E-ALERT 21 SEPTEMBER 2012 __________________________________________________________ INTRO __________________________________________________________ Dear Friends, ItÕs autumn and weÕre busier than ever. Hunter reached a threshold in Facebook and has converted to a professional page (you can read her updates and LIKE her here from now on). This week she won the Good Business New Yorkª Leading Women for 2012 Award for Pioneering New Ways to Advance Sustainable Business. ItÕs her third major award this year. Keep reading to find out about these and whatÕs going on at NCS. __________________________________________________________ FEATURE(S) __________________________________________________________ Sustainability Leadership and Implementation Certificate NCSÕ highly successful Sustainability Leadership and Implementation program returns next week! ThereÕs high demand for sustainability executive education, and we have a couple of seats left (scholarships are available for applicants from Colorado-based companies). Contact us immediately to apply.ÊHunter Lovins and Clinical Professor of Leadership at the Daniels College of Business, Scott McLagan, lead the course. Participants earn a Certificate in Sustainability Leadership and Implementation, gaining the knowledge and skills needed to implement an effective and profit-enhancing sustainability program in their organization. Ê If you are someone you know is interested in attending the course, please apply here. (natcapsolutions.org/slic) Course Dates: Friday 9/7 & Saturday 9/8 Friday 9/28 & Saturday 9/29 Friday 10/26 & Saturday 10/27 __________________________________________________________ NCS is entering into its tenth year. And weÕre going to party. There will be parties in Boulder, in San Francisco, and in 2013 a blowout party at HunterÕs ranch. Watch for our announcements as these events come up. Help us look back over our successes of a decade. WeÕll be writing about what we think are the most significant NCS contributions, but first, we want to hear from you. What has meant the most to you about Natural Capitalism Solutions? What did we do that moved the needle? Please write to info@natcapsolutions.org and tell us your story of how Natural Capitalism advanced our mission of implementing more sustainable practices throughout our world. And join the party. ThereÕre going to be great prizes for the submissions that we feature in our e-alerts throughout our 10th year. __________________________________________________________ RECENT ARTICLES __________________________________________________________ The high rate of return on giving Sustainable Industries: Hunter Lovins (July 15th, 2012) There is a clear and demonstrated business case for engaging in strategic philanthropy as part of a sustainability strategy. Extreme weather, mid-western droughts, record commodity prices and global economic instability are only a few of the sustainability challenges facing business. As governments prove unable to respond, society looks to companies to take greater responsibility in implementing solutions. Read article >> (http://www.sustainableindustries.com/articles/2012/09/high-rate-return-giving) __________________________________________________________ Burritos, Shampoo, and Blue Jeans Ð Oh My! Sustainable Brands: Lily Thaisz (July 26th, 2012) We received case stories from Levi Strauss & Co, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Aveda. All are making the business case for sustainability and employee engagement. And they are doing so by empowering their employees, unifying company and employee values, and collaborating internally and externally. Read article >> (http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/jul2012/burritos-shampoo-and-blue-jeans-oh-my) __________________________________________________________ Engaging Employees in Sustainability 2.0 Sustainable Brands: Toby Russell and Thomas Hendrick (July 26th, 2012) Companies often start their sustainability engagement by creating a cross-functional Ôgreen teamÕ that acts as a catalyst for their programs. This approach can yield phenomenal results but, more often than not, the enthusiasm gained from the initial quick wins dwindles and teams soon lose momentum and suffer from burnout. How then do you continue to motivate employees around sustainability? Here are a few tips on how to use web 2.0 tactics to bolster your sustainability engagement programsÉ Read article >> (http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/jul2012/engaging-employees-sustainability-20) __________________________________________________________ INTERN CORNER WeÕre always on the lookout for the next sustainability thought leaders.Ê If you or someone you know wants more sustainability experience in a dynamic organization that promotes, supports, and teaches sustainability, consider interning with NCS and sustainability pioneer, Hunter Lovins. ÊFor more information, go to natcapsolutions.org/interns.Ê Past interns have gained employment at: Standard Renewable Energy, Shaw Group, GreenOrder, Weecycle Environmental Consulting, ATC Associates Environmental Consulting, Boulder Green Building Guild, Clean Energy Action, Department of Health, among many others. Interns become entrepreneurs Bryant Mason was a Summer 2010 Intern. Working on various projects for NCS, he helped NCS staff member, Bill Becker, resurrect the Presidential Climate Action Project. Since BryantÕs internship heÕs accomplished a lot, including taking a Summer Research Fellowship in Cambridge, traveling to Thailand, and starting his own business. We checked in with Bryant recently to see what he was up to: ÒThis year I've been launching my business, The Urban Farm Company of Colorado. The Urban Farm Company empowers individuals to grow their own fresh, healthy, sustainable food right in their backyards. We make urban gardening easy for people who have never grown food before. My business installs high-yield organic vegetable gardens using a very space-efficient method and great soil mix. We do all the set-up and planting for people, and offer extensive online and in-person resources and help to make it a fun and "foolproof" gardening experience. I launched the business because of my passion for creating a healthy and sustainable food system. My internship at Natural Capitalism Solutions brought me to this path. It taught me the power of business to address our most pressing issues, and allowed me to explore some of the areas that I found interesting in the broad field of sustainability. Plus, playing a little Frisbee everyday was awesome! Hope you're enjoying the Colorado summer.Ó __________________________________________________________ OUT AND ABOUT __________________________________________________________ The Unreasonable Institute The Unreasonable Institute (http://unreasonableinstitute.org/), is a mentor-intensive acceleration program for entrepreneurs tackling the worldÕs toughest social and environmental problems. Each year, it unites 25 entrepreneurs from every corner of the globe with 50 world-class mentors, to live and work under the same roof for six weeks in Boulder, CO.ÊEach year, Hunter serves as a mentor. You can see the results at Unreasonable TV (http://unreasonable.is/interview-with-hunter-lovins/). And you can now catch HunterÕs essays on the role of entrepreneurs. Her latest piece, Entrepreneur, The Newest Superhero went live 6 September. Her second, a remembrance of Ray Anderson, will be up soon. Check it out at http://www.unreasonable.is/. Ê Chile In late August Hunter transected the Western Hemisphere, flying from Canada to Chile, back to New York, then to LA. In Chile she keynoted the national awards ceremony for the Green Startup program, celebrating clean-tech entrepreneurs, spoke at Desarrollo University, briefed the staff at Fundaci—n Chile, the Environment Minister, and the National Innovation Council, which advises the President on issues of entrepreneurship and innovation. Bard MBA ItÕs launched! Hunter scrambled out of Chile to make it into New York just in time to teach at the inaugural Bard MBA in Sustainability. After flying through the night, she taught the opening class in her Fundamentals of Sustainable Business course, gave a public lecture that evening, and then slept for 12 hours. ItÕs exciting to have a new MBA program on the East Coast in which sustainability is woven throughout every class. The Bard MBA in Sustainability program is low-residency, with students attending once-monthly four-day weekend residencies in New York City, supplemented by online instruction in the evenings throughout the month. The innovative structure enables students to continue working and enrolls new cohorts each fall. More information can be found at www.bard.edu/mba and admissions director, Katie Van Sant, would be happy to discuss the program with you (kvansant@bard.edu, 845.758.7388). Hunter and Bard hosted an evening of conversation about sustainable business in Washington, D.C. in September. TheyÕll be coming soon to a city near you/ LA The last leg of the trip was a flying trip to the west coast for Hunter to receive the Care2 Environmental Impact Award, and the annual Women in Green Award. Hunter was deeply honored to be recognized by these organizations. Care2 is the largest online community, with more than 20 million members. It empowers people to lead a healthy and green lifestyle while taking action on important causes such as human rights, animal welfare and global warming. __________________________________________________________ UPCOMING EVENTS __________________________________________________________ Unreasonables at Sea Talk Boulder, CO (27 September 6:30 p.m. Ð 8:30 p.m.) Join Hunter and the Unreasonable Institute at the CU Boulder ATLAS Building (Main Auditorium) to hear about the Unreasonables at Sea (http://unreasonableatsea.com/). In January Hunter will set sail with Unreasonable at sea. Hunter and such mentors at Bishop Desmond Tutu will work with hand-picked entrepreneurs on the Semester at Sea cruise boat. Hunter will help launch the boat as it sails from San Diego to Hawaii, then rejoin the crew for its final stop in Barcelona. __________________________________________________________ Sustainability Leadership and Implementation Certificate (DU) Denver, CO (Starts 28 September 2012) Learn more about the program above or click here (natcapsolutions.org/slic) to apply. __________________________________________________________ HunterÕs Iowa Tour Details Iowa City, IA (3 October 8-9:30am) Event: Sustainable Business LeadersÕ Breakfast.?Coffee and Conversation with L. Hunter Lovins hosted by the Regional Sustainable Business Alliance? Location: ÊVan Meter, Inc., 470 Ruppert Road, Iowa City, IA? Complete details and registration: Êrsbahunter.eventbrite.com Ames, IA?(3 October 6-8pm) Event: Is Capitalism the Key to Global Sustainability? Location:Ê Alliant Energy Lee Liu Auditorium, Howe Hall, Iowa State University. Complete details:Ê http://www.lectures.iastate.edu/lecture/27993. Des Moines, IA ?(4 October 9-11am) Event: Keynote presentation titled ÒThe Way OutÓ during the Iowa Environmental CouncilÕs daylong conference? Location:Ê Scottish Rite Masonic Center, 519 Park Street, Des Moines? Complete details and registration:Ê http://iaenvironment.org/conference/2012 4 October 7:30-9pm - Iowa City, IA | The University of Iowa?Event:Ê An Evening with Hunter Lovins?Location:Ê W10/Buchanan Auditorium, Pappajohn Business Building, University of Iowa, Iowa City)?Complete details:Ê http://lectures.uiowa.edu/lectures/l-hunter-lovins/ __________________________________________________________ AASHE Los Angeles, CA (14-16 October 2012) As part ofÊAASHE's 2012 conferenceÊHunter will deliver a keynote speech and NCS will present severalÊworkshopsÊfor University staff, educators, and academics that will explore how to effectively message and communicate sustainability in todayÕs climate. In addition to these workshops NCS will have a booth and invites anyone in attendance to stop by and talk to us about our services. __________________________________________________________ Housing Washington Tacoma, WA (16 Oct 2012) Hunter will present on Integrating Sustainability into Our Communities at the 19th Annual Affordable Housing Conference in Washington.ÊHousing WashingtonÊis a dynamic forum for learning, discussion, networking, and collaboration to support the preservation and creation of affordable housing in Washington.Ê __________________________________________________________ The Future of North CarolinaÕs Water Star, NC (18 October 2012) Hunter will join Maude Barlow and Michael Shuman in central North Carolina for STARworksÕ annual gathering to discuss water privitization, fracking, water economics and water as a public trust. __________________________________________________________ RachelÕs Network Fall Retreat San Francisco, CA (24 October 2012) Hunter is honored to join this group of influential women in an exploration of venture philanthropy and renewable energy technologies at their fall retreat this year. __________________________________________________________ 5th Annual Colorado Sustainability Conference Colorado Springs, CO (25 October 2012) ColoradoÕs front range business owners, educators and decision-makers in the private, public and military sectors, will come together for this yearÕs conference, themed ÒTools for ChangeÓ (http://www.catamountinstitute.org/7-businesses/sustainability-conference/test) sponsored by the Catamount Institute. __________________________________________________________ California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA (1 Nov 2012) Hunter will be giving a public lecture ÒChoose WiselyÓ the night before elections and then participating in CCAÕs commencement for its pioneer class of MBAs. __________________________________________________________ Continuity Forum Miami, FL (12 November 2012) The Continuity Forum, is the American Business CouncilÕs signature annual event, and is based on the premise that continuity, when applied to philanthropy and social and environmental impact, is exemplified through sustained efforts to improve the greater good.