When the going gets tough, the first target that gets shot at seems to be the environment. Aren’t we really cutting it close, shaving away sustainability. The new governor of Maine, my governor, Paul LePage, is a “Lightning Rod for Critics” as headlined recently by Jenna Russell in Boston Globe. And among other things, “…the new governor has offered up a more substantive cause for controversy: a plan to streamline state environmental protections, eliminating or reducing more than 60 regulations on pollution and development.”
I’m not going to get into a political debate, here, and whether or not you are a “tree hugger”, doesn’t really make a difference. Is this true? “The governor is not suggesting we turn our backs on what makes Maine great,’’ said Demeritt. “It’s about finding middle ground and the right protections, and why it takes a million dollars to get a project approved.’’ I hope so, but there are some concerns.
“It’s a wholesale retreat from the values Maine people hold dear,’’ Mike Belliveau, executive director of the Environmental Health Strategy Center, a statewide public health organization, said of LePage’s proposal. “Everyone knows the essence of Maine is the quality of its environment. It resonates deeply in the psyche of Maine people, and it’s the backbone of the economy, drawing tourists from all over the world.’’ You have to realize that Maine benefits from tourism to the tune of $15 billion per year, which makes it a leading industry in Maine. Do we want to jeopardize that? It’s not tree hugging it’s dollar hugging.
Now I’m all for reducing redundancy within the governmental departments. I believe there probably is quite a bit of that. Depending on what statistics you use, between 34% and 45% of those employed in Maine work for some sort of federal, state, or local government.
There is some precedent for this scrutiny according to Ms. Russell. “In New Jersey, to similar outrage from environmentalists, Governor Chris Christie previously introduced many of the same proposals put forth by LePage: establishing a fast track to approval for development proposals, shifting authority from environmental boards to administrative judges, and prohibiting state standards that are stricter than federal regulations, as well as reducing governmental job redundancy.
Florida’s new governor, Rick Scott, used his recent budget recommendations to eliminate funding for the state’s land conservation program, Florida Forever, and to drastically downsize the state agency in charge of managing sprawl, the Department of Community Affairs, by slashing its budget from $779 million to $110 million, according to Sarah Bucci, a field associate with the advocacy group Environment Florida.” One size does not necessarily fit everyone. What one state does doesn’t necessarily meant it is relevant to another.
One of the more controversial remarks from LePage, couched as a “joke gone awry” by the governor’s office, was linked to the “proposal that has received the most attention would suspend the Kid-Safe Products Act, a law overwhelmingly approved by legislators in 2008. The law, which has yet to take effect, would ban the sale of baby bottles and other products containing biphenyl A, or BPA, a chemical compound linked to health concerns in animal studies. Supporters of the law say LePage is catering to out-of-state corporations who helped fund his campaign. Demeritt said the governor simply wants “sound science’’ to be the standard for state regulations, and with BPA, “the science is not there.’’ The worst side effect of exposure to it, he (LePage) asserted at a press conference, might be women growing “little beards.”
“State Senator Peter Mills, who ran against LePage in a seven-way Republican primary last year, said the governor’s deregulation plan contains important, necessary changes at its core, some of which are likely to be approved. But he criticized LePage for taking a “slash and burn’’ approach instead of focusing strategically on key reforms.” We need to use a pair of scissors, not a straight razor to make cuts.
“You need to get people used to your perspective, instead of throwing everything against the wall,’’ said Mills. “It creates huge resistance and doesn’t get it done. . . . All he did was get environmentalists fired up.’’
We, as project managers, know that change is difficult, but something that is constant, and the primary reason we exist. Everything we do involves change of some sort. There is a right way to manage change and a wrong way. We agreed with Senator Mills, your need to find a way to minimize resistance, not galvanize it. Perhaps, as John Greenleaf Whittier, a poet who hailed from an almost neighbor of ours, Massachusetts said; “Tradition wears a snowy beard, romance is always young.” Let’s keep our traditions and continue to woo sustainability.
It’s almost time for New Year’s Resolutions, and we start with best New Year’s wishes for all of our readers and followers. Happy New Year!
Naked Fly Fishing Not Recommended
Those of you who know our book, know that Patagonia is one of those companies at the “Top of Their Game” when it comes to sustainability. Also, those of you who use the products probably know the story of how Patagonia got started when founder Yvon Chouinard felt that the current pitons were harming the rocks he was climbing and invented a more environmentally friendly piton. But what you may not know relates to fly fishing.
Well, you may ask, “Why is fly fishing relevant to me?” It may not be per sec, but while Rich and I are both fishermen, I am a fly fisherman bordering on fanaticism and obsession. Fly fishing may also be why I was drawn to project management or vice versa. You see, fly fishing to me is about the process; fly tying, getting ready for a trip, the precision gear, the anatomy of a river, stream, pond or lake, rather than catching fish. Although I do catch my fair share and practice catch and release. But that is getting a little off track.
In the most recent edition of Fly Fishing in Saltwater, there is small article about Patagonia continuing there sustainability efforts entitled “Patagonia – Green to the Extreme.” While I don’t think it is so extreme, more of a necessity, Patagonia is undertaking an effort to eliminatepaper catalogs. What a great thought! Tired of getting your mailbox stuffed with catalogs, especially around Christmas time? Patagonia has published their second e-catalog. While it does have the feel of a magazine, it can do so much more, especially with its videos. And, it is not only green, but the way I figure it, helps the company’s bottom-line.
The Environmental Defense Fund’s paper calculator estimates that Patagonia will save 1.5 million gallons of waste water, 220,860 pounds of
solid waste, 1,222 trees, and almost 600,000 pounds of CO2. While there are some development costs for the e-catalog, I am sure that the savings far outweigh those costs; thereby adding to the company’s bottom-line, and fitting well into the Triple Botton Line (People, Planet, Profits). I for one love the products and proudly display a Patagonia decal on the window of my SUV. Yes, I told you I tend to lean a little toward the Hummer side of the spectrum. But I’d have trouble towing my boat to the water or my trailer full of yard waste to the composting facility with a Prius. Although for trips other than to go fishing/boating or towing I do have a much more efficient vehicle, trading in a gas guzzler for that. Anyway, it is not about me, or maybe it is, my being a fly fisherman.
On page two of the catalog there is a “commitment” to fly fishing where they say that they spent untold hours on research and development to ensure that the products they povide are the finest that can be produced so that fly fishermen can concentrate on the sport rather than on the “vagaries of Mother Nature.” And, all is done in a sustainable way. Be assured that the e-catalog is not the only effort to reduce their impact on the environment. The World Trout® Initiative, is addressing the following issues: “overfishing and destruction of habitat threaten trout populations worldwide. Humans are the cause, though they may also be trout’s saviors.” Read more about the World Trout® Initiative. (The picture below is also from Patagonia’s website.)
I can only quote Robert Travers (better known for his novel “Anatomy of a Murder”);
“I fish because I love to. Because I love the environs where trout are found, which are invariably
beautiful, and hate the environs where crowds of people are found, which are
invariably ugly. Because of all the television commercials, cocktail parties,
and assorted social posturing I thus escape. Because in a world where most men
seem to spend their lives doing what they hate, my fishing is at once an
endless source of delight and an act of small rebellion. Because trout do not
lie or cheat and cannot be bought or bribed, or impressed by power, but respond
only to quietude and humility, and endless patience. Because I suspect that men
are going this way for the last time and I for one don’t want to waste the
trip. Because mercifully there are no telephones on trout waters. Because in
the woods I can find solitude without loneliness. … And finally, not because
I regard fishing as being so terribly important, but because I suspect that so
many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant and not nearly so
much fun.”
Let’s try to keep it that way.