DOCUMENT RESUME ED 434 220 CE 079 172 AUTHOR Schuyler, Gwyer TITLE Merging Economic and Environmental Concerns through Ecopreneurship. Digest Number 98-8. INSTITUTION Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Kansas City, MO. Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. PUB DATE 1998-12-02 NOTE 4p. AVAILABLE FROM For full text: <http://www.celcee.edu>. PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Adult Education; Business Administration Education; *Conservation (Environment); Ecology; Economic Opportunities; *Endangered Species; *Entrepreneurship; Environmental Education; Free Enterprise System; Natural Resources; *Tourism; *Wildlife Management ABSTRACT Ecopreneurs are entrepreneurs whose business efforts are not only driven by profit, but also by a concern for the environment. Ecopreneurship, also known as environmental entrepreneurship and eco-capitalism, is becoming more widespread as a new market-based approach to identifying opportunities for improving environmental quality and capitalizing upon them in the private sector for profit. It is defined as entrepreneurs using business tools to preserve open space, develop wildlife habitat, save endangered species, and improve environmental quality. Most ecopreneurial endeavors begin at the local level, addressing a community environmental problem or need. An example is the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch, which has a mission to foster peaceful and productive coexistence between wildlife and ranching. Another example is a Chamber of Commerce that has set up an operation to clean for free the paddlefish local fishermen catch in the Yellowstone River in return for the paddlefish eggs the fishermen had usually discarded and left to rot. Half of the proceeds from sale of the caviar go to fund community projects and half go to the state for paddlefish research and management. Examples of ecopreneurial tourism are the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center outside of Dallas, a for-profit corporation that provides a sanctuary for endangered animals that serve as the main attraction to tourists, and state parks that provide rental services and mail-order catalogs of novelty items.(Web sites for related organizations are summarized.) (YLB) ******************************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ******************************************************************************** Merging Economic and Environmental Concerns through Ecopreneurship Digest Number 98.8 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS CENTER (ERIC) BEEN GRANTED BY This document has been reproducedas received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. f- RESOURCES Points of view or opinions stated in this TO THE EDUCATIO document do not necessarily represent INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) official OERI position or policy. 1 N 2 BEST COPY MLA LE Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Clearinghouse on CELCEE Entrepreneurship Education http://www.celcee.edu Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership 4801 Rockhill Road Kansas City, MO 64110-2046 (888) 423-5233 December 2, 1998 DIGEST Number 98-8 Merging Economic and Environmental Concerns Through Ecopreneurship by Gwyer Schuyler A new term has been coined sector for profit. and benefits for the environment. for entrepreneurs whose business Anderson and Leal (1997) Examples of Ecopreneurship efforts are not only driven by define ecopreneurship as profit, but also by a concern for "entrepreneursusingbusiness A Truce between Wildlife and the environment. They are called toolstopreserve open space, Ranchers ecopreneurs.Alsoknownas developwildlifehabitat,save One ecopreneurial endeavor, environmentalentrepreneurship endangered species, and generally the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial and eco-capitalism, improve environmental quality" Ranch, has a mission to foster ecopreneurship is becoming more (p. 3). Most ecopreneurial peaceful and productive widespread.Thisdigestwill endeavors begin at the local level, coexistence brieflydiscussthecontextin addressing a community between wildlife and ranching. In which ecopreneurship has environmental problem or need. accordance, a wildlife research blossomed and present examples While the authors stipulate that centerhasbeencreated ofecopreneurship. In conclusion, ecopreneurship is not a panacea in conjunctionwithaprofitable organizationsconcerned with for global environmental ranch. Serving as a model for ecopreneurship, and more problems, they point out how other ranching operations, the generally, the linkage between the ecopreneurial solutions to small, Roosevelt Ranch helps maintain economy and the environment, local problems can "provide the the balance between ranchers and will be reviewed. foundation for thinking animals that prey on livestock. By Ecopreneurship has grown as a innovatively about bigger bridging this sometimes hostile new strategy within the problems" (p. 4). relationshipthrough wildlife environmental movement. For the Ecopreneurship comes in research and management, the past twenty-five years, attention to manydifferentforms.Some RooseveltRanchappliesits the environment has been directed environmentalists may be ranching profit to a search for throughlawsandregulations suspicious of these approaches workable solutions that both the (Anderson & Leal, 1997; Baden & altogether, but one could argue wildlife and the ranchers can live Noonan, 1996). This regulatory that when there is a demand, the with (Baden, 1993). approachusedthethreatof demand will be filled whether or penalty to further the not the business is Turning Waste into Food environmental cause. While there environmentally friendly. From Joseph Frank Crisafulli noticed has been progress through this this standpoint, ecopreneurship is local fisherman tossing aside the approach, some in the a "lesser of two evils." Moreover, eggs of the paddlefish when they environmental community have inlightof Hawken's (1992) cleaned their catch. Every year, experimented witheconomic poignant message that traditional several tons of eggs were left on incentives and market-based business is destroying the world, the banks of the Yellowstone approaches to alleviate ecopreneurship offers hope that River to rot. Crisafulli knew that environmental problems. business can instead play a role in paddlefish are the main source of Ecopreneurship is one market- restoringtheplanet (Hawken, American caviar, so he requested based approach in which 1992). What follow are examples the help of the local Chamber of opportunities are identified for of ecopreneurial approaches Commerce.The Chamber of improving environmental quality, related to ranching, food sales and Commerce recognized the and then these opportunities are tourism and recreation that have financial possibilities, and set up capitalized upon in the private been created to reap both profits anoperation to cleanthe 3 fishermen's fish for free in return go back to the old way, state programs and offers conferences, for the paddlefish eggs. In 1990. money just isn't there any more." workshops the first season of the program's and written Out of necessity. state parks are publications to spreadtheir operation. workers cleaned 1.600 becoming ecopreneurs in order to message of the compatibility of paddlefish and processed over maintain their park lands (Ewing. conservation and capitalism. Their 4.000 pounds of roe. Overall. the 1997). web addressis hup://www.free- project has grossed S 1.060.000 eco.ora. from caviar over a seven year Conclusion period. with half of the proceeds Surveyshaveshownthat The Green. Institute. located in going to fund community projects .Americans are concerned with the Minneapolis. describes itselfas a and half going to the statefor environment. For example, three- nonprofit economic development paddlefish research and fourths consider the environmenta organization focused on management (Anderson 8.:Leal. "high" priority and four out of five sustainable enterprise. They 1997: "Environmental Americans consider themselvesto sponsor many projects directed at Entrepreneurs." 1996). be environmentalists or simultaneously creating jobs and sympathetic to environmentalists promoting environmentally sound Attracting Touristsfor the business practices. They offer Environment (Baden & Noonan. 1996). This positive climate suggestsmany technical assistance to TheFossilRimWildlife possibilitiesfor ecopreneurs to ecopreneurs and are opening the Center. outside of Dallas. is a for- both make a difference in the Phillips Eco-Enterprise Center,a profit corporation that provides a environmentalmovementand businessincubatorfacilityto sanctuary for endangered species. make a profit. This digest has cultivate the environmentalsector such as the white rhino, the red profiled several unique and sustainable commercial wolf, and the cheetah. The animals ecopreneurialprojects. but there development. To learn more. visit also serve as the main attraction to are undoubtedly many untapped littp://www.greeninstitute.org. tourists. A drive-throughtour. avenuesfor new projects.In References overnight "safari" camping. and a response. educators in bed and breakfast lodge led to environmental and business fields Anderson. T. L.. & Leal. D. R. (1997). Enviro-capitalists: Doing good while 1992revenuestopping$2.2