This month I'd like to introduce you to Christine Bevilacqua. The Carlsbad resident is a third-semester student in Antioch University's Master of Arts in Urban Sustainability program. She recently started an internship with the Chamber and will be working with our Sustainability Committee to assess and update the EcoGreen Checklist and Green Business Certification program.
She is also the author of the following article – Bev Jorgensen
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We hear the word "sustainable" a lot these days: sustainable business practices, sustainable infrastructure, sustainable paper towels…but what does this mean to the business community in Carlsbad? The modern definition of sustainability emphasizes the need to ensure economic stability, ecological health and biodiversity, and social equity for future generations. But some business owners and their employees find it challenging to find a way to adopt these aspects of environmental and community stewardship without affecting the bottom line.
However with new policies, accessible financing options and emerging technologies, this is rapidly changing.
Any kind of change involves some level of fear, but incorporating environmentally-friendly practices and sustainable systems into a business model does not have to be scary. Looking carefully at existing successful sustainability programs and keeping an open mind are key. In the book The Local Politics of Global Sustainability, the authors make a bold statement that underscores this point well: "The rational process of figuring out how to achieve a sustainable world must begin with a non-rational act of imagination." It's this out-of-the-box kind of thinking that can help businesses get comfortable with the idea of sustainability and often leads to growing their business in new, unanticipated directions.
The complex study of Urban Sustainability really just boils down to taking care of the place you live and work. Carlsbad is a magnificent place to live for its beauty, people, ecology and economic strength. The time is right for the business community to join together to form our city's unique definition of sustainability and create a supportive network of like-minded businesses.
The Chamber of Commerce Sustainability Committee is an excellent resource for businesses and residents to explore the issues of "green" practices and implementation solutions. Those who attend the committee's monthly meetings can learn and contribute to the discourse around the issues of energy, the green economy, equity, natural resources and much more. Committee meetings also highlight stories of local companies using innovative sustainable practices, and the processes and results involved with making these changes. The committee is open to Chamber members only, though the presentations of some speakers are open to the public.
I invite you to attend a Chamber Sustainability meeting to join the exciting conversations happening in Carlsbad around the issue of sustainability in our city and the region. The committee has planned a dynamic lineup of speakers, roundtables, presentations and eco-tours for 2014, and we will also have our own section at the Chamber's annual Business Expo coming up in the fall.
Please check the Chamber website for the full calendar of speakers and events. We meet the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 a.m. at the Chamber building located at 5934 Priestly Drive.
She is also the author of the following article – Bev Jorgensen
**************
We hear the word "sustainable" a lot these days: sustainable business practices, sustainable infrastructure, sustainable paper towels…but what does this mean to the business community in Carlsbad? The modern definition of sustainability emphasizes the need to ensure economic stability, ecological health and biodiversity, and social equity for future generations. But some business owners and their employees find it challenging to find a way to adopt these aspects of environmental and community stewardship without affecting the bottom line.
However with new policies, accessible financing options and emerging technologies, this is rapidly changing.
Any kind of change involves some level of fear, but incorporating environmentally-friendly practices and sustainable systems into a business model does not have to be scary. Looking carefully at existing successful sustainability programs and keeping an open mind are key. In the book The Local Politics of Global Sustainability, the authors make a bold statement that underscores this point well: "The rational process of figuring out how to achieve a sustainable world must begin with a non-rational act of imagination." It's this out-of-the-box kind of thinking that can help businesses get comfortable with the idea of sustainability and often leads to growing their business in new, unanticipated directions.
The complex study of Urban Sustainability really just boils down to taking care of the place you live and work. Carlsbad is a magnificent place to live for its beauty, people, ecology and economic strength. The time is right for the business community to join together to form our city's unique definition of sustainability and create a supportive network of like-minded businesses.
The Chamber of Commerce Sustainability Committee is an excellent resource for businesses and residents to explore the issues of "green" practices and implementation solutions. Those who attend the committee's monthly meetings can learn and contribute to the discourse around the issues of energy, the green economy, equity, natural resources and much more. Committee meetings also highlight stories of local companies using innovative sustainable practices, and the processes and results involved with making these changes. The committee is open to Chamber members only, though the presentations of some speakers are open to the public.
I invite you to attend a Chamber Sustainability meeting to join the exciting conversations happening in Carlsbad around the issue of sustainability in our city and the region. The committee has planned a dynamic lineup of speakers, roundtables, presentations and eco-tours for 2014, and we will also have our own section at the Chamber's annual Business Expo coming up in the fall.
Please check the Chamber website for the full calendar of speakers and events. We meet the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 a.m. at the Chamber building located at 5934 Priestly Drive.