Letter From the Co-Publisher: It Isn’t Easy Being Green If you are a parent of young children or you have children who can be associated with what we have come to know as “generation X” (born somewhere between 1972 and 1978 or thereabout) or have occasionally watched an episode or two of the Muppet Show® you will be very familiar with the phrase “It isn’t easy being green” and the character associated with that phrase, Kermit the frog. His point is about being different, being a little out of the ordinary and that there are challenges associated with life when you “stand out” from the crowd. Kermit and his friends always had a message for the young ears that listened to their daily songs and conversations and participated in the many activities that were deigned to teach in very creative ways. Today, we hear, almost daily, about the importance of being green. The message is a little different than what Kermit was talking about but just as important, or maybe even more important. In today’s rapidly changing world, it isn’t easy being green and it certainly isn’t easy to become green. We, as a world population, have taken many things for granted about our natural resources and have developed some truly bad habits. Today “green” has become a very popular word. Companies around the world are making a connection between what they do as a business and the ecology and how to “get green.” The good news is that the message is finally catching on within small businesses, in the household, and within major corporations including the automotive industry. The bad news is that we should have been doing something about our changing world conditions and climate 20 years ago. Of course there are many organizations that have been promoting and practicing “green” techniques for years and have built those practices into their organizational culture, but there are many more who are just now beginning to accept that fact that it is no longer just a “good practice” but an essential part of business strategy and to a great extent, survival in general, to engage in activities that will help save the environment. Energy prices continue to rise and demand for oil is increasing daily. Green house gasses are continuing to affect the world climate and new sources of clean energy are an absolute must if we are to continue enjoying all that this planet has to offer. There are many different views about the world climate and much disagreement about why the changes are occurring and what the results might be. There is no problem in having different points of view. The fact is, regardless of your position on global warming it makes sense to clean up the planet, keep it clean, and conserve our natural resources. Instead of arguing about whether or not Al Gore is right (An Inconvenient Truth) we should we all be doing our part to reduce pollution and keep the planet green. It isn’t enough for just a few companies to take action; what we need is a world wide effort in every country and within every business, government and household. A world wide “Green ‘R Us” movement is needed to truly make a difference. This may sound like idealism or a complete disconnect from reality, but just imagine if entire neighborhoods and communities actually came together to clean up and protect their local environment. These types of actions really have been initiated by many communities. People are forming local crusades to change their quality of life for the better by organizing projects such as cleaning up public parks and reducing pollution in rivers and lakes. Considering the challenges we face around the world and the projects that are being initiated to address pollution and alternative fuels, I think the project management community has a great opportunity and the tools, techniques, and know-how to lead the way to a greener, cleaner planet. Project management has always been about cost reduction, quality (reduction of waste), safety, efficiency, team effort and strong leadership. These key factors together create a winning combination for Green Action. If you think about the PMBOK® Guide, there are nine knowledge areas associated with project management: Integration, Scope, Time, Cost, Quality, Human Resources, Communication, Risk, and Procurement Management. Perhaps the tenth knowledge area could be Ecology Management or Natural Resource management or Conservation Management. Maybe these areas should somehow become embedded in the existing knowledge areas. Possibly they belong in the domain we refer to as Professional and Social Responsibility where it becomes part of our profession to manage ethically while wearing a “green hat.” We, as project managers should make it a key point of success to manage in a way that minimizes and possibly eliminates any harmful effects the project may introduce to the environment. Simple things like using less hard copy material at meetings, using technology to reduce the need to travel, disposing of waste material at project sites safely, using energy efficient light bulbs in project offices, using bio-degradable plastics, car pooling to meeting locations, setting up recycle practices in the office and the project location, using class and ceramic cups instead of Styrofoam and paper products that end up at a land fill. With just a small amount of effort every project team can develop a list of things that can be done to promote a greener environment. This month allPM.com focuses its attention on projects and ideas that contribute to a healthier planet and organizations that encourage and reward green thinking. We are saluting those leaders who have created a vision by looking toward the future through “green colored glasses.” We thank you for your leadership and your contributions and we encourage everyone to join allPM.com and the worldwide “green team.” There is no question that a unified project management community can make a monumental difference.