Brightening Our Corner Newsletter - May 2017

May 17, 2017 2:00 PM ET

Brightening Our Corner Newsletter - May 2017

Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business Unveils New Strategic Plan

The Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business is one of the Foundation’s key funding initiatives.   The 2016-17 academic year has brought many exciting additions to the programs being offered through Ray’s namesake center at his alma mater.
In Fall 2016, the Center delineated three strategic sustainability themes to refine the focus and implementation of its 2016-2020 strategic plan.  Read more.

Paul Hawken Premieres Drawdown

The Ray C. Anderson Foundation proudly sponsored a private launch party and book signing for Drawdown on April 24th at Southface.  More than 80 people attended the event and were treated to a personal introduction by Paul Hawken, who founded the Project Drawdown initiative and edited the book which premiered in mid-April. The book provides an in-depth look at the 100 most substantive solutions that can, if scaled, reverse global warming.

As many know, it was Paul Hawken’s book, The Ecology of Commerce, that was the original spear in Ray Anderson’s chest. From the day Ray read that book in 1994 until his passing in 2011, he was committed to leading Interface on its journey up Mount Sustainability.  Read more.

The Ray is Evolving as a Living Laboratory

The Ray is continuing its mission as a living laboratory through its ever-evolving projects and demonstrations. The last few months have seen a focus on “soft tech.” In March, The Ray partnered with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to install 10 acres of bioswales, or shallow drainage ditches filled with vegetation that slow water movements and capture particulate pollutants, heavy metals, rubber and oil during rainstorms. Read more.

Registration Opens for RayDay 2017

We’ve not yet officially rolled into summer, but it’s never too early to start planning for RayDay 2017.  Go ahead and mark your calendar and register here.  RayDay is Sunday, October 15th, 3-6 p.m. in the meadow adjacent to the Serenbe Inn.

We’re excited to move RayDay back into mid-October this year, with hopes for some crisp fall weather and plenty of fun for the whole family.
Read more.

Ecocentricity Blog: Base Camp - 5/15/17

Here’s the plan. The next seven blog posts will be a guided tour up the Seven Fronts of Mount Sustainability, Ray Anderson’s famous zero-footprint metaphor. Read more.

Note:  Ecocentricity is available by weekly subscription and can be delivered to your e-mail box automatically every Wednesday.  When you click through to the blog, enter your information in the orange box in the right column to subscribe.

Upcoming Events

Drawdown Conversations: June 8, 2017

Southface Summer Solstice: June 21, 2017

Total Solar Eclipse: August 21, 2017