Ray Anderson on the business logic of sustainability

http://www.ted.com At his carpet company, Ray Anderson has increased sales and doubled profits while turning the traditional “take / make / waste” industrial system on its head. In a gentle, understated way, he shares a powerful vision for sustainable commerce.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the “Sixth Sense” wearable tech, and “Lost” producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

Duration : 0:16:40


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25 Responses to “Ray Anderson on the business logic of sustainability”

  1. Live simply so …
    Live simply so others can simply live.

  2. This dude is well …
    This dude is well ahead of the curve. Even if you don’t get it yet this is how we are going to be doing business and living life in the future. That is if we don’t poison the World before the future child is born.

    I really hope that more people follow this man’s wisdom.

    I’m going to look the guy up and send him an email to thank him on behalf of my unborn future children.

  3. because in and of …
    because in and of itself hemp is sustainable….no fertilizers needed no pesticides, it’s a healthy & cheap source of protein and omega 3 and 6. it can be made into plastic that’s biodegradable. i could name more but ultimately hemp is a threat to many corporations that continue to propagate unsuitable activities because of blind pursuit of profit. Male & female cannabis=better world *oversimplified but nevertheless cannabis **female** is a definite counter to dumb drugs like tobacco and beer.

  4. I agree that Hemp …
    I agree that Hemp is a useful product, but am going to ask you how adding another product, or switching to another product is the answer to our problems, when our problems stem from over production and over consumption as much as they do wrong consumption and wrong production?

  5. Dude check your …
    Dude check your grammar, I did not understand what you wrote about your studies.

    And I don’t see how I or anybody else prefers to be part of the problem. I am against removing money from the economy, that’s all.

  6. the cynic believes …
    the cynic believes and perpetuates scarcity. Hubris, greed, avarice restricts abundance to a priviledged few. My studies and observations say that more accurately reflects the sentiment of those in poverty, in hunger, in disease. To work with the Earth, wth social responsibility is an invitation to live in solution. Perhaps you prefer to be part of the problem.

  7. wake up to the fact …
    wake up to the fact that most people don’t think that, especially people in poverty

  8. we ALL own this …
    we ALL own this Earth. Wake up to the uber / macro view.

  9. resourcebasedeconomY on August 13th, 2009 at 6:26 am

    THE VENUS PROJECT. …
    THE VENUS PROJECT. COM

  10. it every “waste” is …
    it every “waste” is seen as a “resource”,, then sustainability and growth can exist together.

  11. I have to remind at …
    I have to remind at this point that the Nordic model (which is in place in all Nordic countries, not just Sweden, hence the name) is not some magical eco-communist way of government and has little to do with protecting the enviroment by itself.

    Nordic countries, like all “western”
    industrialized countries, spend and waste huge amount of resources.

  12. i think that if an …
    i think that if an old man that made his fortune at the expense of the earth can so completely reevaluate the way he does business, we all can. We just have to want to.

  13. buddy. If only you …
    buddy. If only you guys were the first ones with this idea. People are not ready for that, capitalism is about ownership, and unless nobody wants to own anything eradicating capitalism will not really work. May be a sophisticated socialism system like in Sweden is possible.

    Abolishing money? Money is for trading? You ever studied economics, and why money exists? Wake up!

  14. laxhockfiendmb on August 13th, 2009 at 6:26 am

    powerful poem
    powerful poem

  15. frederickfarrell on August 13th, 2009 at 6:26 am

    fantastic, what a …
    fantastic, what a great man

  16. very humble speaker
    very humble speaker

  17. GodLovesJeffFisher on August 13th, 2009 at 6:26 am

    Check out …
    Check out ALGOREFOREVER blogspot com
    Welcome to mankinds glorious future.
    Good by Lying cheating treasonous Barack Obama
    35 black kids killed and he does nothing.
    NoMoreFraud blogspot com
    Google everyday Tom Heneghan
    Prepare to Party a lot
    Break out the alcohol and Pot.
    Good BY DEA
    GOOD BY IRS
    GOOD BY HOMELAND SECURITY
    GOOD BY POLICE STATE
    HELLO PARADISE AND RESTORATION
    OF AMERICA THAT OUR FOUNDING FATHERS WANTED

  18. resourcebasedeconomY on August 13th, 2009 at 6:26 am

    hey, kDest
    Read …

    hey, kDest
    Read before post, that shows how ignorant you are.

    The Venus project. com

  19. Yeah, and then …
    Yeah, and then let’s go back into living in tribes and sacrificing animals for the next big harvest.

  20. resourcebasedeconomY on August 13th, 2009 at 6:26 am

    Logic is eradicate …
    Logic is eradicate capitalism and abolish money

    The Venus Project. com

  21. This guy is one of …
    This guy is one of the world’s true heroes. The world needs a lot more like him.

  22. what was the …
    what was the achievement in increasing “profits”? what are profits? what are profits used for? where do they end up?

    Even with the sample group of “independent” certifying agencies, this carpet business fails to be conclusively sustainable

  23. There was a poem.


    There was a poem.
    :-)

  24. yea that’s why it …
    yea that’s why it fails to advocate it’s own ideas…COMPANY….why not put up a company somewhere OUTSIDE US (like in CANADA) because IT IS THE ONLY INDUSTRIAL COUNTRY that bans HEMP growing….make the effort. Out of all the plants, hemp is the most useful for industrial use and most products derived from it are non toxic. Hemp is a billion dollar crop…I ADVOCATE HEMP (male plant of weed) first….it can save the world…

  25. Ok, I can agree …
    Ok, I can agree upon that - but this can be only achieved through concious entrepreneurship, just like Ray Anderson tried to tell us.

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