The SUV in the Pantry
by Thomas Starrs

I spend a fair amount of time thinking about how to reduce my family's
dependence on energy, particularly energy derived from fossil fuels. I
commute to work by bicycle or bus, install compact fluorescents when
light bulbs burn out, replace major appliances with the most efficient
ones I can afford, and cast jealous glances at my friends who drive
hybrids or alternative-fueled vehicles. But until recently, I didn't
think of myself as an energy glutton because of the food I eat.

Then I read an astonishing statistic: It takes about 10 fossil fuel
calories to produce each food calorie in the average American diet...

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Cities & Time
Stewart Brand

How Societies Fail-And Sometimes Succeed
Jared Diamond

Yvon Chouinard is not your typical executive. The founder and owner of the outdoor clothing company Patagonia claims to ignore the bottom line and refers to fellow business leaders as corpses in suits.

So why should the corporate world pay attention to a man who leads with his own brand of "MBA" - management by absence - and blames business for poisoning the Earth and destroying native cultures? As Chouinard says, the common view is, "It's OK to be eccentric, as long as you are rich." And the privately held Patagonia is profitable despite controlling growth to about 5% a year and devoting 1% of sales (about $2.5 million per year) toward protecting and restoring the environment.

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