Making Money Opportunities

Businesses would be more interested in saving trees if money grew on them.Cross-posted from TriplePundit.

In 2009, I cofounded a company called CO2 IMPACT to develop high quality carbon offset projects in the Americas. While I have a Ph.D. in business, I have frequently been too focused on my values to justify the business case for a lower carbon footprint. I guess I care too much about what we are doing to the planet and what we are leaving behind for my son, Mateo.

Along the way, I have learned a painful lesson that hopefully can help other aspiring climate capitalists: Most people and most industries don't really care about the planet or climate change. They care about things that matter to their pocketbook or to their bottom line. I am of course exaggerating a bit as, for example, most of the Triple Pundit readers care about the environmental and social impacts of their activities, not just the financial.

Most of us noticed that Obama's recent rhetoric about energy efficiency and renewables avoided the topic of climate change altogether. This is not because Obama suddenly doesn't care about climate change. It is that he has learned what messaging works with the American people. Jobs, economy, jobs, oh yes, and did I mention jobs?

How we frame the issues and opportunities related to the low-carbon economy is incredibly important. Too many of us, myself included, wear our passion on our sleeves and focus on the wrong issues in trying to help engage a skeptical public to make the transition.

This is of course why Peter Byck developed a documentary, Carbon Nation, (which I blogged about recently), a climate change solutions movie "that doesn't even care if you believe in climate change." This is also the reason why I cowrote the forthcoming book, Climate Capitalism with Hunter Lovins. We hope that by removing the "debate" about climate change from the conversation and focusing on the profits, jobs, and economic growth that can be achieved by making the switch to a low-carbon economy, we might have more of an impact on public discourse and private action.

When CO2 IMPACT first started promoting our services to the market, our messaging focused on our ability to help companies reduce their emissions and generate extra revenue by selling the carbon offsets into the market. My opinion now is that was definitely the wrong message. We now focus on showing how companies can save money, or make more money, by engaging in energy efficiency, fuel switching, or methane capture projects. Oh yeah, and by the way, you can make some additional revenue from offsets to improve the project return on investment and grow your "green" brand at the same time.

Take our coal mine methane projects in Colombia. There have been two explosions from excessive gas in underground coal mines in Colombia this year killing 26 people. Last year, more than 200 miners were killed in similar explosions. While there are socially responsible mining companies who are absolutely concerned about the health and safety of their employees, the best arguments to get clients to embrace coal mine methane capture projects are financial. Mitigate operational risks of explosions, gain access to the methane as a cheap, green energy source, reduce their operating costs from ventilation systems (if you drain much of the gas, there is less ventilation requirements), and, oh yes, reduce their climate impact and gain additional carbon offset revenue.

Think Latin American coal mines are the only companies who care more about their bottom line than their impact on climate change? North American companies, except for a few notable exceptions, are the same way. Many recent articles in Triple Pundit have rightly recognized Walmart for its recent transition to being a climate leader. Does anyone really think that Walmart is doing this because they have suddenly become treehugging liberals? I don't think so. They are doing it because they are saving money. And lots of it. And Walmart, yes Walmart, won the Aspen Institute's 2009 Corporate Energy Efficiency Award [PDF] because of this commitment.

GE has made major efforts to promote their low-carbon green solutions. Sure they use their campaign to build their green credentials, but mostly they are doing it to generate more green bills. The Ecoimagination program is generating more than $18 billion per year in revenues for GE.

In conclusion, my point is for all of us who care about the planet and want to be part of the transition to the low-carbon economy, we need to focus more on the economy part, and slightly less on the low-carbon part. That is the fastest way to get to 350 parts per million.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for Leland Stanford Junior Universotu v. Roche,  a case that will clarify a 1980 law that governs the ownership of patents held by universities that rely on federal research funds.

The case refers back to 1988, when Mark Holodniy, then a Stanford-employed researcher, developed technology that would ultimately lead to one of the first AIDS tests. It's used to monitor the effectiveness of AIDS treatments, using polymerase chain reaction assays to measure the level of hormones in the body. However, while Holodniy was employed by Stanford, he also signed a research contract with a private pharmaceutical company to work on a similar projects. While the patents were originally granted to Stanford, Roche has been selling the technology to hospitals since 1996.

In 2005, Stanford took Roche to a federal district court in San Francisco, arguing that Roche had infringed on the school's patents. Stanford won the case, but an appeals court reversed the decision. On Monday, the case was presented in Washington to the Supreme Court. Lawyers for Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. argued that Roche's contract with the private company trumps any existing agreement with Stanford. In a broader view, the Supreme Court will decide which interests to protect: those of the government (in this case the university), or those of private businesses.

While Stanford has maintained that it seeks the intellectual property for the patent—and not the cash it creates—it's clear that lucrative patents can be a huge money-maker for universities. "Not all university inventions make a lot of money," University of California-Davis law professor Peter Lee told KQED Radio's The California Report, "but some do. So there's potentially millions of dollars at stake in the outcome of this case."

According to Bloomberg, the "case may pit universities and the federal government against companies." The article also notes that the Obama adminstration, MIT, and the Association of American Universities are backing Stanford.

Roche, based in Switzerland, argued that universities were making "hyperbolic" claims about the impact of the ruling. Bloomberg quotes the company as arguing that: "Stanford's desire for private monetary gain has nothing to do with clarity of title or bringing valuable scientific discoveries to the public...On the contrary, Stanford's effort to exclude Roche from practicing the patented invention would reduce opportunities for the public to benefit from the invention."

More than 25 organizations, private companies, and individuals have offered amici curiae, or legal opinions, to the court. In one, jointly filed by the Intel Corporation, Eli Lilly and Company, and Johnson and Johnson, among others, the private companies asserted that if Stanford was granted patent rights, it could reduce opportunities for the public to benefit from the invention.

"Stanford's novel interpretation of the Act would discourage collaboration by allowing universities and other contractors to engage in predatory behavior," they wrote in the brief. "Under Stanford's view, for example, a university could attempt to escape its contractual obligations and terminate a commercial collaborator's rights in an invention simply by sprinkling the research project with a modest amount of federal funds."

But, the Obama administration, as well as a number of high profile academic organizations have urged the court to reverse the 2009 decision. They argue that federally funded research projects are "used to advance the public interest," as opposed to corporate projects, which are used in the pursuit of maximum profit. U.S. Solicitor General Neal Katyal said that siding with Roche would frustrate "the government's ability to protect the taxpayers' multibillion-dollar investments in research and development."

A decision is expected in June.

BenchCraft, LLC announced that it can debut its Concert Series, a whole new line of recliners with an integrated sound model, at Great Stage Market on October 17-22, 2009. Concert Sequence recliners function two built-in stereo speakers as well as a subwoofer developed exclusively to create a complete selection of sound. It has tactile motors which could either vibrate with the sound or be utilised independently being a massage strategy, and separate controls that permit for person adjustments to become manufactured to your volume, bass/treble, and the tactile/massage characteristic. The method, that will possess a beginning price level of $699, will even comprise of a mini audio jack so end users can connect to their a variety of audio resources (i.e. iPods, MP3 players, cell phones, etc.). To that finish, Sinning mentioned that Berkline may also be introducing in pick motion
bench craft company reviews
furnishings its new eCoupled technological innovation option--a wireless charging station for electronic units like cell phones, MP3 players, and laptops. Created by Fulton Innovation, it eliminates the want for energy cords by making an electromagnetic conduit blended with an intelligent control procedure that always monitors power movement so a number of units from distinct manufactures can cost at the same time. eCoupled know-how can be risk-free for digital products considering it can provide only the quantity of energy
bench craft company reviews
wanted to help keep a equipment at peak energy ranges, so there is certainly no chance of overcharging. While the amount of gadgets compatible with this particular engineering is limited, Berkline expects that alot more and more brand names will move toward incorporating the ability to connect to your eCoupled operate

The Bench Craft Company supplies no excuses for your complicated do the trick and perseverance that they commit on their own to as a way to preserve themselves since the leader in nationwide onsite golf program property
bench craft company reviews
promoting. No excuses for furnishing their customers with the most detailed protection for his or her bench craft company reviews marketing dollar whether it be locally or nationwide. No excuses for offering golf course properties essentially the most seamless program for creating additional income while in the most non-intrusive manner, though enhancing the top notch for the services and the experience of their golfers on their property. Bench Craft is committed to being the very best and the largest at what they do, advertising on golf course bench craft company reviews venues.
In an age wherever no one
bench craft company reviews
needs to take obligation for something, Bench Craft tends to make itself totally responsible for that accomplishment of their promoting purchasers, and that is why their consumers and well as Bench Craft continuously practical knowledge nutritious progress prices and revenue margins. A provider can't be anymore
bench craft company reviews
flourishing than their customer, so it's objective of Bench Craft to create selected that any consumer receives the most suitable probable venue for presenting their people
bench craft company reviews
merchandise and solutions, no matter if it be locally or nationally. This commitment to superior is what sets Bench Craft aside from its opponents, and dollar for dollar would make its promoting products some of the most worthwhile within the industry.
The golf programs bench craft company reviews that Bench Craft Company performs in concert with, receive providers and solutions at no amount. Bench Craft Company sales staff immediately money this process for every golf program by obtaining sponsors for every merchandise. Community vendors and gamers while in the neighborhood receive sponsorship priority and golf course management functions closely with Bench Craft to recognize probable sponsors. Bench Craft’s hugely thriving
bench craft company reviews
technique offers you golf courses a cost-free of cost solution that also eliminates fees hence of style alterations, course modifications, theft and vandalism.
As currently being a definite additional gain, each and every program is guarded beneath a $3,000,000 liability policy. The organization can accommodate basically each individual golf program. Additionally, Bench Craft Company works together with all branches of the Armed Forces, and state, county and metropolis golf programs. This assortment of golf courses provides Bench Craft’s shoppers with all the most complete coverage of golf course properties with the United states.
The forward
bench craft company reviews
pondering Visionaries at Bench Craft Company designed a system that garners the attention and participation of not only its personal gross sales employees, but the sponsors, golf course management along with the membership and patrons. There is just one Bench Craft Company, don’t fall for rip off plots by imposters operating a rip-off.
bench craft company reviews