Imagine someone doing something nice for you right now. A sincere compliment or holding the elevator for you. It’s a good feeling, isn’t it? Kindness has the ability to change us, and our emotions, immediately.
The pursuit of a sustainable lifestyle goes beyond just ‘greening’ your life. Personal sustainability is a mindset change that shifts the personal value drivers in daily activities. As a professional and sustainability consultant, I see how kindness, generosity and willingness are intrinsically linked to a sustainable lifestyle or green living. While we are here on this planet, at this precise time in history, many of us want to make a difference in the way we treat our environment. Many of us want to make a significant contribution to the role business takes in shaping our economy, society, and environment.
Kindness in living green is not only being kind to our planet, but kind to each other. Compassion for where each of us is in relation to the green path.
Generosity in green living is not only sharing eco awareness and eco resources, but also going above and beyond to inspire, promote, and encourage others on the green path.
Willingness in green living is demonstrating your values through eco action and generating results.
Throughout our lifetime, there comes a time when we as individuals sit down and lay out a path for personal development. We day dream about all the things that we want in our life and the things we want to achieve. Living values of kindness, generosity, and willingness paves the way for a brighter future for us all
There is a new generation of professionals seeking to leverage their knowledge, experience, and passion to promote eco awareness and business sustainability. Job seekers are seeking out opportunities that align with their career ambitions and personal beliefs. This green workforce is enthusiastic about making a difference, but what skill sets should employers be looking for in these new “green” employees?
Green jobs have become synonymous with any job related to sustainability, climate change, alternative energy, the environment, and many other things. They have also become a signal of a shift in employment criteria form people looking for:
• Work that fills a desire to take on action that makes a difference. • Work that transforms our environment, improves energy consumption, and gives back to the community.
As a professional consultant, I have expressed to clients that pursing “green-minded” employees is a natural extension of any business sustainability plan. Businesses that are embracing eco awareness in their organizations are attracting top talent, and top talent is arguably the greatest business resource.
However, employers often limit their searches by determining the skills required for a specific job function. Sometimes overlooked are the long-term benefits a potential prospect might bring to the organization. In searching for that “green” employee to add to the company, our professional consulting reminds clients that there are some additional characteristics to consider:
• A genuine interest and passion for business sustainability • A record of accomplishment in applying sustainability concepts in business • Experience and credibility within the local community • Complementary environmental, social, and business experience • Not “too-green” for positions requiring commuting, travel, etc.
Organizations are served best with employees who understand how a business functions as well as apply sustainability concepts that add value. In addition employers need to consider applicants who are also practical and realistic. An ideal candidate is one who has a balanced perspective.
Many active job seekers are looking at green jobs as source of hope in these economic times. They are inspired by the spread of eco awareness around the world and the shifts occurring in the business. The business world has a unique opportunity to capture the inspiration of today’s green workforce.
Last year on Earth Day you probably resolved to take shorter showers, or to start composting your kitchen waste, or maybe to take public transportation to work. These are all important steps towards a more sustainable life, but this year how about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Huh? You may think that it may sound quite tasty, but how does it help the planet? Well, eating a PB&J or other plant-based meal instead of one based on animal products is actually a powerful step towards fighting global warming, saving water, and using less land.
We’re not talking peanuts here. We figure that if every one of the ten million people Sodexo serves goes for a plant-based meal on Earth Day, instead of what they’d ordinarily eat, we could all save about 12,400 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, about 1.3 billion gallons of water, and about 5,500 acres of land.
And making a difference can also be delicious! We picked America’s favorite sandwich to show that helping the planet is easy and tastes great, and on Earth Day we’re looking forward to the creative PB&J-themed dishes that Sodexo chefs are inventing across the country to make just this point. Don’t like peanut butter? No problem – basically any meal built around grains and beans will work – pasta, bean burritos, falafel, tofu. (We don’t want to scare anyone away by saying this is healthy, but we can’t lie: eating more whole grains, legumes, and veggies is good for your health too!)
We’re not talking about major life changes here, just to put this change in the environmentally-friendly toolkit along with taking out the recycling, riding public transportation to work, or screwing in a compact fluorescent light bulb. Any time you’re staring at the menu and trying to make up your mind, it is an opportunity to make a difference. We’re delighted to see Sodexo taking this Earth Day to share this powerful message with millions of Americans. And besides, which is more fun to eat, a light bulb or a PB&J?
Most U.S. employees want to work for businesses that are environmentally-friendly, though many admit they are not doing enough to help create a greener workplace. In our sustainability consulting we work with both businesses and individuals to integrate sustainability concepts into the workplace and daily lives. For workers frustrated with your employer not bringing eco awareness to your workplace, here are 10 ways to green your work space:
Bring an indoor plant to work. They give your office a little green flair and give oxygen as well as help filter indoor pollutants. Best office plants include: spider plant, jade plant, and the peace lily.
Showcase messages on your cubicle that promote environmental-friendliness and decorate your desk with earthy and recycled materials and objects. Consider transporting your laptop in a solar powered backpack.
Put your computer in sleep mode. Do so whenever you are away from the computer for any period of time, including short breaks.
Go paperless. This is one of the simplest actions you can take, yet it has one of the biggest impacts. Only print those documents you must print. Save paper and print double sided or re-use printer paper.
Invest in reusable containers and utensils for lunch. Have a reusable coffee mug and glass for drinking. To clean, have available eco aware cleaning products to use.
Turn off your computer and its power strip whenever you leave for the night.
Make sure your office switches off its lights at night.
Eco commute: ride your bicycle, take mass transit, or carpool to work.
I don’t know about you, but I’m one of the millions of people in the world that has worn eyeglasses since youth. I think it was genetic for me since everyone in my family has horrible eyesight, but I’m also guessing that those many mornings watching cartoons in front of the TV didn’t help my sight either.
I’ve owned at least 10 different pairs of eyeglasses in my lifetime, ranging from my first gigantor big pink plastic pair, to my current wanna-be hipster big brown plastic pair. Sadly, since I’m a packrat, I still have my last 4 pair of glasses. I know that many eyeglass locations recycle your old glasses, but I always seem to forget to bring my old pair when the new ones come in. So I wanted to see what other eyeglass recycling options were out there for the absent-minded folks like me.
Here are 5 ways that you can finally get rid of those outdated eyeglasses!
1. Search online for a recycling center
Earth911.com has a great search engine for recyclables on its website. Click on the above image and type in the type of item you’d like to recycle, as well as your zip code. A list of recycling facilities will come up, and you can find a location that’s convenient for you.
2. Lions Club International
Ever heard of the Lions Club International? In 2009 the Lions Club collected almost 700,000 pairs of glasses to donate to developing nations with its program Lions Recycle for Sight.
3. New Eyes for the Needy
Founded in 1932, New Eyes for the Needy is a non-profit organization whose sole mission is to provide good eyesight to the less fortunate.
4. Third World Eye Care Society Canada
Here’s the mission of the Canada-based charity organization TWECS: “To collect old unused eyeglasses and distribute these eyeglasses in conjunction with eye exams given by properly trained individuals. The distribution of eyeglasses shall be in developing countries where, because of poverty or lack of availability of eye care services, individuals are unable to obtain eyeglasses and primary eye care.”
5. Make ART!
If you just can’t get rid of your old eyeglasses for some weird sentimental reason, then you can always convert them into a creative piece of art. Take for example the recycled eyeglass Spectacle chandelier of London designer Stuart Haygarth. It was made from over 1000 old eyeglasses that were linked together!
Now that you know what to do with your old eyeglasses, take a deep breath, grab them from your drawer or from that box in your closet, and recycle them for a good cause!
For more information and videos about the organizations we featured here, visit our blog.
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.
Major investment is flocking to the world’s water resources, with tycoons referring to water as the new oil. Originally a clean water discussion, water for energy production is beginning to receive main-stream attention.
While the energy side often receives much of the publicity, individuals and business are becoming aware of the link to water. Most people understand that it takes energy to produce water and that water can produce energy (hydroelectric power); however, the complexity of the relationship can be seen in just about every aspect of our society.
• Water and energy are essential to every aspect of life: social equity, ecosystem integrity, economic and business sustainability.
• Water is used to generate energy; energy is used to provide water.
• Water and energy are used to produce crops; crops can in turn be used to generate energy through biofuels.
Recent growth in eco awareness has accelerated research to expand within technical circles towards framing the water and energy related issues and searching for solutions. A report by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development discusses the complexities and interrelationships between water, energy and climate change.
The report comments: “If we truly want to find sustainable solutions, we must ensure that we address all three in a holistic way. They are pieces of the same puzzle and therefore it is not practical to look at them in isolation.”
Leading businesses are beginning to understand the implications of the water/energy link and are improving business sustainability through the implementation of best practices.
• Reduce water and energy consumption through improved operations
• Treat and recycle own water and waste water (with associated energy costs)
• Recover and reuse water and energy (e.g., using steam or heat, recycle other industrial and municipal waste water)
• Develop new markets for water and energy-saving technologies and services
• Engage with local communities to reduce water and energy consumption
As a sustainability consultant, I encourage clients to examine their energy and water consumption. Through greater eco awareness of the links between water and energy, businesses and individuals can make internal improvements and be advocates for change within their communities and industries.
Melissa McGinnis and Greenopolis TV learn about the Plastic Pollution Coalition from one if it’s founder’s Daniella Russo. We learn from Daniella that the mission of Plastic Pollution Coalition is to create a global community and ignite a social movement to stop plastic pollution and its toxic impacts worldwide. Plastic Pollution Coalition also provides a platform for strategic planning and coherent communications; increases awareness and understanding of the problem and sustainable solutions; and empowers action to eliminate the negative impacts of plastics on the environment, wildlife, marine life, and human health. Take their on-line (S.U.P.E.R) HERO PLEDGE today!
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.
But he was also an environmental leader far ahead of his time as he strove to raise awareness about urban environmental issues and public health concerns that affect communities of color more than their white counterparts. Dr. King was a pioneer in what has come to be called environmental justice. It seems that environmental hazards and degradation do not fall equally on rich and poor, white, red, yellow, brown and black. If you live in a poor neighborhood or a community that is made up largely African-American, Hispanic, or indigenous people, you are more likely to be at risk from air, water, and soil contamination. Hazardous sites or polluting industries are more likely to be located in these areas than in the tony suburbs. Google “Gross Pointe Landfill” or Beverly Hills Mining” and you’ll see what I mean.
Environmental justice principles are that all members of a society have equal rights to clean air, water, and soil, and to enjoy communities where they can raise their families in healthy, natural environments. It affirms that no one possesses the right to degrade and destroy the environment, whether governments, private industry, or individual citizens. Further, environmental justice guarantees equal access to relief from hazards that occur and genuine community participation in the decisions of government and industry that impact the community.
The 13th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy of Environmental and Social Justice Program took place at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History on January 17th and 18th. As part and parcel of his civil rights work, Dr. King strove to raise awareness about health and urban environmental issues that disproportionately affect minority and low-income communities. The celebration included music, dance, a youth talent show, storytelling, poetry slams and a grand finale drum circle. It also included a Community Open Mic, where members of the community could honor the words and legacy of MLK by sharing original poetry and rap, and by speaking their minds on environmental and social justice issues.
Dr. King’s final journey was to Memphis to improve the working conditions of the garbage collection workers thee—the vast majority of whom were African American—and improve the terrible working conditions and environmental health issues that they endured. It was t here he gave his famous “Mountaintop” speech, the night before he was assassinated.
Dr. King’s legacy includes a waste to resources theme—that human beings are living treasures to be loved, nurtured and respected, not wasted; that the impact of the waste we produce should not fall more heavily on the poor than the rest of us, and that what affects any of us directly, affects us all indirectly.
In honor of Dr. King and all the future generations he fought and died for, we leave his own words from Memphis as the best closing tribute to his legacy.
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.
Wide-winged and long-lived, albatrosses are rarely seen on land, preferring to stay out on the ocean except to mate and raise their young.
Melissa McGinnis and Greenopolis TV visit the Monterrey Bay Aquarium and get a close up look at the terrible plight of the Albatross species due to plastics being mistaken for food. We learned from one of the aquarium’s directors, Alison Barratt that Albatrosses fly hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles in search of food for their chicks. They look for squid and fish eggs floating on the surface of the water. Unfortunately, plastic floats, and Laysan albatross are particularly attracted to it. They eat it, mistaking if for food, then they fly back to the nest and feed bottle caps, lighters, fishing lures and other pieces of plastic to their young. The chicks starve to death, with stomachs full of plastic. In fact 40% of the Laysan Albatross chicks born each year die from eating plastic…
How can we help ?
Tips from the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Limit your use of disposable plastics, like plastic bags and water bottles.
Carry your own reusable shopping bag and/or water bottle.
Look for products made from recycled materials that have little or no packaging, or packaging that is recyclable.
Try to avoid Styrofoam products—bring your own mug to the coffee shop, and a container for leftovers when you eat out.
Know which plastics can be recycled in your city and recycle!
Make sure all non-recyclable plastics are securely disposed of.
Pick up trash on the street and put it in a trash can.
If you can make it to the aquarium be sure to meet “Makana”. Makana is a Laysan albatross from the Northwestern Hawaiian Island of Midway. She came to the Monterey Bay Aquarium in 2006, after she injured her wing and was unable to survive in the wild. Makana appears daily in a presentation that helps visitors learn about the threats that albatrosses and other seabirds face from plastics pollution.She is a beautiful inspiring creature, one that we should all work to protect
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.
