Sustainability or PR exercise?

I'm glad I slept in a bit this morning. I've been off work for the last three days of the week, but I was spending lots of time at the Globe 2008 conference, where I was volunteering. Three days of conference, walking around, greeting delegates, answering questions tired me out. It's hard being pleasant eight hours a day ;)

There a few things I enjoyed about the conference: meeting other volunteers (many interested in sustainability), getting acquainted with clean tech companies in the Trade Fair, some of the panels where the discussion was made lively by involving the attendees or having a good representation of various stakeholders in the panel speakers. As far as networking was concerned, I think volunteering made it hard to have meaningful conversations with delegates, as we were always pulled away from our posts to help with various tasks.

There are several things I didn't particularly enjoy though: delegates who walked in and out of conference rooms throughout presentations (people walking in 45 minutes late), delegates not turning off their cell phones and letting it ring as they rushed out of the conference room (brilliant), and panels that were often one-sided and not really addressing the sensitive points of a given topic. I think the conference could have also benefited from networking rooms. They were serving coffee between sessions, but the coffee tables were in the corridors and there didn't seem to be enough sofas for people to sit down and catch up with other attendees. Finally, neither the Trade Fair nor the conference were very green, with lots of promotional material printed on glossy paper, lots of cheap, plastic swag, a delegate bag made out of nylon or soft plastic that had a terrible chemical smell and since the coffee breaks only started after the first session (no coffee before the morning session), delegates were forced to get coffee from Starbucks or Tim Hortons, usually in single-use paper cups.

I do think a lot of the presentations were also PR for the oil and gas industry in Canada. I cannot belittle the effort made by these companies towards reducing their environmental and social impact, but when their core operations are so damaging in the first place, the concept of sustainable business practices by these companies is hard to swallow. I recently rented a movie by the NFB called The Refugees of the Blue Planet. This documentary discusses the impact of "development" by large multinationals on rural communities across the world. Many of these refugees are in developing or third-world countries, but the film also talks about Alberta where family farms are slowly being shut down by the drilling of H2S (sour gas) wells close to their homes. Farmers end up in evacuation areas where they would be required to leave at a few hour's notice to avoid being exposed to toxic levels of the gas. I'm pretty sure all the major companies involved in the drilling have sustainability departments and publish detailed yearly reports about their environmental and community initiatives. Hard to swallow.

I heard from many delegates who were also unimpressed with many of the panels. Session attendees often tried to challenge panelists to answer some difficult questions, but the answers they got were often vague or blatantly avoided the questions. On a dialogue about the partnership between NGOs and companies, one attendee asked a panelist to provide examples where their relationship with NGOs went beyond philanthropy, where the company had listened to the NGO and then changed some of their business practices accordingly. The company representative had spent his entire speaking time listing contribution made by his employer to non-profit organizations, but could not give any examples of changed practices as the result of a partnership with one of these organizations. Interesting "partnership" indeed.

Shivers down your spine

What a great feeling. It's a sunny Saturday morning here in Vancouver, I slept wonderfully last night (I was going to write "like a baby", but do babies really sleep throughout the night? I hear they wake up all the time) and besides some work with my team at school tomorrow, I don't have much planned. A weekend to relax :-)

Just as I was about to leave work yesterday, around 5:30, I saw a very bright rainbow around BC Place when the sun poked through the dark skies to illuminate buildings downtown. The colors were amazingly sharp. A few of us just stared out the window until the colors disappeared. Beautiful.

Then, I stopped by the Green Living Show. I was going to go over the weekend, but when I learned that Stephen Lewis was the keynote speaker at 7, I knew I couldn't miss it. I remembered listening to his five-part Massey Lectures on CBC a few years back and he was an incredible speaker.

His talk last night did not disappoint. The room was full, probably well over 100 attendees who were attentively listening to Mr. Lewis discussing global warming and its impact on some of the poorest societies in the world. Stephen Lewis has traveled extensively in Africa, and continuously works to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and the impact of the disease on the very fabric of society. What was really interesting about his speech was about the limited choices faced by the very poor on our planet. He brought us back to one of the early conferences on climate change where a minister from Indonesia stood in front of a group of Western leaders and told them that if they thought they could prevent developing countries from using dirty coal and other non-renewable energies without offering an affordable alternative, they were dreaming. Such a powerful statement. Western, developed countries are in no position to impose environmental guidelines on the rest of the world, especially when our governments refuse to set any aggressive targets for greenhouse gas reductions on their own soil.

I'm so glad I had the incredible opportunity to listen to Mr. Lewis. At times, his enthusiasm and powerful rhetoric sent shivers down my spine. I would love to be one of his students at McMaster University in Ontario to have the pleasure of listening to him every week.

The rest of the show was predictable as far as the exhibitors were concerned: organic and bamboo clothing, organic food, green building solutions, and hybrid cars. Interestingly enough, last night there were more people checking out folding bikes than hybrid cars. Are we potentially reaching a tipping point where people realize that cars, regular, hybrid or electrical, are not sustainable? Rex Weyler, a local Vancouverite and the co-founder of Greenpeace International, also spoke last night and he said that half the environmental damage of a car is done by the time the vehicle is sold, before one kilometer is even added to the odometer. Resources, building and assembly, transport, all these processes to get the car to the dealership and in the hands of the driver also have a big impact on the environment.

Composting woes

On a beautiful, sunny and warm February day in Vancouver, it's easy to start thinking about spring, flowers, cleaning your patio planters and, soon, enough, what plants you're going to grow in there. And what best ingredient to grow healthy plants than compost. Which obviously reminded me that I hadn't looked into how to get a worm compost bin set up at home yet.

During Christmas, dad showed me his worm compost in the basement and even offered to send me home with a handful of critters. Somehow, I wasn't sure how I would pass a container full of worms through security ('cause they would freeze in checked-in luggage) if they won't even let you carry on a sealed bottle of wine. And, after all, how hard can it be to get worms, a plastic bin, and a few instructions on how to keep the creatures happy and chewing away at your food scraps?

A bit hard, if you want to start this immediately.

Today, I called the Vancouver Composting Hotline (I'm not kidding!) to book an appointment for a worm-composting introduction session. For $25, you get the basic kit to get you started (bin, bedding, worms) and a one-hour overview on this method of composting. Pretty good deal, as I've seen sites advertising worms for sale for $35 per pound (really?). Unfortunately, the first available appointment is on April 12. While I'm happy to hear that these sessions are popular, this is still two months away and if I start in April, I won't get any usable compost until July.

So, maybe I'll start asking friends if anyone knows anyone who already has a worm compost and wouldn't mind parting with a few worms to spread the composting love.

Yawn

Madonna released a new song that you can download for free from the Live Earth web site. Being a huge Madonna fan, I couldn't resist. The song is terrible, but grab it anyways, 'cause she's donating $0.25 per song for the first million downloads to the Alliance for Climate Protection.

I checked out the lineup for the concert in New York and it's not that appealing. If you ask me, the artists in the UK concert are far more interesting: Beastie Boys, Black Eyed Peas, David Gray, Duran Duran, Genesis, Madonna, Red Hot Chilli Peppers (and a few more). Should be a good party.

I have mixed feelings about the impact of these world-wide benefit concerts. Remember Live 8, the 2005 version of the original Live Aid held 20 years earlier? I know these are not supposed to be fundraising events, but vehicles for raising awareness. Then what? What happens after everyone is aware? Do people return home after a concert and suddenly feel strongly for the cause?

I have my doubts.

Google, you rock!

I just discovered that you can personalize your Google homepage to add little portals to sites and services you use on a regular basis. For example, I use Google map often and now it's available every time I start my browser. Also, I've been using Google's Reader to subscribe to RSS feeds. The Reader can also be added to your homepage. I'm always amazed at the ideas coming out of that company, but giving web users the ability to create their own dashboard is fantastic. We've studied Google in my Management of Innovation class and there's no question about their ability to get the creative juices flowing. Apparently, employees have some discretionary time that they can use to work on their own little pet projects. That's a strong incentive for employees to innovate.

I'm very happy to report that my message of last night was not scrambled and accents made it through successfully. I don't think I'll start writing every post in French, but sometimes, it feels right to tell a story using my mother tongue.

We have a new resource at the Career Management Center (CMC, at school) who, so far, has greatly impressed me. I had a quick chat with her during our dinner at the Vancouver Club a few weeks ago and told her a bit about my plans for the future. I also told her about my interest in green technology. She has a background in environmental science, so my interest truly resonated with her. She's been forwarding me information about conferences and workshops related to sustainability and the environment. Last week, she set a ticket aside for me to The Sustainable Living Expo in March. Then, she also told me about the fact that the school had contacts within the Globe Foundation. If I was interested, I could look into doing my final project for them.

Wow!

What does it really mean?

You probably heard about the Conservatives' big announcement about dedicating $1.5 billion to funding alternative energy technologies over the next ten years. This could mean giving a chance for Canada to become a leader in environmental technology. It could mean an increase in jobs in environmental technology. It could mean an increase in cities and provinces using these technologies, and potentially, improving our environment (well, maybe more like reducing how badly we are treating our environment). The problem is, we are investing money in exploring waste management and clean energy while pushing ahead madly on oilsands production. And oilsands production is terribly polluting. According to this other article, "it's already the biggest source of new greenhouse gas emissions in Canada". This announcement is the equivalent of someone deciding to start recycling their glass, paper and metal, while driving a Hummer in the city and spending 90% of their time idle, waiting for the light to turn green.

While I'm all for encouraging innovation, I'm not convinced one bit by any claim that this government cares about the environment. If you care about the environment, introduce a green tax that would penalize polluters. Not only would it force entire industries to revise how they do business, but it would at the same time encourage innovation, as companies would start funding research programs that help them find ways to reduce their impact on the environment.

Call me cynical, call me pessimistic, but a green tax is never going to happen when our government focuses on short-term action meant to only help them win the next election. The push-back from the industry would be swift and extremely powerful in convincing our poor government that their interest lies in letting the corporate world run their businesses as they see fit. The only change that can happen has to be driven by the industry itself. That's what Paul Hawken argues in The Ecology of Commerce. Every executive and business student in the world should read this book.

OK, back to reading about the management of innovation now ;)

Must focus

I'm finding it hard these days to focus on whatever it is that I'm supposed to do. My brain seems to enjoy wandering between thoughts and ideas. A little bit like a four-year old. I think. But less Elmo, more UI design and interest groups.

So, here's a bit of a brain dump. I'm sharing a few recent discoveries with you, maybe if I write about them, they will stop interrupting my assignment-writing.

• Net Impact: I joined this organization last week. This is a network of leaders who are changing the world through business. Members are students and recent graduates from MBA or other Masters programs who want to have an impact. Net Impact has several interesting programs, such a board fellowships (where you sit on the board of a non-profit organization) and pro-bono work, also with non-profit.
• SustainableBusiness.com: Sustainable investments, company profiles, related news... I found this to be an interesting portal and signed up for their newsletter.
• PMI: I also joined this organization last week. This is the institute that manages the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. I'm interested in pursuing this certification, maybe right after I finish the MBA and while I'm waiting for Annie to complete hers. Notice how failure is not an option ;)
• Springwise: You know the term "out-of-the-box" (Ok, you do, and it's overuse, but let me use this as a parallel). Well, Springwise showcases new business ideas that are not only out-of-the-box, but out the window, down the street, and halfway across town. People have some imagination! My favorite: Ello Mobile, which is giving 100% of its profits to charity, Ecoinsurance, a policy that tracks your CO2 emissions and gives rebates to low emitters, and a sustainable dance club. Who says you can't save the environment and have fun. Actually, I always wondered why gyms did not reuse the energy generated by cardio workouts. I'm sure you could plug some of the machines back into the club's power source and reduce energy consumption when the club is busy.

OK, I feel better.

BTW, water is still cloudy, more yellow than brown, but still undrinkable. It's been a week now.

Thinking strategically about my life

I think this quote found in a book I'm reading for Marketing, Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore, accurately reflect why I felt I had to so such intense soul-searching lately:

"f you don't know where you are going, you probably aren't going to get there."

Yup, simple enough but true. I’ve been planning to pursue an MBA for a few years now but it’s only recently that the purpose of this MBA became clear. My current job is very challenging, it keeps me busy and motivated; however, I always felt that I was missing something, that I would feel much more satisfied if my work made a difference.

I entertain two passions that have not yet crossed paths in my work. My first passion is technology. I enjoy reading and learning about new technology and scientific discoveries. I have spent the past seven years working in a variety of high-tech industries (optical networking, IP networking, business applications). Although I do not have an Undergraduate degree in Engineering or Computer Science, my interest in technology has allowed me to develop the necessary skills to explain this technology to others (Technical Writing) and provide the guidance for designing applications that focus on an optimal user experience.

My second passion is the environment. I stay informed on recent developments in sustainable living. I’m a supporter of various environmental organizations such as The Land Conservancy (TLC), the World Wildlife Federation and the David Suzuki Foundation. I enjoy keeping up with newstories about people and organizations who make the environment their focus. I don’t own a car, buy local whenever possible and consciously make efforts to reduce my ecological footprint.

My plan for the next few years is to merge these two passions and seek a career as a Project or Product Manager in a company developing sustainable technology, preferably technology that can also help solve fundamental issues in developing countries (provide clean sources of fuel, improve agricultural practices, and so on). I am pursuing the Management of Technology (MOT) MBA as a part-time student to build the foundation needed to solve common business problems encountered by high-tech companies. I started the MBA this fall (2006) with a few courses already completed, which then happens to leave me with a free semester in the fall of 2007.

Between September 2007 and December 2007, I plan to volunteer for an international development program focused on sustainable technologies in developing countries. I have already started looking into projects sponsored by a variety of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and charitable foundations. Groups like MBA Without Borders, the Aga Khan Foundation, One Sky (The Canadian Institute for Sustainable Living) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development are regularly looking for trained professionals to help with projects all over the world. I am looking for a four-to-six week project abroad, with some planning and analysis work done part-time while I am in Vancouver.

I also plan to work with a local company developing sustainable technology for my final MBA project. I am reading through a variety of publications to familiarize myself with the sustainable technology industry in Vancouver, including some of the publications by Business in Vancouver. I have not identified the specific problem I want to help address in my MBA project at this point, as I am not starting the project until early 2008. However, during the Western Canadian Environmental Technology Forum held in Vancouver in 2003, representatives of western Canadian environmental technology companies identified areas where the industry was facing tough challenges, including:

• Gathering market intelligence, especially in countries with large populations that represent a significant market potential
• Developing demonstration projects to showcase the technology
• Defining sector needs for commercialization to reduce risks for investors and new technologies

Any of these areas could potentially become an interesting project for my MBA. Some of the text in this blog was included in a letter accompanying my application for a $10,000 scholarship offered by SFU. With the scholarship, it will be easier for me to take an unpaid leave of absence for the volunteer project. I believe my employer would let me leave for four to six weeks, but obviously, I wouldn't get paid during that time. Expenses are typically covered in international development projects, but covering my expenses and saving for tuition is a bit much if your income is cut back by almost two months.

Even further down the road, I'm even planning for a trip with Annie in 2008 in South-East Asia. The intent of the trip is to obviously discover this area's rich culture and beautiful scenery, but also to familiarize myself with potential markets for sustainable products.

So, this is my vision going forward. Having formulated what it is that I intend to do helps me focus my efforts. I also communicate this vision with friends and contacts because I want to share my enthusiasm about these new goals but also because they might hear about people or companies who are doing business in my area of interest. Networking can be pretty powerful.

The road ahead is so clear now...

Who needs a man when you can BBQ your own lamb?

Another pretty nice weekend coming to an end. Another weekend spent with girlfriends.

On Friday, my promotion was officially announced and I'm starting the new position on Monday. I think the transfer of knowledge went well, although I expect to be fielding questions for the next few months. A few colleagues were stepping out for a drink after work, so I decided to join them and celebrate this big step in my professional life. I didn't stay for very long because I already had plans to meet Lara for a movie at 7:30.

We saw An Inconvenient Truth, the movie about Al Gore's crusade to inform people about the mess we are in (global warming). I wasn't originally really hot about seeing this movie, I thought it would be depressing. It's obviously not a happy subject, but the premise is not about negativity, but forcing people to realize how much of an impact we have on the planet. And when you see charts plotting temperatures and C02 levels for the past 650,000 years where the past 50 (and next 50) years are way off the chart, you know we've been up to no good. I have to admire Al Gore's energy and conviction. If only he had been elected president...

Saturday was spent walking, for most of the day. I did another training walk with Typhanie and Joanne, two other members of my team for The Weekend to End Breast Cancer. We walked for over five hours and probably covered over 20km. Those walks are also very good for getting to know your teammates :-) In the evening, I met up with Gerri and we went out for drinks with some of her colleagues from the train. The gang was heading out to a party after the drinks, but I was so tired from all the walking and the sun that I left them and went to bed early, around midnight.

Today, I did some grocery shopping in the morning and bought a few nice pieces of lamb. I was in the mood for a BBQ. I called Lara and asked if she had any dinner plans. We walked to Granville Island to have an ice-tea while watching the boats float by, and also to buy some veggies for dinner. I marinated the lamb with Dijon, fresh rosemary (from the balcony), oil, salt and pepper. Lara marinated the veggies with oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and salt. Everything came out perfectly (except for the onions, didn't cook enough), especially the lamb. Yum! I'm really starting to figure out the BBQ ordeal, it's not that complicated ;)