I’ve been on a “simplicity” kick lately. In last month’s post I mentioned a discussion course called “Voluntary Simplicity” that I’ve been participating in. As someone who works in the field, I have been especially interested in the articles from our course readings that touch on marketing. A History Lesson on Consumption Image via Wikipedia [...]
Last month I attended a supply-chain conference. While there were sessions on customs, management, and regulatory issues, there were also sessions on efficiency and waste reduction. We toured IBM in Vermont, which has been so successful with their energy use reductions that in 2008 IBM began offering consulting services to other manufacturers. The Opportunity I [...]
If you’re not alert, it’s easier than ever to be snookered these days. You are trying to reduce your environmental impact and so you specify your new brochure should be on certified “green” paper. Environmental certifications on paper products are helpful because they can reassure us that we’re making sound purchasing decisions. But not all [...]
There’s a great video—called the “Story of Stuff” that addresses the cycle of consumption. It’s the type of video that makes you think about your own shopping habits (and this is an especially good time of year to be thinking about consumption). The video looks at the whole production process—from extraction of resources [...]
FSC is the Forest Stewardship Council, which is an independent organization that promotes responsible forestry.
Image via Wikipedia When I first learned that the City of Burlington, Vermont was investing in a fiber optic telecom network, I knew I had moved to the right place. Competition is essential in narrow industries such as cable television and Internet service, which outside major metro areas are often dominated by a single for-profit [...]
What's the one thing developing countries need to succeed? When first asked this question I would be likely say the infrastructure to secure food, water, and shelter. After more consideration, education would be my likely response, remembering the research papers I'd written in college that identified the critical role of education for developing social and [...]
