While my family and I make every effort to eat local and lower on the food chain – mostly vegetarian – when we travel, we occasionally become “flexitarians” and enjoy a seafood dish or two when we’re at the edge of a vast ocean, perhaps with a wharf at the end of the street. At Passionfish, a restaurant nestled in the scenic Monterey Peninsula just a mile from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we connected with the Pacific Ocean by both its salty breeze and through the food we savored.

Opening in 1997, Passionfish is the brainchild of Chef Ted Walter and his wife Cindy Walter. Besides being restaurateurs, the Walters’ might as well be called “marine activists.”  This dynamic duo have ambitions of changing the world by educating people about what they eat, especially if what they eat comes from the sea. Using their restaurant as the alluring (and delicious) platform, the couple promotes sustainable seafood as well as locally sourced, fresh, organic vegetables and fruits. Even their meat products are pasture-raised.

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As a brand marketer, I was disappointed at how little we’ve progressed in the last year in terms of being able to move mainstream market behavior towards more responsible product and services adoption.  But the first rule of marketing is to demonstrate authenticity and we all know that marketing is not a cover for product value.   So besides the Clorox Green Works and Sun Chips story, I’m going to give us collective group of marketers a hall-pass this year.

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The 2009 Sustainability Conference kicked off last night in Monterey, CA with opening remarks from among others, Owen Rogers, Partner and Experience Design Lead of IDEO.   A self-described non-expert in sustainability none-the-less first laid out five principals on branding then asked whether sustainability could be a brand?

Whether there is sound reasoning or “the answer” to how brands can change the world to positive effect is not the point.  Owen, Duke Stump, Chief Architect of North Star Manifesto, and a few others’ who spoke, gave the audience hope that indeed this conference will bear out its reputation for evolving the discussion on how brands can effect positive change in the world.

Much has happened in the last year, for better and worse.  And while Jez Frampton, Group CEO of Interbrand spoke of the ever-present adoption barrior that marketers need to make it easier for consumers to choose more sustainable products, Duke Stump pointed out that there are still indicators that change is in the works.  He cited that volunteering is up and crime is down in NYC.  He noted that the Acumen Fund, a global venture fund using entrepreneurial solutions to end global poverty, received 700 applications for 10 internships.   And he proposed the analogy of “brand as bonfire” – a mechanism for engaging conversations and developing relationships.

There are four solid days of workshops and speakers lined up for this year’s sold-out conference.  And there are architects, investors, scientists, technology experts and of course, lots and lots of marketers here to discuss how branding can change the world.  Sustainability is the current platform for evolving this discussion on more responsible products, consumer behaviors and operating mechanisms.  Stay tuned for more…

While being nursed back to health, a sea otter was supported by a huge online gathering.

The California sea otter was found covered with oil, and stranded at Sunset Beach in Monterey. It was taken to the California Dept. of Fish and Game’s Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center in Santa Cruz. She was named ‘Olive’ while being cleansed of the oil stuck in and encompassing her fur. Oiled sea otters can die from hypothermia because the oil disrupts the furs capacity to retain heat. (Oil is also toxic when ingested).  Olive spent about 6 weeks in rehab to get healthy. She was de-oiled using a combination of olive oil, dish soap and warm water repeatedly.

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Tucked in forest, perched alongside coastal sand dunes and a brief stroll from the California surf in Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula rests the Asilomar Conference Grounds.  It’s owned by the people of California as a California State Park, but the conference facilities and lodging is managed by Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts, the same company that manages other accommodations in some spectacular environs including the Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks.

You don’t need to be a conference-goer to experience the grounds or even bed down in the rustic, immaculately clean, and camp-like accommodations.  Besides being a conference hot spot, ecotravelers can stay as leisure guests.  Many also come to Asilomar to celebrate their wedding, share a family reunion or host a corporate retreat — especially if they’re trying to do it more green.

Upon arriving with my family, two Black-tailed deer greeted us just before we passed between Asilomar’s welcoming stone columns at the entrance.  The hub of Asilomar Conference Grounds — which includes 313 secluded guest rooms housed in a unique collection of historic cabins and lodges, many with fireplaces, balconies or private decks — is their Social Hall, with outdoor seating, wireless access, board games and ping pong.  During our stay, a complimentary Jazz ensemble in the Social Hall provided a relaxing way to wind down the day.  The spacious guest rooms are designed for the tranquil enjoyment of nature, so TVs, radios and telephones are refreshingly absent.

Rightly deserving its “refuge by the sea” namesake, the 107-acre Asilomar Conference Grounds both inspires our appreciation of nature and is inspired by it. The grounds got its start in 1928 as a Young Women’s Christian Association (YMCA) camp, created, built and funded by women.  California’s first registered female architect, Julia Morgan, designed the buildings on the grounds in the Arts and Craft style which embraced harmony, community and natural beauty.  Every building has a face to the ocean.  I found every door opened to the outdoors (try that at your typical convention center).

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The situation involves not just the local governments but the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and CDFA (California Department of Food and Agriculture) that claim that the LBAM will cause major destruction of crops in California. The feds think that we must take swift action or suffer the economic impact of quarantines, which they estimate will cost CA millions of dollars.

Something curious happened on the way to this economic thinking. To date, the LBAM has caused ZERO crop damage. The economic damage has been due only to quarantines imposed on the Golden State by Canada and Mexico. When the Feds sprayed Santa Cruz and Monterey counties last fall the counties recorded over 640 health problems. This number represented only the reported cases, and conservative estimates of actual health impacts by local agencies put the number of cases at ten times the number of reports claimed.

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