Greenify Your Fourth Of July
By Jillian Polaski
Filed Under Conscious Commerce, Green Living | 1 Comment
Fourth of July is upon us once again. Who doesn’t like getting together with friends and family, firing up the old grill, enjoying some BBQ, and watching the fireworks after the sun goes down? Picnics, parties, beer to drink, games to be played…good times.
Maybe you’d even like the Fourth Of July reverie, along with that three-day weekend, to last forever. Well, sadly much of the plastic dishware and decorations from the July 4th will do just that…in a landfill. Bummer. Since foregoing your annual patriotic grillfest is simply not an option, here are some easy things that you can do this Fourth of July to lessen your impact on America The Beautiful. Continue reading Greenify Your Fourth Of July…
Posted on July 1, 2008 |
Green Screen
By Tommy Rosen
Filed Under Conscious Commerce | Leave a Comment
Not a single day has gone by in the last eighteen months when I did not struggle to come up with the words to describe the current global movement to address humanity’s biggest concerns, both social and environmental. The main problem is that the green business sector has not been successful at setting widely accepted definitions and standards for what it actually means to be “green,” “eco,” or “sustainable.” This has led to debate and controversy as governments, companies, organizations and individuals try to figure out what industry practices are truly sustainable. Continue reading Green Screen…
Posted on June 24, 2008 |
Hives For Lives: The Sweet Side Of Giving
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Conscious Commerce, Modern Philanthropy | 1 Comment
According to the American Cancer Society, one out of two men and one out of three women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. These are chilling statistics which have personally touched the lives of almost every person’s family in the US. Carly and Molly Houlahan were 9 and 11 years old when their grandfather died of esophageal cancer. He was their best friend. Devastated by their loss, they wondered how they could help keep other families from dealing with the horrors of cancer. Continue reading Hives For Lives: The Sweet Side Of Giving…
Posted on June 23, 2008 |
Ted Ning And The Lohasian Nation
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Arts & Culture, Conscious Commerce | 4 Comments
Deep in the heart of Gaiam’s new corporate digs, behind the desk of a modest office amidst many modest offices, sat the Man Behind The Music,”Mr. LOHAS,” Ted Ning himself. His face was unexpectedly open and soft, his voice quiet and warm. This alleged powerhouse of a man was the kind of person you’d let look after your kids, or your money, or yourself. He appeared to be one of the new breed of executives, forgoing the old “greed is good” model of the 80’s and 90’s, for the refreshingly straightforward “good is good” model of the new millenium. Ted Ning, Director of eco-marketing giant LOHAS, was none other than a sweet and gentle guy. After realizing all this, I relaxed and sat down.
Well, first of all, what is “LOHAS” anyway, I wanted to know. Is this a Hawaiian massage technique or the name of some airport in the Pan-Pacific region? No, LOHAS stands for “Lifestyles Of Health And Sustainability.” This marketing term, originated by the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) in the early 2000’s marked the defining of an era…or at least the defining of a very powerful demographic. NMI realized that three seemingly disparate consumer groups-spiritual folks, environmentalists, and health fanatics-had very similar purchasing patterns. Once NMI pooled the buying power of all these groups into a study of one large consumer base dubbed LOHASians, the corporate giants of America finally realized there was real money to be made in doing right by communities, wildlife and ecosystems. According to NMI, that “real money to be made” was about 209 billion dollars worth. LOHAS was designed to help companies speak the language of this newly defined group. Continue reading Ted Ning And The Lohasian Nation…
Posted on June 17, 2008 |
Greenwashing Is A Dirty Business
By Anne O'Loughlin
Filed Under Conscious Commerce | 6 Comments
The term “greenwash” is what you get when you combine the words “green” and “whitewash,” or when a company uses environmental trends to its benefit by lying to or misleading its customers. First coined in the mid-1980’s when hotels started claiming that by reusing towels you could save the environment, greenwashing has hit the mainstream. The practice has grown exponentially in popularity as more and more companies are jumping on the environmental bandwagon and bombarding consumers in every way possible with advertisements of their “green” practices. As a result, greenwashing has become a household phrase and has been making appearances all over the media, from local TV newscasts to the Today Show to the new segment on American Public Media’s Marketplace called The Greenwashing Brigade. It’s even caught the attention of the Federal Trade Commission which is attempting to protect challenged consumers by updating its 1995 environmental advertising guidelines. Continue reading Greenwashing Is A Dirty Business…
Posted on June 16, 2008 |
Free Range Studios: The Story Of Stuff
By Jenn Breckenridge
Filed Under Conscious Commerce, The Big Picture, eCo TV | Leave a Comment
The Story Of Stuff has spread like wildfire through YouTube, Google videos, and inboxes all over the country and the world. What explains the millions of views of this little video by Free Range Productions? Well, everyone’s got stuff and will probably acquire some more of it in the immediate future. If you really want to know where your stuff comes from and what the effect of it all is, Annie Leonard breaks down the facts in a sweet and easy-to-understand way while weaving a tale you will never forget. And you might as well watch it, because stuff happens-and let’s admit it, those little cartoons make it so much easier to deal with…
Inspired by The Story Of Stuff? Take action!
- Order the DVD or download a free copy and host a screening at your house
- If you have a website or social network profile, you can share The Story Of Stuff on your site by embedding video or images from the film and linking to their site
- Donate to The Story Of Stuff and help Annie grow her mission
Posted on June 11, 2008 |
Carrotmob: The Art Of The Buycott Continued
By Greg Berry
Filed Under Conscious Commerce, eCo TV | Leave a Comment
You may have read about The Art Of The Buycott last month on eCo Times. If not, the basic idea is about using the buying power of the masses to make positive changes in the world, rather than boycotts, marches, and sit-ins (which can be effective too, but much less enjoyable.)
We found a choice example of the art of the buycott by an emerging organization called aptly, Carrotmob. You can probably tell by the name, Carrotmob is leading with humor. They dangle the carrot of fun, finance, and positivity to lead business to make the right environmental decisions. Carrotmob organized a hugely successful buycott in April at San Francisco’s K & D Market. Check out the hilarious video…
Posted on June 6, 2008 |
FSC-Certified Rubber: Helping The Amazon To Bounce Back
By Pippa Sorley
Filed Under Conscious Commerce | Leave a Comment
Some of us have heard the term “FSC-certified” before, especially when shopping for furniture or paper products. The Forest Stewardship Council was established in 1992 to improve forest management worldwide and has been certifying wood-based products for more than 15 years. But there’s a new certification trend in town: eco-friendly rubber?
Rubber is used to manufacture thousands of our every day products. We use it to rub out our mistakes (pencil erasers), rub elbows on the tennis courts (tennis shoes), and even rub up against each other (condoms). Rubber is ubiquitous, but one rarely thinks of where it comes from…rubber as a product sourced from the Amazon Rainforest.
The rubber tree produces a sap that is extracted just like maple syrup. This sap is known as latex, and is typically harvested when the trees are 5-6 years old. Incisions are made just deep enough to tap the vessels without harming the tree’s growth, and the sap is collected in small buckets. This process is known as rubber tapping.
Though most rubber tree plantations are found in Indonesia, rubber trees are indigenous to the Amazon Rainforest. When Amazonian “rubber tappers” a.k.a. “seringuieros” are able to make a living wage from harvesting in the forest, it reduces greatly the likelihood that they may sell their land to timber companies for a quick, one-time payoff. This is a perfect example of when conscious commerce lends to both social and environmental sustainability at the same time, while also turning a profit a.k.a. serving the Triple Bottom Line.
Many companies in the US and Europe are starting to realize that they can participate in sustaining healthy economies and ecosystems abroad while sourcing the highest quality raw materials for their products. Anne O’Loughlin uses FSC-certified rubber to make the soles of her sneakers at her fair trade shoe company, Autonomie Project. According to Anne, “All natural rubber certified by the FSC is truly the most environmentally-friendly alternative possible for the soles of the shoes…The rubber earns its certification because it is completely natural with no added toxins or chemicals, and is tapped from a tree…in a sustainable manner.”
Interested in the Forest Stewardship Council? Take action!
- Look for the label and ask for FSC-certified products when buying lumber, paper, and rubber
- Source FSC-certified materials, if you manufacture items with rubber, paper, or wood
- Become a FSC member and vote on issues at the FSC General Assembly
Posted on May 27, 2008 |
Fair Trade Joins Google Earth!
By Anne O'Loughlin
Filed Under Conscious Commerce | Leave a Comment
After brewing a cup of my favorite organic Fair Trade coffee from Equal Exchange the other morning, I was awakened by some exciting news. We can now find our favorite Fair Trade coffee producers on Google Earth! For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past few years, Google Earth lets you virtually swoop around the world viewing satellite images on your computer of literally any and every corner of the globe.
Loved by school children, superman wannabe’s, architects, and voyeurs alike, the latest version of Google Earth features a close-up street view with 3D buildings, detailed descriptions of landmarks, and even a “sun” feature that lets you play God and control the sunrise and sunset of any location you wish…great for checking out the passive solar potential of your future real estate acquisition.
Proudly, the team at Google Earth has always had a social conscience and uses its technological savvy to raise awareness about international affairs and human rights issues. In the recent past, they’ve focused their mapping efforts on highlighting the New Orleans post-Katrina floods and the conflict crisis in Darfur.
Their newest feat is bringing you close-ups and stories about Third World producers participating in the international movement of Fair Trade. Fair Trade is an alternative, more sustainable, and all around better way of doing business. Rather than using sweatshops and importing massive amounts of goods from China, Fair Traders work closely with small, independent owners and cooperatives located for the most part in rural parts of the developing world. Fair Trade producers are paid a fair price for their work; do not use child labor; are not held to abusive overtime pressure; have safe and healthy work environments; and are usually recipients of other well-being initiatives and community programs, such as health clinics and micro-credit programs. Continue reading Fair Trade Joins Google Earth!…
Posted on May 20, 2008 |
The Art Of The Buycott
By Greg Berry
Filed Under Conscious Commerce | 2 Comments
It comes down to awareness.
Many of us know what is happening. We are living out of balance with the natural world. Our culture gives us carte blanche to throw away plastic bottles after drinking water from the other side of the planet. Our TV tells us that we’re never going to find true love unless we choose the right toothpaste. We listen to music protected by lawyers on iPods built in sweatshops while driving SUVs shipped across oceans fueled by diesel that funds dictatorial regimes. It’s not cool, it’s not natural, it’s not fair, and both “the piper” and “the fat lady” are tuning up off-stage.
Had enough? It’s time to do something.
The real power you have, I have, we all have, is in our wallet. The economic puppeteers know it to be true. Like it or not (and I’ll go on record in the ‘not’ column), consumerism is the lifeblood of America. It fuels our entire economy. And the only thing that is going to create lasting, sustainable systemic change starts and ends at the cash register. In the 21st Century, it’s no longer about political protests and angry boycotts, it’s about economic leverage and focused BUYcotts. Why the change? It’s more effective. Plain and simple. Continue reading The Art Of The Buycott…
Posted on May 13, 2008 |
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