Nature has supplied us with some breathtaking images, but global warming and other environmental disruptions are quickly deteriorating that inspiration. While many companies are just now realizing they need to play a role in helping avert an environmental crisis, Sebastopol-based Lowepro has engrained a corporate culture of conservation throughout its 40-year history.
The company was founded by Greg Lowe, a photographer who works to capture nature in its purest form, wherever that may be—on an icy cliff, through dangerous terrain or in torrential downpours. In 1967, protecting and carrying his camera equipment while traversing uneven territory was a challenge. To solve his problem, he took to his small Colorado garage and, with the construction of the world’s first internal-frame backpack, Lowepro was born. Forty years later, Lowepro is internationally known as a manufacturer of state-of-the art carrying cases for imaging equipment and consumer electronics.
Over the years, it’s supported numerous environmental causes. For example, it pioneered the international effort to save the rare and threatened Spirit Bear.
In 1996, Lowepro learned about this genetically unique subspecies of bear, which can be found throughout the valleys of the central coast of British Columbia. Its environment was swiftly becoming eradicated by clear-cut logging. Lowepro helped lead the campaign to save the Spirit Bear by creating awareness and shining a spotlight on the cause. In April 2001, the Canadian government responded by establishing a 500,000-acre protected area and banning logging in significant valleys of the Great Bear Rainforest where the Spirit Bear lives.
This year, Lowepro is commemorating its 40th anniversary with a philanthropic partnership with Polar Bears International (PBI) to create awareness about the depletion of the polar bear habitat. PBI is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the polar bear through education about global warming and its devastating effects. Arctic temperatures are rising and, as a result, polar bears are losing the very ground they walk on. Some drown, having to swim increasingly exhausting distances between ice floes in search of food. The loss of ice has also resulted in a shorter feeding season, which inhibits the bears’ ability to amass enough body weight to reproduce. This ultimate survivalist, designed to endure temperatures of -50°F and thrive in some of the most inhospitable terrain on earth, is suddenly being faced with a potentially insurmountable threat. If current climate trends continue unabated, polar bears could become extinct by the end of this century. Concern over this crisis is growing, and Lowepro has taken action.
This year, Lowepro has embarked on a variety of initiatives to raise awareness about the plight of the polar bear. Most significantly, Lowepro will dedicate a portion of the proceeds from Primus AW, its newest photo backpack, to PBI.
The Primus AW is the world’s first photo backpack made of primarily recycled materials. It’s designed to carry and protect all the equipment needed for shooting in the most rigorous outdoor conditions—from a digital SLR to an ice axe—and it’s designed with a side access panel so a photographer can reach a camera without ever removing the backpack. The Primus AW’s recycled material is the equivalent of 22.6 soda bottles. By preventing this material from reaching a landfill, .0034 cubic yards of landfill space is being conserved for each bag produced. Further, by simply requiring each bag be made from 51 percent recycled materials, Lowepro is able to conserve 15,109 BTUs of energy, .002 barrels of crude oil and .12 gallons of refined oil throughout the production process.
Lowepro also continues to maintain a corporate culture of conservation. Not only is the company made up of marketers, designers, technology and finance professionals, but also photographers and adventurers who share a common commitment to preserving the pristine environment that is their playground. Lowepro actively supports a variety of organizations including Amazon Watch, The Conservation Alliance, Native Planet, Raincoast Conservation Society and local organizations such as the Rock, Ice & Mountain Club, a Sonoma County climbing club that organizes annual cleanups at Robert L. Stevenson and other state parks.
There’s a saying at Lowepro: What’s the use of creating photos that last forever if the subject matter keeps disappearing? In addition to donating time and resources, we can all do our part to help preserve the environment by recycling, reusing materials and learning about the causes of global warming. Lowepro is just one of many local companies with a green agenda that will continue to use its customers’ support to enact change. The time has come for all of us to embrace a culture of conservation—at work and at home—before nature stops providing us with the perfect backdrop.
