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Articles by Steven Hein, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
1) THE ECOLOGY OF COMMERCE
Welcome to the exploration of possible environmental futures. Things are bad, they are in fact much worse than they seem. Bad will get worse - we are driving in a car at 140 kph straight towards a brick wall. The occupants in the car are arguing about who should be entitled to the front seat. The "greenie" is locked in the boot. His muffled cries of "slow down, turn away or you'll crash" are barely heard ... Corporations have been on a 200 year "search out resources and destroy" mission, and governments are their co-conspirators.How do we explain to our children and grandchildren that we were part of a process of commerce which degraded the planet and doomed them to a life with impaired immune systems? That's the gloom scenario.
The hope scenario is much more exciting. Production and consumption can be linked to replenishment. Secure, stable and meaningful employment can be created for people everywhere. Corporations can have "soul", and decency can be the normal way to do business. Business can exceed sustainability by restoring degraded eco systems to their full biological capacity, consumers can buy carefully and realise that their purchase is a political act with effects on the whole chain of life.
OK, I agree, there are barriers and obstacles. But ... since businesses are the dominant institution on the planet, who else can address the social and environmental issues and then go on to design better ways? What if our industry can become "cleaner"? What if we can grow cotton, produce rayon and synthetics and dye fabric in environmentally sound ways? What if we can make commerce synonymous with care for the earth? What if we can make more money by being green? Interesting questions!
Humans are not evolved from ostriches! So why do we persist in sticking our heads in the sand? "Pollution? As long as it's not in my back yard"! Let's face it guys - there is no such place as "away". As you seek answers to how you can be a designer of a better future, keep this critical point in mind - good planets are hard to find.
The eco-fascists would have us wearing unbleached fabric made from organic banana leaves and the eco-fakers make vague claims, use earth/eco/green brand names and, of course, produce recycled paper swing tags. A bit of a mine field! What I aim to do is to stimulate your thought, provide you with pollution info, advise you of better processes and fibres, and perhaps provoke you to think about the coming ecological age. The question is, how can we create profitable, expanding companies that do not destroy, directly or indirectly, the world around us?
The answer lays in Ecobusiness and these concepts will be discussed as this page develops. For those who realise the urgency contact us now !
2) THE ECOLOGY OF OUR SOCIETY
His Royal Highness, Charles, Prince of Wales, writes: -"When all is said and done, we have only this one planet to inhabit. No other life supporting planet has, as yet, been discovered. Until one is found, and the means to colonise it have been perfected, it makes sense, as far as I am concerned, to nurture our only life support system. We are, or should be, more than anything else, the stewards of this unique oasis in an otherwise apparently barren and inhospitable universe."
A very wise statement, which applies to Australia, the country, as well as to Earth, the planet. Just as we can consider ourselves stewards of the environment, we can extend that view to the society we live and work in. Most people agree on the need for moving towards sustainability in the environment. The issues of a sustainable Australian society and economy are not quite as clear.
We are encouraged to buy Australian Made as a solution. This purchase decision may not have the desired impact if it requires too big a change in the dynamics of the market. We have to work with who we are - which includes our strong instinct to shop around for products of comparable quality at the lowest price. We can't just ask people to pay more to save the planet and/or save the Australian economy. In some cases, people won't do it - and in most cases they simply can't afford to do it. If we ignore the issue, then our standard of living will be less rewarding than life in Asia.
China and India will be responsible for 40% of the world's GNP by the year 2000. India has the world's largest middle class. These economies are "white hot". With the exponential growth in instantaneous global information and news transfer, we are also in the midst of global financial integration. The concept of "place" is irrelevant as far as large corporations are concerned, but it is of prime importance to human beings. Where we live, a sense of community, what we do, our education and health - these things are vital to us all. We need to find ways in business to reinforce these core essentials.
One way is to buy Australian and to buy regionally. "Big" is seen to be better, but "small" is beautiful on a human scale. If buying Australian Made can buy our kids jobs, keep capital and profit in the community, and support inventive design, it has got to be worthwhile. Paying a bit more for Australia needs to be measured against the alternative - which is still paying a bit more in everyday life, but in different ways.
We have to find more dynamic and accessible ways to explain the benefits of buying Australian Made. Otherwise, our only power will be our purchasing power, our ability to support the global giants.
Australians are creative and inventive - a few examples of what we have invented are the television, the heart pacemaker, the black box flight recorder, and the wine cask. Our clothing is world class (when we stop knocking off and really design). Our view is refreshing to the rest of the world.
With more accessible export incentives for small business, more could be exported. With some "kick start" money, the rag trade could sell product, design, retailing or know how to the world. It is worth lobbying for export incentives that make the job achievable.
Most people understand that every dollar spent on Australian Made has a beneficial ripple effect. Surveys show that consumers want what they perceive as value. Cheap throwaway clothing now longer dominates the market. Value is the key concept because "value" can encompass many invisible dimensions. The task is to enable the consumer to see the invisible, which brings me to the value of regional and local business.
Since our purchase decisions can affect social conditions, why not spend locally and keep more wealth in the local region? A large proportion of a products price goes on packaging, transport and big business overheads. In the case of a household cleaner, analysis shows that only $0.57 of the retail price of $3.00 stays in the community where it is purchased, whereas, if the same cleaner was bought by a store in bulk, then $2.37 per bottle would stay in the community.
A very small change in the convenience of purchasing, would contribute a lot to community wealth. Using this principle of localising production and distribution, communities don't export capital, they consume less energy and they cause less pollution. Australia is an exporter of capital because we are addicted to multinational products.
The hidden factor in prosperity relates to one's mind set and expectations. Australians already have the intelligence and creativity to put it all together in a better way - now all that is required is the political and community will. Countries this good are hard to find - let's take good care of it.
3) ETHICAL PROFITS
It is no longer acceptable in business to make money any way we like and then be remotely charitable with profits. This traditional scenario ignores the facts. We all share the only planet we have. We are passengers on Spaceship Earth and we are only one life form among many. While we are smart enough to acquire real power over nature, we are too dumb and irresponsible to control our waste output. We are rapidly, and what is worse, knowingly, continuing to fill the air and water with some of the most potent poisons and pollution known to man.Every individual businessman thinks only about their individual needs and production processes. "I only make and sell clothes ...... what's so polluting about that?" (Plenty, but that is for a future article). The average consumer also thinks only about their individual needs and survival, and so everyone is happy, right? Not exactly ...
Consider this ... If we keep fouling our planet (our home), then eventually it will be a foul place to live. This is not too hard to understand - it makes good sense. Consumers provide business with profit, and they are beginning to see that this theory makes sense. Since they provide the profit, they are now starting to demand some form of ethical accountability.
Today's consumer is extremely knowledgeable, has a vast choice of merchandise, and is surrounded by easily obtainable information. These consumers are beginning to think for themselves. What will happen to your profits if consumers begin to distinguish between those who pollute and those who don't? What if the future of business is intimately tied in with ecological and social responsibility? What if such a new approach can provide mega profits?
It is already happening in many areas. Big business is quietly investing in cleaning up their processes, because they know that the confronting and vengeful consumer will eventually turn up. Fibre producers and dye companies are developing cleaner products, not because they are warm and caring guys, but because they know the profit of the future is in being cleaner, greener and ethical.
Already there are huge jumps in profit for those who provide environmental clean up solutions. A recent example is a Perth based hazardous waste management company, whose sales volume rose 357% last year. After five years of working at no profit, they are now making good profits, and their waste water treatment processes are in hot demand worldwide. Was this company green and ethical, or were they smart businesspeople? In the end, it doesn't matter.
Eventually there will be mega bucks in being green. Why not start now? The future we design today is the only future we have. Good planets are hard to find.
Steven Hein is a Director of Positive Australia Pty Ltd
Postal : 314 Montague Road, West End, Queensland, 4101, Australia
Telephone : +61 07 3846 2889 Facsimile: + 61 07 3846 3499Steven Hein may be contacted by Email : positive@thehub.com.au
