Sustainability

There are three main basics in economies of the past, let’s say 70 years ago (these are estimates scrawled on the back of an envelope).

1. Commodity (3%)
2. Goods (17%)
3. Services (80%)

Now there is a fourth.

4. Experience

Here’s how it plays out with Starbucks (again estimated on the back of an envelope).

1. Commodity - bean (pennies)
2. Goods - coffee ($.05 - $.20)
3. Services - paying employees ($.50 - $1.00)
4. Experience - sitting and reading, listening to music, comfy chair ($2.00 - $5.00)

Something to ponder the next time you sit down to the Venti double non-fat-soy-latte. Also are people buying art because they want to talk to the artist? This is what Damien Hirst is banking on.

Check out the book Experience Economy, or wikipedia

I found this today, and was really impressed with National Geographic’s commitment to changing youth attitudes about the importance of recycling.

In my experience, having fun with recycling and sustainability issues, is key to making the message stick that if we all make small lifestyle changes, a great good will come from it.

I am working on a new song that will act at a theme for my new website greenandhyphy.com where Bay Area slang, world politics, and hyphy beats are combined for a positive message about recycling and sustainability and some critique of current lifestyles and consumer trends. Here are a couple of lines…

Living green is thug, that’s why I choose it,
They throw it out, I rinse and re-use it.

Play this in the club, let me see your hands
While I’m struttin’ in my Vans
I won’t leave a carbon footprint da da da da da
da da da da da

I’m thrilled to keep affecting change by having fun, being excited about new green tech and clean tech, *getting hyphy*, and giving examples of easy things to do such as switching to compact fluorescent bulbs, doing anything to reduce carbon emissions like skating, biking, walking taking MUNI through The City. In my job I work with a lot of youth, and I have to say it’s been really exciting watching the kids make positive choices and tell their friends about how they can do the same.

This is a quick once-around of “The Fantastic Solution to Global Warming and Other Conundrums” at Icthus Gallery in San Francisco. Thanks to Mark for the video.
The Fantastic Solution to Global Warming and Other Conundrums - Pete Ippel from Hypermodern - Pete Ippel on Vimeo.

The show is open until May 31st, 2008 so if you’re in the city, come by between 10am and 5pm weekdays. Or you can email me at pete @ hypermodern.net and schedule a special showing

Cornell Entrepreneur Network of Northern California in partnership Cornell Silicon Valley and The Cornell Law School presents: “Climate Change and Global Warming: The Evolving Legal Framework” featuring Kevin Haroff ‘77, MBA ‘81, JD ‘81, Partner, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP.

Climate change is now an acknowledged scientific fact, caused primarily by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with human activity over time. California is playing a lead role in attacking the problem with its Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 32) - the first legislation in the country to set a cap on GHG emissions statewide. The Attorney General’s office also has filed several lawsuits raising climate change issues in both federal and state courts, most recently joining a multi-state effort to force regulation of GHG emissions from cars and trucks under the federal Clean Air Act.

Tuesday April 29th, 2008
6:00 PM Reception
7:00 PM Presentation
Cost: $20 per person (includes Hors d’oeuvre Reception). This event is expected to sell-out and requires pre-registration.
Location:Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP, 390 Lytton Ave, Palo Alto.

Pete_Ipp.jpg

Originally uploaded by hypermodern

Sustainable recycled plastic skating rink at University High School San Francisco. You can use regular ice skates too!

Pete Ippel utilizes a box of lightening, a gigantic biological-organic turbine, wind, tide, hydroelectric, nuclear, volcanic, solar, and geothermic power to sequester carbon dioxide and produce diamonds, thus solving the dilemma with the green house gas, carbon dioxide, vacant coal mines, and the problems with blood diamonds in Africa.

Materials: gouache, ink, pencil, watercolor
Dimensions: 40 x 60 inches (101 x 152 cm)

Pete_Ipp.jpg

Originally uploaded by hypermodern

More on the Fantastic solution to global warming.

Pete_Ipp.jpg

Originally uploaded by hypermodern

Moving along with the Fantastic Solution to Global Warming…

As seen in Barneys New York catalog…

On the 12th day of Christmas, my pro-green true-love gave to me

12 Tons of tofu
11 Solar panels
10 New-age gurus
9 Organic carob bars
8 Tickets to Burning Man
7 Sustainable ostrich Farms
6 Compost toilets
5 Rolls of recycled gift-wrap
4 Fair-trade futons
3 Free range, sustainably farmed, organic hens
2 Vegan chefs
and a Prius in a pear tree