulation was expected and Ms. Powers went on to elaborate that shredded blue jeans are recycled material and useful for closing up the inevitable gaps when using traditional fiber glass insulation.

After the event was over Ms. Powers stayed on to chat and answer more informal questions and sign copies of her book, which she had for sale in a neat stack to her right. Many people stayed after small talking and networking and the evaluations of the event were positive.

Our next event is the first annual Environmental Film Festival on February 11, 2010. Be sure to mark your calendars for this mind expanding event.

Who's Who: Sustainable Connections

The mission of Bellingham-based Sustainable Connections is to be the local forum where businesses come together to transform and model an economy built on sustainable practices.

They work with local, independently owned businesses that have the autonomy to make any transformational change in their business that they can imagine… reexamining where we buy goods and services, how we consume energy, grow and distribute our food, build homes, and even, how we define success in business. Sustainable Connections is supporting a community of innovators in green building, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, supporting independent businesses in town centers, and mentoring a new breed of entrepreneurs that have designed their business with a sustainable vision.

Posted by Matt Ross.

Who's Who: Properity Partnership

The Prosperity Partnership's economic strategy is based on the following fundamental principles:

1. People living here have good jobs and earn good incomes.
A healthy, educated, vigorous and engaged citizenry is vital to a successful economy. We all share the goal of building an economy that provides good jobs with good wages. We all want the opportunities to learn skills, bring them into the marketplace and be rewarded for our efforts.

2. Jobs are created by businesses.
Good jobs and incomes come from competitive and prosperous enterprises. We want our region to be a great place for people to start businesses that will have the potential to grow and prosper. This means a place where policies and regulations are clear and effective, and are constantly adjusted to create a good business climate.

3. Embracing our region's diversity is good for business.
The new economic reality means that we must marshal all of our resources to compete successfully in a global economy. That means historically under-developed economic sectors-small and minority-owned businesses in particular-must be fully integrated into our region's economy.

4. The region has vibrant cities and thriving communities.
Over the past decade, the region has successfully focused employment growth into dense, walkable, urban centers. This approach has enabled employees to commute to work through a variety of modes, and has guided the region's transportation investments. As the region's economy grows, it will provide additional opportunities to further enliven our cities and communities.

5. The region has a healthy and beautiful environment and a good quality of life.
Our high quality of life and healthy environment make the region a great place to live and raise a family, which is crucial to a healthy and vibrant economy. We need diverse housing choices, effective transportation systems, good schools, as well as public parks and places for our enjoyment. A healthy environment, with clean air and water, is at the core of the Puget Sound lifestyle. We also need strong communities that offer residents opportunities for recreation and leisure, promote the arts, celebrate our heritage, and preserve our cultural resources.

6. Regional collaboration on a shared economic agenda ensures our region's long term, sustainable economic prosperity.
In this increasingly interconnected global economy, we must recognize that the 4 counties and 82 cities of our metropolitan region are a single economic unit. Working together as a region is our best chance to guarantee shared economic prosperity for us all.

Posted by Matt Ross.

Who's Who: Northwest Environmental Business Council

Since its formation as a regional organization in 1996, NEBC has become the recognized voice of the industry - advocating for science-based regulation, supportive policies and tax structures, the dissemination of knowledge, and the adoption of best practices.

Going beyond its roots in environmental protection and remediation, NEBC product and service members also work in waste and recycling, water supply, wastewater treatment, energy, land use and construction, "green" chemistry and manufacturing, greenhouse gas management, and related fields. This collection of sectors is now coming under the umbrella of "sustainability" or "clean technologies," but NEBC members were there from the start.

Members cover an ever-widening spectrum, including engineers, consultants, contractors, scientists, lawyers, product and technology providers, insurers, project financers, business support professionals, plus a host of other disciplines and firms supportive of NEBC's goals. NEBC's structure as a cross-discipline, cross-sector organization fosters transfer of knowledge and learning, builds synergies among members, and expands business opportunities.

Posted by Matt Ross.

Who's Who: Yes! Magazine

YES! Magazine is an award winning, ad-free, nonprofit publication that supports people's active engagement in building a just and sustainable world.

The heart of their work is to spotlight practical possibilities for deep shifts in our society

• They inspire people to say YES!
• They support and connect individuals and communities working for a just and sustainable world.
• They reframe issues, reflect diverse human-scale stories, and offer tools for people to use and to pass along.

YES! now reaches over 150,000 readers each quarter and draws some 100,000 visitors to their website each month.

Posted by Matt Ross.

Who's Who: Urban Visions

Urban Visions believes sustainable development choices, smart growth and increased density can create a vital, vibrant and compelling alternative urban sprawl.

They believe in creating innovative urban communities that offer a wide array of experiences for individuals, where life's amenities and necessities are within easy reach. A vibrant downtown is a powerful mixture of office space, housing, retail, open spaces and the arts.

Posted by Matt Ross.

Matt Ross

Matt Ross is a student at Shoreline Community College. In the fall of 2009, he will be attending the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington. As a requirement for his Business Law class, he has been doing some research for Sustainable Seattle on businesses and organizations that promote economic sustainability. He will be posting a list of resources and some brief "Who's Who" posts summarizing some of the more notable organizations that he comes across.

You can find Matt's blog entries here.



Good Times!