While the majority of businesses still have a long way to go to be environmentally sustainable, it’s clear that interest in greening the business world is on the rise. One of the many signs of this is the growing number of Sustainable MBA programs cropping up around the country (e.g., the Presidio Graduate School’s MBA in Sustainable Management, Dominican University’s Green MBA, and at least 20 others). Another indicator is the gradual greening of massive companies like Walmart, which recently developed a Sustainability Index to assess the sustainability of its supplier companies. We’re also seeing the emergence of “green” banks, such as New Resource Bank. And some cities and counties have established Green Business certification programs for local businesses.
Given the significant environmental, social, economic, and health impacts (as well as the political influence) that many companies have, it’s critically important that we support and create businesses that implement responsible and sustainable policies and practices—businesses that reflect our values and whose practices and products aren’t compromising the length or quality our lives.
Among U.S. companies, a few that have shown early and exceptional leadership in sustainability are: Patagonia (the recreation/outdoors outfitter), Interface (the commercial carpet company), Seventh Generation (household products), and Straus Family Creamery (organic dairy).
Two of the many recent books on green business are:
And a seminal book on green business is:
These are some of the major online hubs for news and information on green business:
Also, author and consultant Andrew Winston has a good green business blog.
And last but not least, the following are some of the most prominent groups and networks that help companies improve their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts and their environmental performance:
January 29, 2010
I try to come up with thoughtful gifts that are well-suited for each recipient. But I also strive to be a thoughtful consumer by choosing gifts that meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Non-Stuff: Gift certificates or tickets for activities, special events, services, restaurants, or favors; or donations or memberships to non-profits
- Products with green attributes: e.g., solar charger for cell phones and other electronics; organic cotton blanket; organic food; soaps, lotions, or bath products made with entirely natural, safe ingredients, etc. (Beware of “greenwashing,” of course. Many manufacturers now make environmental claims about their products; when possible, look for evidence or third-party certifications that back up their claims.)
- Homemade, locally-made, or Fair Trade goods (i.e., avoiding cheapo stuff that could have been made in an overseas sweatshop using child labor)
- Useful stuff: Things that most anyone can put to use, e.g., consumables (favorite specialty foods); fun/cozy socks; a mini-LED light for a keychain; a good book about a topic of interest to the recipient
- Small stuff: Items that don’t use a lot of resources, don’t require a lot of packaging/shipping material, and won’t take up much space in someone’s home
Check out stores that sell green products in your area. And to avoid driving around a lot, also check out web retailers that offer green items, such as:
(Note: I am an affiliate ad publisher for some of those companies.)
For other green product ideas, reviews, or advice, take a look at these sites:
If you have other gift ideas or websites to suggest, please leave a Comment below.
November 27, 2009
The following are key online resources for information on federal, state, and local environmental tax credits, rebates, and other financial incentives. Most of the incentives that are available are for installing energy-efficient equipment or renewable energy (e.g., solar) technologies.
FEDERAL
These are good directories of federal income tax credits, grants, other incentives for energy-efficient products—for consumers, as well as businesses, builders, and manufacturers:
Click here for a clear summary of the main tax credits currently available: essentially 30% of various energy-efficiency improvements (up to $1,500) and 30% of the cost of solar energy installations. For info on federal grants (to organizations and agencies), go to Grants.gov.
STATE AND LOCAL
Check out the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency for a compendium of options, organized by state. Also check with your municipality (city and county governments) and local utility companies. Many offer their own green rebates and incentives. And this is a great summary of energy-efficiency grants and funds provided to state and local agencies by the 2009 economic stimulus/recovery bill (ARRA).
CALIFORNIA
For those of you who are in California, there are numerous entities offering green rebates and other incentives. Take a look at these resources:
If you know of other useful directories or resources related to green financial incentives, or if you have made use of energy tax credits or other green incentives, please share your experiences or suggestions by leaving a comment below.
NEW (added 1/19/10): Also check out the directory of energy rebates and tax credits at EnergySavvy.com. Enter your zip code and the site will give you a list of applicable state, local, and federal incentives.
November 16, 2009
If you’ll be in the San Francisco Bay Area during the first week of October, consider attending one or both of these entertaining and edifying events, which will be taking place in San Francisco and in West Marin County respectively:
West Coast Green, San Francisco
Expo + conference on green innovation for the built environment
Fort Mason Center
October 1-3, 2009 (Thursday – Saturday)
www.westcoastgreen.com
3rd Annual Point Reyes Green Homes Tour, Pt. Reyes Station
Organized by the Community Land Trust Association of West Marin (CLAM)
October 4, 2009 (Sunday)
www.clam-ptreyes.org
If you’d like to recommend other green events that will be happening in the Bay Area this fall, feel free to mention them in the Comments section.
September 7, 2009
I’m not someone who delights in killing pests, and I don’t often advocate for their demise. In fact, I usually do my best to avoid killing them (e.g., if an indoor spider gets too close for comfort, I usually capture it in a jar and release it outside). However, I recently had to make an exception to my pacifist policy, when I noticed that yellow jackets had built a nest right next to the front door of our house. It was an underground nest in a flower bed. There were so many yellow jackets coming and going from the nest throughout the day that we were scared to keep our front door open for very long, and I worried that our dog would inadvertently step on the entry to the nest and get swarmed and attacked. Furthermore, I learned that yellow jackets sometimes raid honeybee hives to steal their honey, and they kill honeybees in the process. This is a sufficiently good reason to get rid of the jackets, in my opinion. One of our neighbors has a honeybee hive, so it felt like killing these yellow jackets was a just and neighborly thing to do.
(Honeybees are suffering from a Colony Collapse Disorder. For info about it, click here. Note: If you have a problem with a swarm, nest, or hive, check out online photos of bees, yellow jackets, hornets, etc. to make sure you know which of these you’re dealing with. Honeybees and other pollinators are extremely important, and they almost never sting; please don’t kill them.)
I didn’t want to use toxic insecticides, which could kill the flowers in our garden and poison our dog and the honeybees, along with the soil and groundwater around our house. So, thinking we were being clever, my husband and I tried putting the garden hose down the nest entry hole and flushing out the nest with water. This scheme did not work. We tried it a few evenings in a row, and the tenacious buggers would shoot out of the nest alive (seemingly unfazed by the water) and quickly rebuild a new entry hole. One evening, they went into attack mode and my husband got stung. They won these battles, but we were determined to outsmart them and win the war — without resorting to the use of Raid, professional chemical insecticides, gasoline, or any of the other toxic and hazardous substances that are commonly suggested.
So I started researching other non-insecticide solutions. Through my reading, I learned that mint oil can kill almost any insect, and that yellow jackets also don’t like soapy or boiling water… We happened to have a quart-size container of Dr. Bronner’s “magic” organic peppermint castile liquid soap in the house. The bottle was only half full, so we filled the rest of it up with water to make it a 50% diluted quart. Then we waited ‘til it was almost dark outside (this is the only time you should ever deal with yellow jackets, as they’re all inside the nest and inactive at night). We poured the quart down the nest’s entry hole (it’s best to do this with an extension device, like a hose or a gas can or watering can, to keep your body further from the nest opening — and you should also wear protective clothing). We immediately followed that up by pouring in a kettle full of boiling hot water, which washed the mint oil further down into the nest. We didn’t see a single yellow jacket emerge from the nest that night, and we haven’t seen any around here since. It worked!
RECIPE
1/2 quart (2 cups) Dr. Bronner’s organic peppermint castile soap, diluted/mixed with
1/2 quart (2 cups) water [poured into the nest via a hose or watering can with a long nozzle]
Followed by 1 tea-kettle full (approx. 1 quart or 4 cups) of boiling water
[Note: While this solution worked for this ground nest, it might not be appropriate for other scenarios, e.g., nests in the walls of your house, where you cannot find the exact entry spot. For those types of situations, try using Rescue traps instead.]
Dr. Bronner’s entertaining, pontificating text-filled label (I recommend reading all of the fine print if you haven’t before) states that the soap is good for 18 different uses: from washing pets and babies to washing dentures and cars. Yellow jacket / insect eradication isn’t one of the listed uses, but it seems that it should be. Soon I’m going to experiment with using the stuff to repel mosquitos, get rid of ants, and keep fleas and other bugs off of the dog. I’ll update this blog post to report on the results…
Check out the Dr. Bronner company’s good work on social and environmental issues (e.g., fair trade, truly organic ingredients, employee salaries and benefits, charitable donations, etc.). And if you’re curious about the eccentric Dr. Bronner’s life, rent the fascinating documentary Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soapbox.
July 6, 2009
ENERGY STAR is an energy efficiency rating program developed by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Most people are familiar with ENERGY STAR labeled home appliances and light bulbs, but many people may not be aware that the label is applied to more than 60 different types of products (for residential use as well as commercial building use), including heating and cooling equipment, roofs, and many types of electronics. (Note: Heating and cooling are the largest sources of energy consumption in homes; they account for almost half of a typical home’s energy consumption and energy costs.)
Specific examples of products for which you can find ENERGY STAR qualified models include: air conditioners (central or room), ceiling fans, exhaust/ventilation fans, furnaces, boilers, thermostats, water heaters, refrigerators and freezers, dishwashers, clothes washers, insulation, windows, skylights, roofs, doors, light fixtures and bulbs, as well as TVs, DVD players, phones, computers, monitors, printers, copiers, etc.
To find out which brands and models of a particular product have earned the ENERGY STAR label, or to compare the levels of efficiency among different models, go to the ENERGY STAR Qualified Products website. Also, check with your utility company to see if they offer rebates for purchasing energy efficient equipment or appliances; many utilities do.
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March 28, 2009
