Changes to Oregon's BETC

The Oregon Legislature, in an effort to address budget issues and to fine tune the Business Energy Tax Credit (BETC) program, has made changes that local readers may want to know about.

The attorneys at Lane Powell have done an excellent job summarizing the changes including the new limits. You can read their summary here.

Samurai X Reflection

This anime told us another story of Hitokiri Battousai, the story of this Japanese animation movie of Samurai X happened before the anime tv series started.

Famous trough out all Japan as the Hitokiri Battousai (sword bearing master assassin), Rorouni Kenshin is now a lost soul cursed to seek atonement for his bloody past. Even the peace that now exists as a result of Kenshin sword brings him no solace, driving him to wander far from those he loves. His wife, Kaoru, steadfastly awaits his return as she mourns his absence. Will Kenshin come home before she dies of grief ?

Chaos is the New Normal

Last night I attended the Illahee Lecture Series featuring Richard Heinberg, Senior Fellow at the Post Carbon Institute. I wish I had time to comment on his lecture but this is busy season at TriLibrium so I'll be brief while providing you some interesting links.

Richard's main point was that there will be no return to normal. Global economic output as measured by GDP probably peaked in 2005/2006 and that we'll never again return to that level given the direct connection between energy and our economy. The solutions are varied and diverse but the key point is that a return to "normal" is impossible given limiting factors and the sooner we embrace this fact and transition to the new paradigm the better. A movement he mentioned and that I intend to explore further is called "Transition Towns."

I'd also like to point readers to Richard's publication "Searching for a Miracle: 'Net Energy' Limits & the Fate of Industrial Society." This report explores whether any combination of known energy sources can successfully supply society's energy needs up to the year 2100. I won't give away the answer but they explore the different solutions against 10 criteria. The report is available as a free PDF download.

I'd also like to point those interested in accounting and innovation to a recent blog post by Gifford Pinchot. Gifford discusses Intrapreneuring in Accounting and the need for innovative accountants to help provide the understanding, metrics, and systems for the economy of the future.

Our Sustainable Purchasing Decision Matrix

Last week we moved into new offices. Our new office naturally reflects the culture and values we are developing at TriLibrium. With our move, we’ve recently made a flurry of investment and purchasing decisions. I’d like to explain how we make our decisions.

The old purchasing paradigm was a two dimensional decision seeking to optimize the competing tradeoffs between price and quality. Given equal quality, one would simply shop for a better price or, given the same price, one would opt for higher quality.

With every purchase decision at TriLibrium, we introduce a third factor -- Triple bottom line performance (TBL). Accordingly, we look at price/quality/TBL performance and seek to optimize these sometimes competing factors.

TBL performance is enhanced by:

• Supplier relationship
• Supplier location
• Materials
• Environmental impacts
• Life cycle assessment considerations
• Social impacts
• Reduce, reuse, recycle mentality

The first consideration was location. This single factor alone will have a huge impact on our footprint. We opted for a centrally located building with excellent public transit access.

Our desks were made out of doors reclaimed from the Heathman Hotel and repurposed for us by Endurawood. Our conference table was also made for us by Endurawood out of a technical material made from sunflower seed husks, recycled paper and natural resins.

We purchased two new employee desk chairs. One made locally and the other manufactured using cradle-to-cradle design.

We purchased numerous used items including our conference room white board, conference room chairs, refrigerator, filing cabinets, reception area chairs, and more.

Most of the subs and vendors we used were clients helping us re-circulate more money in the green and sustainable community.

Samurai X The Motion Picture

This Anime tells the story about Hitokiri Battousai (sword bearing master assassin) named Kenshin, he tried to bury his past but now his past returned to bury him. A decade ago the deadliest assassin of the Meiji Revolution swore that he had killed for the last time. Peace doesn’t last forever, however, and as the flames of revolution rise once again, Kenshin must take up his blunted sword to protect the innocent. Will he save the Meiji government that so many died to establish, and his newfound friends, from their own mistakes ? Or will he fall victim to his bloody past, slain by demons of his own creations ? This Japanese animation also known in Japan as Ishin Shishi e no Requiem or Requiem for the Ishin Patriots.