How to Get Started With Recycling

This is such a simple, easy reference to recycling by Greenprofs, we thought it worth forwarding to you in it’s original form.  Enjoy!

Recycling helps to save forests from depleting, increases the quality of our water and stimulates the economy. For those reasons and many more it is important that everyone does what they can to ensure that they are doing their bit for mother earth. Following is an explanation of how you can get started with recycling and give something back as well as improve your quality of your life and the quality of life for your children and your children’s children. Many people say that they don’t do their bit towards recycling because their effort on their own is not enough to make a difference, however this is simply not true. If everyone had that attitude, where would be?

Organize Your Waste

Rather than sticking your rubbish into one central place, it is important that you categorize waste in order to recycle it. You should place glass in one place, tins/cans in one place, plastics in one place, compost in one place and have another place for cardboard and paper/newspaper.

Find out about Recycling Facilities Where you Live

You should find out about the facilities available in your county. Depending on where you live, you may find it is harder or easier to recycle your waste. Some places will have a dedicated pick-up to come and take your waste away, while other areas will require that you drive a substantial distance in order to drop it off. Either way, it is important that you do your bit for society.

Recycling Tins/Cans

When recycling tins and cans you should firstly remove all the paper from the outside and try to flatten any sharp edges to limit any risk of you being cut. You should then place all tins and cans in a dedicated waste bin.

Plastic

Plastic wrappings and other plastic items should be treated with caution when recycling them. It is best if you take measures to stop any animals being hurt from plastic items. This includes breaking open drinks-cans rings so that an animal cannot get their head trapped in it, as well as ripping open plastic bags so they are just in the form of a single sheet.

Compost

Compost should be used to enrich your soil in your garden. Many people have a compost heap in their garden. Once you have left the compost for a period of a few weeks, it is now ready to treat the soil in your garden. If you do not have a large garden then you could consider asking your neighbors, friends and family members if they could make use of it.

Paper/Newspaper

Paper and newspaper is generally the easiest item to recycle because it is the most sought after item. After you read your old newspapers and magazines you should place them inside a dedicated container so that they can later be recycled. You should be especially careful not to place any other items into this container as it will cause problems for the recycler later on.

Nevada Clean Energy Thrives

By JOHN G. EDWARDS
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Nevada’s clean-energy economy grew even faster than other sectors between 1998 and 2007, according to a study by The Pew Charitable Trusts. During that period, Nevada’s clean-energy industries increased employment by 28.8 percent to 3,641 jobs, compared to 26.5 percent for all jobs in the state. The clean-energy sector showed 9.1 percent job growth nationally, which was faster than the overall 3.7 percent job growth, according to a recent 59-page report on the clean-energy economy.

“That 28 percent growth rate is not insignificant. I think the sky is the limit,” said Dan Geary, Nevada spokesman for the Pew Environmental Group. “The West is going to continue to grow and to need more and more power.” Nevada benefits from some of the nation’s best solar energy and geothermal energy, he said. Geothermal energy comes from hot underground water and steam. “It’s good news for Nevada that kind of job growth has occurred without any kind of substantial public policy,” said Charles Benjamin, director of the Nevada office of Western Resource Advocates, a conservation group.

Nevada requires NV Energy to obtain increasing amounts of their power from renewable resources, such as solar and wind power, and provides tax incentives to build utility-scale solar power plants. However, “a lot of these more aggressive incentives occurred this legislative session, and this study doesn’t cover the effect of that,” Benjamin said. The clean-energy economy, as defined by the Pew report, consists of clean energy, such as renewable power; energy efficiency; environmentally friendly production; conservation and pollution mitigation; and training and support.

The first category includes projects such as Boulder City’s Nevada Solar One, a 64-megawatt, solar thermal power plant that provides power to NV Energy; a 14-megawatt array of solar panels at Nellis Air Force Base; Sempra Generation’s planned 48-megawatt addition to 10 megawatts of solar panels at Boulder City; and numerous geothermal power plants in Northern Nevada. The clean-energy economy also encompasses Power Efficiency Corp., which employs about 20 workers in Las Vegas in manufacturing systems for improving the efficiency of electric motors for elevators, rock crushing and construction conveyor belts. However, the clean-energy sector remains relatively small nationally, particularly in Nevada. Clean-energy jobs represent 0.28 percent of the 1.28 million jobs in Nevada, the smallest percentage of any state except Mississippi. Nationally, the sector accounts for 0.49 percent of jobs. “It remains to be seen” whether clean energy can become a significant economic driver in Nevada, Benjamin said.

Keith Schwer, director of the Center of Business and Economic Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said he had not had an opportunity to review the report but agreed with Benjamin. “Can we build an economy to take advantage of the apparent advantages that we have?” Schwer asked. “That’s a great question for us, and we don’t know (the answer).” Like the first transcontinental railroad and the first manned flight to the moon, the development of Nevada’s clean-energy economy looks inevitable but needs a government boost, Geary said. “All of these things require comprehensive federal goals and policies,” he said. Benjamin said, “There’s virtually an unlimited amount of work that can be done to our homes and offices to have more efficiency.”

In addition, Nevada may benefit from the growing demand for renewable power in California, Benjamin said, because it is easier to obtain permits for renewable energy plants in Nevada.

Contact reporter John G. Edwards at jedwards@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0420.

The Growth Of Green Marketing

Today’s consumers are increasingly socially conscious, with a growing concern to know if companies honestly treat employees fairly while doing their part to protect and save the environment. Brand values like social responsibility, benefit to the community, and “being green” are at the top of more shopping lists than ever.

Not unsurprisingly, enthusiasts of technology are leading the way. The recently published Forrester study titled Making The Case For Environmentally And Socially Responsible Consumer Products, a survey of over 5,400 U.S. adults were asked about their purchasing habits between April and May of 2008. Amazingly, 65% of those polled consumers confirmed they were “concerned about the environment or global warming.”

This trend is up nearly 23% from a November 2007 study, which found that 53% percent of consumers were concerned about sustainability. In short order, business has been quick to leverage this social trending with products and marketing offers – some more successfully than others. Today’s “green marketing” offers a unique set of challenges; the least of which is a prevalent lack of standards for identifying what it actually means to be a “green” product or company.

In combination with the increase in consumer awareness, marketers are seeing a growing demand for eco-labeling, “green” advertising and the overall importance of reporting on sustainability and renewable energy oriented products and projects. This obviously has created a glut of misguided opportunities to nearly everything to be positioned as being “green”, from a minor packaging change to actual services and products that truly reduce energy and waste.

As so many new and old companies jump on the “do good” bandwagon, factions of green marketing have arisen — cause marketing, cause-related marketing, cause branding, conscious marketing, social good marketing and many other new ways of positioning brands within this growing market sector.

What binds this growing set of terms is simple: establishing your marketing efforts in a way that’s truly responsible. Often this can be misunderstood to mean aligning tactics with a cause, but it is certainly not limited to that description. It may also mean the responsible use of funds, reducing unnecessary print marketing materials, or not deploying a controversial ad that might benefit the company financially. Taking this effort a bit further might be easiest to simply call it “Ethical Marketing”.

This trending presents a unique challenge to green marketers like ourselves as products and messages become much more common, often resulting in great confusion in the marketplace. “Consumers do not really understand a lot about these issues, and there’s a lot of confusion out there,” says Jacquelyn Ottman (founder of J. Ottman Consulting and author of Green Marketing: Opportunity for Innovation.)

Advantageous marketers can take advantage of this confusion by intentionally making false or exaggerated claims to being “green” – what we now know as “green washing”. Mintel Reports completed a recent study noting that approximately 12% of consumers in the U.S. can be identified as “True Greens” – individuals who seek-out and regularly purchase so-called “green products”. With them, 68% can be thought of as “Light Greens” – those who buy green on occasion. “What chief marketing officers are always looking for is touch points with consumers, and this is just a big, big, big touch point that’s not being served,” says Mintel Research Director David Lockwood. “All the corporate executives that we talk to are extremely convinced that being able to make some sort of strong case about the environment is going to work down to their bottom line. Given the obvious social and economic demand, how can companies honestly take advantage of today’s consciousness toward sustainability, renewable energy and ecology?

I believe you have to do three things: Be Genuine, Educate Customers, and Offer Participation. Being genuine simply means that you are doing what you claim in your green marketing campaign – and ensuring your business policies are consistent with your claim. Both of these elements must be met to establish valid credentials that allow the green campaign to succeed. Educating customers is not simply letting the public know what you’re doing to protect the environment, but more importantly, letting them know why it matters. If education is not reason oriented for your target market, you’ll encounter a general “so what” response that will dash bottom-line results from the campaign.

Providing your customers with the opportunity to participate enables you to personalize your green initiatives — often by enabling the customer to take part in truly positive environmental action. The lesson here is obvious and simple: you have to “walk the talk” and actually implement green policies and act in environmentally friendly ways for green marketing to work. If you do, you’ll create a powerful selling point with those who are environmentally and socially conscious and want to act to make the world a better place — a market that’s growing exponentially today.

“Green marketing” isn’t merely a catchphrase; it’s a marketing strategy that can help you get more customers and make more money. As in any marketing effort — the challenge is doing it right the first time.

Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Corridor Development Announcements At Nevada State Legislature

ZERO EMISSION VEHICLE (ZEV) CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS AT STATE LEGISLATURE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2009

Media Contact: Larry DeVincenzi
Project Outreach Coordinator
Cell: 775.771.7004

ZERO EMISSION VEHICLE (ZEV) CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS AT STATE LEGISLATURE

WHAT: The Renewable Energy Accelerator (REA250) in collaboration with state and local officials and private industries will announce initial agreements to begin development of a zero emission vehicle corridor on Interstate 80 through northern Nevada and California.   Together, they will announce an environmentally responsible process that can be the template for implementation nation-wide.

WHERE: Legislative Building steps, 401 S. Carson Street, Carson City, NV

WHEN: Thursday, April 16th, 2009 at 10 a.m.

DETAILS: The University of California, represented by Co-Director Daniel M. Kammen of the Berkeley Institute of the Environment and the Nevada Renewable Energy Integration and Development Consortium of the Nevada System of Higher Education, which is represented by President Steve Wells of the Desert Research Institute, have agreed to develop a feasibility study proposal for the new Zero Emission Vehicle Corridor from Berkeley, California to Reno-Sparks, Nevada.

The feasibility study will focus on the development of infrastructure needed to support the testing and development of Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) and associated highway and community networks.   Research will also address the needed business, legal, and governmental oversight structures necessary to rapidly convert to zero emission vehicles.

The Corridor utilizes the wide range of environmental conditions on a short stretch (240 miles) of Interstate 80. It is anchored on one end by the innovative technology environment found in the East Bay/Bay Delta areas of California including:
•      Ground breaking environmental, energy and vehicle technology research capacity
•      A wide range of existing public-private partnerships for ZEV’s
•      A growing market for ZEV’s
•      At the other end of the corridor, the Reno/Tahoe Region of Nevada is located in a beautiful mountainous/high desert location that has:
•      An exceptional business climate located in a major transportation hub for the West Coast
•      Exciting educational and tech commercialization opportunities
•      Unique geothermal and other renewable energy assets to support the production of ZEV’s.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid offered his support of these developments: “This is a tremendous step forward as we work to make our state the leader in clean energy,” said Reid. “Renewable energy has the potential to power not only all of our homes, but also all of our cars. I am pleased to support this collaboration, which will help protect our air while creating much-needed jobs in Nevada.”

“Advancing green technology and renewable energy must be a top priority, and I’m hopeful that as these types innovations are proven, they will become more and more a part of our everyday lives,” said Senator John Ensign, who led efforts in Congress to ensure passage of a bill to encourage renewable energy development across the country. “Our plan must include a vast array of resources such as solar, wind, geothermal and more to ensure our security and protect our environment.”

The Zero Emission Vehicle Project was initiated by a group of Reno-based business visionaries and local, state, and federal governmental leaders and facilitated by REA250 staff. They envisioned a ZEV corridor that would enhance and accelerate the research and development of new technologies in both California and Nevada while creating the infrastructure for an emerging zero emission vehicle industry in Northern Nevada.

Susan Clark, Ph.D. and co-founder of the Renewable Energy Accelerator notes “We have now assembled the best and brightest in Nevada, while engaging our neighbors in California, to leverage its renewable energy resources, excellent business climate, and sophisticated networks to make sure that Northern Nevada is the epicenter of an accelerated American ZEV economy.”  Clark will present Thursday’s announcement on the Legislature steps, and continue to initiate future development of the ZEV corridor project.

ZEV Project accomplishments to date include:
•      Outreach to ZEV companies looking for production facilities that utilize renewable energy resources for production.
•      The assemblage of land and initial funding to support the private development of office buildings and production facilites powered by renewable resources.
•      The on-going development of the business and legal structure needed to support the rapid development of a ZEV economy in Northern Nevada as a model for the US conversion.

STORY ANGLES:

•      Acceleration of a zero emission vehicle economy in Northern Nevada
•      Nonpartisan support of ZEV corridor development with support from educational, private and public entities.
•      Collaboration of a integrated renewable energy entities for Nevada that are inclusive of existing programs and responds to state and federal mandates
•      Support for inclusive dialog to create effective policy infrastructures and outreach strategies for renewable energy generation in Nevada
•      Continue developing 250 Bell Street, which has become a center for community events, as a “net-zero” facility

Founders Susan and Don Clark with their team of highly ambitious and qualified business professionals identified the need for an action-oriented strategic organization designed to accelerate the use of renewable energy resources in Nevada. The Renewable Energy Accelerator at 250 Bell (REA250) was created to meet said demand. In alignment with national, state, and local renewable energy policies, the REA250 was established for the sole purpose of advancing Nevada’s economic and environmental sustainability while providing a role model for other regions.

REA250 was developed to meet the needs for high-stakes, fast-moving solutions in renewable energy.

REA250 is part of a larger collaborative at 250 Bell Street including the Education Design Group, Sierra Club, Dynamic Competence, Cathexes Architecture, Clean Energy Center, Great Basin Wind, Bombard Renewable Energy,  Renewable Nevada and SmartBrand.

Other regional collaborators include Northern Nevada Urban Development Company, Nevada System of Higher Education, Nevada County School Districts, Building and Trade Councils, Electrical Workers Union, AFL-CIO, and various industry representatives and consultants.
###

Extraordinary Eco-friendly Fine Art

LAS VEGAS (March 2, 2009) The G3reen Outlet in the Arts Factory is pleased to feature the fine art of internationally acclaimed eco-artist Sandhi Schimmel Gold on March 6, 2009 during First Friday, Las Vegas Arts District’s monthly arts, entertainment, and social block party held downtown. Schimmel Gold’s art will also be featured during the Collector’s Preview on Thursday, March 5, 2009, 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Gold’s sustainable junk mail mosaic art, using resources that would otherwise go to waste, has been featured in Natural Home Magazine, Innovative Home Magazine, Martha Stewart’s Body & Soul Magazine, on the Sundance and Ovation Channels. It is featured in the Vivavi showroom in New York City and in galleries in Denver, Los Angeles and Carmel, Calif. Schimmel Gold’s art is in private and corporate collections in Europe, Asia and the U.S. She most recently completed portraits for NBC’s Access Hollywood hosts Billy Bush and Nancy O’Dell for the Golden Globes Awards.

Schimmel Gold studied mosaics in Turkey and glass in Venice. Creating a mixed media art form she calls “Acrylic Mosaic Fusion”, Gold combines her love of art with her compulsion to recycle by hand-cutting tiny tiles created from junk mail, advertising ephemera, greeting cards, photographs and packaging instead of glass or tile. The G3reen Outlet in the Arts Factory, located at 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite 135, offers the opportunity to connect people, planet and products by featuring an eco-gallery, a green store and a resource center focused on green living solutions.

Other featured artists this month include Kandyce Perez of Waste Not Whimsey, Christine Esposito of Funky Recycling and the organic bamboo clothing of Global Ghetto.

For more information, go to http://www.schimmelart.com/ or http://www.projectecobrand.com/.

Ten Steps to Sustainable Marketing in an Uncertain Economy | GreenBiz.com

Here’s a terrific article from GreenBiz.com that deserves repeating, and your time to read:

There’s a standard journalistic trope that abounds during times of crisis: take the hot topic du jour, mash it up with something you know about, and you’ve got an instant article. For example: “Peanut Butter Preferences during a Global Recession,” or “Sparrow Migration Patterns during the 2008 Wall Street Collapse.”

Now, after nearly a decade of build-up, sustainability and “green” were the issues du jour for much of 2007 and 2008; but with the recent market crash, the national dialogue has turned more toward keeping a roof over your head than keeping a green roof over your head. So what’s a sustainable brand to do? Here are a few strategies to keep you afloat during these tumultuous times.

1. First, take pride in your sustainable brand, and know that there’s a strong core of people out there who still care about sustainability and who will continue to care. They may not use the word, but they’ve been getting on the path for quite some time now — buying organics, recycling, using CFLs, embracing companies that support fair trade and social/environmental causes, seeking out local products, seeking less toxic products for home and body, seeking health and wellness and a more balanced and simplified lifestyle, supporting positive environmental actions and social justice whenever possible.

The behaviors in this constellation of activities all comprise sustainability: It represents a psychic evolution that people go through over time, and it’s difficult to go backwards once you’ve begun to progress down the path. So while we’ll likely see pullbacks from the double-digit growth we’ve seen in most sustainability sectors in the past decade (because of a general economic slowdown), the fundamentals here are still sound.

Sustainability-seeking “conscious consumers” exist along a continuum, defined by all the various “sustainable” actions people may or may not take, and comprise as much as 85 percent of the U.S. population — with around 20 percent of the population far enough into this mindset that it’s come to become part of their identities. These people are not just going to evaporate. A recent poll confirms this: 85 percent of people still want to purchase products from socially responsible companies, economics be damned.

All of which leads us to 2.: If you’re a “core” brand with true sustainability cred, you’ll do just fine, and you’ll probably even outperform the market at large. If you were just greenwashing, then now would be a good time to stop; the mass market is more concerned with “value” than with values at a time like this (no matter what they might claim on a survey), and the people who were just chasing the green trends will fall away as their 401ks collapse.

But if you’re doing some bona fide good in the world, then you’d do well to keep going. The climate isn’t going to stop changing anytime soon, awareness about toxicity issues will only become more sophisticated over time (witness the recent mainstream awareness about BPA and the shift towards glass baby bottles), and the need for sustainability will become more and more urgent as a global issue, even as the economy suffers. (And if Obama’s new green deal falls into place, economic recovery and a burgeoning sustainability scene could become one and the same.)

3. Be socially responsible. Talk about it. Be more socially responsible than ever. Talk about it even more. Conscious consumers care much more about a company’s internal socially responsible actions (how they treat their employees) than about their environmentally responsible ones. And this sentiment will only grow stronger during a period when job security is at a 35-year low.

Companies that treat people well will be seen as islands of enlightenment during this era of massive layoffs and pay cuts, and the more that you talk about the real things you’re doing that are truly humanistic, the more that the “conscious consumer” will be drawn to your brand. Did you know that Patagonia lets everyone go surfing when the tide is high? That the revolutionary Brazilian company Semco lets employees (er, “associates”) determine their own salaries? That Google offers everyone on their main campus three organic meals each day?

These are the sorts of things that conscious consumers care about, and that will ultimately help differentiate your brand. And — oh yes — it’s the right thing to do. So now is a good time to look deep into your operating principles and find real — not just gimmicky — ways to make employees feel valued and cared about.

4. Anticipate growing anti-consumption attitudes, and focus on offering a quality experience. In times like this, people will have a natural “sour grapes” attitude towards consumption in general, and will resent the mere existence of goods that they simply cannot afford, even rejecting the very idea of “consumption” if they’re already down the path to sustainability. All of the core tenets of sustainability are consistent with a less “consumptive” lifestyle and a more high-quality offering, so if you’re in this space, you’re probably already poised for success during an economic downturn.

Now is the time to ask yourself some serious questions about your product offerings, your brand, and your messaging — “quality” is a core conscious consumer value, and will become even more so as people become (by necessity) increasingly selective about what they buy. Patagonia has actually elected to halt growth altogether — they’ve reduced their clothing line by 30 percent, proclaiming that people simply do not need that much stuff, and that their products are made to last. As the recession continues, people will become less and less willing to buy items that do not feel lasting, substantial, and soul-nourishing. And they’ll become even more annoyed at the standard tactics and tone of traditional “push” marketing.

5. That said, affordable luxuries and “guilty” escapist pleasures will thrive in this environment, as they did during the Great Depression and every other economic downturn. And if you can tap into these trends, you’ll capture the hearts and minds of people who are living in a state of heightened fear and desperation. The twist: you’re actually giving people something that has a positive impact on their life and the planet (relatively speaking, of course).

Whether it’s organic “nutriceutical” chocolate that promises “bliss” on the packaging, or a super-soft organic cotton t-shirt that fits gorgeously and feels like spun clouds, if you offer people small and affordable thrills, they’ll be captivated by whatever you have to offer, and they’ll actually feel good about themselves after the purchase. And if you can cue certain qualities like “handmade,” “nourishing,” “thriving,” or “spiritually uplifting,” your offerings will feel that much more luxurious, because these are the new values that define “luxury” for the conscious consumer who has moved beyond the traditional Western model of luxury (that, frighteningly, China and India are only now beginning to discover.)

6. You’ve probably got less money to spend on marketing these days, but social networks are a powerful way to spread the word. Pay attention to digital outreach, and two-way communications within the digital space. People who have incorporated sustainability into their identities feel great about touting products in this space — it’s still so difficult to find great “responsible” products and services out there that conscious consumers tend to do a lot of talking within their networks about what they’ve found. And a great find reflects well on a person’s sensibilities and, crucially, their values — unlike purchases in the vast unsustainable space, which merely identify a person as a consumer.

So master the digital space — start Twittering, develop a Facebook fan base, keep a transparent two-way conversation going with your core consumers (and cultivate evangelists whenever possible), make your own website compellingly interactive, and you’ll find that your marketing dollars go a lot further.

7. Don’t condescend to people with heavy-handed “value” messaging, which has become ubiquitous during the past few months and shows no sign of abating. As a brand in the sustainability space, you’re focused on a triple bottom line, and your core consumers care about this. By suddenly focusing on cost, you risk seeming manipulative and off-brand. People are perfectly capable of figuring out whether they can afford you or not.

“Green” products have had enough trouble gaining traction during the past decade because of premium pricing (among other reasons), and now would not be a great time to draw attention to the not-so-small matter that products and services in this space tend to cost a little bit more. Conscious consumers aren’t buying your product because you’re the cheapest — this was never your value proposition, and never should be. You know about true cost economics, and so do your core consumers. And even the “mid-range” consumers know that “you have to pay a little more” for things that are safer or higher-quality.

Don’t compromise your values at a time like this. (But if you’re way out in eco-luxury land, you might have more of an uphill battle these days. Take solace in the fact that even during the Great Depression, low-key luxury still flourished and 75 percent of people were employed. And that “green” came to be associated with quality and innovation before the 2008 market crash, so its cachet is actually based on something real.)

8. Given that people will, realistically, have trouble affording you, be generous. Very generous. And if you do this with free stuff and loyalty programs, rather than price reductions, people will love you all the more. Price reductions cheapen your brand; thoughtfully architected giveaways feel like gifts and create deep feelings of attachment.

During the Great Depression, movie theaters used to give away sets of silverware — piece by piece, week by week — and played to full houses even in the worst of times. Sampling is one of the most powerful known tactics for food products — 24 percent of people, when given an in-store sample of a product, will buy it instead of the product they intended to buy. So give things away. Give freely and cleverly, and people will flock to your brand, especially in times like these, when a generous sample will take on heightened significance to a heart more accustomed to privations.

9. Understand the deep roots of the sustainability movement. This will give you the deepest clues about what to do, how to express it, and what conscious consumers really want. To understand a movement, we must look to the beliefs of its innovators and early adopters — this is where it all begins. Sustainability is not a fad or a trend. It’s a seismic cultural shift, and it’s here to stay.

Most of our evolutionary history has been spent living sustainably. To the extreme conscious consumer (who would probably balk at the word “consumer”), our current unsustainable mess of a burning planet is seen as a big socio-cultural mistake facilitated by short-sighted application of technological innovation and the amoral reach of unchecked capitalism. Mental illness is, quite understandably, at an all-time high (50 percent of Americans suffer from clinical levels of stress, anxiety, depression, or personality disorders.) People feel less and less in control of their lives nowadays, and want to gain a sense of peace and purity and balance and real interpersonal connection and soulful depth in their day-to-day existence.

And so, things are finally changing. We’re just beginning to come out of a dark age now, and there’s no turning back. Record numbers of MBA students want to incorporate sustainability into their careers; 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies have CSR reports. Yes, nobody is really there yet — watching corporations take steps towards sustainability is like watching an infant learn to crawl. But we’ll get there. As innovators, we can see that the rest of the world has no choice. They’ll have to catch up, or there will be no more world to live in. As we ease out of decadent late capitalism and into a more sustainable way of life, transparency, authenticity, balance, egalitarianism and distributed models will become the norm — it’s just a matter of time.

10. Because, in fact, the current economic climate is a direct result of our previous excesses. And a correction is actually a good thing. So think hard about what you’re trying to sell. Question it from every angle, and ask yourself it it’s truly necessary. Change is afoot. Peer-to-peer networks are developing powerful alternatives to gratuitous consumption — fashionistas exchange unwanted clothing at “swishing” parties; couchsurfing.com makes hotels obsolete; freecycling, freeganism, and all manner of “borrowing” networks are emerging day by day.

These trends challenge conventional purchasing models at every step. So ask yourself what you truly want to give people, whether they truly need it, and — crucially — if they might just find another way to get it. Challenge your own sustainability practices at every point, and we might just make it through alive.

Hilary Bromberg, a novelist and former cognitive neuroscientist, is Strategic Director at egg, a boutique brand communications firm that works exclusively with sustainable brands.

The Business Case for Recycling

The Business Case for Recycling

Join Project ecoBrand for our second event in a series of monthly workshops and networking events focused on sustainability to help businesses “green up” their operations. For more information, visit www.projectecobrand.com

Don’t Throw Cash Out With the Trash
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Find ways to cut unnecessary expenses, give you more money for other business needs, and boost your bottom line.

In cooperation with UNLV Department of Environmental Studies, Project ecoBrand invites you to a panel discussion workshop focused on ways businesses can reduce waste and reduce costs.

Event details:
When: Friday, January 30, 2009 8AM – 10AM
Where: Greenspun Auditorium at UNLV Greenspun Hall
(Northwest corner of University and Maryland Parkway)

Topics include:
:: Fact vs. Fiction – Misconceptions & issues, state of recycling in Nevada
:: Bottom Line Cost Savings – Case study and example of cost savings
:: Getting Started – Waste prevention ideas that save you $$$$
:: E-waste Lifecycle – Understanding reuse or recycling for electronic equipment

Panel members include:

Tony Salazar – Nevada Recyclers Association, President
Bob Waldorf – Blind Center of Nevada, VP of Operations
Tara Pike – UNLV, Rebel Recycling Coordinator
Tim Stimple – GreenerVegas.org
Nancy Mehta – Cartridge World, President

Moderated by Sheryl Parks, host of Sparks to Flame radio show on 970 AM KNUU.

Networking opportunities and coffee break will be provided!

Meet other eco-conscious professionals and business owners. We hope to see you there.

Sustainable Sponsor Partners

UNLV Department of Environemental Studies
Herndon Soulutions Group
Liberty Salvage Material & Recycling
Nevada Recyclers Association
Cartridge World
Liquid Stucco of Nevada

Does your company provide green products or services?
Sponsorship opportunities available starting at $50. Details on Project ecoBrand online and event marketing packages available at www.projectecobrand.com. Please contact Tara at 702-556-8619 or tara@smartbrand.biz for more information.

Northern Nevada’s Newest “Urban Turbine” Celebrated

On Thursday, January 29th, a progressive collaboration of local companies will begin energy production from the first urban wind turbine in downtown Reno, Nevada.

The Renewable Energy Accelerator at 250 Bell (REA250) is a collaborative union of Nevada based companies, founded by Cathexes Architecture, Dynamic Competence, Great Basin Wind, and the Clean Energy Center. New affiliates include Bombard Renewable Energy, Proteros Development, Renewable Nevada, Sierra Club, Education Design Group, Bootleg Courier, The Universe Is Breathing Web Design, the Reno Bike Project, and Smartbrand…with the list expanding every day.

REA250 co-founder and principle of Cathexes, Don Clark, states “we invested downtown because urban infill is the first effective action you can take in sustainable design and living.”

“This allows us to lead by example; we bring our ideas and industries into healthy collaboration,” states project coordinator, Eric Pfaff, of the Clean Energy Center. “It’s been a joy to be able to walk your talk when all of the involved parties are doing so as well.”

“Our success in raising this turbine is the result of forward-looking political leadership on both the state and local levels. Our nation needs more leaders like those we have here in Nevada,” notes Rich Hamilton of Great Basin Wind and co-founder of the REA250.  Great Basin Wind is coordinating with the Clean Energy Center in installing the turbine. “With time, the wind known as the Washoe Zephyr will not only meet much of Nevada’s energy needs, it will be an inexhaustible source of energy for export.  We will be mining megawatts to build the new energy economy.”

Chris Brooks of Bombard Renewable Energy adds, “This project is a perfect example of a successful partnership between NV Energy, Nevada Labor, and forward-thinking local business owners.” Bombard Renewable Energy provided the electrical expertise required for the turbine’s installation and operation.

While other small wind turbines have been installed in the region, REA250’s efforts are unique because of the location – directly in the heart of the urban business district.  One of the group’s efforts is focused on retrofitting urban centers for renewable power generation.

“The raising of our wind turbine is an important step for REA250 to engage the public in planning renewable energy for Nevada. We look forward to more educational and outreach programs associated with renewable energy,” says Susan Clark of Dynamic Competence and co-founder of REA250.

Reno Mayor Bob Cashell will activate the wind turbine on Thursday, January 29th at 2:30pm to officially begin sustainable energy production provided by the wind turbine.  Several other local officials and dignitaries are also scheduled to attend.

The media is invited to meet and interview participants and attendees of the event immediately following the ceremonies.

GoingGreen.com Launches Internet TV

 

Internet TV

GoingGreenTV is a 3-5 minute webisode, featuring news, tips, cool people and cool products to help you “go green”. New webisodes appear twice a month starting in January 2009 and will appear weekly, beginning with EarthDay 2009. All video is filmed in high-definition digital format.

The first episode introduces Plews & Edelmann’s LubriMatic Green product line, including LubriMagic^TM, a biobased all-purpose lubricant and penetrant, available in aerosol cans and trigger spray pumps.

 

Have your green product featured on GoingGreen.com!

Production includes:

• Professional production

• Professional editing

• Sound/audio

• Still shots, if needed

• You own

• HDTV ready! Take it to your local TV station. Save $!

Custom projects are available. All webisodes are available for on-line viewing anytime.

GoingGreen.com is focused on helping people make informed decisions about products, their usefulness, their degree of “green-ness”, offering tips and creating awareness about going green through community events, online discussions and Internet TV.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Motorola Creates First 100% Recyclable Carbon Neutral Phone- The Renew

Motorola unveiled what is believed to be the first carbon neutral cell phone recently at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show this week. The W233 Renew Phone is made predominately out of recycled plastic bottles which the company anticipates  will help the company connect with the environmentally conscious market.

Wow – a rechargeable TV remote with a find feature – that’s a great new addition! Beyond claiming carbon neutrality,  there’s another cool feature to the Renew, by Motorola. The plastics used in the phone’s casing are made from 100% recycled water bottles, and is 100% recyclable at the end of its life.