Modeling Sustainability
A Sustainability Case Study
A Passion for Sustainability
Portland, Oregon is the most sustainable city in the USA and continues to hold the record. Portland has recognized there is a lot more to being green that recycling. The short documentary titled A Passion for Sustainability highlights several Portland companies that are dedicated to using the lens of The Natural Step principals of sustainability in everything they do. The four principals of sustainability are:
- Eliminate the pollution caused by the production and consumption of fossil fuels
- Eliminate the pollution caused by the production and consumption of chemicals like pesticides, herbicides, electronic waste, and more
- Eliminate the environmental degradation from clear cutting forests and over-harvesting natural food resources like fish
- Eliminate the actions, processes, and policies that harm human life and block basic needs such as food, water, and shelter
- The Neil Kelly Company is a leader in Portland’s home building and remodeling company that is dedicated to green construction and zero net energy building.
- OMSI Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has designed the first sustainable exhibit. Creating a new path in the museum community that produces exhibits that are truly sustainable with respect to the materials, techniques and parts that are interchangeable from one exhibit to the next.
- The Nike campus is a great example of a sustainable corporation from a cafeteria that serves only organic foods to having multiple campus buildings that have been awarded LEED certifications.
- Anna Cohen Fashion Design is a sustainable fashion design company that uses soy blends, organic cotton, hemp, bamboo and seaweed.
- Sokol Blosser approaches to wine making in sustainable ways that is far greater than just being organic.
- TerraClean was founded on the premise that cleaning can operate free from dependence on fossil fuels; the trucks and engines of the cleaning systems run on vegetables oil. They use non-toxic bio based cleaning products as well.
- Hot Lips Pizza is dedicated to using locally grown foods, green power and waste reduction.
- Hawthorne Auto Clinic uses environmentally friendly techniques to manage their auto repair business.
- Tualatin Valley Water District the district serves 200,000 people and has embarked upon a building remodel that awarded them a LEED certification. Water collection of rainwater is just one amazing way they maintain commitment to sustainability.
- The Joinery is a furniture making company that uses only woods from well-managed forests.
- Carleton Hart Architecture focuses on projects that are community based and people oriented.