By Jennifer Bemisderfer
I had the privilege of celebrating Earth Day last week with the country’s top environmentally-minded business leaders and the green movement’s brightest thinkers at Fortune Magazine’s Brainstorm: Green event in Pasadena, California. It was an amazing opportunity to be a part of the discussion on how to address the world’s environmental challenges, along with visionaries like Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Computer, Vinod Khosla, a prominent green investor, and Ron Gonen, co-founder of RecycleBank.
Still being on East Coast time, I woke up early on Earth Day and decided to commune with nature by taking a jog around the Pasadena neighborhood where the conference was taking place. A crudely drawn map in hand, I set out for a modest 1.6 mile run. Unfamiliar with my surroundings and without a compass, I quickly made a series of wrong turns and realized that instead of a quick jog, I was on a five mile loop, with no option but to plow forward. Afterward, (during the run I was too busy cursing the maker of the previously mentioned map) it occurred to me that my experience on that frosty (did I mention it was really cold?) Earth Day morning may just be analogous to what many companies in our industry are facing as they try to “go green.” Hear me out, here. While corporate executives might think that they can earn some quick environmental cred with strategically placed recycling containers around the office, it’s likely that once the decision has been made to become more eco-friendly, many of these companies quickly find themselves in unfamiliar territory—and, like me, without a compass, the only option to plow forward.
But plow, indeed—CEA’s member companies have addressed going green from every angle: product design, green manufacturing processes, reduction of hazardous materials, use of recycled materials. At the conference, for example, we saw Michael Dell unveil his new, greener desktop computer, which uses 70 percent less energy and is cased in bamboo. Manufacturers and retailers have also stepped up on the recycling side, providing information, resources and services for consumers to recycle their unused devices. With some of the most brilliant and innovative minds in the world on our side, the CE industry is in a wonderful position to effect real change when it comes to our environmental challenges.
But– with apologies to Steven Tyler of Aerosmith– green’s a journey, not a destination. There is always more to be done. The industry might have set out on a 1.6 mile jog and found themselves on a very long road toward environmental sustainability. Instead of turning around and heading home, they’ve embraced these critical environmental issues, not just for a quick win in the media, or a brief spike in sales, but because it’s the right thing to do for their companies, their customers and for the Earth. I’ve met so many devoted men and women in the CE industry who work tirelessly on environmental issues. It’s just one more reason why I’m proud to be a part of this industry and eagerly anticipate what’s to come!
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