Inspiring People

Gary Hirshberg, CEO of Stonyfield, Urges MBA Students to Ask Why Not?

My colleague, Lane Jost, did an amazing job covering the 2010 Net Impact Conference in Ann Arbor this weekend. ย As a first time Net Impact Conference attendee, I wore the hat of a MBA student instead of a reporter following the Corporate Impact Track and learning as much as I could about integrating CSR concepts […]

Gary Hirshberg, CEO of Stonyfield, Urges MBA Students to Ask Why Not? Read More ๐Ÿ‘‰

Stephen Colbert Addresses Congress About Immigrant Farm Workers [video]

In case you haven’t heard, comedian Stephen Colbert testified before Congress on Friday… and it was awesome! He was invited by Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) to speak about immigration policy during a hearing of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship and Border Security. Why did she ask Stephen Colbert to testify? Great question. According to Colbert

Stephen Colbert Addresses Congress About Immigrant Farm Workers [video] Read More ๐Ÿ‘‰

ERI: Making Profit From E-waste

Ever wonder what you should be doing with your old computers, cell phones and televisions?ย  Bruce W. Fraser reveals the answer in the September 2010 issue of FA Green.ย  Ask Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), he says, the largest electronics recycler in the United States. Fraser reports that John Shegerian founded ERI โ€œto remedy the problem

ERI: Making Profit From E-waste Read More ๐Ÿ‘‰

YouTube Dedicates Homepage to Homelessness [video]

At some point today, be sure to swing by YouTube’s homepage. The website spotlights homelessness with videos from InvisiblePeople.tv for 24 hours. Mark Horvath created InvisiblePeople.tv “to inspire people who live in tent cities, in shelters, and on sidewalks to share their stories on YouTube”. Mark’s mission and story are nothing short of inspiring. You

YouTube Dedicates Homepage to Homelessness [video] Read More ๐Ÿ‘‰

Sustainability Impossible Without a Major Economic Meltdown [video]

In Athens on June 11, 2010, Dr. Wayne Visser, Director of CSR International, interviewed John Elkington, Founder and Non-Executive Director of SustainAbility and Founding Partner and Director of Volans Ventures. During the interview, Elkington spoke about where he sees the sustainability and social enterprise agenda heading. I found a couple of his remarks interesting. In

Sustainability Impossible Without a Major Economic Meltdown [video] Read More ๐Ÿ‘‰

40 Billionaires Pledge to Give Away Half Their Wealth to Charity

What do two of the world’s richest men talk about when they get together… the stock market, the global economy? Perhaps. But if you’re Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, you are also chatting about philanthropic causes. Each billionaire has pledged to give over half of their fortune to charity. Warren Buffett has promised to give

40 Billionaires Pledge to Give Away Half Their Wealth to Charity Read More ๐Ÿ‘‰

If Cutting Trees Is Bad, Why Are Foresters Helping Them Do It?

I just spent three days at Finch Paper, one of the few remaining small, integrated paper mills in the country. Nestled in the Adirondacks, the Glens Falls, NY company invited a few industry analysts to tour their mill and forests and get an inside look at their environmental commitment. Finch Paper is one of the

If Cutting Trees Is Bad, Why Are Foresters Helping Them Do It? Read More ๐Ÿ‘‰

The Hospital That Heals The Earth (Part II)

Federal Government Asks Fletcher Allen to Teach the Nation How to Scale Local Sourcing in Healthcare (Part II: Taking Local From Trendy to Essential) “The Hospital That Heals The Earth” is a two-part series on the intersection of sustainability innovation and healthcare at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, Vermont. Part 1 of the series

The Hospital That Heals The Earth (Part II) Read More ๐Ÿ‘‰

“FUEL” for thought: We all have Responsibilities.

I recently watched FUEL and thought:ย  Why have I not seen this before???ย  FUEL is a 2008 documentary on Americaโ€™s dependence on foreign oil which explored a possible solution to the looming energy crisis.ย  I had three overwhelmingly strong and immediate responses from watching this film. First, we have some extremely intelligent and passionate people

“FUEL” for thought: We all have Responsibilities. Read More ๐Ÿ‘‰

Can Grilled Cheese Save the World?

Probably not, but it sure is delicious. All joking aside, college campuses have always been rife with awareness/activism, however the recent trends seems to be direct involvement in projects rather than simple awareness campaigns. Young people are becoming more interested social and environmental issues particularly in far-away places thanks to social media and online images/videos

Can Grilled Cheese Save the World? Read More ๐Ÿ‘‰

Going Beyond the Living Wage: Can Nobility Be Profitable?

Knights Apparel CEO Joseph Bozich (pictured above in the firm’s Dominican Republic factory) doesn’t believe boosting market share and doing good are mutually exclusive.ย  In Sunday’s New York Times, business reporter Steven Greenhouse covers the firm’s newly acquired Dominican Republic apparel operation that makes t-shirts and sweats for American college and university bookstores.

Going Beyond the Living Wage: Can Nobility Be Profitable? Read More ๐Ÿ‘‰

TEDGlobal 2010 Focuses on the Good News

The TEDGlobal 2010 conference is underway in the city of Oxford. This year’s theme… And Now the Good News. I admire the positive direction TED has taken at their conference this year, because we have been bogged down with the never-ending “headlines of the political, economic and environmental woes facing the planet”. We sometimes forget

TEDGlobal 2010 Focuses on the Good News Read More ๐Ÿ‘‰

California Fisherman Doesn’t Want to Catch the Last Lobster

San Diego lobster fisherman Shad Catarius (no relation to the spawning fish) supports an annualย  trapping tax of of $300 currently before the California legislature. The tax on the $7.8 million annual spiny lobster market would raise the cost for Catarius to make a living on his boat McGhee Marie. In a San Diego Union-Tribune

California Fisherman Doesn’t Want to Catch the Last Lobster Read More ๐Ÿ‘‰

Panera Bread Learns People Are Basically Good

Panera Bread sets an example with its non-profit cafe and challenges other corporations to push their philanthropy beyond writing checks. Last month, I blogged about Panera Bread’s new non-profit cafe in St. Louis dubbed the St. Louis Bread Company Cares Cafe. The idea was simpleโ€ฆ take whatever you want to eat or drink and instead

Panera Bread Learns People Are Basically Good Read More ๐Ÿ‘‰

Q&A: Andrea Fabbri, COO of EcoAlign, Focuses on Energy Star

On March 19th the EPA and DOE announced new steps to strengthen the Energy Star program. A few days later the GAO issued a report showing that the Energy Star Program certification process is (nicely put) “vulnerable to fraud and abuse.” The day after the GAO report was issued I sat down with Andrea Fabbri,

Q&A: Andrea Fabbri, COO of EcoAlign, Focuses on Energy Star Read More ๐Ÿ‘‰

Interview of Margot Fraser, Founder of Birkenstock USA

Deborah Nelson, Executive Director of the Social Venture Network, interviewed Margot Fraser, founder and former CEO of Birkenstock USA, as part of the Green America Green Business Conference about the latter’s success in business, and her new book, Dealing with the Tough Stuff. Nelson’s first question was a great one, and right to the point

Interview of Margot Fraser, Founder of Birkenstock USA Read More ๐Ÿ‘‰

Big Important Speeches and Little Breakout Groups at BSR

No matter who attends the BSR conference, we always seem to find a balance between the people who legitimately wish to improve sustainability, not just for their company but the planet, and those who set out to further their profits by subtle or blatant greenwashing. During the Thursday morning breakfast, Zhang Yue, chairman and CEO

Big Important Speeches and Little Breakout Groups at BSR Read More ๐Ÿ‘‰

Taking San Francisco forward into a new era of Sustainability

[fora id=9376] San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, is known for his particularly progressive thinking when it comes to developing the economy of San Francisco. According to the Long Now Foundation, which recently sponsored a presentation by him, mayors are the most powerful politicians in America, right up there with county supervisors. This is why cities

Taking San Francisco forward into a new era of Sustainability Read More ๐Ÿ‘‰

Scroll to Top