Carbon—From Enemy to Resource

What does sustainable business have to do with climate change? Our global economy today was built on cheap fossil fuel energy (carbon stored in the ground), which has fueled a never-ending thirst for more and more energy to keep it going and growing. While many point at business as the evil destroyer of the planet, I do not. I believe growing business is natural—everything in nature is growing; it is our natural order and drive. That said, I do believe that business must reinvent itself as a force for environmental and social good and take the lead on climate. As Ray Anderson, founder of Interface Carpet, asks: “What is the business case for ending life on Earth?”
As product designers, creatives, engineers, and purpose brand marketers we have a unique seat at the business reinvention table. Like, artists, we can inspire a new way of seeing the world, like Picasso, Frida Kalo, and Leonardo DaVinci have done. We are in a new age of enlightenment— a design renaissance that is going to blow our minds. Are you ready? I am.
But, before we get to where we are going with new ways of thinking that are different than our current thinking (a requirement noted by Albert Einstein), we need to understand where we are now. Climate change is not a matter up for question, it’s a matter of how bad. But we can’t freeze up and stress there. We cannot afford to and are bigger than that. There is a lack of communication between the people who are creating a new future and the citizenry who are steeped in guilt and powerlessness. As usual, good news is not news so the masses don’t hear about it. So, we consume and feel guilty, we recycle the cardboard cover of a bouncy house and feel just a bit better. But our goal cannot be to feel “less bad”! (thank you, architect and sustainability thought leader, William McDonough, for that insight).
The conventional doom and gloom feeling and story about climate change is that it is a problem of burning fossil fuels for electricity and transport. While true, that is not the entire story. What it misses is the fact that a 3rd of global carbon emissions come from the chemistry of stuff. The biggest carbon contributors in the world of stuff are: Cement (think: buildings), steal (again think: building/auto’s), and plastic (think: every other product made on this planet). The things we love every-day are designed and manufactured to off-gas CO2.

What if I told you that the new way of thinking (thank you, Einstein) that will save us are already here. It starts with changing how we think about carbon.
Carbon molecules, while vilified today, are the building blocks of all living things, including humans. Us. Big carbon-based molecules are how life stores the energy of the sun. How can we make the carbon molecule good again, life producing?
Let’s take the lead from Interface Carpet and “design with carbon in mind.” In doing so, we ask the question: What if we could take carbon out of the atmosphere when producing every-day things? What if we could build our homes and make the clothing we wear so that they sequester or store carbon? Think about that a minute.
Product design to sequester carbon isn’t science fiction. It’s happening right now all over the world.
Here are a few examples:
- Take Interface Carpet, they are the company that created the carpet squares we all love. Their company-wide sustainability philosophy is a “commitment to running our business in a way that reverses global warming and creates a climate fit for life.” Wow, what a goal, what a sense of purpose! Interface is so far ahead of most companies, thanks to founder Ray Anderson, that they have already achieved 100% carbon neutrality across their manufacturing and operations world wold. Now, they are on to the next big sustainability program called “Climate Take Back”, which so far has resulted in carpet that sequesters carbon. This Climate Take Back program pushes their designers to change their way of thinking—from how can we create products that are less polluting (less bad)—to thinking about how carpet can be designed to be net positive; to restore the planet.

- 2. Take Charlotte McCurdy, a Yale and RISDE graduate. She designed a raincoat made from marine algae and sequestered carbon.

- 3. And, what if I told you that art could clear the air and sequester carbon? Scientist-inventors Anastasia Neddersen and Alina Adams do just that. They design art that sequesters carbon. They started the company Artveoli to design and manufacture wall art that converts carbon dioxide into oxygen, like plants do (sounds like biomimicry, doesn’t it?).

Designing things to sequester carbon is a market-driven solution to climate change.
Carbon neutral product design is a revolutionary act. This market-driven solution (not to mention creative solution!) by-passes policy and politics. It gives us hope. Breakthroughs like this are happening all over the world inside companies and universities in research institutions, in biology and chemistry departments, right now.
In closing, the time is now to take bold, positive action. America was built with a pioneer spirit, let’s continue that legacy and show the world what is possible through a sustainability/climate plan that includes climate sustainable business innovation and incubation.
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Live Creative is a sustainable business, marketing, and shopping hub. Our Creative Studio offers authentic marketing, branding, and sustainable business expertise to ethical, sustainable, and purpose brands. And Sustainable Business Team offers sustainability strategy and goals setting as well as sustainable packaging services. And, our Lifestyle Team curates our global Sustainable Marketplace, the Durango Sustainable Biz Guide, and Get Real—our inspiring Innovation for Good weekly newsletter. Follow us on Insta: @livecreativestudios, like us on Facebook: Live Creative Studio and join our FB Group: Sustainable Business Idea Exchange.

I really appreciate all of the ideas you discussed in this post. This is such an important topic that we need to be thinking about all the time! I like that you emphasize the idea of changing the way we think about our problems instead of trying to come up with solutions using the same modes of thought that created those problems.
Thank you for recognizing people and businesses who are taking big steps towards sustainability; this shows that it really is not impossible to come up with, and rely on, sustainable ideas and processes if we just think outside the box.
Yes! Thank you for your comment. I’m so glad that our blog posts are communicating what’s possible and that sustainable innovation and business is a beacon of light and hope.
The concept of Carbon neutral product design was completely foreign to me. This is incredibly fascinating, Claire! Thanks for taking the time to summarize your Durango City Hall speech – very inspiring!
I’m also lost in a Biomimicry research rabbit hole now! It’s amazing all of this new innovation is happening so quietly.
Thanks for sharing, Jordan. Glad you share the fascination and the potential of these incredible sustainable design innovations. Now, how to spread the word!
In the coming years, moreover, our ability to improve technology will determine the viability of carbon capture techniques to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide and the value (or danger) of injecting aerosols into the atmosphere to shade the sun, cool the earth and provide more time for a clean-energy transition. The range of hypothetical geoengineering ideas for the Arctic is equally audacious. One is to use wind power in winter to pump water from the depths of the Arctic Ocean to the surface to thicken sea ice so that it is more resistant to melting. Sea ice is critical to cooling the planet, because it reflects sunlight that would otherwise be absorbed by the ocean, heating it. (The downside of this idea, which underscores the scope of the problem, is that 10 million windmills would be needed.)
Isabella, thank you for your comments and additional sustainable design ideas! Really interesting. I”m going to do some research on them. Meanwhile, I’m working on a sustainable fashion blog for December. Any ideas? And, please consider joining our facebook group called the “Sustainable Business Idea Exchange”. It’s a great place to share more sustainable innovation ideas and concepts. Lastly, share the link to our blog here so more people can add their ideas and be inspired! —Claire
Great insights! Please share these ideas by joining our Facebook group: Sustainable Business Idea Exchange!
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Wow, thank YOU! Much appreciate the kudos. Please do share our blog and website with friends, and join our Facebook Group: Sustainable Business Idea Exchange to learn more and share about exciting sustainable design innovations.
This is the most exciting blog I’ve read in a while. I am so passionate about this approach. I’m beginning interviews for Season 1 of a new podcast called, We Can Change the World Together and I would love to speak with you. I’m also going to use what you’ve shared to broaden my research for other people to speak with, too. I was beginning with companies with a triple bottom line (people, planet and profit), and what you’ve shared has opened my mind even more (in wonderful ways, thank you!). There is so many ace things happening right now to heal and positively transform our world. And there is so much each person can do to support these changes, when we come out of feeling bad, or less bad, and into hope and empowerment. I think is it SO newsworthy that I’m starting a blog to share all that I can. Thanks so much!
Wonderful to hear your kind words! We’re so glad you like our blog. Please share as wide as you can. I’d love to be on your pod cast too. I also invite you to sign up for our eNews so you be notified when we post our blogs, host workshops and Lunch & Learns and more. Also, join our Facebook community group: Sustainable Business Idea Exchange and share and learn with other like-minded people. Cheers, Claire
Hi Claire, thanks so much for your reply. ‘Sustainable Business Idea Exchange’ sounds like a great place to be. I’ve signed up for your eNews and I’ll be seeing you on Facebook.
I’ll be in touch about the We Can Change the World Together podcast soon.
Wonderful!
Hi Claire, I recommend that you and Live Creative staff go to http://www.superiorfresh.com and review the amazingly creative approach Superior Fresh in Hinton WI is making to provision of nutritious greens and fish for the public market and restaurants. Superior Fresh seems to be an environmentally friendly and sustainable business that has taken very seriously the principles that have been so well promulgated by Live Creative.
“Doc” Attkisson
Will do! Thank you for the recommendation, sounds really interesting and germane to our work.