GreenXchange is a project launched by Nike and Best Buy, transforming mostly scientific patents into creative commons patent , helping organisation to share sustainable technolgies. It s an experience first , most likely a start up , that would accept membership.
Kaitlin Thaney , from science commons describe the project very well :
GreenXchange is very much an exploratory project. Our goal is to stimulate innovation in the operational space by increasing research use and rights through the some rights reserved model, and to extend the model itself all the way into standard commercial patent licensing for sustainability purposes. Our model is open innovation, our methods are those of the digital commons, and we are very excited to be working with our new partners to help them overcome “failed sharing” to help us all work towards a sustainable world.
It does follow a new business trends called open collaboration , outsourcing or simply pushing the innovation and research and development process outside the boundaries of firms.
it s also based on the successful open source model of Linux and GPL licence ( GNU public licence ) as nobody owns knowledge.
our environment and our future are not owned by anybody. Why should the technologies that could protect them be owned by somebody ? Such ownership would only have profitability purpose , not saving the environment , our civilisation , which is the goal of such technology.
The idea is simple , the impact can be huge and I m sure it will get the support it deserves. It s a step to find global solutions to global problems. You can watch their presentation video, it s pretty inspiring.
I came accross on article on mashable.com about a whole food boycott
Basically they said that whole food was really active on social networks , with a fan community of 100,000 on their page. and on twitter too with 1.2 million followers and others sub twits accounts.
Whole food CEO wrote a controversial article on health care reform in America. I think only one paragraph can really be criticized :
“Many promoters of health-care reform believe that people have an intrinsic ethical right to health care—to equal access to doctors, medicines and hospitals. While all of us empathize with those who are sick, how can we say that all people have more of an intrinsic right to health care than they have to food or shelter?”
It created a growing boycott community on facebook of 22 000 active users ( I wonder who started and organised that … self-organised community ? ) .
They recently closed the discussion on facebook as people get involved and trolls increase, which is a pity has there is no more access to discussion threads here.
I think health care is a sensible topic in America. CEO should be careful while expressing their opinion about it. At least they should argue or engage in a discussion instead of showing themself as the high class people who don t care about what other classes think about it.
People probably care about it because they know the influence corporations have on government , through lobby. They know if that CEO think like that , many of its politician friends will agree with him. Corporations have power and influence to change government policies.
Facebook group share links and pictures ( flikr ) , information about the company , and classify itself as common interest and politic group. Common interest .. that reminds me something about the commons , what nobody owns.
I think it s an hard job for a consumer to boycott a brand , particulary corporations , because many of the product we buy belongs to sub brand of corporations.
Fortunately , facebook group is here to help consumers in their initiative , and they give a list of products that are associated to the corporation.
They even have a blog about it : http://wholeboycott.com/ where mostly they aggregate news from other sources.
However it s easy for consumers to express their opinion and gather together to empower themselves. Twitter trends shows no more than 17 twits a day regarding that topic.
Reddit shows 24 topics on the boycott , some has been popular , with 500 up votes. Enough to get visibility here .. and so angry comments
One very interesting point , is that consumers are redirected to wholefood forum to carry the discussion on their space. I think it s a good idea and I hope wholefood moderation will be applied wisely ( as I recognize some comments really needs it )
So this group engage consumers with the company they boycott . And they can find out they have many way to do so.
Actually it reminds me I knew about wholefood forum ( but during my master they didn t have twitter account yet )
Looking at wholefood social media articles and communities , you really understand why they are doing so well. Talking about their plans , their product , the bad and good things happening in their industry and their company.
However the only place where they you can find information about the boycott is on their forum : http://tinyurl.com/nqgcoe , on health care reform section. It s an interesting move. It s hidden into a sub forum topic, like if it has nothing to do with their business activity. However they do let people express their opinion ant talk about it , and a lot of them do so ( 1500 comments ) , most of them are angry but constructive, expressing why they decided to act.
I m curious that I haven’ t seen any official answer from Mackey regarding this topic. Maybe it didn t feel it s necessary. Maybe this is a dangerous move to attract attention and launch a polemic.
Very interesting case study for social media. I wonder what will be the development of this issue. Most probably the buzz will decrease and disappear, or customer will create a watchdog organisations aiming at wholefood.
philophy : crowdsourcing analysis , citizen journalism and analysis , this website will not raise issues but analyse existing issue to create a global knowledge sharing platform.
Members : members will have profile depending of the type of stakeholders they are , what community they belongs to and there would be a trust ranking system. Ranking system will grant different permission and access to the community and the content , such as moderating , banning , ranking others , resolve conflict or issues.
Method of Analaysis for content :
Users will submit content and tag them following user’s defined category ( using taxonomy ) , give content sources and will write a short analysis if needed. Other user will be able to modify this content or add information. Discussion will be possible as well ( comments ). There would be criteria regarding social, economic and environmental impact, and trust of the content sources.
Users will be able to search and export content, ultimately display diagram and statistic tools.
Content will be link together by taxonomy ( for example some contents will be tagged with the name of a company , date of the report )
There will be a percentage of analysis degree for CSR report ( CSR report will be break down into parts regarding their topics ) so users can see what is left to do.
An API will be available to give access to content to other application/website , An open format will be choose to share data using XML
There will be a list of popular sources with their last news aggregated that users can check
Project development : It will follow an opensource matrix, anybody interested can join and participate.
It will use opensource tools such as wiki , blog.
The platform for developing the project will be http://opensustainability.net
The project will be created on sourceforge
What is next ? : Need volonteers , supporter to work on the project
Looking for sponsorship
To develop concept and organise it.
Define and discuss project functionnalities.
Define a development plan with milestone.
When volonteers number will be enough , the project will start.
Please leave a comment to give your opinion about the project.
They hired me to do a website, and I proposed to use Drupal , and opensource content management system for that. I told them it was free.
Their first reaction was the following : it s free ? great ! how they make money with that ? is it reliable ?
Of course I argued with them that it is one of the best CMS and they were quickly convinced ( althought I realized later they didn t expect it to have so much functionalities )
So the company is happy with that. I m also happy to use open source technology : note for me : share few articles and tutorial about things I learn from drupal to give back to the community after the website is done.
So I installed ubuntu on my computer because I told them it got all the software I needed for free. They trusted me and I thanks them for that. I installed from windows using WIBI.
They have been very impressed by the design and interface of ubuntu. However this company is extremly traditional and still trust in Microsoft and mac.
With the laptop they give me I can run fantastic 3d graphic interface ( compiz ) and many many programs at the same time in many Desktop without the computer slowing down. Didn t have any reboot since I installed it.
If I use the windows partition. It slows down from the start ( windows xp ) and can at maximum launch 3 application and still be usable.
But what s their reaction when they use my laptop with ubuntu to test my website :
It s basically fear. If something happens they don t understand , they don t even try to learn, they reject it. They say what s that , what s that menu , how you close that windows. That was the first reaction thew would have in front of a mac. But because it s linux, ubuntu , something they unconsciently don t trust, probably because nobody has been selling them with millions in advertisement, they don t try and I could see what they think about it : it s a weird system for geeks.
Yes I m a geek, but a geek willing to share and help them discover that system if they would ask him.
Of course poor compatiblity with docx format doesn’t help very much ( and they don t realize that is Microsoft that is over protected its format and not adopting open standard )
I guess I have to be patient … Maybe one day, they would have time to try , maybe adopt a new system that I believe one day will become a standard in the computer industry.
Many system are already using it. How we , linux users can fight muti million dollars lobbying and ads.
It s like NGO tryng to fight unethical corporation … a difficult taks really.
I read a lot about CSR , sustainability , environment , open source and social media.
I believe strongly there is a link between them
Both what they call CSR and social media are new trends , new business model.
Twitter , facebook , opensource software didn t start with a business plan to make profit. They started as an useful service people start to use.
They built a framework so other people can use them the way they want it. Then when the user base grow, when people start to create arount these ecosystem, they can create a business plan around to monetize some related services.
I believe without users , social networks have no value. I believe without customers , stakeholders CSR has no value. Without user contributing to open source software , they would have never reach that usability and level of achievement.
CSR should evolve to be an open system. Academics talk about CSR 2.0 but it s only an hype to promote a new concept.
2.0 on the web meant that users share content , interact on websites. It s an interactive way to communicate and to inform.
CSR must be 2.0 too . Stakeholders should be able to interact with organisation to help them improve their sustainability strategies.
That s where the web is the most suitable platform to to that.
CSR should be transparent. And most researcher conclude that. Data should be transparent so people can compare, use and truly understand the value of sustainability. Then activities will be build around this new open information. People would truly be able , if they desire it to acheive a sustainable life , consume in a sustainable way and participate in a sustainable society.
CSR shouldn’t be only risk management it must be open cooperation , co{o}petition.
Agencies that are only motivated to do sustainable consutancy or green marketing, even with geniun intentions will only sell a product to please their clients. CSR must be geniun first then as a consequence , a new profitable business model can be build around it , arount its ecosystem and growing user base.
I am part of a generation that grows in a digital world, being able to access free information, part of a generation that has totally embrace the technology but partially rejected capitalism ideology.
let’s embrace open source and reject priotary system. Particulary when it s not ethical.
let’s embrace internet , shared content , blogging , social media and reject mass media , mass fashion when it s formated and when it s shelled on us.
Capitalism ideology must be rejected as it becomes unsustainable , greedy and unethical. Too much power in the 2% of the population generate too much inequality.
People , take your pens and write blogs as we have this power. blogging is an important right as the right to vote. We must express our opinion.
I feel I want to write a note.
Need to clean my room and then turn on some nice music
So I get these thoughts in my mind since a long time. Probably just need to write it down.
I did enjoy studying CSR , my degree is only the cherry on the cake to keep and tell eveybody I ate the cake
However I always felt CSR or sustainaiblity for business is only a step to make our society change
CSR s driven by citizen and employees. So the change happen in our organisations.
I say our organisations because for me any of them are part of us, part of humanity , part of our society.
A small company , a corporation , a government are part of us as they organise the way we behave , control , manage ourself , our resources , our production.
It s not their responsibility , it s our global responsibility.
I think the priority or way of thinking of these organisation reflect the goals of our humanity. Our goals for the moment are focus on short term strategies , profits , quick grow. The united nation set up millenium probably to change that.
So why CSR is only a first steps ?
People in CSR dreams are about every company in the world having strong CSR policies.
They dream about CSR being part of business, driven by an ecological ethical market.
CSR would be an integrated strategy like there is an integrated marketing.
Our global strategy which is a mix of myriad of small strategies at the moment should be focus to sustain a futur for us.
But that is only a step because we need to change our organisations way of thinking and I strongly believe that the language of people that are part of these organisations reflect that way of thinking.
Being a Y-gen generation , just moving into the business world. I m antropologically chocked by the vocabulary we use in business to conceptualize our activities. Business have been made efficient, effective and productive thanks to these vocabulary and I probably don t understant their deep meaning yet.
So we build theise business vocabulary : stakeholders , shareholder , consumer , customer , strategy , marketing , audience , process , productivity , team building to make business worlds coherent no matter in which organisation you are.
We are not just customer, stakeholder. We are civils , we are patients , we are parents , we are friends , we are subjects , we are electors, we are adepts , we are animals , we are eaters. But a customer seem to belong to them,so they make us part of them.
We are really empowered in this world , by the choices we make as customer , our preferences. That is what business are trying to influence , even if for that they have to do these sweet , feeling-good green washing.
So the primary focus of business are customers ( even these are just other businesses ). Their strategy are focused toward it. Their actions are focus toward them. What they seem to forget is the people in these organisation are also part of us, they are also customers. What they seem to forget is that they serve us, they serve our society. If they do hurt their customer , they hurt their society , they hurt themself. Same goes for the environment where they could destroy their own futur. But that does not appear into business vocabulary. It only starts to appears in CSR- business related vocabulary.
For me as long as business will use this language there would be no real understanding of the real stakes of our civilisation. Business trying to understand sustainability face the same problem than business trying to understand social media. The main reason I believe is the apparent contradiction
between these.
Business strive to survive in a world of business which is a world whose rules are disconnected from our society, from our environment. So they won t care first about protecting our society or environment as they don t feel to depend on them yet. Environment is not a customer so business have no profit dealing with it.
Business strive to understand social media because of its own old model. However I do believe business networks are really similar to social media where eveybody has a broadcasting channel.
Wow I could write a book about it. It s hard not to be confusing. I m having good/hard time for the moment with a project so not so much articles
Maybe you didn t know but 5th of June is declared world environmental (birth)day by Unisted nations.
We did something at our office , which was nice and someway raised a bit our awarness.
For me this environmental day is like our birthday.
My birthday is 9th of June, ( 4 days after the environmental day ). I feel birthday is not so important for yourself as you should celebrate your life everyday. But I agree it is important for your community/family to celebrate.
It s the same for environment day. We should take care of our environment everyday, But it s a day to gather and celebrate together the environment. A day to take action and raise awareness for all other people who usually don t do.
I believe this world environment day has a good publicity. I mean many people will know about it. But it s only one day. What I would like to see for the next year is some kind of result. For example I would make a website where people can log and participate, enter their results , their testimonial , there would be a ranking , an assessment to measure their impact etc … so people would know who did what and what did happen. And the next year they would try to do better. Against environment on a global scale is still lacking transparency.
For the world environment day they released the movie “home”. I strongly advice anybody to watch it as it s available for free on youtube during 10 days : http://tinyurl.com/d9uq6n.
Quickly this movie is a documentary that put into perspective the earth , life and human evolution. It really do give you amazing and meaningful numbers that make you understand the scale of our impact and how it has evolved.
Meeting : at the HUB , near st pancras , London.
http://kingscross.the-hub.net/public/events/102373
Sponsored by clownfish , my company ( went with my boss and colleagues )
I listened to John Bird speach , the founder of The big issue, a newspaper sold by homeless people around the world to earn some income and break out poverty. He is a social entrepreneur : entreprise whose primary goal is to fullfill a social need , improve society , help
The guy :
Impressive , talking loud , showman , human, confident , old but has more energy than most of us. Passionnate about its cause.
The business issue:
Adaptable : has evolved and harnessed the risk of working with poor social class , analysed them very well , probably understand their background their reaction and their need.
Innovative : manage the opportunities , seems to have transmit deeply an innovative and free work culture centred on their own people and their target ( mostly homeless sellign people ). Will launch new product on the market such as a website. Launching a local shop fidelity card ( in local shop 80% goes to the community , it s the contrary for supermarket from big corporation where tax evasion is a commun practice and the investment of their profit in local community is a small small percentage / however in many Indian local shop most money probably go to India )
Competition ? seems to be no competition , what about the free newspaper that gives real part time job to people in London ? No social entrepreneur have tried to copy their business model ?
Parnership with business ( even those who might create poverty by not caring so much about their impact on society ) Getting dirty with leaders VS getting clean with like-minded.
The social issue:
Community : create a link between people and homeless , get them out of street instead of hide them in ( like many politician do )
Individuals : pushed to earn money , way to break a circle of dependance. “dismantling poverty”
Cause : poverty is an human right abuse ( its belief ) I think it s true as among human right there is the right of having a home with hygienic condition and acces to clean water and necessary food.
Partnership with many NGO , charities , foundraising. He seems a big public figure and used to it.
Measurement : Reading a bit about social entrepreneurship , I know it needs to prove its result. I m sure they did some survey but I haven t heard about any concrete data / results . Only vague ( their percentage of conversion homeless people to an happy new consumerism life with a home should be low. I think it s the core of social entrepreneurship as they can t really show up their results only with their profits.
Lovely day here. Nice people at the hub , all like-minded. So many social entrepreneurs in London !
Thinking about sustainability and CSR , I strongly believe it s an important shift of strategy for organisation. Focusing on long term profit , lean process , reducing waste , protectimg human rigths in a time business could close or be bought in a day is brave.
It s a shift for consumer who get educated to their responsibilities too. Sustainability involve any aspects in our society. Everybody is involved even we often don t realise it
What really scary me is the scale of our societies. Human civilisation has grown up exponentially and although there are still huge gaps in wealth repartitions, we all get more wealthy. That means more buying power and more business activities.
So if we really do want a sustainable world for our children, I don t believe businesses are going to change our , as human civilisation , impact on our environment. Because it s the sum of all our impacts , thoughts , need , habits that generate it.
So if we do want to. Change our world, the society as a whole need to change. Every people. That s idealistic and I know in the world where we live it s not gonna happen like that. ( chance are we ll have to face crisis situation and then be forced to adapt ).
But if that happens, and it s already starting , business need also to adapt it s strategy for this new society. If that happens business will sale less unsustainable products , and with new habits will come new opportunities.
We can t make credit on our futur can t borrow on environmental loan that we ll just repay later. If we went to prevent our environmental and social debts as a consequence of our boulimie, we have to start to pay back now or interests will be very high ( and I think they are ) bringing our civilisation to bankrut. ( nice ecomomic metaphore isn t it, business only understand these terms I m afraid )
Just reinstalled my computer. It was begining to be slow … too much tricks , application , I had to clean it.
Ubuntu , my favorite open source OS has been released in a brand new versions.
I had several problems installing it . Due to lack of preparation I spent my sunday on it.
I would have prefered working on my project, a website for my company. But it s fine. Now it s done.
Because of installation delay I haven t been able to talk with my girlfriend today.
My girlfriend … never talked about her on my blog. She says my blog is too professional. I completely agree. That s one of the main reason I set it up.
We have beem separated for a long time and keep a long distance relationship.
She does art and design , working hard on a business project, writing her business plan to apply for government funds.
If you speak chinese you can have a look at her blog : http://www.wretch.cc/blog/missybox. I don t know enough Mandarin so I use google translator : http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=zh-CN&tl=en&u=http://www.wretch.cc/blog/missybox
( it s amazing )
I feel it s hard to mix my passions : IT and CSR. I think when I ll start working on my next project . both area will be more interconnected to it ll be more interesting and challenging.
But first I ll need to finish this website . using drupal.
I love my job , my girlfriend and my family. Next week end I ll go to france for my cousin wedding . I can t wait to be here
GreenXchange is a project launched by Nike and Best Buy, transforming mostly scientific patents into creative commons patent , helping organisation to share sustainable technolgies. It s an experience first , most likely a start up , that would accept membership.
