“You have to be true to yourself; you have to know your strengths and limitations and live within your means.” ― Yvon Chouinard (Late Fall 2005) I had always avoided thinking of myself as a businessman. I was … continue
Let My People Go Surfing
Essays
While we believe that actions usually speak louder than words, we also value the power of story telling and the clarity and intimacy that good environmental writing can bring to our community.
Our environmental essays include testaments, reflections, rants and raves. This is the place where colleagues, activists and friends have lent their voices to our ongoing work for wilderness preservation.
What Makes a Building Green?
Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis. – Patagonia’s Mission Statement A Greener Building Green building practices strive to balance environmental responsibility, resource … continue
Organic Farmers, Textile Mills and Patagonia
Agriculture and farmers are suffering around the world. Trade agreements, subsidies and a changing climate affect corn farmers in Mexico, rice farmers in South Korea and cotton farmers in the south-western United States. “Farmers, we … continue
Exploring the Wild Ocean
If I could, I would transport all who are reading these words to reefs as I knew them decades ago: the Florida Keys, where golden branches of staghorn and elkhorn coral sheltered glittering schools of … continue
Pirates
On the evening of August 6, 2003, an Australian patrol boat spotted an unidentified vessel near Heard Island, an uninhabited scrap of land halfway between Australia and South Africa, 900 miles north of Antarctica. Stephen … continue
Don’t Buy This Shirt Unless You Need It
Near the headquarters of Patagonia, on the central coast of California, the Chumash Nation enjoyed a good life for thousands of years. They lived in small villages and possessed fur blankets, intricate baskets and soapstone … continue
The Science of Wisdom
In the brain-imaging research centre where I work, a growing number of scientists study acupuncture and meditation as well as other modes of complementary and alternative medicine. Powerful MRI machines allow us to visualise the … continue
Coming Back
It’s fall here, the leaves are shimmery red and gold, and the high season for getting work done in Patagonia is just about over. We’re leaving Valle Chacabuco to drive two days north to Pumalin. … continue
