Humbled Masters of the Universe
February 2009

Founded in 1971, the World Economic Forum meets annually in Davos, Switzerland to bring together top business and political leaders as well as intellectuals, economists, journalists, and others. Its recent 2009 meeting attracted over 2500 participants from 91 countries, including over 1170 CEOs and chairpersons from the world's most powerful companies.

This year's official Davos theme - "Shaping the Post-Crisis World" – might well have been – “How could the giants of capitalism have been so stupid?” For many, Davos this year was "where the pent-up dismay and anger over what Wall Street wrought boiled to the surface" despite efforts to contain it. The rock stars here this year, surrounded by adoring fans, were two economic analysts, Nouriel Roubini and Nassim Nicholas Taleb, who saw the disaster coming before most everyone else, as documented in this column previously. Implying but not naming America, China's Wen Jiabao said the financial crisis was "attributable to inappropriate macroeconomic policies of some economies and their unsustainable model of development characterized by prolonged low savings and high consumption; excessive expansion of financial institutions in blind pursuit of profit."

Back in the US, the news about our local leaders wasn’t any better. Time magazine profiled iconic Palm Beach County as “The New Capital of Florida Corruption” In just the past two years, four city and county commissioners have been convicted of federal corruption charges related to “pay for play” land development schemes, and a fifth could soon join the others in serving time. While in power, these public officials “alienated the general public and took a haphazard view of development — a common South Florida practice that's indelibly tied to helping those companies and private interests that supported them.” Unfortunately, this practice is not limited to one area of the country, or one political party. According to the current Palm Beach County GOP Chairman, "I think that what everyone has realized, the general reaction is, America has a problem. We are corrupt from coast to coast and border to border." Back room deals and corruption, perceived and real, often inhibit progress and change.

Back room deals and corruption, perceived and real, often inhibit progress and change. In a transparent and public proposal offered to President Obama’s administration, SLDI has offered a public-private partnership, its Sustainable Land Development Best Practices System, and the breadth of its research and collective knowledge to combat the country’s economic woes, enhance environmental stewardship and increase social responsibility - all at the same time.

This editorial has been posted to the SLDI blog. Your participation and comments are welcome.

Terry Mock
Executive Director
Sustainable Land Development International

Promoting and enabling land development worldwide that balances the needs of people, planet & profit - for today and future generations.

People, Planet and Profit

Beyond Buildings

Welcome to SLDI

SLDI’s Strategic Plan

The Need for Industry Leadership

SLDI Knowledge Project

SLDI Membership Benefits

• Industry Rebound Will Require Balanced Approach
  (January 2008) Crisis can bring clarity of purpose. The cascading effect of the financial crisis that is rocking the world provides us with a tremendous opportunity to hammer home the fact that true sustainability—balancing the needs of people with those of the environment and financial success—is the global solution to the problems we face.
  Source: Sustainable Land Development Today

• Going with the Flow
  (January 2009) Comparing improved traffic-flow design techniques, which we refer to as “flow,” with those that have been implemented in newer Traditional Neighborhood Design (TND) developments reveal the opportunities to save both time and energy through efficient routing.
  Source: Sustainable Land Development Today

• Obama Inaugural Address
  (January 20, 2009) Full transcript as prepared for delivery of President Barack Obama's inaugural remarks at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
  Source: ABC News

• Problems With Obama's Economic Recovery Plan
  (January 25, 2009) Today's economic situation has created an opportunity to establish new sustainable industries. However, the plan doesn't focus on providing incentives and seed capital for the creation of "Green" Companies.
  Source: Mirror on America.blogspot.com

• One Last Chance to Save Mankind
  (January 23, 2009) James Lovelock, the originator of the Gaia theory, describes Earth as a self-regulating planet, and has a stark view of the future of humanity. He now says we have one last chance to save ourselves - and it has nothing to do with nuclear power.
  Source: NewScientist.com

• Trees Dying at Alarming Rate
  (January 23, 2009) Western forests in danger of becoming net sources of carbon dioxide in atmosphere. The death of old-growth forests in the western United States and Canada is increasing at a stunning rate, a troubling trend linked directly to global warming that could soon transform forests into carbon-dioxide emitters rather than much-needed carbon sinks, a new study warns.
  Source: globeandmail.com

• The Development Industry Requires More Transparency
  Markets require transparency to act efficiently; Developer Implode launches a new website.
  Source: DeveloperImplode.com

• The Dubai Meltdown
  (February 3, 2009) Dubai’s property market, once a favourite destination of foreign investors, is in need of financial surgery as developers face a collapse in sales amid dire investor sentiment and banks shy away from providing mortgages.
  Source: stephenlaughlin.posterous.com

• $25 Million in Funding for Biomass Research and Development Initiative
  (January 30, 2009) The U.S. Departments of Energy (DOE) and Agriculture (USDA) today announced up to $25 million in funding for research and development of technologies and processes to produce biofuels, bioenergy, and high-value biobased products, subject to annual appropriations.
  Source: USDA.gov

• Google Earth Fills its Watery Gaps
  (February 3, 2009) Information about the oceans will be the most significant of several upgrades to Google Earth. With only 5 percent of the ocean floor mapped in detail, and 1 percent of the oceans protected, scientists and Google executives hope the results will inspire the public.
  Source: New York Times

• An Energy-Efficient Home for $100K
  (January 30, 2009) A real estate developer in Philadelphia is building an eco-friendly house for $100,000 to prove green design isn't just a luxury item.
  Source: Market Place

• Connecticut Cleans its Water
  (January 28, 2009) In spite of Connecticut’s budget woes, $135 million will likely be allocated by the state Bond Commission this Friday to improve the state’s clean water infrastructure — “a critical step” in protecting the Long Island Sound, one leading local environmentalist said.
  Source: Yale Daily News

• Green Makes Good Business Sense
  (January 25, 2009) Businesses have been going green for years, but the trend is hotter than ever. Observers say companies are getting greener because, among other reasons, they can make money.
  Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch

• New Bahamas Reserve Protects Marine Life from Development
  (January 23, 2009) The Bahamas government has created a marine reserve off the island of North Bimini, preserving critical mangrove habitat and a shark nursery that had come under threat from a resort there.
  Source: Washington Post

• Bee Hive Collapse Under Scrutiny
  (January 22, 2009) Over last winter bee keepers lost up to a third of their hives as a mystery disease wiped out hives across the world. Now some £2 million over the next five years will go towards solving the mystery of what is killing the bees.
  Source: London Daily Telegraph

Editor's Note: SLDI News Service may feature press releases submitted directly by organizations in SLDI's network. This content is not specifically endorsed or supported by SLDI and is not subject to SLDI's editorial process.