<p>When starting a business today, in this current business climate , is the sole motive for being in business profit and self interest Or do you think about how you might not only make good money but also contribute through your business efforts to the good of society and the sustainability of the planet.</p> <p>When we look around at the behavior of some of the business world today we see a lack of caring about the effects of business on people and the planet. We also often see that groups who are opposed to the&nbsp; behavior and actions of some seqments of the business community don't offer solutions but rather just complain.</p> <p>There are excellent models of business's that operate from both a motive of creating profit and a social and environmental consciousness. These business&nbsp; often operate with a powerful and&nbsp; important social and or environmental mission that is part of the reason for their existence as a business.</p> <p>The following is a true story that demonstrates how this model for business might evolve and become a profitable and successful economic solution for people , social justice and environemtal sustainability.</p> <p>A&nbsp; great business leader named John was in his early twenties when he started traveling down to the Amazon Rainforest to explore,&nbsp; collect and sell artifacts, gems and other items which he sold back in the U.S. On one such trip he fell ill and was nursed back to health by an indigenous tribe who fed him a powerful natural nutritional and medicinal tea that restored his health. From this experience he had a re awakening about why he was in business and what he wanted to achieve through his business efforts. Up to this point his business was centered in self interest and profit without any kind of mission for greater good. After his near death experience, being helped back to good health, he decided to change his perception about why he was in business and what he wanted to achieve through his business efforts. He loved the Amazon Rainforest and cared about what was happening to it and to the&nbsp; people that lived there. He wanted to give back and make a global difference. So he started a new business from scratch that was based&nbsp; on a mission of social justice and environmental sustainability for the Amazon Rainforest. He also wanted to make a profit. So he created a company that both created profit for himself, his partners/associates and created economic sustainability for the tribes in the rainfrorest through an economic partnership. This economic solution to an important and critical environmental cause has proved to be both successful and profitable. He now has a profitable business and through his&nbsp; business there has been over a million acreas of the Rainforest saved and a successful and sustainable on going solution for a critical social and environmental cause.</p> <p>The moral of this true story is that&nbsp; in the world today, there are global and local social and environmental issues we all face. Many of these problems have been created by the activities and behavior of the&nbsp; business community. It is also the business community and creative entrepreneurs that can create the solutions to address these problems. We can not rely on the politicians and government and&nbsp; we can't do nothing. So it is up to the entrepreneurs and the business community to think beyond only profit and self interest and find a mission that through their business efforts can provide solutions&nbsp; for the social, economic and environmental issues we face. A lot of the current economic and social problems like, the economy, housing forclosure and health care, are disfunctional at least partially due to the business behavior of&nbsp; self interest and profit with no sense of social and environmental consciousness.&nbsp;</p> <p>I wrote this article in hopes that people who are starting a new business or already have a business will consider adding a social and or environmental mission to their business plan. Perhaps allocate a portion of their earnings to this mission.</p> <p>This kind of business decision can make all the difference for a better more equitable and sustainable world.</p> 2009-10-05T00:50:58Z -1.9552 112 6791 true 2 31162 creating-economic-solutions-for-environmental-sustainability 0 2009-10-05T14:50:28Z 2009-10-05T19:51:06Z

No matter what we do in business and life today, work hard, stay healthy, make a lot of money. It is all a moot point if we don't manage to create a sustainable world to live in.

1 2009-10-05T19:51:06Z