Green Business Perspectives

ENVS 6599

INDIVIDUAL DIRECTED STUDY: PERSPECTIVES ON

GREEN BUSINESS

Winter 2004

Tues., 5:30-8:30 pm

Lumbers Bldg.,

Rm. 227

Course Director: Brian Milani <bmilani@web.ca>

Course Description

Objectives

Requirements

Schedule

Course Themes

Sectoral Info

Green Business Links

Local Green Business Links

Course Description:

This course is intended to give MES students working towards the Diploma in Business and the Environment, and depending on registration numbers, other interested students, guidance in developing their Plans of Study which have Business and Environment themes. The group Individual Directed Study will combine succinct overviews of key issues in sustainable business with discussion, readings, research guidance and individual counselling that will contribute to the critical exploration of business and environment themes in the student’s Plan of Study and the location of possible Diploma Internship settings.

[For general information on the FES & Schulich B&E Programmes, see:

FES graduate programme in Business and Environment and

Schulich Business and Sustainability graduate specialization]

Course Objectives:

The overall objective of this Group Individual Directed Study is to contribute to the development of the business and environment dimensions of participating students’ Plans of Study and assist with the location of Diploma Internship settings by providing:

1. a brief overview of key relationships, opportunities, challenges and controversies in various sectors of green business. What is the role of green business in creating sustainable economies, and what are the obstacles to the authentic greening of business?

2. information on sectors and issues of green business and sustainability of particular concern to the students enrolled.

3. a venue for wide-ranging discussion of green enterprise issues.

4. a variety of educational resources for students including bibliographies, internet links, contacts with local enterprises and associations, etc.

5. individual counselling for students concerning their Areas of Concentration, research themes, Plans of Study and Diploma Internship possibilities.

The content and, to some degree, the form of the course will depend on the interests of students registered in the course. Common readings will be assigned to facilitate discussion, supplemented by a variety of reading materials which will be offered in key areas for students to select from.

Requirements:

final research paper: 12-15 pages; designed to contribute to the student’s understanding her/his Plan of Study, which critically explores the interaction between business and environment concepts, in the context of the students’ Plans of Study
mini-presentation (10 min.), in week 10 or 11 which succinctly presents the essential nature of the students’ business and environment focus.
reading review / journal, which provides a synopsis/analysis of primary readings chosen by the student in the context of their business and environment focus.

Provisional Schedule

1. Weeks 1 & 2: student introductions and statements of interest, with an overview of key issues and relationships in green business. Common readings for discussion:

· Bill McDonough & Michael Braungart, “The Next Industrial Revolution”, in Atlantic Monthly, Oct. 1998

· David Korten, “Economies for Life”, Yes! magazine, #23, Fall, 2002

· Frank Birkin, “Steps to Natural Capitalism”, in Sustainable Development, 9, 47–57 (2001)

· Jonathan Rowe, “Is the Corporation Obsolete?”, TomPaine.com, July 12, 2001, reprinted from Washington Monthly

· Corporate Futures: Sarah Van Gelder interviews Paul Hawken and David Korten, Yes! magazine, Summer 1999

Optional:

· K.-H. Robert et al, “Strategic Sustainable Development — Selection, Design And Synergies Of Applied Tools”, Journal of Cleaner Production 10 (2002) 197–214

· Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins & L. Hunter Lovins, “Making Markets Work”, Chapter 13 of Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution, Boston/NY/London: Little, Brown & Company, 1999

2. Weeks 3 & 4: personal consultations with instructor on student Plan of Study themes, research interests, and internship possibilities. During these two weeks, students will undertake background readings and work on Plan of Study revisions.

3. Weeks 5-9: selected topics in green business; facilitated discussion; possible guest speakers. Focus areas determined by the student interests.

4. Weeks 10 & 11: mini-presentations by students

5. Week 12: wrap-up and green business free-for-all

What do YOU want to explore?

Bring your needs and questions to class and help shape the collective direction of the course, as well as receive individual advice. The following are some possibilities for sectoral exploration. But we can also explore by theme.

Some theme areas for possible exploration:

· what is sustainable or green business?

· paradigms & principles of green economic development

· the nature of green production in key sectors: agriculture, energy, manufacturing, transportation, etc.

· potentials and limits of the profit motive; pros and cons of the “triple bottom line”

· people-intensive vs. resource-intensive production

· industrial ecology and eco-industrial development

· the life-cycle approach and design for the environment

· regenerative work and right livelihood

· sustainability indicators and incentives

· extended producer responsibility and corporate liability

· the role of small business: opportunities and challenges

· the role of big business: opportunities and challenges

· the role of non-profits, third sector and co-operative businesses

· the role of trade

· finance and green development

· business in the community

· bioregional enterprise

· green marketing and green consumerism

· worker remuneration and participation

· government and the ground rules for enterprise

· green businesses in the Toronto region

Readings and Links for Selected Sectors

Consumption, Markets and Design (March 9 class)

Main Readings

· Michael Renner, “Moving Toward a Less Consumptive Economy”, Chapter 5, pp. 96-119, from the State of the World 2004, NY/Washington: Worldwatch Institute, 2004

· Gary Gardner and Erik Assadourian, “Rethinking the Good Life”, Chapter 8, from the State of the World 2004, NY/Washington: Worldwatch Institute, 2004

Consumption and Consumerism (March 2 class)

Main Readings

· Gary Gardner, Erik Assadourian, and Radhika Sarin, The State of Consumption Today, Chapter 1 from the State of the World 2004, NY/Washington: Worldwatch Institute, 2004

· The Overspent American, dialogue with Juliet Schor and leaders of the voluntary simplicity movement, Yes! magazine, summer 1998

Supplementary Readings:

Mass Consumption, Advertising, Shopping and Voluntary Simplicity:

· James Westcott, “Shop Till You Stop”, AlterNet, December 7, 2003

· The Conscious Consumer campaign of the Center for a New American Dream

· David Suzuki’s Nature Challenge: strategic focus on the Canadian household, guided by the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Michael Brower and Warren Leon, authors of The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Action.

Green Markets and Consumer Action

· Scott Case, “Eco-friendly Green Procurement Gains Ground”, Government Procurement newsletter, Oct. 2003

· Adbuster’s Black Spot anti-Nike Sneaker

· book description and excerpts: Sharing the Work, Sparing the Planet: Work time, consumption and ecology, by Anders Hayden, MES

· Fair Trade Trends report, 2003

Links

· North American Green Purchasing Initiative

· Markets Initiative (for sustainable wood products)

· Center for a New American Dream

· Fair Trade Federation

· Global Exchange Fair Trade page

· Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN)

· Simple Living Network

· Grassroots Recycling Network

· Rev. Billy & the Church of Stop Shopping

· Zero Waste America

· Consumers Choice Council

Energy (Feb. 10 class)

· Keith Parkins, “Soft Energy Paths”, Gaia briefing paper.

· Amory B. Lovins, “Energy Lessons Learned and To Be Learned”, Whole Earth Review, Winter 1998.

· Amory Lovins, Towering Design Flaws, The Globe and Mail, August 21, 2003

· David Morris, “Solar Comes to (Part of) the Earth”, AlterNet, Dec. 18, 2003

Links:

· Energy Action Council of Toronto (EnerACT)

· WindShare / Toronto Renewable Energy Cooperative

· Green$aver

· Electricity Choices (the Clean Air Alliance)

· Better Buildings Partnership retrofit programme

· Sustainable Edge green engineering and design

The Food System

· Wes Jackson, “Natural Systems Agriculture: A Radical Alternative”, The Land Institute website, April 17, 2001

· Brian Halweil, “Organic Gold Rush”, excerpted from World Watch magazine, May/June 2001

· Rebecca Spector, “Regaining Connections Between Farmers and Consumers”, Environmental News Network, Oct. 11, 2002; reprinted from Fatal Harvest: The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture (Island Press, 2002)

· The Meatrix (movie)

Further Reading:

Ø Wayne Roberts, “The Way to a City’s Heart is Through Its Stomach: Putting Food Security on the Urban Planning Menu”, Toronto Food Policy Council report

Ø Jill Bamberg, “Pieces of the Puzzle” (on the Intervale Agro- Eco-industrial Park), Yes! magazine, Fall 2002

Links:

· Toronto Food Policy Council

· Food Share

· Organic Advocates

· The Permaculture Activist

· Farming Solutions: Success stories for the future of agriculture

· The Ram's Horn

· Sustain: the Alliance for Better Food and Farming

· City Farmer Urban Agriculture

· Eat the View: Promoting Sustainable Local Products (UK)

· Everdale Environmental Learning Centre

Manufacturing & Resource Use (Jan. 27 and Feb. 3 classes)

· Walter Stahel, “From Products to Services: Selling performance instead of goods”, ITPS Report, No. 37

· Raymond P. Cote and Ed Cohen-Rosenthal, “Designing Eco-Industrial Parks: A Synthesis Of Some Experiences”, Journal of Cleaner Production 6 (1998) 181–188

· Neil Seldman, “The New Recycling Movement” (parts 1 and 2), Institute for Local Self-Reliance website

· Brian Milani, “Living in De-Material World”, chapter 9 of Designing the Green Economy: the Postindustrial Alternative to Corporate Globalization, Lanham MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000

Further Reading:

· Cary Coglianese and Jennifer Nash, “Policy Options for Improving Environmental Management in the Private Sector”, Environment magazine, Nov. 2002

· David Morris and Irshad Ahmed, executive summary, The Carbohydrate Economy: Making Chemicals and Industrial Materials from Plant Matter, report for the ILSR, 1993

· US National Center for Eco-Industrial Development manuals on EI development (infrastructure, community development, & brownfields applications)

· Canadian Eco-Industrial Network virtual library

Links:

· Clean Production Action

· Canadian Eco-Industrial Network

· Zero Emissions Research Institute

· Lowell Center for Sustainable Production

· U. of Tennessee Center for Clean Products and Clean Technologies

· Product Life Institute, Geneva

· Centre for Sustainable Design

· ILSR Carbohydrate Economy Clearinghouse