Consumers are demanding more energy efficient and environmentally beneficial appliances for their homes. Take a look at how several companies are meeting those demands.

Appliances companies are stepping up to offer us more efficient products, along with more styles and configurations. Green kitchen design was a big theme at the 2008 KBIS show, and I wanted to mention a couple specific products from the show that you may want to check out if you’re shopping for an appliance.

Fisher & Paykel’s Energy Star rated, top-loading EcoSmart, IntuitiveEco and AquaSmart washers, are good choices if you’re looking to save water and energy. The AquaSmart washer earned a MEF (modified energy factor) rating of 2.15, which exceeds the DOE 2007 standard of 1.72 by 25%. It also meets the CEE (Consortium for Energy Efficiency) criteria for Tier 2 efficiency adopted on 1/1/07. This makes it the most energy efficient top loading washing machine in North America. These washers are also eligible for utility rebates. Fisher & Paykel’s DishDrawer dishwasher offers the option of an economical, small load using as little as 1.98 gallons of water compared to 2.6 gallons on average for a normal eco cycle.

Bosch’s product line is Energy Star qualified in the refrigeration, laundry and dishwasher categories. Their stainless steel Integra 800 Series Dishwasher is both Energy Star and NSF Certified, and smartly manages energy and water consumption. For the more frugal buyer Bosch offers their Ascenta dishwashers series. Ascenta diswashers employ Ecosense technology, which examines the soil level in the water and customizes the wash cycle to save up to 20% in energy costs. The Integra Refrigerator and Freezer units come with settings that will allow you to use less energy.

To continue reading the rest of this post, please visit the GreenBuildingTalk blog.

Read More about Energy-Efficient Appliances

• Very Efficient Clothes Washers
• Efficiency in a Clothes Dryer
• Touchless Faucets for the Home

We know that many of us will need to spend our tax rebate check on critical items like food or rent or paying off debt. But just in case you have some of your tax rebate check left and you’re looking for eco-friendly ways to spend the money, we have some ideas we’d like to share with you.

And we’ve geared these tips to supporting the US economy, so you get to do the right thing for the planet and be an eco-patriot at the same time! In coming up with our list of ideas we decided it would be good to recommend ideas that reduce our negative environmental impacts but also support US manufacturers and service providers. So here are five eco-smart ways to use your rebate to support the Earth, the US economy, and save your household money in the long run.

1. Buy a high-efficiency water heater. A high-efficiency water heater can cut your energy use, water use, carbon footprint and even utility bills (over the long run). For most homes you can get the heater itself for $600 - $1,200, but you’ll probably have to spring for installation as well. Models made in the US include the AO Smith Vertex (a storage model that beats the pants off of tankless HW heaters), electric models made by American Tankless Water Heaters, and natural gas tankless heaters made by Rheem (some made in the US). Click here to learn more about making the tankless decision, and click here to find local installers.

2. Upgrade your insulation. If you don’t have insulation (like many older homes in the Southwest), or you only have partial insulation, upgrading your home’s insulation is an excellent way to reduce your energy use (for both heat in the winter and cooling in the summer). It will also make your home more comfortable. Fully insulating your attic and walls will cost a few thousand dollars, but you can do it in installments to cut the cost. Start with the attic — that will run between $700-2,000, depending on the size of your home. Then you can move on to the walls at a later date. The insulation investment will pay for itself in less than five years. And your local utility company very likely offers substantial rebates, so be sure to check with them for incentives. You can also buy great insulation made in the US out of recycled and sustainable materials such as Cocoon cellulose insulation (recycled newspaper), Ultratouch recycled denim insulation, and BioBased insulation (made from soybean oil). Click here to see great insulation recommendations and you can find local insulation installers here.

3. Replace your oldest appliance with an Energy Star model. Old appliances are major energy-wasters and can also use excessive amounts of water as well. Old clothes washers, refrigerators and dishwashers are typically the biggest energy hogs. We highly recommend you upgrade to an Energy Star model — this will save you money in the long run as well. Like with insulation, many local utilities offer great rebates on appliance upgrades. You can find Energy Star appliances here, or you can go directly to the Energy Star site (part of the US EPA) and check the full range of makes and models. Unfortunately, there are few (if any) US appliance manufacturers left …

4. If you irrigate, replace a high-water area with drought-tolerant or native plants. Global warming deserves all of the media attention it gets, but our growing water-shortage crisis doesn’t get enough coverage. If you live in the Southeast or Southwest US, we need to be doing everything we can to reduce our water consumption. Grass lawns are water-hogs and it is a great idea to incorporate native and low-water-use plants into your landscaping. To learn more about native landscaping, click here. Any plants you buy are grown in the US, and you can also use the services of an eco-friendly landscape designer and/or maintenance team– find local landscape services here.

5. Swap out all of your lights and shower heads. Perhaps you’ve been waiting to change your incandescent lights to compact fluorescents or LEDs because the latter are expensive. Now’s the time spend a couple hundred dollars and get really energy-efficient lighting throughout your home– and for outdoors as well. Compact fluorescent lights will last ten times as long as standard bulbs, and LED lights will last 5-10 times longer than the fluorescents. You’ll save money and energy. Also spend $50 to get a few low-water-use shower heads. These shower heads can save you 2,000 to 3,000 gallons of water per person per year. And they work great. You won’t know you’re in a low-flow shower! Most low-cost items like this are made overseas these days, but at least you’ll be supporting your local retailer.

Of course, you might instead be thinking about using that stimulus check for a new flat-screen TV or computer. If so, make sure they’re Energy Star - here are links to the Energy Star pages for TVs and computers.

Read More about Energy, Water, and Money-Saving Home Improvement Investments:

• GreenBuildingTalk: Solar Hot Water and Heating — Is it Right for You?
• All You Need to Know about Water Saving Technology around the House
• KBIS Report: It’s Getting Green in Here

Each week, the Chicago Architecture Foundation and Chicago Green Technology Center graciously host “lunch time seminars,” inviting some of the leading industry professionals to discuss building issues they are involved with. On 5/1/08, they hosted Joe Gordon’s “Solar Hot Water and Heating- Is It Right for You?” presentation. The seminar provided the audience with information on how solar thermal works, how much space you’ll need, incentives, and how to determine cost benefits. Mr. Gordon also discussed how the cost of solar hot water and heating will likely keep increasing, due to the high cost of copper that is used in these systems.

Joe Gordon has worked for Solar Service, Inc. for over four years and has fielded thousands of inquires from developers, architects, owners and institutions about whether solar hot water and heating would work for them. Visit Solar Service’s gallery to see unique ways panels can be installed.

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To view the rest of Joe Gordon’s presentation, visit the blog at GreenBuildingTalk.

Read More about Hot Water and Heating:

• Green Beer Bottles to Solar Hot Water
• Low Impact Living: The Low Down on Tankless Hot Water Heaters
• Heating Your Home: Heat 101

Image credit: mjmonty at Flickr under a Creative Commons license

Today on our Monday’s green books series, we’re getting into the kitchen and learning how vegan food can not only be notorious but also very yummy!

Our book for today is:

Get It Ripe: A Fresh Take on Vegan Cooking and Living

Author: Jae Steele

Jae Steele is a registered holistic nutritionist and runs the vegan blog Domestic Affair. She has authored various self-published cookzines including Vegan Freegan and Ripe. She lives in Montreal.

Publisher: Arsenal Pulp Press

Published on: May 29, 2008

What it is about (from the publisher’s website): Get It Ripe is a vegan cookbook for the 21st century, with an emphasis on holistic living and whole food (i.e. unprocessed and unrefined) ingredients. Jae Steele is a registered holistic nutritionist; she has also been a professional vegan baker, and worked on organic farms on both the east and west coasts of Canada. Her life experiences, and her love of vegan whole foods, are at the heart of Get It Ripe, which not only features uncomplicated yet delicious animal-free recipes, but advice and information on various aspects of holistic vegan living, including special diets (all recipes are wheat-free), simple steps for cleansing and detoxing, building your own kitchen compost, information on ethical consumerism, and the connections among mind, body, and spirit.

The 140 recipes include Butternut Risotto, Chipotle Black-Eyed Peas with Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Cauliflower Chickpea Curry, Fettuccine No-Fredo, Apple Carrot Soup with Coriander, Blueberry Breakfast Polenta, Spiced Squash Muffins, and Cowgrrrl Cookies. Two-color throughout, the book also includes 16 full-color recipe photographs.

Why you should buy Get It Ripe:

I am not a vegan, nor a vegetarian (although my wife is), but nevertheless I have always admired the commitment of vegans to their beliefs. It seemed for a long time that being a vegan means sacrificing good food for your beliefs, but in the last couple of years this notion has changed with growing number of chefs and cookbooks that present vegan food that is not only animal-friendly, but also tasty! Jae Steele’s book is definitely one of these books. If you’re not sure about it, check out the recipes on her blog Domestic Affair.

I like the fact that this book is not just for “animal right-activists types, or those who are allergic to dairy or intolerant to wheat”, but for everyone, as Jae explains in the book. Anyone can enjoy the good and nutritious food you will find in the book… it just happens to vegan.

We should definitely take food more seriously as it happens to significantly impact everything: economies, the environment and, of course, our health. Reading this book can definitely help to get more information and ideas on the right directions: local, more vegetables, more whole foods, and still making sure that the food will look and taste good… very good!

What others say about Get It Ripe:

“Get It Ripe is far from your run of the mill cookbook. It’s rammed with thought-provoking info on sustainable food, decoding grocery store labels and holistic ideas on how to heal and balance our bodies through what we put in our mouths. Not to mention how all the mouth-watering recipes will make you want to jump in your kitchen and start cooking up a storm! Not just for vegans, this cookbook is for anyone that wants to treat their body, the planet and their taste buds good.” ―Adria Vasil, author of Ecoholic

“Jae’s inviting approach to whole foods is both pragmatic and uplifting. Get It Ripe offers big-picture broad stokes and meaningful details for delicious, nutritious food on a daily basis (regardless of one’s dietary denomination!). If you love your body and the planet, this book is a sure thing.”―Renée Loux, TV show host of It’s Easy Being Green, and author of The Balanced Plate and Living Cuisine

“Jae offers practical advice and truly delicious recipes in her friendly, never-judgmental voice. This book is a breath of fresh, yummy air.” - Jessica Porter, author of The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics

Wants to learn more? Check Jae’s blog and join the book’s Facebook group.

If you’re looking for other interesting green books, you are invited to check out our green books page on our website’s green resources section.

More Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes:

• Black Bean Tacos for Cinco de Mayo
• Veggie Bahn Mi Recipe
• Lovin’ Fresh: Soup Blueprint

The seemingly innocuous question comes with all sorts of ethical baggage these days: for many Americans, recycling is not just an initial step into a greener life, but also an activity suffused with moral weight. While many will argue about the significance of individuals and families recycling items they might otherwise throw away, there’s no doubt that creative and innovative reuse of materials is critical for the health of the planet… and the people who reside on it (along with all of those other species). Tonight, the Sundance Channel’s Big Ideas for a Small Planet goes beyond the blue bin many of us place on the curb, and looks at three organizations that are taking recycling in some interesting, and effective, directions.

Ever been to the dump? If so, it probably didn’t look like Sonoma County, California’s, which manager Ken Wells (pictured on the left) describes as a “mining operation for the trash of your life.” Yes, there’s a landfill, but there’s also a composting center, an organic garden, a reuse store, and a power plant that creates electricity from landfill gas (enough to power about 7000 homes). Accessory design shop Ecoist, in Miami, definitely looks more upscale, but they’re also reusing materials that would otherwise go to waste: in this case, misprinted or otherwise flawed packaging, and movie billboards. And Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council (CACRC) gathers used computers on a massive scale, “dematerializes” those that aren’t in working condition, and repairs those that are to sell cheaply or donate to public school programs. As in earlier episodes, many of the “big ideas” presented come from ordinary people (well, ordinary people with extraordinary imaginations). And, of course, folks known for their own big ideas provide commentary: David Suzuki, Allen Hershkowitz of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Anne Reichman of Earth 911, and Sundance’s own Simran Sethi.

Following Big Ideas, the Sundance Channel presents the eco-documentary Burning the Future: Coal in America. According to press materials,

This timely documentary takes us to the Appalachian Mountains of southern West Virginia to explore the political, economic and environmental issues surrounding coal, the source of more than half of U.S. electricity. At particular issue is the controversial above-ground mining technique known as mountaintop removal, which is defended as safe by the coal industry but opposed by a growing number of residents who believe it is a threat their land, their health and their unique way of life.

If you liked Big Coal, this sounds like one you won’t want to miss.

Finally, keep in mind that there’s Sundance schwag to win: Sundance’s own “What’s the Big Idea?” contest is still taking entries, and we’re giving away a Sundance giftbag to one lucky subscriber to our biweekly newsletter.

Images courtesy of Special Ops Media 

Imagine an organism, native to the American prairie, whose value to people prompted wholesale hunting to fill the demands of a niche market. In the period of roughly a decade and a half, consumers managed to rediscover and exploit natural reserves of this species which had originally been utilized by Native Americans in the eastern United States. The organism, echinacea (not the American bison), consists of 9 species of plants, some of which are recognized as endangered by federal and state authorities.

What Is Echinacea and How Does it Work?

The blanket term echinacea usually refers to three species of this plant: Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea purpurea, and Echinacea pallida. All three varieties are native to North America and are often packed into individual or homogenized mixtures that are marketed as immunity boosters and touted to either prevent colds or lessen their impact/duration. Echinacea can be used preventatively or post-exposure to shorten the duration of colds when the rhinovirus (the cause of the all-too-common cold) has invaded and incubated, causing symptoms (the sniffles). Doses are delivered orally and come in the form of tinctures, pills, or drinks with intake instructions specific to the product listed within the packaging.

The active components have yet to be identified but echinacea is believed to improve immune defenses by stimulating lymphocyte activity. Lymphocytes are the white blood cells that fight disease-causing pathogens by identifying, marking, and “eating” them. Additionally, echinacea appears to increase interferon levels which interfere with the reproduction of viruses like the rhinovirus.

The Market for Echinacea

The demand for echinacea was extremely high around the close of the last century. Echinacea sales totaled some $300 million a year in the late 90s; however, these numbers have since dropped to around $150 million a year. According to the Nutrition Business Journal, 2006 saw a drop in echinacea sales with $129 million-worth sold in the United States. Theories abound as to the potential reason for a dip in sales of late including a reported lack of effectiveness and the presence of other remedies (goldenseal, vitamin C and zinc combinations, etc).

I believe that high demand for echinacea will resume. The most recent study published in July 2007’s The Lancet Infectious Diseases concluded that taking echinacea reduced the risk of catching a cold by 58%. Additionally, it lessened the duration of colds by an indefinite amount (couldn’t agree on that one, I guess).

Save the Echinaceae?

Humanity has done a good job of learning from the past. Due to the diligent efforts of the American Bison Society, the buffaloes are once again roaming parts of the central U.S.. Likewise, wild endangered echinacea plants are protected in states like Florida, Michigan, and Tennessee. A rigorous monitoring system set up to protect wild echinacea plants would be well-advised before the next surge in demand (October through April, roughly). In the meantime, seek out and patronize dealers that practice sustainable agriculture.

For further reading on endangered/protected animal and plant species, go to:

The US Deparment of Agriculture
The US Fish and Wildlife Service

Read More about Alternative Health Products and Practices:

Natural Remedies for Morning Sickness

Homeopathic Pink Eye Relief

Rescue Remedy

Image credit: bcballard at Flickr under a Creative Commons license

Katleen Baum and her twin sister Liesbet run georgette, an online and real world shop in Antwerp which specializes in animal friendly footwear. The website is a delight. Handily written in English, you navigate with a flea circus and clicking on a link can give you a nice surprise. Oh, and the shoes are great too. Katleen spoke to Life Goggles about reconciling veganism with wearing leather.

“Ever since we were kids, we were always fascinated with fashion and shoes. And also with animals. From the moment we realized that the animal we saw in the country, ended up on our dinner plates, we did not want to eat it anymore. So we became vegetarian and evolved to veganism. No biggie, right? But as time progresses, you start to question other things…

Every vegetarian or vegan, some day, will be confronted with the same dilemma: how to reconcile a strict vegetarian-vegan diet with wearing leather?

Especially for fashion and shoe addicts like us, this is quite a hard nut to crack! So at first, you try to ignore the issue. It’s just too hard to find a nice non-leather shoe, right? But your conscience doesn’t leave you alone. So you start to do some research.

Apparently leather, as often stated, is not just a slaughterhouse byproduct, it is a booming industry. Wearing leather shoes contributes to factory farms, slaughterhouses and a lifetime of suffering for the animal. The meat and leather industry is no friend of the environment either. According to a UN report from November ‘06, the livestock business is among the most damaging sectors to global warming and land and water degradation. Animal wastes, antibiotics, hormones, fertilizers and pesticides cause serious water and land pollution.

The process of turning animal skins into leather shares all the environmental destruction of the meat industry: dangerous mineral salts, formaldehyde, coal-tar derivatives, cyanide-based oils and dyes, chrome and other damaging products are used. Also the tanning is an intensive chemical process that causes toxic waste.

Fashion, for us, should be fun, not cruel, nor harmful…so the decision not to wear leather then came quite easily.

But where to find stylish, high quality shoes without leather? Most non-leather shoes have a bad reputation: they are ‘unfashionable,’ from ‘poor quality’ and made with ‘cheap, exploited labor.’ Encountering ’stylish,’ ‘high quality’ shoes that are ‘completely animal-free’ and ‘handmade in Europe’ seems not so easy!

After a long and unfruitful search for vegan shoes according to our strict demands, we decided to explore the shoe sector ourselves and investigate the possibilities. Many shoe factories believed we were crazy… quality shoes without leather? Impossible!

But after a while we were blessed to meet a few Italian and Spanish, mostly very small and family-run shoe companies who decided to give us a chance. We encountered non-leather materials that have evolved so much: they are soft, durable, absorbing, and gentle to the environment! They had nothing to do with cheap, unbreathing plastic (pvc) that is also highly polluting to the environment. Those new materials could be used for elegant, high quality vegan shoes…and georgette was born!

We named our shoe store after our grandmother Georgette. She always was a true shoe addict. We were always playing dress-up in her fabulous pumps and sandals. Now, she is 80 years old and she still wears ‘over the top’ stiletto-heels in lots of different colors and patterns. Our friends and family were convinced our shoe-obsession was of a genetic kind. Hence the name.

With georgette, we aim to prove that wearing high-quality and chic footwear can easily be combined with a compassionate lifestyle. Together with small family-run companies in Italy and Spain, we work out exclusive collections that are made in the best non-leather and eco-friendly materials, like natural fabrics and luxurious Italian faux leathers. Super-stylish, animal-friendly and 100% sweatshop-free!”

Again the website is http://www.georgette.be and I can’t wait for them to start doing men’s shoes, too.

More Posts on Shoes:

Green Style Spotlight: TOMS Shoes

Green Footing Part 1: Much Ado about the Shoe

Why Can’t Every Product be Sustainable?

If you’re a college student looking for an internship this Summer, we’re looking for web publishing and marketing interns.

A 2007 study of health practice trends cited in an issue of Alternative Therapies estimated that nearly 1 of 5 Americans reported using herbals for treatment of health conditions or for health promotion (Gardiner et al., “Factors Associated with Herbal Therapy Use by Adults in the United States,” 22-29). This translates to a multi-billion dollar industry that will probably only grow as public education and the cost of medicines continue to rise. This trend, which spells good news for herbal therapy retailers and users, does not come without its share of potentially negative environmental consequences.

At-Risk American Herbs

The rise of herbal medicine intake in the United States has led to threats to the native floral populations that make up those medicines. In 2004 the World Health Organization listed five American plant species including American ginseng, black cohosh, echinacea, goldenseal, and slippery elm as “at risk” for endangerment. A brief description of these herbs and their characteristics shows why they’re in such demand:

• American Ginseng. Also called Panax quinquefolius, American ginseng shares many indications with its Asian cousin ranging from use as an aphrodisiac to enhancing stamina; however, common usage of ginseng is as an adaptogen to return one to a healthy state after exposure to a stressor. This plant grows wild in the eastern and southern United States.
• Echinacea. The darling of the herbal healing trade, three species of echinacea (angustifolia, purpurea, and pallida) represent the bulk of herbal remedy sales in the U.S. accounting for over a hundred million dollars-worth sold in 2006, alone. Multiple studies have shown echinacea to have an impact on the severity and duration of cold symptoms. This plant is native to the eastern and central United States.
• Goldenseal. Hydrastis canadensis grows wild in the eastern U.S. and parts of Canada. Used by Native Americans for centuries to paint skin and treat disease, goldenseal is touted to assist with coughs as an expectorant (induces coughing) and to treat minor wounds. (Note: despite rumors to the contrary, there is no proof that goldenseal clears urine of drug evidence.)
• Black Cohosh. Cimicifuga racemosa, or black cohosh, has been in use for years to lessen menopause symptoms and fluid retention. The verdict is still out on this one and women who are or may be pregnant should avoid this one altogether. Use caution when mimicking hormonal activity with any substance. This plant is a native of the eastern United States.
• Slippery Elm. Ulmus fulva (sometimes ulmus rubra or red elm), the slippery elm, is used to coat the lining of the stomach to soothe digestive irritation or topically to soothe irritated skin. There is still not much scientific documentation to support these claims, so be careful. This tree grows in the central and southern United States.

Many of the above medicinal herbs are not just in demand locally but across the world, as well. This demand will increase as public knowledge about their benefits increases. Efforts should be made to enlighten harvesters and consumers of the plight of these plant species in order to foster responsible consumption.

Also in the Green Options Media blog network:

Eco Child’s Play: Herbs for Kids

Eco Child’s Play: Homeopathic Pink Eye Relief

Image credit: Eggybird at Flickr under a Creative Commons license

And while I’ve got you, throw your name in the hat for a green giftbag from the Sundance Channel. It’s easy to do: just subscribe to Green Options Media’s biweekly newsletter.

Impatient? Can’t wait 45 minutes? Here… take a sneak peak at tonight’s episode:

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Got thoughts about this episode, or any of Sundance’s programming included in The Green? Share them on our discussion forum.

Image: the team at Nau, courtesy of Special Ops Media.

To anyone who’s from the San Francisco Bay Area, there’s no need to introduce Cody’s Books. This famous Berkeley independent bookstore has been around since 1956, when it was founded by Pat and Fred Cody as a small storefront, and even played a part in (The People’s Republic of) Berkley’s interesting political history in the 60’s and 70’s. In fact, Pat Cody wrote a book about it in Cody’s Books: the Life and Times of a Berkeley Bookstore, which I heard is quite worth hunting down.

So today’s announcement is that Eco-Libris finally plays a small part in the current chapter of Cody’s history book. As of last week, our “One tree planted for this book” eco-friendly stickers are on sale for $1 at the book counter, and the Berkeley literati can now plant a tree for every book they buy at Cody’s.

In a recent SF Gate article, journalist John King outlined Cody’s somewhat iconic saga, which illustrates the exciting yet treacherous road of independent book retail these days. Pat and Fred Cody’s little storefront endeavor grew over the decades to include two Berkeley stores, the flagship being a big storefront on Telegraph Avenue, and an additional third shop opened in downtown San Francisco in 2005.

However, the times being what they are, the Cody’s of today is back to basics. After a recent move, the former chain is back to being a single store in Berkeley on Shattuck and Allston. That’s good news to all book lovers in the area, because it hopefully means that this great resource is going to be available for yet another generation.

So definitely check out Cody’s at their new location when you’re in the Bay Area. Meet an author, buy a book, and of course, plant a tree. For a complete list of upcoming event please check out their events calendar.

Image source: Cody’s Books

The folks at Sundance have given us a bag full of green goodies, and we’ll give it away to one lucky newsletter subscriber. All you have to do: subscribe to the newsletter by May 20th. On the 21st, we’ll one name from our subscribers, and that person will win the bag. What will s/he win?

• +E (Positive Energy) T-Shirt: 100% Organic T-Shirt made exclusively for Sundance Channel
• Boku Journal: Made exclusively for Sundance Channel out of 70% Kenaf Tree fibers and 30% recycled sheets
• MP3 Speakers: Custom 100% recycled cardboard MP3 Speakers

It couldn’t be easier to enter: just subscribe to the GO newsletter — if you subscribe by May 20th, you’re entered (and that includes all of you who have already subscribed). And, of course, we won’t do anything sneaky like giving this to an employee, contractor, or long-lost relative who comes out of the woodwork..

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In addition to Del Forte, tonight’s episode features outerwear company Nau, which, unfortunately, has announced that it’s going out of business. Given Nau’s very sustainable approach to both garment design and retailing, watching this portion of the show felt bittersweet: let’s hope that their ideas for producing and selling greener fashion survive them.

Of course, fashion has environmental impacts after the sale, and the third “big idea” presented in tonight’s episode involves product care. Denver, Colorado’s Revolution Cleaners is one of many professional cleaning operations that have foregone the traditional “dry cleaning” process (which involves some pretty nasty chemicals) in favor of less toxic alternatives. Revolution uses liquid CO2 as a cleaning agent, and is implementing other practices such as hanger and plastic bag recycling.

In addition to the stories of these innovative companies, Big Ideas for a Small Planet has the usual mix of expert commentary: tonight’s contributors in include designers Linda Loudermilk and Carson Kressley (yes, that’s Carson from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy), Ecofabulous blogger Zem Joaquin (go bloggers!), Rachelle Carson-Begley, and Simran Sethi.

Following Big Ideas for a Small Planet, The Green present the documentary film Escape from Suburbia. Gregory Greene’s film

…considers the possibilities as it examines the burgeoning grass-roots movement to “power down” from energy-intensive habits. Mixing the stories of ordinary citizens with expert analysis, the film offers an inspiring look at how people are changing their lives and their communities by pulling up stakes, organizing conferences, and even re-thinking local economies.

Another great night of green TV. Of course, you can still enter The Green’s “What’s the Big Idea?” contest — the entry period runs through May 20th. And keep an eye out for another contest announcement right here at sustainablog… I’ll have that up shortly. And, finally, if you want more green fashion, stop by Feelgood Style.

One of the primary imperatives for being an environmentally conscious consumer is to vote with your dollars - support companies that have a positive impact on society and the environment by purchasing their products and services. In the minds of many, that concept is easy to apply to the day-to-day stuff we buy at the grocery store or retail outlets. But some folks forget that our longer term investments can speak just as loudly.

Enter Socially Responsible Investing (SRI). SRI takes into account the impact that companies have on society and the planet, and recognizes that we can factor these concerns into our investment choices. Now our decisions as investors, which used to be determined solely on corporate financial performance – perhaps based on short-term and short-sighted goals – can now be based on the whole of a company’s standing, including their impact on the environment.

Once only a small piece of the total investment market, SRI now represents $2.71 trillion, more than 10% of all investments. That figure is up from $639 billion in 1995, an increase of more than 300%. As SRI has matured, green investing specifically has taken much of the limelight - as demand for clean technology, alternative and renewable energy, green building and other environmentally driven businesses rise, so does the desire to invest in them.

With this growth, opportunities for us as individuals to get into green investing and SRI abound. There are the usual suspects like stocks and bonds, mutual funds and venture capital. For example, dozens of mutual funds exist for investors looking to put their money where their mouth is, and support companies who share their values. And many of these funds focus on green companies, with large numbers of them joining the ranks within the last year or two.

Ins and outs of screening

To determine which companies should be included in a green or SRI fund or index, both positive and negative screens, or criteria, are applied. Positive screens bring in companies that have good records in areas like environmental safety, and employee and human relations. Negative screens exclude companies whose businesses involve things like alcohol, tobacco, firearms, gambling, nuclear power and military weapons.

But, we likey the wine

It’s in setting these screening factors that SRI can get a little subjective. Some people feel that certain categories should not be excluded. Alcohol, for example, is enjoyed responsibly by a wide variety of people. Others don’t feel that military weapons are worthy of exclusion, as these include projects needed for our defense. The Social Investment Forum has a handy chart that includes a number of SRI funds and the criteria that they use for screening purposes, as well as their performance.

In the green realm, most funds use positive screens to include companies focused on environmental products/services, or conduct their business in a sustainable manner. Some focus on specific industries, like the Calvert Global Alternative Energy Fund. Others feature a mix of sectors in their funds, like the Winslow Green Growth Fund and includes Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and First Solar among its holdings.

Show me the money

What’s that you say? There’s a giant elephant in the room? Ah, yes, of course: returns. The goal for any investor is to make money, no way around that one. The good news is that as SRI has grown, so have the returns available. According to a number of academic studies, SRI mutual funds perform competitively with non-SRI funds over time. In addition, an increasing number of state pension funds, university endowments and foundations are turning to SRI. This is telling because fiduciaries like these are required to seek competitive returns for their portfolios – it’s the law. So if it’s good enough for them, it might be good enough for you, too.

If you’re a savvy investor, you’re probably familiar with a method used by traditional mutual funds to track and measure returns: the index. This tool is in use with SRI as well, benchmarking the returns of SRI funds compared to non-SRI funds to measure performance.

The oldest of these, the Domini 400 Social Index, was established in 1991. It compares the returns of 400 mostly large cap companies to the S&P 500. The main difference between the Domini 400 and the S&P is that the former has been screened to include companies that provide a positive contribution to society.

So how has SRI fared? Since the index’s inception, it has shown 10.83% returns, compared to the S&P 500 with 10.33% total returns. Of course, there are investments out there that do better than both of those, but considering the added benefits, it’s not too shabby.

On the green investing front, the Winslow Green Growth Fund has seen a five-year annual average return of around 18%. In the same family, the Winslow Green Solutions fund targets larger, more established companies that provide green solutions, like pollution reduction. Only recently established in November of 2007, this fund has suffered along with the downturn in the economy, with returns of -14.5% since inception. Similarly, the relatively new Calvert Global Alternative Energy Fund has seen losses so far this year, despite growing interest in this sector.

A few other noteworthy funds include Spectra Green, which chooses companies that exhibit growth potential, while operating in an environmentally sustainable manner — and it sports a five-year annual average return of 15.29%. The New Alternatives Fund, which has achieved a five-year annual average return of 20.18% (no, that’s not a typo) by selecting holdings in alternative energy, natural foods, recycling, and other environmentally-friendly sectors.

The Green Century family of funds focuses primarily on environmentally responsible investing. They have two funds to choose from. The first, the Green Century Balanced Fund has outperformed its benchmark (the Lippor Balanced Fund Index) with a five-year annual average return of 11.84%. On the other hand, the Green Century Equity Fund hasn’t seen quite the same success, with five-year annual average returns of 8.55%.

One issue to take note of: All of these funds do some screening for you based on their goals, but you should still review each fund’s holdings to ensure a solid fit with your beliefs. Some funds, like Spectra Green, shoot for having a percentage of their holdings pass the positive screen for sustainability. As a result, this fund includes Apple, which has been in the news lately for the less than stellar environmental impact of their products.

Stock up

If you’re into the stock market and want to select your own individual investments, there are a number of companies that might be worth a look. Of course, as with any investment, you should always do your homework – a good place to start is a company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report. Generally available on a company’s website, you can also find a database of CSR reports here. Some companies that have strengthened their commitment to the environment even have separate Environmental Reports, like Wal-Mart’s Sustainability Progress Report, and Disney’s Enviroport.

You might also consider joining a group of like-minded folks in an investment group, like the RainFrog Ethical Investment Partnership. Some people prefer groups like these to striking out on your own, as information and money are pooled. There are also many sites that compile information and research for you, like Responsible Shopper and Renewable Energy Stocks. Did we mention to make sure and do your homework?

Speak Up

Regardless of the investment that you choose, shareholder advocacy is a way to have your voice heard and influence the direction that companies take. As an investor, you own a piece of the company – why not use that power for good?

Advocacy efforts can include “dialoguing” (normally called “talking”) with companies about social, environmental, or governance concerns. You can also file shareholder resolutions on a host of issues, which are then presented to the entire stable of owners for a vote. Investor coalitions, like the Investor Network on Climate Risk, allow investment professionals to make known their concerns about the risks and opportunities associated with issues like climate change.

These methods create investor pressure on companies, and can even garner media attention. As an SRI investor, your actions work to improve policies and practices, encourage good corporate citizenship and promote long-term shareholder value.

Green investing can be a good way to align your finances with your values. Determine what’s most important to you, do your homework, and consider letting your money work for the good of the planet.

VisitBritain, Britain’s National Tourist Board has launched a new program to help accommodation providers and visitor attractions in England take the first steps toward becoming sustainable businesses.

The Green Start project aims to encourage a “rapid, widespread and significant increase in the adoption of sustainable tourism principles” by offering a validated sustainable accreditation scheme.

Jason Freezer, VisitBritain’s sustainable tourism project manager, said: “VisitBritain is committed to encouraging sustainable businesses. However, nearly two-thirds tell us they need more guidance on developing their business in that way.”

“Green Start is an initial step in helping more of our tourism businesses improve their existing practices and signal to visitors that they recognize the increasing importance and value of sustainable good practice.”

Benefits to businesses are listed as including:

• Cost savings, e.g. on utility bills
• Improved quality profile and market edge
• Increased business, e.g. from green conscious consumers
• Improved management efficiency and skills
• A feel-good factor for you and your staff

Using an online self-assessment tool, participants must meet a code of conduct, commit to four fundamental sustainability requirements and, over a period of two years, meet or work towards at least 23 relevant ‘good practices’ from a total menu of 50. These could include insulating buildings and water tanks, using low-energy lighting, collecting rainwater, using locally-sourced produce or promoting eco-friendly travel such as cycling. More details can be found on the Green Start site.

Image credit: duluoz cats on Flickr under a Creative Commons license

While we’re on the subject: good Stumbleupon friend HarleyJane18 sent this to me last week. Houston Chronicle cartoonist Nick Anderson does some great 3D animation videos with song parodies… this one is based on Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” (specifically the Red Hot Chili Peppers cover of it).

See also:

Ecoscraps: Shades of Green — The Four Horsemen

sustainablog: Shades of Green and The Green House: by Brad Gilchrist and Peter Menice (interview)

Musicians keep cranking out the eco-songs… and that’s a great way to bring the green message to a broader audience. Wirehead’s “Losing Ground” is a call to action that’s a little bit 80s pop-rock (they list Toto as an influence), a little bit jazz-rock fusion (think Steely Dan), and a whole lot of of environmental awareness. Thanks to Wirehead drummer Clive Edwards for sharing this…

How can you structure your green or mission-driven business, so that you can grow and even possibly sell it one day, without compromising your ideals, beliefs and mission? How can you fund your growth without finding out too late that your new investors are not at all interested in what you are doing for the environment or society, but only in the financial bottom line? While Getting to Scale is not a “how to” guide, it describes a wide variety of case studies that illustrate key findings. It is based on extensive in-depth interviewes with dozens of CEOs and founders of mission driven businesses such Ben & Jerry’s, Stonypoint, American Apparel, and many others.

As a co-founder of Eco-Libris, and someone who spends a sizable proportion of his day involved in the operation of a mission-driven green business, I found this book useful and right on. Although it deals with “rich” problems, which I can only dream about having, it did give me food for thought, and also validated some of the things already in place. Will it help us get the millionth tree planted? Time will tell…

However I was thrilled to be able to present author Jill Bamburg, who is also the dean of the MBA program at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute, with questions on this fascinating topic.

Q: Getting to Scale was published in 2006, while 2007 was the year that, at least according to some parts of the media, brought the environmental movement to the folds of the mainstream, even if only temporarily (crossing fingers). Do you think there was any fundamental shift in the world of mission driven businesses since the book came out?

A: Great question. There has definitely been a huge upsurge of interest in green business, sustainability, and climate change since the book was published. As you say, these issues have definitely gone “mainstream” – which is to say that they have now been taken up by major corporations around the globe (or at least their PR departments!).

These businesses are now embracing the “business case” for undertaking environmental actions: cost savings, risk management, and revenue opportunities.

At the same time, there is also increased interest in the kinds of businesses I was writing about – that is, those that are fundamentally mission-driven, as opposed to profit-driven – on the part of two important demographic groups: young people who are just beginning their careers in business, and mid-career or retiring baby boomers who are looking for ways align their work with their values.

So yes, I do think there has been a shift in the business world since the book came out.

Q: Your book is about the issues mission driven businesses have to deal with when they need to grow, sustain growth and/or sell their business, and you give many examples. Since then there were several high-profile business deals that I assume would have made it into the book had they been done previously. For example the sale of Burt’s Bees to Clorox, Coca Cola’s investment in Recyclebank, and JP Morgan acquisition Climate Care, the UK-based carbon offset company. Do these recent cases validate your past conclusions, or did things change?

A: Another good question. In this case, I don’t think things have changed much — with one exception, which I’ll talk about in a minute.

The reason I wrote the book initially was that I observed a disturbing pattern in the sale of socially responsible businesses to larger financially-driven firms. I was concerned that there might be something inherently wrong with the model of socially responsible businesses that was causing these sales to happen. I set out to find out whether that was true by looking at socially responsible businesses that had grown successfully without selling out to larger players.

The most recent wave of sales is simply a continuation of what I observed in the earlier period. The one exception is that the mainstream market for “green,” organic and “alternative” products has grown, making these more attractive acquisition targets for mainstream players.

Q: Another relatively new development that we begin to see with such businesses discussed are mergers, such as the case of Zipcar and Flexcar. Do you see it as growth or more of a survival mechanism? How do mergers fit the models you present in the book?

A: I think that the Flexcar-Zipcar merger, and others like it, are both growth and survival strategies stemming from very traditional business imperatives. Both car-sharing companies needed capital to grow and expand their market coverage. Rather than seek to stay independent and fight head-to-head in the marketplace, or be acquired by larger, better capitalized firms in other businesses, they chose to join forces and develop the US market for car-sharing.

Many other businesses that seek to grow (or survive) don’t have the luxury of a merger with another like-minded company. The circumstances have to be right and the size of the final entity has to be large enough to meet the challenges of distribution and competition.

Q: These days it seems that there are more and more “green business” networking events, forums and circles. Although these places are a great place for mission-driven businesses to interact and support one another, one can’t help but also feel a certain buzz that sometimes looks like entrepreneurs creating green businesses with the idea of being bought out by a mainstream brand like Clorox as a goal in mind. Is your book also suitable for such entrepreneurs?

A: I think that some of the ideas in my book will apply to people who are building businesses to sell, but they are not my target audience. I wanted to help the business owners who are trying to remain independent and in control of the values of their companies.

Q: Is it now more easy or more difficult for a mission driven business, compared to the previous periods?

A: There are a couple of things that may make it a little easier than it has been in the past: 1) a shift in the mainstream market interest toward greener, healthier products and lifestyles; 2) an increase in the talent available to make these businesses successful; and 3) some new thinking in the area of hybrid corporate forms that may better support mission-driven businesses.

On the other hand, the fundamentals of business have not gotten any easier. It’s hard to build a successful business of any sort – and it’s harder still to build one that is as committed to environmental and social values as it is to financial success.

Q: Many of our readers are involved in the book industry, either as authors, booksellers or in publishing. Do you have any insight into the book business from a green or mission driven perspective? Any advice on how to navigate the market?

A: Just some great examples from the North American marketplace: Berrett-Koehler (my publisher), New Society Publishers on Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Chelsea Green in Vermont, and Raincoast Books in Vancouver, British Columbia (my Canadian distributor).

Once again, it’s hard to be successful in business. It’s even harder to be successful in the book business. And harder still to be successful in the mission-driven book business. All the companies I’ve mentioned have great lists, great values, and inspiring stories.

Q: What has been the feedback for the book so far from the business community or from Bainbridge students and graduates?

I’ve gotten good feedback on the book from a lot of people who have read it. They find the stories inspiring and the insights useful. No millionaires to report yet, however.

The same is true at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute, where I serve as Dean of the MBA Program. Our program is providing adult students with an MBA in Sustainable Business that will give them a leg up on aligning their work with their values. We’re six years into the venture. Still no millionaires, but a lot of successful change agents in business.

Title: Getting to Scale: Growing Your Business Without Selling Out

Link: http://www.bkconnection.com/ProdDetails.asp?ID=9781576754160

Author: Jill Bamburg

Swedish Publisher: Bookhouse Publishing

American Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers

Publication Date: August 1, 2006

Pages: 174 pages

See also:

Ecopreneurist: How to do Cause-Related Marketing Well

Ecopreneurist: Diversification and Filling Ecological Niches: Green Businesses Own a Portfolio of Enterprises

Ecopreneurist: Free Range Studios Offers Free Marketing for Worthy Causes

I took the time to sit down and watch “Food” last night, and, as with previous episodes of Big Ideas for a Small Planet, found it compelling and thoughtful. Amy’s Kitchen founders Andy and Rachel Berliner tell the story of founding their family-owned company, and holding firm to their commitment to using only fresh, organic food (which is largely processed by hand) in the pre-packaged meals they sell. Viewers go with them to one of the organic farms from which they buy, and get some insight into the process of growing vegetables without chemicals. From there, the show moves to Twin Buttes High School in New Mexico, where students (who are all Zuni tribe members) didn’t just reject their school lunches: they started a garden to grow food for the cafeteria, and even won a grant to build a greenhouse. Finally, the episode takes viewers to Sonoma Valley, California, where the Benzinger Family Winery produces its award-winning vintages from biodynamically-grown grapes. These stories are interspersed with commentary from a range of experts, including David Suzuki, Anna Lappé, and Simran Sethi.

While Sundance provides preview copies of Big Ideas for a Small Planet to the press, that’s not the case with documentaries, so I haven’t yet seen All In This Tea. According to their press materials, the film profiles David Lee Hoffman, the founder of Silk Road Teas:

All In This Tea looks at the history, traditions and intricacies of tea and joins Hoffman on a buying trip to China, where he seeks out small, artisanal growers and tries to persuade Chinese officials to turn away from industrial production in favor of handcrafted, environmentally sustainable tea farming.

Looks like another night of must-see TV on the Sundance Channel. If you’ve missed any episodes of Big Ideas for a Small Planet, don’t fret: they’re all available on ITunes after they air ($1.99/episode). And if you’ve got big ideas of your own to share, don’t forget about the “What’s the Big Idea?” contest, sponsored by Lexus Hybrid Living.

Still interested in food issues? The stop by Eat.Drink.Better for your daily taste… and jump into the GO Discussion forum if you want to talk about The Green…