Mapping out the Green Economy

The future of green energy will rely mainly upon the leadership challenges the leaders will face. This problem is a political problem. Any time there is a political problem the first challenge that must be overcome is the lobbying power in Washington D.C. Lobbying is defined as a group of persons engaged in trying to influence legislators or other public officials in favor of a specific cause (Thefreedictionary.com, 2011). Oil lobbyists will likely have a negative stance about going green due to the fact that it will impact oil exporting countries bottom line. Politicians are always selling their vote and I suspect that this will be the case when dealing with the front line challenges of implementing a green economy.
Reference:
Thefreedictionary. In (2011). Princeton University. Retrieved from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/lobbyist

The political parties are on two different sides of the fence when it comes to global warming/climate change. Gallup Poll results on global warming spanning a decade, including results from Gallup’s 2008 Environment Poll conducted 6–9 March,12 suggest that this skepticism among Republican and conservative elites (particularly leading conservative media figures)13 has led rank-and-file Republicans in the electorate to follow suit. Currently a very large gap exists between self-identified Republicans and Democrats in terms of perceptions of global warming (Dunlap & McCright, 2009). Until the debate becomes nonpartisan, the green economy will struggle for the most part. That is not to say that there will not be gains by private organizations but there will not be the boom of economic growth on the back of the green economy until Republicans can admit to believing the science of climate change.
Reference:
Dunlap, R. E. S., & McCright, A. M. (2009, October). Environment. Retrieved from http://www.environmentmagazine.org/Archives/Back Issues/September-October 2008/dunlap-full.html

The definition of nonpartisan is not partisan or aligned, esp not affiliated to, influenced by, or supporting any one political party (Thefreedictionary.com, 2012). This means that republicans and Democrats must put political affiliation behind them and focus on the betterment of the country. This sounds like a very simple task to perform but given the current state of the economy, stock market, and being an election year politicians are standing fast to their partisan beliefs. It is a shame that politicians care more about getting elected than providing a service for our country. The US is run by money hungry politicians that are driven by lobbyists. Other countries, China, are driven by success, education, and the betterment of their way of life. The US originally started that direction but the past 30 years the American public has seen a huge shift towards corrupt state and federal politicians that are only driven by greed, fringe benefits, and re-election.
Reference:
Nonpartisan. (2012, March 14). Retrieved from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/nonpartisan

Leaders are having enough trouble maintaining functional and profitable businesses due to today’s economy. Most agree that switching to greener energy sources and living lives that are overall more “green” are not only beneficial, but they are imperative for the sustainability of the world. However, the largest challenge is cost. Rather than allocating resources to become greener, organizations would rather utilize their resources to help maximize wealth. Maximization of shareholder wealth is the goal of any firm, and today’s organizations are sparing no costs to do so. Although they may recognize the importance of going green, they feel that it is not an immediate concern.
Going green creates a competitive advantage, and firms that do not recognize the importance will find that they cannot maintain their sustainability. Zach Anchors responds in his article, Why Most Companies Who ‘Go Green’ Do It All Wrong, that “…if you’re looking at things that are too expensive, then don’t do it. But fair warning: :You may have competitors who are thinking creatively about sustainability pressures and who may come up with a greener product that competes with yours.”
Reference:
Anchors, Z. (2011). Why most companies who ‘go green’ do it all wrong. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505143_162-40244947/why-most-companies-who-go-green-do-it-all-wrong/

Hello,
Dr. Green and I have researched the topic of leadership and the green economy. We discovered that little research exists in how the green economy will impact contemporary organizations’ strategy, structure, and culture; new theories may need to be developed to assist organizations in developing the right kind of leadership for the green economy; the creation of green jobs may infuse organizations with more emphasis on values and leadership competency; the over dependence on technology to create jobs and sustain society’s quality of life carries unintended consequences; and agrarian leadership may offer organizations a better ability to lead workers in the green economy (Green and McCann, 2011).
Green energy is just one of many tools for helping our globe solve its sustainability challenges. However, leaders must first adopt leadership model for today’s green economy. One that consider sustainability as a cornerstone requirement and even help organizations answer the following questions:
What is sustainable leadership? How can you become a sustainable leader? Will being a sustainable leader bring more profits to your organization? These questions and more should be asked of our top leaders in non-profit organizations to top public companies. They could share their wisdom in forums, such as this blog, and share life lessons that help their business, career, and lives.
Sustainable leadership is concerned with creating current and future profits for an organization while improving the lives of all concerned (McCann and Holt, 2010). Today’s organizational leaders must successfully guide their organizations through today’s volatile economic times and do so in a sustainable manner
McAslan and Ruberstein (2010) offer recommendations to promote sustainability. These principles of sustainability promote the kind of change that manufacturers should adopt. They will help current manufacturing concerns survive and new manufacturing organizations grow and develop new products required by the global economy. These ten recommendations are presented in the following paraphrased version:
1. Make optimal use of human and material resources in the production process.
2. Provide rewards and incentives to all employees to be more efficient in the use of materials, and human talent in a gain sharing manner.
3. Create disincentives for employees and managers who do not effectively promote sustainability and reach targets.
4. Create and support a culture that promotes sustainability in everything that manufacturing does.
5. Reengineer the business plan that involve adopting new technologies, human resource systems, and financial reporting that ensure sustainability efforts are cost effective and promote profitability.
6. Incorporate externalities in business decisions. Consider things that the company may not be charged for, such as pollution, but should consider as part of the sustainability plan.
7. Demand real progress immediately and increase it in a cumulative manner as the manufacturing organization learns to be sustainable.
8. Develop plans in three phases for the sustainability effort: 1-3 years, 4-10, and ten to twenty years for achieving optimal use of material and human resources.
9. Demand and expect that the supply chain used by the manufacturing organization adopt and implement sustainability planning and implementation.
10. Integrate sustainability into the marketing, public relations, reputation, product development, and transportation processes of the company. (pp. 3-4)
Regards,
Jack McCann, Dean of the Lincoln Memorial University School of Business at Harrogate, TN
References
Green, D. D. & McCann, J. (2011). Benchmarking a leadership model for the green economy. Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. 18 Iss: 3, pp.445 – 465.
McCann, J. & Holt, R. (2010). Defining sustainable leadership. Int. J. Sustainable Strategic Management, 2(2).
McAslan, K. & Ruberstein, H. (2010, January 31). Enhancing sustainability in America. Retrieved November 28, 2010 from EzineArticles.com

Dean McCann,
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your insight with us!
Professor Green

Leaders of this green economy must be the politicians, businesses, AND environmentalists. Depending on the situation, all three can be the leaders of the green economy. If there’s a potential for profit, then businesses may take lead. If it has gained popularity, then politicians could become the leaders. And certain environmentalists could become leaders of this revolution since they are committed to the cause and have made it their mission. There’s a potential for all of them to collaborate together to achieve common goals and make green economy a successful movement. For example, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has strongly advocated that Michigan be the one to lead the movement of green economy. She points out in an interview that: “it’s all about jobs, I feel very strategic about this… because of Michigan’s natural assets, our geography, our geology… and our history with the automotive industry. We are in this unique situation where we can lead in this job creation and green economy” (MLUIMedia, 2009). Her agenda in this green economy is to help Michigan’s economy and decrease its unemployment rate which was rated the highest in the nation to appease the masses who are struggling to find a job.
MLUIMedia. (Composer). (2009). Granholm: Michigan can lead in green economy. [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KPEq9ghhHw

As the worldwide demand for energy increases, it is ever so important for humanity as a whole to invest in cleaner and sustainable forms of energy. As others have mentioned on this blog, the cost of such an investment is a critical factor; no one wants to invest in solutions that cost more than they save, especially in today’s economy. Furthermore, I think it is nearly impossible to tackle an issue such as clean energy on an individual; only the right economic policies will enable us as individuals to be guided by self-interest and still do the right thing for the planet.
“Leading scientific groups and most climate scientists say we need to decrease global annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least half of current levels by 2050 and much further by the end of the century.
So why bother recycling or riding your bike to the store? Because we all want to do something, anything. Call it “action bias.” But, sadly, individual action does not work. It distracts us from the need for collective action, and it doesn’t add up to enough. Self-interest, not self-sacrifice, is what induces noticeable change.”1
The 10 recommendations presented by dean McCann are very logical and practical steps that businesses can take in order to not only improve their bottom lines, but improve the life our planet for future generations. I particularly agree with recommendations two and three where every employee is held accountable for their actions in regards to efficiency and sustainability. This same accountability must be in place in the business community as a whole, specifically under the watch of the state and federal government. Without it, we are doomed to live in an environment where waste and inefficiency are at the forefront. What can society do as a whole to combat this problem? Mr. Wagner of the New York Times suggest,
“It won’t change until a regulatory system compels us to pay our fair share to limit pollution accordingly. Limit, of course, is code for “cap and trade,” the system that helped phase out lead in gasoline in the 1980s, slashed acid rain pollution in the 1990s and is now bringing entire fisheries back from the brink. “Cap and trade” for carbon is beginning to decrease carbon pollution in Europe, and similar models are slated to do the same from California to China.”
I agree with this sentiment and emphasize that the right economic incentives must be in place for both individuals and businesses alike in order to sustain the forthcoming green economy.
1. Wagner, Gernot (September 7, 2011). New York Times. Going Green but Getting Nowhere. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/08/opinion/going-green-but-getting-nowhere.html

Every day more and more trainings are implemented to prepare for the growing job market in the area of sustainability. In Washington, D.C. they have executed a new green-collar job-training program; New York enacted the Green Procurement and Agency sustainability Program to reduce materials and energy consumption. The Apollo Alliance, which consists of a partnership of businesses, labor, environmental, and community leaders sponsoring and encouraging environmental change. The group has proposed that $300 billion in federal funding over the next decade to assist in supporting green projects that will demand the creation of an estimated 3 million new green careers and/or jobs. (Parks & Helmer, 2009).
The future of sustainability is dependent upon environmental education. The education systems across the nation are also developing new programs, courses, and classes to address the need for expected high demand of environmental educators, geothermal energy, technical energy engineers, and millions of blue collar jobs dealing with everyday services.
Reference:
Parks, Barbara and Helmer, Jodi. (2009). The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Careers. New York, NY. Penguin Group, USA

One barrier to implementing a green economy is the education process of those that will participate in it. Once the citizens are students are educated about the pros, cons, and benefits of green jobs and green economic systems, then they will be more motivated and have the buy-in necessary in order to move forward. Some jobs and college majors go unfilled because the target market simply does not know of the opportunities that exist. My parents have told me several times that they would have considered going into engineering, but at the time, they did not know much about the field. The conversation on the green economy is still new and fresh. By implementing a wide-spread educational program and incorporating it on multiple levels, from child to adult, more and more people can be mobilized to work toward it.
“Higher education too has a critical role to play, much as it did during the space race of the 1960s. Colleges and universities can — and must — help students understand the complex connections and interdependencies between the environment, energy sources, and the economy — connections that underpin the concept of a clean energy, green economy. Only then will a broad segment of the population begin to pull in the same direction as those who are leading this transition.”
Reference: Retrieved 5 May, 2012 from http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume44/HigherEducationandtheCleanEner/185407