Plant the seed, help it grow
I get teased sometimes about my rural roots. You can take the boy out of
the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy, or so I have
been told.
Take this issue's cover story about emerging opportunities on the green
front in government. My suggestion to the art department was a little green
plant starting to sprout out of the ground.
"That's been done before," the art director said.
What about a little green sprout and a strong root system digging down
into the soil?
"Everything always goes back to the farm with you, doesn't it?" he
scoffed.
So we have a less clichéd, less agrarian cover for this issue.
But I still think the metaphor works. More agencies are hiring contractors
to assess their carbon footprint and then help develop a strategic plan.
More companies, particularly systems integrators, see that trend as an
emerging opportunity, in part because it makes sense. A holistic approach
isn't just about the information technology investment or the money spent
on facilities ? it's about how all parts of an operation can contribute to
greater efficiency and create a smaller carbon footprint.
Like farmers, the companies interviewed for our cover story are nurturing
this opportunity because they believe it will grow.
About the Author
Nick Wakeman is the editor-in-chief of Washington Technology. Follow him on Twitter: @nick_wakeman.