—Systemic change begins with personal change—
L. Hunter Lovins is the President and Founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions(NCS), a non-profit formed in 2002 in Longmont, CO. A renowned author and champion of sustainable development for over 35 years, Hunter has consulted on business, economic development, sustainable agriculture, energy, water, security, and climate policies for scores of governments, communities, and companies worldwide. Within the United States, she has consulted for heads of state, departments of defense, energy agencies and hundreds of state and local agencies.
Hunter believes that citizens, communities and companies, working together within the market context, are the most dynamic problem-solving force on the planet. She has devoted herself to building teams that can create and implement practical and affordable solutions to the problems facing us in creating a sustainable future.
Hunter has coâ€authored fifteen books and hundreds of articles, and was featured in the awardâ€winning film, Lovins On the Soft Path. Her bestâ€known book, Natural Capitalism, Won the Shingo Prize. It has been translated into a more than three dozen languages and summarized in Harvard Business Review. Its sequel, The Way Out: Kickstarting Capitalism To Save Our Economic Ass, won the Atlas Award. Her book, Creating a Lean and Green Business System again won the Shingo Prize. Her latest book, A Finer Future won the Silver Nautilus Award.
Hunter has taught at numerous universities around the world. Currently a founding professor of Sustainable Management at Bard MBA, she was named a Master at the Chinese De Tao Academy, where she helped launch the Institute for Green Investment in Shanghai. She is a Fellow of the Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit at Case Western University
Lovins has consulted for scores of industries and governments worldwide, including International Finance Corporation, Unilever, Walmart, the United Nations and Royal Dutch Shell, as well as such sustainability champions as Interface, Patagonia and Clif Bar.
I recorded our second conversation the day after the September 20, 2019 climate marches. Hunter is more than well-connected. I wanted to hear and bring you the perspective of someone who has been at this longer and knew more people. Wait until you hear her share all the people she knew there, as well as her perspective of seeing a different generation pick up what no one has for so long. From our last conversation you heard me struggle with what I thought I heard of her saying things can work out, so rest easy. The more I've listened to Hunter's message, the more I hear she's not saying things will effortlessly work out, which I feared at first, but that it will take work to make things work out. We resolve that issue. It's toward the end, so enjoy.
A friend introduced me to Hunter and I met her in person a day she was teaching in Bard's MBA program. We start with Limits to Growth, the 30-year update (the book, a synopsis), preparing to talk about her new book, A Finer Future, which follows its tradition. I felt the root of our conversation was responsibility. We know what to do. We don't need more technology. We lack political will -- leadership. I hear it over and over. We cover her history, experience working on sustainability, and the people she's worked with. She works with organizations, in contrast with many environmental groups, though she works to replace them, when appropriate. The big view that got me thinking was the inevitability of the energy transition she expects by 2030. I'm cautiously optimistic about it. You have to hear it in her terms. It's the opening quote in the audio, though listening more will give you the context. I recommend the videos she described Tony Seba (his Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES) talk and his World Affairs talk). First, wait until you hear what she says about the economic transition.