Green Options

As the auto industry as we know it continues to crumble, a new model is emerging out of the Netherlands, known currently as c,mm,n. Open source design has proven itself successful in a number of arenas from software to restaurants. But a car? Yes, one where the design will be made available to the public, with the provision that their design be likewise made open to the public to do their own revisions and modifications on it.

Biking. For most American adults, it’s just not on the radar as a transportation option for more then casual use. B Cycle hopes to change that. And with the intersection of three powerful allies, an economy in trouble, and a population ready for and open to something different, now may be just the time for such an endeavor.

These days it seems everybody has some sort of recycled/eco friendly paper offering. So what’s the big deal about a Swedish offering making it’s US debut on Earth Day this year?

White Lines factory reuses their carbon emissions in a closed loop, making for zero CO2 emissions, for one. Then they offset what they can’t reuse (transportation, etc) via planting trees in Africa, as coordinated by environmental consultancy U&W (interestingly pronounced “You & We” in Swedish) The wood used for the [...]

So often these days you hear about green and greening cleaning products. But beyond the trendiness and this vague notion of it being “better for the planet,” most of the time people don’t know how that’s so and why it matters.

The founders of Ecostore, a New Zealand based company, now with an American division based in Michigan, saw quite directly why using the usual cleaning products has an impact: They lived on a eco village where each of them was [...]

In our highly connected world, travel can happen from any number of means, catering to just about any human desire out there. So why should you bother with Exquisite Safaris Philanthropic Travel? For many reasons, the top of which being that when you travel with them, $250 goes directly to organizations and communities where you visited. No opaque claims of a percentage of proceeds or other such vagueness. You get emailed a copy of the Wells Fargo bank transfer, showing [...]

In these turbulent economic times, there’s two major approaches that can happen: tighten everything down and hope you survive, or create new opportunities, within your business or in a whole new one.

For those that choose the second option, there are several interesting paths to follow, and many places to find ideas to inspire which one you choose. Springwise is my favorite, with thousands of trend spotters around the world, writing brief, engaging pieces on companies expanding what’s possible. For quick [...]

So you have an interest in sustainability, particularly when it comes to your home environment. You know enough that your friends seem to flock to you for advice. They say, “You should open your own store!” You think hmm, they might be on to something. But you’ve never opened up a store, and it’s a tough economy these days for doing so.

g Green Design Center may be just the ticket.

Ah, the magic of Twitter. I’ve been on there for the past year and during that time have become a green business hub of sorts. Every day, 10-20 new people “follow” me (choose to have what I say be tracked by them) One particularly interesting one was EnergyCircle.

In a miraculously concise statement of purpose, they say, “Our singular goal as a company is to take the complexity out of home energy.”

How do they do that?

Through telling their own stories. Exploring [...]

Writing for three green business blogs, I come across and write about my fair share of ideas. My greenwash filter is quick, swift, and merciless. And then you come across something like Wild Wool, and everything gets confused.

The front page has pleasing images of piles of soft, fuzzy fabric and clothing, made from what it describes as, “…a 100% natural fiber product made from 60% merino wool and 40% paihamu spun together to make a premium cashmere-like fabric that is softer, warmer, and lighter than plain wool.” Sounds good so far, right?

My eyebrow started to cock when I read a seemingly throwaway sentence, without a connecting justification for it: “Eco-friendly and practical - talk about a great way to reduce, reuse and recycle.”

Going to the Ecological Profile page to learn more, I was surprised to read what I can say is the most unique claim to being sustainable I’ve seen in a while - Basically, by killing them for their fur, they are helping restore ecological balance on New Zealand.

I’ll admit it: I am a chronic trier of new software. Being on Twitter, I am soaking in shiny new things to try. And I do. Often. And almost as often, they end up collecting virtual dust on the shelf, tried briefly, not proving sticky enough to become part of my work or fun flow, or compelling enough to displace what I already use.