Green Options » Ray Anderson

Ray Anderson: A Revealing Chat with a Radical Industrialist

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:03:08 +0000

Ray Anderson’s epiphany about his own role in environmental destruction after reading Paul Hawken’s The Ecology of Commerce has taken on mythic status in the fifteen years since. The “spear in the chest moment” he experienced transformed Anderson into a leader in sustainable thought and practice within American industry, and his company, Interface, Inc. (which manufacture modular floor covering primarily for business and institutional customers) is now recognized as a model of transformation. Named a “Hero of the Planet” by Time magazine in 2007, Anderson is constantly sought out for speeches, interviews, and even documentary film appearances (THE CORPORATION, and the new SO RIGHT SO SMART)

In September, Anderson (with Robin White) published his second book, Confessions of a Radical Industrialist: Profits, People, Planet - Doing Business by Respecting the Earth. This wide-ranging work not only tells Interface’s story in detail, but also provides a blueprint for how a large, well-established company can literally reinvent itself as both a profitable enterprise and a business that learns to operate in harmony with natural systems.

The word “confessions” in the title is very appropriate: Anderson is very frank about Interface’s successes and setbacks in its climb up “Mt. Sustainability” (a phrase he coined). He also discusses the efforts of other companies, and makes bold, and hopeful, cases for environmental and social responsibility as pillars of successful business strategy in the 21st century. The book is an engaging and thoughtful read for business people, environmental activists, and consumers concerned about the impact of industry on the planet’s future.

What Advice Does Ray Anderson Have for Barack Obama?

Scott Cooney — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:39:55 +0000

During the Sustainable Industries Economic Forum this morning in San Francisco, keynote speaker Ray Anderson, Founder and Chair of Interface, a true green business pioneering company, was asked what his best three pieces of advice for Barack Obama would be.

First was to shift the economy, and federal subsidies, from old technology to new and high tech industries. It’s estimated that 50% of coal power plants would be unprofitable without subsidies. “It’s time to shift the equation”, he said.

Second was to get a price on carbon. “By hook or by crook,” Anderson said. “It needs to happen, and I think a carbon tax is probably impossible politically, but cap and trade is possible.” Anderson went on to say that “Carbon has been getting a free ride, and it’s time to change that.”

And third, Anderson cited the controversy over nuclear power. Saying that our legacy of poison for future generations will be tough to justify, given that nuclear waste will outlast the lifespan of any language on the planet, so how can we possibly put good warning signs on our waste?

Scott Cooney is the author of Build a Green Small Business: Profitable Ways to Become an Ecopreneur (McGraw-Hill).

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Sustainable Industries Economic Forum to Feature Ray Anderson, Several Other Ecopreneurs

Scott Cooney — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:05:06 +0000

The Fourth Annual Sustainable Industries Economic Forum will feature ecopreneur Ray Anderson, founder and Chairman of Interface, a company specializing in sustainable carpets and other industrial products. The event will showcase a panel discussion with rock stars of the green business world, representing a broad swath of green industries. The timely discussion for this year’s event will focus on the current economic realities of the green business sphere.

Other speakers and panelists including Anup Jacob, founding partner of Virgin Green Fund, a consulting and venture capital firm affiliated with Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, Laura Rodormer, Division Manager of Green Construction for