Meeting

The biggest source of wasted time in most organizations. Successful, meetings should have: A clear agenda An appointed facilitator or leader An appointed person to track time Attendance limited to only those who need to be involved (and included those who have influence or responsibility over the issues discussed) Clear Focus on the agenda and its issues A clear end time Written outcomes and responsibilities leaving a meeting  Read More

Meaning

The deepest level of significance at which an organization’s products, services, or experiences can touch a customer. “Meanings” are the ultimate ideals that explain the significance of our lives. Recently, marketing theory has integrated meaning into corporate strategic development. Meaningful experiences evoke these ultimate ideals in a measurable amount of time, and make them real for us. These experiences are the essential ingredients of... Read More

Materials Audit

The process of investigating the costs and effects of materials used in manufacturing in order to determine more efficient, less costly, less toxic (or dangerous), and more sustainable options.  Read More

Manufacturing Capital

One of at least four forms of capital used by people, organizations, corporations, and governments, to build and maintain their livelihoods. Manufacturing Capital includes all material resources and energy used throughout the manufacturing process and how effectively and sustainably these are used. This includes assessing their toxicity. While these all have economic value within a company and, thus, could be considered as Financial capital, they... Read More

LOHAS (Lifestyles Of Health And Sustainability)

Describes an estimated $209 billion U.S. marketplace for goods and services focused on health, the environment, social justice, personal development and sustainable living. The consumers attracted to this market represent a sizable group in this country. Approximately 19% percent of the adults in the U.S., or 41 million people, are currently considered LOHAS Consumers. This is based on surveys of the U.S. adult population estimated at 215 million.... Read More

Limits

The idea that there are natural thresholds that cannot be exceeded without risking the health of the entire system. Limits are essential to the idea that natural capital must be conserved. The concept is also at the heart of several prominent economic theories and many people’s inability to regard change or conservation as necessary since they don’t recognize that limits exist on natural capital. Limits to Growth was a 1972 book by Donella... Read More

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)

An examination, like an audit, of the total impact of a product or service’s manufacturing, use, and disposal in terms of material and energy. There are few standards yet in measuring and assessing these impacts but a Life Cycle Analysis is usually wider in scope than similar assessments, such as the Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) and the Substance Flow Analysis (SFA). This includes an analysis and inventory of all parts, materials, and energy,... Read More

Leverage

The ability of a company or individual to operate financially. Leverage is calculated by dividing total debt by total assets. Companies with high leverage are able to operate more freely and take advantage of opportunities that can control or create larger financial assets with a small amount of capital.  Read More

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)® Rating

A registered system of rating existing and new buildings, interiors, and other components based on environmental effectiveness. The LEED checklist integrates over 60 different criteria and results in certification at 4 levels: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Resources: National Resource Defense Fund. (n.d.). LEED Certification Information. In NRDC: Building Green. Retrieved March 14, 2011 from http://www.nrdc.org/buildinggreen/leed.asp. U.... Read More

Kyoto Protocol

An agreement developed by and for industrial nations in 1997 at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) in Kyoto, Japan, to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases by at least 5% below 1990 levels by 2012. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 2005 without the US ratifying it. Currently, the EU expects to achieve the goals two years early, in 2010. Over 200 US cities have decided to meet the Kyoto Protocols on their own.  Read More