It’s been a busy time for Beaver Theodosakis, a co-founder and president of prAna [1], the 13-year-old company that makes and sells men’s and women’s activewear and accessories for rock climbing, yoga [1], and other sports. The home-grown, husband-and-wife operated company was recently acquired by Liz Claiborne [2] for $34.4 million.

Since its inception prAna has been dedicated to environmentally sound business practices. Whenever feasible they use organic [2] cotton and recycled plastics and run a Natural Power Initiative [3] that helps offset the energy consumption of its retailers’ stores, “as a way of reducing the ecological footprint of the company,” reports Treehugger [4]. PrAna has assured devotees that its integrity will not be compromised by the change, with Claiborne signing on to the Natural Power Initiative shortly after the acquisition in November.

There’s no sign on the prAna website of any changes, no signal to consumers that the acquisition has altered a thing. But it’s a huge move for prAna––with possible ripple effects for other green-minded companies––that will be fascinating to watch play out. Below, we get a sense of the core values on which prAna has built its foundation in these excerpts from Grist’s recent interview with prAna founder Theodosakis.

From the Editors of Grist:

What does your business do?

prAna’s core business is men’s and women’s lifestyle apparel and accessories. The brand––grown from deep roots in rock climbing and yoga––has always strived for positive change and is grounded in the ideas of sustainability [4], in terms of the materials we use and the energy consumed to produce the product.

Who is your environmental nightmare?

It is difficult to admonish the person driving the Hummer or even the captains of big business collectively. I am very sensitive to the hypocrisy in that: I drive a car, I burn those fossil fuels, and I certainly buy products made at the expense of natural resources, although I do my best to remain conscious of it and am always looking for ways to reduce that consumption. But the guy tossing garbage out the car window is making absolutely no attempt.

For the pragmatic environmentalist, what should be the focus––political action designed to change policy, or individual action designed to change lifestyle?

Cultural change. Politics is simply a reflection, warts and all, of the society that keeps it in place. If a groundswell of right thinking can turn into right action––and achieve a degree of popularity or even critical cultural mass––we have a tipping point. Then legislative improvements are sure to follow.

Questions from Grist’s Readers:

What could your company be doing better, in terms of sustainability? Any goals down the road?

We certainly need more organic cotton in our line. This means we will have to continue to push our vendors to get more creative with sustainable ideas. Alongside organics, we need to make more inroads with our wind-power initiative in order to offset the conventional energy used to make our goods. Lastly, we must continue to explore alternative fabric materials such as recycled polyesters, hemp, corn, soy, bamboo, etc.

Where do you like to climb?

I’ve climbed all over the U.S. and in 12 other countries around the world. I love it all, but my favorite is desert climbing. The deserts of Utah, Nevada, and California in spring and fall—the terrain, rock formations, colors, wildlife, smells, skies, and sandy washes. I feel very alive there!