51 Great Sites For Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability

The ’10 Must Have’ sites on CSR:

3BL Media: A recent newcomer, this site keeps getting better and better. TheCSRminute, a daily video digest covering relevant CSR and Sustainability news, is a fantastic idea. The 3BL team scours the global media to cover some of the most important events and news in the world of CSR. I especially have appreciated the aggressive compilation of leading bloggers in CSR. You’ll find them on twitter as theCSRfeed. They are very interactive and are collecting followers fast.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Since writing and posting this article in August of 209, I have formed a partnership with 3BL Media and now represent the company.
 
APEsphere: The name has multiple meanings, but is an acronym meaning “Agents of Progressive Enterprise”. The site has a broad range of topics within CSR and sustainability. Good writing and helpful content. You can follow the Apebot on twitter or connect directly with the 2 founders Andrew Newton or Angela Peterson Newton

Boston College Centre for Corporate Citizenship: We are big fans of BCCC. They offer good research and are leaders in the field of CSR and Community Engagement. But for some of the good stuff, you have to have a membership, and it’s not cheap. The lowest price is $2000 – yikes! They are on twitter, but are not too active at this point.
 
Business Respect: This is Mallen Baker’s site, and he offers a collection of current news on CSR issues. Great resource section with reviews and rating system – very helpful. BusinessRespect is on twitter also.
 
CSRwire: This site has a huge following and is considered the standard for CSR news. It is an attractive site and easy to use. You can even participate as a member of the community by sharing your articles, video, audio and commentaries. On twitter they are CSRwire but they maintain a modest presence there.
 
Eldis: A massive site with a plethora of free resources. You can create a profile, interact with other members, view information by region, look for jobs, even receive the content free on CD-ROm. Follow Eldis on twitter.
 
Ethical Corporation: This is the online version of the Ethical Corporation magazine published 10 times each year. While the quality of the podcasts is not always the best (background noise and other strange audio sounds) the resources on this site are numerous and of superior quality. They are on twitter as Ethical_Corp.
 
Triple Pundit: You’ll find information and articles about sustainability and business. With over 35 writers and guest bloggers, the perspective and scope is wide and varied. Follow them on twitter.
 
Business in the Community: Located in the UK, this business-led coalition has been around since 1982 and has over 800 members. Good research, publications and case studies. One of my favorite tools is the Jargon Buster. On twitter, they are bitc1.
 
Sustainability Forum: News, discussions, blogs, job postings – this site has it all. It is managed by Fabian Pattberg who also utilizes twitter very well. You can follow him as FabianPattberg.
 
10 CSR Bloggers you should know about:
 
David Coethica’s Blog: Based in the UK, David always offers insightful and meaningful blog entries for his readers. I’ve even cross-posted some of his articles I appreciate them so much! Follow David on twitter – http://twitter.com/davidcoethica

Business Musings: Ramesh is from India, but lives and works in China. He is on a sabbatical after many years of corporate life. As part of the process, he has decided to discuss his thinking on business and corporate responsibility via his blog. I enjoy reading an informed perspective from the other side of the globe.
 
Corporate and Responsible: Lucia Candu writes her blog from New York city, having recently relocated from the Eastern European country of Moldova. She has a wealth of experience in the business, nonprofit and government sectors which is evident as she writes about CSR, sustainability, corporate citizenship and ethical business.
 
Crane and Matten blog: Andrew Crane and Dirk Matten are professors at the Schulich School of Business (York University located here in Toronto). They manage to offer a blog that’s both accessible and yet solidly academic. You can read this blog with confidence, knowing that the perspectives and insights are well informed.
 
FabianPatterg.com: Fabian Pattberg’s blog is a companion to his Sustainability Forum site and his twitter activity. His blog rounds out the picture nicely. Follow Fabian on twitter – http://twitter.com/FabianPattberg

Read the full article on the Fast Company Blog here:

Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

Coca-Cola Introduces Greener Vending Machines to the Nation’s Capital

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 28, 2010 -The next time a member of the House of Representatives reaches for a Coke, it will be from a greener vending machine. Today, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) joined Dan Beard, House Chief Administrative Officer and leaders from Coca-Cola to unveil 35 new climate friendly Coca-Cola vending machines for the Capitol buildings including the House, Senate and Visitor’s Center. The new vending machines are hydro-fluorocarbon-free (HFC-free) and feature a natural refrigerant gas that substantially reduces direct greenhouse gas emissions by 99 percent.

“I am extremely proud of the great work by the House Green the Capitol Program, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to reduce our environmental footprint here on the Hill,” said House Majority Leader Hoyer.  “I am encouraged that Coca-Cola stepped up to provide these new vending machines, demonstrating how public and private sectors can work together to bring innovative green solutions to the marketplace.”
 
The House of Representatives is the first location in the U.S. to feature Coca-Cola’s new HFC-free vending machines.  The new HFC-free cooling technology has approximately 1,430 times less global warming impact than the typical HFC refrigerant gas used in the U.S. and will reduce indirect greenhouse gas emissions by more than five tons over the lifetime of the machine. Coca-Cola North America will install more than 400 HFC-free vending machines and coolers in locations throughout the U.S. in 2010. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola showcased HFC-free vending machines and coolers in Vancouver, Canada to support a green Winter Olympic Games. Coca-Cola and its bottling partners set a global goal to transition to HFC-free vending machines and coolers for new purchases by 2015.
 
“The conversion to HFC-free vending machines will produce a dramatic reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions over time,” said Chief Administrative Officer Beard. “This new technology from Coca-Cola supports the spirit of the Green the Capitol program and gives the House staff yet another green option. Through Coca-Cola’s environmental efforts as well as our own, we are setting an example of the greener future we hope to achieve as a nation.”
 
Coca-Cola has introduced a series of innovations throughout the Capitol designed to reduce the Company’s environmental footprint at each step in the manufacturing, distribution and sales processes. These include: HFC-free coolers and vending machines, hybrid-electric delivery trucks and trailers, a closed-loop recycling program for the Capitol buildings and facilities, and a new recycling program for the National Mall and Memorial Parks.
 
 “We value our relationship with the House of Representatives and the opportunity to showcase innovative solutions that accomplish our mutual environmental goals,” said Steve Cahillane, president, Coca-Cola Enterprises North America. “Our efforts at the Capitol, throughout Washington D.C., and around the country are examples of how we engage with our stakeholders to ensure that environmental sustainability is at the core of our business every day.”
 
Bottles and other plastic materials collected from recycling bins and centers in the metro-Washington D.C. area are processed and recycled for reuse at a Coca-Cola’s bottle-to-bottle recycling facility in Spartanburg, S.C., representing a true “closed loop” system. The Spartanburg facility is the world’s largest bottle-to-bottle recycling plant, capable of recycling 100 million pounds of recycled PET for reuse back into bottles each year.
 
In the metro-D.C. area alone, Coca-Cola Enterprises has deployed 20 hybrid electric delivery trucks and tractor trailers in the last year. CCE’s hybrid electric trucks produce about 30 percent fewer emissions than standard trucks, and use technology to drastically reduce emissions when they’re idling or in traffic.  
 
The Company has 336 hybrid electric trucks in its fleet, giving it the largest private fleet of hybrid electric vehicles in North America. Coca-Cola also partnered with the National Park Service (NPS), the National Park Foundation (NPF), and the Trust for the National Mall (TNM) last year to create a recycling program for the National Mall and Memorial Parks. Coca-Cola Recycling is working with NPS and TNM to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the waste stream at the National Mall and develop a sustainable recycling program. The program will be designed to suit the needs of special events and include recycling education for visitors to the parks.
 
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world’s most valuable brand, the Company’s portfolio includes 12 other billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply and Georgia Coffee. Globally, we arethe No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate of 1.6 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.
 
About Coca-Cola Enterprises
Coca-Cola Enterprises is the world’s largest marketer, distributor and producer of bottle and can liquid nonalcoholic refreshment. CCE sells approximately 80 percent of The Coca-Cola Company’s bottle and can volume in North America and is the sole licensed bottler for products of The Coca-Cola Company in Belgium, continental France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Monaco, and the Netherlands. For more information on the company, please visit www.cokecce.com. For more information about CCE’s commitment to Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, please visit http://crs.cokecce.com.
 
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Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

Financial Reform Just A Subway Ride From Wall Street

Alice Korngold’s Blog

Five years ago, Bishop Mitchell Taylor had a vision that many people thought was impossibly audacious. Today, Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City presided over the realization of that dream.

Bishop Taylor established East River Development Alliance (ERDA) with the dream to transform the nation’s largest public housing communities in Long Island City from neighborhoods of poverty and despair to centers of promise, opportunity, and economic mobility. Bishop purposefully designed a package of programs to empower residents to find jobs, manage their finances, go to college, and strengthen their neighborhoods. 

And today, at ERDA, just one subway stop from midtown Manhattan, we celebrated the achievement of the most audacious challenge of all: the opening of the ERDA Federal Credit Union that Bishop had envisioned as a key element of the model. The credit union was a challenge that most would consider utterly undoable, especially after the fall of 2008. Just to let you know how extraordinary this is, ERDA is one of only two new federal charters granted in 2009.

I say “we” because I serve on the board. 

For continuation, see http://bit.ly/bON71V

Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

Wallboard: No Longer a Dry Subject

Some building materials are so bland that they draw little notice. Until recently, about the only people who cared about drywall were those who handled it. Beneath paint and other finishes, the boards lay unseen and unconsidered by those living and working in its gypsum cocoon.

Then thousands of complaints erupted, mainly in the Gulf Coast region devastated by the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005. From Florida to Louisiana, people have moved out of their homes. They say that newly installed wallboard is corroding their air conditioning coils, metal pipes and fixtures, and wiring. They blame an egg-like sulfurous odor emanating from the boards for an array of health symptoms, from respiratory distress to heart disease.

Most of the complaints came from homes in which builders installed drywall made in China. These wallboards flooded into the U.S. after the hurricanes and during the housing boom, when demand outstripped domestic production. Most of these boards – over 78 percent in 2006 – were imported from three factories in China run by the German building material giant, Knauf.

Investigations have focused mainly on the symptoms, rather than the causes, of problematic wallboard. Many types of gypsum and additives introduce toxicants into the slurry that becomes wallboard. Understanding and rectifying these root causes is essential for healthy building material evaluation and selection.

Many reports have tied the toxic wallboard in China to natural, mined gypsum that contains higher levels of sulfur than typical of gypsum mined in North America. But other information is pointing toward problems with drywall that implicate far more than a couple of mines in China.

Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell recently filed a federal suit against Knauf. He noted the use of coal-fired power plant waste — fly ash and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) waste — by Knauf and other manufacturers in China. These manufacturing processes resulted in “defective, noxious, and toxic drywall which emits a variety of dangerous chemicals,” including formaldehyde, hydrogen sulfide and carbonyl sulfide. The AG’s complaint also notes the presence of additives that may contribute to the problem. The use of these additives, and FGD waste, is a common denominator between some of the drywall from China and a lot of the drywall now produced in North America.

Ten of the 44 complaints detailed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission last fall involved drywall made in the United States. CBS News compared U.S.- and Chinese-made drywall by sending samples to University of Florida professor, Tim Townsend. The professor concluded, “The results tell me that we shouldn’t just be focused solely on defective Chinese drywall. We need to be backing up and looking at the product of drywall itself.”

Federal courts are considering two cases filed by homeowners against National Gypsum and one against Georgia Pacific. In Swidler v. Georgia Pacific, homeowners in Florida say that GP manufactured problematic wallboard in North America using FGD waste. The plaintiffs claim, “[I]t is the synthetic gypsum which is at the heart of the present drywall crisis… Georgia-Pacific used waste material from coal burning power plants to create drywall used in American homes. The use of such waste materials causes the emission of one of several sulfur-based gasses including sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide.”

Pollution control equipment, by its nature, captures pollutants like sulfur and heavy metals. These devices have reduced atmospheric releases. But the incorporation of these wastes into products can transfer pollutants into wallboard factories, peoples’ homes, and ultimately the wider environment upon disposal.

The use of synthetic gypsum, and the reuse of heavy industrial wastes in building materials, has surged over the past decade. FGD material sales rose from 4.95 million tons in 2000 to 9.3 million in 2006. Wallboard manufacturers set up factories from Florida to Alberta adjacent to coal-fired power plants. This is a symbiotic relationship: power producers are selling waste that would otherwise pile up on-site, and manufacturers are buying the waste at a price far cheaper than they pay to mine and haul natural gypsum.

Agencies from the EPA to DOE have advocated the reuse of coal combustion residues. Government procurement programs, and USGBC LEED ratings, reward builders who incorporate whatever waste the EPA defines as post-industrial waste, suitable for reuse. Most advocates cite the energy savings, and the reduced need to landfill these wastes.

This preferred status is at risk. The EPA is now considering listing fly ash as a hazardous waste.

“We respect EPA’s ability and role as a regulator… and are quite sure there is alignment around the beneficial use of fly ash,” Scot Horst said this month. However, “if EPA designates fly ash as a hazardous waste, LEED committees will take a look at the rating system.”

Due diligence should account for the potential environmental and human health dangers of dispersing industrial waste into commerce.

A December 2009 US EPA study notes, “both fly ash and FGD residues have been identified as coal combustion residues with the potential to have increased mercury and/or other pollutant concentrations from the implementation of new air pollution technology.” Gypsum wallboard plants reported a total of 472.8 pounds of mercury releases to the environment in 2008. The top five mercury releases reported in the Toxics Release Inventory all came from wallboard plants that use FGD-derived synthetic gypsum.

As the drywall scandal spreads, we can only hope that civil action and government investigations will determine the manufacturing practices that are to blame, and soon.

“We need to be proactive in looking at all drywall,” said Inez Tennenbaum, head of the CPSC. “We are not going to ignore a problem if it is made in America.”

Drywall is no longer a dry subject.

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Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

Catch ‘Em Doing Something Right

There’s 11 people missing and an oil rig sunk in the Gulf of Mexico. There are 29 miners dead in a West Virginia coal mine. And Greenopolis has been getting heavy flack amidst the kudos for partnering with companies to take the plastic bottles from soft drinks and water back and bring them around again so we don’t need another trip to the coal mine or wellhead.

It would be wonderful if every drink that ever passed our lips was pure and healthy and all water just flowed clean and fresh from the ground into our mouths. And it would be great if there were a local glass company in every town so all that heavy glass, too “fuelish” to ship long distance, could be remade in every area instead of landfilled or put into roadbeds. And if pigs had wings, they could fly. Maybe. Plastic and Aluminum are ubiquitous because they are light and strong and energy efficient to ship all over. I drink the occasional cola or bottled water or juice. I even grab a bag of chips sometimes-the salt and vinegar kind. Most of us do, even if we eat free range, fair trade, shade grown, local, organic healthy most of the time.  For those who never let a chip or soda or bottled water pass their lips, congratulations. Virtue is its own reward.

One of my rabbis taught me that failure to do what is good because it is not perfect insures that evil will triumph in the world. PepsiCo is not perfect. Nestle Waters is not perfect. WM is not perfect. Greenopolis is not perfect and neither am I. I’ll let you pass judgment on yourself.

Think of how we too often greet announcements by big companies who are trying to do something right. Nike addressing labor issues.  Wal-Mart promoting CFL bulbs. BP calling out climate change. Some appreciate it and applaud. But too many simply cry green washing, trotting out past sins that the company or others like them have committed to show that these really bad people, as if the missteps of the past precluded any hope of change in the future. “You are bad, you were born bad, and nothing you ever do will ever change that. Please die.”

What if we treated our kids this way? Berated them ongoingly for all their past errors, looking at everything they did with suspicious, disapproving eyes. And when they did something right, dismissed it by pointing once again to their past wrong doings.  At best we’d raise neurotic kids, fearful and angry, with the self esteem of a whipped dog. At worst we’d raise twitchy hockey masked serial killers. 

Companies are made of people, people not so different from anyone else. They change and evolve continuously, just like any living system, because they are living systems! Just like all organizations, whether churches, non-profits, trade and ethic associations, labor unions, activist groups, they grow and mature, age and decline, respond to internal and external stimulus, and even learn. Nike addresses labor, toxics and waste. Wal-Mart promotes energy savings and packaging reduction. BP pulls the lid off climate change denial by oil companies. And Pepsi and Nestle Waters are walking a path toward closed loop recycling of bottles and cans so we can stop going back to the mine and oil well for more plastic. Is it sufficient by itself? No. But it’s a necessary step in the right direction. Gandhi said. ”Whatever we do will be insignificant, but it is vitally important that we do it.”

It’s vitally important that we praise and bless companies for the good steps they take, hold them to task for errors and harm, and insist they tell us the truth. Tough love, like you’d give a child. Just remember to catch ‘em doing something right, too. If we keep nudging each other in the right direction, with praise and correction, we might see the day when that coal and oil can just do their original jobs-holding up the Earth above it. End of Rant.

To weigh in on Joe Laur’s argument, click here to see the original post.

Greenopolis.com is dedicated to our users. We focus our attention on changing the world through recycling, waste-to-energy and conservation. We reward our users for their sustainable behaviors on our website, through our Greenopolis Tracking Stations and with curbside recycling programs.

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Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

Corporate Responsibility Salary Survey 2010 results out!

April 28th, 2010 – The growing areas of corporate responsibility, sustainability and ‘ethical business’ have always been difficult to define. The Corporate Responsibility Salary Survey, now in its third year, aims to add clarity and transparency to the roles, salaries and backgrounds of the professionals working in this space. This year, we’ve gone global. Nearly 600 CR professionals from around the world took part and this year’s survey has provided us with the first ever detailed insight of the international corporate responsibility job market.

The industry over time:
 
The three years of surveying enable us to identify what changes have occurred in the CR job market in the UK over the last three years, as it has evolved from a relatively niche sector to an increasingly important business function for all areas of industry.
 
The top three areas of activity for in-house employees in the UK have remained consistent over the three surveys – Community Investment, Reporting and Environment. Consultants continue to focus on Reporting followed by Auditing & Assurance and Community Investment.
 
Across the sample, Reporting and Performance Measurement are the most ‘popular’ activities for both in-house employees and consultants globally. This reflects both what we see in our work and replicates the results of our previous UK-focused surveys.
 
Remuneration:
 
Overall salary levels have been static over the last three years. However, there is some evidence that salaries for the most senior employees – both in-house and consultants – have fallen back slightly over the last 12 months, while the middle ranks have enjoyed an increase.
 
There is already a good deal of evidence to support the view that senior CR professionals are developing into more commercially-focused workers. UK salaries increased dramatically this year (we can’t yet compare international salaries as this is the first international report) and levels of remuneration are often a good reflection of how important an individual is for creating or protecting revenue.
 
In this year’s survey, as in previous years, consultants were not paid as generously as those working ‘in house’. If consultants are to compete on salary in the future, it is likely that they will need to move from providing technical advice and services, to providing management consultancy around sustainability. As budding opportunities from the transition to a sustainable world and economy emerge, we anticipate a growth in the numbers of individuals in these types of positions.
 
Gender split and pay differences:
 
While women working in CR in the UK continuously outnumber men by about 2:1 there is no evidence that the pay gap identified in previous surveys is narrowing. Women continue to dominate in Community Investment roles while men focus on activities relating to climate change and the environment.
 
The issues around gender are to some degree unsurprising given that other professions– also struggle with ensuring that women are appropriately compensated for their work and are offered the same developmental and promotional opportunities. The fact that, notwithstanding the current state of affairs, there is little difference in the levels of male and female job satisfaction raises the possibility that these imbalances are not regarded as significant by those affected (alternatively, it could be that women would have exhibit even higher levels of satisfaction if they were addressed!). 
 
Education and career path:
 
The CR field has well-educated employees who on average have been in this field for 14 years. However, many did not start of in CR as their first job and have switched to CR from other roles in academia, consultancy, corporations and others.
 
One especially interesting aspect of this year’s results is the picture of an emerging generation of corporate responsibility professionals who have only ever worked in the field.
 
Although the survey shows that 90% of respondents have arrived at their current positions from other spheres of activity, this means that one in ten has never actually worked in any other area. This confirms increasingly strong anecdotal evidence that a young, committed cadre of professionals is waiting in the wings to take over from the multi-disciplinary old guard when the time is right. No longer is it unusual for a practitioner to have dedicated their entire working life, short as it may yet be, to socially responsible business.
 
Andy Cartland, Managing Director of Acre, says “Unlike many long established professions, the connection between remuneration and job title is still not always predictable in corporate responsibility.  We are pleased that that through the CR Salary Survey we can provide valuable insight for professionals within the CR space aiding their understanding of where they fit into the global CR market”.
 
The recession appears not to have affected the breadth of activities undertaken, the resources available and – interestingly – salary levels.
 
Paul Burke, Senior Partner at Acona, says “This causes me to wonder to what extent these are indicators of the way in which CR is increasingly moving from a peripheral to a more central position in many organisations and is no longer just the preserve of larger companies with significant social and environmental impacts?”
 
This is the third instalment of the CR Salary Survey and there is much to be optimistic about. In particular, job security is at an all time high as 84% of CR professionals feel their job stability has improved or remained the same in the last 12 months. In the previous year’s survey, which was conducted at the peak of the downturn (November 2008), the equivalent figure was 70% and given the state of the economy this was remarkable. This recession was the first substantial test of the CR market’s metal and it passed with flying colours.
 
It appears we have just started to emerge from the recession but already we have observed a rapid pick-up in the CR job market. A reflection perhaps that an increasing number of businesses are getting to grips with the commercial opportunities that will arise as humanity shifts from a perilously non-sustainable condition – where a rapidly growing population will put pressure on water supplies, arable land, carbon sinks and clean energy – to a sustainable condition.

Acre: Acre is an international recruitment firm specialising in the corporate responsibility and sustainability sectors. With offices in London and Chicago and a growing team of passionate individuals, we have placed hundreds of sustainability professionals in a range of organizations around the world, from leading corporate brands to specialist consultancies and innovative start-ups. More info – www.acre-resources.com
 
Acona: society and groups have expectations of how businesses should treat their customers, their employees and suppliers, the communities in which they operate and the environment. Acona’s Corporate Responsibility (CR) team works with companies to understand and respond to this agenda. The team is based in London, with staff all over the UK. We have a wide range of expertise and advise large, mainly corporate clients on the full range of social, environmental and ethical matters from tentative first steps through to measuring and reporting the outcomes. More info – www.acona.co.uk
 
Ethical Performance: Ethical Performance is a subscription-based monthly newsletter for senior executives now in its ninth year of publication that is read by more than 3,500 CSR and SRI personnel in large companies and investing institutions and related organizations in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world. More info – www.ethicalperformance.com
 
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Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

Earth Day Afterglow

As I was watching Bob Weir on the stage in DC this past weekend, my mind started to do a little mental check list of the issues we faced and the promises we made in 1970.

It helped to have Denis Hayes present who along with Senator Gaylord Nelson was instrumental in organizing that first event a generation or so ago.

In 1970 there was a very real sense that the world was collapsing around our ears. Rivers were catching on fire, you couldn’t breathe in large cities, litter seemed to be burying us alive, and species were dropping like flies. And Iron Eyes Cody was crying.

In addition, recycling beyond a few Boy Scout paper drives and can collections did not exist; the founding of the US EPA was still months away; and the US Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act were all not yet on the books. DDT was still in use, no one cared about ozone and issues with climate change were only known to a few, very isolated scientists and some observant naturalists like Aldo Leopold’s children. And my folks were driving a Cadillac El Dorado with an engine large enough to power a small city.

When looked at in this context and with the understanding that the world’s population has grown 85% since 1970, we have done some pretty good work over the intervening 40 years. That said, we still have serious air pollution and our rivers are mostly not swimmable and fishable let alone drinkable as they once were and we have that dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico and one in the Chesapeake too. So there is clearly much more to be done.

As I walked around the DC Climate Rally, looked at the displays, and watched dozens walk by in “Avatar” inspired face paint, I wondered what it would take to place us where we should be in 2020—at the Earth Day plus 50 mark. And three things came to mind.

The first thing is that we have to be honest. We can no longer feel detached from miners, oil rig workers, or soldiers who die to provide us with fossil fuels for our unsustainable lifestyles and think that is has nothing to do with us. Hopefully acceptance of this reality and responsibility will help bring awareness and better choices that diminish the need for extraordinary and risky actions to support our excesses and waste.

We also have to be smart. We have to be smart both in terms of developing new and novel solutions and technologies and also in making determinations as consumers as to which technologies are real and which are false. This means we need to work harder on education regardless of what Texas wants to do with text books. Our students and populace need to be proficient in science and mathematics in order to understand that the intricate subtleties and devilish details of fuel cells, algal farms, and corn-based plastics are important to our future. Critical thinking and knowledge-based skepticism need a renaissance in order to avoid wasted energy on products such as on-board hydrogen generators, air ionizers, and tachyon devices.

And the last is that we have to be bold. We will not achieve success by a long shot if we are not absolutely bold in our thinking and actions. If your architect recommends six inch walls and 2500 square feet, you should be prepared to ask why not eight inch and 2000 square feet and where are the solar panels and composting toilet? When your wife suggests that a drive to the ice cream stand might be in order, why not suggest a romantic stroll to the stand instead? And when you are looking for cars why not opt for an electric or make your second car a bike? (You might find in all of this boldness that you also save money as well as the Planet.)

As I sense Dick Cheney is snarling and waiting in a tree to pounce on me and criticize me for making everyone wear a hair shirt, I will add that there is probably a fourth element in the success of this and that is: Have fun doing it. So be honest, be smart and bold, and have fun and let’s see if we can make good on the complete promise of Earth Day by 2020.

Editor’s Note: This is such a great post by Bob that we wanted to include the video of Iron Eyes Cody, produced by Greenopolis Partner Keep America Beautiful. One of the most poignant environmental reminders ever made.

Greenopolis.com is dedicated to our users. We focus our attention on changing the world through recycling, waste-to-energy and conservation. We reward our users for their sustainable behaviors on our website, through our Greenopolis Tracking Stations and with curbside recycling programs.

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Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

Sustainable Line of Sight in Your Supply Chain

The recent drive to incorporate ‘Sustainability’ into Supply Chain Management has caused companies to reexamine their internal and external processes.  Companies are evaluating their procurement, sourcing and supplier management from a new perspective.  Incorporating sustainability concepts into business relationships creates line of sight across the value chain. 

In a recent post, we explored some reasons why most companies incorporate eco awareness into the supply chains.  Included in that list was the sustainability concept of ‘Alignment’ and its impact on the supply chain.  Creating alignment across the value chain can improve operational efficiency, reduce cost, and add value.
 
In addition to simply creating alignment within a company’s own organization, leading businesses are creating alignment with their suppliers and customers.  This ensures that every stakeholder understands the direction and can see how they contribute.  A balanced approach includes: click here to continue reading.

 Home to one third of the earth’s trees, the Taiga is the largest land-based biosphere and encircles the globe. Its immense oxygen production literally changes the atmosphere and refreshes the planet. It is this continuous renewal that has shaped Taiga Company’s vision to drive similar change in the business world. Taiga Company seeks to be the “oxygen for your business”.

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Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Plastic

As I left NYC after our Times Square Greenopolis Recycling Kiosk / Pepsico Dream Machine launch to fulfill a speaking engagement in Ottawa, I saw buildings in Brooklyn crossing the East River that were covered in ivy several stories high and blocks wide. It was a reminder that if we take our foot off the neck of Ma Nature she will respond with lush new growth. How can we transform everywhere into Eden once again, with not just two people, but 7 billion of us?

Restoration is impossible — we cannot go back to a pristine state that likely never existed anyway. Native peoples have been terraforming the planet long before the industrial age. The advent of agriculture transformed whole landscapes. What the first Europeans saw upon entering the “New World” was a landscape that had been altered for thousands of years by the millions of native peoples that lived here. It seemed empty and pristine mainly because European disease spread ahead of explorers and wiped out native populations before conquistadores ever arrived. We had about 500 million people on the entire planet until about 1800. Now in the space of 200 years- a blink of the eye in ecosystem time- we’ve shot to 7 billion, 14 times more than ever before.  How will we feed, clothe, house and welcome those children that are already here and soon to be born?

We need to conserve every living system that we can, and harvest renewable resources judiciously, within their capacity to regenerate. Otherwise we’ll overshoot our habitat’s carrying capacity, and like fruit flies in a test tube, wipe out what we depend on. With 7 billion of us, we can’t go back to a hunter gatherer lifestyle or even live off the land in a pristine state- we’d overhunt, fish, outstrip the land.

Which is why I love plastic. We need to take what we’ve already extracted and reuse it again and again- not go looking for “natural” alternatives to everything. Don’t get me wrong — toxic materials should stay in the lab and controlled manufacturing processes, not in our homes and the environment. But plastics like PET and HDPE and PP (soda and milk jugs and yogurt tubs, oh my!) are not harmful materials and can be made- and remade safely again and again. They are light and strong, and we’ve already pumped the oil, gas and coal that made them. We should use all the plastics and metals we’ve dug up and created for durable goods and containers to bring our food, soap, drinks, and other products again and again. There aren’t enough gourds to go around, and they don’t transport easily. Use food for food, not materials. Use wood and other natural building materials sparingly within the reproductive limits. Use clay, ceramics and glass locally for local markets to save the energy of shipping heavy stuff. And use plastics, aluminum and steel for carrying the things we need to ship long distance, for our homes and autos and computers. Capture every bottle, every can, every bit of packaging and reuse it again and again.

The thing we learned to hate about plastic should be the thing we learn to love- it never goes away. Unlike “true love”, plastic is forever. Let’s use that to help 7 billion of us live lightly on the planet, and we conserve every resource we can. Disagree with Joe Laur? Let him know here.

Greenopolis.com is dedicated to our users. We focus our attention on changing the world through recycling, waste-to-energy and conservation. We reward our users for their sustainable behaviors on our website, through our Greenopolis Tracking Stations and with curbside recycling programs.

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Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

Value in Early Stakeholder Engagement

When you think of business stakeholders, do you picture company founders, investors, and stockholders in a board room determining the fate of the company?  Do you see a gathering of employees fully engaged in the direction of the company being laid out by the company leaders?  In addition to these critical engagements, there are a number of other business that affect business sustainability.

A company’s external stakeholder relationships are often just as critical to business sustainability.  These often overlooked role-players can have a huge impact on business success.  Identifying and actively managing these engagements can be a huge differentiator from the competition.

“A commitment to sustainability recognizes that our company is not measured by financial results alone. We must also be responsible stewards of the environment and responsive to the changing expectations of our stakeholders.”  – Jim Rodgers, Duke Energy

As a sustainability consultant, I advise businesses to evaluate their stakeholder touch-points.  Moving stakeholder engagement forward in product design and development can reduce cost and add value.

End Customers: Move past simple feedback tools such as consumer surveys.  Capture  consumer preferences and expectations by actively engaging consumers on sustainability concepts that directly impact business direction, planning, and product development.  Move the consumer touch-point forward into the initial design.

Supply Chain: Take a step beyond supplier metrics scorecards and supplier metrics.  Integrate supply alliances into the front-end of the design process to ensure alignment and value for material selection, process efficiency, and product quality. 

Evidence has shown that stakeholder engagement is critical to a company’s ability to capitalize on its eco awareness, product stewardship, reputation, and overall business sustainability.   Taiga Company’s professional consulting can guide your business through the process of identifying and extracting value from its direct and indirect relationships.

Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily