Abstracts:

Prof. Donald Carli:
"The Sustainable Print Media Challenge"

This lecture will address the questions: How can global advertisers, ad agencies, publishers, designers, printers and their suppliers address the sustainability challenge? What will be required to resolve the difficult issues at the nexus of corporate social responsibility and commercial opportunity associated with graphic communication?

Sustainable graphic communication entails the simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental stewardship and social equity as well as the effective exchange of visual information. A recent report by the World Bank presents the challenge of sustainability: We can imagine that the Earths population will stabilize at 10 billion by the year 2050. A shadow looms when we realize that this scenario would entail a 25-fold growth in output and potentially huge increases in pollution.

Graphic communication is an essential aspect of human activity that is pervasive, economically significant, environmentally impactful and critical to business, government and society. However, while the production, consumption and disposal of paper and print media account for a significant proportion of human activity, account taken of the non-financial aspects and impacts of print is disproportionately limited. Advertising, publishing, graphic design and graphic communication are not sustainable as predominately practiced.

There are challenging issues at the nexus of commercial opportunity and sustainability which purveyors of print media products and graphic communication services must address. In the words of David W. Orr: "The overall challenge of sustainability is to avoid crossing irreversible thresholds that damage the life systems of Earth while creating long-term economic, political, and moral arrangements that secure the well being of present and future generations."

As we emerge from our nation's longest jobless recovery, what lessons does that experience have for us?  While our aggregate economy is more stable overall (fewer, shorter and shallower recessions), competition is tougher and the pace of change may be if anything more rapid.  What are the key trends in the labor market, such as layoff and hiring patterns, outsourcing, and job quality?  Is the paper industry different?  How can we put them in perspective as we embark on the next economic expansion?

Erica Groshen is currently the Assistant Vice President, Research and Market Analysis Group at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. She conducts research on labor markets over the business cycle, wage rigidity and dispersion, and the role of employers in labor market outcomes. She is a leader of the International Wage Flexibility Project and co-authored the recently released book How New is the "New Employment Contract"? from the W.E. Upjohn Institute Press. She also edits the Bank's Economic and Policy Review , the flagship publication of the Research Department.

George Weyerhaeuser, Jr.
"Technology Deployment in Forest Products"

Technologists in the Forest Products Industry often complain about the slow introduction of new products and processes in our businesses. These individuals see that the future of our companies and industry depends on research and innovation.  However the vision of the industry technologist has not been shared by industry leadership.

Industry leaders have continued their on-going response to poor business performance by reducing or eliminating all costs associated with company research facilities, and those costs of supporting research institutes and universities. Company's have also price pressured suppliers causing reductions or elimination of their research programs. A common belief shared by industry leaders appears to be a perceived slow speed of commercialization and a belief that R&D is just too expensive.

This lecture reflects on historical examples of new technology at Weyerhaeuser, constraints on diffusion of  technology, and the current scene in the pulp and paper industry.

Mr. Weyerhaeuser will discuss the current state of research and development in the pulp and paper industry.  He will also reflect on some of the history of new technology at Weyerhaeuser and the constraints on technology creation, transfer, and deployment in general for the paper industry.