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How Mosaic brings cleantech investing to the masses. Have I got a deal for you: Invest as little as $25, or as much as you want, in clean-energy projects. Earn a princely 6.38 percent interest annually for the next five years. Make the world a better place. Sound too good to be true? A promising startup is betting otherwise. Mosaic, based in Oakland, Calif., has figured out how to crowdsource solar projects in a way that seems to be a win-win for everyone. Think of it as Kickstarter for clean energy. Mosaic was founded in 2009 by Daniel Rosen and Billy Parish. Their company started slowly, garnering interest-free investments from individuals to fund solar installations on five community projects.

I invested $100 in the Asian Resource Center installation in 2011, in equal parts to support both the fledgling company as well as a social-service organization located about a half mile from the GreenBiz Group office in my hometown. More recently, the company started raising money for projects in which it would pay interest. Eco blog. The Sustainable Business Incubator. Los Angeles CleanTech Incubator (LACI) Environmental Business Cluster. 7 hot startup incubators - Clean and green (5) Armageddon Solar, which develops affordable, solar energy roofing, is one of the San Jose BioCenter's success stories. Incubator: Environmental Business Cluster Location: San Jose, Calif. As the sister incubator of the San Jose BioCenter, the Environmental Business Cluster is the largest environmental and "clean technology" incubator in the country.

"This incubator was promoting clean technology even before clean technology was in vogue," said Melinda Richter, who is also executive director of the San Jose BioCenter. Over the years, the challenge that clean technology startups have faced is trying to figure out where they fit in the business world, she said. At the incubator, which was named incubator of the year in 2008 by the National Business Incubation Association, the program has helped more than 150 startups get off the ground since its inception. "We have a company, Alphabet Energy, that raised $12 million in funding recently," said Richter.

NEXT: Fostering ethnic enterprise. Greenstart. 3rd edition of the Green European Journal: Beyond growth/degrowth. Europe's economy remains in crisis - no growth, high unemployment, a debt crisis and a feeling that the continent's post-war prosperity may never return. Is it a case of the economic system being broken for good, or can it be repaired and placed on a green path? Leading thinkers, from inside and outside the Green movement, give their analysis of the situation. Ralf Fücks and Reinhard Loske debate whether 'green growth' can be achieved, Maurie J. Cohen argues that actually we are already transitioning to a 'post-consumerist' future and Aurélie Maréchal writes that economic growth in Europe is an impossibility and needs to be replaced with other means of sharing prosperity. The full edition can be downloaded from the Green European Journal website.

We hope this edition inspires you and sparks debate, so if you would like to write an article in response please let us know! "Future of Europe" debate continued Green European Journal - 3rd edition. Members. Scrapstores support reuse of resources for community benefit through the diversion of clean reusable scrap waste materials from businesses. ScrapstoresUK is a registered charity incepted by scrapstores themselves to gather and share information about issues, barriers, opportunities, good practice, achievements, promotions and publicationsScrapstoresUK is a registered charity (no: 1126044) with trustees who have pledged: 1. To facilitate the growth and sustainability of scrapstores and resource centres nationally through the provision of a network for advice, information, support and funding for projects as would further their charitable objects. 2. To advance the education of the public concerning scrapstores and resource centres through a programme of teaching, training, publishing, exhibitions, seminars and any other means for providing public knowledge and information. 3. 4.

The Permanent Disruption of Social Media. Social media has chipped away at the foundation of traditional donor-engagement models. A new study highlights the realities of donor behavior and how organizations can redesign their outreach strategies to be more effective. (Illustration by Andrew Bannecker) Spending an entire workday on Facebook isn’t part of a typical nonprofit employee’s job description.

There are programs to run, decisions to make, funds to raise—all higher priorities than the online world of status updates, tweets, pins, and check-ins. But for one day last fall, all of the people who work at For Love of Children (FLOC) spent all of their time on Facebook. FLOC isn’t the only nonprofit taking advantage of social media to raise money, garner new supporters, and increase visibility. Until recently the models that nonprofits used to find, engage, and cultivate donors, volunteers, and other supporters were reasonably straightforward.

The Traditional Donor-Engagement Model Social Media’s Impact New Types of Donor Behavior. Chicago: Green Business Incubator. Tech firms have 'em, so why not give green businesses a tailor-made incubator to encourage sustainable practices? Baum Realty, a Chicago-based brokerage and development company, is working with the city of Chicago to create a specialized destination for just this purpose. When completed next year, Green Exchange will be the first building in Chicago to be developed, marketed and leased exclusively to green-thinking businesses. At 250,000 square feet (rehabbed from the old Frederick Cooper Lamp Co. building and vacant since 2005), Green Exchange brings a large volume of space to the market. And the location, at the intersection of Diversey and the Kennedy Expressway, makes it eminently accessible for companies operating throughout Chicago.

As described in an article in the Illinois Real Estate Journal, the development plan for Green Exchange will, if acccepted by Chicago, pioneer a new zoning designation for the city: work-live. Green Spaces NY - Green Business Incubators and Consulting. Green2Gold - Sustainable Business Incubators and Workshops - Green2Gold. Financial Permaculture - Green Incubator Business. Incubate - Bethesda Green. The Bethesda Green incubator was founded in Fall 2009 to complement Bethesda Green’s mission through the creation and support of companies that will contribute to our dynamic sustainable community. Like all incubators, ours is intended to provide resources and services that will increase the likelihood of entrepreneurs’ chances of success.

What defines and differentiates our incubator is its focus on creating and growing companies that offer products and services that improve our environment and promote energy efficiency. Incubator Benefits There are many benefits of the Bethesda Green incubator to the Montgomery County community: For young companies wishing to become affiliated with the Bethesda Green incubator, there are many benefits: Provision of affordable space and shared expenses (equipment, training, rent, utilities, maintenance etc.) for participants. Joining the Incubator We urge entrepreneurs who share our vision to consider applying for admission to our incubator. Www.un.org/esa/socdev/ngo/docs/2010/Farra.pdf. ΤΙ ΣΥΜΒΑΙΝΕΙ ΜΕ ΤΑ ΠΡΑΣΙΝΑ ΚΟΜΜΑΤΑ; –3 « Μελίττα Γκουρτσογιάννη. Σε δύο προηγούμενα άρθρα, (ΤΙ ΣΥΜΒΑΙΝΕΙ ΜΕ ΤΑ ΠΡΑΣΙΝΑ ΚΟΜΜΑΤΑ;-1 και ΤΙ ΣΥΜΒΑΙΝΕΙ ΜΕ ΤΑ ΠΡΑΣΙΝΑ ΚΟΜΜΑΤΑ; – 2) με αφορμή την αποχώρηση του Ντανύ Κον-Μπεντίτ από το γαλλικό Πράσινο κόμμα, έβαλα κάποια ερωτήματα σχετικά με τα προβλήματα- πρακτικά κια ιδεολογικά- που εμφανίζονται στα περισσότερα Πράσινα κόμματα σήμερα στην Ευρώπη.

Σε λίγες μέρες , 9, 10 και 11/11/12 πραγματοποιείται στην Αθήνα το συνέδριο του Ευρωπαϊκού Πράσινου Κόμματος (EGP) ( με κύρια θέματα τις ΠΡΑΣΙΝΕΣ ΛΥΣΕΙΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΚΡΙΣΗ, ΤΟ ΜΕΛΛΟΝ ΤΗΣ ΕΥΡΩΠΗΣ και ΤΟ ΜΕΤΑΝΑΣΤΕΥΤΙΚΟ. Με αφορμή το συνέδριο ξανάρχομαι στα ερωτήματα: Ναπολέων Μαραβέγιας (καθηγητής στο Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών -Τομέας Διεθνών και Ευρωπαϊκών Σπουδών): Πραγματικά τα ευρωπαϊκά Πράσινα κόμματα περνούν κάμψη. Στο ερώτημα αν έχει μέλλον η πολιτική οικολογία, αν τα τα Πράσινα κόμματα έχουν λόγο ύπαρξης, η απάντησή μου είναι ανεπιφύλακτα ναι. Πράγματι κάτι δεν πάει καλά με τα πράσινα κόμματα. Like this: Like Φόρτωση... Nature Blows My Mind! The Hypnotic Patterns of Sunflowers. Sunflowers are beautiful, and iconic for the way their giant yellow heads stand off against a bold blue sky. And of course most of us love to munch on the seeds they produce.

However, have you ever stopped to look at the pattern of seeds held within the center of these special flowers? Sunflowers are more than just beautiful food -- they're also a mathematical marvel. The pattern of seeds within a sunflower follows the Fibonacci sequence, or 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144... If you remember back to math class, each number in the sequence is the sum of the previous two numbers. In sunflowers, the spirals you see in the center are generated from this sequence -- there are two series of curves winding in opposite directions, starting at the center and stretching out to the petals, with each seed sitting at a certain angle from the neighboring seeds to create the spiral.

Sunflower seeds and amazing math. Do you have any photos of the patterns found in sunflower centers? Organic Food - Trofos, Greek Organic Delicatessen Marketplace - Game Changer. The professional sports industry includes some of the world's most iconic, inspirational and influential organizations. In a cultural shift of historic proportions, the sports industry is now using its influence to advance ecological stewardship. North America's professional leagues, teams and venues have collectively saved millions of dollars by shifting to more efficient, healthy and ecologically intelligent operations. At the same time, the sports greening movement has brought important environmental messages to millions of fans worldwide. Sport is a great unifier, transcending political, cultural, religious and socioeconomic barriers.

It also wields a uniquely powerful influence, both cultural and economic, that provides much-needed leadership in sustainable practices and, in so doing, promotes a nonpolitical public commitment to environmental protection. In my two decades as Commissioner, I have seen our sport take important strides forward on this essential issue. Related Links. Home | Green Sports Alliance.

Frances Beinecke: Major League Sports Show Americans -- And Lawmakers -- the Power of Sustainability. Last week I stood on Safeco Field, the home of the Seattle Mariners, and watched Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig receive an award for his leadership in greening sports. He told the crowd that environmental stewardship makes sense to anyone who loves baseball and loves to see it played on green grass under blue skies.

Selig's remarks were a welcome antidote to the current political vitriol. Some lawmakers continue to deride clean energy and attack environmental protections. But every major league sport in America has left those outdated views in the dust. During the Green Sports Alliance conference in Seattle last week, I heard 500 leaders from Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association, and NASCAR describe their remarkable progress in saving energy, generating power from wind and solar, conserving water, and cutting down on food and paper waste. Sports are a powerful force in American culture.

These efforts work. The Role of Brand in the Nonprofit Sector. Many nonprofits continue to use their brands primarily as a fundraising tool, but a growing number of nonprofits are developing a broader and more strategic approach, managing their brands to create greater social impact and tighter organizational cohesion. Nonprofit brands are visible everywhere. Amnesty International, Habitat for Humanity, and World Wildlife Fund are some of the most widely recognized brands in the world, more trusted by the public than the best-known for-profit brands.1 Large nonprofits, such as the American Cancer Society and the American Red Cross, have detailed policies to manage the use of their names and logos, and even small nonprofits frequently experiment with putting their names on coffee cups, pens, and T-shirts. Branding in the nonprofit sector appears to be at an inflection point in its development. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for example, recently appointed Tom Scott as director of global brand and innovation.

“We’re catalysts,” says Scott. Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations - Role of Brand in the Nonprofit Sector. David Fenton CEO and Founder, Fenton This report is a sign of a great deal of progress. 30 years ago I could barely convince nonprofit groups to hire press secretaries or focus on communications. Even today many groups and philanthropists are uncomfortable with the concepts of marketing and branding. They understandably fear that simplifying messages means distorting them – but this need not, and should never be true.

In the modern world, being opposed to branding is being opposed to contemporary forms of effective action. Emily Brew Brand Creative Director, The Nike Foundation This Hauser Center work and the ideas it contains are rebranding ‘brand’ for nonprofits. Ingrid Srinath Secretary General, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation The truth consistently well told has always seemed to me to be the secret of powerful, durable brands. Marinke van Riet International Director, Publish What You Pay Kate Roberts Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Communications, PSI Asif Saleh.