Extreme landscapes are fuelling the
new economy in several ways. The outdoor industry has never been
healthier. As the adventure attitude is becoming mainstream, the
demographics of developed nations provide a never-ending source of
customers, and sophisticated marketing creates an insatiable
appetite for outdoor experiences.
At the same time, extreme landscapes continue
to be the storage houses for important natural resources, from
fossil fuels to clean water. Extraction and consumption of these
precious resources continues at accelerated rates.
What are the corporate responsibilities of
those who profit the most? Is there a moral imperative for the
corporate world to give back to the extreme landscapes that
provide the profit margins enjoyed by so many? Should the outdoor
industry as a whole take a stand and set an example, or is it up
to a few landmark companies to set the standard? The oil and gas
industry generates significant profits from the world’s extreme
landscapes. Is there a place for leadership from the corporate
resource-extraction sector which supersedes legal and political
responsibility and points the way for governments and individuals?
Some individual companies are taking a
leadership role in recognizing the financial benefits of extreme
landscape, and the responsibility for investing back in that
landscape. There are examples of entire groups of companies who
have recognized that debt and who have organized themselves to
operate in a responsible way.
Many individuals and some foundations are now
becoming actively involved in purchasing large tracts of
wilderness in order to provide access to the public for
recreational purposes — in some cases, actually giving
the land back to the governments with stipulations for
preservation.
The panelists represent a wide range of backgrounds and views:
Randy Gossen is Vice-president of Nexxen Oil in Calgary, Alberta,
as well as the chairman of the International Petroleum Industry
Environmental Conservation Association. Yvon Chouinard is
President of Patagonia, a company that has long set the standard
in the outdoor industry for reinvesting in the landscape. He has
recently initiated the 1% Club, membership to which requires
committing one per cent of gross revenues back to the environment.
Rick Ridgeway is leading a group of individuals and companies in
purchasing huge tracts of land in South America in order to give
the land back to the respective governments — as national
parks. Peter Robinson is CEO of Mountain Equipment
Co-op, a Canadian outdoor-equipment co-operative that has had a
strong environmental mandate since its inception.
