Hi and welcome to TheJollyGreenCapitalist website.  Why that name?  Because it sums up both my approach to life and the new business and environmental paradigm for the 21st century.   Capital and labour kicked each other about during the 20th century and eventually came to a reasonable compromise - although some of my commie mates and some of my corporate mates may not fully agree.  Now it is the turn of the environment and the economy.  In the same way that workers and bosses had to learn to live with each other, so environmentalists and investors will need to learn how to do the same - and quickly if we are to maintain both our standard of living and our quality of life. The urgency of doing this cannot be understated.  Capitalism has been phenomenally successful around the world.  Its expansion within the developing world is putting tremendous strains on our environment.  Particularly so when it comes to global warming.  (WAIT! Before all you sceptics click out, quickly check out this link to see my sceptical journey). And global warming is the real reason why I am now showing people how to make money and save the planet at the same time, while also having fun. Then we can populate the world with jollygreencapitalists and all live happily ever after. Cheers, Keith McIlroy "The Jolly Green Capitalist" +61 (0)407 287329 keith@jollygc.com

"Give us this day our daily blog" Why me being a Councillor is going to affect YOUR business Yes.  You can now call me 'Councillor McIlroy'.  I am now a politician having taken on the might of the Australian Liberal party in their heartland of Sydney's North Shore and won.   This was surprising.  Not just because more than my Mum voted for me, but for the strength of The Green vote in this, most blue ribbon of electorates.  Lane Cove is the richest post code in Australia and deeply conservative.  Yet, in some voting booths, there were almost more votes for The Greens than for the Liberals So what does this mean for YOUR business?   Unfortunately it does not mean you can shower me with plain brown envelopes stuffed full of cash.  Save that for members of less scrupulous political parties.    What it does mean is that the electorate is way ahead of the politicians and of business when it comes to what The Greens stand for.  Particularly when it comes to the balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability.  In short, ladies and gentlemen, our world is changing.  And changing rapidly.    Booming consumption, peak oil, water shortages, food shortages and a warming planet are causing even the most dedicated of economic free marketers to question some basics of economic growth.   Consider this.  The worlds GDP is approximately $54Trillion.  Global growth is 3.8% or some $2Trillion each year.   China's GDP is approximately $3.3Trillion.  That means that we adding the equivalent of the annual demands of one Chinese economy to the planet’s resources every 20 months.    Those of you who were thrilled at discovering the delights of compound interest at school, sad person though you may be, could also quickly calculate that, if global GDP continues to grow at this rate we will have added the demands of over 60 Chinese economies by 2050 and over 500 by the end of this century.   This rampant consumption is totally unsustainable and it is going to force dramatic change on the way we live, learn, work and do business in the world.  And business is the one area that will be affected the most and the soonest.    Are your managers ready for this change?  Are your suppliers?   Are your customers?  Are your staff?  Are YOU??