Can You Teach Corporations To Care? Carol Sanford Gives My Brain A Workout - Part 2

Part 1 is here.

Carol Sanford works with corporations to help them see how their operations can be more profitable if they treat the environment and human beings (employees, clients, and suppliers) well.  I sat in on a presentation she gave at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute.  This is Part 2 of my reactions. I'm not claiming to represent what she thinks.  These are my interpretations.  You can read her book The Responsible Business or go to her website.

Carol’s focus, as I understood it, is:

1.  To transform corporations by challenging the leaders and employees to expand how they envision their personal and organizational mission to include making positive rather than negative externalities - the side effects their operation has on the environment and on the lives of all the people - from employees to customers to suppliers. 

2.  When she goes into an organization, her role is not, in her mind, as a consultant paid for a short period of time.  While she does get paid, and given her client list, I have to assume she gets paid very well,  the way she described herself and her intent makes me think the best word here is ‘adopt.’  She adopts the organization and, with the care a parent has for a wayward child, helps the adopted employees connect to their essence. 

3.  Essence.  I’m making leaps here as I take fragments of evidence from a few hours of observation, maybe 20 minutes of conversation, and blending in what's in my head, to conclusions which may be what I want them to be rather than what Carol would say.  But perhaps this will be part of a discussion Carol and I continue. 

So, essence.  She said this was the goal - to reach the essence.  I’ve talked about something that seems similar by using the term ‘authentic conversation.’  By that I mean that two people talk openly, from the heart, dropping  the protective veils that project what we think the world wants us to project rather than what we really feel.  As a professor advising graduate students, I had the luxury of asking prospective graduate students to tell me what was missing in their lives that they wanted to make such a huge time and financial commitment.  This usually led to glimpses of their essence and in return I would share as well, and we had authentic conversations.  This doesn’t mean therapy and it doesn’t mean we shared all our deepest secrets, but that we dropped a few of the canned responses and talked, human to human, heart to heart. The student stops trying to impress me by hiding fears and exaggerating abilities and I'm honest about what to expect of the program.  Authentic conversation is a very energizing experience, which is why I say it was a luxury.  Having had that regularly has made me seek it in other situations and it’s really available if one knows how to be genuine oneself.  Maybe it’s the ultimate drug that artists and musicians and theologians exalt - love.  Maybe not.

So, my understanding of what Carol does is help people find their essence.  To look past  all the facades the world seems to demand - the right clothing, the right opinions, the right facial expressions, tone of voice, words and phrases - so they can see who they really are.  And once they’ve connected to themselves, she has them engage in conversation with each other to talk about what is really important in life and how their organization is contributing to or preventing those things. 

Does it always work?  I’m sure it doesn’t.  But when it does it’s great.  Is she always right and always consistent?  That’s not a standard anyone could meet.  It’s silly to not allow people mistakes - that’s how one learns, if one pays attention. 

4.  Why corporations?  That’s where much of the power to do harm and good resides.  It’s where she believes she can get the most miles of positive impact for the fewest gallons of  effort.  Plus, not incidentally, that’s the world she was mentored into. 

Why does this matter so much to me?  I’m balancing a bunch of ideas here. 

Am I focused right?  Should I be doing more?  While I think it is important to try to make the world a better place, the Buddhist influences on me also say that instead of fixing others we should fix ourselves.  But then those who are closer to enlightenment attract adherents who learn from them.  Perhaps that is where Carol is.  Corporate leaders hear about her from their colleagues and come seeking her wisdom. 

Part of me has concluded that helping take care of myself and those nearby is the right path.  If half the people in the world did just that, most of the world's problems would go away.  Another part of me says I should do more good.  It’s a constant tension. 

How do Carol's thoughts affect what I'm working on?   The intellectual puzzles that are my life’s challenge, include the understanding of organizations and the role of people in them.  And Carol’s take on this looks a lot like mine and I’m trying to figure out how close or far apart we are and how what she knows might help me get a couple of pieces of the puzzle into place.  (Of course I know that the puzzle isn’t static and the pieces are constantly changing shape and size.)  Plus, I’m writing a paper for a May conference and these ideas impact the paper.  My sense is that this is leading to a bigger project - one already on the agenda - more than the coming paper. 

I thought there would be two posts here.  But I think this is a good pausing point, and I’ll try to do one more on the role of human beings in organizations and what I think that means for what people in organizations should know. 

Studs On Bikes

Studded bike tires, along with LED lights, have transformed winter biking in Anchorage in the last ten years.  But while we think of ourselves as state of the art in these things, I discovered this studded tire in Michael Embacher's Cyclepedia that is listed as 1966! 























UPDATE 4:25pm:  Sorry, I was in a hurry and didn't get this part up. 

Another part of winter biking is being in a community where bike trails are cleared of snow.  Some Anchorage bike trails are cleared fairly quickly by small snow plows, though there is the problem of street plows then throwing street snow back into the bike paths. 

For another view on this, here's a post from BicyleDutch  about bike trail clearing in Holland:

When I mentioned the city of ’s-Hertogenbosch had forgotten to clear one new cycle route of snow in my post two weeks ago, the city quickly responded and the route was gritted right away. For the future the route is now included in the ‘to be cleared main cycle routes’. That was possible because the ‘city’ is of course a number of people working hard. One person read my post and contacted another person who is in charge of planning the actual gritting. A few days later I was contacted, and asked if I’d like to have a look at how ’s-Hertogenbosch works to keep its city streets safe, by clearing the main routes for motorised traffic and those for cyclists of snow and ice. Well, yes of course I was interested!

 There's pictures and more of the story if you go to the site.

Carol Sanford Gives My Brain a Workout - Part 1

Carol Sanford at Bainbridge Graduate Institute

Carol Sanford doesn’t waste time.  There’s no small talk.  No pussy footing around.  She tells you what she’s thinking and she doesn’t allow you to bullshit her or yourself.  She asks a student how she felt doing a class exercise.  The student talks about the outcome, but not her feelings.  Carol looks at her and says, ok, but how did you feel?  The student pauses and tries again, without answering the question.  After a third prompt, she says something like, “uncomfortable.”  Carol says, “Good.  Nothing really changes until you’re destabilized. It’s hard to escape all the expectations society has of you.  Being uncomfortable helps you break loose so you can find your essence.”  [Since I didn’t record this, that’s a rough reenactment.]  

Language was a focus throughout the class as Carol asked people if they knew what the difference was, say, between ‘triangle’ and ‘triad.’  Or what the Latin root of education meant.  Words matter, how we use them or misuse them.  Are we saying what we mean or just using cliches to cover our lack of a real answer?  And words shape how we think.  Someone said their activity didn't work.  Carol said: Nothing ‘didn’t work.  It moved.’

Movement was a key issue.  We’re developing,  always.  We’re works in progress.  If something 'didn’t work' the way we expected, we at least know a little more than we did.  We've eliminated one option.  We've moved.

Carol’s work is to move corporations toward discovering their essences, by seducing their humans into looking deep inside of themselves to escape the traps of traditional ways of doing things.  The cliche behaviors maybe.   She’s trying to get the people to manage themselves, to find themselves and take control, be who they really are, not what the world has told them they should be.

Her critique of most management paradigms is that they treat humans as machines or lab rats.  Even when they treat them as humans, they are manipulating them, creating all sorts of external incentives.  What’s important to her is to liberate people’s internal will so that they will do things because they are the right things to do and because the people have a passion to do them. 

All of this was fascinating to me because it overlaps much of what I’ve studied and taught and ideas I’m writing up for a conference in May.  Carol's style is not at all like mine, though I can see her certainty and in-your-face delivery would appeal to corporate managers.  When someone asked about building trust before pushing people out of their comfort zones, she said bluntly:  “I don’t build trust.”  But she followed that up with, “I’m doing this with love.  I don’t work with an organizations unless I commit to them for the rest of my life.”   (She’s worked with large corporations on transformations of their thinking so they put environmental and social consequences into their business models.) 

She also reminded students that they must always test what people say with their own conscious reflective [and I can’t read my notes - was it ‘eye’ or ‘exp(erience)?] Basically, don't trust what I say.  Check it out.  Something I always warned students to do. 

This was a three hour encounter (I think that’s a more accurate word than ‘class.’)  There wasn't time to fill in all the gaps.  But when I asked about things while students were doing an exercise, she filled in the gaps I’d inquired about.  My guess is that with time to discuss the areas I questioned, we’d be pretty close on our assessment of things. 

The session sent my brain into over drive as I thought about my own models of the world and questioned how well I use what I know to do good.  Being with the students reminded me of the intellectual challenge (that's a good thing) that teaching is.  Finding who the students are so I can find ways to help them connect to the subject matter.  Once you do that, it's hard to hold them back. And despite her toughness, I felt like we were old friends within the first few minutes.

Her take on the part of the world I'm intellectually most interested in seems very close to mine - even in those parts where I usually feel out there on my own. Am I filling in the blanks to make them look like I want them to look?  Are the apparent differences real?  Would we would come together if we sat down and talked through them?  What has she figured out that I'm still puzzling over?  I need to read her book The Responsible Business.

OK now.  This post is just the warmup.  Next I'll take another swipe at this from a different angle. 

[This all happened at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute Intensive I mentioned yesterday]

Part 2  is up here.

Clearing Two Lanes at Once - TowPLows for Soldotna and Juneau

The Alaska Department of Transportation sent out a press release saying they're going to experiment with a tow plow that clears two lanes at once.   Here's a screen shot from a YouTube video of one of these machines in Pennsylvania.  

Screen Shot from Pennsylvania TowPLow YouTube video

The description (definitely promoting these) on the video says:

This is a video of the innovative TowPlow being used on Pennsylvania highways. Invented in Missouri and widely used there, the TowPlow is a steerable trailer equipped with a snow plow moldboard and cutting edge that allows the snow plow truck driver to plow a much wider path than could be done with the truck alone.

The DOT release says they're going to test them in the two locations to see how they work and they should allow other trucks to go clear other roads sooner.  One of the video commenters thought in Pennsylvania they'd use them to cut jobs.

An evaluation of the tow plow testing on three Ohio roads (pdf) in 2010-2011 did not mention costs or savings, but listed these performance benefits and concerns:

 Benefits
Incorporating the TowPLow into Ashtabula County’s snow and ice operations proved to be a valuable addition to their snow and ice removal fleet. The County discovered several aspects of their operations that significantly benefitted from utilizing TowPLow.

• Increases the overall level of service provided to the travelling public •    Provides safer road conditions 

• Plows and treats more lanes faster and more efficiently 

• Maintains favorable pavement conditions longe 

• Limits snow and ice from bonding to the pavement 

• Frees trucks to plow and treat areas of need – ramps, shoulders, other routes, etc. 

• Completes snow and ice operations faster – less fuel, labor, and material 

• Requires less cleanup after the storm •    Decreases equipment maintenance 

Concerns  -Ashtabula County identified the following concerns regarding the implementation of the TowPLow into their snow and ice operations

• Impeding traffic flow – most importantly emergency vehicles 

• Striking obstacles on the shoulder not visible in white-out conditions (e.g., stranded vehicles) 

• Visibility of the TowPLow in blowing snow – especially snow thrown from the front plow 

• Breaking down of the tow vehicle effectively downs two trucks unless another truck is capable of towing the plow

Image from Ohio Report on TowPlow testing

The study also recommended some improvements before purchasing the equipment:

Prior to purchasing the TowPLow, several improvements to both the TowPLow and tow vehicle should be considered. Although not necessary to achieve positive results, these advancements will simplify operation for the drivers, ensure the system is utilized to its maximum extent, and help to alleviate some of the concerns.

TowPLow improvements

• Include a polytank for pre-wetting salt  

• Add a laser alignment system to define the edge of the plow 

• Position a camera at the rear of the TowPLow to view traffic behind the unit 

• Install a hub odometer on the trailer wheel for tracking the TowPLow’s usage

Tow vehicle improvements

• Purchase a truck with added horsepower and torque to increase towing performance 

• Move the material spreader under the truck frame behind the cab to enhance material application coverage (current application is altered by the trailer tongue) 

• Clearly identify the hydraulic lines for easier trailer connection

A North Dakota study (pdf) is much more succinct and does include some cost analysis:

Summary
The initial cost of the TowPLow is $74,389 with a 17 year expected life. The Bismarck District estimated the labor and equipment cost (not including the fuel) for the regular snow removal operation is $1,754 per snow event. They estimate the TowPLow operation labor and equipment cost was $782 per snow event. This results in a savings of $972 per snow event when using the TowPLow. Using the TowPLow in the snow removal operation frees up three snow plow trucks to address other major routes to better meet service levels for the public. These costs are unique to Bismarck. Although different urban and rural roadways may require different equipment and labor hours than the Bismarck section, it appears the TowPLow operation does offer a cost savings to the regular snow removal operation.
Generally speaking, the Bismarck and Fargo District comments indicate that the TowPLow is more efficient in clearing snow, and maybe safer for the employee and the public (in terms of reduced snow fog)..

I tend to be skeptical of in-house evaluations. By the time the organization gets far enough along to test the equip for several months, there is often a bias to buy the glitzy new stuff, unless it does really terribly. The bias may well not even be conscious.  But little things point to it.  For instance in this Pennsylvania study, which looks more like a promotional pamphlet than an evaluation, there is a "What are the Benefits" section, but no "Costs" section.  Instead, there's a section called "Points to Consider."  Subtle, but significant. 


From a Pennsylvania study:

What Are the Benefits?
In addition to reductions in equipment use and personnel time, savings and benefits include:

• The added weight of the Tow Plow increases truck fuel consumptionby about 10-15%; however, compared to using two trucks to do the same job, this is actually a fuel savings of 85-90%. 

• The Tow Plow can be used in a plow train, in place of a truck thatcould be deployed on a different route, thus increasing overall level of service. 

• The Tow Plow requires standard plow and trailer maintenance — asavings compared to maintenance that a second truck and plow requires. 

• The Tow Plow can be used strictly for spreading/antiskid applicationswhen plowing is not necessary. 

• During non-winter months, the Tow Plow can be used as a water tank.

Points to Consider
Here are points to consider when making a Tow Plow investment decision:   

• The cost of a Tow Plow purchased through PennDOT’s DGS Plow Contract is $73,790. 

• Required truck modifications costing $15,500 include a rear hitch module, hydraulic upgrade, and two in-cab controls; no engine or transmission changes are necessary. 

• If the tow vehicle goes down for maintenance, then the Tow Plow is out of service unless another truck with the required modifications is available. 

• The Tow Plow can be configured for anti-icing at a cost of $25,820, or with an 8 cubic yard granular material hopper at a cost of $18,184. n    Operators require overview and familiarization training, provided by the vendor. 

• The Tow Plow should probably not be deployed in urban areas during periods of high traffic volume.

 A Maine report put the costs of fitting the truck much lower:

Fleet Services, Bureau of Maintenance and Operations retrofitted a 2009 Volvo Wheeler to accommodate the towing of the plow. Changes to the truck were relatively minimal and included installation of a 45 ton pintel hook and the installation of hydraulic hoses from the trucks wing tower to the tongue of the Tow Plow trailer. Hydraulic fluid from the wing up/down function operated the lifting and lowering motion of the tow plow and fluid from the D/A slide operated the two steering axles of the trailer. These axles articulate to a maximum (see Photos 1 and 2). The standard wing is not needed when using the Tow Plow. The 8 yard hopper mounted on the tow trailer was operated by utilizing the trucks existing spreader controls.

The retrofit of the truck took about 2 days to complete at a cost of approximately $1,000 including materials.

That's considerably less that the $15,000 costs Pennsylvania reported.

Ohio says the modifications of their truck was about $5000.


 An ADN story says the Alaska plows cost $90,000 each, which puts them about $16,000 more than Pennsylvania and North Dakota paid for theirs.  But the story said the figure included shipping and installation.  What does installation mean here?  Does that include the modification of the trucks that tow them?  If not, then $16,000 for shipping seems a bit steep.

Totem lists the cost to ship a 24 foot* truck to Anchorage from Seattle at $4,036.40.  That leaves $12,000 to get it to Seattle from the manufacturer.  And given the Alaska State Ferry, a part of the Alaska Department of Transportation, goes from Bellingham to Juneau, you'd think they could work out something much cheaper, given the ferry isn't that crowded in the winter.  

*Since the total clearing path of a regular plow truck pulling a TowPlow can reach up to 24 feet, I don't think the plow could be longer than 24 feet.

LENGTH	PER FOOT RATE	OCEAN FREIGHT RATE	ESTIMATED OCEAN FUEL SURCHARGE 32.5%*	PORT CHARGE	ESTIMATED TOTAL PER VEHICLE,US$
24	$123.00	$2,952.00	$959.40	$125.00	$4,036.40

The ADN story also says the

"The one on the Kenai Peninsula will be used in the urban areas like Soldotna and Kenai as well as wider sections of area highways from Sterling to Kalifornsky Beach Road"

But the Pennsylvania study concluded:

The Tow Plow should probably not be deployed in urban areas during periods of high traffic volume.

 But then 'urban' is a relative term and Soldotna and Kenai probably wouldn't qualify by Pennsylvania standards.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2013/02/15/2791319/soldotna-area-sees-first-use-of.html#storylink=cpy

Energy, Caring, and Lots of Ideas at Bainbridge Graudate [Graduate] Institute Intensive

IslandWood Welcome Center

I got invited to the Bainbridge Graduate Institute intensive yesterday and today.  This is a small private school founded by Libba and Gifford Pinchot.  When I asked Gifford today how they came to this ambitious project, he said it happened after 9/11.  He had a meeting scheduled in the World Trade Center on 9/12.  His wife was somewhere on the Amazon on 9/11 and it took some time for her to find out he was ok.  After that they decided to do something meaningful and important.

I've been hearing about BGI because my son-in-law teaches there (which is how I got an invite.)  Underlying this all is a strong belief that people going into business today must have a strong sense of how the business affects the environment, their employees, their clients and a list of other things.  I also got the sense that these students are more likely to end up starting their own businesses rather than be looking for someone to hire them.

From the BGI Website:

BGI began an industry movement by offering the first MBA in Sustainable Business.

Our founders created the Bainbridge Graduate Institute to develop business solutions for the world’s most pressing challenges. BGI’s MBA and Certificate programs are specifically designed to integrate sustainability—environmentally and socially responsible practices—with traditional business education so that you can harness the power of business for good in the world.

Innovation is fundamental to the BGI spirit. Our community’s collective intelligence and energy drive industry breakthroughs that advance sustainability across the globe. Your BGI education introduces you to a dynamic community of change agents—industry pioneers, world-class faculty, business-leading alumni and talented peers—who are working together to change business for good.

Our graduates lead the evolution of business by developing their own successful ventures, guiding established companies and organizations towards more sustainable futures, and bringing sustainable practices to the greater business community. Join our community of business leaders, and you will learn how to create profitable solutions for a better world."

 This was a class on Entrepreneurship and each of the students is developing a business plan for an organization they are creating.  They'd gotten the lecture beforehand online and the class time was spent working on their projects and presenting where they were to the others in the class.  Lots of interesting idea, good exchange, and enthusiasm.  Clearly these students have a goal in mind and the class is helping them get there.



The intensive is Thursday afternoon, Friday, and Saturday at IslandWood - a beautiful and very environmentally correct (they even have composting toilets) conference/education center type place in the middle of a forest on Bainbridge Island.  The focus this weekend is

Sustainable Food and Agriculture Systems: Feeding Our Passions

Currently, the world’s population stands at over 7 billion and counting.  It is no small feat to determine ways to feed our expanding population using sustainable practices. One of the key messages from the United Nations 2012 State of Food and Agriculture Report is “Investing in agriculture is one of the most effective strategies for reducing poverty and hunger and promoting sustainability.”
February’s theme, Sustainable Food and Agriculture Systems, will spotlight the important areas where work is being done to solve local and global food issues, as well as focus on others where we still need to innovate and design solutions that will allow all people to thrive.

The evening featured a panel discussion with some of the visiting faculty and moderated by Board Chair Pinchot (second from the left.)  The others, starting on the left (using the bios from the website) were:

Tim Crews is broadly interested in what agriculture can learn from the prairie or forest about sustainability. Tim’s current research focuses on reducing and eliminating dependence on synthetic fertilizers in perennial agriculture. For 18 years prior to coming to The Land Institute in September 2012, Tim was a Professor of Environmental Studies and Agroecology at Prescott College in Arizona. He was a visiting researcher in Australia with CSIRO in 2002 and with Rothamsted Research in the U.K in 2009. Tim received his Ph.D. from Cornell University in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and was an Ecology post-doc fellow at Stanford University before taking his faculty position at Prescott.


Carol Sanford has been leading major consulting change efforts in both Fortune 500 and new economy businesses for more than 30 years. Her client list includes long-term relationships with Colgate Europe and Africa; DuPont Canada, US, Asia and Europe. She also works with new economy companies like Intel, Agilent and leaders of corporate responsibility such as Seventh Generation. In addition, Carol is a judge and mentor for University of Washington Global Business Center Social Entrepreneur Competition in Seattle.

She combines her economic development experience with her extensive business education and background when working with Responsible Governance in Community, Provincial and Regional Policy and Education. Carol has published dozens of works in 10 languages, including a series of articles in Executive Excellence, Stephen Covey’s newsletter and At Work, a Berrett-Koehler Journal. Her book, The Responsible Business: Re-imagining Sustainability and Success, was published in February 2011.


Frederick Kirschenmann is a longtime national and international sustainable agriculture leader. He served as the Leopold Center‘s second director from July 2000 to November 2005, when he was named a Distinguished Fellow. He joined the board of the Stone Barns Center in 2004 and was elected president in 2007. In January 2008, he assumed a half-time appointment at Stone Barns, dividing his time between Iowa and New York, to explore ways that rural and urban communities can work together to develop a more resilient, sustainable agriculture and food system. He has held numerous appointments, including the USDA’s National Organic Standards Board and the National Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production operated by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and funded by Pew Charitable Trusts.

Upon his return to North Dakota in 1976, he converted his family’s 2,600-acre farm in south central North Dakota to a certified organic operation. He has developed a diverse crop rotation that has enabled him to farm productively without the synthetic inputs of fertilizers and pesticide, while simultaneously improving the health of the soil. Kirschenmann’s farm has been featured in National Geographic, Business Week, Audubon, the LA Times and Gourmet magazine.

As you can imagine, the discussion was full of challenging ideas.  Tim raised more issues I hadn't heard about before like the life cycle of soil including his study of the soils of the Hawaiian Islands which range from some of the youngest to some of the oldest on earth.  The rapid depletion of Phosphorous because of our agricultural practices also came up as did his current work in developing perennial agriculture crops in Kansas.  As I understood it, getting perennial crops preserves the soil better than planting new wheat or sorghum crops each year.  Fred added that there is no one solution.  That going all organic or all vegan would have problems too.  And the incentive systems for agribusiness do not lead them to doing what's good for the soil or the rest of the environment.

Gifford has a little Charlie Rose in him as he asked probing questions of the panelists.

Today I spent time in Carol's class and I'll try to put something up on that later. [Later: There are two posts. The first one on Carol has a link to the second.] It got my brain rocking as a lot of her ideas overlap things I'm working on, but with a twist. 


In case anyone is thinking the name Gifford Pinchot is familiar, yes, Gifford is the grandson of the man who played a huge role in US conservation, including playing a major part in creating the Chugach National Forest in Alaska.  There's quite a bit about him in Charles Wohlforth's The Fate of Nature. 

These Pictures Aren't Remarkable Except For The Blue

We've been in the Seattle area almost a month now and today was only the third day that had a lot of blue sky.   It's not supposed to last. 

But I my granddaughter (and daughter) give me all the sunshine I need. 

Little Free Libraries

I passed this little "neighborhood library" the other day on a run.  Cute, I thought, but it's more than just cute. 

It turns out that this is part of a world wide movement.

From Littlefreelibrary.org:

Our Mission

• To promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide. 
• To build a sense of community as we share skills, creativity, and wisdom across generations
• To build more than 2,510 libraries around the world - more than Andrew Carnegie--and then more.

You can buy a library or make one.  They have plans on their website. 

I think these should be everywhere.







UPDATE Feb 15 7pm:  Here's one more I ran across today.

Kulluk Unified Command Final Update #45

I learned about the official announcement that the Kulluk and the Noble Discoverer - the two oil rigs that Shell had working in the Arctic last year - were being sent to Asia for extensive work from the New York Times and the Anchorage Daily News, but NOT from an email from the Kulluk Unified Command.  The Unified Command's last Update, number 44, was posted January 30.  So  I decided to write my own Update #45.  

"Update #45: Kulluk continues to remain stable – engineering analysis complete

Unified Command continues to oversee preparations for the next steps in the Kulluk embarrassment. Multiple entities remain involved including: the U.S. Coast Guard, Shell, the State of Alaska, Smit Salvage and Det Norske Veritas, and, as little as we can get away with, the media.

• Unified Command’s priority continues to be the safety of all personnel, the environment, and Shell's bottom line.
• Close coordination with the communities of Kodiak, Old Harbor, and any others we can buy off is ongoing.
• Old Harbor Native Corporation, in collaboration with Unified Command, continues to develop plans to access the shoreline and surrounding area with a lucrative contract from Shell to clean up life boat debris in return for their public praise of Shell's efforts.
• The UC has received the final engineering analysis report on the damage to the Kulluk, but we will not release this to the public unless required to by the courts.  However, we are pleased to announce that we are rewarding the tireless efforts of the crew of the Kulluk and also the Noble Discoverer, whose problems we were much more successful in keeping out of the media,  with a North Pacific cruise to Asia aboard the two rigs.  While there, out of sight from the media, in order to further enhance the already completely reliable, state of the art Arctic safety features of the rigs, we will have 350 of the world's best naval architects and ship builders design even more incredible safety features."

When I wrote this, yesterday afternoon there was no real Update #45 from the Unified Command.  When the really big news came out Monday, that both rigs - the Kulluk along with Noble Corp's Noble Discoverer, on contract to Shell and sitting more quietly in Seward - are headed to Asia for repairs, the Unified Command was silent.   Nothing on the website.  No emails to people on the list as I would have expected like the first 44 updates.  

But no, the press release came from Shell Alaska.  Real reporters, like the ADN's Lisa Demer, know these things, but amateurs like me were left in the dark when the announcement came out. 

So as I was going back to the websites for screenshots of their old announcements for my snarky Update #45 post  to show that there is no mention of this latest move, two days after it got international attention, I found a real Update #45, dated 5pm yesterday (Wednesday.)


As you read through the REAL Update #45, you'll see that in some ways, I'm beginning to get the hang of writing these things. Partly it's because they keep repeating themselves. 

The new info I see includes:

1.  The Unified Command is shutting down.

Propsed Kulluk Route from Kodiak to Dutch Harbor from Fact Sheet

2.  The Kulluk is going to Dutch Harbor - a ten day trip - "where a purpose-built dock for the Kulluk’s conical shape is situated" before being 'dry-towed' to Asia.


The rest I think was already out in the world Monday. 

As you read it, note how upbeat the update is.  "The Kulluk's in great shape. Oh by the way there was a bit of damage, but nothing you wouldn't expect from spending a couple of weeks on the rocks in pounding Aleutian surf. " Also note the difference in language in the quote from the Coast Guard's Paul Mehler and Shell's Sean Churchfield. 


The REAL Update:

DATE: February 13, 2013 5:30:00 PM AKST

For more information contact:

Unified Command Joint Information Center at (907) 433-3417

Update #45: Kulluk Response Unified Command to stand down

Feb. 13, 2013

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Unified Command met its objectives for the Kulluk response and will stand down Wednesday afternoon.

“Agency representatives will return to their normal roles and responsibilities," said Capt. Paul Mehler III, the Coast Guard Federal On-Scene Coordinator. “The Coast Guard will continue to monitor the activities involved in prepping the Kulluk for movement and I will lift the Captain of the Port order once all the requirements have been met."

“Our objectives for the duration of this response have been to ensure the safety of all responders involved, protect the environment, and prepare the Kulluk for its next port. Thanks to the hard work and professionalism of all those involved in this extraordinary effort, we have achieved these goals,” said Sean Churchfield, Shell Incident Commander. “I want to thank all of the individuals involved in the recovery effort for their dedication to ensuring a successful outcome.”

After weeks of thorough assessment, analysis and on board activity, Shell confirmed that the Kulluk is safe to tow out of Kiliuda Bay. This decision is based on independent review by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) validating that the Kulluk’s structural integrity and stability, post grounding, is sound for towing. Shell has received DNV Class Certification* and Flag State approval** for the Kulluk. As part of the preparations for the tow, an independent warranty surveyor will approve the towing vessels and equipment arrangements and witness the connection of the tugs to the Kulluk. (To learn more, read the fact sheet.)

The vessel will be towed to Dutch Harbor where a purpose-built dock for the Kulluk’s conical shape is situated. This will allow for heightened safety as the Kulluk is prepared for a dry-tow transit to Asia, where it will undergo repairs.  The Kulluk will be towed by  three ocean-going tugs to Dutch Harbor and accompanied by the response vessel Nanuq.  The transit time is approximately 10 days.

The completion of the damage assessment revealed that the inner hull of the Kulluk was not breached and that all fuel tanks remain intact.  The outer hull did receive damage as expected with a vessel being aground during adverse weather.  In addition, the Kulluk encountered water damage to its superstructure which resulted in damage to technical equipment and a breach of windows and hatches. Over the past few weeks, all damaged windows and hatches on the Kulluk’s main deck have been secured, and where necessary, temporary steel structures have been put in place to ensure that the vessel is weather tight and prepared for the tow.

Plans continue for the clean-up of the lifeboat debris on Sitkalidak Island. Shell is working with the Old Harbor Native Corporation who will be overseeing the teams working to clear related debris from the area, but due to the extreme challenges of the terrain, this activity will continue for some time so it can be carried out safely.

“The State determined that the command objectives established on day one have been achieved and therefore that it is appropriate to stand down the Unified Command. The State will continue to work with Shell, Coast Guard and stakeholders to ensure that the debris on our Kodiak beaches is recovered,” said State On-scene Coordinator Steve Russell. “We will also be available to those with questions or concerns about this response.”

“Throughout this response, our federal, state, local and tribal partners have remained dedicated to ensuring the safety of Alaska’s maritime communities and environment,” said Mehler.

During the peak of the response, more than 750 dedicated and hard-working individuals from all over the world worked to bring the recovery to a safe conclusion.

For inquiries regarding the Kulluk, please contact the Shell U.S. media line: 713-241-4544. Inquiries to the Coast Guard should be directed to Petty Officer 1st Class David Mosley at 907-271-2660. Inquires to the State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation should be directed to State On-scene Coordinator Steve Russell at 907-262-3401.

*Note:  I'm not completely sure what DNV Class Certification means.  Here's a description from DNV's website:

All ships being assigned class with DNV will be given a class notation consisting of a construction symbol, a main character of class, service area restriction notations and main ship type notations, as applicable. Class notations cover mandatory and optional requirements. Class notations may be given a supplemental symbol. The supplement is used to identify special requirements or limitations related to the class notation.
All class notations are listed and categorised in the DNV Rules for Classification of Ships, part 1, chapter 2 and the DNV Rules for High Speed, Light Craft and Naval Surface Craft, part 1, chapter 1. To purchase the Rules, please go to our webshop. [The webshop link didn't work, but here's a link to all their rules.]

I do not know anything about this other than what I'm reading.  But it would be interesting to see whether Shell's certification has a supplement identifying "special requirements or limitations."

Here's a bit more from their Rules for Classification of Ships - January 2013.

DNV is a global provider of knowledge for managing risk. Today, safe and responsible business conduct is both a license to operate and a competitive advantage. Our core competence is to identify, assess, and advise on risk management. From our leading position in certification, classification, verification, and training, we develop and apply standards and best practices. This helps our customers safely and responsibly improve their business performance. DNV is an independent organisation with dedicated risk professionals in more than 100 countries, with the purpose of safeguarding life, property and the environment.
The Rules lay down technical and procedural requirements related to obtaining and retaining a Class Certificate. It is used as a contractual document and includes both requirements and acceptance criteria.

**I'm not sure what Flag Ship Approval means.  Or what it looks like.  I found a document from the US Coast Guard that may be related (or not):  DNV RULES FOR CLASSIFICATION OF SHIPS AND INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

Mac Users - Check (√) This Out »»»» Keyboard Shortcuts

I often find I need a check mark.  I've figured out ways to get one, but I really wanted to do it simply from the keyboard.  Well, I finally figured it out.  I don't even remember how I found it.

It's really simple:

Option + V

(Hold the option, then type V.)


Is that enough for a post all by itself?  No.  Well I also am looking for an arrow to stick in.  I don't think there is this simple an arrow key [let me know if there is].  But, for some things this » is good enough.  And that can be done from the keyboard too.





Opt + Shift + \  =    »

There are better arrows but they are not instantly available from the keyboard.  But there are a lot of keyboard shortcuts like this that you can find easily by looking at the Keyboard Viewer.   This shows you all the characters.  Here it shows all the characters on the normal keyboard.  If you press the shift key, it shows you the characters. 

1.  Show Keyboard

Below shows me holding down the option key to see what characters you get.  (Yes, I changed the background image in the middle of this.)  You can see there are different characters. 

2.  Show Keyboard, holding option key

To find the keyboards, you go to the Language symbol on the top toolbar - here it's the American flag.  Then go down to Open Keyboard.

3.  Drop down menu from Language icon to Open Keyboard

If you don't have the Flag in your toolbar - it's related to the language you have your keyboard set to - you can go to Apple System Preferences,

then go to Language & Text.

At languages and text, you'll need to get to Input Sources, and then at the bottom check "Show input menu in menu bar."

That should get you a flag in the toolbar on top.  Then go back up to (Image 3)  Dropdown Menu to Show Keyboard.

Have fun.  There are just so many things hidden in these machines to discover.  

I've also circled the Unicode Hex Input.  You can use that to get arrows - left, right, up, down - that you can get using code.  I'll add that in later.

Seattle Beach Walk And Lots Of Water Birds

Surf Birds in Flight

Black Turnstone in flight

Sunday we did an urban hike along West Seattle's Alki Beach waterfront and I was surprised by all the waterbirds and other marine activity including scuba divers and seals. 

Sometimes seeing birds fly makes identification much easier.  The surf birds above were grouped with the black turnstones, but the turnstone's black and white wing design made it easy to identify when we got to the bird book. 

And along with these photos of the sitting surf birds, we were pretty sure we got these right too.  And my trusty birder expert confirmed. 

Surf Birds Not Flying

Surf Scoters

Sometimes, even with my little camera I can get reasonable photos of birds, but the Harlequin Ducks were too far out. 

Ferry headed toward downtown Seattle, from West Seattle