The most prestigious award in B2B journalism…so why am I not up for one?! ::Wink wink::

Congratulations to those deserving few who are up for the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a trade journalist: the Jesse H. Neal Award. There will be a finalist breakdown in this week’s min’s b2b, but, for now, just two quick observations (that may or may not contradict each other):

- IDG always makes a great showing at the Neals. This year is no different as the tech publisher has 17 noms if we count correctly. There are other companies with lots of nominations, too, but, as far as we can tell, IDG is the only company guaranteed to land at least one Neal: The three finalists in the best staff-written editorials or opinion columns category are Computerworld, Computerworld, and PC World–all IDG pubs.

- Scratch what I just said: Crain, another name that we frequently see on the finalist list, is the only publishing house up for best single issue of a newspaper or tabloid.

Good luck to IDG, Crain, and all the rest of the finalists!

Click here for the minonline brief and complete list of noms.

I came across an interesting piece of legislation this week (thanks, Anthony) that basically mandates the US Congress to pass legislation that offers tax subsidies to companies that build and invest renewable energy sources and to companies that conserve resources. It is imperative that we use our industry lobbying dollars (these go largely through American Business Media) to urge the government to offer broad and significant tax breaks to companies that use post-consumer recycled paper, sustainable paper, soy-based ink, and delivery and distribution methods that do not involve petroleum-based transportation.

I know that we’ve spent a lot of time and money on the postal rate case. And, though, as an industry, we basically lost to the bigger companies, it was a fight we had to fight. Now that that fight is basically over, we should insist that our lobbying dollars be spent on this new fight. This could be both an opportunity for our industry to really move the needle on an important issue while cutting costs.

Now, I don’t know how things work in Washington. Maybe what I’m proposing doesn’t make any sense. I’ll ask David Straus, ABM’s man in DC, and get back you.

Usually the opening remarks at American Business Media meetings are a bit ho-hum; the audience knows what’s coming, and Gordon Hughes, president and CEO of ABM, is a good speaker and delivers well. This morning’s report to the chairman, Hanley Wood CEO Frank Anton, was different. Hughes a large portion of the report talking about green initiatives in B2B. His speech was as close to an impassioned plea I think I’ve seen him get (and as close as would be appropriate in my estimation).

His message was three-fold…and I’ll start with the second and third parts, because I think the first is worth dwelling on:

1. Encourage conservation and sustainability within our own companies. This isn’t new, and anyone who isn’t doing it is just foolish, because it does save money (and can lead to good PR). Save paper, turn off lights, use recycled paper and soy-based ink–although these last two might not be cheaper–and the like. Simple.

2. Conserve in your personal life. This is a mantra we’ve been saying as a country since the early ’90s. Hughes urged people to examine the kinds of products they use (from fertilizer to detergent), as well as to do simple things, like carry groceries from the supermarket in canvas bags, “like what grandma used to do,” he says.

3. Encourage the industries we serve, through editorial, to be more green. I feel like this is revolutionary, and an important and brilliant suggestion. Major kudos to Hughes on this one. It’s time for the leaders in this industry to start taking on responsibility for the environment (and our country’s economic future) with extreme measures–and for business reasons. Let’s face it: the rest of the developed world is worried about the environment. It doesn’t matter if global warming is real, or a hoax, or a new show on FOX…the rest of the world is paying attention. And when it comes to developing the practices, technologies, and products that serve the new, environmentally conscious world, it’s foreign companies that will be leading the way–and reaping the profits.

It’s time for Motor to tell Detroit to get its head out of its ass: put real money into developing new technologies that save fuel, and drop–entirely drop–its lobbying efforts in Washington to limit legislation on fuel economy. It’s time for Chemical Week to tell the chemical industry to be more environmentally conscious: I wrote a blog post about this a few weeks ago (see it here)…but, essentially, the EU has started putting restrictions on chemicals that are both green and health-conscious, and our government, in conjunction with our domestic chemical industry, has bitterly opposed them–which do you think will become/remain the world standard? And who will benefit? It’s time for the journals at Farm Progress to tell its readers to drop their ridiculous obsession with corn-based ethanol: when sugar-based ethanol from Brazil is over four times more efficient, who do you think will win out in a globalized economy? Some of these suggestions might seem painful in the short term, but, in the long run, I believe they will turn out to be the correct business moves.

It’s time for our editorial teams to start stepping up, stop being mindless cheerleaders for industries run by dinosaurs, and to be the forward thinking, progressive, and, yes, business conscious watchdogs that they are. Because, what happens to dinosaurs?

It was a beautiful day at The Country Club of New Canaan in New Canaan, CT, on Monday, 8/13. After a barbecue lunch and iced-tea on the patio, spirits were high for what would be a spirited day of golf, tennis, and, in the end, charity. Personally, there was little more I could ask for. I’m proud of the 70 or so people that gave up one day of the work week to support the BPEF internships. That might sound cynical, but I’m being completely serious: it’s hard to give up a work day sometimes, especially for the people at the tournament. Many CEOs/top executives were present, including Ted Bahr (BZ Media), Andy Goodenough (Highline Media/SBM), Bob Carrigan (IDG), Steve Palm (NewBay), and several others. I haven’t talked with ABM about the final numbers, but I’m anticipating an impressive haul.

Despite the success of the day, I left the Country Club in an extremely sour mood. One of the agenda items that has been on ABM’s list for many years is to encourage women and minorities to join business media companies and to participate at ABM. I’m not a proponent of diversity for diversity’s sake, but I did not see one non-white face in the field on Monday, and it left me feeling a tad uncomfortable. It’s these kinds of events, the ones where rivals bond over links and drinks–and not the almost mandatory conferences and committee meetings–that forge real connections, and foster real inclusiveness.

I think the solution is a change in venue, and a broader invitation list. I am not accusing the country club of racism or anything like it. I will tell you, though, that I felt extremely uncomfortable there. I’m not sure why this supposedly classy place was dismissive of me at every turn, but I suspect it had something to do with my youth and the fact that I’m “not from around there.” For me, the definition of class would be making people around you feel comfortable; by that definition, the Country Club of New Canaan has little.

On a somewhat unrelated note, I was also embarrassed by the way some members of our party treated the staff at the Country Club. I realize that they were there to serve us, and, after all, it’s a job for which they get paid. But they are also people, and deserve to be acknowledged as such, and not just service drones. To me, this includes (but is not limited to) saying thank you after you bark orders at someone, and, perhaps making eye contact once in a while. But maybe I just don’t know how to behave at a fancy club.

(ABM is an organization that I’m very glad to be involved with. They do some fantastic work, and, under the leadership of Gordon Hughes, I believe that the heart of the organization is in the right place. That’s why it hurts me to see things like this go on behind relatively closed doors. That’s why I’m acting holier-than-thou in this posting. After all, if journalists aren’t holier-than-thou about things like this, who would be?)