Convenience Jumps the Shark. Franke James. Susan McPherson. The No Impact Chat Wrap (#noimpact. I planned to partake in today’s #noimpact chat, hosted by the fine folks at Yes! Magazine, but got caught up in family time. (The #noimpact chat was set up to promote the upcoming no impact week, an “experiment that challenge(s) you to live a radically greener and more connected lifestyle—for just one week.”
(Click here for more info.) Since I missed the chat, I decided to review the postings to see what was discussed and thought I’d share some of the interesting findings. Hey folks—our No Impact Week Twitter Chat w/author & activist Colin Beavan (@noimpact) kicks off in 5. @yesmagazine @noimpact The No Impact Project is here! Welcome, Colin Beavan (@noimpactman), of the No Impact Project—so glad you could join us here on the eve of #NoImpact Week!
@yesmagazine So glad to be here. @noimpactman To start, what are you looking forward to this No Impact Week? I hope I'll learn how to live greener in our modern world during these few days #noimpact— Nat Caban (@CabanNat) September 17, 2011. Jim Harris. YES! Magazine. A bone to pick | Environment | The Observer. The question can be downsized: humane meat, really? Some vegans and vegetarian activists consider ecocarnism an unbearable oxymoron. But still millions who describe themselves as compassionate and ethical elect not to forgo flesh but to eat "happy meat" that is sustainably produced with more thought to animal welfare. Psychologist Melanie Joy describes a neo-carnism that fosters a sort of moral disconnect, which allows us to eat some animals that are "sustainably produced" while being wildly sentimental about others. Meanwhile the meat industry has been supersized.
In the US the majority of the national kill is processed through Cafos, or Confined Animal Feeding Operations. This is factory farming and its industrialised characteristics include keeping dense stocks of animals, livestock kept predominantly indoors and fed on grains and the use of pre-emptive antibiotics to ward off diseases that might come from precisely such conditions.
Janet Morgan. Visual Representation of Atmospheric CO2 (Video. Appetite for Change – Library. Appetite for Change Reinventing the Global Food System The global food system is under scrutiny for environmental impacts including habitat degradation, greenhouse gas emissions and freshwater use. Half the world’s farmers go hungry, while around a billion people are clinically obese. Demand for food is growing and yields are falling. Radical and rapid systemic change is required. Appetite for Change was conceived to identify what change is needed, and the role the corporate sector must play in making it happen. We interviewed a wide range of corporate leaders for this research, and many acknowledged that it is incumbent upon them to find ways to be part of a holistic solution. Watch the summary video or download the full report now. To learn more about SustainAbility’s food and agriculture insight, or to engage us to consider how your company might lead and/or respond to food sector transformation, contact info@sustainability.com.
You must be a member to read and download. Alltop - Top Green News. Melissa dingmon. L.A. Eats: The Battle for Los Angeles. Harvard University Extension School L.A. Eats: The Battle for Los Angeles Department of Environmental Management Chris Oestereich St. Louis, MO April, 2011 Image by: hitthatswitch L.A Eats – The Battle for Los Angeles In reflecting on the causes of rising levels of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs), we instinctively focus on direct sources of pollution. Combined with deforestation, agriculture has recently been blamed for “36% of all anthropogenic emissions.”
Upon initiating research for this paper, my working hypothesis was that food miles were the cause of, and locavores the solution to, food-related GHGs. Image by: Lenny Montana The U.S. food system uses over 10 quadrillion Btu (10,551 quadrillion Joules) of energy each year,” (Murray 2005) which is roughly ten percent of the energy produced in the United States. Image by: clayirving This section attempts to explain how analysis for this paper was performed. Food Waste Accounting for L.A.’s food waste started with a look at the landfill emissions.
What do you consider to be the greatest threats to global security? (Survey. If I Could Fix One Thing… (Question. Which renewable energy source is most deserving of subsidy assistance? What's good for the planet is good for business | Guardian Sustainable Business. Recently The Economist ran the cover story "Welcome to the Anthropocene – Geology's new age. " "Rather than placing us still in the Holocene, a peculiarly stable era that began only around 10,000 years ago, the geologists say we are already living in the Anthropocene: the age of man. " I first heard the concept a year ago when the distinguished diplomat and environmentalist Sir Crispin Tickell spoke about it at our Cranfield Corporate Responsibility Network. The basic facts behind why geologists are proposing a new era, are as follows: By the middle of this century the population is expected to be 9 or maybe even 9.5 billion – up from 2.8 billion in the 1950s. 98% of the extra people from now to 2050, will live in cities and in the emerging and developing markets.
By mid-century, there will be at least another 800 million people with middle-class life-styles and many more who really, really want that lifestyle (you only have to travel to Shanghai or Mumbai or Sao Paolo to feel this.) 1. 2. 3. The DP Interview: 5 Questions with the Green Den Consultancy. What’s your take on climate change? (Quick Poll. The Climate Change Discussion Has Been Postponed (Cartoon. Employers Spend on Equipment Rather Than Hiring. Workers are getting more expensive while equipment is getting cheaper, and the combination is encouraging companies to spend on machines rather than people. “I want to have as few people touching our products as possible,” said Dan Mishek, managing director of Vista Technologies in Vadnais Heights, Minn. “Everything should be as automated as it can be.
We just can’t afford to compete with countries like China on labor costs, especially when workers are getting even more expensive.” Vista, which makes plastic products for equipment manufacturers, spent $450,000 on new technology last year. During the same period, it hired just two new workers, whose combined annual salary and benefits are $160,000. Two years into the recovery, hiring is still painfully slow. The economy is producing as much as it was before the downturn, but with seven million fewer jobs. With equipment prices dropping, and tax incentives to subsidize capital investments, these trends seem likely to continue. Jeffrey Hollender Shares Four Reasons He Got Fired from Seventh Generation. Jeffrey Hollender onstage with Gil Friend and Chip Conley shortly after his big announcement (photo courtesy Kate Drane) Jeffrey Hollender took the stage at Sustainable Brands yesterday and he didn’t need a powepoint for the message he was going to deliver.
It was time to come clean about his departure from Seventh Generation and he was not going to mince words: “I was fired 6 months ago after 23 years and I was never allowed to set foot back in the company. I was fired because my view of the role Seventh Generation should play in society fell out fell out of step with the board’s view of the role.” Despite being summarily dismissed from the CEO position and then the board, Hollender was not afraid to take responsibility for his role in his firing. How did I fail? How did I get myself fired? Because these elements were not in place, Hollender lost power and was unable to maintain his vision for the company. The fourth bullet was more difficult to accept. Scroll down to see comments.
Jeffrey Hollender: A World of Cooperation and Shared Ownership. We hold in our own hands the key to building a sustainable economic future. Literally. By placing responsibility and ownership into the hands of employees globally, we have the ability to mold an economy that benefits us all. It's possible by embracing the idea of economic democracy. Traditionally, economic democracy represents a socio-economic arrangement in which business enterprises are democratically managed and worker-owned.
Cooperatively-owned businesses can range from small-scale local companies to multimillion dollar global businesses. Shared ownership helps diversify rather than concentrate wealth. These economic institutions exist in all sectors of our economy, from banking, finance and insurance to education, manufacturing, retail and agriculture. Today, throughout the world, cooperatives already employ more than 100 million people and have more than 800 million members.
The breadth and depth of co-ops in the United States can also be seen in the following figures. Top 10 Climate-Ready Cities in the U.S. Boyd Cohen, Ph.D., CO2 IMPACT Cities are now home to a majority of the world’s population and are on the front line in the battle against climate change. While action at the federal level in the U.S. has been painfully slow, cities in the U.S. are starting to lead by example at a local level. Cities must take an active role in helping their constituents (starting with themselves of course) to mitigate their impact on climate change as well as begin investing in appropriate climate change adaptation solutions. I felt that it was time to do some analysis on U.S. Cities which are positioning themselves to be leaders in climate capitalism. I have used proxies and a methodology for ranking the largest cities in the U.S. based on a range of factors including political commitment (as measured by number of commitments the city has made with the U.S.
The Top 10 Metropolitan Climate-Ready Cities in the U.S. are: 10.) 9.) (San Jose’s Green Vision Progress) 7.) 7.) 6.) 5.) 4.) 3.) 2.) 1.) Is College a Gamble? I read a Fast Co. article by Gregory Ferenstein last week, “What College Degrees Are Really Worth,” (Thanks go out to @lucymarcus for sharing the link!) Which shared information on median earnings by major group. (Displayed in the image below.) As someone who is working on a second masters, in a down and highly uncertain economy, the article got the wheels turning and eventually led to this post. Education Costs The following chart from the College Board shows the inflation-adjusted changes in tuition in fees for public and private 4-year schools, and public 2-year schools. Unemployment It may depend on timing. Downward Wages The next chart shows wage growth (or lack thereof) over the past fifty years. In pure economic terms, this means that the graduates of thirty years ago paid 1/3 of the cost when compared with today’s graduates and subsequently received thirty years of wage gains.
Rising Healthcare Costs Opportunities A Growing problem Parting Thoughts Update: Like this: Like Loading... Reducing Food Waste Throughout Grocery Supply Chains. « Back to Home Page Even a casual flick through news articles concerning food brings to light many different problems associated with a basic commodity that everybody takes for granted. Recently Time Inc announced the top 10 startups in NYC and topping list is Foodspotting, a website that lets foodies know the perfect dish and tells them where it’s served, based on their location. This innovative service allows you search for and find the one dish you are craving and rate it On the flip side there is news that food inflation is going to reach severe highs by 2030 and many of world’s poorest people will not be able to afford to feed themselves.
A recent FAO report stated that approximately 1.3 billion tons of food gets lost or wasted every year. The report is probably the first of its kind to distinguish between food loss and food waste. There are several ways in which food waste can be prevented. Less emphasis on the appearance of food. Scroll down to see comments. Janet Morgan. Van Jones, Bill McKibben, and David Korten in Seattle at YES! 15th anniversary event. It's not too late to celebrate with Bill McKibben, Van Jones, and David Korten. posted Jun 02, 2011 We'd like to thank everyone who celebrated our 15th anniversary last night—both at Town Hall in Seattle, and online. If you missed Van Jones, Bill McKibben, and the rest of our incredible line-up, it's not too late! You can watch the recordings right here. Click for: Bill McKibben YES! Van Jones Former YES! Puanani Burgess YES! The Whole Shebang, Part 1 Fran Korten kicks off the event at minute 33, followed by Richard Conlin and Bill McKibben.
The Whole Shebang, Part 2 Bill McKibben concludes his speech, followed by Tanya Dawkins, David Korten, Puanani Burgess, Sarah van Gelder, and Van Jones. Want to give a birthday gift? Give a gift of any size in honor of YES! Comment on this articleHow to add a comment – Commenting Policy. Corporate Sustainability Program Manager job for Red Hat in Raleigh, NC 27601. Registration for G4's Public Comment Periods Survey. How (and How Not) To Change the World. Leading and Lagging Countries in Contributing to a Sustainable Society. By Robert G. Eccles and George Serafeim Editor's note: Please see related story, Corporate Sustainability Reporting: It's Effective. To what extent companies contribute to a sustainable society is a question increasingly important, not only to the companies themselves, but also to investors, the countries they do business in, and civil society in general. But it is a difficult question to answer, with standards just now emerging in the form of "integrated reports" that help companies disclose corporate sustainability efforts just as they do financial data.
Are these efforts yielding results? We wanted to determine the extent to which corporate and investor behavior is changing. We did so by analyzing data from more than 2,000 companies in 23 countries, and then ranked those countries based on the degree of integration of corporate environmental and social performance with financial performance. Integrated reporting advances Integrated reporting is about more than a document. Call to action. Agency calls for fundamental change in production and consumption.
17 May 2011 – The world must radically alter the way it produces and consumes materials if genuinely sustainable development is going to take root, the head of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) said today. Kandeh K. Yumkella, Director-General of UNIDO, told the Nevsky International Ecological Congress in the Russian city of St. Petersburg that countries need to urgently “green” their economies. “We need a fundamental change in how we produce, consume and exchange goods,” he said. “This is how we can green our economies, our growth strategies and our industries, creating new green jobs, stimulating green investments and encouraging green innovations.”
Mr. “This in turn will improve the efficiency of our energy, material and water use” and promote conservation, he noted. This week’s congress in St. A Systems Perspective on Sustainability, Supply Chain Management- The Intelligent Choice « ValueStreaming. As we approach the mid-point in 2011, the tea leaves of the economic recovery have ‘sustainability’ in supply chain planning and management firming up as a key “rebuilding” block in company activities. Two recent studies from two different continents bear that notion out. First, consultancy BearingPoint Ireland has released a report which says two-thirds of companies surveyed in Europe believe that a green supply chain is a strategic priority.
The report, entitled Green Supply Chain: from awareness to action, is the fourth of a series of “supply chain monitors” from the private consultancy. The study was conducted among about 600 European decision-makers by Novamétrie between 2010 and 2011, with a position within Supply Chain, Sustainable Development or Industrial Divisions. Executive Management Mandates, Reputational Risk Management Are Key Drivers A notable “inflexion” occurred between this survey round and prior surveys. Sustainability Drivers Both Inside and Out the ‘Four Walls’ Douglas LaBier: Why It's So Hard to Find Your Life's Purpose. Method: Only Inauthentic "Green" Cleaning Products Are Failing.
Do CSR and Sustainability get seats at the Business Ethics table? Does Green Beer Come in Bottles or Cans? - Food. Never Stop Climbing. My CSR and Sustainability Summer Reading List. Environmental Studies: Harvard Extension School. Climate change and crops: Hindering harvests. Young Activists Sue U.S., States Over Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Shareholders Increase Focus On Environmental Resolutions - Eco-nomics - Stories from the Mother Nature Network. Making the Business Case for Sustainability - Dhiraj Rajaram - The Conversation. Gwen Ruta: Spreading Sustainability: From the Fortune 500 to the Next 5,000. DisplayPub. Inc. - A Tax Credit for the Socially Responsible Business? Video: Science on must-fix biomass carbon accounting error | Nathanael Greene.
:: Welcome to Green Den Consultancy :: The Business Case for Protecting the Climate. The Best CSR and Sustainability Smartphone Apps. Comparison-actual-projected-fuel-economy_0. Chris Oestereich: Klout Influence Summary. Stay Ahead of the Curve: Three Green Career Trends You Need to Know. Carbon Zero: A Short Tour of Your City's Future by Alex Steffen. Pic of my reasons for wanting to save the world from itself. Can You Eat Your Way to Carbon Neutrality? Dystopian Present. Responsibility Won't Wreck Your Returns.
Walmart Sustainability Milestone Meeting Webcast - March 17, 2011. Global Sustainability Milestone Meeting March 17, 2011. 03/11/2011: EPA Encourages Americans to Save Water During Fix a Leak Week. Mercury Alert: Cleaning up Coal Plants for Healthier Lives - Air Quality - Environmental Defense Fund. Why We Need Heretical, Holistic Green Thinking - Gardiner Morse - HBR Events. 6 Important Things You Didn't Know We're Running Out Of. Study: Green Companies Have Happy Employees. Sign In or Create a Corporate Social Responsibility User Account. Nxy. Twitter Directory and Search, Find Twitter Followers. Towards Sustainable Business Education: Analysis & Recommendations. Climate Change. Swine Flu Ancestor Born on U.S. Factory Farms | Wired Science.