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Sustainable Manufacturing User GroupModule One
Developing a Sustainable Vision
Matthew Tueth, Ph.DSteelcase Professor of Sustainable Business
Chairperson, Aquinas College Sustainable Business Department
This morning we will:
- Frame the core problems of business as usual
- Summarize the intelligent foundations of SB
- Answer any follow-up questions
A Design Plan for the Industrial Revolution?
Results of our de facto design plan:
-Bury both valuable and toxic materials in holes never to be retrieved- Each year put billions of pounds of toxins in air, water, and soil
-Pass 1000s of costly regs to keep us from poisoning ourselves too quickly-Require some lethal waste to be guarded for tens of thousands of years
-Measure productivity by how few people are working-Alter the Earth’s natural climate
-Continually decrease farmland fertility…and pass this on to our children
Consider that:the body of an average 40-year old U.S. male has 166 of 320 known industrialtoxins including heavy metals, PCBs, pesticides, dioxins, and phthalates
Consider that:
- In 1950, 25% of Americans would contract cancer
- Today, 38% of men and 48% of women will contract cancer
- The W.H.O. says 80% of developed world cancer is caused by
man-made factors
Consider that today we:-generously subsidize the U.S. coal industry-now buy more than half our crude oil from overseas-continually invest in dead-end energy technology -tie nearly all energy use with pollution and climate change
Is there a remedy for our deep dilemma?
- The modern environmental movement fell short
- Our best and brightest minds have brought us here…
Is it now reasonable to expect aneffective solution from humanity?
What is our most rational source for help?
the natural world3.8 billion years of
industrial design experience
Consider……
10-12 million species live one way…
…and humans live another
Let’s make some comparisons…..
Energy
Fossil fuels and nuclear power
Our Energy Choices
Today Other options
Alternative energy
Renewable energy
Sustainable energy
Materials
Biodegradable or Technical …..and nothing else
Soil Fertility
Diversity
Local and Regional Economies
How do we make this…
..more like this
The Sustainable Business Movement
Sustainability: the capacity for our world to continue intact indefinitely
Sustainable Business
M
The Sustainable Business Movement
A tool for guiding SB efforts:
Triple top-line value production
- Profitability
- People
- Planet
Why bother to enhance the planet?
-Our only source of O2
-Our only source of food
-Pollination of crops
-Stabilization of climate
-Stabilization of soil
-Reduced farm pests
-Mitigate floods and droughts
-UV radiation protection
-Decomposition of wastes
-Nutrient cycling
-Natural beauty
-Source of bio-materials
-Purification of H2O + air
...just to name a few reasons
S B principles work for : private organizations
non-profit organizationsgovernment
..when used in :material selection
energy choicesbuilding designemployee policiesproduction processes
SB Transition strategies (TS):TTL incremental improvements that move
your business toward the definition of sustainable
Three guides for value-producing TS:Effective then efficientThe innovation solves multiple problemsThe innovation produces three types of value
Sustainable Business Lite
Transitional Strategies ….
- Current recycling technology
- Improved energy efficiency
- Reducing carbon footprint
…with no intentions of going the rest of the way
Sustainable Business
Incremental transition TTL strategies
along with….
Bull’s eye TTL strategies
- no harm only TTL Value …
Barriers to Sustainable Business
ignorance
human selfishness
profitable Conventional
businessmost
government policies
- Only organic cotton since 1996
- Capilene ® “Common Threads “ take-back program- 1% of all sales given to environmental projects- The Denver store is completely wind powered- Reno and Ventura facilities shifting to all wind and solar powered
- 1984 on-site day care center at Ventura, CA facility- Flex schedules… surf during lunch hour….
Questions?
