Smart Green Business » Resources

An Inconvenient Truth

Jonathan — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:00:11 +0000

For the understanding of the plight of the human race in relation to climate change, no other movie and companion book compares with Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth.” Not only was the movie an award winner as a documentary, it served to open the eyes of millions of people worldwide to the fast-approaching dangers we all face if we continue the patterns of behavior evident in most parts of the world. The movie represents a significant tipping point for me as I began the journey of discovering how I was going to respond to become more sustainable as a consumer and as a business. The most striking feature of the program for me was the degree of denial from the political and business communities even with all of the convincing evidence. It’s inspiring to watch Vice President Al Gore’s journey, presenting his case for decades until his message was heard.

DVD	Book

Green America

Jonathan — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 07:00:45 +0000

At first glance, the website for Green America, formerly Co-op America, is overwhelming. But stay with it and you will realize that it is chock full of useful resources for your organization. Started twenty-five years ago by a small dedicated community of individuals who wanted to “stop corporate irresponsibility and create a green economy based on the values of social and economic justice, community and environmental health.” With a new name and expanded services and tools, Green America is growing and expanding to respond to a marketplace that includes “$360 billion in responsible products, from Fair Trade to green energy, and $2.7 trillion in responsible investments.” The company sponsors a series of Green Festivals around the country and has one of the most comprehensive national directories of companies with sustainable values, National Green Pages TM. I would highly recommend subscribing and supporting Green America as a place to call home and conduct business with a dynamic community.

Website: www.coopamerica.org

Green America
1612 K Street NW, Suite 600
Washington DC 20006
(800) 584-7336

B Corporation

Jonathan — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 07:00:39 +0000

B Corp is on a mission: To create a new sector of the economy which uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. More than just another certification for going green, B Corp wants to encourage change at the very inception of the business when the articles of incorporation are being written. This new designation of incorporation would define another form of organization not only dedicated to the triple bottom-line outcomes of sustainability but also ensuring the growth and wealth of the organizations benefits all stakeholders, not just shareholders. I had a chance to meet with the CEO, Bart Houlahan, recently who shared his enthusiasm and vision for businesses to use the B Corp designation as a new strategic planning process to become more competitive, profitable, while becoming a steward of the environment and committed to social equity. The B Corp website is rich with useful information for businesses and provides a directory of other B Corporations to network with. I would highly recommend investigating whether becoming a B Corporation is the right move for you, especially during a time when many consumers and businesses are looking for reliable sustainability designations for products and services they want to buy.

Website: www.bcorporation.net

B Corporation
8 Walnut Ave
Berwyn, PA 19312
610-296-8283
thelab@bcorporation.net

Good News for a Change

Jonathan — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 07:00:19 +0000

One of the first books about sustainability that I read was Good News for a Change: How Everyday People are Helping the Planet and I have to admit, at the time, it was scarier than reading Steven King. Not scary for the horror factor, rather because the people profiled in the book made such drastic changes not only in their businesses but also in their personal lives. The implications of what they were saying and doing is very scary because deep down I knew they were right and much of my life was not reflecting a lot of these values. I would have to change a lot of things I was currently not willing to until I experienced more personal tipping points and the global economy handed all of us a chance to take a fresh look at ourselves. The fear of change wears off soon, and it becomes easier to embrace new possibilities of how the global economy can become more balanced not just between wealth and poverty, but also in social justice and opportunity. I would encourage anyone interested in answering the question, “What does sustainability look like?” or “What can I do? My business has nothing to do with the environment.” or “What are other people doing to make a difference?” –this is the book for you.

Good News for a Change: How Everyday People are Helping the Planet by David Suzuki and Holly Dressel, Published by Greystone Books, 2002. Click the link below to purchase Good News for a Change.

Get the book on Amzon.com here.

Cradle to Cradle

Jonathan — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 14:29:36 +0000

The fact that Cradle to Cradle was printed with completely biodegradable materials was the first indication that this book was going to be different. Focusing on the premise that rather than continuing on our current path of product design and develop, including recycling, it would be better to redesign everything from the beginning with the least amount of harm to the environment. Branded as “waste as food”, the book puts into perspective a higher bar for all of us to consider in any business and any product. I recommend this book as a first stop for anyone interested in exploring the implications of sustainable development. It’s easy to read, full of examples, and a great theme to have endless debates about.

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough, Michael Braungart, Published by North Point Press, April 22, 2002. Click the link below to purchase Cradle to Cradle.

Green Plus

Jonathan — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:25:09 +0000

At some point 2 years ago, the Institute of Sustainable Development (ISD), a spin-off from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce in North Carolina realized there was a need for better resources and certification of sustainable development for small to medium-sized businesses which comprise the vast majority of jobs and revenue in the U.S. With help from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, the ISD created an on-line certification tool called Green Plus and a set of resources to access at www.gogreenplus.org.

The goal of Green Plus is to provide your business with affordable access to tools and information to improve your bottom line while becoming more sustainable, and to help you receive recognition from your customers and your community for your efforts. An extremely useful and timely resource for any small company and for chambers of commerce nationwide to assess your current state of sustainability and to set you on the path to begin developing a strategic plan while getting recognized throughout your process.

For further information, you contact Chris Carmody, Director of the Sustainable Business Initiative, at ccarmody@sustainablefoundation.org, or by phone at 919-357-9991.

The State of Green Business 2009

Jonathan — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 20:53:12 +0000

Greenbiz.com® released their second annual report on “The State of Green Business 2009” in February which answers the question: How are U.S. businesses doing in their quest to be more environmentally responsible? The results are displayed both in text and graphical form and make it very easy to gain quick insights into the changes from year to year and areas of concern and positive change. The report considers metrics such as absolute greenhouse gas emissions, electronic waste, and updates on current industries like the race for electric vehicles in the auto industry. This report is a must-have for every leader to understand the current state of our progress, the range of issues that need to be measured, and the implications of all of our actions.

Access: Download the Report for free at www.stateofgreenbusiness.com.

Rocky Mountain Institute

Jonathan — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 20:50:10 +0000

Rocky Mountain Institute® (RMI), based in Boulder and Snowmass, Colorado describes itself as “an independent, entrepreneurial, nonprofit organization that fosters the efficient and restorative use of resources to make the world secure, just, prosperous, and life-sustaining.” RMI provides consulting services, conducts research, and publishes reports that benefit businesses, organizations and communities to become more efficient. RMI has three teams that work together around the world: Built Environment Team, Energy & Resources Team, and the Transportation Practice. The Research & Consulting staff provides has expertise in the following areas: Energy, Buildings, Communities, Climate, Transportation, and Water. RMI is a useful resource because they provide resources that are practical, timely, and realistic for today’s challenges. Many of the reports are extremely accessible to the average business to understand the opportunities, limitations, and risks with new green technologies.

Website: www.rmi.org

Rocky Mountain Institute
2317 Snowmass Creek Road
Snowmass, Colorado 81654
(970) 927-3851

Rocky Mountain Institute
1820 Folsom Street
Boulder, Colorado 80302
(303) 245-1003

GreenBiz.com

Jonathan — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 20:47:05 +0000

GreenBiz.com®, is the flagship site of Greener World Media, Inc. and is the self-described “leading online news and information resource on how to align environmental responsibility with business success.” It’s a great site to explore and return to if you want to keep up with what’s happening in the world of green business. The site has thousands of news items, stories, reports, checklists, case studies, and links to organizations, technical assistance programs, government agencies, and recognition programs. You can subscribe to a free e-newsletter, GreenBuzz, and receive multiple RSS feeds on your own website. They also publish an annual report on the state of green business in the country highlighted in the Publications section below. The site is very useful for business as a means to learn about the basics of sustainability, practical projects you can implement, and stay updated on new ideas, initiatives, policies related to businesses going green or building green products.

Website: www.greenbiz.com