My colleague, Lane Jost, did an amazing job covering the 2010 Net Impact Conference in Ann Arbor this weekend. 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 👉
This summer California was home to the world’s biggest surfing event, the Hurley U.S. Open in Huntington Beach. The week long event hosted 400 surfers from around the globe and drew an enormous crowd that totaled close to half a million by the last day. Surfing is the main even but fans were able to
Surfers Bringing Clean Drinking Water to the World Read More 👉
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 👉
They Might Be Giants was all the rage when I was in college. Their alternative, modern rock sound could be heard blaring from many a dorm room. What I didn’t realize is that TMBG has ventured into the children’s music genre. Yes, I know, it’s old news for some parents, but I don’t have any
They Might Be Giants “Greening” the Next Generation [video] Read More 👉
Ever wonder what you should be doing with your old computers, cell phones and televisions? Bruce W. Fraser reveals the answer in the September 2010 issue of FA Green. Ask Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), he says, the largest electronics recycler in the United States. Fraser reports that John Shegerian founded ERI “to remedy the problem
ERI: Making Profit From E-waste Read More 👉
Bill McKibben, the U.S. author and founder of the highly successful international climate campaign 350.org, is back with another event. This one is called 10/10/10 because it will take place on October 10 of 2010. It is described by McKibben as a “Global Work Party” where they are asking people to take personal and group
Can Deeds Succeed Where Words Failed? [video] Read More 👉
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 👉
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 👉
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 👉
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 👉
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 👉
I recently watched FUEL and thought: Why have I not seen this before??? FUEL is a 2008 documentary on America’s dependence on foreign oil which explored a possible solution to the looming energy crisis. 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 👉
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 👉
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. 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 👉
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 👉
San Diego lobster fisherman Shad Catarius (no relation to the spawning fish) supports an annual 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 👉
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 simple… take whatever you want to eat or drink and instead
Panera Bread Learns People Are Basically Good Read More 👉
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 👉
Last week Bill Gates entered the digital publishing world by establishing the Gates Notes – an online evolution of his now annual January letter sharing his thoughts and learnings on the progress of the issues central to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Open Source Social Innovation Read More 👉
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 👉
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 👉
The founders from three bay area start-ups gathered in HUB’s first bay area home in front of a sold-out crowd to talk about their origins, give the audience – and each other – advice and insights on the “secret sauce” for creating impact.
[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 👉
Van Jones is a rising star in the green economy. As the founding President of Green for All, he is a doer. As the author of “The Green Collar Economy” he is a spokesperson and advocate. But he is actually much more than that. He’s actually Innovation 3.0.
Van Jones, Re:visionary Read More 👉
