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Mitch Rhodes - Editorial

What business are we in?

"God may only smile on you once, and when it happens you’d better make use of it." Ray Anderson, Chairman of Interface Carpets, provided this insight during our dinner on the Friday night of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Ray went on to say, "They (CEOs of the top 1,000 corporations and politicians) just don’t get it, do they? If Whistler could change their thinking about sustainability just two or three degrees, the impact on the rest of the world would be enormous." Indeed!

In the weeks leading up to the 2002 WEF in New York, and in the weeks following, the political posturing, the name calling, NIMBYism, the rhetoric, the loss in ego because "very important people" will be in town, the fear mongering, the mistrust, the misunderstanding, and the fear of change has taken hold of Whistler.

I’m sure no one actually believes they fit into any of the above descriptors. Rather, the politically astute of the anti-WEFers ask the question: "What business are we in?"

Whistler is a leader in its industry and other resorts from around the world come here to observe and learn. The root of Whistler’s success lies both in the land and in its people. First Nations hunted here for thousands of years before European contact. Later people practised forestry and started tourism by opening a fishing lodge. In the mid-60s skiing began, and from there a four-season world class resort developed.

The gods have smiled on Whistler. They have created success by providing natural capital and gathering people to live here who are creative, different, bold, industrious and who have the ability to recognize opportunity and to adapt and change as need be.

Should we allow Whistler’s impact on the world to be limited to how best to design, plan and operate a community so that skier visits, occupancy rates, guest spending, real estate values and government taxes are all maximized, or is there more to our destiny?

Ray Anderson recognizes the opportunity sitting on Whistler’s doorstep and he feels so strongly about it, he has offered to speak to Klaus Schwab, president and founder of the WEF, to reaffirm what Whistler already knows – sustainability must become a theme of the WEF. I share Ray’s views and have often commented, "Even if Whistler achieves sustainability, it will be like sailing first class on the Titanic. If the rest of the world doesn’t get it and come along, we are sunk just the same."

I often consider why world-stage events, such as the Olympics and the WEF, are gravitating toward Whistler. Could Whistler’s god-given success, leadership position and its ability to facilitate change throughout the world be the reason? If we become selfish and ignore our wider scope opportunities, or some would say our responsibilities, will this celestial grace move elsewhere?

The only certainty in life, the universe and even here in Whistler is change. Change will occur by evolution or by revolution. If Whistler participates in providing an evolutionary path to change by hosting the WEF and by putting the best possible sustainable Olympic Bid forward, perhaps the tragedies and devastation of revolution can be avoided. What business are we in?

Whistler is in the business of changing the world!

To complete the story, concerns about the WEF coming to Whistler and the more tangible matters associated with the event need to be addressed.

Change can occur by evolutionary progression or by revolutionary deeds, which include war and terrorism. If it is left to the latter, from a historical perspective, 9/11 will be considered a minor loss in an ever-escalating scale of destruction. 9/11 has raised the bar for those seeking world attention. Consider what will have to be done next to have the same worldly impact as the horrific acts of 9/11.

The WEF moved from Davos, Switzerland where it has been held for 31 years, to NYC as a symbolic gesture. I went to NYC and unexpectedly obtained full delegate status to attend the WEF. I also attended the protest rally. Most of the protesters’ issues being presented on the streets were legitimately being discussed at WEF sessions. Why? 9/11.

Business leaders and Western politicians feel threatened. It seems they have come to understand that paying attention to social equity issues is good for both business and personal safety. While threats due to social inequity and the measures that can be taken to reduce those threats were hot discussion topics, little attention was given to the constraints of natural capital or to the principles of environmental sustainability.

During the WEF, Secretary O’Neill of the U.S. proclaimed that the best way to fight terrorism is to raise the standard of living, for all people in the world, to that of the U.S. Those of us who study sustainability and the concept of an ecological footprint know that the natural capital required for 6 billion people to live like middle-class Americans is about 3 planets. As the world’s population approaches 10 billion by the year 2050, the situation worsens. Therefore, the U.S. government’s approach is doomed to failure and will likely accelerate the conditions of social inequities and environmental degradation. If the U.S. does not change its approach, I fear the devastation of 9/11, from a historical perspective, will be a drop in the bucket.

Hosting the WEF in 2004 provides Whistler with an opportunity to influence world decision-makers. WEF delegates would have sessions in the most sustainable conference facility in North America, they’d stay at hotels, visit restaurants and other businesses that are moving their operations toward sustainability and they’d meet people in the community who understand and believe in the importance of sustainability. I am confident that if the WEF did come to Whistler there would be working sessions dedicated to sustainable business practices.

I’ve listened to as many of the anti-WEFers as I can find and I have read all the articles and letters in the local papers. All opinions are equally valid and it’s not about who is right or who is wrong. It’s about choice. Will Whistler choose to be in the business of changing the world or will it choose to be in another business, one based on short-term, and perhaps, shortsighted self-interest?

If Whistler rejects the WEF the chances of a successful Olympic Bid are greatly diminished. I spoke to several delegates at the WEF who agreed. Although I did not hear it first hand, Alan Rock made similar remarks at a private meeting. Like it or not, that’s the reality of international politics – let’s get over it and let’s stop pretending that the WEF and Olympics are not linked. I’m sure there are many in Whistler who will say, "Hurray! Reject the WEF and kill the Olympic Bid, two birds with one stone – it’s not our business to change the world – consequences be dammed."

Some people are worried that protesters will tarnish Whistler’s image, thus hurting future business. Tourism in Quebec City is booming and I don’t believe Seattle, Prague or even Genoa has experienced a downturn in business related to the protests in those cities.

I’ve heard concerns about the possibility that someone could get killed during protests that are expected to occur during the WEF. That would indeed be terrible. However, the everyday risks that someone will be killed either on the Sea to Sky highway, on the mountain or in some other licensed Whistler activity is much greater. We work hard to minimize the risks and learn to live with the consequences of the activities that we promote and profit from.

The security will be so overwhelming during the WEF that guests will be upset and not want to come back. In an article from the NY Times, they quoted a figure of US$5 million for security costs for the five-day WEF event. That amount seems low, perhaps that was only NYC’s portion. By comparison, the cost of security for the Olympics at Salt Lake City was $US380 million. That’s over US$ 27 million a day! It’s my understanding that there were more U.S. troops in Salt Lake City than in Afghanistan.

All in, the daily security cost was likely 4 or 5 times more expensive for the Olympics than the WEF. Don’t expect the relative spending between the two events to be much different if the events come here. The federal and provincial governments have agreed to pick up the security tab. Let’s be realistic, security for both the Olympics and the WEF will be invasive. In either case the question becomes, "Is it worth it?" Is it worth being subjected to security checks for five days during the WEF in order to undertake the business of changing the world? To the benefit of Whistler’s other businesses, it’s estimated that the WEF contributed US$100 million to the NYC economy.

Some business will be severely hurt by the WEF coming to Whistler. Such claims are purely conjecture. Businesses may actually do better. Results won’t be known until a full business cycle has taken place during the year that a WEF is held. Should short-term thinking of some local businesses be allowed to stop Whistler from undertaking the business of changing the world?

"My personal stature in the community during the WEF will be affected," "my movements about town may be somewhat restricted," and NIMBYism are common themes in opposition to the WEF. All opinions are valid, no further comment.

Constituents haven’t been consulted and they should be given a chance to vote on the WEF coming to Whistler. Ideally, I believe that with today’s technology, voters, creating a purer form of democracy, should vote on all issues. But that won’t be happening anytime soon. The telephone survey will have to do.

Whistler shouldn’t deal with the likes of the WEF. They are the ones responsible for social inequity and a degraded environment. That point comes back to the willingness to facilitate evolutionary change or to accept the brutal consequences of revolutionary change. Whistler, more than perhaps any other place, is being given a choice to decide which path it prefers.

Davos doesn’t want the WEF, why should Whistler accept it? Davos and the Swiss government both prefer that the WEF stay in Davos and the conference will continue to be held in Davos on a rotating basis. The WEF was not widely known about before they went to NYC. I believe that the WEF is attempting to raise its public profile, throughout the world, and they are willing to leave Davos to in order do so.

If the WEF and legitimate protestor groups can find a means of coming together to form a new entity or at least to discuss issues on equal terms, then perhaps evolutionary change can occur. If not, averting revolutionary 9/11 type of events from happening may be impossible. Whistler can play a role in charting a preferred course. The Whistler Centre for Sustainability and the Whistler. Its Our Nature programs are leading edge thinking in how to move a community toward sustainability. Believe it or not, the world can learn from our example.

Is it in Whistler’s nature to be in the business of changing the world? I think so.

Mitch Rhodes is president of the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment and a Whistler resident.