Guest Author: Robert Frisch

Tomorrow I begin a weeklong course that precedes my second semester at the Johnson School at Cornell University called the “Sustainability Boot Camp”.  As a result, I have spent the last few days reading up on what some of the world’s greatest thinkers have to say about sustainability, development, energy, and poverty.  I came across this eye opening and inspiring speech by economist Chandran Nair online, and I’d like to highlight two quotes from the video.

#1

“There will be, in 2050 about 9 billion people in the world, and all of them will want to live like Americans, to which I say, god forbid” – Thomas Freidman

This quote resonated with me because it shows the need to turn development on its head.  Not only should we be focusing on how to combat world poverty; we need to be pioneering innovative new ways of how we define success and prosperity.  Can consumption based growth on a finite planet with a booming population really be the best way to move into the future?

#2

“They aren’t teaching these kind of issues at business schools”

Good news Chandran, they are now.  Though most of my peers are still aiming for banking or consulting jobs, there is a strong community here of forward thinking and inspired young professionals interested in pursuing “green collar” careers.  If you are interested in what sort of jobs sustainability focused MBA students pursue, the SGE center at Cornell maintains a student blog.

About the author: I spent the last four years living in Nicaragua where I was a peace corps volunteer and the founder of a boutique hostel in the northern city of Matagalpa. I am currently pursuing an MBA in Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell, and I am elated to have found this community where I can combine my passions for entrepreneurship and sustainable hospitality.