Patagonia Charges Ahead with Bold Moves

Our home closets and drawers contain ancient Patagonia clothing and luggage. They have been bundled, dragged, scraped, twisted and lugged across countless airports, cars, camping areas and hallways. The stuff never dies. On the infamous Black Friday following Thanksgiving, when Americans gorge on retail therapy post Romanesque meals, Patagonia unveiled a brilliant campaign: Don't Buy This Jacket.

Patagonia, a privately held company, long at the vanguard of sustainable business practices, was advising its loyal customers not to buy new Patagonia products it didn't need. Through its Common Threads Initiative, the company asks consumers to take a pledge to buy and use less "stuff," but also makes available a new service via eBay where consumers can purchase used Patagonia goods. This act led to expected derision by traditional writers at Forbes and The Economist, but we thought it was brilliant (I am a huge aficionado of consignment myself).

The life cycle impacts of product development, including outdoor clothing, is fairly astounding when you dig deeper. If you peruse Patagonia's Footprint Chronicles you will find transparent information on how and where Patagonia products are made. The outdoor industry writ large is making admirable (beyond admirable) headway in improving its environmental and community impacts. Both the Outdoor Industry Association and its European counterpart have been involved with reducing the impacts of outdoor equipment and clothing through its design initiative the EcoIndex. The trends in transparency and design changes harkens back to Interface Corporation's first corporate sustainability report, resplendent in its shocking (gasp!)Take-Make-Waste mantra.

517 Companies. 60 Industries. California Most Recently. Will Washington State Be Next?

In early 2012, ushering in the new year with zest and promise, Patagonia again got high water marks by standing in line to become California's first B (Benefit) corporation. For all you legal scholars out there you can read this tome about why there needed to be a national movement to create legislation that promotes (and functionally enables) good corporate citizenship. Yves Chouinard, the wiry and peripatetic founder of Patagonia said "I learned at an early age that it's better to invent your own game; then you can always be a winner." Patagonia is a game changer and so is the story of B Corporations.

Here is the skinny from a non-legal perspective: most corporations, by law, have a fiduciary duty to shareholders to maximum their return on investment. That's it. If the company reduces that value through its sustainability and community level initiatives, it becomes vulnerable to shareholder litigation.

To successfully address sustainability issues, corporations must be able to fulfill commitments to communities, employees, other stakeholders and the voiceless "environment" which permits us to live and do business. This cannot occur unless changes are made to state law, in consort with a longer conversation about the role of business in community life.

In an effort to change the system reforms that would enable better corporate citizenship, B Lab, itself a non- profit corporation, started a new certification system to encourage recognition of businesses that wanted to address societal issues in addition to making a profit.

B Corps, unlike traditional businesses:

1. Meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards;

2. Meet higher legal accountability standards;

3. Build business constituency for public policies that support sustainable business.

Washington State is considering adopting B Corp legislation which would help the sustainable tourism industry prime the pump for future action. Support these efforts and continue with your good work. It pays off. Just ask Mr. Chouinard.

Heidi Siegelbaum

Calyx Sustainable Tourism

For All The Chocolate Lovers Out There

By Steve Gersman


Have you ever been to France? Have you ever had “chocolat chaud” there? For chocolate lovers, it’s the nectar of the gods. It’s not like a bar of chocolate, or those sumptuous desserts with hot, thick chocolate oozing out of them. It’s not like “pot au chocolat” or even a dreamy mousse.

Chocolat chaud stands alone.

It’s a liquid, comes in a cup, but is almost too thick to drink. So you get a spoon. But I never use the spoon. For me, tiny sips give the most pleasure, like savoring the first sip of a superb vintage wine. Made from three different types of solid chocolate, melted, then blended with cream and sugar, this is not for the faint-hearted. The drink is so rich that I have sometimes, when I am not feeling totally self-focused, shared a single cup with a friend.

To call this potion a hot chocolate is to call Versailles a house. If I wax nostalgic, that is only partly true. I always order chocolat chaud when I’m in Paris. Put it down to my love of chocolate and some of the finer pleasures in life.

But it’s not just about Paris. It’s about pleasure. If you haven’t been near Pike Place Market in years, you now have a reason to make an exception. On First Ave, just one storefront down from the SW corner of Stewart, is a French bistro called Le Pichet. If you live in Seattle or are lucky enough to visit, Le Pichet or its sister restaurant, Cafe Presse make it as only the best in France do. Le Pichet or Cafe Presse

Oh, and if you like French cuisine, they make the best French onion soup too, but only in winter. Bon appetite!

London, One More Time

By Ellen J. Wallach

It is 6pm on a very hot August evening and I’m riding on the Underground.  Crowded?  No, packed solid!  August in London means tourists, heat, humidity and no air conditioning.  For the most part in public places, A/C has not crossed the pond. But, I have a seat.  For five weeks this summer, I almost always got a seat.  I’m of an age that mothers tell their children to stand or sit on their laps and give me their seat.  They give the child “the eye,” a small nod up and a quick look at me.  The kid understands.  All children understand their mother’s “eye.”  I was walking around London six or more hours each day. I didn’t need the seat, but I did want it. I’m not proud. I took it every time.

Five weeks in a free three bedroom flat (apartment) in central London.  It was our retirement dream come true.  My husband and I had for years talked of spending two months a year in a different city when we retired.  We love traveling, but staying in one place and really getting to know it was so appealing.  When Tom retired, so had the economy.  An apartment in London, Paris, Rome, or Barcelona was not in our financial future.  Too expensive! As luck would have it, the only person I know who lives in Europe called and made this proposition:  his fully furnished Art Deco flat in a fabulous area of London (Marylebone) in exchange for staying with Dolce.  Would we like to cat sit for five weeks? Would we!

I’ve been to London many times.  The first trip was on my honeymoon in 1965.  I’ve seen things change with each visit.  This trip would be slow London, giving me time to look around, watch and listen, pick up conversations with strangers and snoop down interesting mews (once a row of horse stables, now flats.)  (One Sunday morning we found Madonna directing a new movie about Prince Edward and Wallis Simpson.)  After 45 years of observation, some things have changed, some have stayed the same, some should have changed, but didn’t and some things I just don’t understand.

I changed.  And this time I went with a different husband.

Forty five years ago the food was lousy, the tea fantastic and the coffee instant Nescafe.  Now London is a gourmet paradise.  The restaurant and pub food is fabulous, the many street markets are selling fresh produce from the farmers, homemade cheeses, savory and fruit pies, and ready to eat prepared foods.  Forty five years ago women over 30 all dressed like the queen (frumpy but without a crown) and the men were wearing suits from the same bolt of cloth- dark gray or black wool with a white stripe.  Today, so many women are smartly and age appropriately dressed.  At least one third of the men are still wearing the same suit.

My first musical theater experience in the stalls (orchestra seats) in London featured pre-ordering drinks to be picked up in the bar at intermission and a heavy Fire Curtain that fell after the first act.  When the audience returned for the second act, everyone sang God Save the Queen and the curtain went up.  The drinks and the curtain are still operational, but no singing.

Some of my keenest observations happen in the loo (bathroom.)  Toilets are each in private rooms.  No looking under the door as in the US. Back, sides and door are floor (or nearly) to way above your head.  What privacy.  Toilets used to flush by pulling a chain from the ceiling as the water tank was usually on the wall well above your head.  Today, the tanks are near the seats, like ours.

Public restrooms in the US often sell a variety of supplies (tampons, contraceptives.) In London I found Chewable Toothbrushes.  These were capsules in vending machines containing what looked like a white toothbrush without a handle.  You chewed this and spit it out.  It claims to be a toothbrush and a breath freshener in one. No toothpaste or water required, just chew.

In England you can purchase all kinds of insurance in the supermarket!  The one that caught my eye was Wedding Insurance.  It is advertised as “taking care of things you can’t prepare for, such as the photographer cancelling or a close relative falling ill.” You can pay for coverage for “presents, flowers, cake, transport and wedding attire.”  It nowhere discusses what happens if one of the betrothed gets cold feet.

London is known for its wonderful public transportation.  The streets are packed with all sorts of transport, but I noticed two additional creative options. On July 30^th London, following the lead of other large cities, began a Cycle Hire program.  There are bicycle docking stations all over the city.  You pick up the bike at one station, cycle to your destination, and leave it.  To use this scheme (service) you pay a  charge to activate a key that unlocks all of the bikes for a day, a week, or longer.  Once you are a member, the first 30 minutes of any trip are free.  For additional time, there is a fee depending upon how long you use the bike.  You can make unlimited journeys of under 30 minutes with no usage charge.

From bicycles to Bentleys, Ferraris, Aston Martins and Porches, join the Classic Car Club.  This private club has a selection of “coupes to convertibles, sports to saloons, classic and brand new.”  By joining you receive an allocation of points that can be exchanged for hours behind the wheel of the car(s) of your dreams.  No maintenance, storage or security hassles.  The Club takes care of everything. It also hosts special events at 3am so members can take the cars for a spin.  

Nice to see them using the streets during the “off hours.”

And, then there is the language.  Tom and I were waiting for a rural bus in the Kent county side when a large, red double decker bus passed by. Emblazed on the entire side was:  “Hold onto your balls boys, the wags are back in town. Footballers’ Wives .” What do you make of this? I couldn’t figure it out, either.  I’ve since learned that Footballers’ Wives, a British TV drama, had been off the air for a few years.  Wags is an acronym for “wives and girlfriends of high profile football players.”  Football in Britain means soccer in the US. So, the show is returning!  There you have it.

We are back on the tube and I’m sitting next to a young woman totally wrapped in black, only her face is showing.  She turns and asks, “Are you from the United States?”  I say, “Yes.” She is from Saudi Arabia and is thinking about doing her graduate work in the U.S. She wants to know about “R-Kansas.”  I finally figure out that she is asking about Arkansas.  We have an extended discussion of US cities.  We had a long way to go.  I finally get the nerve to ask a question that had been on my mind, “Are you hot under your robes?”  And, she replied, “Oh, no, it is much hotter at home in the desert.”

Life is all about perspective.  The challenge is to keep an open mind, seeing the familiar as new.

When Cows Meet Clams- New Collaboration in the Snoqualmie Valley

SNOQUALMIE VALLEY FARMS AND FORESTS

The Snoqualmie Valley is one step closer to ensuring that it remains picturesque for years to come with news of the National Estuary Program /EPA funding to establish an agricultural and forestry production, marketing and tourism training program to help keep working farms and forests in the Snoqualmie Valley from being converted to development.

The grant, "When Cows Meet Clams" includes providing training to expand the number of working farms and forests practicing sustainable approaches while raising awareness about the important role working lands have on quality of life, economic development and why cows (farming) have positive implications for clams (Puget Sound).

"It's easy to lose sight of the connection between farms and forests at higher elevations and the issues we're having at sea level with Puget Sound," said Heidi Siegelbaum, principal at Calyx Sustainable Tourism and one of the project leads, reflecting on the use of whole community and watershed approaches. Calyx’s concept paper on farm and forest tourism was the basis for the grant and builds on a previous Cascade Harvest Coalition and Northwest Natural Resource Group project, Puget Sound Grown, Taking Root in the Northwest. Both organizations are strategic working partners and bring years of relevant work with both farm and forest landowners to the project.

The area is vulnerable due to exploding land values and encroaching suburban development. The area is part of the larger agriculturally and forest-rich King County which is home to 1,790 farms representing 49,285 acres, and 15,600 acres of non-industrial private forest land.

The King Conservation District, the program manager and grant recipient, will receive the funds through the Washington State Department of Ecology and Washington State Department of Commerce.

Green Giving and Living for the Holidays

The autumn and winter holidays, extending from late October through January, are a time of giving, crafting feasts from the gifts of the land and sea, and sharing gifts and experiences that have meaning or explore human capacity (for instance, ice skating which-- for some-- stretches that capacity). It is also marked by a wild uptick in garbage and food waste. But alas, you need not feel guilty but merely shift your thinking. Some of the ideas below are also good for business as they reduce waste, illustrate the ways your company gives back to the community and lightens the load on the planet and all its critters and planetary citizens.

The Tree: Many of you may not want silver or blue holiday trees but if you take care of an artificial tree, it will last many years as opposed to a live tree. If you want a brainiac life cycle assessment which compares artificial to natural trees to impress people over holiday beverage fiestas, look here. If not, please compost your tree (check your local government for where and how). If you venture to Swanson's nursery in Seattle next winter holiday, you can buy one of their Evergreen trees which you can return part of the Seattle Green Partnership's restoration program. They all entice with Reindeer and Camels. As you decorate, note that great strides have been made in LED color and bulb sizing and they are found virtually everywhere, and can save you considerable money in energy costs.

Experiences (what else for tourism?): There is nothing like a sparkly, ribbon festooned packaged hidden somewhere in your home or business but what lies within can be an experience rather than a physical item. Learn how to: swim, do ballet, kick someone's #$*& with martial arts (if need be), climb a mountain, paint with watercolor or learn a new language. If you want to help rural villagers throughout the world you can purchase a part or whole of an animal through Heifer International. There are ample opportunities to donate to food banks, toy drives, or volunteer with hundreds of different organizations.

Give a Second Life (by Recycling and Composting): Most of the cards, paper, plastic and other byproducts of holiday giving can be recycled or composted. See http://earth911.com for a listing or the Department of Ecology's recycling page or county specific links. Of particular note is electronics which are full of toxic materials and are often illegally shipped overseas and handled by children and older villagers. Lucky for us, Washington is in its third year of E-Cycle Washington. Check out the site to see how to recycle or donate everything from cell phones to computers.

Food A Go-Go: Ok, we all gorge ourselves until silly this time of year but there are still ways businesses can donate food. Food donors are protected from liability if they use due care and this is also an unprecedented time of need in Washington's communities. For consumers, food that cannot be donated can often be commercially composted depending on where you live and you can always do backyard composting with select materials. Businesses can compost commercially or a local farmer may take your goodies. A great tool to find a compost facility is here.

Other Nifty Tid Bits: There are a number of web sites that offer ways to make creative gift wrap, donate used holiday cards or give back by giving certain gifts. Look here and frolic there. Wishing the world a more peaceful, nurturing and loving 2012.

The Menu Project

The Menu Project

by Ellen J. Wallach

You’ve probably never thought about what happens to old menus.  They are made to be disposable.  Used, abused, and soiled by unwashed hands and random food splatters, they are unceremoniously thrown out or, more recently, recycled. I’d never thought about them either until two months ago.

In an effort to purge our possessions for an anticipated move, my husband arrived in the kitchen with a pock-marked 1950s white suitcase, the kind that weighs 40 lbs. empty. I had seen it in the basement over the years, but never knew where it came from or what was in it. He inherited it twenty years ago when his neighbor was moving.  It contained almost 100 menus from the 1940s through the 1970s. The neighbor “liberated” menus from restaurants mostly in the Northwest where he lived. This was his collection.

Some are plain. Some are beautiful. Some are works of art. All are interesting. They are in all sizes and some are shapes- a clown head for a children’s menu, a slab of steak for the Old Country Kitchen, and an arrowhead for the Indian Village Restaurant.  Each menu is a peek at a culture that existed 40 or more   years ago. What did we eat? What did we drink? How much did it cost?  This is anthropological research I couldn’t recycle. Now what?

Thus, began the menu project- finding homes for over-the-hill  cartes. These were not pristine beauties. Where to begin? Google. Most of the restaurants no longer exist. Even extensive restaurant chains have disappeared and so have the prices!

The Camlin Hotel in Seattle (described in their 1947 menu as “Smartness in Hotel Accommodation,” had a restaurant with great views, The Cloud Room.  It is no longer a hotel but part of the Wyndham Vacation Ownership group.  The Cloud Room is now a number of upscale penthouses.  The most expensive menu item was Filet Mignon for $3.25. Coffee was $.10.

Inn at the Quay in Spokane, Washington specialized in flaming desserts- Cherries Jubilee and Peach Flambe for $1.75. The house specialty was Tips & Tails- tenderloin beef tri-tips and imported lobster tails. The price included soup or salad, baked potato, and individual loaf of bread and coffee. Price? $5.50.

As you might guess, restaurants in the mid 20^th century were featuring a lot of meat, all inclusive meals (salads, potato, rolls and coffee,) and coffee meant caffeinated. Sanka was decaf. There are menu items  rarely seen anymore: Pineapple Welsh Rarebit, Flaked Chicken a la King, Finnan Haddie, and Hot Mince with Rum Sauce.  

The menus are finding their ways to new homes- the amateur historian for the city of Palo Alto took three of them; Ivar’s, an institution in Seattle, is now home to a large menu cutout of The Captain; and the Heathman and Benson Hotels in Portland have repatriated their menus.

The next time you are out, think about what people in 2070 might say about us. Look at the prices we consider high. I bet you’d rather be ordering from my menus.

Ellen J. Wallach is an organizational development consultant in Seattle, Washington. She is fascinated by how people in other cultures and times live. 

Wooing the Media: Three tips for gaining and sustaining media support

Wooing the Media: Three tips for gaining and sustaining media support

by Allen Cox

You operate a travel or tourism company with a focus on sustainability. Your operating practices support your vision. Your organization helps sustain the environment, communities, local economies and cultures. You enrich your customers' and affiliates' lives. You're living your dream and helping others live theirs.

But is your organization's good work the world's best kept secret?

With sustainability emerging as a fundamental travel and tourism expectation, your message must set you apart and resonate with your audience. What's one of your biggest allies in making that happen? The media—print, online, broadcast and social.

You can gain and sustain media support by incorporating three basic strategies into your operating plan:

1. Craft a compelling message.

You know your organization better than anyone. What's it about? What's the customer experience? What are the positive outcomes of your operation? Who does your company benefit, and how?

The answers to these questions and others should be components of a well-crafted message. They form your image. They attract customers to your business and bring media to your door.

Examine your existing messaging points and get some objective, third-party input. Test it on a focus group. If the message needs improvement, revise until it gets to the heart of your story.

2. Educate your staff.

You might have a crack team that knows your product or service and has the passion to play out your vision. But when it comes to communicating with media, is that crack team struck silent?

Help your team with the fundamentals of media relations. Identify your key messengers and host a Media Relations 101 session. Bring in an outside trainer, or if one of your staff is versed on the topic, conduct a session in house. Then, craft and roll out a media relations plan tailored to your company and budget.

3. Educate the media.

Sustainable travel and tourism organizations are sources of some the most positive stories on the planet. Just as your consumers expect to do business with a company that operates sustainably, they also love to read or listen to stories about sustainable companies—your company.

You have a positive story. Someone in the media will want to tell it. How to make and sustain that media connection is the key. First, know who your media audience is. Do some research to compile a media list: comb through mastheads of industry publications for the right editors and writers, or engage a PR pro that already has a list of your media dream team. Second, invite the media to experience your products or services as your guest (if they can't accept freebies, they'll tell you). Third, master the press release; this can and should be a powerful tool in sparking media interest.       

For many business owners and organizations, how to get media excited about what you're doing ranks among the world's greatest mysteries. Take it from me—a member of the media—there are ways of attaining positive page space, air time or megabytes in cyberspace. Think of it as a courtship. Make that media first date something special and shoot for a long-term relationship. Depending on your prowess (or lack of), this might require a matchmaker in the form of a tourism marketing consultant or a PR pro. Either way, well-executed efforts pay off by making an effective message ultimately resonate with your target audience.

Allen Cox, freelance writer and editor of HARBORS magazine, travels and writes with a keen interest in sustainability. You can learn more about Allen and his work at www.allencox.org.