“Fill My Fridge” Events Ease Campus Move-In Day for Parents and Freshmen

As millions of parents pack their cars with dorm décor preparing to make the college-bound trek with their freshmen children known as campus move-in day, Sodexo will greet them with welcoming events that include music, kiosks to answer questions and a tent sale stocked with dorm-fridge favorites at nearly 200 Sodexo-served campuses from New England to Hawaii.

Sodexo’s Campus Services President Tom Post came up with the idea, called Fill My Fridge (SM), after experiencing a frustrating move-in day with his son last August. Move-in day was chaotic for his family and after hours of unanswered questions and confusion, they had to drive for an hour to a box store to get supplies for his son’s dorm fridge.
 
“Sending your child off to college is a rite of passage for parents and students,” said Post. “We launched a program that creates the kind of exceptional experience I wished for my family – one that makes move-in day a seamless celebration.”

During resident hall move-in day, Sodexo will set up an area where parents can purchase goods to stock their students’ dorms with dry goods, refrigerated goods, and beverages. Families can enjoy music and get a complimentary bottle of water or snack as they prepare to say farewell.

Sodexo researched favorite dorm food of 18-to 24-year-old students and worked with suppliers, which included engaging local farmers and produce companies to provide local fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and bread. Sodexo is also working with its vendor partners, including national beverage companies, to help stock dorm fridges. 

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Energy Management for a Brighter Future

“In a recent national survey commissioned by GE, 79% of those polled said they would adjust their energy consumption habits and behaviors in the short term to ensure bigger changes in the long-term–most likely because 72% of respondents believe that their energy use can directly harm the country’s economic growth. As part of their commitment to change, 88% of those polled said they would be willing to use a smart device like a smart meter, thermostat, or smart appliance.” ~ Poll: Americans Are Willing to Make Energy Sacrifices for a Better Future  

While the poll is encouraging, it’s interesting to explore how respondents might take walk their talk.  For instance, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the summer heat is here and that usually translates to higher energy consumption and expenses at our homes and businesses.  The added load of air conditioning in combination with traditional consumption can place high demands on the grid as well as our pocket books.  So what can we do to beat the heat, manage our energy bill, and help the environment?
 
The first step in any sustainable improvement is to benchmark your current status.  In this case, it is important to understand the what, how, and when of your current energy consumption. 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”.

Last Live Green (Sustainability) Consultant Training Class Of The 2010 Year

The Green Business League’s Certified Green Consultant is an explosive and exciting Green career. Thousands of businesses in your area are anxious to earn a real Green business certification. Eventually, regulations or industry demands will require businesses to earn their Green certification. This is an emerging business that is getting hot right now. We seek people with leadership quality who want to be leaders in their community, and will work hard to make a difference. Doors will open for those who see this as their vehicle for huge success.

Certified Green (Sustainability) Consultant™ Training program continues for a full year of support and continuing education to round out all that you should know about working with homes, schools, businesses, and organizations in your community.  The environmental challenge is a universal problem that requires universal participation.  With the Green Business League program, everyone can adopt Green Practices that are worth points toward a nationally-recognized certification. This is not a LEED program focused only on building owners.  Green Practices can be applied to every situation, and no one is exempt.  We look at the daily operational issues of indoor air quality, energy, waste, the paperless office, sustainable practices, Green Supply Chain, and dozens of other issues that people practice every day.

The problem is that most people want a better world, but they do not want to change anything to get there.  We are still in the early stages of the environmental revolution, but this is an inevitable and powerful movement that must be addressed at every level of society.  To be honest, groups like TerraPass have discovered that 96% of all Green products exaggerate their claims and frankly Greenwash.  Greenwashing is the popular method of environmental conformity, and this is because people simply do not have enough information or help to install an Authentically Green program.

There are three parts to our training program that will be taking place in Chicago, IL – Sept 9-11 2010. The fee is $1495 in total investment.  $250 is required to reserve your seat, and the balance is due by the day of class.  Payment by credit cards, money orders, cash, and certified checks only.  Class are casual dress, study material supplied, and note-taking is helpful.  $200 discount applied for the second person in a group, including husband and wife.  Your deposit is non-refundable, but if there is a conflict in your schedule, you may transfer to another class.

The first is the Pre-Class material that is sent to each student once they enroll in one of our classes.  This is for orientation and to provoke your thinking.  The three-day Live Class is a fast-paced presentation of general and crucial subjects that will make you “knowledgeable” on nearly every environmental topic.  Finally, you will participate in a yearlong training and support program designed to round out your education.

The final day of the live class is how to market your business as a Green consultant.  This is a subject that goes missing is nearly any educational program.  The “How To” part is very important, and your success is very important to more than the Green Business League.  Every consultant is, frankly, an agent of change in their community.  Learning to the Green go-to person in your community will not happen because you are well educated, but from the fact that you press this information into a real program of community Greening.

As a Certified Green Consultant, you are head and shoulder above the self-appointed Green advisers.  Too often, Green advisers are narrow applications like: energy consultants, carbon credit promoters, sustainability counselors, solar power installers, or ISO quality control programmers.  None of these have the whole program although they make it sound like they do.  Our certification introduces the student to all the areas of environmental concern.  Therefore, your certification is very well-rounded and robust. 

This is a federal trademark, and a national program that presently has strong recognition. As a Certified Green Consultant, you will be able to offer your professional services to assist homes, schools, and businesses on how to install Green Practices into their daily operation.  At 100 points of accumulated Green Practices, the business will qualify as Green Certified Business with the Green Business League. While there are other certifications cropping up on the Internet each month, none offer the credibility of the Green Business League.   We proudly say that our certification is “Earned, not Bought,” and that says a lot about our level of commitment.  This is not a program that can be cheated or abused.

Only a Certified Green Consultant can offer what we offer. We know that hundreds of knock off certifications will crop up on the Internet and clandestine groups who hope to grab a piece of this growing market. Businesses that earn the GBL Green business certification represent the best Green businesses in America. This is a certification that is earned, and one that can be proudly promoted to a public that is willing to patronize an Authentically Green business. If you want more information on class dates, green consultant training, and grants go to www.GreenConsultantTraining.com.

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Keys to Reduce Sustainability Resistance

What is the fastest way to get from where you are to where you want to be?  Is it a linear path? The shortest path?  Our sustainability consulting would argue that the answer is actually by following the path of least resistance.

Increasing in recent years there has been a growing commitment among business to demonstrate environmental stewardship and social responsibility.  In fact, a recent study  shows top performing organizations view sustainability as a “must have” strategy for long term business viability and success.  However, true business sustainability action continues to lag behind most business communication. 

The question is: why?

The fact of the matter is that sustainability, unto itself, is still on a journey of definition and evolving perception within the business world.  Sustainability or green business concepts are moving away from perceived resource drains to true business value opportunities.

Our sustainability consulting experiences lead us to believe that, in order to succeed, sustainability practices have to be “aligned with” and also “promote” business interests. 

•    Support current business incentives.

•    Significantly reducing costs.

•    Promoting environmental and/or social responsibility relative to a mark of performance.

•    Accelerate organizational or new business development.

•    Facilitate joy, enthusiasm, engagement, and innovative thinking.

As a sustainability consultant active in the space, I am actively involved in closing the sustainability-action gap, addressing business sustainability tripping points, and exploring why many sustainability concepts still face mainstream business acceptance today.  We find that by creating openness to new information and a business model targeted to respond, a company enables itself to explore the value of business sustainability action.