"Curiosity Matters" Meets Ampleen: Interview with Shoko Sekiguchi

My usual role is to observe and ask cleaver questions.  This week, the role was reversed and I was interviewed by "Curiosity Matters".  Curiosity Matters is a popular blog by Molly Aaker and she writes about a diverse subject matter related to creativity, strategy, design and business.

Here is an excerpt from the interview and check out the whole interview at Curiosity Matters:

In your current job, you help multi-national corporations develop their IT strategy. How did this job lead to supporting sustainability practices?
The multi-national corporations are looking into cost reduction by being efficient. Going green should really bring an efficiency to the corporations when it is planned well. So, many corporations asked me how to be green and efficient in their IT solutions and that is how I started looking at sustainability very seriously.

Sustainability on a corporate level can cover everything from LEED certified buildings, to energy efficient server management and increased recycling. What sustainability efforts can have the most positive impact on the environment?

That is a great question. I believe that starting with the sustainability projects that can be easily translated into cost reduction would most likely have the biggest impact on a CEO’s decision to get further involved in the sustainability effort. As a result, it will lead to the most positive impact on the environment.
 

What companies have served as examples to the sustainability movement?

There are several such as Google and Whole Foods. I am particularly impressed by the effort of Patagonia, an out-door clothing brand. I wrote about them in a post on Ampleen, ”What’s the Responsible Company?”

Although caring for the environment has gone mainstream, I’m sure it can still be difficult to convince companies to be sustainable especially if there are extra costs involved. How do you do this?

As mentioned earlier, companies, especially public companies, are looking into being efficient and need justification for every spending. But, like the new Bank of America Tower, if the green initiatives can prove great savings over time, the key stake holders are more likely to be receptive about the projects.

What keeps you motivated to become more involved in the sustainability movement?
When I see some positive changes, rather than negatives facts, I feel compelled to get more involved in the movement. For instance, I started seeing more people coming to the Union Sq. green market in last a few years and being interested in what it’s all about. I am excited to see the change and like to see more of that.

Water and the City: The Case of Bermuda and NYC

Bermuda's colorful houses

Have you ever thought that you knew everything about a certain subject and later found out that you were missing some vital information that was under your nose the whole time?   

 

I had that experience during recent visit to Bermuda.  I learned something significant about the island -- about its water supply -- for the first time after several visits to the island.

 

The only source of fresh water in Bermuda is rain and every drop of rain has to be captured efficiently and quickly.  I have always appreciated the colorful walls and beautifully designed white roofs of the typical house in Bermuda but, actually I found out the roofs are designed to capture water easily.  The rain is collected on roofs and diverted into storage tanks. Each house usually has at least one of these tanks forming part of its foundation. 

In this way, Bermuda has been able to maintain sustainable water supply. 

Bermuda's solution for fresh water reminds me of our own water issues in NYC.  Did you know NYC's tap water quality is rated one of the best in the world?  But now our water quality is being threatened by a possible change in NY state's policy against fracking operations.

 

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is the process of extracting natural grass from shale rock layers deep within the earth. Fracking makes it possible to produce natural gas extraction in shale plays that were once unreachable with conventional technologies. Recent technology advancements in drilling have led to new man-made hydraulic fractures in shale plays that were once not available for exploration.

The problem with fracking is that it causes something like a mini-earthquake and some people say the chemicals released by this drilling operation can pollute an area and contaminates local water.  This contamination has been known to cause lung damage and, cancer, and even death.

New York state regulators are now examining the potential public health effects of hydraulic fracturing as part of its review of the controversial natural gas drilling process.  But it isn't clear how the research results will influence a decision by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to allow such drilling in the state. 

An island such as Bermuda has been successfully preserving its water by each household's effort and each Bermuda resident's collective effort to maintain its water sustainability. 

I wonder how we can, residents of NYC, similarly help preserve our precious water? 

What do you think of environmental hazards of fracking?  Should governments put a stop to it?

PS: Speaking of water, did you know that we have World Water Day, March 22nd? Also, did you know that we just had a World Water Week from September 1 -6?   Water indeed is our life, and we should acknowledge its importance and should be grateful to have abundant fresh water in our daily life.  Do you agree?