Green Options

As explored in my previous posts related to the triple bottom line for green enterprises, these business ecopreneurs seek to consider all stakeholders of their enterprise (not just the shareholders or owners’ financial interests), how the business transforms or is transformed by the environment, and finally, profits, the heralded benchmark for allowing one to define their business as a business, not a hobby.

Millions of American workers — steady-eddy 9-to-5-ers (or sunrise to sunset go-getters) — are observing how the fine print of their so-called pensions could wipe out their sense retirement security while healthcare costs continue to get larger and their portion of the bills explode. Many are kissing off corporate America before their company goes bust or gets gobbled up by Uncle Sam. They’re managing the crisis rather than the financial crisis managing them by launching the dream green business they’ve always wanted with a triple bottom line of people, planet and (some) profits.

Ecopreneurs, harness our profits to create the changes they desire in their communities, shifting the economy away from the present one based on cheap oil, wasted resources, the exploitation of people, and, as of late, drinking form the bottomless cup of debt (mostly “bad” debt). We operate our enterprise in a way that restores or heals the planet — in the restoration ECOnomy — and fosters more equitable and fair relationships among anything touched by our business. By running our own enterprise, many have discovered just how much we can regain control over our life (even if we can’t seem to influence our representatives in Washington DC much).

There’s nothing sustainable about the $700 billion Federal bailout plan for the decomposing financial sector of the US financial system. Americans know it, judging by the outpouring of objections sent to US legislators and reflected in national polls this past week.

According to various estimates by experts in the financial industry, the proposal to let the government buy bad assets from banks range from $500 billion to $1 trillion. Hank Paulson, Treasury Secretary, and Ben Bernanke, Fed Chairman, are asking for $700 billion – for now.

Keep in mind that this is ON TOP OF the costs already incurred for various government actions this year, including, but not limited to:

* up to $85 billion for AIG
* up to $29 billion to fund JPMorgan’s takeover of Bear Stearns
* up to $200 billion each for nationalization of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac
* as much as $50 billion to insure money market funds
* up to $25 billion for special loans extended to GM and Ford

Let’s not forget the billions of dollars in expenses to help those in flooded or hurricane-destroyed areas – so recent that the costs aren’t even in for the damage done from Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike. There’s plenty of other federal funds flowing to counties throughout the US that were declared federal disaster areas in 2008 – like in Vernon County, Wisconsin, where we own a silviculture operation.