Other Web Sites of Interest

Below you will find links to other websites that you may find interesting and valuable. We get these sites by client referral, so if you have any site suggestions please recommend these by emailing your ideas to: GeneralInformation@atica.us

The Site: http://pacificforestfoundation.org/

Here you will find a newly released video "This is my Office." Modern forest operators today are providing for the logging, reforestation, road building, transportation, environmental protection and fires and fuels management methods and expertise required to bring timber to market.

The Site: http://www.lppcarver.com/index.html

Here at the Wild Goose Carving Studio Mr. Loren Penski showcases many different wood carvings that he has sold to collectors and companies throughout North America including i) His famous Bald Eagle for the Mulrooney Award as presented annually by the North American Wholesale Lumber Association; ii) An antiqued style American Advocet presented to a Brazilian provincial Governor as well as iii) Many other artworks that are regularly auctioned off in support of Ducks Unlimited and The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

With over 25 years in the timber industry, including 5 years with Boise Cascade and presently serving to assist foreign and domestic mills to improve their international marketing and sales performance, he has also donated his time to direct a multi-year, multi-donor, $1 million international reconstruction-conservation program in post tsunami Aceh, Indonesia. However, his core passion is that of a true artist, to encapsulate the essence and meaning of Mother Nature's creations.

The Site: http://www.biochar-international.org/

What exactly is biochar and what is its potential in both carbon sequestration and agricultural yield improvements over the next 100 years?

Sustainable biochar is one of the few technologies that is relatively inexpensive, widely applicable, and quickly scalable. The International Biochar Institute (IBI) a non-profit organization focuses on the research and need for quality and sustainability standards and assurances in the emerging biochar industry.

IBI encourages and seeks to foster good industry practices to ensure public confidence that the organizations involved in biochar research, marketing, and production adhere to high ethical standards and the products they produce are safe and appropriate for use as intended. To this end, IBI is bringing together numerous different stakeholders within working groups to produce sustainability standards and classification and evaluation systems for future biochar production and use.

The Site: http://www.biomassthermal.org/

The Biomass Thermal Energy Council is a non-profit association dedicated to advancing the use of biomass for heat and other thermal energy applications.

The Biomass Thermal Energy Council (BTEC) is an association of biomass fuel producers, appliance manufacturers and distributors, supply chain companies and non-profit organizations that view biomass thermal energy as a renewable, responsible, clean and energy-efficient pathway to meeting America's energy needs.

BTEC engages in research, education, and public advocacy for the fast growing biomass thermal energy industry.

Background: Human metrics are the driving engines for the financial metrics of any organization. And within those human metrics success elements are two sub-sets, i.e. the organization's cultural set of i) core commitments and ii) core competencies. One is of EI (emotional intelligence) while the other is the IQ (intelligent quotient). What most have not been told is that of the two, it's the EI that provides 67% or more of the driving influence for an organizations financial success.

Stellar financial results is at the effect end of the cause-effect supply chain employed by World Class Organizations. (See Atica's white paper "Understanding The Executive's Dashboard on Human Metrics.") Success is about corporate cultures that attracts, empowers and coaches dynamic personalities, and not piles of written policy declarations.

Although I have not found any one central website location that encapsulates the "total picture," the below two sites may provide an interesting introduction to these concepts.

The Site: http://www.viacharacter.org/

VIA Institute on Character is a non-profit organization, founded to advance the science and practice of character development. The VIA Institute supported the creation of the VIA Classification system of Character Strengths and assessment instruments for measuring them.

The Site: http://davidmaister.com/

Although now retired, I have found the author of this site and many books he has researched and authored to be not only spot on ... but extremely pragmatic in their "common sense" application. Definitely a breath of fresh air.

Years ago this gentleman worked on an extensive human metrics focused research project with a friend of mine who ran the quant numbers. Their combined efforts eventually let to one of the best business books I have ever encountered, "Practice What You Preach – What Managers Must Do to Create a High Achievement Culture"

With his focus on professional business principles for successful business I am sure you will find many topical areas of interest and value.

The Site: https://sites.google.com/site/fishlakebiochar/

WHAT IS BIOCHAR?

"Biochar may represent the single most important initiative ...
for humanity’s environmental future." - Jim Flannery

Biochar is a 2,000 year-old practice that converts bio-mass into a soil enhancer that can hold carbon, boost food security and discourage deforestation. The process creates a fine-grained, highly porous charcoal that helps soils retain nutrients and water.

Biochar also improves water quality and quantity by increasing soil retention of nutrients and agrochemicals for plant and crop utilization. More nutrients stay in the soil instead of leaching into groundwater and causing pollution. It is a powerful new tool for combating climate change.

Dr. David A. Laird USDA National Soil Tilth Laboratory, discusses results of tests for farming with biochar as a powerful tool for increased crop health and yield.

For more information on the economics of biochar you may wish to visit this site via the above link.