Oakwood Worldwide: What One Company's Doing About Global Warming

by Rona Fried, Ph.D.

Howard Ruby, founder and chairman of Oakwood Worldwide, the world leader in temporary furnished apartments, is the latest corporate leader to get serious about global warming.

I have a feeling that Howard is saddened by the same images that I see in my mind’s eye every single day: a polar bear struggling to walk on slushy ice. I turn my thermostat lower and lower, drive my car as little as possible, on and on, because to me, global warming is not abstract – it is the end for the polar bear.

Ruby has guided Oakwood through its 47-year evolution. Today, the company operates throughout the United States, United Kingdom and Asia. He’s also a life-long outdoor photographer with over 60 years of experience. He’s traveled to the Arctic many times and taken hundreds of pictures of polar bears (this photograph is one example). One image shows a lone bear searching for food on nearly melted sea ice. The photos capture diminishing ice flows, which are critical to the mating and hunting practices, and the continued survival of polar bears.

In one of the largest global warming exhibits ever, he displayed 70 prints, extending 600 feet (almost two football fields), in downtown Santa Barbara on Earth Day, from April 18-22. The images also flew on 125 banners lining the city’s State Street.

“After witnessing first-hand the impending loss of the polar bears’ habitat and food source, I realized I could make a difference in two unique ways, through my images and through my company. Scientific and technical data can illustrate the impact of global warming, but are difficult for people to relate to. Through my photography, I hope to breathe life into this important issue by representing the plight of these beautiful creatures. The polar bear is really the canary in the coal mine for global warming. If we don’t take steps now to reduce greenhouse gases and slow down the warming trend, we will lose them,” he said. “And as chairman of a global company, I recognized that Oakwood Worldwide could also make a difference by implementing far-reaching green practices.”

Oakwood Worldwide Green Initiative:

y Corporate Program: commitment to reduce the company’s greenhouse gases by 35% in 10 years. Oakwood is greening all its processes and procedures; improving recycling efforts; researching and purchasing environmentally preferable products, and replacing/ upgrading to more energy efficient equipment such as washers, dryers, air conditioning units, lighting and hot water systems.

y Associate Program: the “Global Warming Crusade” is an employee initiative to increase public awareness and present educational outreach programs in local elementary schools across the country. Employees will use lesson plans, DVD slideshows of polar bears and the Arctic, and distribute Polar Cards to elementary school students. The collectible Polar Cards educate and hopefully inspire action. The materials are available to the public at www.globalwarmingcrusade.com.

y Guest Education Program: Informational products, such as calendars, postcards, and reminder stickers are placed in apartments to educate guests about global warming and to remind them of Oakwood’s energy conservation program, which encourages them to take six simple steps to reduce energy and water consumption during their stay. Oakwood estimates if 10% of guests reduce energy and water use 5%, it would decrease greenhouse gas emissions by over 1 million pounds.

++++

Take a look at the website – you’ll see Ruby’s beautiful photos flashing on the home page.