> L. Hunter Lovins, Esq., is known worldwide as the co-founder of the 
> Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and co-creator of the concept of 
> Natural Capitalism. In 1982 she created RMI with Amory Lovins and 
> proceeded to lead that organization as its CEO for Strategy for 20 
> years. Under her leadership, RMI grew intoan internationally 
> recognized research center, widely celebrated for its innovative 
> thinking in energy and resource issues. 
>  
>
> Upon her departure from RMI in June of 2002, Hunter joined with 
> partners to found the Natural Capitalism Group (NCG: 
> www.natcapgroup.org), a non-profit organizationdedicated to 
> disseminating the principles of Natural Capitalism around the 
> world. First outlined in the book Natural Capitalism (by Hunter 
> Lovins, Amory Lovins, and Paul Hawken), these principles demonstrate 
> how it is possible for businesses to increase profitability and 
> competitive advantage by behaving responsibly towards both nature and 
> people.
>
>  
>
> Description of Keynote Address, Friday evening, May 23.
>
> Natural Capitalism: Protecting the Environment at a Profit
>
>  
>
> Natural Capitalism is a whole-systems approach to doing business that 
> enables companies to increase profitability and competitive advantage 
> by behaving responsibly towards both nature and people. The approach 
> consists of four primary principles:
>
>  
>
> 1.    Radically increase resource efficiency. Through fundamental changes 
> in production design and technology, it is possible to make natural 
> resources stretch 5 to 10 times further than before, and even more. 
> 2.    Shift to biologically inspired production models. The benign 
> productive processes of living things can guide industrial innovation 
> and teach us how to close production loops, thus eliminating waste and 
> toxics.
> 3.    Invest in restorative practices. Any good capitalist reinvests in 
> productive capital. Businesses are finding an exciting range of new 
> cost-effective ways to restore and expand the natural capital directly 
> required for operations and indirectly required to sustain the supply 
> system and customer base.
> 4.    No net loss of natural or social capital. To achieve genuine 
> prosperity and an economy worth sustaining, it is essential to ensure 
> that neither form of capital is diminished.
>
>  
>
> Together, the principles of Natural Capitalism provide the foundation 
> for a complete rethinking of business. They show how, contrary to 
> conventional wisdom, far greater profits are to be achieved through 
> protecting and enhancing nature, culture, and community than by 
> harming them. 
>
>  
>  
>  
> 3.  Tad Hargrave,Innovator and Social Entrepreneur
>

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