Posts from — January 2009

Exxon Mobil announced record profit today for 2008 of over $45 Billion, yes that’s right over $45 BILLION. I’m not sure how I feel about this. I am not a proponent of capping a company’s profits, however as a conscious capitalist I think we should have a better understanding of how the profit was derived, i.e. was there any market manipulation and how is the money now going to be deployed?

What % of this profit is going back to shareholders? Beyond shareholders and maybe more importantly how much should Exxon Mobil be investing in renewable energies and clean up of pollution from emissions? Additionally what is their responsibility in helping the very people and companies they profited from to gain stability?

I’m sure the company would argue they invest heavily in renewable technologies; clearly it will be a small fraction of $45 Billion. However, should they be required to meet a certain threshold? They also most likely donate to non-profits and the like, but how much societal good could they be doing beyond the formulaic donations with this type of profit and what is the right thing to do?

I look forward to the day companies like Exxon Mobil understand that while the company, by law, has limited social responsibilities, there is a tipping point of societal tolerance of their corporate behavior which may result in outcomes they do not want.

As Jack Welch said during the ‘80’s, “Control your own destiny or someone else will.” It seems odd to be using a Jack Welch quote when talking about conscious capitalism, but it fits.

Financial institutions around the world are finding that out today what the tipping points for their industry are and what someone else controlling their destiny means. I’d suggest that if other industries, like Exxon Mobil’s, continue on a path of perceived greed and societal elitism, they too may find out what this means. It appears we’re at a time of tipping points on many fronts.

Tom Pellicane – Publisher, canvas Magazine

Wind, rain, sleet, snow, ice; here there and everywhere. I’m not a scientist but I think anyone can apply common sense and agree we’re in the midst of significant climate change. As the Obama administration considers stimulus, one effort that might make sense is in investing in climate change readiness.

I’m not suggesting studies and 20 year plans, which are important, I’m talking about immediate needs.

What stadium roof could get blown off a stadium in the U.S. like the one that blew off in Barcelona Spain. Are we really ready for those types of winds and damage that follows?

Ice storms seem to be the rule not the exception this winter, many are expected to be without power in southern states until possibly mid February according to reports I heard on the news this morning. This following the ice storms in the northeast earlier this winter. What immediate spending can we do to either get electric lines underground, power stations protected or home readiness plans in place for people who are without power, in the winter for long periods of time?

These are just a couple of areas that come to mind. I’m all for tax cuts, provided there are people working who will benefit from the taxes to be cut! I’m all for infrastructure improvement, as long as there is still infrastructure to improve!

This is not an Armageddon post, it’s a readiness post. It appears the earth we are living on is signaling a change we can either be ready for it or continually devastated by it.

Tom Pellicane – Publisher, canvas Magazine

This weekend we took a spur of the moment overnight trip to my mother-in law’s house up in the Hudson Valley. The winter views were magnificent with snow still on the ground. It feels great to be in a place where the pace seems to slow just a little allowing you to spend a moment reflecting in the cold, crisp air.
Saturday night my wife, Adele and I got to be a couple, while my mother in-law played with our son Jake, we slipped out for a quick dinner. We actually held hands… wow.

Over the past few days we’ve been swept up by Obama mania. On TV, in my Church, in my house, at even my 2 1/2 year old son, Jake, can recognize Obama in a crowd and tell you he’s going to be the President.

I’m looking forward to his inauguration today. My wife, Adele, and I were invited to an event with friends, based on my agenda for the day I originally felt I should decline. This morning Adele shared with me how important it is to her that we watch the inauguration together. Her saying this has me thinking just how momentous this event is, if it wasn’t big enough in my mind already.

In a year of turbulence, 2008, when lives like ours have been affected drastically through things like layoffs, companies going out of business and natural occurrences like deaths; Obama seems to have the charisma and intuitive ability to connect. This ability results in a heightened magnitude of hope that I feel is healthy at a time like this. I too am hopeful for change he speaks of, yet skeptical that he may be just another politician. Today I’m very thankful for the determination and unity he seems to be bringing simply by having won.

Obama is right when he says this will not be easy and there is no silver bullet. Unfortunately l think we will dip down further before we are able to rise up. As we rise I think it’s imperative that all we say and all we do includes the word “Sustainable.” Sustainability needs to be an imperative for our future. A disposable society has gotten us to where we are today and we deserve better.

Tom Pellicane – Publisher, canvas Magazine

Yesterday I had a great conversation with a spiritually inclined Long Island poet and professor, and our conversation steered around to stuff—how we live in a time with an ever-progressing hunger for stuff, thinking it’s going to fill some sort of void. But does it truly?

Does stuff really make us happy? In a sense that we feel fulfilled and content? OK, maybe that giant helping of MickeyD’s fries tastes good for those first few bites, or that new pair of shoes makes you feel oh so cool for the first few minutes you wear them (until inevitably they start to chafe and ache). But have you ever noticed it’s a fleeting sense of contentment? Too often, we end up feeling empty, devoid of satisfaction, maybe even just plain bad.

Searching for some sort of meaning in our increasingly hectic lives—between meetings, appointments, stocking up, dropping off, and all that techno-babble that sucks us in—is becoming more and more difficult…even more so now during these challenging times.

After all, how much stuff do we really need? I’m convinced that if we stop anxiously pursuing the accumulation of stuff, and thereby create more time to take a breath and relish a bit in simplicity, we just may find some meaning in just being. As the old saying goes, less is more. It’s the mantra of the sustainable lifestyle, and there is much to be said of those 3 simple words.

I’m hoping this wise professor, a colorful poet with a cool perspective on life and an amazing way with words, will begin contributing to canvas his thoughts on the state of spirituality, how we might search for something better than just surrounding ourselves with more and more stuff. He has a lot to share with the canvas community, so stay tuned to canvasli.com and with luck you’ll hear from him soon on this website.

—Diana Murphy, canvas editor in chief