Green Options

A resilient city has 1) a green action plan and 2) a green economic plan. He sees cities as a productive point of convergence, “In cities, people can talk common sense to each other,” said Miller.

There are tons of green conferences these days, and to be sure lots of great information to be learned at them, people to connect with, ideas to germinate, funding to be sought. And yet, something’s missing.

Don’t get me wrong, magic has been made and minds blown with just Powerpoint and a good presentation. I don’t know about you, but how many times do you find yourself thinking, “I have something to add to what they’re saying,” or “Gah! I wish they’d do a session on *this* topic!”

Green Business Camp, done for the first time a few weeks back in South San Francisco at the Green V Sustainable Center, a creative reinvention of a former car dealership site, may be just the antidote you’re seeking. It’s what they call an “unconference.” As in the opposite of all the trappings of your usual conference.

Have you been thinking about getting a sustainability focused MBA? Have you been wondering what they’re really like? If they have substance? If they have depth? If they will be of any use to you out there in the real world? Well today, in part 2 of a series on sustainability focused business education, it’s all about Presidio School of Management, where I was part of the third cohort.

What’s to know about it, from an insider’s perspective? Let me tell you, it was a tremendously beneficial experience, on an educational, personal and professional level. I gained confidence, learning extensively how to give a great presentation, even enjoy the experience, from a starting point of utter terror. I learned how to work in teams, of varying strengths, skills, and personalities, and how to manage when things become, well, unmanageable. I got a broad and deep understanding of what’s going on in the realm of sustainability, in terms of business, government, and society as a whole. And beyond that, I saw how the emerging sustainable business paradigm overlaps with the existing, and how to bridge between the two.

Paul Hawken"Something earth-changing is afoot among civil society, a significant social movement is eluding the radar of mainstream culture." That's the uplifting and optimistic prelude to comments made by environmentalist and author Paul Hawken in his new book Blessed Unrest, and in an article for Orion Magazine. I was inspired by his thoughts, and wanted to share them.

Editor's note: Green Options is pleased to welcome Robin Schidlowski to the writing team. Robin is a feature writer and co-editor for the Urban Alliance for Sustainability's newsletter, and lives in the Bay Area. She'll be covering happenings in that part of the world, as well as writing about urban and general sustainability, and "zero waste."

Paul Hawken spoke in San Francisco last Friday on the final stop of his

[...]

Paul HawkenIf you haven’t heard of Paul Hawken’s work, it’s not because he hasn’t tried. In fact, his bio reads like that of someone on a mission, which of course he is. One of this country’s strongest voices on the relationship between business and the environment, Hawken is known as a tireless environmentalist, author, and entrepreneur. The shear scope and volume of his work are remarkable.

His newest book, [...]