It’s the end of a decade, the “aughts” as some are calling it. It has been a blur for me and it includes the birth of two children and many nieces and nephews, the start of elementary school for my oldest and the time I changed careers and moved into the sustainability field.
I was thinking about what was going on just 10 short years ago. I was newly married and the airwaves were thick with the song “1999” by Prince. This was fine with me, it had been a favorite of mine since it came out in 1982, 17 years earlier.
Y2K was a phrase that very popular. There was great concern that all the computers would crash when the clocks rolled over to the year 2000. Most computer code used the number “00” for the date some thought the computers would think it was 1900 and not 2000.
I am not sure what people thought was going to happen other than the computers would stop working. I am sure that some people thought our computer overlords would take over the world and missiles would be launched and buildings would collapse. This seems to be the genesis of the manufactured hysteria and outrage that would become a big part of the “aughts.”
On New Years ever I went with friends to The Club on top of Red Mountain in Birmingham, Alabama. The Club is a dinner club that is known for it’s old-school vibe, great views and atmosphere. Their new years eve celebration is probably the biggest event of the year. We had seats in the grand ballroom and the big-band orchestra, Joe Giattina and the Bama Cardinals played in front of a huge cutout “2000” sign.
As midnight approached we all moved to the large windows overlooking the city of Birmingham, not to watch the new year come in but to see what happened. Would the city collapse? Would there be huge explosions, would our computer overlords rise up? What would happen? Nothing. Nada. Zip.
I take that back, one thing did happen. The last zero on the sign behind the band fell to the floor and rolled over on it’s side. The balloons dropped and was sang “auld lang syne” in front of the date 200. That is what the Y2K virus brought us.
I have to say I was a little disappointed that nothing happened but why should it? Companies around the world had been working on their software to make sure nothing would happen. They also used this opportunity to upgrade their software and make it better. There was some moaning in the press about how companies where not spending money on hardware that year and how it would hurt those companies. They survived and we all moved forward.
This is similar to what is currently happening to companies and their need to go green and become sustainable. There is a green Y2K out there but it is different for each business. For some it will be how climate change is affecting their business. For some it is the requirements of their customers and for some it may be government regulations. Whatever the reason they are all moving forward and integrating sustainability into their business strategy making them leaner and giving them more of a competitive advantage.
If you have not considered adding sustainable practices to your business I encourage you to consider it. Don’t get caught standing at the window and watching your competitors pass you buy. Or as Prince said “they say two thousand, zero, zero party over, oops out out time.”
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