Catalyzing personal empowerment, societal transformation, and environmental sustainability

Natural Systems Consulting

Mirroring Nature’s Model for Sustainable Development

For Businesses and Organizations

Your Business and Sustainable Development

   Sustainable development entails learning from the sustainability master—-natural systems.

   It also entails understanding that a healthy environment and meaningful jobs are not mutually exclusive.

   Sustainable development weaves together the relationships between a healthy environment, society, and business climate—ecology, equity, and economy. Only by addressing these three aspects can development be sustainable.

   The economic perspective is extremely important in a world at its peak in global oil extraction and production. Current economic prosperity hinges upon increasing supplies of cheap and abundant fossil fuels. As this possibility disappears, sustainable economic development must lay a course through the uncharted territory of a post-carbon world.

   But a map for doing so is naturally available to your business.

Natural Systems Consulting

   Natural Systems Consulting provides the mapmaking tools your business needs to reach future prosperity and adapt to change. It will also help your business support Washington State's quest for sustainability, healthy communities, and economic development.

   Our training programs and organizational development consulting will help you attain the trusting relationships that are the cornerstone of business success.

   There is an intimate relationship between personal empowerment and organizational success. By integrating a concern for people, community, and environment into your business vision and activities, you create positive attraction relationships with your employees and customers that motivate them to support your business.

   The wisdom and efficiency of natural systems can be utilized in business endeavors such as: sustainable strategies and strategic planning; team building and leadership development; and providing human resource training and benefit packages for improved employee health, morale, and productivity. Your organization can directly benefit in measurable ways by becoming more alive.

Relocalized Economies are Self-reliant

   Relocalizing means laying the foundation for economic self–reliance, resiliency, prosperity, and becoming sustainable in a post-carbon world.

   Organizations are living systems, and living systems self-organize to create mutually supportive relationships. Your business can learn, embody, and benefit from these natural systems’ principles.

   It is possible to increase creativity, collaboration, and communication while you decrease costs, waste, and stress. By helping to bring forth people’s best, you benefit from their natural integrity and connections.

   If you’ve been experiencing failures in instituting organizational change, perhaps you’ve been basing business decisions on fear and insecurity instead of passion and desire. Let us help you move toward what you want, and create the supportive relationships all living systems need.

   Contact us today for an initial assessment and a customized strategy for your business or organization.

Steady-state Economies

   Steady-state economies acknowledge that the economy is an integrated whole consisting of agricultural, extractive, manufacturing, and services sectors that require physical inputs and produce wastes.

   Unfettered and infinite (orthodox) economic growth is at odds with preserving biodiversity; there are real physical and ecological limits to growth.

   Orthodox economic growth has negative effects on the long-term ecological and economic welfare of the world.

   The ecological services that are the foundation of the human economy are in fundamental conflict with the concept of orthodox economic growth, making it an increasingly dangerous and anachronistic goal.

   Steady-state economic development, on the other hand, is a qualitative process in which different technologies may be employed and the relative prominence of economic sectors may evolve.

   The sustainability of a steady-state economy requires its establishment at a size that does not breach ecological and economic capacity.

   The ultimate goal is the establishment of healthy ecological and social conditions within the framework of a steady state economy which is relocalized to adhere to natural constraints and limitation.

   If you would like to schedule an introductory consultation session or arrange a presentation or workshop for your group, please contact nature@attractionretreat.org or give Dave or Allison, co-founders of Attraction Retreat, a call at (360) 756-7998.