The Inspired Economist

It’s the time of year when people are making resolutions to lose weight, better manage their finances, better manage their anger, and myriad other things. Is increasing your commitment to environmental sustainability on that list?

As I wrote in my very first post for The Inspired Economist in the fall of 2008, the neat thing about committing to environmental sustainability is that you don’t have to make extreme changes to make a difference. You don’t have to install hemp carpet in the office or replace your roof with solar panels.

If we all make small incremental changes, the difference will be exponential. It’s a lot easier to get a lot of people to make small changes than to rely on a few people to carry the entire load.

What small, incremental changes can you pledge to make this year? Here are a few ideas. Read the rest of this entry »

Honey bees are disappearing. The story has been in the news on and off since 2006, but for one reason or another, most people have paid little attention. And the situation is significantly dire.

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Good ideas have a life of their own.  That’s what Paul Baricos, Executive Director of the Hollygrove Growers Market and Farm (HGMF) in New Orleans is learning two years after the Carrolton-Hollygrove Community Development Center (CHCDC) set out to figure out how to bring fresh produce to a neighborhood with no real access to affordable food.

The result of this initial vision, and perhaps ten iterations later, is a one-of-a-kind one-acre urban produce and garden center located in the New Orleans community of Carrolton-Hollygrove.  Initiated just two short years ago in partnership with the New Orleans Food & Farm Network, the site is in its fledgling stages of a well mapped out multi-use center.  “We began this journey simply trying to figure out how to bring fresh produce to an under-served community. What has evolved is a vision for this center to be a resource for urban gardening that delivers fresh produce”, relayed Paul.

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Every day, we are faced with the question of whether it is greener to serve meals on reusable dishes and waste water to wash them with, or contribute to the landfill problem by using paper plates and plastic utensils.   Biodegradable Food Service Products (abbreviated BDFS) has a solution to this dilemma by using the humble potato to manufacture a whole line of food service products that include clam shell take-out trays, “silver”ware, plates, cups with lids, and deli trays. 

Tater Ware is heat stable to 375 degrees, meets FDA requirements for direct food contact, freezer safe, microwarmable, and suitable for both hot and cold foods.  Read the rest of this entry »

South Asia’s rural areas search for water intensifies due to annual droughts.

According to a UNESCO study, fresh water supply is expected to drop by one-third within 20 years. UNESCO points out that up to 7 billion people could face water shortages by 2020 as global warming will affect water supply in more than 60 countries.

Water as a priority in national strategic discourse is not new but its prominence in recent years illustrates the emergence of a new battlefront. A broader acceptance of climate change associated with global warming has led to the reassessment of fresh water’s priority.

Water Supply Is A Growing Problem in South Asia

In South Asia, this future is here. Ground water drop in several major metropolises in India is up to nine meters; this is especially pronounced in densely populated areas where people bore wells in their yards rather than rely on government supplied water which is in severe shortage. With that in mind, one of the fastest growing regions in the world, South Asia, is involved in cross-border water dispute.

Regional Tensions Over  Water

Last year UN appointed a specialist to look at a complaint filed by Pakistan against India for violating the Indus Water Treaty signed in 1960.  India recently initiated a construction of dam on Chenab River in Kashmir, which has the potential of reducing the flow to Pakistan’s primary agricultural areas. Although the specialist found that the Indian design was permitted under the treaty, he suggested some minor changes. Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks to new and developing harvesting approaches U.S. fish farmers and distributors are making caviar not only sustainable, but affordable.

Although you may or may not be a part of the cultural elite who consider themselves caviar connoisseurs, if you have interest in the environment and economy you may be able to appreciate the developments occurring in in the world Caviar market thanks to a number of U.S. based fisheries.

For hundreds of years caviar was harvested for the wealthy and affluent of the world in much the same way. Large fishing boats would hall in nets full of sturgeon during spawning season. For most vessels the operation was for deck hands to sort the fish, males would be deposited into a holding tank for market. Females would be cut open for their eggs to be harvested for caviar and the rest would be discarded or kept in another holding tank for the fish markets. It was this approach, yielding only one harvest per female fish, which helped contribute to caviar becoming such a high priced luxury for the affluent.
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Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) is given credit by many for revolutionizing the American coffee drinking experience. The company however is both praised and criticized by environmentalists. Is Starbucks a leader of sustainability or greenwashed?

Disposable Cups

Starbucks stores use billions of cups annually. This requires enormous quantities of natural resources and energy before finding their way to landfills. Starbucks does however use cups that contain 10% post consumer recycled content. Read the rest of this entry »

As the demand for biofuels increases, so too will food prices around the world.  The U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s recent report notes that “the historic linkages between agriculture and the energy sector are becoming stronger and are changing in character.  Biofuel demand will continue to exercise upward pressure on agricultural prices for considerable time to come.”  Biofuel production based on agricultural commodities increased more than threefold from 2000 to 2007, and now covers nearly two percent of the world’s consumption of transport fuels. 

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U.S. consumers are changing the criteria they consider at the grocery store, valuing locally grown products over organic, according to the BBMG Conscious Consumer Report. This new national consumer study on purchasing behavior and social values found that adults have a strongly favorable response to eco-labels and attributes including biodegradable (48% strongly favorable), cruelty free (46%), and locally grown (45%), a measure that falls dramatically for USDA Organic (26%).

The BBMG Conscious Consumer Report also found that "Enlighteneds," the 10% of adult consumers who are most likely to purchase from companies that engage in socially responsible behaviors, are three times more likely than the average consumer to be early adopters, signaling that eco-friendly and local products will continue to gain an edge. Compared to average consumers, Enlighteneds expressed nearly double the strongly favorable responses for eco-labels like biodegradable (88% strongly favorable), cruelty free (87%), locally grown (85%) and USDA Organic (67%).

Consumers still say quality and price are paramount (66% say quality is very important, and 58% say price is very important). But Enlighteneds do as well, placing a much higher premium on quality (83% say it's very important) and price (69% very important) than average consumers.

"Consumers are more aware of the impact that their purchasing decisions have, and in every sector we're seeing values-driven criteria becoming part of consumers' decision-making process," said Mitch Baranowski, principal and co-founder, BBMG. "It's not just about choosing organic anymore. Determining whether or not a product is local has become more significant, demonstrating that relationships, trust and accountability are increasingly important when it comes to brand value."

Baranowski added, "There is no place where the trend toward localism is more evident than in America's supermarkets, where consumers are making the everyday purchases that have the greatest impact on their own health and households."

The BBMG Conscious Consumer Report details consumer attitudes towards leading social issues, trust labels, self-identification, corporate practices and the most socially responsible companies. Conducted by branding and marketing agency BBMG, in conjunction with research partners Global Strategy Group and Bagatto, the report combines ethnographic research in three U.S. markets with a national survey of 2,007 adults, conducted September 11-17, 2007. The margin of error is +/- 2.2 percentage points. 

Via: (BBMG)

Since September 2007, Leonardo Academy has been promoting awareness of the development process of the Draft American National Standard for Trail Use for Sustainable Agriculture Practice, intended for subsequent approval as an American National Standard. National meetings have been held in Berkeley, California and Arlington, Virginia, in addition to three national teleconferences, to inform interested parties and stakeholders about this standard development process. Due to increasing interest in the development of this standard following the February 29, 2008 meeting in Arlington, Leonardo Academy has decided to extend the deadline for applications for the standard development committee to May 23, 2008. This extension has been implemented based on numerous requests to allow time for additional stakeholders to submit applications to participate on the standard development committee and/or supporting subcommittees.

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