My colleagues and I have been grappling with what seems to be a persistent conundrum in the sustainability community: that standardization is both a rallying cry of industry and a warning cry of sustainability advocates. Can standardization (via consistent metrics, reporting structures, etc.) help to drive innovation in the long run, or does it instead reinforce the status quo, thwart innovation, and result in higher … More
Last week I featured part one of an interview with GreenBlue Board Member Janine James about the inspiring office concept of The Moderns. As they dreamed about what they wanted from their office, they went beyond thinking about the physical space to reimagining the potential of an office community. Part two of the interview focuses on how they’re trying to achieve this and encourage others … More
Creative Inspiration from The Moderns Although many of us are spending more hours at work than ever before, certain hallmarks of the office remain unchanged: fluorescent lights, dreaded cubicles, limited water cooler interactions, and the punch-in mentality of the expanding 9 to 5 schedule. How is it that as a culture we have spent so little time thinking about our physical workspace and work community … More
If you follow the New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, you know he has a couple of consistent themes. Among them are education, innovation, and entrepreneurship, each of which he often discusses from a sustainability perspective or with a sustainability focus. When I read Friedman, I find myself nodding in general agreement with his sustainability views, frequently interrupting my husband’s breakfast reading to share a … More
I spent last week in San Francisco at GreenBiz’s Innovation Forum 2011, organized annually for the past decade by former GreenBlue Board member Joel Makower. One of the few conferences that explores sustainability outside a particular market sector, it’s about ideas and innovation, not specific industries or product types. The diversity of the audience and the interactive format make it a must for businesses reinventing themselves. Right … More