Ikea is going plastic bagless. Last year the Swedish king of oh-so-cool home economy — by various definitions — committed to cut from 70 million bags to 35 million. It passed its goal, reaching a current 92 percent reduction. Now the goal is to use no plastic bags.
Periodically, I like to make a small contribution to a charity on behalf of the readers and writers of Eco Child’s Play. It is an effort to be social responsible and highlight an organization helping children and/or the environment around the world. This month, I have selected CHOSA: Giving Hope to the Children of South Africa.
CHOSA’S vision is based on the belief that every South African child is entitled to grow up in a safe, healthy and nurturing environment that will lead to uplifting the entire community. In order to achieve this, our goal is to create an organization that is based on integrity, compassion and efficiency.
CHOSA’s mission is to identify and support community based organizations (CBOs) that reach out and take care of orphans and other vulnerable children in South Africa.
CHOSA takes a holistic approach to community development. By supporting these CBOs, we help empower other marginalized people in these communities. Moreover, through community participation, CHOSA promotes local action, self-empowerment, and peer-to-peer networking as essential strategies for community-owned development.
Editor’s note: We’re pleased to launch the fifteenth blog in the Green Options Media blog network today: The Inspired Economist. A counterpart to Ecopreneurist and other blogs in our Business & Technology channel, The Inspired Economist will cover the broad world of green and conscious business. Please welcome lead writer and founder John-Paul Maxfield to the GO Media family!
When I began Eco Child’s Play over a year and a half ago, I pledged to make Kiva loans on behalf of our blog. After making several Kiva loans, I’ve decided it is time to donate to and highlight different organizations helping families and/or the environment around the world. This month, I have made a donation to Women for Women International on behalf of Eco Child’s Play.
There are over 40 choices for children on markmakers.org. Once a child receives a gift card from markmakers.org, they enter the number to begin “shopping” for ways they want to give. Children may allocate the money in small increments to as many projects as they want. The presentation is kid-friendly on markmakers.org, and parents are raving about the service. One mother wrote, “My 8-year-old loves the idea that she can help feed homeless dogs!” With their gift card, children can “shop” in six shops:
Periodically, we make a small loan to a business on Kiva.org to fulfill a pledge of social responsibility we initiated when Eco Child’s Play began over a year ago. If you are not familiar with Kiva, this organization helps you empower an entrepreneur in a third world country by lending small amounts of money (as low as $25) to a specific entrepreneur, helping end global poverty one person at a time. Once you make a loan, you will receive email updates about the businesses you are supporting. A typical loan lasts 6-12 months.
‘tis the season for “year in review” and “best of 2007” articles, which has me thinking about the many green and socially responsible businesses that have been launched in the past few years and which ones could be called out for being the best. I wouldn’t know where to begin. There are organic lotions whose lavender or vanilla scents I like best, but to focus on such personal taste would be a “favorites” list not really a best list. Best could mean most popular—the businesses with the best traction and most customers. Best could be evaluated on a scale of how truly sustainable and environmentally correct a business is, which I wouldn’t be qualified to evaluate.
So, it was interesting to open up the New York Times magazine this morning to see an article about S. Prakash Sethi, the founder of the International Center for Corporate Accountability, a consulting firm he founded to evaluate companies such as Mattel on their social responsibility. He, at least, is able to go inside companies to see what their operations are like. Mattel invites him in. Mattel’s lead-paint-in-toys problems not withstanding, it does encourage me that there is a move toward monitoring all aspects of a company’s operations, including sourcing.
The after school arts program in which I teach begins tomorrow, with the start of the new month. This year, the Playhouse is instituting the theme, "This belongs to us." I am interpreting this idea in my Art Adventures class with lessons that emphasize a respect for the planet, the school community and one’s own creations.
I will be posting our progress! Please pass along any cool projects using product packaging or other materials usually doomed for the dumpster
A wind of change is blowing through the world of rugby. A green wind.
The 2007 Rugby World Cup, the 3rd largest sports event in the world with an estimated 2.5 million spectators from around the world, is being held in France from September 7 to October 20. The organizers, including a special rugby committee, a government agency and the French Rugby Federation, have vowed to make the event tangibly eco-friendly, and number
Periodically, I like to make a small contribution to a charity on behalf of the readers and writers of Eco Child’s Play. It is an effort to be social responsible and highlight an organization helping children and/or the environment around the world. This month, I have selected CHOSA: Giving Hope to the Children of South Africa.
