This column highlights the top economic stories of the week. Shell has announced that a new service station in Ottawa, Ontario will quietly begin selling cellulosic ethanol blended into regular gasoline. The biofuel is made locally from wheat straw, and is the first time cellulosic ethanol has been made publicly available. More on this story […]
Inspired Economist: Pick of the Week Read More 👉
The 2009 Sustainability Conference kicked off last night in Monterey, CA with opening remarks from among others, Owen Rogers, Partner and Experience Design Lead of IDEO.  A self-described non-expert in sustainability none-the-less first laid out five principals on branding then asked whether sustainability could be a brand? Whether there is sound reasoning or “the answer”
Can Sustainability be a Brand? Read More 👉
This column highlights the top economic stories of the week. There is no gold left in California. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is threatening to layoff fire, police, and teachers. All of this is certain to further increase unemployment and foreclosure rates. Schwarzenegger is now considering releasing nonviolent prisoners, shortening the school year, legalizing and taxing marijuana.
Inspired Economist Pick of the Week Read More 👉
Yesterday, I blogged about SunChips’ smart marketing use of its green message on its packaging and on its website. This morning, I began reading some of the informational PDFs I downloaded from its website about those environmental initiatives. I was intrigued about the company’s use of a new corn-based biopolymer being used take 30% of
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 This column highlights the top economic stories of the week. For a while it looked like Google might actually bailout the newspaper industry by buying a stake in newspapers that have been struggling with debt and declining ad revenues.  However, it appears that this plan ha been called off. Meanwhile, the Treasury department has
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This column highlights the top economic stories of the week. Last weekend, the biggest players in the health care industry announced that they would put together a cost-cutting plan to present to the Obama Administration. The expectation is that the measures will save a family of four $500 a year in the first year, andÂ
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This column highlights the top economic stories of the week. Just as Swine flu looked like it was on the mend, the USA announced the death of two Texas residents and one in Washington state. The disease has been linked to poorly managed factory farms in Mexico. The results of the bank stress tests were
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When you’re looking for environmentally resources, where is the best place to go? If it’s business related, don’t overlook social networking sites like LinkedIn. Often, there are hundreds — if not thousands — of people in social networking groups that have vast experience you can draw upon. Just the other day, a question in a
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Green business practices are not limited to factories and buildings anymore. According to Yahoo Finance, soem insurance companies are offering clients who drive green cars or live in green homes a break on their premiums. Still others are offering to rebuild a green home that is lost due to fire or other catastrophes “greener” than it was before.
Earth Conscious Insurance – It Can Save You Money to Go Green Read More 👉
Today’s news is ablaze with stories about the recent swine flu outbreak, an outbreak that may have been fully preventable through the use of green farming practices. At the time I write this post, 50 cases of swine
flu have been reported in the US alone, with one death attributable to the mutated virus. Although most cases have been mild, the fear factor alone is leading to school closures and cancelled vacations across the world.
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In these tough economic times, everyone wants to save money. But what happens when money-saving options conflict with environmental stewardship? One area of concern is paper. As fuel costs have come down, publishers looking to save money on distribution are looking at heavier paper. Although the paper itself costs more than lightweight grades, the heavier
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The objective is to use entertainment content as a vehicle for educating mainstream audiences on topics such as HIV/AIDS and education in the hopes of influencing public views and behaviors.
One of these initiatives, called Get Schooled, is a partnership with Viacom that will weave education-themed story lines into existing shows or create new shows centered on education.
“ER”- brought to you by the Bill Gates Foundation? Read More 👉
In this economic environment, it’s tempting to succumb to the temptation to purchase on price. Two products may seem comparable in quality and performance, so why not go with the less expensive one? When it comes to paper, the reason is environmental impact. Imported paper, especially from China, carries a terrible environmental price. First, Chinese
Greening Print Marketing: Do You Really Want to Purchase That Imported Paper? Read More 👉
I bought a pack of gum a few months ago. I paid with a credit card. I signed my paper receipt, was handed my duplicate paper copy of the transaction, expressed my gratitude for the exchange and walked outside. I unwrapped the plastic packaging surrounding the paper box containing the aforementioned gum. I opened the
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When we think of greening print marketing, we often think about the production of printed pieces—the printing process, the consumables, the recycling. But greening print marketing starts much earlier, with the design of the piece itself. Design Can Change, an initiative designed to help green print marketing from the very earliest design stages, now offers
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The bailout plan is not working. This morning’s New York Times has reported that the U.S. government is facing mounting pressure to add to the bailout kitty. Should the government continue to plug the hole?
An Even Bigger Bailout Needed: How Much Is It Going To Take To Plug The Hole? Read More 👉
Memes provide very specific opportunities to participate in social media phenomena…….The 25 Random Things about [insert your product or service here] sweeping FaceBook – among others – is a no brainer to both implement and learn from.
25 Things…An Innovation Tool Read More 👉
President Barack Obama’s environmental-friendly plans have gotten a lot of publicity, but there’s another green part of the nation’s capital that fits the bill.
National Building Museum Explores ‘Green Community’ Read More 👉
Want to find a green printer? It depends on where in the country you are looking. This according to “Printing Goes Green: A What They Think Primer on Environmental Sustainability in the Commercial Printing Industry.” According to an online survey conducted by What They Think in 2008. . . If you’re looking for green, you’re
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A part of the environmental debate that hasn’t gotten a lot of attention made the pages of the March 2009 issue of Consumer Reports and it’s sure to raise some eyebrows. The offender? Interior paint.
Think Twice Before Painting Read More 👉
According to a recent 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 50 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.
Battlelines Over Waterlines: South Asia’s Not So New Tensions Read More 👉
Sometimes, I just love this business. I just checked a favorite website and was greeted with the following request: When you are exploring the new Print Buyers Online website, please take a couple of minutes to update your account information. Simply click the “Manage Account” tab at the top of the page to check to
Greening Print Marketing: “Green” as a Stealth Data-Gathering Tool Read More 👉
President-elect Obama has detailed his American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. Among other efforts in the plan, major initiatives include the intention to create 3 million jobs in the United States by doubling the production of alternative energy; investments in public transit infrastructure, and the weatherization of 75% of federal buildings and aiding up to two million low-income American homes to do
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environmental performance by MGoodThe eco-market is in its infancy in terms of developing smart strategies that will drive environmentally friendly behaviors. Establishing “green” mindsets is only the first step to get consumers thinking about their overall impact on the planet and to date this has been handled mostly through marketing efforts. “Green” labels help consumers attach eco-relevancy but then we need to evolve beyond “green” to educate consumers on simply making smart choices. We need to develop systems using standards that help them evaluate and make their own educated choices.
The regulated carbon cap and trade system is providing a basis for just such mechanisms.
Educating consumers on carbon consumption Read More 👉
