Clorox Partners With Sierra Club on Marketing ‘Green Works’ Natural Cleaners
Clorox announced yesterday that they have joined forces with the Sierra Club in marketing their new natural cleaning product line Green Works. Green Works labels will boast the Sierra Club logo and pay a fee to the non-profit.
Green Works will start appearing on store shelves throughout the country this month and the Sierra Club logo will start appearing on Green Works near Earth Day (April 22) this year.
The Green Works products will include: an all-purpose cleaner, a glass cleaner, a toilet bowl cleaner, a dilutable cleaner, and a bathroom cleaner. All are at least 99 percent natural made from ingredients like coconuts and lemon oil. The cleaners are biodegradable, non-allergenic, cruelty free and packaged in recyclable containers.
The products have been granted the “Design for Environment” certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And the launch of Green Works is significant in that it marks the first nationally distributed natural cleaner - Clorox is big business.
Sierra Club Executive Director said, “One of the Sierra Club’s primary goals is to foster vibrant, healthy communities with clean water and air that are free from pollution. Products like Green Works help to achieve this goal in the home. We’re looking forward to working with Clorox and the Green Works team to promote a line of natural cleaning products for consumers who are moving toward a greener lifestyle,” according to GreenBiz.
Many critics of the company best known for manufacturing bleach products see Clorox as just trying to cash in on green market trends. Case in point, their recent acquisition of Burt’s Bees which many long time Burt’s fans called a sell-out rather than a buyout.
What do you think? Should we applaud green moves by a company that also produces environmentally damaging products? Is any green better than none at all?
Via GreenBiz
Economic Innovations Surge With Environmentalism
“Once regarded as irrelevant to economic activity, environmental problems are drastically rewriting the rules for business, investors, and consumers, affecting over $100 billion in annual capital flows,” say Worldwatch Institute project co-directors Gary Gardner and Thomas Prugh.
The world’s first global, sustainable market is becoming a reality according to a new report from the Worldwatch Institute. Environmental initiatives, revolutionary industrial production methods and a surge in environmentally focused investment groups are all highlighted among the increasingly important role that environmental issues play in the new world economy.
Another sign of dramatic change is the 575 environmental and energy hedge funds now in existence, most of them formed in the last few years. “Clean tech” has rapidly grown to be the third largest recipient of venture capital, trailing only the Internet and biotechnology. And 54 banks, representing 85 percent of global private project finance capacity, have endorsed the Equator Principles, a new international standard of sustainability investment.
The report also highlights how the current global economy is outpacing its “ecological base” using up natural resources at an unsustainable rate but notes that we possess the power and tools to change its course.
“Continued human progress now depends on an economic transformation that is more profound than any seen in the last century,” says Worldwatch president Christopher Flavin. “We should be practicing a sustainable approach to economics that takes advantage of the ability of markets to allocate scarce resources while explicitly recognizing that our economy is dependent on the broader ecosystem that contains it.”
Read the Worldwatch article at Adam Smith, Meet Mother Earth, more on the report at State of the World 2008: Innovations for a Sustainable Economy (full report available for purchase: $15 e-book, $18.95 paperback)
Compostmodern Design Conference in San Francisco This Weekend!
Compostmodern is an interdisciplinary design conference dedicated to promoting sustainable solutions within the design community at large. It will be held in San Francisco this Saturday, January 19, 2008.
This is a great opportunity to get insight on the role of design in the shift towards sustainability from some of the most respected voices on business, environment and design.
Speakers include
Joel Makower (GreenBiz.com) a well- respected voice on business, the environment, and the bottom line. The Associated Press has called him the guru of green business practices. Joel is co-founder and executive editor of Greener World Media, Inc. which produces GreenBiz.com and its sister sites, ClimateBiz.com, GreenerBuildings.com, and GreenerComputing.com.
Alex Steffen (Worldchanging) the Executive Editor of Worldchanging since he co-founded the organization in 2003, as the next phase in a lifetime of work exploring ways of building a better future. In a very short time, Worldchanging has become the most widely read sustainability related publication on the Internet, with an archive of over 7,000 articles by leading thinkers around the world.
Adam Werbach (Act Now Productions) founder and CEO of Act Now. He is highly regarded as one of the worlds experts in sustainability. At age 23, Adam was elected as the youngest president ever of the Sierra Club, the oldest and largest environmental organization in the United States.
Marc Alt and (AIGA Center for Sustainable Design) Marc Alt is the principal of Marc Alt + Partners, a New York based design consultancy specializing in research, business analysis, brand strategy, and environmental strategy for corporations, non-profi ts and philanthropic organizations. And co-chair of the AIGA Center for Sustainable Design (CFSD), a nationwide initiative to elevate sustainable thinking within the design profession at large.
…and many more thoroughly engaging speakers are on the list so if you are in the San Francisco area this weekend mark your calendar for Compostmodern 08 and get your green on. Register here.
Why we need Greener Gadgets
I’ve been with the same cell provider for five about five years. I actually don’t use the cell phone daily but it was and remains my “land line” in the US. On a recent visit, I tried to get a new charger for the phone, which is all of 2 years old, and the salesperson acted like I wanted parts for an antique.
They don’t make chargers or batteries for this phone anymore. The word of the day was “obsolete”, as in you are the sucker who bought a product which would become obsolete before its useful life was over. And as in we are the company who sold you a product that would quickly become obsolete and we aren’t going to do anything when it does.
I understand that technology evolves very fast. However, there is a problem when companies don’t take responsibility for end use. Cell phones, computers, DVD players and all the soon-to-be obsolete parts that are sold with them have created the major global problem of how to deal with e-waste. Very little of our gadgets get recycled and when they do it is often to the detriment of the environment, developing countries or already disenfranchised segments of our society.
Tackling this and other sustainability issues within the technology industry is the focus of the Greener Gadgets Conference in NYC February 1st, 2008. Greener Gadgets is a one day conference featuring key representatives from some of the largest consumer electronics companies in the world, innovators from academic thinktanks, members of startups focused on renewable energy, and some of the leading minds in the word of sustainable design and business.
Industry leaders, entrepreneurs, journalists, and designers will gather to discuss the business case for the greening of the consumer electronics industry.
Topics to be addressed include: design for sustainability, product life cycle management, take-back and recycling programs, energy efficiency, greener materials, and green lifestyle and product marketing. An attached gallery space will feature a green prototype office display and technology exhibits from companies on the cutting edge of green tech.
I’ll be there, will you? Learn more and get involved at the Greener Gadgets website!
Also check out this great resource on e-waste by Jennifer Van Der Meer of o2-NYC. And the GreenPeace Guide to Greener Electronics.
What’s your idea of a green gadget? Got a design in mind? Check out the Greener Gadgets Design Competition, over $4,500 in prizes up for grabs for ideas that bring solutions for greener electronics.
How Green is your Bank?
There’s never been a better time to invest green but which banks are leading the pack? Douglas Cogan, Director of Climate Change Research at the RiskMetrics Group recently analyzed the top 40 financial institutions in terms of their “greenness” and found what he calls “encouraging progress.”
The top-ranked bank was HSBC and Citigroup and Bank of America rated highest among US institutions. At the bottom of the list were Bank of China and Industrial Bank of China.
The report, Corporate Governance and Climate Change: The Banking Sector, looked at issues like addressing climate change, calculating greenhouse-gas emissions and setting reduction targets, support of alternative energy projects, partnerships with environmental groups and developing positions like Chief Environmental Officers.
Do you think banks are doing enough to go green?
More:
- Ceres Ranks Banks on Climate Change
- How ‘Green’ Are the World’s Banks?
- Banks Continue To Step Up Green Initiatives
- Bank of America Commits to Sustainability
- Corporate Governance and Climate Change: The Banking Sector (PDF)
Via CSMonitor
What's Green at the Consumer Electronics Show?
The annual Consumer Electronics Show is coming to a close today but even if you weren’t live in Las Vegas you can still catch some of the highlights and see what ways the industry is striving for green. Inhabitat and Earth2Tech both have insight into this year’s event with a keen eye on sustainability.
At Inhabitat
- A (Supposedly) Greener CES Starts Today in Las Vegas
- Samsung Launches New Low Energy 31″ OLED TV
- Fujitsu Unveils Laptop Made From Corn
At Earth2Tech
CES highlights its efforts to make the show greener on their website here including steps like:
- Recycling bins will be placed across the show floor this year to divert cans, cups, glass products and paper
- All CES flyers are printed on recycled paper using soy inks
- Remaining show publications and flyers will be recycled at the close of the event
- Attendee food containers and utensils are biodegradable, made from hemp, corn byproduct or other organic materials
- Environmentally friendly chemicals are used in maintaining over 100 restrooms daily, replacing more than 15,000 gallons of non-sustainable products
- The Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) has switched to recycled paper products including toilet paper, facial tissue and paper towels
- All light bulbs and batteries used by the show are recycled and diverted from landfills
- Hazardous waste disposal programs are in affect for waste oil, paints and solvents
- Recycled carpet will be used in some convention spaces at the LVCC
These and other initiatives were done in partnership with Discovery Communications’ Planet Green.
Did you go to this year’s Consumer Electronics Show? Did you see green?
Ship Green Gives Retailers Easy Offset Option
The shipping industry has started to get on board with more sustainable practices, like UPS who trucks no longer turn left to save gas. Now a smart entrepreneur has launched Shipgreen.net, a web-based service that integrates with retailers’ online shopping carts, calculates emissions from shipping and allows consumers to offset the carbon produced.
The program is the result of the research by Dr. Arpad Horvath of UC Berkeley and Dr. Cristiano Facanha of ICF International. Together, the two developed the algorithm that determines the carbon footprint from the manufacture of a product to its delivery at a consumer’s door. Because the algorithm is so accurate, the average cost for an offset is only 29 to 49 cents. - EL
The system seems to be ultra user-friendly and a great way for online retailers to have a more sustainable business without a lot of effort or cost. I’m always a little hesitant about offsets in general but in this case I think it makes a lot of sense.
What do you think? Would you incorporate this into your online business?
Also check out The Year Ahead with Jason Sperling, ShipGreen co-founder and CEO. triplepundit also has a nice writeup on ShipGreen.
Via EL
Want to make a difference this year?
Individuals and businesses can make a difference and a new project in Tanzania is a great place to focus your corporate or personal donations. A friend of mine recently forwarded me info on Operation Tech Start, a project that is working to “upgrade the economic status of disadvantaged communities through the spread of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) within the central region of Tabora, Tanzania - an area often overlooked by international aid due to its poor infrastructure and inaccessibility.”
Operation Tech Start aims to connect kids and communities in Tanzania to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) that improve their educational and economic opportunities.
Operation Tech Start is looking for
- Computer equipment & accessories
- Digital cameras, music players or other electronics
- Children’s movies (DVD format)
If you or your company have extra electronics that you can give to the children in Tanzania email Holly@operationtechstart.org or call 347-243-5183.
Or consider helping fund the pilot project: Computer Classes for 25 Children for 6 Months
Tell them where you want your money to go and the funds will be applied to the specific area. You will be able to check in on the blog for confirmation of how the money is being used. Here’s what your donation can do:
- Educational software & manuals = $20/child
- Computer educators & training fee = $3,160/month
- Printer paper, pens & pencils = $10/month
- Computer lab local helpdesk= $25/month
- Internet connection = $30/month
This is a wonderful project and the kind of endeavor that businesses and individuals can easily get involved in. You could donate unused computer equipment, supplies or money. However you choose to support Operation Tech Start it will make a difference.
Industry Sues Over Bottled Water Tax
The more I read about Chicago, the more I like the city. Under the initiatives of Mayor Richard Daly, Chicago just keeps getting greener with green moves like the Green Alley Project, the Green Roof Program, the Green Bungalow Initiative and, the latest, a new tax on bottled water which took effect on January 1, 2008.
It’s hard to argue about more green space and green building, however the bottled water tax seems to be causing an uproar. Mostly from bottled water industry groups, a number of which have filed a lawsuit opposing the city’s new tax.
The tax is meant to dissuade people from purchasing bottled water and opt for tap water which is safe and doesn’t produce non-biodegradable waste that ends up in landfills or waterways. The tax would also generate revenue for the city, estimated to be about $10 million. The opponents claim that the 5-cents-a-bottle tax is unconstitutional and will send shoppers out of the city for goods.
I’m no taxgirl, but I think that environmentally damaging goods should have a “sin” tax on them. If companies want to make products that end up as an ecological liability (that they don’t have to deal with BTW!) then it should sting a little. I am all for a thriving economy but that doesn’t mean you can do or make whatever you please even if it harms people and the environment. If your product harms the environment then it should be harder to sell.
What do you think about Chicago’s move to tax bottled water?
Get taxgirl’s take at Taxing Bottled Water: Saving the Environment or Killing Business?
More on bottled water and plastics:
- Groups sue over bottled water tax at Business Week
- 5 Reasons Not to Buy Bottled Water at Lighter Footstep
- At Large in an Ocean of Plastic at Daily Tomorrow
- International Pellet Watch
- Plastic Ocean at Best Life
- The Plastic Sea at The Tyee
- Altered Oceans at LA Times
Announcing the Mid-Course Correction Contest!
I’ve mentioned Ray Anderson here on Greener Assets as a model of an inspiring business success story. After an environmental legacy wake-up call, Anderson took to transforming his carpet tile company into a “a sustainable operation that takes nothing out of the earth that cannot be recycled or quickly regenerated, and that does no harm to the biosphere.” He has become one of the nation’s leading spokespersons and advocates for sustainability.
He is also an author, which brings us to our Mid-Course Correction Contest. This week, readers have the chance to win a copy of Ray Anderson’s Book Mid-Course Correction: Toward a Sustainable Enterprise The Interface Model. It’s a great book for anyone interested in the shift towards an environmentally sustainable economy.
Book Description
Mid-Course Correction is the personal story of Ray Anderson’s realization that businesses need to embrace principles of sustainability, and of his efforts, often frustrating, to apply these principles within a billion dollar corporation that is still measured by the standard scorecards of the business world. While the path has proved to have many curves, Interface is demonstrating that the principles of sustainability and financial success can co-exist within a business, and can lead to a new prosperity that includes human dividends as well.
How to play…
Here are the five questions (answers are here on Greener Assets)
1. What did Greenpeace find in Budweiser’s beer last year?
2. Can you name two companies that are changing small wind?
3. What is the name of the company that bought Burt’s Bees in 2007?
4. Where and when is the Greener Gadgets Conference?
5. Can you name one of the six sins of greenwashing?
That’s it!
Here are the rules:
- Entries must be sent via email with “Mid-Course Correction Contest” in the subject line to greener.assets@yahoo.com by 11:59p.m. EST on January 12, 2008.
- You must include your full name and your email address with your entry. I won’t publish your email address, but I do need contact information for the winning entry and for your shipping address. I respect your privacy, and I will not send you anything unrelated to your entry in this contest.
- Remember to leave a comment on this post that you are playing along.
- Have fun and check back next week to see if you won!
What Are Your Green Resolutions This Year?
I’m not such a fanatic about New Year’s Resolutions because change is an ongoing process. I do have a standing resolution that I don’t want to wake up and start the year with a hangover, I’ve fulfilled that one for quite some time.
However, if I was put on the spot to give you one I’d say that my resolution this year is to do more of what I do and to do it better, like more of this and this and this and so on and so on. All of my hopes this year have a little to do with this and this. I say hopes with a cheerful optimism because 2007 proved to be a monumental year for the environment and in many ways it looks to just get better.
There are so many ways to go green at home and work, simple steps to make progress include ideas and actions that have sustainability in mind. Like using less paper by printing only when necessary, saving energy by powering down and avoiding phantom loads, biking or walking to work, taking the train, the list is endless.
Still, there is something about a New Year’s Resolution that makes us all listen up. It’s a call to action, a goal, a path. Even if it doesn’t go as planned it’s better to at least give it a go. So I want to know what readers are thinking. What are your green goals for your business or work this year? I want to know! Leave a comment and share your vision of green for the coming year!
Need a little inspiration? You might like to check out TreeHugger’s ongoing The Year Ahead, where over the month of January a number of green gurus will share their eco-resolutions and outlooks for the next 365 days. The series starts with Danny Seo, green-living guru and author of the Simply Green book series? You can check it out here.
Happy New Year!
Whole Foods Plans to Ban the Plastic Bag
It would make sense that a store which has ridden the organic movement wave to a peak of commercial success would be making sustainability part of its culture, and Whole Foods Market has certainly done so in the past couple of years.
The store is far from perfect when it comes to certain ethical aspects or how they deal with companies in their supply chain, particularly small farmers, BUT, I can say that their move to ban plastic bags is undeniably wholesome. And might add, it’s about time.
Whole Foods Market is no longer offering plastic grocery bags at the checkouts in its two stores in Austin, Texas. The company says that the move in Austin, where the supermarket is headquartered, is the first step to ban plastic bags companywide by early next year.
Apparently plastic bag manufacturers are quite upset at the audacity of such an endeavor. The Progressive Bag Alliance, a non-profit association of plastic bag manufacturers promoting environmentally responsible plastic bag use, issued a statement saying “that any plan to replace plastic bags with paper bags will yield negative impacts on the environment.” Pardon?
I tried to find these jokers but their site seems to have disappeared. You can read their press release here where they ask Whole Foods to reconsider. Their argument is that plastic is better than paper. Um, reusable tote anyone? The whole play reminds me of a certain movie…what do y’all think?
Via EL
Global Green USA Award Winners Announced
Global Green USA, the national environmental organization, recognizes environmental vision and leadership in business, government, media and other fields with two annual awards: The Millennium Awards in Los Angeles and the Designing a Sustainable and Secure World Awards in New York. Recently, the winners of the 8th annual Designing a Sustainable and Secure World Awards were announced and given to several deserving leaders.
“This year’s honorees point the way towards a green future,” said Matt Petersen, President and CEO of Global Green USA. “They’ve been walking the walk long before green became cool. We need more leaders like them given the renewed sense of urgency we received from the recent United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) synthesis report.” - GG press release
And the winners are…
Albanese Organization won the Green Building Design Award. The Albanese Organization built America’s first environmentally advanced residential tower, the Solaire, and are currently building one of the greenest residential high rises in the world, the Visionaire, in Battery Park City, New York. They are helping popularize and demonstrate the benefits of creating smart green buildings that conserve water and energy.
Discovery Communications won the Media and Entertainment Design Award. Coming in 2008, Discovery will launch Planet Green, a global, cross-company initiative which includes delivering the first-ever 24-hour eco-lifestyle television network to more than 50 million homes. Planet Green speaks to people who want to understand green living and to those who truly want to make a difference by providing tools and information to meet the critical challenge of protecting our environment.
Pratt Industries won the Industrial Design Award. Pratt industries, the largest privately owned paper and packaging company in the world, is a leader in environmental stewardship. Pratt’s 100% recycled paper mills in New York and Georgia use no toxic chemicals and keep 700,000 tons of waste paper from landfills.
Shaklee Corporation won the Organizational Design Award. Shaklee Corporation is one of the world’s preeminent sustainable businesses. Founded 50 years ago, Shaklee is a leading provider of natural nutrition, personal care and environmentally-friendly household products. In 2000, Shaklee became the first company in the world to be Climate Neutral™ certified, resulting in a net zero impact on the environment. It is also spreading the message of caring for the planet through its network of more than 750,000 Members and Distributors.
These are just a few of the great initiatives that Global Green has its eye on, check out more here and congrats to the winners!
Via EL
Global Green USA - the American affiliate of President Gorbachev’s Green Cross International was founded by Diane Meyer Simon in 1993. Global Green USA works to foster a global values shift towards a sustainable and secure future. Global Green USA hosts the Designing a Sustainable and Secure World Awards in New York to shine the light on some of today’s innovative ‘designs’ and the visionary leaders that create or implement them.
Shell Starts Looking to Algae-based Diesel
Getting biofuel from algae isn’t a new idea but it is getting some new attention from Royal Dutch Shell. The company has just announced plans to start a marine algae pilot facility in Hawaii.
The move is one of many commercially focused research initiatives aimed at tapping into biofuel sources that are less likely to cause land-use, deforestation and food price issues, like those associated with palm oil, corn and other crops.
Algae as a source of biofuel has been on the radar since the 1970s. The U.S. Department of Energy funded the ‘Aquatic Species Program’ study that ran from 1978-1996 through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The research focused on high-oil algae cultivation for biodiesel. At the time the program was canceled, algae was competing against low oil prices. Surging oil prices and advances in biotech over the past decade have refueled the algae biocrude race.
Shell’s plan is also driven by upcoming changes in “government mandates in the United States and Europe that will require a small percentage of road fuels to be derived from renewable sources in coming years.” Algae just might prove to be the most lucrative biofuel choice. The crop has the potential to outproduce other biofuel crops by 10-200% per acre. Even though Shell has a disastrous environmental record, the move towards algae-based biofuel has a lot of positive factors to consider.
My biggest concern is why Hawaii? Algae grows anywhere and in any type of water, fresh, salt, brackish or wastewater so picking a fragile archipelago ecosystem to conduct this research in doesn’t make sense to me. Thoughts anyone?
Check out Algae Biocrude by LiveFuels, a national algae cultivation research initiative from the US DOE.
Via ENN
Never Been a Better Time to Invest 'Green'
Financial institutions are starting to see the “top-line”, money-making reality of delivering sustainability to corporate and retail clients…
says a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme Financial Initiative (UNEP FI). Recently released the report details green financial services and products and emphasizes the environmental, social and economic benefits of ‘green’ banking. The report highlighted that North American institutions aligned with green investing are poised to find a return that is both financially rewarding as well as a value fulfilling endeavor.
The report, Green Financial Products and Services: Current State of Play and Future Opportunities in North America” (PDF), was presented at UNEP FI’s summit in Melbourne Australia earlier this year. Asset management, corporate and investment banking, insurance, project finance and retail were all included in the research. Products like energy efficient mortgages (EEMs), alternative energy venture capital and eco-savings deposits were points of consideration.
‘Tangible benefits’ to institutions could include: improved market share, increased profits, customer acquisition and loyalty, higher employee satisfaction and retention (uh huh), and positive media attention.
Social Funds reported that the UNEP FI report found “financial institutions in the US and Canada have much to learn about green banking products and services, the report notes. They are behind European financial institutions that are blazing the green path.” But noted, “consumers can expect lots of new green financial products to come out in the market over the next six months.”
Some of the green finance products on the hot list include:
- green or energy efficient mortgages (EEMs)
- green home equity loans
- green commercial building loans
- green car loans
- green credit and debit cards
- green fiscal funds
Even though the financial institutions might be dragging on green moves, the market is there. According to a recent Yale pole, 75% of Americans acknowledge that their behavior can help reduce global warming, and 81% feel it is their responsibility to take action against this environmental challenge. Among top consumer choices are opting for renewable energy and considering an alternative vehicle.
*UNEP FI is a global partnership between UNEP and the financial sector. Over 160 institutions, including banks, insurers and fund managers, work with UNEP to understand the impacts of environmental and social considerations on financial performance.
PG&E Tapping Into Wave Power
San Francisco-based Pacific Gas & Electric Co. will be the first U.S. utility to buy electricity generated by wave power. PG&E’s new contract will use electricity in its new contract would come from a wave project planned by Canada’s Finavera Renewables Inc. for the waters off the coast of Northern California’s Humboldt County, according to the LA Times.
The PG&E Corp. subsidiary said power from the 15-year deal would be delivered beginning in 2010 and would provide a relatively meager boost to the grid — just 2 megawatts, or enough to power about 1,500 homes. But the company said the power deal was a significant milestone for a promising technology that could be a major source of renewable energy for the state. - LA Times
The move by PG&E to embrace this emerging technology shows that the market is there for innovative renewables. In California, new laws require utilities to obtain 20 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2010. Wave power has the potential to capture more energy in less space than wind and solar power systems.
Finavera’s “wave park” would include eight bobbing buoys set up roughly 2 1/2 miles off shore from Eureka, Calif. The up-and-down motion of the Pacific Ocean would power a pump that creates electricity, which would be delivered to a PG&E substation via an underwater transmission cable. - LA Times
There are still concerns about the impact of this technology on the region’s fishing industry, wildlife and outdoor recreation but Finavera has been conducting tests off the coast of Oregon and is involved with wave energy projects in Portugal, Canada, the United States and South Africa.
You can check the launch of Finavera’s Aquabouy 2.0 Wave Power Generator over at Inhabitat.
See how it works (Finavera Renewables video)…
Via LA Times
Baby Boomers Buying Green
Think the green market is dominated by youth? Think again. A survey from AARP and Focalyst has found that forty million boomers are thinking about the environment when it comes to brand selection:
The green thing is not just for kids… a new report out from AARP Services and Focalyst on boomers and how social consciousness is alive and kicking when it comes to how they spend their money. According to the survey results 40-million boomers vote with their wallets and buy environmentally safe brands. Referred to as “Green Boomers,” this large segment is often more demanding of quality in the products and services they buy, more attuned to advertising, both positively and negatively, and exhibit higher brand loyalty than other boomers. - Jill Greenburg, AARP
Boomers have a significant impact on today’s ever-greening economy with consumer behaviors that include buying organic foods, locally produced goods, using energy-efficient fixtures, investing in renewable energy and contributing to community efforts for the environment. And it’s not just wealthy boomers…
What’s driving the trend? It’s likely a combination of factors but one thing is certain, the trend is growing. And with more than half of the 79 million boomers on board with environmentally responsible spending they represent a huge part of the green economy. Perhaps it’s just true that with age comes wisdom and going green just makes sense.
More:
- Boomers Discover That It’s Easy Being Green at USA Today
Via EL
*In another study, Focalyst found that more than 80 percent of baby boomers are online…New Study Shows Baby Boomers are Online (PDF)
Are You Giving 1%?
The holidays are about giving and when this is applied in a business setting the collective results can make a world of difference. If you are wondering how to give back from the success of your business consider 1% For The Planet, a growing network of companies that donate 1% of their sales to a network of over 1,500 environmental organizations worldwide.
There are over 600 members in the United States alone including Via Viva, Totally Organic, Purely Shea, N’East Magazine, Native Energy and many more great companies and individuals.
How it works: Members of 1% For The Planet can contribute 1% of sales to any of the environmental organizations listed on the web site. Member companies donate directly to their desired nonprofits—not through 1% FTP. We do this to encourage independent, personal relationships between member companies and the groups they support. These relationships are a real positive for businesses, enabling them to get involved and affect change firsthand.
Why give? In the words of playwrite Thornton Wilder: “Money, if you’ll pardon the expression, is like manure. It’s not worth a thing unless you spread it around encouraging young things to grow.” And that’s the idea of 1% FTP, to help good things grow by encouraging corporate giving.
The list of non-profits is growing steadily but today include important organizations like Worldwatch Institute, World Wildlife Fund, Wild Aid, The Sierra Fund and The Nature Conservancy, among many others.
This holiday season, and throughout the year, consider giving 1% For The Planet to make it go around for the environment and keep the earth in business.
An Eye on Green IT 2008
InfoWorld has rounded up over a dozen IT experts who have had an eye on sustainable technology over the past year to share predictions for 2008 and beyond.
Green tech has flourished in the past year as vendors and customers alike have invested plenty of resources in making their products and practices more energy efficient, less wasteful, and eco-friendlier.
But is this sustainable-tech trend a mere green flash in the pan? Hardly. The flourishing world of green technology is driven by true need. Companies are running out of space and power in their datacenters, not to mention struggling with high energy costs. Business leaders, politicians, and consumers alike are becoming increasingly concerned about their impact on the environment.
Among the experts sharing their predictions:
- Christina Page, director of climate and energy, Yahoo, Yahoo Green
- Ted Samson, senior analyst and Sustainable IT blogger, InfoWorld, Sustainable IT
- Dave Stangis, director of corporate responsibility, CSR@Intel
- Pat Tiernan, VP of social and environmental responsibility, HP’s environmental sustainability page
- Steve Vassallo, principal, Cleantech practice at Foundation Capital, Cleantech site
- Larry Vertal, senior strategist for AMD Green, AMD, AMD green
- Hu Yoshida, CTO, Hitachi Data Systems, Hu Yoshida’s blog
What are they saying?
Find out at IT leaders share green-tech predictions for 2008.
What are your predictions for green tech in 2008?
Via EL
Announcing the Greener Gadgets Conference!
Inhabitat founder Jill Fehrenbacher has teamed up with Marc Alt + Partners to present the Greener Gadgets Conference in NYC February 1st, 2008.
Greener Gadgets is a one day conference featuring key representatives from some of the largest consumer electronics companies in the world, innovators from academic thinktanks, members of startups focused on renewable energy, and some of the leading minds in the word of sustainable design and business.
Industry leaders, entrepreneurs, journalists, and designers will gather to discuss the business case for the greening of the consumer electronics industry.
Topics to be addressed include: design for sustainability, product life cycle management, take-back and recycling programs, energy efficiency, greener materials, and green lifestyle and product marketing. An attached gallery space will feature a green prototype office display and technology exhibits from companies on the cutting edge of green tech.
The Greener Gadgets conference will showcase revolutionary design and tech innovations that will shape the future of the consumer electronics and change your world… for the better.
Presenters include representatives from HP, Nokia, Sony, Philips, Intel, EPEAT, the Green Electronics Council, IDEO, Engadget, Earth2Tech/GigaOm and many others to be announced.
Learn more and get involved at the Greener Gadgets website!