2021 Manufacturing Trends Series – Part 1: Sustainability – Cisco Blogs

I’m writing this blog (unlike other podcast corresponding blogs) on the heels of recording the sustainability episode. Which, given the abnormality of the timing, is due to a number of reasons, the main one being that it’s a subject that (you’ll soon hear) I’m incredibly passionate about.  

A few disclaimers before we begin though: 

1. While we have done a lot of research for this episode, neither Steve Gansen (this epsiodes featured guest), nor I, are environmental/sustainability/climate change/insert buzzword here experts. 
2. This episode is not intended to shame/blame/make anyone feel guilty. Sustainability is a huge topic and an even bigger issue…and although some of the facts can be a bit uncomfortable or even alarming, we’re strictly here to inform and, hopefully, start a conversation, not cast stones. 

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, fun fact: even though this episode’s end game will be much shorter than this, I’ve just wrapped up an almost two hour recording session. Which means I have a lot of editing to do (yay). But this also means that if you like what you hear, there (in all likelihood) will be a bonus episode of all the content I had to cut. Stay tuned! 

And now, to the subject matter itself: sustainability. The first time I became aware of this was when I was really young at Target with my mom. We were in an aisle of the store where all the products were “green.” And me, being confused as to why these “green” products were not actually green, asked my mom why (as children do) that was.  

Her explanation was like opening a door to a whole new giant room of possibilities. “We can save the planet? Like in Star Wars??” I thought. And while we are not swooping in on the Millenium Falcon to save the world(s) from an evil Empire, in a way, we kind of are like Princess Leia’s and Luke Skywalker’s. 

We all will have decisions we’ll have to make on what we choose to do (or not do) in order to combat this problem we all face. And those choices will have far-reaching impacts, not just for us, but for future generations as well. While the “enemy” is not so black and white as a giant Death Star or Darth Vader, what we do in the next few years could change the course of history, and, indeed, save the entire world. 

And what’s not Star Wars about that? 

Listen to our latest Manufacturing Leaders episode: 2021 Manufacturing Trends Part 1 – Sustainability – out now!

Want to learn more about what Cisco is doing to enable sustainability initiatives around the world? 

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