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Archive for 2012Media/Member CollaborationPosted on October 23rd, 2012 by pauline
1% for the Planet media partner, Huck Magazine, just came out with a great article about one of our musical members, Forest Sun! The author of the piece, Ed Andrews, interviewed Forest to find out why he feels so connected to the natural world and why this “earth child” wants to support the environment through membership with 1% FTP! Check out this article and listen to a song or two! TOUS COBAYES?Posted on October 17th, 2012 by pauline
It’s no secret that unlabeled-GMO foods are everywhere. But how did these organisms become so prevalent in our fields and on our dinner tables? Have they been tested, and just how dangerous are they? And how is it, that even after the disasters at Chernobyl and Fukushima, nuclear power is still seen as the energy source of the future? These questions are on everyone’s mind, leading us to wonder whether we have all become human guinea pigs. In the kind of world where even farmers are afraid of the chemicals they use on their fields, director Jean-Paul Jaud takes a politically engaged and activist stance with TOUS COBAYES? (in English, All of us guinea-pigs now?).
He is joined by actor and theatre director Philippe Torreton who has lent his voice as narrator. With a deep conviction that movies should play an active role in protecting our ecosystem and our planet, Jaud dares to denounce the status quo and advocate new solutions. Through stunning footage, powerful interviews and an explosive conclusion, TOUS COBAYES?, sheds new light on the dangers of GMOs and nuclear power. It’s bound to spur lively debate. One of our largest French members, Lea Nature, donates a portion of their contribution each year to a number or organizations who oppose GMOs and nuclear energy. Together with help from Lea Nature and many other groups, these organizations have created TOUS COBAYES?. This movie is being launched in Montreal on the nights of October 18th and 21st. We hope that you are able to attend and if so, please share your thought with us! The labeling of GMOs is an important issue around the world these days and we want to hear what your views are! Squeaky CleanPosted on October 10th, 2012 by pauline
Let me introduce, Fabled Frog Soap, Inc. a new member company that handcrafts soaps and skin care products, with a deep commitment to the health of ecosystems and communities. Along with being B Corp Certified, the company carefully selects resources that are certified as organic, fair trade and renewable in every aspect of their business from the raw ingredients to their office supplies. Their products are crafted with the mindset of “first, do no harm.”
Fabled Frog Soap’s founder, Kimberly Merenz, believes that the exploitation of both human and natural resources must change at every level of our culture. Merenz told us that “becoming a 1% for the Planet member supports our belief and philosophy that our lives are our gift to the future.” The primary goal of Fabled Frog Soap is the preservation and restoration of water resources and wetland ecology for the benefit of all species. The company critically evaluates the source of raw materials and their impact on the entire community, including the wilderness that supports and contributes to the quality of life for all species. Fabled Frog Soap is particularly interested in frogs, being one of the first species to show genetic mutations and population decline when an environment is polluted. Amphibians are revealing our future. Through Fabled Frog Soap, consumers can learn about threats to water resources and amphibian habitat. The company is committed to ensuring that the future is a better place to be for our children and our amphibian friends. With 41% of amphibian species at risk of extinction, it is critical that habitat loss, pollution, disease and over-exploitation of the environment be corrected. The responsible use of natural resources and support of 1% nonprofit partner organizations like Endangered Species International are examples of Fabled Frog Soap’s commitment to being ‘The Change’. Welcome to 1% FTP and we’re proud to have such a squeaky clean business in our network! 10:00 – 11:00 | 10.11.12: Twitter Partay!Posted on October 9th, 2012 by brittany
Ready to party with @1percentFTP and @voteenviro? I hope so! This coming Thursday, we’re hosting a Twitter Party to ramp up discussion about the Vote the Environment campaign. Four weeks ’til Election Day — let’s bring the environment into the political discussion! Ready!? 1. On October 11th, 2012, between the hours of 10:00 and 11:00 am (PDT), arrive at your computer, iPad, iPhone, Smartphone, etc… 2. Login to your twitter account! 3. Fill in the blank with the place/outdoor activity that you love most:
4. Tweet! 5. There are many things to love about the environment. Repeat steps 3 & 4 as often as you fancy, mentioning one, several or all of these things! Tips & Tricks: **add a photo of the place you mention! #picturesareworthwaymorethan140character **take a photo of yourself with THIS sign and add it to your tweet! **tag @voteenviro if you want to see your tweet come up via the Vote the Environment widget featured on Patagonia’s homepage **tag @1percentFTP if you want our network to see your tweets! **tag your friends/followers and encourage them to partake 10-11 (PDT) on 10.11.12, let’s get Tweeting!! Cardbored? Check Out This Alternative!Posted on October 8th, 2012 by pauline
Meet FROGBOX- a Canadian based member who has changed the game of moving. In their first year of membership with 1% for the Planet, they have already chose a number of approved non-profits to support, including the Vancouver Aquarium and organizations that support frog habitat restoration. The following post was written by Mathieson McCrae (a huge fan of 1% FTP and Yvon), and I am happy that he shared it with us! Read on to learn more about this innovative business!
People move. Once every five years, on average, we gather every single thing we own and we pack it up, transport it and unpack it somewhere else, making home in a new place. The status quo as you read this, is to do all that packing and transporting with cardboard boxes. Whether you find them behind a liquor store or buy them brand new, it’s a disposable paper product, that sooner, rather than later, ends up as waste. (Yes yes, they can be recycled, but just wait, it’s not so simple. We’ll address this directly in a future post.) FROGBOX is the new alternative. We take sturdy, stackable plastic boxes and rent them out in whichever quantity and for whatever duration is required to make the move. So what’s the difference? It’s simple: reuse. We offer a product that can be used 400 times. Cardboard averages just less than two uses, and is virtually useless after 5 or, at best, 10 times around the block. But hey, it’s also obvious that plastic requires way more energy to produce than a good old flimsy cardboard job. Bingo, 100% correct. It takes approximately 8x more energy to produce a FROGBOX than it would to produce a cardboard box of equivalent capacity. What that number means is that once we rent out a FROGBOX eight times, every additional use does not require the input of additional material resources. There’s 392 uses left to go and 392 cardboard boxes that don’t need to be made. So to be clear, we’re not saying everyone should buy FROGBOX moving boxes (FROGBOXes) and keep their own in their garage. They may reuse them a few times, but that would have a higher impact than owning some cardboard. The idea is that we take a durable product and facilitate its shared use as moving boxes by the community at large. So what’s the actual impact of cardboard? And what do we save by using FROGBOX moving boxes? We’ll talk about what we’ve done so far in the last three years, but we’ll also visualize the bigger picture too, what impact we will have when FROGBOX becomes status quo. So far, the FROGBOX moving boxes currently in circulation have been used over 250,000 times. This means 223 Metric Tonnes of cardboard were not used. And 587 MTCE (Metric Tonnes Carbon Equivalent) avoided in waste and production. (We’ll save this for a later post, but not to be overlooked!) The tape that holds those boxes together accounts for an uncertain but more toxic portion of the footprint of the box and cannot be recycled. Assuming 5 ft of tape per cardboard box means using FROGBOXes has saved 1.25 million feet of tape thus far. And so what does that 587 MTCE (CO2) number mean?
Small potatoes? Yeah, we’re not the big fry yet, but so that’s where things look interesting. 55 million people move every year in the USA and Canada and that means 1.9 billion boxes and as much as 271,662 MTCE assuming all cardboard boxes are actually used twice (another future post in the works here). And just to toot the horn: let’s mention that FROGBOX moving boxes are strong, sport a waterproof tub design (lids attached!), have handles and don’t need to be taped together or broken down when you’re done. Which all, ahem, saves you time. Time is still important too, right?
A huge thanks goes to FROGBOX for sending us this blog post, and we hope you consider supporting them during your next move! 15+5=20 Minutes Well SpentPosted on October 4th, 2012 by pauline
As you read in Brittany’s previous post, here at 1% FTP we are getting pumped up for this year’s election! Since we will all be voting in just over a month, it’s time to get informed. Make sure to follow Patagonia’s Vote The Environment campaign on Twitter, to learn why others will vote for what is important to them- and share your reasons too!
I wanted to take a second out of my busy day of Tweeting to introduce 15Five, a new member based in San Francisco. 15Five helps CEOs and managers get to know the pulse of their company by surfacing problems, celebrating wins, discovering great ideas and staying tuned in to morale. The idea behind 15Five originated in the 1980s from the entrepreneur Paul Hawken, who realized that if he asked all of his employees to spend 15 minutes writing a report that took their manager no more than 5 minutes to read, his employees would feel heard and he would have better insight into the workings of his company. Paul shared it with his friend Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia (and 1% FTP!), who had built his company around his passion for climbing and spent ample time each year away from Patagonia pursuing his passion.
Yvon used this practice to keep his employees engaged and to stay informed even when he was out of the office climbing and surfing for up to 6 months a year, as covered in a 1988 Inc Magazine article. As the idea behind 15Five became popular because of 1%’s founder Yvon, the company has decided to join as a member to honor him, along with their commitment to both Integrated Philanthropy and their care for the planet. Building charitable giving into their business model was essential. Welcome 15Five! Vote for the world YOU want to live in!Posted on October 3rd, 2012 by brittany
Time’s a-tickin! Tonight marks the first presidential debate between President Obama and Governor Mitt Romney and Election Day is but five weeks from today! Are you registered? Are you informed? Are you ready? This fall, 1% for the Planet is partnering with Patagonia to help spread the word about their Vote the Environment (VtE) campaign. VtE is a campaign that encourages Americans to do three things: register to vote, educate yourself about your congressional representatives’ environmental voting records, and vote the environment on election day! The VtE campaign is engaging the realm of social media via a Twitter hasthtag, #becauseilove, which enables voters to integrate a personal statement into the political discussion about why they love the environment. Who’s involved? Who’s Tweeting? I am (@bnunnink)! Along with @1PercentFTP, @paulinejstevens, @leahpcameron, @bfriedsam and… you?! New Belgium Brewing (@newbelgium) eagerly hopped aboard to spread the word to their network, Jack Johnson (@jackjohnson) has been a huge advocate for the campaign and even Ascenta Health hailed us from Canada to see how they could help, recognizing that, regardless of being in a different country, we all inhabit the same planet and if we are to achieve the most beneficial and sizable changes, collaboration across borders is essential. 5 weeks left!! Ready to get involved? See how in three easy steps: 1. Start Tweeting! Share with your friends and followers why you vote the environment! Tweet from your personal Twitter account and your organization’s Twitter account.
2. Bring your website’s traffic into the VtE conversation by using this widget. Let us know the average website views your site gets per month (voteenviro@onepercentfortheplanet.org), and we’ll get you the embed code for the VtE widget, which allows any visitors to your website to tweet then and there. 3. Join us! On 10.11.12, show up to your computer (or iPad, or smartphone…) for a Twitter Party and let’s get a Twitter storm underway about why we vote the environment. 10:00-11:00 am PDT on 10.11.12! Questions? Comments? Please send them to voteenviro@onepercentfortheplanet.org Rabbit, Rabbit!Posted on October 1st, 2012 by pauline
It sure is dreary here in Vermont, on this first day of October! Thankfully we have some beautiful foliage peaking through the clouds to remind us that summer has come to an end and it’s time to start layering and get your Bean Boots out of storage. While we say goodbye to summer and all of the warmth and sunshine it gave us, we would like to welcome the month of October into our lives, along with welcoming 49southphoto and Beyond coconut water to our network! 49southphoto is a very small business, headquartered at the foot of Mount Fitz Roy in Patagonia. They design field guides that are ideal companions for any explorer of the remote and natural landscapes in southern South America.
49southphoto’s owner, Diego Punta Fernández is a photographer, naturalist and active conservationist. He is involved in a number of conservation and environmental education projects- including his main project that is related with the Hooded Grebe, an endemic Patagonian bird that is critically endangered. Diego told us that he believes “in using businesses to effect positive changes, and [his] hope is to inspire other local and regional companies to become part of this great organization. [He is] really proud of being part of this fabulous movement.” Diego, we’re proud to have you! Our next shout-out goes to a tasty beverage company based in Australia. Beyond was one of the first coconut water brands to hit Australian markets. Their coconut water comes straight from young coconuts in Thailand and is bottled completely as is, without any additives. Beyond coconut water is stored in a clean and elegant airtight glass bottle for freshness and convenience and it eliminates any chance of being popped or pierced like their tetra carton competitors.
Beyond coconut water is not just a great tasting and hydrating drink, but in fact there are numerous health benefits associated with drinking 100% natural coconut water. It is a wonderful source of electrolytes while being free of fat, cholesterol, added sugar, sodium or flavoring! Beyond was inspired to join 1% for the Planet in order to have the opportunity to fundamentally give back to the earth that allows them to create this natural beverage. Beyond understands and embraces the notion that the sustainability of the natural environment is vital to the sustainability of any business! We look forward to working with these new members and if you find yourself in Patagonia or Melbourne, we hope that you choose to support them! And if you find yourself in Vermont, you should take advantage of these fun, free, foliage filled activities, or take a drive up Route 17 over the Appalachian Gap and see what I see on my daily commute…
Emerging Environmental LeadersPosted on September 25th, 2012 by Leah
As the last ears of corn return from the grill and our white pants get packed away until next year, here at 1% for the Planet we are reflecting on a summer of environmental innovation from our non-profit partners. Clean Air-Cool Planet’s Summer Climate Fellowship program is one of our most exciting summer initiatives. For five years they have been pairing outstanding students with challenging real-world projects in order to help propel society toward a low-carbon future. The students either work directly with Clean Air-Cool Planet or they are placed with a private and public sector sustainability partners. Pax World Funds, Poland Spring, Sustainable Nantucket, Yale’s Office of Sustainability and Portsmouth NH’s Chamber of Commerce have all hosted Fellows in recent years.
Remarkable projects emerge from these summer placements, and the students come away having had a fantastic experience and a lot of professional mentoring. Each Fellow works full-time for 10 weeks and receives a stipend of $5,000. The Climate Fellows represent the next generation of environmental leaders and through the collaboration with Clean Air-Cool Planet accomplish some high-impact projects for a low carbon future. This summer, recent Connecticut College graduate Davey Ives, worked in the Bridgeport (CT) Mayor’s office of Sustainability came up with a way to save the city and residents in its vulnerable low-income coastal neighborhoods $170,000 annually through flood insurance programs. 2009 fellow, Meg Giuliano, a Masters candidate at Duke University, created a guide for energy efficiency and renewables for Historic District Commissions that has now been used all over the country. CA-CP partners enthuse about the benefits of having a Fellow: “The Fellow from Clean Air-Cool Planet made the difference between our city’s moving forward on climate planning and action or losing ground. This is a terrific opportunity all the way around. “ Troy Moon, public works director, City of Portland, Maine During the past five years, Clean Air- Cool Planet has built a prestigious and competitive program with a growing and thriving alumni network. Nearly 50 exceptional fellows have passed through the program, and almost 240 applicants from across the country competed for 10 positions in 2012. Most of the Fellows program alumni have gone on to continue their work in fields related to the environment and sustainability.
CA-CP has big plans for the expansion of the Climate Fellows Program to 50 students annually by 2017, and create cohorts each summer focused on specific areas of work or in particular regions. In 2013, in addition to the Climate Fellows in the Northeast, CA-CP looking for partners to host and fund a cluster of Fellows out West in Montana and Wyoming and into the San Francisco Bay and Chicago areas. Clean Air –Cool Planet needs to raise $120,000 in 2012 to expand the 2013 Fellowship program and begin advertising the summer positions in January. Investing in the next generation of environmental leaders, you will be joining 1% for the Planet Members; Harney and Sons, Andrew M. Sidford Architects, Patagonia Footwear and many others in driving innovation for a low carbon future. Contact CA-CP President Adam Markham to discuss opportunities to host and support Summer Climate Fellowships for 2013. amarkham@cleanair-coolplanet.org
About Clean Air- Cool Planet (CA-CP) Clean Air-Cool Planet is about practical solutions to climate change. We focus on accelerating the transformation to sustainable campuses and resilient communities. Our nationwide efforts are linked to the work nurturing young emerging leaders and our free Campus Carbon Calculator™ is the carbon management platform of choice for more than 2,100 colleges and universities. |
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