Sustainability & Green Business Webinars - July 2009

Here is our list of sustainability and green business webinars found on the Internet which are scheduled throughout July. Remember, save the emissions...do it online!

Introduction to Renewable Energy Credits & Carbon Offsets (July 1)
Corporate Sustainability Officer Master Class (July 6)
Communicating Your Sustainability Initiatives (July 8)
How to Conduct an Energy Audit (July 9)
Green Your Event (July 15)
LEED for Neighborhood Development: Strategies for Urban Infill & Brownfield Redevelopment (July 16)
How to Conduct a Waste Audit (July 16)
Inspiring Sustainable Residential Interiors (July 21)
GHG Inventories (July 22)
Rethinking Recycling - Beyond Paper and Cans (July 22)
Going Green by the Numbers: The Power of Analytics (July 22)
How to Green Your IT (July 23)
Accelerate Time to Value by Maximizing the Green Multiplier Effect (July 24)
Delivering on our Promise: Sustainable Solutions to Achieve our Climate and Economic Goals (July 29)
Green Power & LEED Proejcts (July 29)
Achieving Sustainable Savings with Outdoor Irrigation (July 31)

Win $20,000 to Put Your Green Idea Into Action

Press Release

Win $20,000 to Put Your Green Idea Into Action

SunChips and National Geographic have joined forces to create the Green Effect, an initiative to inspire individuals to spark a green movement in their communities.

YOU could be the one to make a difference in your community—for the planet! Submit a description of your Green Effect idea by June 8, 2009. Ten finalists will be announced July 7, 2009. Online viewers and a distinguished panel of judges will review these inspiring ideas.

We'll award $20,000 each to five people or groups that have the best ideas for green change. The five winners will also be profiled in National Geographic, and the winners will travel to Washington, D.C., to share their projects with environmental leaders.

Students Show How University Could Reduce Paper & Ink Costs by 39% or More

Students in the Sustainable Business class at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock completed a research project to identify ways the university could become more "green" and environmentally-friendly in printing practices and paper purchases while also saving money. The College of Business was used as the students' case example.

The students explored several green printing practices and ultimately made the recommendation that the College switch to 30% recycled paper, change default printer margins to 0.75" on all College computers, install PaperCut printer management software on all College computers, change default settings on all printers and copiers to duplex (double-sided copies), and install EcoFont as the default font on all computers.

The combined impact of these recommendations implemented in unison would reduce the College's paper and ink purchases and result in at least a 39% cost savings over current methods; this would require the purchase of 151 cases of paper (instead of the current 251 cases) and 26 laser ink cartridges and toner (instead of the current 30 cartridges). The environmental benefits of implementing these recommendations would be

• 87.3 trees saved,


• 11.3 tons of wood saved,


• 16,659 pounds of CO2 emissions prevented,


• 57,753.6 gallons of water saved,


• 33,449.9 kilowatts of electricity saved, and


• 6,985.7 pounds of solid waste prevented.

This project was completed by Amila Barakovic, Brigitte Armato, Chris Watson, Erica Griffin, William Tarter, and Anita Ojeda under the direction of Dr. N. Landrum.

Online Business Degrees in Sustainability

The list of colleges and universities offering degrees, majors, or certificates in sustainable business continues to grow (see a complete list in the right sidebar of this blog). I often receive emails asking if I know where to get an online degree in sustainable business. For those asking this question, last week, two new programs were announced.

The University of Wisconsin has launched an online Bachelor of Science degree in Sustainable Management. Students must complete the first two years of undergraduate general education studies before being admitted to the Sustainable Management program. The program includes courses in environmental studies, triple bottom line accounting, natural resource management, information systems, logistics, supply chain management, and sustainability.

For those seeking a graduate degree, Marylhurst University has launched an online MBA with curriculum in sustainability. The program includes courses in Program topics to include:
Ethical Issues and Environmental Law, Green and Social Marketing, Ecological Economics,Managerial and Environmental Accounting, and Management: A Triple Bottom Line Approach.

Update June 3, 2009: City University of Seattle offers both an online (or on-campus) MBA with an emphasis in Sustainable Business as well as an online (or on-campus) graduate certificate program in Sustainable Business.

See also: Where to Get a Business Degree in Sustainability.

The Coca-Cola Company Introduces Innovative Bottle Made From Renewable, Recyclable, Plant-Based Plastic

Press Release

THE COCA-COLA COMPANY INTRODUCES INNOVATIVE BOTTLE MADE FROM RENEWABLE, RECYCLABLE, PLANT-BASED PLASTIC

ATLANTA, May 14, 2009 - The Coca-Cola Company unveiled today a new plastic bottle made partially from plants. The "PlantBottle™" is fully recyclable, has a lower reliance on a non-renewable resource, and reduces carbon emissions, compared with petroleum-based PET plastic bottles.

"The 'PlantBottle™' is a significant development in sustainable packaging innovation," said Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. "It builds on our legacy of environmental ingenuity and sets the course for us to realize our vision to eventually introduce bottles made with materials that are 100 percent recyclable and renewable."

Traditional PET bottles are made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. The new bottle is made from a blend of petroleum-based materials and up to 30 percent plant-based materials.

"The Coca-Cola Company is a company with the power to transform the marketplace, and the introduction of the "PlantBottle™" is yet another great example of their leadership on environmental issues," said Carter Roberts, President and CEO of World Wildlife Fund, U.S. "We are pleased to be working with Coke to tackle sustainability issues and drive innovations like this through their supply chain, the broader industry and the world."

The "PlantBottle™" is currently made through an innovative process that turns sugar cane and molasses, a by-product of sugar production, into a key component for PET plastic. Coca-Cola is also exploring the use of other plant materials for future generations of the "PlantBottle™."

Manufacturing the new plastic bottle is more environmentally efficient as well. A life-cycle analysis conducted by Imperial College London indicates the "PlantBottle™" with 30 percent plant-base material reduces carbon emissions by up to 25 percent, compared with petroleum-based PET.

Another advantage to the "PlantBottle™" is that, unlike other plant-based plastics, it can be processed through existing manufacturing and recycling facilities without contaminating traditional PET. So, the material in the "PlantBottle™" can be used, recycled and reused again and again.

Coca-Cola North America will pilot the "PlantBottle™" with Dasani and sparkling brands in select markets later this year and with vitaminwater in 2010. The innovative bottles will be identified through on-package messages and in-store point of sale displays. Web-based communications will also highlight the bottles' environmental benefits.

"The 'PlantBottle™' represents the next step in evolving our system toward the bottle of the future," said Scott Vitters, Director of Sustainable Packaging of The Coca-Cola Company. "This innovation is a real win because it moves us closer to our vision of zero waste with a material that lessens our carbon footprint and is also recyclable."

The Coca-Cola Company -- the first company to introduce a beverage bottle made with recycled plastic -- has been focused on ensuring the sustainability of its packaging for decades. It has put resources behind creating packaging that is recyclable and investing in recycling infrastructure to ensure that its packages are collected, recycled and re-used. Earlier this year, the Company opened the world's largest plastic bottle-to-bottle recycling plant in Spartanburg, S.C. The plant will produce approximately 100 million pounds of recycled PET plastic for reuse each year -- the equivalent of nearly 2 billion 20-ounce Coca-Cola bottles. These efforts are all focused on helping "close the loop" on packaging use and produce truly sustainable packages for consumers.

About The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with nearly 500 sparkling and still brands. Along with Coca-Cola®, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company's portfolio includes 12 other billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke®, Fanta®, Sprite®, Coca-Cola Zero®, vitaminwater, POWERADE®, Minute Maid® and Georgia® Coffee. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate of nearly 1.6 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our website at http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/index.html

Making Your Impact at Work: A Practical Guide to Changing the World From Inside Any Company

Making Your Impact at Work: A Practical Guide to Changing the World From Inside Any Company, is designed to empower current and aspiring social intrapreneurs to find ways to integrate sustainability into their day jobs.

Building on the grassroot efforts started by its own employees, eBay partnered with Net Impact to develop this report as a way to empower current and aspiring social intrapreneurs to change their organizations one department or project at a time to ultimately influence the definition of sustainability jobs and business.

Making Your Impact at Work summarizes key themes identified in the experiences of social intrapreneurs and provides a model for future changemakers to follow as they create a positive impact in their own corporate positions.

The accompanying In-Depth Case Studies, which are available to Net Impact members, profile 15 social intrapreneurs representing a range of functions and industries, and provides details on the planning and execution of their corporate change projects. The 13 companies represented include Accenture, Best Buy, Clorox, McDonald's, Google, among others.

Net Impact and eBay hope that these new publications will inspire the next generation of social intrapreneurs and provide the guidance necessary to make their projects successful.

Please visit Net Impact for more information.

Apply for the Student Sustainability Leadership Award

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is now accepting applications for its annual Student Sustainability Leadership Award. The award will be given to an undergraduate student attending an AASHE-member school who has played a leadership role in implementing campus sustainability. The $750 award will be given to the winning student in September.

Deadline for applications is July 1, 2009.

Sustainability & Green Business Webinars - May 2009

Here is a list of webinars on sustainability-related topics coming up for the month of May.

Save the emissions...do it online!

Carbon Markets: Offsets, reduction and a head start on future regulation (May 5)
How to Use a Green Lens to Identify Eco-Efficiencies and Cost Savings (May 6)
Green Office: Strategies for a greener work environment (May 7)
Introduction to Green IT (May 7)
Office Greening 101 (May 13)
Conducting a Green IT Assessment (May 14)
Sustainability Indicators & Measurement (May 19)
Guide to Green Purchasing (May 20)
"Green": Going, Going, Gone? (May 21)
Sustainability Consulting 101 (May 26)
Rush Hour on the Sustainability Freeway (May 27)
Green Power & LEED Projects (May 27)
Carbon Offsetting 101 (May 27)
SSC Green Auditor Certification (May 27)

Earth Day at Work

From the U.S. government's Earthday.gov site, here are some tips on how to take action at work.

Commute for the environment

• Start a carpool or walk, bike, or use mass transportation instead of driving.


• Encourage your employer to be a "Best Workplace for Commuters".


• Learn how every trip you take can affect air quality.

Green your building

• Apply green building principles to your office buildings. They affect natural resources, land use, energy use, worker and public health, and community well being. With sustainable design - or green building - tools, the federal government can protect human health and worker productivity, reduce costs and risks, and build with greater responsibility towards future generations. Green Building principles lead to building in greater harmony with the environment, consciously sustaining and renewing natural resources.


• Go Green with GSA. The U.S. Government Services Administration has many environmental initiatives to help federal agencies Go Green. These initiatives range from green products to constructing and leasing green buildings.


• Clean Green. Using environmentally preferable cleaning supplies helps reduce pollution.

Reduce energy use

• Use Energy Star's energy-efficient office products. Make sure that you turn on the energy saving features.


• Turn off your computer monitor, printers, copy machines, and the lights when they are not being used.


• If possible, take the stairs instead of using the elevator.


• Use the consumer's guide to energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Reduce, reuse, and recycle office products

• Buy recycled content, remanufactured, and recyclable office products, and recycle them when appropriate (including e-cycling electronics). At a minimum, buy recycled paper and recycle it again. See the small business guide to pollution prevention for more information: http://www.epa.gov/ecycling/index.htm.


• Clean Out Your Files and recycle papers you no longer need. Many organizations sponsor cleaning weeks; check with your office management staff.


• Use spell check and proofread before you print or copy. Print double sided whenever possible. Minimize the amount of paper you use.


• Buy reusable office supplies instead of disposable supplies.


• Set up an area to store and exchange reusable office supplies, such as binders


• Recycle fluorescent bulbs properly to prevent hazardous mercury from entering the environment.
  

In addition to these items, check the Environmental Protection Agency's "At the Workplace" page.

Downtown Atlanta's Zero Waste Zone

Atlanta has created a Zero Waste Zone in the downtown convention district in an attempt to divert waste from landfills. The pilot phase of the program focuses on recycling and diverting food waste.

The Hyatt Regency sends excess food to the Atlanta Community Food Bank and scraps are picked up by Greenco Environmental for composting. The compost is then bought by organic farmers and gardeners. The Hyatt expects to save $8000/year in the food recycling program.

Refuel Biodiesel picks up used grease from Emory University and Chick-fil-a, converts it to biodiesel, and returns it to the businesses to be used in biodiesel fleets.

The Zero Waste Zone program is an initiative of Atlanta Recycles and the Green Foodservice Alliance. The program also includes Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Levy Restaurants, Georgia Dome, Georgia World Congress Center, and other businesses.

What's the Deal with CFLs?

In a departure from usual posts, this is a personal commentary.

I don't know about you, but I've been disappointed with my compact flourescent lightbulbs (CFLs). Two years ago, I changed all the lightbulbs in my house and replaced them with CFLs. This was no cheap feat, it cost a few hundred dollars. But the touted benefits included the fact that CFLs use 50-80% less energy, which reduces carbon emissions, and the bulbs last up to 10 times longer than incandescents.

My first disappointment came a month later when there was no difference in my electric bill. In fact, the next month's electric bill increased, but it was summer and the air conditioning was in full swing. Besides, lighting is such a miniscule part of the electric bill, I may not have noticed the difference anyway. But I figured I was still helping the environment and the lights would pay for themselves over the lifetime of the bulbs.

Think again. Over the past 2 years, I've had to replace 7 CFL bulbs: 3 exterior bug lights, 2 globe vanity lights, and two 3-way lights. I know this because, like a good recycler, I've kept all of them in a bag for hazardous household waste disposal.

And last night, one of the bulbs exploded! Yes, exploded! It was a 3-way bulb, two light settings had already burned out, but it still offered one level of lighting and was still in use. That is, until it exploded for no apparent reason. Fortunately, no one was sitting near the lamp at the time.

After this incident, the room was allowed to air due to the risk of mercury exposure. The remnants of the bulb have now been placed in my bag for hazardous household waste disposal, and this brings the grand total to 8 CFL bulbs replaced in a span of two years.

So where are the energy savings and longer lifespans that have been claimed? I have to say I've been very disappointed. What's the deal with CFLs?

The Best Business Programs in Sustainability

Business Week has published its annual list of the overall Best Undergraduate Business Programs. The rankings also list the best undergraduate business programs by specific disciplines: marketing, corporate strategy, financial management, quantitative methods, ethics, business law, calculus, microeconomics, operations management, macroeconomics, and accounting.

For the first time, the rankings identified the best 101 undergraduate business programs in sustainability. Interestingly, none of the 11 top-ranked best undergraduate business programs even placed in the sustainability rankings.

Top 10 Best Business Programs in Sustainability

1. Illinois


2. Boston College (Carroll)


3. Rutgers


4. Xavier (Williams)


5. George Washington


6. Richmond (Robins)


7. Cal Poly (Orfalea)


8. Massachusetts (Isenberg)


9. Rensselaer Polytech (Lally)


10. Wake Forest (Calloway)

Top Ten Greenwashing Companies in America

24/7 Wall St. has offered its list of the Top Ten Greenwashing Companies in America. According to the article,

Every company on this list makes a substantial investment in creating a perception that they are friendlier to the environment than their peers are or that they are on the side of good or that saving the global ecosystem should be part of a corporation’s broad public responsibility–its good citizenship. These firms often spend millions of dollars on advertising to support the way that their companies are perceived in the green world. But, hidden behind these efforts, each corporation on this list is a Herculean polluter. And, that fact points to a hypocrisy which is almost completely hidden from the public.

So who made the list?

1. General Electric


2. American Electric Power


3. ExxonMobil


4. DuPont


5. Archer Daniels Midland


6. Waste Management, Inc.


7. International Paper


8. BP


9. Dow Chemical


10. General Motors

To read a full description of why each company is on this list or to read the methodology, check out the 24/7 Wall St. article.

GoodCompany Ventures Now Accepting Applications for 2009 Program

PRESS RELEASE

GoodCompany Ventures Now Accepting Applications for 2009 Program

Philadelphia Area Investors Launch Innovative Incubator For Social Entrepreneurs

Philadelphia, PA - March 23, 2009 - GoodCompany Ventures, a team of social finance investors and start-up experts, today announced the launch of a business incubator targeting entrepreneurs with innovative solutions to unmet social needs. The program will provide facilities, mentoring and access to a network of capital sources to qualified entrepreneurs whose business models offer investors an attractive mix of financial return and social impact. The program will culminate in a venture fair where companies will pitch their ideas to investors.

“The program is the first of its kind in the social sector, repurposing a proven venture strategy in this emerging sector," stated Jacob Gray, Murex Investments Partner. “Unlike conventional venture incubators, GoodCompany Ventures doesn’t extract an equity commitment from entrepreneurs, but expects a commitment of time and creativity toward building a community of social entrepreneurship.”

“This incubator program will be a pioneer,” said Garret Melby, founder of Iolite Social Capital. “Just as Xerox Parc, Idea Lab and other technology incubators helped create the foundation of the information economy, GoodCompany Ventures will support entrepreneurs seeking to build a socially and environmentally sustainable economy.”

Applicants will be recruited nationally via venture capital, social finance, and academic networks. A pool of eight to twelve candidates will be selected to participate in the 2009 incubator program that begins in June.

The program has been developed jointly by Resources for Human Development, Inc. (RHD), an innovator in social finance with a successful track record in social enterprises, and Murex Investments, a “double bottom line” equity fund backed by leading financial institutions.

Applications for the GoodCompany Ventures Program are now being accepted online at http://www.goodcompanyventures.org/. The application deadline is April 20, 2009.

About GoodCompany VenturesGoodCompany

Ventures catalyzes start-ups with innovative solutions to big, unmet social needs. GoodCompany entrepreneurs are offered a great place to work in Philadephia, a community of like-minded entrepreneurs and access to a network of capital sources and expert advisors. We champion models that offer investors financial return and social impact. More information is available at http://www.goodcompanyventures.org/ or via email at info@GoodCompanyVentures.org.

Apply Now
Applications are now being accepted for entrepreneurs and operators. Application deadline is April 20.

Potential mentors, sponsors, investors and interns are always welcomed.

Sustainability & Green Business Webinars - April 2009

Sustainable business and green business webinars for April 2009 include:

Reduce Costs While on the Road to Sustainability - Measure, Manage and Reduce the Environmental Costs of your Buildings (April 2)
Cut Costs and Carbon with Your Real Estate Assets (April 8)
Green Energy eForum (April 8)
Meeting Tenant Demands for LEED (April 8)
Comprehensive Approaches to Stormwater Management for Higher Education (April 14)
Understanding Sustainable Dining Options for Higher Education (April 15)
Office Greening 101 (April 15)
Greening Your Office Operations (April 16)
Local Food Networks: Food Localization as a Sustainability Strategy (April 21)
Sustainability Careers for MBAs (April 21)
Sustainability Consulting 101 (April 21)
LEED Case Study: Challenges and Opportunities in Negotiating a Green Transaction (April 22)
A Guide to Green Purchasing (April 22)
Carbon Offsetting (April 29)

Save the emissions...do it online!