ecological limits
The Future of Water: Supply Cannot Keep Up with Demand
A new report on challenges facing the world’s water supply offers a dire prediction that by 2030 we can expect a massive gap between the sustainable supply of water and the projected demand. The compelling report, “Charting Our Water Future…,” was written by the 2030 Water Resources Group,
Results from the Rio + 20 Summit
The Rio + 20 Summit drew nearly 50,000 participants, including more than 100 governmental representatives, a large number of non-governmental organizations, and a significant corporate presence. As I mentioned in my last post…, the preparatory talks to the conference were stymied by national interests and lacked focus toward a
Fresh Water Deficit
People need fresh water to live; manufacturers need fresh water to produce; and economic growth is dependent on abundant fresh water supplies. Water is essential for moving waste, keeping us and the environment healthy, as well as for producing food, clothing, and iPhones. Yet, most people in the developed world…
The importance of Rio + 20
In 1992 the United Nations hosted the Earth Summit, a conference on the environment and development, in Rio de Janeiro. Ten years later the World Summit on Sustainable Development was held in 2002 in Johannesburg. Now, twenty years since the original conference, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio…
Mexico Passes Climate Change Legislation
In April, the Mexican Legislature passed the developing world’s first climate change bill, and after President Felipe Calderon signs the bill into law, Mexico will be one of a few countries to have a comprehensive climate change law in place. While the bill, known as the General Law on Climate…
Conversations at the GLOBE 2012 conference
I recently attended the GLOBE 2012… conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, which is focused on business and the environment. The conference had several intriguing sessions, but the most enlightening was “Sustained Growth and Sustainability: Re-engineering the Economic Model.” The moderator of the session was Paul Clements-Hunt, former Head of the
Wonderful to Be with the Leader in Environmental Investing
Several years ago, I felt a need to understand the intersection of global industrial development’s tremendous interaction with our environment and the financial risks and opportunities being created by this interplay. Through my research, it became clear to me that Portfolio 21 Investments had developed a unique set of skills…
Global Alliance for Banking on Values Roundtable
Recently, I had the opportunity to sit in on a roundtable discussion chaired by David Korslund, senior advisor to the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) at New Resource Bank… headquarters in San Francisco. The dialogue centered on the creation of an effective investment vehicle to generate capital for
Raising Elijah, and a call for the Precautionary Principle
I was first introduced to ecologist Sandra Steingraber’s work through Orion Magazine and have always considered her writing thought-provoking and meaningful. Her recently published book, Raising Elijah: Protecting Our Children in an Age of Environmental Crisis…, is no exception. As a cancer survivor, Steingraber has dedicated herself to exploring
The Great Disruption
Last fall we had a great opportunity to host Paul Gilding in our office when he visited Portland to speak about his recent book. Many of us had read The Great Disruption… over the summer and discussed his bold proclamation that “the climate crisis will bring on the end of
