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Acting Up on Earth’s Behalf

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It’s April – the Earth is calling

At long last, it’s the wonderful month of April. Here in Portland, the cherry trees are blooming and there’s an energy in the air as winter releases its grip.

Image result for cherry blossoms in PortlandApril is also the time to show your serious support for the planet.  Earth Day is on April 22. This year the  Earth Day Network is organizing the huge “March for Science” in Washington D.C. on that day.

In my work, I happily focus on the intersection of the earth and business every day. But this year, April’s Earth festivities call for “all-hands-on-deck.”  And you can help.

The withdrawal of clean energy help at a federal level…

The new administration has chosen to withdraw its support from the Clean Power Plan, sign off on building the Keystone pipeline that carries fossil fuel, and label global warming a “concept … invented by the Chinese” – to name just a few truly awful actions.

In fact, global warming is something that scientists have been worried about since the 1980s. And for many of us regular citizens, it’s something we have seen with our own eyes. Think Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Superstorm Sandy in 2012, or the massive wildfires that burned over 10 million U.S. acres in 2015 alone.

I am baffled that the feds have chosen to ignore the hundreds of thousands of American jobs that come with renewable energy, smart home technologies, and electric vehicles. There are endless business opportunities, right here in America, for everything from sustainable fashion to sustainable agriculture.

That’s where you come in.

Image result for daffodils

 

… means that action at the state and local level is crucial

I moved to Portland, OR because the city has a well-deserved reputation, not only for being weird and making lots of craft beer, but also for being “green.” My apartment building is LEED-certified, the public transit is so good that we sold one of our two cars, and there are more farmers markets offering organic food and locally made goods than I can shake a stick at.

That’s the norm here. You may have heard that Nike and Intel have their headquarters here. But did you know that SolarWorld and Vestas (the world’s largest builder of wind turbines) are just down the street too? Did you also know that “wind turbine technician” is one of the most sought-after employees right now?

I’d rather support American jobs and American workers, and green businesses do that far better than organizations that outsource overseas. Indeed, “green” thinking is so embedded here that it starts early. I recently read of the Portland teen who developed a portable solar panel that homeless people can use to power lights or devices.

Here’s what I’m doing to push the clean energy agenda forward

So this April, I’m putting my time (and money) where my mouth is by:

  • Marching in Portland’s “sister march” for the big March for Science on April 22. Much as I’d like to be in D.C., flying from Portland to D.C. would just create more greenhouse gas emissions. Here, I can walk to what I expect will be a big march, and still get my point across. To those who think “it won’t make a difference,” I beg to differ.
  • Visiting my Senators in person this month. Oregon’s Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden have done yeoman’s work to advance policies for clean energy and GHG emissions reductions. I plan to say, “Thank you” and “how can I help?”
  • Mentoring a student from a local university. Starting this month, I’ll share my career experiences with a Portland State University student who majors in Sustainability. I want these kids to succeed, even if I have more mistakes to share than victories.
  • Continue telling the truth on this blog about climate change and business. Because climate change is a clear and present danger. And businesses can remain profitable while addressing it. Facts matter. We ignore them at our peril.

How about you?

  • Check out the sister marches in your area and go. April 22 is a Saturday, so you’re off work (I hope)! I suspect you’ll find an amazing amount of camaraderie there.
  • If you’re not the marching type, write a letter to your local paper about how important you know climate change is. Did you know that subscriptions to newspapers like the New York Times and Washington Post since the election? Your words will reach more people than you might think!
  • Get involved at the state and local level. While I salute all the folks who have decided to run for office – everything from local school boards to state wide office – that takes time. Go to your Congressional Town Hall that will be held this month and speak up about climate change, clean energy and green American jobs.

Let’s make April awesome for the planet!

Happy Earth Day 2015!

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For a green business like mine, Earth Day is a lot like Christmas. There is no tree or presents. But there are celebrations world-wide  focusing on what Earth Day means and why the spirit of Earth Day – much like the spirit of Christmas – should really last all year long.

Earth Day celebrates the wonders of our planet.

Earth Day celebrates the wonders of our planet.

For me Earth Day is:

1. A celebration of our planet’s natural wonders – on land, in the sea and in the air. People are a part of that. Feeling down? Get outside and feel better. There’s research that shows how powerful that connection is. On this 45th anniversary of Earth Day, just going for a walk in the great outdoors is an easy, healthy way to celebrate.

2. An invitation to use your energy, creativity and sense of purpose – in whatever way fits you best – to be part of the solution to climate change. It’s a complex problem. But with complexity comes the opportunity to do what inspires you.

You’ll find that loving your work makes a HUGE difference in loving your life. Climate change means that we all need to re-invent our lives in greener, more sustainable ways. That gives you the chance to create work you love in the context of  building that future.

3. A chance to act.  I act by writing about people and companies who are making the sustainable changes we need to see. By spreading that knowledge, I hope educate, inspire and move people to act in similar, sustainable ways.

There are so many ways to help. Do you want to figure out better recycling processes? Create innovative green financing options?  Invent new algorithms that use the big data present in climate models?  Look around. Talk to people. Find their pain points and match them to your joyful expertise.

Need ideas? Peruse the Green Dream Jobs Board, brought to you by Sustainablebiz.com.

It’s not too late to join in the Earth Day fun. To find an event near you, click here and put in your zip code. Let’s be climate-aware out there!

Warming up for Earth Day with a Salute to Harvard

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April is my favorite month because it includes “Earth Day”  on April 22.

For green businesses like mine, April is really more like “Earth Month” – a month-long celebration of all things green and sustainable.

Check out the Earth Day events going on worldwide, and decide where you’d like to participate. Or start an event of your own. You’re likely to find food, fun and friends wherever you go.

When the Crimson is Proud to Be Green 

As part of my Earth Day celebration, I’m giving a special shout-out to my alma mater – Harvard University – for its ongoing efforts to create a more sustainable world. These efforts range from leading-edge research to offering students over 200 courses on energy, sustainability and the environment, to greening the actual operations of all of Harvard’s schools. This happens all year long.

Given that Harvard’s official color is crimson, the idea of a green.harvard is both wonderfully ironic and exciting.

Learn about sustainability from Harvard’s experts – for free

You don’t need a Harvard degree to understand what sustainability is. Check out their page of Topics to see the breadth of what’s involved. Click on any one of them for details on how Harvard is approaching it.

For example, pick “Food” as a topic, and see how they’re thinking about new ways of growing it, distributing it, and avoiding food waste.

There are no tests or grades! Just information that – with a little creativity – you can use in your own life.

Divestment – Come On, Harvard…

While I salute Harvard for all it has done and is doing, I wish they would also divest from fossil fuels. The size of Harvard’s endowment is the stuff of legend – $36.4 billion in 2014. Divestment from fossil fuels would be a major statement from one of the most famous universities in the world.

It’s the kind of action that’s needed to grab the attention and shape the thinking of millions of people. It’s no silver bullet, but Harvard could add its weight to the positive momentum around sustainability issues.

Harvard is helping build a greener future for everyone

Two things I appreciate about Harvard are (1) they maintain a wonderful sense of history as they go about inventing the future AND (2) they ask their students, teachers and alumni to be their best selves and bring that to the rest of the world. That sense of responsibility for making the world a better place was palpable in my time there.

I can think of no better way to uphold that tradition than to “make a ruckus” – as Seth Godin says – about sustainable living, working and learning. And I salute Harvard’s efforts to do that every day.

Help create a sustainable spring

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Welcome, spring! If you’re champing at the bit to get out and enjoy the season, here are 10 tips for doing so in a more sustainable fashion. (This is a post I wrote for the Sustany Foundation.)

10 Tips for a More Sustainable Spring

And tomorrow, April 1, is not just April Fool’s Day. It’s also the start of what many people consider to be “Earth Month.” Earth Day is April 22, but eco-friendly events happen all month long. Join in!

Earth Day Energy Endures

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Phew! What I think of as “Earth Week” is coming to a close.

As I reflect on this, a great blue heron is sitting on my pool cage, cleaning his feathers.  His presence feels like a good omen to me.

Since I can’t do justice to all the Earth Day happenings,  I’ll just mention 3 happy highlights:

A visit from a great blue heron makes it a good day!

A visit from a great blue heron makes it a good day!

Globally, the good folks at Earthday.org report that over a billion people in 192 countries participated in everything from coastal cleanups to peaceful protests calling for cleaner energy. That’s a lotta people.

Locally, the Sustany’s Foundation helped celebrate the 10 new “Green Business” designees in the City of Tampa, Florida. The 10 restaurants participated together in a program, tailored to their business, that tackled everything from food waste to recycling. Go Tampa!

Individually – I felt privileged to present a webinar on “Green Tips for the Home” to a client. Raising awareness about what a carbon footprint is – and how to reduce it while saving money – is a treat for me.

Keep the Earth Day Spirit Every Day

While Earth Day is officially over, for me and every other business that is transitioning to greener operations, it really isn’t over. It won’t be over until our economy – from our buildings to our transportation to our energy grid – is on a sustainable footing.

And because I want to hurry the arrival of that day, tomorrow – and all the days after – will be Earth Day too.

What did you do for Earth Day? I’d love to hear in the comments!

“The Big Pivot” – Part 1

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Happy first day of April!

To me, April is “Earth month.” While Earth Day is April 22, I hope you plan to celebrate the health of our home planet well beyond just the one day.

One way I celebrate is by reading about both climate change and the ways different businesses address it.  I just finished reading Andrew Winston’s new book,  “The Big Pivot”.

"The Big Pivot" is Andrew Winston's latest book.

“The Big Pivot” is Andrew Winston’s latest book.

Andrew is an author, speaker and head of Winston Eco-Strategies. He’s one of the experts I follow on issues around climate change and business. A “pivot” is a turn – a change in direction; and given this headline in the New York Times, we need to make that turn ASAP.

A Super-Condensed Summary: Part 1

The book is definitely worth a read (and no, I don’t get compensated for saying that).

My Earth Day gift to you is to summarize the book (over the next few posts)  to give you a sense of what’s covered. If something resonates with you about your business,  then you’ll want to invest in a copy.

Today’s 3 Mega Challenges for Business

The first section of the book echoes Tom Friedman’s “Hot, Flat and Crowded” from 2008. But “The Big Pivot” has more recent statistics and stories  – from Superstorm Sandy to the Texas drought to Typhoon Haiyan. Clearly, climate impacts on business are just revving up.

Winston calls out these key challenges:

  • More business disruption and loss from a hotter climate. Did you know that natural disasters cost the US over $100 billion in 2012 alone?
  • Scarcer natural resources that make prices for inputs more volatile and likely to rise. For example, the price of cotton rose from 84 cents to $2.29 per pound between July 2010 and March 2011 – in part due to floods and rain in cotton-producing regions.
  • More transparency in business.  From cell phone cameras that can document poor working conditions to demands for more information in corporate sustainability reports, businesses face pressure to be clear about what goes into their products and services.

And yet, according to Winston, each challenge also represents a mega-opportunity

  • Climate change helps drive the rise of the “clean economy” – a diverse and growing sector of the economy.
  • Resource constraints are happening because there’s a huge new global middle class demanding a higher standard of living. Business needs to find sustainable ways to meet those demands.
  • Transparency also presents opportunities for businesses to collaborate and innovate in solving climate issues in ways that business can also benefit from.

According to Winston, our current business models aren’t up to these challenges. “We must pivot – sometimes painfully, always purposefully – so that solving the world’s biggest challenges profitably becomes the core pursuit of business.”

Why? Because “it’s ludicrous to prioritize short-term profit at the cost of our very survival.” Agreed.

Tomorrow: Big-Pivot Strategies – The “Vision” Pivot

The Bikes of New York City

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This past weekend I was in New York City. It’s one of the world’s great cities – and not just because I was born there.  🙂 It’s also a city striving to become much greener than it is today. And it’s fun to see the many ways that greener reality takes shape.

Some Serious Bikes Paths

Leaving my hotel on 8th Ave, I was amazed to see a bike path along this busy, major road. Not a skinny path squeezed alongside as an afterthought.  This was a wide, well-marked, well-paved section of the road reserved for cyclists. There are even traffic signals specifically for cyclists.

Cyclists in NYC have dedicated bike paths, and traffic signals.

Cyclists in NYC have dedicated bike paths, and traffic signals.

As I walked (on the sidewalk), helmeted riders whizzed by in their lane, unfazed by the sub-freezing temperatures. Some were riding bright blue Citi Bikes, which belong to the city’s bike sharing program. (No, I am not paid by Citi Bike.)  With thousands of bikes and hundreds of pick-up and drop-off bike stations throughout the city, you really can bike from point A to point B very quickly without waiting for a cab, bus or subway.

Cycling Benefits Everyone, Including Non-Cyclists

I am not a cyclist. But I celebrate this as another step towards greener cities and a greener economy. The bikes and bike paths benefit cyclists and non-cyclists alike because this transportation option:

  • Produces no greenhouse gas emissions. All New Yorkers benefit from cleaner air and no greenhouse gas emissions when a fellow citizen grabs a bike instead of driving to their destination.
  • Provides safety and speed for cyclists. The designated bike paths make biking in NYC much speedier and safer than before. Cyclists don’t risk their lives by  jockeying for position in lanes full of yellow cabs, cars and buses.
  • Offers convenience and flexibility. There are literally THOUSANDS of bikes and hundreds of bike stations throughout the city now. There’s no hunting around to  find a bike, or a place to park it at a destination.
  • Builds better health.  People who cycle regularly are rarely fat. I envy New Yorkers who can combine their commute – even on some days – with their exercise routine.  Talk about a win-win.

Remember – this year’s Earth Day focus is “Green Cities”. If you’re going to be in New York City around April 22, check out these Earth Day events.

Earth Day 2014 – What’s Your Plan?

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Earth Day is April 22 this year. If history is any guide, Earth Day events will occur throughout April. How is YOUR company planning to celebrate Earth Day?

Home

The Theme is “Green Cities”

This year’s theme is “green cities,” with a specific focus on the buildings, energy, and transportation systems of cities.

Why cities? Because in 2006, for the first time in history, more than 50% of people lived in cities, rather than rural areas. That number will grow to 70% of the total between now and 2050. So the impacts on the planet – for water, food, energy, pollution – will increasingly come from cities.

In addition, cities can get things done. Joel Makower of GreenBiz.com points out, “Cities are run by public officials who typically live close to the citizenry whose lives they impact. They experience daily life much the same way as taxpayers and voters. Cities also operate at a manageable scale — large enough to enjoy economies of scale, but small enough to be innovative and adaptive.”

Finally, cities are natural hubs for both thriving businesses and accelerated sustainability efforts.  A concentration of resources – human, financial, academic research, and more – can hurry the pace of sustainability efforts.

Why these 3 dimensions?

Cities have many moving parts. These 3 focus areas for green cities have the most potential to make a difference. A few facts to consider:

  • “Buildings are the single largest source of U.S. carbon emissions, representing 40% nationwide. That number is even more dramatic at the city level, with 50%-75% of carbon emissions in most U.S. cities coming from buildings.” (From Sustainable Biz.com)
  • Energy. A “city that never sleeps” wastes a lot of energy on things like lights and heating/cooling systems that run even when no one’s there.  We want cities to remain as centers of culture, business, entertainment, great food, and fun. There is huge opportunity to enhance our cities while lowering fuel bills, and creating less pollution and less waste.
  • Transportation – According to the folks at Earth Day.org, “transportation is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, three quarters of which comes directly from road vehicles.”  Improving vehicle emissions standards will help. But cities can more readily increase public transportation options, invest in alternative transportation, and improve both “walkability” and “bikeability” inside city limits.

What’s your plan?

Is your city doing something neat for Earth Day?  Is your company joining in on the “green cities” theme, or following its own drummer? I’d love to hear in the comments.

And most importantly, what do YOU plan to do for Earth Day/Week/Month? Share it here!

Local Tampa Bay tidbit

For local readers, there’s no need to wait for April to do something for the planet. On March 15, 2014, the Pinellas Gardening Collective is hosting a ROOTS, Seed and Plant Share event from 2:00 to 6:00 pm in St. Petersburg.

Get that garden going with lots of help from friends!