There’s a great article on NPR today about the European Union shifting its farm subsidy policies from crop production to environmental preservation: EU Shifts Subsidies From Crops to Land Stewardship

I think this is an incredible concept and wonder if it would work well in the US. It is too early to tell if the effort mentioned in the article will have lasting positive effects, but it is certainly a good start. Following are a few of the suggested means by which farmers can earn points toward subsidies:

Farmers can earn points by leaving their drainage ditches or hedgerows untrimmed (so birds can nest there) or leaving wheat or corn stubble on fields over winter (it’s good habitat for small animals and ground-nesting birds). They can plant blocks of “wild bird-seed mixture” (plants like millet, kale or mustard that birds feed on) or “pollen and nectar flower mixture.”

TAGS: Social Enterprise | Agriculture | Subsidy | EU

Kudos to John Mack, the new chairman and chief executive officer of Morgan Stanley. John has let employees know that he will not accept the $25 million guaranteed compensation, rather, he would prefer his pay be tied to the performance of the company. Check out the full article at reuters.com.

I am very impressed with John Mack and truly hope he he continues to set an example for Morgan Stanley and the rest of the industry.

TAGS: Business Ethics | CEO

Check out this blog post about disposable shoes. (from Brand Autopsy…)

TAGS: Social Enterprise | Environment | Recycle

My sincerest condolences for anyone who was affected by the events in London today. You will be in our prayers…

Sad, sad news this morning: World Recoils In Horror At London Attacks

This is a very disturbing event and one that I hope never repeats itself again.

However bleak the news may be, I was uplifted a bit by President Bush’s comments in the above article:

I’m not a big fan of Bush, his performance in office, his domestic policies, his foreign policies, nor his grasp on the English language (especially when he is in close proximity to the very eloquent and articulate Blair…). However, I found the last sentence of his remarks to be extremely touching. Of all the things to stress, he chose to speak of purporting an ideology of “hope and compassion”. My hat’s off to you President Bush, and I support your effort to spread hope and compassion.

TAGS: London | Bombing | Terrorism

I was originally drawn to this subject by the title of a reuters.com article: Bob Dylan Singing For Starbucks. I thought it was a little ironic that such a singer would form a partnership with the entity responsible for $4 coffees and the general demise of the small, independent, sometimes artsy coffeehouse. But what I found most interesting was a statement made in the article regarding Starbucks customers:

Wow. And to think that the generation (I’m assuming the statement referrs heavily to baby boomers) that grew up with Dylan, Kent State, etc. would seek consumption refuge in Starbucks…

TAGS: Social Enterprise | Starbucks | Music

I’ve been having a hard time wrapping my head around the stem cell issue. Articles and opinions from both sides of the ravine sound compelling and it is difficult for me to form a solid opinion one way or another. It seems that each new piece of information I find tweaks my grasp on the issue just a little bit, one way, then the other.

For a great overview of the topic check out the following article from wired.com: FAQ: What’s Up With Stem Cells?

Opening paragraph from a very good article on wired.com. Check out the full story.

After a short vacation in order to move from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo, I’m ready to begin posting regularly! Moving is never that much fun, and I highly recommend utilizing movers if you have more than a trunk-full of possessions!