Blog Pattern Language
By Sam Martin - February 4, 2009
I attended the University of Texas 2009 Sustainable Business Summit last week and I must say I was a little disappointed. I like the effort. Many of the speakers and attendees were enthusiastic about the idea that sustainability can be a business opportunity rather than a burden. But I could not get rid of the nagging question, “Why does the business world always seem late to the sustainable party?”
For starters – and I just want to get this out of the way – there was no Internet connection at the conference. Are you kidding me? I’m just scratching my head over this one. There was a “guest access” signal but it required a “guest password” that the conference planners did not supply, and when I asked about it, they told me I could get online at the library … two blocks away. I actually saw people taking notes with pens and note pads. What is this, 1985? I was left to my phone to check and send emails. Forget live blogging and Twittering — the Edge network is still too damn slow. I suppose I could have uploaded a mobile image or update to my Facebook page, but it would only have been some snide remark about there being no Internet connection, so I spared my “friends” that bit of digital intrusion.
One also wonders why a sustainable business conference would have, as its sole top tier sponsor, an oil and gas exploration and pipeline building company. Of course, it’s good PR for that company to be associated with sustainability but does this fool anyone anymore? A simple five minute Google search reveals all kinds of shady environmental, land-right, and personal-injury issues associated with the building of pipelines. I know oil and gas are going to be part of the coming discussion on a new, hopefully-cleaner energy policy that includes wind and solar, but still….
Now back to the question: Why DOES the business community seem so late to the sustainable party?
