The most refreshing book on running a business that cares for the environment I have ever seen!

November 11, 2005

I just finished reading Yvon Chouinard’s book,
“Let My People Go Surfing” today. I was fortunate enough to
get a personalized autographed copy from Yvon as a Patagonia Ambassador.
I wonder how many such books I miss because they don’t drop on my
doorstep? Jackson Kayak has a mission to hire only kayakers, people who
care about what we do so that we can make the best product possible. We
also are doing what we can to support American Whitewater, who protects
our rivers, however that isn’t enough…

There are so many things that a company like Jackson
Kayak can do to be a force of positive change for protecting all areas
of our environment. I am not well educated enough on those subjects to
understand the impact of each of our activities to really make proper
long term decisions today and have those decisions be in the best interest
of the environment and Jackson Kayak.

However, reading Yvon’s book (Kristine read it
first and already has the ball in motion) is a good first step that has
the wheels of Jackson Kayak turning in the direction of developing our
business from the ground up (well, third season on) into a positive force
for the environment. My next step is going to be to see if I can arrange
a meeting with Yvon himself, to assist Kristine and I in our planning
process for the responsible growth of Jackson Kayak, to minimize any negative
impacts on the environment, and to proactively make positive impacts whenever
possible.

The first thing I would like to do is to make sure
that YOU, a Jackson Kayak friend, buy Yvon’s book and read it. It
is a personal account of his very interesting career as the founder and
owner of Patagonia. It is a great read for any outdoor enthusiast, as
well as a must read for anyone who wants a better understanding of what
is truly important in being a responsible citizen in regards to the environment.

Example: Did you know that industrial cotton (growing
cotton for clothing) represents 3% of the world’s crops, but uses
25% of the worlds hazardous chemicals for growing it in the fields?

Anyhow: click here and get your copy today: http://www.patagonia.com/culture/yc_book.shtml?seepromo=home

🙂 EJ