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Consuming

Friday, June 12th, 2009

It’s often said that with every purchase you make, you are casting a vote. And depending on what you are purchasing, your vote supports different ways of business and different causes. That is why it is important to know what you are buying, what goes into the product you are buying, and what had to be done to produce that item. By casting aside products that are environmentally destructive, or violate the human rights of its laborers, or are made from irresponsible businesses, you can do your part to support a sustainable world.

Now what does that mean? Surely we can’t consume our way out of all the world’s problems? No matter how much certified organic free trade coffee we consume, labor violations and inequality will continue. No matter how much non-toxic clothing we buy, or free-range chicken we eat, or home gardens we plant… larger environmental problems will still loom on the horizon. So, are all our efforts at greening our daily lives a waste of time? Of course not. Consuming in a more responsible way won’t save the world by itself, but it does make a difference.

And how do we know it makes a difference? When large amounts of people cast their vote for greener products, industries and businesses notice, and thus change their behavior. That’s why we see every business, from electronics, to food, to clothing, to cars, tryint to OUT-GREEN each other. When coffee shops use fair trade coffee, and boast about how their stores are energy efficient, we know that our choices are making a positive impact. When Wal-Mart, once the favorite punching-bag of all socially-conscious consumer, decides to make significant strides in greening its operations, that’s how we know our choices matter. Heck, even oil companies are running competing advertisements, bragging about how much money they invest in solar panels each year. That’s how we know that when enough consumers demand change, their calls don’t fall on deaf ears. That’s why farmers markets are springing up across the country, San Francisco is introducing mandatory composting, Warner Home Video is making their DVD boxes with 20% less plastic, and numerous townships across the country are banning the use of plastic bags.

So, of course it might not seem like our consumer choices matter. After all, what can one person really do? Well, that’s the point. It might not seem like you can make a lot of change on your own. But when people make conscious choices about the products they use and buy, it really does make a difference. Businesses feel the pressure and clean up their acts. And when a company the size of Wal-Mart (the world’s largest) decides to reduce the amount of packaging it uses, make its stores more energy-efficient, invest in renewable technology, and other responsible initiatives, it makes a HUGE impact. And others will follow suit.

And getting back to making responsible choices as a consumer. A website called Greener Choices (greenerchoices.org) has a directory of responsible choices you should make when you are purchasing items, as well as a wealth of information on what to look for in products. For example, when buying a new cell phone, it’s good to know that all new models of Sony Ericsson and Nokia are made without certain toxins…a greener choice. Or how to shop for healthy and eco-friendly beef. Or what labels that claim to be green really mean. These choices are ones that we make everyday, and though they might seem like an afterthought, they do have effects on our lives and our world.

Tags: alternative energy, climate change, Conservation, doing the right thing, eco friendly products, ethical business, ethical investing, green choices, making money, non-profits, responsible business, shopping responsibly, social entrepreneur
Posted in Conservation, Food, Social Entrepreneurs | No Comments »

Students Fighting Poverty

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

It’s never too early to become a social entrepreneur. That’s the lesson coming from Nourish International and its members of college entrepreneurs. Nourish International is an organization of college students who start “ventures” to raise money for economic development projects in impoverished areas across the world. In other words, a group of college students organize mini-businesses either on campus or in local areas, and use all the proceeds to finance community development projects in poor villages abroad. The students who conduct the “ventures” on campus, then go to those countries, and personally participate in the implementation of the development project.

Originally setup at the University of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Nourish International is an official 501(c)3 certified non-profit. It now has 23 branches across the US, at different college campuses. According to their website, last summer they sent 34 students to engage in projects in Peru, Honduras, Mexico, Brazil, and Uganda. There objective is to eradicate poverty, one project at a time. They realize that the answer to fighting poverty is not charity work, not donations, i.e. not throwing money at the problem. Nourish International believes in empowering people to lift themselves out of poverty. What does that mean? That means that poor people can not escape poverty without the essentials…clean water, sanitation, health, shelter, food. Simply handing out clean water, food, and donated money will only solve the problem for a single day. But, by working with locals to build a clean water system in Peru, for example, capable of providing water to a town of over 5,000 people, Nourish International helps the locals build and improve their own communities, and improve their own quality of life. Provided with the essentials to live a decent and dignified life, these people can use their energy to focus on things, other than simply staying alive for another day. Sort of like the old adage, teaching a man to fish…

The beauty of this non-profit organization is that it was started by business/economics students. Sindhura Citineni was a business student who wanted to use the virtues of entrepreneurism and business planning to help attack some of the world’s first problems. Her first project in 2003 was a simple one: she organized a “Hunger Lunch,” selling rice, beans, and cornbread on campus for 3 bucks. She used all the profits her first project – a nutrition project in Hyderbad, India.

Years later, Nourish International has developed a successful plan to keep these projects funded. They havea a 6-step approach to their operations.

1) Recruitment – adding members on college campuses to join the organization and spread awareness.

2) Ventures - this is the key part. They are small businesses run by students themselves, turning a profit. Examples include the “Hunger Lunch.” Or, Global Music Jam - Nourish International partners with local radio stations and dance clubs to put on a globally-themed dance party. Another would be a charity poker tournament. Since 2003, they have raised over $100,000.

3) Applications – communities with needs apply for funding and student volunteers.

4) Selection – the students themselves select the best projects to pursue, based on long-term sustainability, level of impact, and feasability.

5) Implementation – students themselves travel to the area of need (in one of the previously mentioned countries) and personally see the project through to its completion.

6) Following-up – last but not least Nourish International keeps tabs on the success (or failure) of its project and its long-term impact.

Nourish International is making real-world improvements to the quality of life of thousands of people. By helping some of the most impoverished areas satisfy their essential needs, they are giving them a glimmer of hope for the future. And equally as important, it provides real-world experience for Nourish students, hopefully leading them to a lifetime of helping others. Up until 2008, they have invested a little over $100,000. However, in 2008 and 2009 they hope to add 30 chapters and invest an additional $200,000 to projects worldwide. Nourish International continues to grow and continues to get a social return on its investments.

Tags: community development, doing the right thing, economic development, ethical business, nourish international, responsible business, social entrepreneur, social entrepreneurship, social responsibility, social return on investment, social ventures
Posted in Business Profile, Social Entrepreneurs | No Comments »

Religious Entrepreneurism

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

Friar Bernard McCoy

Who said people of the cloth can’t be entrepreneurs too? Typically relegated to lives of prayer and preeching, relying on the donations of the local parish, priests usually live pretty simple lives. They preside over the weekly masses, give advice to spiritually inclined, and study the scripture. Priests are usually active members of their community too. But monks, on the other hand, are pretty removed from society. Monks are supposed to live on their own, dedicating their lives to solitude and prayer. They tend to have a high degree of self-sufficiency, growing their food or making cheese. They live either alone or with other monks, separated from the rest of society, chanting away their days.

Not these monks. They are known as LaserMonks, a multimillion dollar business reported in a June 2nd article in The New York Times. Their story goes like this. The monk in charge, Friar Bernard McCoy, was looking for printer ink for his printers in the monastery. He was horrified at the astronomical prices for an ink cartridge, what he calls “a little bit of black dust and some ink.” He knew there had to be a better way to acquire ink. He found out that if he talked directly to the manufacturer, he could get some ink for a fraction of the store price. And then he got an idea: he could save tons of money for schools, churches, and other organizations if he got the same deals for them that he got from the manufacturer.

And so, LaserMonks was born. And the cartridge manufacturer was fully on board, recognizing an opportunity when they saw one. As Friar Bernard says on his website:

The manufacturers were elated with the possibilities. They immediately said we should market not only to schools, churches, and other non-profits, but especially to businesses. “Look, you’re monks. You have an image and long tradition of being trustworthy and providing top quality products. You’re offering a great product at a great price. Once people hear about you, it’s an easy decision. Why would anyone pay more money, when they can have quality products for less, from monks who use the income to help others?”

The business started relatively successfully, but everything changed in July 2003 when two ladies from Colorado, who Friar Bernard calles two “angels,” called the monastery. They owned an online website selling ink cartridges and they wanted to move on from their website and offered to sell the monastery their business. They were excited to have connected with the monks and even offered to temporarily come to northern Wisconsin where the monastery is located to get them started up. The two women and the monks loved the arrangement so much that they decided to make it permanent. The two women live in one of the Abbey houses.

The women realized they could really help the monk’s ink business. They shared all their knowledge on database management and web design and also ideas for expanding the business. Instead of standard ink cartridges, they now offer ink cartridges with ink from soy beans instead of petroleum, a more environmentally-safe version. They sell dog-biscuits called “Benevolent Biscuits,” Coffee called “Benevolent Blends,” Barb-B-Que sauces called “Burnt Sacrifice,” and various flavors of jelly called “Trappist Preserves.” And, of course, no monk collection is complete without a series of CDs full of Gregorian Chants.

Last year, LaserMonks collected $4.5 million in revenues, of which, 80% goes to purchasing supplies and financing, 10% goes to charity, and 10% for the monastery. The two “angels” made a combined profit of $60,000. Not only that, but they are much happier in their simpler lives in the monastery. And with them running this holy business, the monks no longer have to worry about spending their time away from prayer, trying to fund the monastery.

Tags: charity, doing the right thing, lasermonks, monks, non-profits, responsible business, social entrepreneur, Volunteering
Posted in Business Profile, Social Entrepreneurs | 1 Comment »

Finding Business in Cleaning up Business

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

“A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.” This is a phrase often quoted during crisis situations, most recently and notably quoted by President Obama’s Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel. Thus, the Obama administration has made huge investments in areas of healthcare, energy, and education, in an effort to change the way the US economy is structured. He has used the crisis to frame his investments as a way to stimulate the economy. Absent a crisis, President Obama might not have received the cooperation of so many people to make those investments.

The economic crisis is showing signs of abating, but the specter of a climate crisis gets worse each passing day. Developed nations have been using tons of energy for years to feed their economies. Developing economies need to meet rising energy needs too, often using dirty coal to do so. The melting of the ice caps, rising sea levels, longer droughts, larger floods, and more violent storms…these are just some of the huge effects of climate change. The international community has so far not taken any limits on pollution seriously. But, the US and other governments finally seemed poised to take action.

The US Congress will probably pass climate legislation this year, forcing companies to reduce their environmental impact. Chances are that the Congress will choose to pass a cap-and-trade bill, meaning there will be a certain amount of ‘units’ of pollution that companies will be allowed to emit, and if they want to pollute more, they will have to buy ‘units’ of pollution from another company that doesn’t need to use their ‘units’ of pollution. The idea is that companies will, on their own, reduce their pollution because of the possibility to sell their allowances for profit. If a company really wants to pollute, they will have to pay for it.

Reading the tea leaves, the Hara company has taken a huge bet on the future. If polluting becomes a cost that businesses have to take into account, they will have to manage pollution like any other cost. In short, their accounting will include the usual labor costs, investment costs, but also polluting costs. They will have to accurately and easily track their pollution, and they made need help doing so. This is where Hara steps in. Hara is developing software that will allow companies to easily and quickly keep track of their pollution. Hara software will be able to spot and identify carbon emissions, and show companies where they can reduce their pollution, and thus, save money.

Hara has a long-term vision of environmental legislation and they see an economy that no longer ignores the cost of polluting. Up until now, the environmental degradation was never taken into account when businesses figure out their year-end profits. Hara wants that to change, to reflect the impact of business on the environment. Afterall, the word “hara” means “green” in Sanskrit. Here are a few excerpts from the article in The New York Times

“A post-carbon economy is arriving in this decade,” he said, “This creates an environmental record for your company.” (Amit Chatterjee, Hara’s founder and owner).

Hara’s Web-based software tracks the resources used by the company, like electricity and water, and emissions like carbon and other waste.

The Coca-Cola Company has been using Hara’s software as part of a pilot project to track greenhouse gas emissions for its 1,000 facilities worldwide. It helps Coca-Cola keep track of projects that vary by country. In South Africa, for example, Coca-Cola is switching from heavy crude oil to natural gas. In the United States, where plants have not been using heavy oil, the company has been updating its lighting systems.

The coming climate crisis is going to have very serious consequences on our environment. Our land, water, air, and food supply will all be affected. Social entrepreneurs often take a look at some of the most serious problems our society faces, and try to apply business principles to solve these problems. Hara knows that the climate crisis is serious. They are using their software expertise to help all businesses reduce their climate impact. If we are going to make progress slowing the effects of climate change, we will need companies like Hara to make the process easy and quick for the business community to do their part.

Tags: alternative energy, biodiversity, climate change, doing the right thing, double bottom line, ethical business, social entrepreneur
Posted in Business Profile, Green Building | No Comments »

Community Gardens and Eating Locally

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

Yesterday, I talked about the danger of Swine Flu and its relation to the industrial food chain. Raising animals in dirty conditions will cause those animals to become diseased, and the antibiotics given them end up in the food we eat. And every now and then certain bacterias will mutate and become immune to the antibiotics and create new disease outbreaks. This is, of course, simplifying the whole idea, but you get the point. You could eat all your food from these industrial sources if you like, and you may never suffer from any food-borne illnesses. But that is a risk that is up to you. One way of decreasing the odds that you are exposed to such illnesses is by buying and eating locally.

There are tons of reasons to eat local food. First and foremost, you are keeping your money within your own community. Your neighbors will appreciate you shopping at their establishments and supporting local operations helps your community prosper. In addition, eating locally cuts down on greenhouse gases. Typical food travels thousands of miles to get to your plate, releasing pollution into the atmosphere. Every piece of produce you get from some far away place means more pollution into the atmosphere. Furthermore, and maybe the point that is the most relevant considering the recent news, eating locally ensures healthier food. If you are eating food from a small farm in your town or state, there are better chances that the food has not been injected with hormones, pesticides, or antibiotics. Of course, you may have to do some homework to confirm that, but a typical farmer’s market will be organic food.

Now, who has time to do that? Who has time to drive around to farms just so that they can eat locally, especially when Safeway has everything you need? There are plenty of ways that you can eat locally. First of all, as I said, you can find a local farmer’s market in your area. And that’s really easy. Log on to Local Harvest and just simply type in your ZIP code and that’s it, it will bring up a list of farmer’s markets in your area. You can also filter for eco-friendly restaurants, farms, and co-0ps in your area. It’s easy and a great way to eat fresh local food and support your community.

One huge obstacle to eating locally is the change of seasons. How do I eat fruit in the middle of winter? Well, I admit, this is difficult, and I often can’t follow this rule myself. But, if you can commit to eating just some of your meals using local, seasonal ingredients, then you can make some progress. That means strawberries and tomatoes in summer, pumpkins in fall, and potatoes and in winter. It’s tough to do, but it also exposes you to different types of fruits and vegetables that you might not have previously known about. Once again, this might seem like a lot of work, but a great way to facilitate this practice is joining a CSA. What’s a CSA? Community Supported Agriculture is a system in which you pay a farmer a certain amount of money up front, and then you get a certain amount of produce incrementally throughout the year. The advantages of this are allowing you to eat fresh, seasonal food throughout the year. CSAs are also good systems for urban-dwelling foodies. If you live in a city, chances are farms are not very close. CSAs allow you to get this fresh, local produce, without the hassle. It also provides the farmer with capital to work with, and a secure market in which to sell his crops. Win-Win.

Home gardens and community gardens are another great way to eat locally. It has been reported that home gardens are on the rise across the country for a variety of reasons: save money on food, environmental concerns, and food security concerns. If you can turn that useless plot of grass in your backyard into a home garden, you can grow your own produce (free and renewable), cut down on pollution (less driving to the store, less mileage on your produce), and your food will be healthy (no pesticides). Some may think that’s a lot of work, but some might find it fun to see something through from start to finish. Community gardens are also increasing in popularity. Unused grassy plots of land within the city limits can be converted into gardens. There are countless positives that come with community gardens. The ones I listed before (fresh, eco-friendly, healthy food), but also education. Teaching people about eating healthy, providing education and work opportunities, and teaching children about ecology and biology. I just read about the 7th Street Garden in Washington DC, a community garden in the Shaw Neighborhood. They turned a closed down school into a garden, growing all sorts of fruits and vegetables. They have gone through 2 growing seasons and produced 70 bags of fresh produce to disadvantaged DC residents, while teaching over 250 local children about gardening and nutrition. Pretty cool way to use an abandoned plot of land.

7th Street Garden in Washinton DC

Tags: agritourism, biodiversity, climate change, Conservation, csa, eating locally, green energy, local farming, non-profits, social entrepreneur
Posted in Conservation, Farming, Volunteering | No Comments »

Swine Flu and Growing Locally

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

Swine Flu has taken the world by storm. Everyone has talked about swine flu for the past month, and there is no shortage of sensational headlines sprawled across the front pages of all the world’s newspapers. Just a quick search for swine flu yields these results: “Swine Flu Spreading Quickly in NYC”, “Japan Fears Spread of Swine Flu as Cases Rise”, “World Health Organization Raises Threat Level”. There has been quite a panic over the past month and Mexican citizens were even detained in China as a preventitive measure to keep Swine Flu from spreading in China. It all seems like a futuristic movie where disease and pandemics spread across the world, destroying everything and everyone, leaving ghost towns where there were formally bustling cities. BUT, a lot of this is hype and is not the reality. There have been relatively few deaths compared to other outbreaks, and Mexico has been praised for its response and and actions to deal with the spread of the flu. But what’s the real story here?

Industrial Pig Farm

Reports have come out recently that the outbreak of the swine flu has been traced back to an industrial pig farm in Mexico, owned by Smithfield Farms. Although this has not been confirmed, the fact remains that it would not be a surprise that a sickness has developed from an industrial pig farm. Afterall, on industrial pig farms, hundreds of thousands of pigs are densely packed into a building, without the ability to move around too much because they are literally on top of each other. They stand in their own feces, and when they get sick, which is inevitable in such an environment, they are injected with various antibiotics to keep them healthy. The problem is that with hundreds of thousands of pigs, and all the antibiotic injections, its likely that every once in a while a pig will contract a sickness where the bacteria develops an immunity to the antibiotic. And just like that, we have a new strain of disease, a mutated version that cannot be stopped with conventional antibiotics. This sickness can then spread, and cause havoc.

It gets worse when people then eat pork derived from these conditions. Over the course of time, though it’s not totally understood, chances are that such problems might occur in people too. If we are consuming pork with antibiotics, we may also come across the same problem. A sickness in which traditional antibiotics are worthless.

A new movie is coming out called “Fresh.” It’s about industrial farming versus natural farming. Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms is featured in the movie and I mentioned him in my blog post about Grass-Fed Cows. And his comment about the Smithfield industrial pig farm was telling, “I guess you saw where Smithfield has a 950,000 confinement hog operation in the locality at the epicenter of the outbreak. Strange coincidence.” The movie “Fresh” looks really great, you should check it out.

All this is further evidence of the need to eat locally and naturally. Industrial farming may be convenient for packing grocery stores full of meat, but the health concerns are overwhelming. Swine Flu may have been scary, but with business practices like the one at Smithfields Farms, you can rest assured that future outbreaks are inevitable.

Joel Salatin

: Naturally-grazing pigs

If people can buy and eat locally, you can feel comfortable in the fact that your food is not coming from horrific feeding conditions. If you know where your animals came from, you can know for sure if your animals were living pleasant lives or not. In in the process, you can feel secure that your food is safe and healthy. Tomorrow we will discuss this further.

Tags: animals, antibiotics, doing the right thing, eat locally, ecology, ecosystems, industrial farming, local food, non-profits, social entrepreneur, social entrepreneurship, social responsibility, swine flu
Posted in Farming | 1 Comment »

Micro-Loaning

Monday, May 18th, 2009

As a result of the economic crisis, financial institutions have nearly collapsed, banks are frozen, and money-lending has been ground to a halt. And without money-lending, business has been slowed severely. Without the opportunity to get loans, many entrepreneurs have been forced to shelve their business plans. In addition, with the slowing of business, major charities, philanthropic organizations, and non-profits are left with the short end of the stick as major business struggles to get back on its feet. Companies as well as individuals that previously donated to charity are focusing on righting what has been wronged. That leaves the under priviledged, the marginalized, and the struggling poor without an escape route from poverty.

While major banks are restructuring their lending practices, micro-lending is full speed ahead. Giving loans to poor entrepreneurs and providing them with the opportunities to establish their own businesses, micro-lending has proven itself all but immune to the financial crisis. It was recently reported that there was actually un uptick in micro-loans, as opposed to conventional banks that have been forced to scaleback lending because of a lack of capital. And it is helping poor people around the world make ends meet as world economies stumble. For example, a micro-lending institution will lend $500 to a woman in Nigeria to setup his own small pharmacy. Or, $1,000 to a woman in Cambodia to start a pig farm. Or, $3,500 to a group of people in Bolivia to setup grocery stores.

Kiva Borrower in her store

_45682729_cfjuanpabloii-elalto-repaymentmeeting

Women in Bolivia, Pro Mujer borrowers

Inspired by the 2006 Nobel Peace Prizer Winner, Muhammad Yunus, the Grameen Bank has been giving thousands of loans across the world to help the poor setup their own businesses. They have lifted thousands of people out of poverty, and turned a profit at the same time. The Grameen Bank has provided an alternative to conventional money-lending, incorporating a social mission. They lend exclusively to the poor (97% of the recipients are women), allowing them to get their business ideas off the ground. And, unlike major banks who have dround themselves in bad loans that can’t be paid back by the borrowers, the Grameen Bank has a 97.74% loan-recovery rate. That’s right! 97.74% of borrowers successfully pay back their loans on time, and they setup their own businesses in the process. An overwhelming success by any standard. How do they do this?

The Grameen Bank and other micro-lending institutions put potential borrowers into a group of individuals with similar circumstances. They lend the group a certain amount of money and each member of the group must repay his/her loan on time. If one member does not repay his/her loan, the entire group will not receive any further loans from the bank. In this way, they must work together to ensure group success, and deliquency will come at the price of being ostracized from their community. Loans are also contingent on attendance of weekly workshops, teaching recipients about money management. The Grameen Bank also scrutinizes potential recipients and their business plans, working with them to ensure success. In this way, the Grameen Bank is more than just a money-lending institution. They are also an educational institution, and an economic development institution.

Kiva is another micro-lending institution, with a very interactive website. If you log on to their website, you can see potential loan recipients, their business plans, and you can donate to the one that you prefer. If you believe in helping women in Pakistan, you can donate to the Sugran mai Umar hayyat Group, which has women looking for lones to expand a clothing business. Or, you can help Darsia Yenneyra Machado Hernández setup a beauty salon in El Salvador. With the click of a button you can help them get one step closer to their success.

Pro Mujer is another micro-lending institution recently featured on The BBC. You can read that article here.

Micro-lending is proving to be a great way to lift thousands of people out of poverty on their own terms. And it is doing so at a profit. Micro-lending attracting so much attention, it’s starting to be recognized by big players as a moneymaker. As The BBC reports, “Wal-Mart has set up a bank in Mexico to target those who can’t access mainstream financial services and hedge funds and pension fund managers, now view microfinance as a viable investment.” The micro-lending model, proven successful by Yunus and the Grameen Bank, is showing that lending to the world’s poor is a wise investment.

A Proj Mujer borrower in Bolivia

A Pro Mujer borrower in Argentina

Tags: doing the right thing, ethical business, making money, micro-lending, micro-loans, microfinance, muhammad Yunus, social entrepreneur, social entrepreneurship, social responsibility, social return on investment, the grameen bank
Posted in Financing, Social Entrepreneurs | No Comments »

Earth Day and Enchanting Challenge

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

The first Earth Day occurred on April 22nd, 1970, inspired by US Senator Gaylord Nelson as an attempt to force the environment into the national agenda. 20 million americans participated in coast to coast rallies, many at universities, to protest oil spills, factory pollution, pesticides, and the loss of wildlife. By 1990, the environmental movement had become a global issue, with 200 million people in 141 countries involved on Earth Day. And Earth Day 2007 can claim the largest participation across the globe, estimated at around 1 billion people.

Obama speaks at wind turbine manufacturer on Earth Day

In 2008 there seemed to be momentum building for government action on carbon emissions as well as a boom in the alternative energy business. With oil prices at unprecedented levels, and environmental awareness at an all time high, the environmental issue was snowballing, and gaining strength. But, alas, September 2008 abruptly halted the fervor. Banks began collapsing, stock markets were tumbling, and everyone headed for the hills. As a result of the economic crisis, environmental concerns have dropped far down on the list of priorities for many people. Rising unemployment, crime, homeforclosures, and a worldwide recession have dwarfed the environment in terms of immediate importance. If you ask the average joe on the street whether he thinks repairing the economy or repairing the environment is more important, I’m sure you will be laughed at.

However, as I often say, the economy and the environment are not mutually exclusive. All too often people site negative economic impacts when dismissing environmentalism. That thinking needs to change. Barack Obama gave a speech yesterday, to comemmorate Earth Day, in Newton, Iowa, the site of a closed Maytag plant that used to employ around 4,000 people. The site now hosts a wind turbine manufacturer, Trinity Structural Towers. Obama praised the wind energy business, and used the Trinity factory as an example that rebuilding our economy and shifting to cleaner sources of energy are inextricably linked. Green jobs are on the rise, and companies like Trinity are leading the way. Below are two quotes from his speech:

“Now, the choice we face is not between saving our environment and saving our economy,” Obama said. “The choice we face is between prosperity and decline. We can remain the world’s leading importer of oil, or we can become the world’s leading exporter of clean energy.”

“But the bulk of our efforts must focus on unleashing a new, clean-energy economy that will begin to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, will cut our carbon pollution by about 80 percent by 2050 and create millions of new jobs right here in America, right here in Newton,” he said.

That may seem like quite a challenge, and make no mistake, it is. It’s a challenge that will go on for decades. Barack Obama also challenged every American to replace at least one incandescent lightbulb with a energy-efficient flourescent lightbulb. If each person did that, a lot of energy could be saved.

While the President is challenging all of us to save energy, Enchanting Challenge attempts to inspire people into making and undertaking their own challenges. On the Enchanting Challenge website, you can enter your own personal challenge - something as small as recycling, using less plastic, eating locally, changing your lightbulbs - or much larger challenges – volunteering at the homeless shelter, tudoring children after school, reforestation, etc. The possibilities are endless, but the time to act is now. Sign up at www.enchantingchallenge.com and register your challenges!

Tags: alternative energy, barack obama, climate change, earth day, enchanting challenge, green energy, making money, social entrepreneur, t boone pickens, trinity structural towers, volunteer
Posted in Challenges, alternative energy | No Comments »

Greening Buildings – Rowhouse to Empire State Building

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

Many new buildings being constructed these days are done so with environment concerns in mind. Using natural lighting instead of low-efficiency light bulbs, insullated windows, non-toxic materials, etc. But so much of the CO2 going into the atmosphere comes from existing buildings, which is why buildings across the country are undergoing retrofitting to make them more energy-efficient. This allows the buildings to use less energy, which raises their property value, while reducing utility costs…with the side benefit of fighting climate change.

LEED Platinum Certified Rowhouse

Buildings of all shapes and sizes are commiting to becoming more energy-efficient. I read an article recently on everydaygreendc.com, a website cataloguing the green developments in my hometown, Washington DC. They reported on how Amy Levin, of Mount Pleasant, DC, retrofitted her rowhouse with all sorts of energy-efficient measures and managed to get her home LEED-platinum certified, which is the highest classification for energy-efficient homes, according to the US Green Building Council. She decided to take on this task so that her home could have lower utility costs, higher property value, and thus, higher rent rates for her tenants. These are just a few of the changes she made to her home:

-Insullation – a soy-based foam product is sprayed on all the walls for insullation, reducing heating and cooling needs. Without any toxic materials, it is the greenest insullation product out there.

-Plumbing – a double-flush toilet which uses less water.

-Materials – she used reclaimed wood for a lot of her flooring. All materials are non-toxic, including the paint.

-Solar panels – she installed solar panels on her roof for electricity.

As a result of all the green initiatves that Amy implemented, her home now uses 59% of the energy of a regular building, and the value of her home is now appraised 10% higher than before. Upfront costs, but longterm savings.

From little Mount Pleasant we move on to The Big Apple. It was recently announced that The Empire State Building will go green. Yep, the 102-story, 78-year old, colossal building will be undergoing green retrofitting. Why? Also to save money in the long run. A joint venture between The Rocky Mountain Institute and the Clinton Climate Initiative, the project aims to make The Empire State Building the largest LEED certified building in the world. will cost $20 million dollars, but will cut down on energy costs by 38% a year, saving about $4.4 million a year. While the upfront costs seem daunting and prohibitive, about $13.2 million would have been spent on general maitenance anyways. The costs for the retrofitting will be recovered in about three years. About 78% of CO2 emissions in New York City come from energy used in commerical and residential buildings. By preventing the emission of 105,000 metric tons of CO2 from being spewed into the atmosphere, The Empire State Building will set an example. If it becomes the tallest green building in the world, it will prove that no building is too big to go green.

Empire State Building Is Going Green

And Amy Levins in Mount Pleasant is proving that no building is too small to go green. And same holds true for every building in between. From a little rowhouse, to a 102-story building, retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient makes environmental sense, and it makes financial sense.

Amy Levin at her Mt. Pleasant Green Home

Tags: alternative energy, clinton climate initiative, empire state building, energy efficient buildings, ethical business, Green Building, green energy, making money, mount pleasant, retrofitting, rocky mountain institute, social entrepreneur, us green building council
Posted in Green Building, alternative energy | 1 Comment »

Green Hotels

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

The CasaCalma Lobby

The typical hotel is a huge, greedy, energy-wasting beast. Massive amounts of electricity are needed to light the hotel, run the AC, heat water for showers, and run the countless appliances throughout the building. Water is continuously flowing out of faucets and showers, with no regard for conservation. Washing machines are constantly running, using electricity, water, and chemicals that will pollute streams and lakes. The materials used to build the hotel aren’t typically the most environmentally friendly options. In short, the hotel business is typically a huge enemy of the environment.

This waste of energy is also the enemy of good business. Long-term energy efficiency will not only contribute to a healthier environment, but also to a healthier balance sheet. Hoteliers are starting to see the light. Eco-hotels are a growing phenomenon in the US and across the world. My colleagues and I, along with EcoTrotters, a partner of Enchanting Challenge, went to the first Eco-hotel in Argentina, the CasaCalma. It’s located in Buenos Aires, an oasis of greenery and efficiency surrounded by the noise and pollution of a big city. CasaCalma prides itself on operating in the most efficient and environmentally friendly way possible.

Low-energy lighting, double glass windows for better insulation, walls made from recycled materials, automatic lighting that turns off when rooms are empty…these are just a few of the measures taken by CasaCalma to ensure the smallest carbon footprint possible. They also use less energy because of the large windows that allow the use of natural sunlight, they cook with local and organic food, and they rarely use any plastic.

They seem to think of everything, including tiny details you wouldn’t normally factor in…for example, they don’t even have any pens in the hotel, they use pencils made from the wood of a rapidly regrowing plant, similar to bamboo. They cook all their food, including baking their own bread, taking into account the number of guests each day so that there isn’t left over bread that must be thrown away. They are also the only hotel in Argentina with two vertical gardens, plants that grow on the wall with dual functions: the plants clean the air and help insulate the building, keeping it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The wood used in the building is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Even the little bottles of shampoo and lotion are reused.

A room in CasaCalma

There’s also money in being so virtuous. CasaCalma’s utility bills are only a fraction of the typical hotel. They don’t have to pay for huge amounts of delivered food, or cleaning products, or towels (they use cloth towels that get reused instead of paper towels that would be thrown away). You would think that such attention to detail would only work for high end hotels, but precisely because there isn’t too much waste, the costs are kept under control. Furthermore, many of the guests from the US and Europe stay at the hotel because of its green credentials. Environmentally conscious travelers often seek out the greenest hotel, to do their part.

CasaCalma is a bet ahead of the curve in Argentina, a country where being green is not exactly mainstream. Because being environmental is not a priority for Argentines, you might think it would be a waste of time to concern yourself with the headaches of ensuring an energy-efficient hotel. But then again, as environmental awareness increases in Argentina, as it has in other parts of the world, CasaCalma will have the market cornered.

Dining Room

Tags: agritourism, alternative energy, casacalma, climate change, doing the right thing, ethical business, ethical investing, green energy, green hotels, responsible business, social entrepreneur, vertical gardens
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Social Entrepreneurs – The Enchanting Challenge

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