Stanley Fisher: Greening The System

 

jan-1-2008-greening-the-bureaucracy.jpgGreening is great! The best part is that when you green, you are not only taking a positive step towards rebuilding our environment, when done right there is great potential to save time and money as well. One of the major goals of greening is to reach a higher level of efficiency. How can I do this with less waste? Less waste = more money.

If it takes less energy to do, you’re giving off less greenhouse gases and you’ll have cheaper energy bills. If you can use fewer materials, you are using up less of our precious resources and there are less overhead costs. If you can recycle, there is less waste, and well, there is less waste. At least in theory those are the goals.

Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer, at a speech on Sunday to the Manufacturers Association, declared that Israel’s biggest obstacle to foreign investment and economic growth is it’s own government. “Israeli bureaucracy is a problematic and disturbing factor in doing business,” the Jerusalem Post reports him saying, “The government must deal with this in spite of all the difficulties in grappling with issues of this sort.”

 

We think that the Israeli government has to green itself up. By becoming more efficient it will cut back on waste. Aside from the obvious greening effect of wasting less paper, it will find that it is saving on much more than that.

Just to point out a few… On phone bills, from less calling back and forth, following the bureaucratic tape. Time, getting more done. If other people trying to work through the system can take less time doing so, the government is saving for them as well. The list could go on forever.

Gov. Fischer has another point right, as well. In business we call this the competitive edge. If the government can get over itself and become more efficient, they will out perform their competitors. If you take the top performers, in any area, and compare them against the bottom performers, in that same area, you’ll see that they learned how to do just a few things, just a little better, and on a more consistent basis.

With the government performing just a little more efficiently, they will not only be outperforming others in the economic sphere, it will be much more pleasant for its citizens and finally, but perhaps most importantly, our world.

Jack Reichert
Jack Reicherthttps://www.greenprophet.com/
As far back as he can remember Jack Reichert has been interested in the environment. In the second grade, he rallied all of his classmates to donate one recess a week to cleaning up litter from the schoolyard. That was the same year that a city councilman asked him to help with his campaign because of the letter Jack had written asking him to clean up Boston Harbor. Ever since Jack has followed the development of the international green conscience with anticipation and hope that one day we will treat Mother Earth with the respect she deserves and not turn her into another Giving Tree. For tips, feedback and prophet sightings, Jack can be reached at jack (at) greenprophet (dot) com.

TRENDING

Renewables hit 5,149 GW in 2025 as the world edges away from oil shocks and fossil-fueled conflict

“In the midst of uncertain time, renewable energy remains consistent and steadfast in its expansion,” said Francesco La Camera, IRENA’s Director-General. “A more decentralised energy system, with a growing share of renewables and more market players, is structurally more resilient.”

What Is Liberty HealthShare, and Should I Learn More?

Health insurance is a regulated financial product. Insurers operate under binding contracts, overseen by state insurance commissioners, that legally obligate them to pay claims meeting policy terms. Policyholders who believe a covered claim was wrongfully denied have legal recourse through state regulatory channels.

Zentera drops “ethical wool” claim after peta exposé into zq-certified farms

The New Zealand Merino Company, now rebranded as Zentera, has quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website, a notable change that comes after a disturbing investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into the company’s ZQ-certified wool supply chain, PETA reports to Green Prophet.

Fresh Fava Bean Soup, A Vegan Springtime Recipe

Somehow vegetables with short seasons excite the imagination and appetite more sharply than produce that’s available all year around. Good Middle Eastern cooks have many recipes for delicate fava beans, and this turmeric-fragrant soup is one.

The future of trucking and freight is electric and hydrogen

For years the freight industry tried to force a...

Nobul’s Regan McGee on Shareholder Value: “Complacency Is the Silent Killer” 

Why the governance framework designed to protect shareholders so...

Should You Invest in the Private Market?

startustartup Unlike public stock exchanges, which offer daily trading, strict...

How to build a 100-year-company

Kongō Gumi is a Japanese construction company, purportedly founded in 578 A.D., making it the world's oldest documented company. What can we learn about building sustainable businesses from them?

From Pilot Plant to Global Stage: How Aduro Clean Technologies’ 2026 Expansion Signals a Turning Point for Chemical Recycling Investors Like Yazan Al Homsi

The company's Next Generation Process (NGP) Pilot Plant in London, Ontario, has officially moved into initial operating campaigns, generating the kind of structured, repeatable data that separates laboratory promise from commercial viability.

How AI Helps SaaS Companies Reduce Repetitive Customer Support Work

SaaS products are designed for large numbers of users with different levels of experience, and also in renewable energy.

Pulling Water from the Air

Faced with water shortage in Amman, Laurie digs up...

Turning Your Energy Consultancy into an LLC: 4 Legal Steps for Founders in Texas

If you are starting a renewable energy business in Texas, learn how to start an LLC by the books.

Tracking the Impacts of a Hydroelectric Dam Along the Tigris River

For the next two months, I'll be taking a break from my usual Green Prophet posts to report on a transnational environmental issue: the Ilısu Dam currently under construction in Turkey, and the ways it will transform life along the Tigris River.

Related Articles

Popular Categories