Pruitt to Decimate Environmental Protections and Climate Action

Scott Pruitt was picked by Trump to eviscerate the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and eradicate climate action and other environmental regulations. The fact that Pruitt and all of Trump's cabinet were picked to dismantle the departments and agencies they were charged to head was confirmed by Stephen Bannon at CPAC in February, 2017.

By nominating Pruitt to head the EPA Trump has put the fox in the hen-house. Pruitt opposes environmental and climate action he also opposes science. Like Trump, he also opposes facts when they refute his agenda. He has a track record of undermining the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and anti-pollution programs He has spent much of his time as the former Attorney General of Oklahoma fighting the EPA in the courts. He has sued the EPA multiple times mostly on behalf of the fossil fuel industry.

Pruitt is an ally of the fossil fuel industry. He even defended Exxon from prosecution over its corruption and subterfuge. One of Pruitt's staunchest supporters is billionaire Harold Hamm, who is president of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources. Hamm, who is a pioneer of modern horizontal fracking was a Trump campaign advisor and although he refused the post Trump offered him the position of Energy Secretary.

Pruitt is not only intent on destroying environmental oversight he has also sued the Obama administration over the Affordable Care Act and Dodd-Frank financial reform.

As reviewed in the Washington Post, the press release announcing Pruitt quoted Trump as saying:

“For too long, the Environmental Protection Agency has spent taxpayer dollars on an out-of-control anti-energy agenda that has destroyed millions of jobs, while also undermining our incredible farmers and many other businesses and industries at every turn,”

Pruitt was quoted as saying: “The American people are tired of seeing billions of dollars drained from our economy due to unnecessary EPA regulations, and I intend to run this agency in a way that fosters both responsible protection of the environment and freedom for American businesses.”

Although the courts have already upheld some of the EPA's constitutional authority to enforce environmental protections, Pruitt has said:

“What concerns the states is the process, the procedures, the authority that the EPA is exerting that we think is entirely inconsistent with its constitutional and statutory authority,”

The EPA's efforts are designed to protect Americans. However, like the rest of the Trump administration and especially Trump himself, facts don't matter to Pruitt. They undermine fact based reporting so they can control the narrative and lie to Americans unencumbered by oversight from the fifth estate.

Trump's war against the EPA has already begun and as soon as Pruitt was confirmed he disbanded the Environmental Protection Unit of the EPA. The agency has since ceased to enforce environmental regulations. The GOP has already put forward legislation to kill the EPA outright.

Although the Trump administration and Pruitt accuse Obama and the EPA of overreach, It should be clear by now that the current president is the one who is guilty of overreaching with executive orders that are highly questionable from a constitutional perspective.

If Pruitt has his way the US will no longer combat climate change nor will Americans have protections against polluted air (mercury, arsenic and other toxins) and water. The GOP has already moved to eliminate restrictions preventing the dumping of waste into rivers and streams under the Waters of the United States rule. The health of Americans is in the balance. Together the eradication of these laws will make even more Americans sick and increase the death toll. This is a destructive and deadly application of the government's authority.

Nonetheless the Clean Power Plan, the Obama administration's signature climate and environmental rule will very likely be killed by this administration. If the courts uphold the plan it would mean that there would need to be public notice and a comment process.

Legal challenges to Puritt's agenda are certain. Soon after Pruitt was nominated environmental groups and New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman indicated that they will use the courts to compel the Trump administration to enforce environmental protections.

If he is not stopped, Pruitt will oversee massive increases in pollution and add to the liklihood that we will not be able to reign-in climate change before we reach tipping points from which we will not be able to recover.  Like a modern day Nero he will fiddle as the world burns. 

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Event - Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue

This event will take place 20 – 23 March 2017, in Berlin, Germany. Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue follows IRENA’s November workshop that discussed key energy challenges, current energy status, and frameworks for promoting renewable energy in Thailand.

This consultation workshop will engage experts and government officials in the preparation of a joint REmap-RRA report — aimed at accelerating renewable energy deployment in Thailand.

The Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue is a conference hosted by the German Federal Government that brings together key international decision makers in energy, as well as industry, science and civil society to discuss the latest developments, innovative political instruments, new investment opportunities and future business propositions deriving from the ongoing transformation of the global energy sector.

This year, the event will focus on the decarbonisation of the energy system and the identification of solutions to address climate change, coinciding with Germany’s presidency of the Group of Twenty.

Within the framework of the conference, IRENA and the International Energy Agency will release a joint report which provides a blueprint for global decarbonisation and highlights sectors where low-carbon technologies are already used. The report will also identify areas where research, development, and innovation efforts are required.

For more information or to register click here.

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Bannon: Why Environmentalists are not the Only Ones who Should be Terrified (Videos)

Donald Trump may not be very bright and some have even questioned his sanity, however, the real madman behind this administration's crazy conspiratorial agenda is his chief strategy advisor Stephen Bannon. At the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Bannon admitted what we already knew, namely that the Trump administration has a plan to tear down not only environmental regulations but all regulations along with a host of government institutions and agencies. This administration has already started to dismantle environmental regulations but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Bannon sits on the Principles Group of the National Security Council (NSC). This is unprecedented for a White House strategist, but it speaks to the power the man has in this administration. In addition to being an anti-Semite and a white supremacist, Bannon is something far more sinister. He is an eschatologist who subscribes to the arcane branch of theology that is concerned with the end of the world or of humankind. He is fixated on the Last Judgment, something Bannon associates with what is called the "Fourth Turning".

The eradication of government

In the CPAC interview, Bannon revealed the deconstructionist agenda of this administration he said Trump's cabinet picks were selected to dismantle the departments and agencies that they were tapped to head. If one does not examine it too closely it fits into the conservative belief in small government. However, contrary to conservative orthodoxy it both expands and entrenches the power of the Executive branch.

At CPAC Bannon talked about the "deconstruction of the administrative state". Referring to his administration's desire to end regulations and economic oversight. He went on to bluntly state that the Trump administration is filled with people who are charged with destroying the very departments or agencies they are tasked to run. "If you look at these Cabinet nominees, they were selected for a reason, and that is deconstruction," Bannon said.

We are talking about killing the federal agencies that have helped to improve and protect American lives for decades. It should be clear that we have already seen movement in this direction. Trump's war against the EPA started very early in his term. The EPA is now being directed by Scott Pruitt a climate denier and stalwart advocate for the fossil fuel industry. Pruitt's LinkedIn page describes him as a "leading advocate against the EPA’s activist agenda". To demonstrate that he lives up to his billing he sued the EPA a total of 14 times over environmental regulations. To make matters worse he usually did so on behalf of the fossil fuel industry. Make no mistake about it this administration will end federal regulations including those that protect clean air and clean water.

We are also talking about Rex Tillerson who is now the Secretary of State. He is the former CEO of Exxon one of the most corrupt companies on earth. His goal is to remove sanctions against Russia so that oil drilling operations can commence in the Russian Arctic.

Former Goldman Sachs executive and opponent of financial regulations Steve Mnuchin is now the head the U.S. Treasury. Both Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and Department of Energy secretary Rick perry have called for the defunding or the complete eradication of the departments they now head. Betsy DeVos the Secretary of Education wants to end public education as we know it and force public schools to teach Christian dogma.

We are talking about a systematic purge of important federal oversight. This includes labor laws, housing standards, anti-discrimination laws, financial protections, food and drug safety and national education standards. The Trump administration is being aided by a Congress beholden to corporate interests. Some members of the GOP are trying to kill the EPA outright, others have begun whittling away at environmental protections and selling off public land.

Opposition to free and fair media

Like Trump, Bannon is an enemy of the free press. In his twisted world view, the media is in league with Islam and an expansionist China to undermine Judeo-Christian America. During his CPAC speech, he called the news media “the opposition party”.  This is part of the campaign to prevent people from accepting the truth about Trump and his administration.  This is an evil stroke of genius used by numerous despotic regimes throughout history. If successful, democracy itself is imperiled.

"If you look at the opposition party and how they portrayed the campaign and how they portrayed the transition and how they portray the administration, it’s always wrong," Bannon added, "Just like they were dead wrong on the chaos of the campaign and just like they were dead wrong on the chaos of the transition."




He is far crazier than you think

Bannon is far more dangerous than most people realize. He is the architect of Trump's attacks on government and the press and as such he poses a serious danger to Americans quality of life as well as to the institution of democracy. As explained by Daily Kos:

"Bannon is a fanatic, a clear and present danger to the America we all know and care about. Unfortunately, his fanaticism, poured into the ear of someone as fundamentally incurious and vain as Donald Trump, brings us closer to the wholesale destruction of this country than any of us could have expected in our lifetimes."

The truth about Bannon's agenda is even worse than the destruction of democracy. If you want to really understand Bannon you need to understand the theories that he promotes. The fact is he is batshit crazy. He believes a war is coming and not just any war but an apocalyptic war which Bannon believes is part of the Fourth Turning in American history.

The Huffington Post did a great job exposing Bannon's insane conspiratorial agenda, "What we are witnessing," Bannon told The Washington Post last month, "is the birth of a new political order."

Bannon's views are premised on the work of the generational theorists William Strauss and Neil Howe. According to Bannon's interpretation of this theory US history is marked by four major events: The American Revolution, the Civil War, World War II and finally the coming apocalypse called the Fourth Turning.

Strauss and Howe published The Fourth Turning in 1997, it focuses on the final, apocalyptic part of the cycle. As explained in the book: "This new regime will enthrone itself for the duration of the Crisis. Regardless of its ideology, that new leadership will assert public authority and demand private sacrifice. Where leaders had once been inclined to alleviate societal pressures, they will now aggravate them to command the nation’s attention."

Strauss and Howe’s predictions suggest that we might "spare modernity but mark the end of our nation." Or, they said, we might face "the end of man," in a global war leading to "omnicidal Armageddon."  In Bannon's version of the Fourth Turning war is inevitable.

Bannon told an audience at the Liberty Restoration Foundation, a conservative nonprofit, in 2011 that war is coming. Now that he is part of the ruling American administration we could argue that it is already here. "This movement," he said in November, "is in the top of the first inning."

Bannon wants to protect the Judeo-Christian West from "expansionist Islam" and "expansionist China". During a 2016 radio appearance he said, "They are motivated. They’re arrogant. They’re on the march."

"We’re going to war in the South China Seas in the next five to 10 years, aren’t we?" Bannon asked during a 2016 interview with Reagan biographer Lee Edwards. "We are in an outright war against jihadist Islamic fascism," he said in a speech to a Vatican conference in 2014. "And this war is, I think, metastasizing far quicker than governments can handle it."

"We’re gonna have to have some dark days before we get to the blue sky of morning again in America," Bannon warned in 2010. "We are going to have to take some massive pain. Anybody who thinks we don’t have to take pain is, I believe, fooling you."

Just in case you are still not convinced about Bannon beliefs take a look at these excerpts and judge for yourself.





In case you want to drill down even deeper into the crazy conspiratorial labyrinth that is the secret agenda driving Bannon check out his documentary film "Generation Zero". This Citizens United documentary explains that we need to tear up treaties, name enemies and change the culture. To Bannon, an apocalyptic war is a crucible for the kind of change he wants to see, as such he is hell-bent on helping to bring about the end times.

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Business Action on Climate Change

There are hundreds of companies that have committed themselves to achieving ambitious sustainability goals. Here are five corporate leaders who stand apart. Together these five companies represent $1,062,338,000,000 in revenue, which if they together formed a country would be the 19th-largest economy in the world. This list of companies leading the sustainability movement is excerpted from the Fortune 25 list:

Apple is also committed to going 100 percent renewable and they are already well on their way. Their data centers around the world run on 100 percent clean energy.  Overall, 93 percent of their energy came from renewable sources in 2015. In Singapore, they power their facilities with a 32-megawatt solar project spread over more than 800 rooftops. In China, they’re adding 170 megawatts of solar to begin offsetting the energy used to make their products.

Ford Motor company has engaged a raft of sustainability initiatives including emissions reduction and other climate change fighting action. They are also focused on smart mobility, water stewardship and human rights. 

Hewlett-Packard made strong progress on its GHG emissions reduction goals across the value chain in 2015. In 2016 the company pledged to get all of its energy from renewables in global operations. Its interim target is 40 percent by 2020. The company also plans to reduce the GHG emissions intensity of HP’s product portfolio by 25 percent by 2020, compared with 2010.

Microsoft is well on its way to achieving corporate carbon neutrality. Its data centers will get half their power from renewable sources wind, solar and hydropower by the end of 2018. In the next few years they will get more than 60 percent of their energy from renewable sources and they will not stop there.

Wal-Mart has been engaged in sustainability for more than a decade. Their goals for 2025 include zero waste to landfill in Canada, Japan, U.K and the U.S. They intend to get half of their energy from renewable souces. Perhaps most importantly they have set science-based emissions reduction targets. They intend to increase their sales of locally grown produce by 100 percent and they want to expand sustainable sourcing to cover 20 key commodities, including bananas, grapes, coffee and tea. They use 100 percent recyclable packaging for all private-label brands.

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Progressive Climate Action Will Win in the End But it may Come Too Late

With enough distance we can see that the political philosophy of the alt-right movement is a reaction to the inexorable movement towards progressive leadership including climate action. In the arc of history the alt-right's climate denial is a brief detour.

On the one hand this is comforting but on the other hand we have to acknowledge that this reprieve from responsible governance may slow us down just enough to make it impossible for us to keep global temperatures from warming beyond prescribed scientific limits.

Many point to the rise of sustainability in the business world as an indication that we will keep making progress to counter climate change and environmental degradation. This optimism regarding what corporations can do to advance climate action is explained by Carol Baroudi, she works for Arrow’s Value Recovery business promoting sustainability awareness and action. She is also the lead author of Green IT For Dummies. Here is what she had to say:

"[T]he world is not flat, and no amount of bluster makes it so. And for a long time now, it’s the multinational corporations that have had the economic power to effect needed change. So, to remind us that there’s serious weight behind many sustainability agendas."

A Greenbiz article by Alan AtKisson President & CEO AtKisson Group makes a similar argument. Trump and the alt-right movement is a blip on the road towards more responsible environmental governance. This is the point he made in an article titled, "Why progressive sustainability ultimately will win". AtKisson quotes Russian right-wing philosopher Alexander Dugin as saying the tide will eventually turn. He sees the current political shift in the US and elsewhere as being part of a predictable political "oscillation" between progressive center-left and the alt-right.

This oscillation as Dugin describes vacillates between those who acknowledge globalization and sustainability (progressive center-left) and those who resist it (alt-right). The latter would like to see a return to security however, their political philosophy is steeped in the denial of our changing reality. The conservatives in the alt-right are pinning for something that is gone forever. As with all forms of conservatism, they are incapable of embracing change when this is precisely what is required.

"[H]istorically, progressive sustainability appears to be winning overall: because it is the source of new ideas and possibilities that solve the world's real problems. Those problems will not go away. The backward-looking vision offered by the nationalist-right simply cannot solve them."

With the rise of things like the SDGs right wing nationalists see that the arc of history is moving them ever further away from their core ideology. So while the trend is clear and the Trump administration can be interpreted as a predictable anomaly, they are still capable of slowing down climate action so that we will miss the window of opportunity to act.

Progressive governments have advanced a more diverse and environmentally conscious agenda. However, right-wing nationalists see this as "evidence of their ultimate defeat on the global stage." So we can anticipate that Trump and his ilk will be replaced by more responsible governments. However, as pointed out by Atkinson, "Things are likely to get much worse before they start getting better again."

We can minimize the damage done by Trump and other conservative governments. We can take heart that "Eventually, the pendulum will pause and swing forward again". The drivers of sustainability should not be underestimated but that does not make them impervious to Trump.

While the business community has shown great resolve and made considerable progress on climate action, we cannot ignore the fact that market forces and business leadership may not be sufficient to keep us from passing tipping points from which we will not be able to recover. 

"[T]hat does not mean I am optimistic about the immediate prognosis. We have been surprised at the strength of this backlash at every turn. The men and women leading it are hard-headed and deeply committed to their world views. Their constituencies are still growing," AtKisson said of the alt-right movement, however, he goes on to say. "We must match their hard-headedness with a steely determination of our own." 

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Republicans Pushing a Carbon Tax

A group of prominent Republics with decades of experience in government has urged the Trump administration engage climate change. This group includes former cabinet Secretaries James Baker, George Shultz and Hank Paulson. The latter is one of the authors of the Risky Business report. This report and others show that the costs of inaction far outweigh the costs of action. The argument put forward by these Republicans is simple, we cannot afford to take the risk of delaying climate action.

The idea that it is in our collective best interest to address climate change is hardly new. Most economists and almost every nation on Earth recognizes the need to actively combat climate change. The US is now alone in its resistance to climate action and according to Baker, Shultz and Paulson, the consequences could prove to be disastrous.

With the nomination of Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Trump has made it clear that his administration seeks to dismantle regulations and abandon climate action. In fact Trump's war against the EPA has already begun. The current US administration incorrectly casts climate action as a partisan issue. As explained by Gina McCarthy the former head of the EPA if the US fails to engage we are simply going to cede those opportunities to other countries like China.

In eschewing climate action Republican lawmakers and those in the Trump administration are cutting themselves off from their roots as an environmentally focused party. Baker, Shultz and Paulson think this administration's denial of climate change is a serious mistake. They offered a solution in the form of a carbon tax with the reasoning that this would enable the US to meet its obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement. As Baker explained, the risks of climate change are too great to ignore.

The business case for renewable energy including declining costs has never been stronger and the engagement of sustainability by the American business community will not be abandoned. Sustainability is also of interest to investors who are concerned about their exposure independent of the policies of the Trump administration. However, sustainability can be slowed just enough to make it very unlikely that we will be able to meet global emissions reductions targets before we surpass tipping points from which we may not be able to recover.

While a Greenbiz poll titled 2017 Green Economy survey of 400 corporations indicates that Trump will not stop sustainability. A total of 60 percent of respondents with revenues exceeding $1 billion said that this administration will not change their sustainability strategy or their investments in renewable energy. Almost half (47 percent) said that rather that under Trump their investments in renewable energy would not grow.

However, 34 percent indicated this administration will slow them down. This slow down effect was particularly pronounced among companies earning less than $1 billion per year. We can extrapolate from these results and infer that the Trump administration will have a chilling effect on sustainability among start-ups and smaller firms.

The business community has a vital role to play and the majority of companies polled suggest they will continue to reduce energy consumption through efficiency initiatives. They will also strive to keep green initiatives on the agenda and continue to engage with stakeholders.

These results are not as encouraging as some might like to believe. The most salient finding buried in the survey is the observation that while Trump won't kill sustainability, his administration can slow it down. This is very bad news at a time when we need leadership to ramp up emissions reduction ambitions.

A slowdown does not seem that bad until you realize that we may be facing an extinction event in the next decade.  Although controversial, at least one scientist has indicated that we could be facing an extinction event within the next ten years due to due to feedback loops that release methane from the Arctic permafrost. If you look at the warming trend in the Arctic this may not be as outlandish as it sounds.

This is not the time to be Pollyanna, we need to take a serious look at the science and realize that climate action is time sensitive. Failure to engage in a timely fashion could spell the end of civilization as we know it. While many may find this news too terrifying to accept, we cannot be silent for fear of causing people to turn away. We need to take stock of the science of climate change and act accordingly. A sober assessment of our predicament reveals that if we are to have a chance reigning in climate change we must act before it is too late. 

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Sustainability is not Impervious to Trump

Trump will not be able to stop sustainability or arrest the production of renewable energy, he may not even kill the Paris Climate agreement. There are clear market incentives that will continue to drive the green economy forward.  Optimism abounded at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos.  However, at some point we will have to face the bitter truth that market forces alone are not enough. 

Nor should we ignore just how far we have come. Sustainability is now a market dictate and a mainstream phenomenon. There are powerful drivers that make sustainability an unstoppable force. The business case has been made and a plethora of studies have demonstrated the ROI on sustainability.

Half of the companies on the Fortune 500 have already begun investing in science-based emissions reduction. Many of these corporations have plans to go entirely carbon neutral. Those CEOs who are not already leading the charge are coming to terms with the risks associated with climate change. Perhaps more than anything they cannot resist the multi-trillion dollar opportunity.

Just after the election 745 companies and big investors that signed a letter urging Trump to support the accord. Trump is under pressure from American business leaders, not the least of which is Elon Musk, who also happens to be a Trump advisor.

Members of Trump's own cabinet may argue that there is no upside to trashing the Paris Agreement. Some Republican stalwarts have put forward a national emissions reduction plan. A group of Republican heavyweights including former cabinet Secretaries James Baker, George Shultz and Hank Paulson went to the White House to present a carbon tax plan.

However, Trump is Trump. He has already started his war against the EPA, and some members of the GOP are chomping at the bit to dismantle the agency altogether.

Even if Trump does not fulfill his promise to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, he can be expected to slow walk the deal. At the very least the world has lost a critical leader that will make ramping up global emissions reduction ambitions even more difficult. We need to increase ambitions to avoid careening precariously towards tipping points from which we may not be able to recover.

There are a number of good reasons why Republicans should take climate action seriously. Despite all of these factors Trump and the GOP will likely ignore the agreement and kill emissions regulations.  This is a very dark time in the history of the world. Even with a consorted international effort we may not be able to derail Trump's climate dystopia.

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Event - March for Science: Science Not Silence

The March for Science will take place on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22 in Washington, D.C. There will also be satellite marches on the same day in cities across the U.S., Canada and around the world. This march will include scientists but it is for everyone. The event is a celebration of science and a call to support and safeguard the scientific community. The slogan for this event is, "SCIENCE, NOT SILENCE" and the hashtag for is  #marchforscience.

Although the march organizers have gone to great lengths to make this a non-political event, the chief reason for the event is the anti-science stance of Donald Trump and his administration.  Led by Republicans beholden to the fossil fuel industry, conservatives have been opposing science for some time now. Republicans started the war on climate science but this new administration takes it to a whole new level. However, polls show that citizens who identify as Republicans are increasingly supporting climate action.

Nonetheless, the war against the EPA has already begun and NASA scientists expect that Trump will live up to his promise and gut the agency's climate research. This administration's unprecedented opposition to science invites a climate catastrophe.

To justify their assault on science, the Trump administration has incorrectly cast science as a partisan issue. This march is designed to tell them that we need scientific research and science-based policy.  A diverse array of scientists are supported by hundreds of thousands of people who support this international movement.

Scientists have already urged Trump to respect the Paris Climate Agreement. Other unrelated efforts include a pledge signed by more than 14,000 women scientists, a letter sent to President Trump by 151 scientific institutions arguing that he should rescind the immigration ban, and efforts by researchers around the world to guard federal climate data.

“The March for Science is a celebration of our passion for science and a call to support and safeguard the scientific community,” the group's website states. “Recent policy changes have caused heightened worry among scientists, and the incredible and immediate outpouring of support has made clear that these concerns are also shared by hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

“It is time for people who support scientific research and evidence-based policies to take a public stand and be counted.”

The march in Washington DC will culminate at the Washington Mall, with both main stage speakers and "teach-in" tents with scientists from a diverse range of fields.

If you want to help protect evidence-based research and oppose fake news support the March for Science.

For more information, to make a donation or to find a march near you click here. If you want to volunteer or are interested in starting a march in your area, please email march@marchforscience.com.

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Why Trump Hates Traditional Journalism and Loves Digital Media (Videos)

Trump despises traditional media for exposing his lies and he loves digital media because it can be spun to support his false narrative. The post factual reality, fake news and alternate facts being spun by the Trump administration reads like an Orwellian nightmare.  If this sounds like hyperbole you have not been following closely.  If you need more proof simply watch Trump's most recent tirades against the press. Trump needs to deride fact-based reporting as a matter of survival. He must discredit the press if he is to have a hope of fulfilling his dark agenda. This is a man who has declared war on the EPA. He wants to take away regulations that protect the air that people breathe and the water that people drink. This is a man who wants to remove sanctions against Russia so that Exxon can drill for oil in the Arctic.

In a page right out of 1984, Trump's doublespeak consistently accuses others of what he himself is guilty of. This may have been the strategy behind Trump's first solo press conference since November 8th. The February 16th spectacle was described by some as surreal. During his hour and 17-minute rant, he lambasted "dishonest media" and then went on to utter a bold faced lie about his popularity. This is a one-two combination that is Trump's signature move. Attack those who would expose you then lay down a bed of lies for his base.

Watch this Democracy Now! video containing excerpts from Trump's February 17th press conference. He turns the truth on its head by suggesting that traditional news is fake news and his lies are the truth.



In this video from Fox News Shepard Smith slays Trump for his litany of lies at the press conference.



At his February 19th rally in Melbourne Florida Trump again went after the press accusing the media of doing what he himself has done on numerous occasions. Trump said the press writes stories even though they have "no sources" he then called journalists, "part of the corrupt system." He then equates his subterfuge with the words and deeds of the founding fathers.

We are at a turning point in history and it is far more sinister than many realize. Under the guise of populism, the Trump administration is a kakistocracy they are preparing to enrich themselves and subvert democracy. It is not only the US that is moving in this dark direction. Nations where there is growing support for nationalistic agendas, include the UK, France, and Germany.  The demagogues leading these right-wing movements have more in common with Adolph Hitler than America's founding fathers.

Trump's extreme views and erratic behavior are widely perceived as dangerous. At the 2017 Munich Security Conference, John McCain delivered an impassioned speech in which he expressed concerns about the "survival of the West". However, it may very well be that there is a goal if not a method to his madness. It is possible that Trump may be trying to augur a constitutional crisis which would allow him to centralize power and subvert democracy.  We can say for sure that his fervent support for fossil fuels and disdain for climate action are by all scientific accounts a threat to civilization as we know it.

New Narratives

It may not be hyperbole to say the fate of democracy and life on the planet may depend on counter-narratives.  The institutions of democracy have already proven a powerful counter-force to Trump's dark agenda. We also need new narratives that reach out to common people and address the issues and concerns of our times.

More than anything a new narrative needs to bring us together to resist the dystopia of the Trump administration. This is precisely what the new administration cannot allow. Trump willfully sows division, he is the Johnny Appleseed of hate. This division serves him as it pits his core followers against those who are interested in facts. He villainizes those who seek the truth as a prophylactic against his lies being exposed. Trump's fear of a fact-based appraisal of the world is well warranted. Facts are his undoing, so Americans perception of reality must be altered at all costs.

Journalistic malpractice

Traditional media is not blameless, they are at fault but not in the way that Trump suggests. Traditional media served up a sensationalist, low-fact diet that fattened the anti-science politics of our age. It is not overstating the case to say that they have helped to create the right conditions to allow a pathological liar to become the president of the United States.

Traditional media was guilty of journalistic malpractice long before the most recent election cycle. They inaccurately covered climate science and once it ceased to be of interest to readers or once it failed to generate good ratings it was dropped altogether. Failure to adequately communicate the magnitude of the threat makes Trump's climate denial seem a little less out of touch with reality.

Traditional media has been consistently losing market share to the digital world. Once a virtual license to print money in recent years desperation has driven the media to make commercial interests the paramount concern. Commercial interests have driven a host of factors that have diminished news and analysis. This includes convergence, newsroom integration, multimedia partnerships, cross-promotion and mergers. Corporate ownership of media has led to editorial intervention that detracts from the veracity of the news reporting. Even the so-called "promotional synergy" has not materialized to the extent many had hoped.

Newspapers and television fell asleep at the switch. In a bid for ratings they pandered to the basest aspects of human nature and abandoned the best journalistic standards. In the final analysis traditional media's preoccupation with financial viability inadvertently helped an ill-equipped narcissist to assume control of the oval office. 

We cannot give the media a pass, but by the same token we need them now more than ever. As John McCain said recently, dictators get started by suppressing free press.

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Liberals Give Canada's Oceans More Protections

On February 15, 2017, the Government of Canada announced a partnership with the Province of B.C. and coastal First Nations to protect coastal ecosystems and the communities that depend upon them. This follows a November 7, 2016, announcement in which Justin Trudeau pledged $1.5 billion national Oceans Protection Plan. The plan creates a marine safety system, it restores and protects marine ecosystems and it strengthens the partnerships with Indigenous communities. The government also pledged to invest in evidence-based oil spill response methods.

After a decade of neglect from federal Conservatives, the ruling Liberal Government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has embarked on an ambitious plan to support Canada's vast ocean coastlines.

The Liberal government has repeatedly stated that it intends to take a science-based approach to protecting our environment, fighting against climate change, and growing the economy. The Liberal website adds, "We will protect our freshwater and oceans." The government will safeguard Canada's $40 billion ocean-based industries with what it calls, "robust and credible environmental assessments".

The Liberal plan includes a pledge to protect 10 percent of Canada’s marine and coastal areas by 2020. They will also invest $8 million per year in community consultation and science. The Liberal have also reinstated 40 million worth of funding for ocean science programs that were cut by the Conservatives. This money will be used to monitor fish, contaminants, and pollution. It will also support responsible and sustainable aquaculture industries.

The Liberal government has been criticized for trying to have it both ways. They want to be champions of the environment and climate action while at the same time ramping up fossil fuel production and building pipelines. They appear to present two diametrically opposed visions for the country. The schism is so pronounced that some of their big green announcements could be characterized as pyrrhic victories.

However, Canadian climate and energy policy is vastly more responsible than their Conservative predecessors. Investments in renewable energy have benefited from the change of government. Under the Liberals Canada played a leadership role at COP21 and they also secured a historic pan-Canadian climate deal.

Related
Assessing the Value of Our Oceans
The Cost of Ocean Acidification
The Mass Extinction of Our Oceans May have Already Begun
The State of Our Oceans: We are Headed Towards a Marine Mass Extinction
Seven Ways to Save the Seas
Report on the UN's World Water Day Panel Discussion

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Aussies Feeling the Heat of Global Warming

Australia continues its warming trend and scientists know that this is due to anthropogenic climate change. Even though carbon emissions were flat for the third straight year, 2016 was still the hottest year on record. Sixteen of the 17 hottest years on record have occurred since the dawn of the new millennium. According to the World Meteorological Association, 2016 was 1.2 degrees Celsius warmer on average than temperatures for the preindustrial Earth. That is only .3 degrees Celsius below the upper threshold limit of 1.5-degree-Celsius. Extreme heat is not just a source of discomfort it can be deadly. The Australian Climate Council says that more people have been killed by heat in the last century than any other natural disaster.

Heat records fell like flies last year and this was certainly true in the Arctic. We know that the buildup of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide (CO2) cause global warming.  In May 2016, the Mauna Loa Observatory recorded 407.7 parts per million of CO2 in the atmosphere, the highest levels of atmospheric carbon ever recorded.

At the end of last year in Australia, there was record heat and drought. The heat continued into the new year with January breaking temperature records in Sydney and Brisbane. In January Sydney broke more records than any month since record taking began in 1858. The hot weather is continuing into the middle of February with some of the hottest temperatures of the summer in Sydney and Melbourne. Even Queensland saw temperatures exceeding 40 degree Celsius. The extreme heat has also contributed to 48 forest fires in New South Wales. Previous research has shown that bush fires are related to climate change.

Inside Climate News reports that heat waves have become more frequent in Australia. This is the view of Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick of Australia's Climate Change Research Center at the University of New South Wales:

"In Canberra, Australia's capital, the number of heat wave days has doubled in the past 60 years. In that same time, the beginning of the heatwave season in Sydney has advanced by three weeks, and in Melbourne, heatwaves are hotter," Perkins-Kirkpatrick said. "What's really interesting about this event is that all the physical mechanisms that drive heat waves are not in place."

What makes the Australian heat even more remarkable is that it is taking place in the absence of the kind of El Niño and hemispheric wind patterns that normally drive warmer weather. Scientists agree that climate change has a salient role to play. Forest and fire ecologist David Bowman said anthropogenic global warming is making the Earth and Australia hotter.

"In the last few years it has crossed a line—the anomalous weather has become consistently anomalous. I am confident we are seeing climate change play out in bush fires," Bowman said. "We have frittered away precious time debating abstractions or missing the point entirely. Numerous extreme events, seem unfortunately, the only things to spur broader social change."

Australia is far from the only place hit by extreme heat. In parts of South America, records are also being broken and massive wildfires have consumed hundreds of thousands of acres.

As reported by the Guardian, Bureau of Meteorology climatologist Agata Imielska said that climate change is driving up temperatures.

“One factor is the ongoing warming trend – we’ve warmed by a degree in the past century and it’s not just about averages, we see increases in these extreme temperatures as well,” Imielska said. “It doesn’t just go for land temperatures, it also goes for ocean temperatures. In 2016 we saw the warmest ocean temperatures on record.”

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said the heat will continue right through into March. Going forward the situation will only get worse. As greenhouse gasses continue to build up in the atmosphere the hot temperatures will increase.

Related
The Warming Temperature Trend Continues Despite Trump
Decades of Hot Data: The Harbingers of an Impending Climate Catastrophe
Rising CO2 Emissions and Ongoing Heat Records Especially in the Arctic
GHGs are Warming the Planet and Contributing to Disasters
Record Breaking Heat Suggests Accelerated Warming
In Australia Climate Policy is a Political Football
The Death of the Great Barrier Reef
Australia Can Dump Coal and Adopt Renewables
Beijing's Coal Plant Closures and Australia's Dirty Energy Projects
Australian Coal Development Projects to Move Forward Despite Concerns
Australia's Stranded Coal Assets
New Report on Extreme Weather in Australia

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Resist Trump: Why Boycotts and Business Leadership Matters More than Ever

The business community is joining citizens in rising up and taking on Donald Trump and the GOP. Rather than being cowed by this new government, the voices of dissent are increasing. With growing boycotts of Trump-related products, people are challenging this administration in ever increasing numbers. Hundreds of America's leading companies are actively resisting Trump. Hotels and buildings have dropped the Trump brand, and now retail outlets and others are also coming together to say "no" to the new administration and the GOP.

We are seeing increasing evidence of a movement to resist Trump. The movement against Trump and Republicans has been building steadily since November 8. Shortly after he was elected business leaders challenged his stance on climate change and urged him not to kill the Paris Agreement. Now this movement appears to be going into high gear.

Corporations stand up to the bully-and-chief

Businesses are resisting Trump's use of the Oval Office as a bully pulpit. Many are appalled that he is using the institution of the presidency to attack corporations. This is yet another example in a long list of highly questionable actions from Trump and the GOP. Businesses cannot avoid the realization that this administration augurs a dystopia that is devoid of ethics.

Trump has bullied companies like Boeing, Carrier, and Ford. In the Boeing incident, he threatened to cancel the contract for some new Air Force One jets and this caused Boeing's stock to plummet. However, more recently Trump's twitter tirades against other companies have had the reverse effect.

The fact that businesses can stand up to Trump and increase their value in the process changes everything.  Corporations now have an incentive to resist Trump. Further, they can use their financial might and messaging wizardry to offer a counter-narrative that gives voice to the outrage building against the billionaires that have taken over Washington. The collective power of the business community to counter Trump and the GOP's dark narrative were in evidence in the recent Super Bowl ads.

During the Grammys, Nike aired an ad that took a swipe at the Trump administration and the GOP. The add focuses on equality. The ad opens with the question, "is this the land history promised?" it then goes on to say, "opportunity should not discriminate...equality has no boundaries."

Nike and Addidas are part of a collective of over 100 American companies called the Affordable Products group. These companies are fighting the Trump Administration’s planned import tax. The collective will launch a national advertising campaign in order to argue that a tax would increase consumer costs.

More than one hundred of America's leading companies have joined a coalition of businesses that publicly resist Trump. At least 127 technology firms have taken stands that firmly oppose Trump's Muslim bans. This ban was also being challenged in the courts by these businesses. In a legal brief, they called the ban unconstitutional and said it, "inflicts significant harm on American business, innovation, and growth." The fact that leading

The fact that American businesses including Tesla, SpaceX, Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Uber, Reddit, Netflix and Dropbox are suing Trump after only three weeks in office speaks volumes about this administration. It specifically dispels the myth that this administration is good for business. It is no small irony that Elon Musk is the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX as well as a member of Trump's business advisory council.

Patagonia and a number of other leading outdoor retailers are also taking on Republicans. They are organizing to actively oppose plans to sell off public lands.

Large numbers of people are looking for ways to express their displeasure at Trump and boycotts against America's first family are now spreading like wildfire. Boycotts are effective. Just the threat of a boycott caused Kellogg to stop advertising on Breitbart News (formerly run by Trump's chief strategy advisor, a white supremacist named Steve Bannon). Kellogg's official explanation of the move cited their corporate values.

The Democratic Coalition Against Trump has produced a free "Boycott Trump" app (available on iTunes and Google Play) that helps people to avoid the dozens of businesses connected to Trump. For a list of Trump brands to boycott click here.

Retailers drop Ivanka

Retailers are also thinking twice about the possible costs of being associated with the Trump family brand. Early in February Nordstrom announced that Ivanka Trump's clothing and accessories were not selling well so they decided to discontinue the line. Predictably, her father took to Twitter to lash out against the department store chain from both his personal account and his official White House account. Other retailers that are reducing the profile or dropping Ivanka's product line altogether are T. J. Maxx, Marshalls, Neiman Marcus, Belk, Jet, ShopStyle and Kmart.

In a New York Times interview, Donald Trump jr. and his brother Eric called Nordstrom, "disgusting".
To make matters worse Trump's tirade was reiterated by White House press secretary Sean (angry-man) Spicer and Trump's top White House adviser Kellyanne (look-at-me) Conway.

This is not the first time the press secretary has played pitchman for Trump. Earlier this year he urged people to visit the Trump International Hotel in Washington.  However, Conway went even further telling people in a Fox News interview to "go buy Ivanka's stuff".  "It's a wonderful line. I own some of it," Conway said. "I'm going to give a free commercial here. Go buy it today, everybody. You can find it online." As a member of the White House staff this is clearly prohibited (federal employees are not allowed to use public office for the endorsement of a product).

Brands can't afford to be apolitical

Companies are realizing that there may be a cost to political neutrality in the era of Trump. Retailers are the latest to have joined the army of companies opposing Trump. For many, the last straw was the Executive Order (EO) that banned seven Muslim nations. Nordstrom was among a long list who disagreed with both the ethics and the logic of this move. In a notice to its employees, Nordstrom said it valued immigrants and offered support to those affected by the executive order.

Benefits of social advocacy

Businesses are fighting for different issues but they all may derive a reputational benefit from resisting Trump. Far from taking a risk, engaging in social action is becoming a competitive necessity. This is a powerful incentive that may further weaken the Trump administration and the GOP. Businesses are realizing that being socially responsible can be good for a brand. Resisting Trump may contribute to both their reputation and their bottom line.

As explained in a Sustainable Brands article, standing against injustice is both good marketing and good business:

"brands have not only an opportunity, but also a responsibility to defend inclusivity...Now more than ever, brands are in the political spotlight and have begun to understand the gravity of this, their influence, and even how to shape this climate into an opportunity. Brands now have a particularly visible chance to test — and even strengthen — their purpose, values, and courage."

Maintaining control of the narrative is about being bold, that means being, "upfront about your brand's position...being courageous and outspoken about your brand’s values is key in today’s world."
Brands are beginning to realize their power and the implications are "yuge":

"brands are starting to tap into the enormous influence they have over popular culture and are starting to lead us toward a brighter future. Brands can use this influence to encourage diversity, bridge divides, further our common values and benefit from this elevated leadership status along the way...Brands have the power and influence to change our current divisive cultural climate into one where people connect with each other and accept one other’s differing positions in healthy discourse."

This is not only good for cementing loyalty with many existing customers this is good for shareholders. Standing up to bullies like Trump may be a case in point. What was once considered to be an "activist brand" is now "a necessity".

Brands sell products, but they also have  "enormous influence they have over popular culture" and they can play a pivotal role in leading us towards a brighter future. What makes this so incredibly powerful is that taking a stand is not only good for connecting with consumers, it is good for shareholder value.

After being attacked by Trump Nordstrom stock appears to have taken off. This suggests there may be brand value and stockholder benefits associated with opposing Trump. The growing trend of businesses opposing this government give us reason to hope that America can resist Trump and the GOP.

Related
Protests are a Necessary and Appropriate Response to the Trump Administration
The Importance and the Power of Protest: Why We Must Stand Up to Trump
Trump's Victory has Spawned Unprecedented Opposition
Trump's Inauguration Met with Protests as Darkness Officially Descends
What Romanians can Teach Us About Combating Corruption
Trump's Victory Must Not Cause us to Lose Hope - Fight for the Health of our Planet
Event - People’s Climate March 2017: 100 Day Mobilization

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50 Sustainability Drivers for 2017

This will be a challenging year for sustainability but there are reasons for optimism. Sustainability will not be killed by the new American administration and this post contains fifty compelling reasons why it is unstoppable. Despite some disconcerting global events, optimism pervaded the World Economic Forum earlier this year in Davos, Switzerland.

The sheer size of the opportunity is a powerful incentive. A report called The Death of Environmentalism: Global Warming Politics in a Post-Environmental Worldsays that the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) could unlock $12 trillion in market opportunities by 2030 and create up to 380 million jobs.

Although it is important to see beyond the next four years, we must acknowledge that the election of Donald Trump represents a very dark period in American history. In addition to Trump the world faces some serious issues related to Brexit.  Other uncertainties include forthcoming elections in France, Germany and other EU countries.  Imbalances in China's economy and a hike in interest rates are two other issues that warrant concern. Nonetheless, there are reasons to believe that sustainability will keep growing and perhaps even serve as a bulwark against some of these threats.

For years the number of organizations adopting sustainability has been growing, and the depth of that involvement has also been increasing. The business community will not simply forget about years of investment in time and treasure just because a climate Luddite has assumed control of the Oval Office. Sustainability cannot even be stopped by a cabinet chocked full of billionaires and oil men. Nor can a legislature replete with Republicans beholden to the fossil fuel industry force business to abandon sustainability. It is here to stay even if it will face some serious headwinds.

The businesses community has played an increasingly prominent role working in consort with the Obama administration. Now American businesses have an even bigger role to play precisely because of the Trump administration's opposition to science, sustainability, climate action, and environmental regulations. The role of corporations has become even more important in 2017. Rather than just comply with the lessening of regulations promised by this administration many businesses can be expected to lead by going beyond the bare minimum stipulated by government mandates.

Business Case

1. Sustainability has consistently moved up in the value chain
2. Sustainability is already a mainstream phenomena
3. Studies prove that there is a strong ROI associated with sustainability (operational efficiencies)
4. A cost benefit analyses prove that the cost of action is far less than the cost of inaction
5. CEOs, boards of directors, senior executives and top management have already inculcated sustainability into their thinking.
6. Some leading firms have already woven sustainability into their corporate DNA
7. Many corporate cultures are now steeped in sustainability
6. Pressure on business to become responsible social actors will grow not diminish
9. Adopting sustainability is a competitive necessity that means corporations can either adapt or risk dying

Human Resources

10. Sustainability is important to employees who want a sense of purpose in what they do
11. A sustainability-focused workforce is a happy workforce and this contributes to loyalty and productivity
12. Sustainability can also attract talent to an organization
13. Sustainability can contribute to employee retention and decrease churn

Reputational benefits 

14. Sustainability offers brand value and recognition
15. Sustainability can be a powerful marketing focus
16. Corporations that conduct themselves responsibly also stand to reap a reputational windfall
17. Businesses that eschew sustainability risk alienating the public
18. Sustainability helps companies to mitigate against reputational risks
19. There is a growing public appetite for sustainability

Supply chain

20. Changes to supply chain dynamics frequently mean that suppliers and vendors must comply with the sustainability criteria of those they do business with

Investors
 
21. Stakeholders and investors are interested in sustainability as a prophylactic against risk
22. Institutional and individual investors want more non-financial information and transparency, they want to see an assessment of risk and a coordinated sustainability plan
23. Investors are attracted by the returns associated with sustainability focused investments
24. Interest in so called externalities related to climate and environment continue to increase 

New tools and guidance

25. New sustainability tools and guidance like the GRI reporting standards and supply chain guidance
26. The growth of sustainability-focused best practice

Global pressure
 
27. The Paris Agreement has come into force and heralded a new era of climate action
28. World leaders recognize the need for coordinated climate action
29. International sustainability focused cooperation agreements will continue
30. The G20 has stressed the importance of greening the financial system
31. The implementation of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Sub-national action

32. Cities and states will continue to be sustainability leaders independent of the position of their national governments
33. The US military continues to see climate change as a national security threat and this is driving their sustainability efforts

Facts on the ground

34. The science of climate change remains unassailable
35. The decoupling between growth and emissions is already well underway this will accelerate as a growing number of businesses implement their pledge to meed science based emissions targets
36. The window of opportunity we have to act on climate change is closing so there is a growing urgency to action.

Burgeoning public awareness

37. According to the most recent polls concerns about climate and the environment continue to grow
38. There are a growing number of sustainability focused learning opportunities 

Changing demographics

39. Young people and millennials in particular are sustainability minded and they are participating in the work force and voting
40. Old people are far more likely to resist climate action and they are retiring or dying

Clean (renewable) energy

41. The cost of clean energy is rapidly deceasing and solar is now one of the cheapest forms of electricity on Earth and this is being supported by the decreasing costs of battery storage.
42. Clean energy has achieved grid competitiveness in terms of the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE)
43. We can expect these prices to decline further as related equipment prices are expected to keep declining

Non-financial interest

44. Corporate citizenship incorporating sustainability gives a firm a social license to operate
45. Rising rates of inequality are a threat to businesses as such this they have a vested interest
46. Sustainability has been shown to drive innovation
47. Cross-industry collaboration premised on sustainability will continue
48. The ongoing growth of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
49. Sustainability can help companies to anticipate and manage disruption
50. As we have seen in Romania the war against corruption will continue and sustainability is key

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Event - Sustainable Brands 2017 Detroit

SB'17 will take place on May 22-25, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan at the Cobo Convention Center, conveniently located in downtown Detroit's dynamic civic center and overlooking the Detroit River, with views of neighboring Windsor, Canada.

Learn from Today's Change Agents Over 300 speakers will join us at SB’17 Detroit to jump start conversations around the potential for business success through purpose driven, sustainability-led innovation that creates scalable positive impact and profitability.

The Sustainable Brands Community

Sustainable Brands is a global community that believes that embedding environmental and social purpose into the core of a brand is the future of business. The community was founded on the conviction that unleashing the best of human ingenuity and innovation can change the shape of business and, with it, the world. Ten years later, we are celebrating our progress as a community of action, dedicated to delivering on the solutions needed to drive us into the next economy.

Redefining the Good Life

SB’17 Detroit marks the beginning of a 3-year global conversation about how we can deliver a flourishing future by rethinking what the ‘Good Life’ means for a healthy individual, family, community, city, country and planet. Driven to create a better world for all, the SB community is collectively called upon to redefine, redesign and deliver a new future, starting with individual and societal aspirations that point us all toward real happiness and a sustainable future. Beginning at SB’17 Detroit with a collective conversation about how we can “Redefine the Good Life,” together we will illustrate how the brand leaders of the future can respond.

The Sustainable Brands Experience

At SB, we believe brands are uniquely positioned to align business and society on the path to a flourishing future, and enable participants to experience a shift in thinking that results in new ways of doing business to drive economic success.

Over the past decade, Sustainable Brands has become the preeminent platform for highlighting the power of purpose to drive brand success: and the power of brands to change the world. Sustainable Brands sparks and enables transformational leadership at the personal, organizational and economic systems level, supporting reflection, ideation and action by creating and curating an optimal environment for discovering the tools and partners necessary to create new kinds of shared value. We bring the full system into the room, convening a community of courageous optimists willing to challenge personal assumptions and disrupt the status quo.

Who should attend

SUSTAINABILITY & CSR

Those who seek to solve social problems that alleviate, or altogether eliminate, resource tensions along the way.

BRAND STRATEGY

Those who believe leadership stems from brands that have awareness of the impact they have on the world around them.

COMMUNICATIONS

Those who encourage purpose-driven voice and invite stakeholders on interactive, co-creative journeys.

DESIGN & INNOVATION

People who want skillful, sensitive design that leads to radical innovation and heightened shared value.

SUPPLY CHAIN

Supply chain disruptions are not an option so this conference is for people who want to see enlightenment across the entire value chain.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Those that encourage embedded sustainability-driven behaviors and pro-active management to drive change from within.

Program Overview

SB’17 Detroit sparks and enables transformational leadership at the personal, organizational and economic systems level to support reflection, ideation and action. By creating and curating an optimal environment for the discovery of tools, methodologies and partners to create new kinds of shared value, we bring the full system into the room. Through a connected program of learning and co-creation, SB’17 Detroit equips attendees to drive business success and positive impact through powerful plenaries, breakouts, deep-dive workshops, the dynamic Activation Hub, the Innovation Open competition, and numerous community networking events that foster sustainability-led innovation.

PLENARY SESSIONS

Thought leader insights providing the fast-track to understanding the latest trends and drivers.

Featured Plenaries Include:

Pashon Murray, Co-founder of Detroit Dirt, will demonstrate the opportunity for brands to contribute to the rejuvenation of cities in decline. Pashon’s vision for…

Sam Polk, CEO of Everytable, will share how his remarkable journey from a hedge fund manager to a social entrepreneur is delivering shared value…

Kate Brandt, Sustainability Lead at Google, will unpack Google’s leadership in equipping the whole world with equal and easy access to reliable…

Virginie Helias, Vice President of Global Sustainability at Procter & Gamble, will share brand new insight into how Procter & Gamble is looking to enable positive…

BREAKOUTS

Subject matter explorations to understand and solve topical business challenges. Featured Breakouts Include:

Ryan Williams, Good Cop at Method, will reveal the challenges and rewards of opening the company’s South Side Soapbox facility, and how Method…

Daniel Vennard, Director of the Better Buying Lab at World Resources Institute (WRI), will unveil a new guide on transforming behavior around… Read More... Paul Dillinger, Head of Global Product Innovation at Levi Strauss & Co, will present the brand’s latest initiative to mentor rising stars in the apparel…

Jennifer Lindenauer, Vice President of Marketing at Upworthy, will share Upworthy’s secret sauce on getting brands to supercharge their…

WORKSHOPS

Half day, deep dive studios to help you turn ideas into action. Featured Workshops Include:

Leith Sharp, Director of Executive Education for Sustainability Leadership at Harvard University, will offer a powerful new model for enabling continuous…

John Marshall Roberts, Author of The Voice Code, will share his latest breakthroughs on how personal evolution acts as an enabler of the good life…

Elisabeth Laville, Chief Entrepreneur at Utopies, will lead a session on the power of the Positive Brands® approach whereby executives can find a brand…

Ricardo Caceres, Global Marketing Director for Sustainability at Coca-Cola, will host a workshop on embedding purpose and sustainability priorities…

ACTIVATION HUB

Experience this dynamic, action-driven and collaborative environment where brands find the conversations, connections, tools, solutions and partners to co-create new forms of value and impact.

Shaping the Future of Commerce Worldwide

The SB’17 Detroit Activation Hub encourages collaboration and celebrates purposeful innovation. This action-centered environment is more than just another solutions exhibit; it is a platform to engage directly with business and brand professionals who are looking for unique and targeted ways to add value to their business. The atmosphere creates a fresh connection between people, organizations and companies with innovative business solutions, and brand professionals looking to activate their sustainability goals into tangible reality.

The collaborative environment of the Activation Hub facilitates deeper learning, conversation and networking, allowing everyone to engage on a more personal level through innovation labs, lounges, networking events and more.

The Activation Hub features focused Pavilions to inform and empower attendees to find the trusted business solutions to support the activation of their goals. Pavilion exhibits and content highlight leadership around:

• GOOD CITIES
• GOOD PACKAGING
• GOOD RETAIL
• GOOD FOOD
• GOOD TRAVEL
• GOOD MOBILITY
• GOOD LOGISTICS
• GOOD AGRICULTURE
• GOOD CHEMISTRY
• GOOD FASHION
• GOOD HOMES
• and much more!

INNOVATION OPEN

The brightest social and environmental entrepreneurs challenging the status quo of business.

Startup Competition

The SB Innovation Open will be launching it’s 6th year, in effort to help catalyze the progress and impact of the next generation of better brands featuring the startups who, if given the right support and exposure, can contribute to an economically, socially and environmentally flourishing future.

This year the competition is being split into different categories, where the 3 winning semi-finalists of each category will be invited to attend SB’17 Detroit to benefit from a week of introductions to influential brands, minds, experts and designers. The finalists, winners of each product category, will take the main stage to present their pitches to the entire SB community in attendance and globally via livestream, in efforts to become the overall + People’s Choice SBIO winners.

Entry Deadline: March 31th, 2017.

The Prizes

An All Event conference pass + Activation Hub Staff pass to SB’17 Detroit Activation Hub exhibition space for 4 days in the Activation Hub SB Golden Ticket to all SB events for 3 years More to come!

SPECIAL EVENTS

Networking, learning and celebratory events to connect our community and deepen relationships. Network with Brand Innovators

This is where the connections are truly made. Relax and enjoy as you catch up with old friends and acquaintances. Connect with peers around a topic of shared interest while you sit down for an engaging conversation at one of the many ‘Birds of a Feather’ dinners. From the moment you arrive in Detroit, to the minute you leave; take advantage of the non-stop line up of networking opportunities. Come ready to connect while having some fun! Featuring

• Opening Night Plenary
• Welcome Reception
• Activation Hub Pavillions & Lounges
• Activation Hub Happy Hours
• Morning Yoga
• Eastern Market Party
• and much more TBA…

Speakers

Sustainable Brands consistently delivers a world-class faculty of thought leaders and practitioners who are demonstrating the many ways that brands can benefit by leading the path to a flourishing future. Below is the list of confirmed SB’17 Detroit speakers.

• Virginie Helias VP, Global Sustainability Proctor & Gamble
• Kevin Hagen Director of Corporate Responsibility Iron Mountain
• Kate Brandt Lead for Sustainability Google
• Paul Dillinger Head of Global Product Innovation Levi Strauss & Co.
• Sarah Chandler Director, Operations Product Development and Environmental Initiatives Apple
• Aria Finger CEO Do Something
• Bob Willard Author, Speaker, and Founder Sustainability Advantage
• John Izzo Bestselling Author and Thought Leader Awakening Corporate Soul
• Daniel Lubetzky CEO & Founder Kind
• Charlie Brown CEO Context Partners
• Whitney Mayer Manager, Social Innovation The Hershey Company
• Leith Sharp Director, Executive Education for Sustainability Leadership Harvard University
• George Hodge Senior Manager, Supply Chain CDP
• Ricardo Caceres Global Marketing Director, Sustainability Coca-Cola
• Elisabeth Laville Chief Entrepreneur Utopies
• Neal Davies President and CEO Effie Worldwide
• Nadya Zhexembayeva Chief Reinvention Officer WE EXIST Reinvention Agency
• Jensie Miksich Brand Director Context Partners
• Pashon Murray Co-Founder Detroit Dirt
• Nelson A. Switzer Chief Sustainability Officer Nestlé Waters North America
• Jennifer Lindenauer Head of Marketing and Communications Upworthy
• Sam Polk CEO Everytable
• Renee Lertzman Psychosocial Researcher and Engagement Advisor John Marshall Roberts Founder Worldview Thinking
• Ryan Williams Manager, Good Cop & Director of Sustainability Method
• Roian Atwood Director of Sustainability Wrangler
• Nicole Hagerman Miller Managing Director Biomimicry 3.8
• Stephanie Bertels Founder & Lead Researcher Embedding Project
• Andre Angel Founder TangoTab
• Lisa Leong Managing Director Embedding Project
• Daniel Vennard Global Program Director World Resources Institute
• Julien Hill-Landolt Director, Sustainable Lifestyles WBCSD
• Phil McKenzie Co-Host 2 Dope Boys & a Podcast
• Chad Smith CEO and Co-founder HumanWealth Partners
• Tim McAloone Co-Founder essensus
• Michael Brooks Co-Host 2 Dope Boys & a Podcast
• Paloma Durán Director SDG Fund United Nations
• Justine Burt Founder & CEO Appraccel

To register click here.

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