3 December 2010

Dear Friend,

As I prepare to fly today to keynote the National League of Cities Annual conference, then head south for the global climate talks, I wanted to take the time to write to you about the great year that Natural Capitalism has had, to thank you for being with us on this journey, and to ask your help with a unique opportunity for Natural Capitalism. Highlights of our 2010 work include:

  • Climate Capitalism – A decade after the publication of Natural Capitalism, I teamed up with Dr. Boyd Cohen, CEO of CO2IMPACT to write Climate Capitalism. Truly the sequel to the seminal book that gave us our name, this is an exciting compendium of all that has happened, and some of the best of my new writing on transforming the economy to a system that can work for all living things. The book presents hundreds of case studies—many from Natural Capitalism’s work with international corporations, small businesses, NGOs, and municipalities—to prove that innovative sustainability can solve the climate crisis at a profit. Writing a book is an enormous labor, and if you have not heard as much from me as in some years, this is why. The copy-edits went to the editor two days ago, and now the wait begins: Climate Capitalism will hit bookstores in April 2011 but you can pre-order your copy now from Amazon.com or better, ask your local bookstore to order copies.

  • Solutions @ the Speed of Business (S@SB)- Perhaps even more exciting, NCS’s long awaited tool to enable small business to gain all of the knowledge that we bring to the larger entities is finally complete. In November NCS lunched S@SB, a sophisticated e-learning program that enables small and mid-sized businesses to implement measures to enhance profitability by implementing a wealth of sustainability practices. Already being distributed through an array of channel relationships, S@SB has demonstrated that the companies that use this approach will drive profitability AND sustainability. NCS is now implementing a viral social marketing campaign to ensure that S@SB has wide uptake. For a demo tour of this unique tool click here.

  • Implementation – In the past three years, NCS has saved companies and governments over $3.75 Million through energy efficiency and sustainable design. We focus on three key areas: (1) Enabling companies to implement a true “integrated bottom line.” This work, of great interest to such international accountancy bodies and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, government agencies like the US General Services Administration and leading sustainable companies like New Belgium Brewery, has the potential to transform how accounting is done, and to bring us closer to honest, full-cost accounting, (2) Working with an array of companies such as Kashi to create and implement programs to engage their employee in implementing genuine sustainability throughout their operations, (3) Guiding companies as they create strategic plans to ensure that their sustainability initiatives are profitable and effective.
  • Redesigning industry – The United Nations Industrial Development Organization commissioned NCS to profile leading sustainable production practices and to show how resource-efficient and low-carbon manufacturing can lift people out of poverty. Using the principles of Natural Capitalism and Natural Capitalism’s roadmap for sustainable production, the NCS team showcased the challenges and opportunities facing businesses’ ability to shift their operations toward more sustainable modes of production.
  • Serving local communities – While the work we do internationally is important, it is vital to support our own community. NCS staff have helped local programs and initiatives by working with the City of Boulder navigate sustainable financing options and serving on local clean energy committees. NCS enabled the City of Longmont to assess the viability of establishing a clean energy incubator. Most recently, we have undertaken a project with Boulder County Parks and Open Spaces to evaluate the feasibility of implementing sustainable agricultural practices in Boulder County.
  • Presidential Climate Action Plan (PCAP) – In November 2008, PCAP, a project of NCS, presented a comprehensive action plan to the Obama Transition Team. NCS associate Bill Becker, who chairs PCAP is finalizing a new set of proposals to guide President Obama in critical areas of energy and climate security during the second half of his first term in office.
  • Feed-in-Tariffs – NCS has long advocated for policies that will accelerate the deployment of cost-effective renewable energy. This year our main focus has been supporting groups like the California-based FiT Coalition in achieving the adoption of Feed-in-Tariffs. NCS has served such projects across the country with generous support from a combination of foundations including Rockefeller Brothers, 11th Hour and others.
  • Education – NCS continues to work with such leading educational institutions as Presidio Graduate School, which we helped to found, the Unreasonable Institute, Colorado State University, Bard College, the University of Colorado and many others to help them implement sustainability education. Watch this space for even more exciting news in the New Year.


Natural Capitalism Solutions recently purchased a small farmhouse west of Longmont that has been our headquarters for over a year. This gives us the long-term base to further our work of educating leaders and implementing genuine sustainability. The house, lovingly referred to as “Malcolm’s House” in the neighborhood, belonged to Sam Clark, a close friend. Malcolm was Sam’s father.

Malcolm’s House is 100 years old, with all the attendant rustic charm. That means it also has a lot of energy saving opportunities. If we retrofit Malcolm’s house correctly it can be a shining example of what can be achieved through simple efficiency measures. Investing in efficiency provides guaranteed returns indefinitely—far better than rates you can receive from any other investment. Below is a list of some of measures we are implementing:

Measure
 Cost ROI
Additional Benifits

LED Task Lighting

$200

10%-20%

 Reduces eyestrain, thereby increasing employee comfort.

Sun Tubes

$500

15%-40%

 Sunlight provides a better work environment for employees.
Replace Windows
$2,500
35%-50%
 Reduces indoor fading; Increases employee comfort.
Insulate Attic
$1,100
20%-40%
 Increased resale value; Increased employee comfort.
Insulate Walls
$1,200
20%-40%
 Increased resale value; Increased employee comfort.
Smart Strips
$120
90%-120%
 Decreases chances of users forgeting to power down.
Duel Flush Toilet
$300
10%-15%
 Increases awareness.
Low Flow Showerhead
$10
200%-400%
 As well water savings; Reduces water-heating costs.
Faucet Aerators
$10
55%-75%
 Filters out small debris; Increased water pressure.

Implementing these measures will cost around $6,350. They will go on to reduce our overhead by upwards of $1,200 a year indefinitely. This will allow us to put more resources towards the work we are doing to create the new model of capitalism based on sustainable practices that are restorative of human and natural capital.

Please think of us this holiday season. We ask your help to invest in Natural Capitalism’s ability to bring sustainability to communities and companies around the world. If you wish, feel free to specify your gift to help make Malcolm’s House a model of sustainability. Your gift will thus support the work of Natural Capitalism Solutions for years to come.

Please click on the link below and complete the simple, online donation form. You can support a specific project by selecting it from the dropdown list.

http://www.natcapsolutions.org/support

This is only the beginning. As Natural Capitalism make our 100-year-old farmhouse net-zero—we will continue to work hard to make the rest of the world just as sustainable.

Thank you!
Hunter Lovins and the Natural Capitalism Staff

P.S. If you would prefer to send a check, our mailing address is:
11823 N. 75th Street, Longmont, CO 80503