The Green Issue
After our interview with John Mackey in March on the subject of Conscious Capitalism, our Green issue picks up on the theme, but in a slightly different vein. This month we’re fortunate to interview Bill Ford, the executive chairman of the Ford Motor Company. The great-grandson of Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone, Bill grew up seeing not one, but two prominent family logos on the vehicles in his parents’ driveway. He developed a passion for environmentalism in his early life and then at Princeton, but when he tried to take those sensibilities to Detroit, he was, at first, overwhelmingly opposed. Only after the recent near-collapse of the domestic auto industry was he vindicated. The emergency contributed to the replacement of the old-boy corporate culture with a collaborative and ecologically sensitive one.
A great fan of the Bay Area and a friend of Jack Kornfield, Bill developed a mindfulness practice—something he says helped rescue him from psychological anguish during the dark years. Read the interview and find out how Bill helped navigate one of the greatest comeback stories of our era. That he did it mindfully and with an environmental conscience is heartening.
In this issue, you’ll enjoy a range of juicy topics, from Marianne Williamson’s essay titled “When Earth Is a Holy Thing” to Radhanath Swami’s “Ecology of the Heart.” Bill Plotkin has a piece called “Wild Mind: Reclaiming Our Original Wholeness” while Kaitlin McComb covers the sad story of the holy Yamuna River.
Let me steer you to an important piece by Daniel DeBaun, a seasoned Bell Labs scientist, who helps measure the perils of having so many electronic devices touching our skin—particularly among young people. Joshua Gorman weighs in about the trend of eco-activism among youth, while Anna Lappé penned a stirring tribute to Becky Tarbotton, the dynamic young head of the Rainforest Action Network who tragically died over the Christmas holidays at 39. Needless to say, Becky is deeply mourned.
Given some of the heavy reading, we thought you’d enjoy an easy-on-the-yes Trashion pictorial. Trashion is the fusion of trash and fashion. We thank Nic Griffin for bringing her passion to this endeavor.
As ever, please show your support of the magazine by in turn supporting our advertisers. This is what keeps this free community magazine free. We’ll see you at the Conscious Capitalism Conference, Earth Day SF, and the New Living Expo, among others.
Many Blessings,
ROB SIDON, PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF