Author Archive
Posted on February 27th, 2013 by pauline
As you might have heard, this year we’re celebrating our 10th anniversary. One of our big anniversary events will take place right here in our home town. We have joined forces with the Mad Marathon in Waitsfield, VT to create the first ever 1% for the Planet Mad Marathon designed to support the nonprofits and partnerships that protect the places we play.
WE WANT YOUR COMPANY HERE. Come celebrate the planet with us!
Save the date: Sunday, July 7, 2013 - Race Day
July 6th, 2013 – Kids run and 1% for the Planet (1% FTP) network meet-up
The marathon is a way to:
- -Grow our movement
- -Celebrate your company’s commitment, and
- -Raise funds for environmental organizations
There are three ways you can get involved:
1. Sponsor the race
There are various levels of sponsorship available. Your sponsorship is considered a donation and part of your 1% FTP commitment for 2013.
- -be included in a virtual bag and a physical bag for participating runners
- -be highlighted in the 10th Anniversary marketplace grand opening
2. Donate product
If sponsorship is not in your company’s budget for this year, product donations for prizes and raffles are a great option. Remember, 25% of your company’s 1% annual commitment can be in-kind donations and/or employee volunteer time.
3. Run for a cause
Your company can support a nonprofit team by either running for or donating to them. Last year one nonprofit earned over $27,000! 1% FTP will also have a team fundraising on behalf of high impact partnerships in the region.
Next steps:
- -Email or call us at 802-496-5408. Please let us know if you have any questions and/or how you’d like to be involved
- -Join our event page on Facebook
- -Stay tuned for other ways to participate over that weekend
We’re looking forward to celebrating all that you do to support our network. Start your training!
Tags: 2013, Mad Marathon, Summer
Posted in Events, Members, New England
Posted on February 20th, 2013 by pauline
This week, Wendy Pabich is asking us to replace one incandescent light bulb with an LED bulb. By doing this, we will save about 42 gallons of water. Read on and take Wendy’s Taking on Water Challenge…
With a carbon footprint comes a water footprint. Every time you turn on the light switch, not only are you consuming energy and adding to your carbon footprint, you are also increasing your water footprint. Electricity production requires tremendous volumes of water to power steam-generated turbines and to cool equipment. In fact, more than half the total water withdrawals in the U.S. each year feed our electrical grid. In some regions of the country, these withdrawals for electricity production are contributing to water stress.
The volume of water required depends upon the energy source. A recent study by The River Network, Burning Our Rivers: The Water Footprint of Electricity, estimates that it requires between zero and 231 gallons of water per megawatt-hour of electricity produced using wind and PV solar technology, and between 14,811 and 440,000 gallons per megawatt-hour for hydropower, coal and nuclear. On average, the water footprint of the electricity we use is about 42 gallons per kilowatt-hour (or 42,000 gallons per megawatt-hour), and the monthly energy use of the average household translates to nearly 40,000 gallons of water—five times the direct water use of that same household.
Conserving energy—turning off lights, insulating your hot water heater, and using Energy Star appliances—then, conserves water. This week’s Taking on Water Challenge is to switch out just one incandescent bulb for an energy-efficient LED or compact fluorescent one, saving about 42 gallons of water per week, or almost 2,200 gallons per year.
For more information see:
Burning Our Rivers: The Water Footprint of Electricity
See introductory information on the Taking on Water Challenge: Reduce your Water Footprint here, the Week 1 Challenge: Eat Less Meat here, and the Week 2 Challenge: Waste Less Food here. To enter to win the Taking on Water Challenge, pledge to decrease your water footprint by leaving a comment on Wendy’s blog.
Tags: challenge, conservation, energy, February, Taking on Water, water, Wendy Pabich
Posted in Members
Posted on February 14th, 2013 by pauline
This week, Wendy Pabich is challenging us to waste less food. Comment on her blog to enter the Taking on Water Challenge!
It takes tremendous volumes of water to produce our food. In fact, in the U.S., agriculture accounts for some 80 percent of our country’s consumptive water use. This means that when we waste food, we waste water. A recent study in the U.K. calculated that embedded water in food waste within the country accounted for one and a half times the volume of water people actually used in their homes.
Estimates of U.S. food waste range from 14 to 50 percent of all food produced for domestic sale and consumption. Much of this food is tossed in the garbage because it is past its sell-by date (which is often mistakenly believed to represent the date food should be eaten by), not as fresh as it once was, or because consumers purchased more food than they could eat and allowed food to spoil.
The implications of our carelessness are rather stunning: these foods end up in landfills, where they produce untold amounts of potent methane, a gas twenty-three times more effective in trapping heat in our atmosphere than carbon dioxide. (Indeed, landfills account for 34 percent of our total methane emissions.) Wasted food also means wasted money, with the average family of four losing $590 each year to food waste. We are also unnecessarily depleting soils and using tons of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides for foods that are never eaten. It is estimated that fully one-quarter of U.S. water consumption is used to produce this wasted food.
Finally, as estimated in a study by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the energy required to produce this discarded food is on the order of three hundred million barrels of oil a year. As reported in New Scientist magazine, this is (now hold onto your hat!) more than is extracted annually from the oil and gas reserves off our shores.
You can change this by making a shopping list, buying only what you need, using up what’s in the fridge and the pantry (with lots of creative recipes available to use up wilting vegetables), and serving smaller amounts. For food that does go to waste, compost it to return nutrients and energy to the soil rather than sending it to the landfill, where it will decompose to methane and carbon dioxide, further contributing to global change.
By not wasting food this week, you can reduce your water footprint by about 667 gallons. By continuing this practice, you can save nearly 35,000 gallons of water in a year.
Follow these links for more discussion about:
The Implications of Food Waste
The Water Footprint of Food Waste in the U.K.
Ideas for Using Up Foods on the Edge:
9 Foods You Can Bring Back from the Dead
Recipes for Leftovers
See introductory information on the Taking on Water Challenge: Reduce your Water Footprint here and the Week 1 Challenge: Eat Less Meat here. To enter to win the Taking on Water Challenge, pledge to decrease your water footprint by leaving a comment on Wendy’s blog.
Tags: challenge, February, Taking on Water, water, Water Deva, Wendy Pabich
Posted in Members
Posted on February 6th, 2013 by pauline
As we announced last week, 1% FTP member Wendy Pabich is challenging us to use less water this month. Get involved & win prizes! Here is week one’s challenge…
Estimates vary, but data from the Water Footprint Network suggests that the annual water footprint of the average American consumer is more than 750,000 gallons per year, nearly 60 percent of which is used in the production of our food. America’s startlingly high water footprint is primarily due to high per capita consumption of meat and industrial products.
According to the Water Footprint Network, it requires about 1,799 gallons to produce one pound of beef, 468 gallons per pound of chicken, 576 gallons per pound of pork, and 880 gallons per gallon of milk. Copious volumes of water are needed to grow feed for animals, and then additional water is used to care for animals, process meat, and distribute and sell animal products. By contrast, raising fruit, vegetables, and grains requires a fraction of the water. Carrots require only 6.5 gallons of water per pound; apples, nearly 100 gallons per pound; peas, 10.2 gallons per pound; blueberries, 13.8 gallons per cup; and potatoes, 119 gallons per pound.
By avoiding red meat for two days this week, you can reduce your water footprint by about 953 gallons. By continuing this practice, you can save nearly 50,000 gallons of water in a year.
Follow these links for more discussion about:
The Average American Diet and Its Water Footprint
The Environmental Implications of Meat Production
How We Use Water for Food
See introductory information on the Taking on Water Challenge: Reduce your Water Footprint here. To enter to win the Taking on Water Challenge, pledge to decrease your water footprint by leaving a comment on Wendy’s blog.
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To Enter
Full official contest rules and guidelines are here. Contest begins January 29, 2013. Entries must be received no later than March 11, 2013, 11:59:59 PM Pacific Time.
• Enter for the chance to win a copy of Taking on Water and a water reduction kit for your home (Approximate Retail Value $130).
• No purchase necessary.
• Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia, ages 18 or older.
• Contest begins January 29, 2013. Entries must be received no later than March 11, 2013, 11:59:59 PM Pacific Time.
• The winner will be selected on or about March 15, 2013.
• Void where prohibited by law.
Entries must be made in the comments section on Wendy Pabich’s blog, www.waterdeva.com. Entries must include the following (Incomplete entries will not be considered):
▪ Name (first and last)
▪ Email Address
▪ A brief comment pledging to decrease your water footprint
Optional: A link to a blog post or photograph can be included, but is not necessary for entry.
Tags: Eat Less Meat, February, Taking on Water, vegetarianism, water, Water Deva, Wendy Pabich
Posted in Members
Posted on February 1st, 2013 by pauline
1% for the Planet member Wendy Pabich, is challenging us to lower our water consumption this month and beyond. Read on to learn more about her new book, Taking on Water, and to find out what you can do to lower your usage!
Water is the new oil, right? Not only do we each directly consume water every day for drinking, cooking, bathing, cleaning and tending our lawns, we also use water indirectly, as water “embedded” in the products and services we buy. Thus, in the same way we each have a carbon footprint we also have a water footprint. A water footprint is the total volume of freshwater used directly and indirectly to produce the goods and services consumed by an individual, community, company or nation. This includes the amount of “green water”, or rainwater consumed in the production process and to grow crops, “blue water”, or surface and groundwater consumed, and “greywater”, the amount of freshwater polluted as a result of the process.
To put this in perspective, a cup of coffee requires about 37 gallons of water to produce; it takes 6.5 gallons to grow a pound of carrots and 108 gallons to grow a pound of corn; 1,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef, 2,200 gallons for a pair of blue jeans, 25 gallons for a kilowatt-hour of electricity. The average person in the United States consumes more than 750,000 gallons of water each year via the products and services they purchase—representing the highest per capita water footprint in the world. By contrast, nations like Guatemala, Kenya, and Afghanistan have water footprints less than 200,000 gallons per person per year.
During the month of February, the Taking on Water Challenge will issue a new charge each Tuesday to help you reduce your water footprint. Challenges will be straight-forward and relatively easy to achieve. Along with each task, you’ll learn why your choice is important, and how much water you can save if you undertake the pledge for a week—or better yet, make it permanent. By the end of the month, your combined actions could save more than 1,500 gallons per week. If you stick with these changes, you can save over 6,000 gallons each month or nearly 80,000 gallons of water in a year’s time. Along the way, we’ll provide you with additional resources and water saving ideas you can bring to your life. We hope that once you figure out how easy it can be to be water wise, you’ll put what you learn to good use. At the end of the month, we’ll draw a winner for a Taking on Water prize!
For more background on our water footprints, start here with my Water Deva Cheat Sheet and 12 Ways to Reduce Your Water Footprint. And, please help us spread the word through your social media networks. Every drop counts!
To enter to win the Taking on Water Challenge, pledge to decrease your water footprint by leaving a comment on Wendy’s blog.
Tags: challenge, February, Taking on Water, water, Water Deva, Wendy Pabich
Posted in Events, Members
Posted on January 31st, 2013 by pauline
Thanks to 1% FTP recipient ioby for sharing the following article that was featured in The Atlantic Cities on January 21, 2013. The article’s author, Sarah Goodyear, has done a great job of illustrating the hard work that ioby has done in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
A man makes his way through flood waters on a bike in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York, October 29, 2012. (Reuters/Keith Bedford)
A little over a week ago, the NYS 2100 Committee, formed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to recommend a post-Sandy course of action, released its report. As Eric Jaffe noted here at the time, the document drew some criticism for the vague and all-encompassing nature of its recommendations. If you’re looking for more specific solutions to improve resiliency, disaster preparedness, and climate change mitigation in New York City, you can turn instead to a report from ioby, a nonprofit fundraising organization dedicated to environmental issues.
The people at ioby polled a group of more than 380 people immediately after the storm to get their thoughts on how the city could be better prepared for similar events in the future. Participants, who weren’t constrained by the political considerations that a government group faces, included “engineers, architects, energy experts, policymakers, artists, lawyers, business owners, nurses, activists, planners, academics, media and more.” The results were released last week.
So what do the people on the ground in New York’s neighborhoods want to see? They came up with some “big ideas,” including updating the region’s electrical grid; making flood insurance more expensive to discourage building in vulnerable areas; expanding protected wetland areas to create a bigger buffer zone for storm surge; building floating boardwalks along coastlines. (Yes, the oft-discussed oyster reefs are in here, too.)
But it’s their smaller ideas – many of them clearly born of practical experience – that are the most intriguing. A lot of them are cheap and relatively easy to implement. Here are a few of the group’s nuts and bolts suggestions:
-Secure out/indoor pulley systems to deliver food, water and medicine to residents living in the top floors of tall buildings in lower Manhattan.
-Offer emergency training in Russian in Coney Island.
-Install rainwater harvest systems in Red Hook.
-Establish bike “brigades” that can deliver supplies to areas where roads have been washed out during and after an emergency. (Portland, Oregon, is already researching how best to incorporate cargo bikes into its disaster preparedness plans.)
-Distribute solar-powered water heaters after an emergency.
-Educate youth about extreme weather events and vulnerability.
-Create “buddy” programs to account for everyone in an apartment building during and after an emergency.
Several of the recommendations — such as the cultivation of alternative energy sources and an increase in the number of urban gardens — don’t apply only to emergency situations. And maybe that’s the most important message the ioby group is sending. The conclusion of the report puts it this way:
There was a clear sense that resilience during an emergency is closely intertwined with the longer-term strength of communities. That what is good during an emergency is also good for everyday life. For example, the distribution of food from urban farms was discussed as a way to help feed citizens after an emergency. But it was equally discussed as a service to people that live in food deserts that do not have regular access to healthy food, thus reducing poverty—and vulnerability—across the NYC Metro Area.
In other words, we don’t need a disaster to benefit from being a more connected, resilient community. New York, are you listening?
Tags: Hurricane Sandy, ioby, New York City, NYC, The Atlantic Cities
Posted in Non-Profit Recipients
Posted on January 14th, 2013 by pauline
The following post was written by Martyn Hoffmann, the owner of Pura Vida Ride (member #2754). If you are interested in sharing your giving story on our blog- please email a short post to info@onepercentfortheplanet.org and we will share them here!
2012 was Pura Vida Ride’s first year as a member of 1% for the Planet. For us as a company, joining 1% FTP and committing our money to the environment was putting into action our core beliefs as individuals and as a company.
As we discussed where to put our money, the one requirement that floated to the surface was that we reinvest in Costa Rica and keep our donations local. As a result we found 6 qualified non-profit organizations in Costa Rica that are approved 1% for the Planet nonprofit partners. Rather than us as a company deciding who should receive our donation, we opened it up to our fans, friends, and community to decide. We engaged all of the organizations and their fan bases in a vote to see who should receive the money.
Using Facebook as a social media platform, we put the question to the people over a two-week period. The voting was fierce across the board but two non-profits quickly floated to the top and were neck and neck up until an hour before the voting ended.
We had almost 21,000 people exposed to the voting effort, and 1,909 combined votes amongst all of the organizations. The exposure for each of these organizations was astounding and everyone benefitted from igniting their support base and educating everyone else’s support base about their mission and work in Costa Rica.
At the close of voting, La Paz Community School won with 816 votes, followed closely by Nectandra Institute with 814 votes.
La Paz Community School is non-profit, preschool through high school offering experiential bilingual education to the culturally diverse youth of Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
La Paz Community School offers an authentic learning experience in a rural, ecologically and ethnically diverse region of the world. Growing from 50 to 215 students in under six years, La Paz represents a microcosm of sustainable globalization where half of the students come from 25 countries around the world to join together with local Costa Rican youth to learn how to be creative, multilingual, environmentally conscious stewards of their community and beyond.
A dynamic scholarship program includes 25% of the student population and ensures a diverse and talented population. Through paradigm challenging intercultural discourse with members of the school, community, and world, La Paz students are equipped to fundamentally transform the world into a better, more sustainable place for all to live.
In short, this experience was rewarding on so many levels for us, and we are thrilled to continue this tradition of giving 1% back to the planet!
Tags: Costa Rica, Facebook contest, La Paz Community School, Nectandra Institute, Pura Vida Ride
Posted in Members, Non-Profit Recipients
Posted on January 8th, 2013 by pauline
Two weeks ago, I celebrated my first Christmas as a 1% for the Planet employee. It’s been amazing to see the wide variety of businesses and nonprofits in our network that are working toward the goal of making our world a better place! A few months ago I challenged myself to see how many 1% FTP members I could support during the holiday season. It was amazingly easy to find something for everyone on my list and I am proud to say that I way able to support nine of our members (and indirectly supporting hundreds of nonprofits)!
The members I supported this holiday season:
POP Paddleboards – Anaheim, CA
Patagonia – Ventura, CA
Harney & Sons Fine Teas – Millerton, NY
Salsabol – San Francisco, CA
Skinny Pancake – Burlington, VT
Fine Featherheads – Boulder, CO
Klean Kanteen – Chico, CA
Pura Vida Bracelets – San Diego, CA
Planet Petco – San Diego, CA
I’d like to give major props to POP Paddleboards for shipping me one of their awesome “Classico” boards from Anaheim. It was a bit of an adventure to figure out how to get this 10’6” board into my house, as well as where to store it until we can play with it this summer- but we managed! Nick was super helpful and I would highly recommend checking out their products next time you’re looking for an awesome gift.
Created by a family of watermen, POP Paddleboards is an emerging lifestyle brand in the stand up paddleboard (SUP) industry. Characterized by a unique color palette, their range of lightweight, high performance SUP boards are shaped for riders near and far across all bodies of water. Headquartered in Southern California, POP’s mission is to branch out and inspire those near a river, lake, or ocean to stand up and paddle. They want to develop an all-encompassing, inclusive identity for the paddleboarding lifestyle that encourages fitness, exploration, and fun. POP makes their boards easily accessible to the masses via poppaddleboards.com and shops across the country.
POP understands that paddleboarding couldn’t exist if it wasn’t for Mother Nature and her incredible lakes, beaches and scenic backdrops. Partnering with 1% FTP was a no-brainer for the crew at POP, because they have made it their responsibility to ensure that generations to come can experience these moments on the water’s surface. The POP crew is influenced by the 1% FTP network and is excited to see what part they have in making the planet a better place. Like any business, they couldn’t do it without their customers, who are indirectly the engine that drives 1% FTP. They’re excited to work with you to find a board that fits well with your lifestyle- whether it be salty or fresh!
Although I technically got this paddleboard for my mom, I’m definitely looking forward to getting it out on the lake this summer! If only it wasn’t 33 degrees here today… In the spirit of a new year, how about we all make a resolution to support 1% for the Planet members whenever possible. Next time you need some tea, coffee, chocolate, a new jacket, or even a paddleboard, make sure to check out our website to see which companies are giving back to the planet everyday through their 1% FTP commitment. Trust me, you’ll feel good about it!
Tags: Christmas, Fine Featherheads, Harney & Sons, holiday, Klean Kanteen, Patagonia, Planet Petco, POP Paddleboards, Pura Vida Bracelets, Salsabol, Skinny Pancake
Posted in Events, Our Team
Posted on January 7th, 2013 by pauline
It’s that time of year again: the holidays have come to a close, the presents have been unwrapped, and we’ve all eaten enough holiday cookies to get us through 2013.
Back to the grind we go, but not before partaking in one last holiday tradition we have all come to know: the choosing of a New Year’s Resolution. We say we’ll hit the gym more, aim to clean out our closets, and try to be healthier and more balanced in the coming year. Whatever the resolution, we all see the New Year as an opportunity for a new beginning and goals – a new calendar providing the perfect opportunity to switch things up individually or as a business.
It is the perfect time for companies to consider joining 1% for the Planet.
We’d like to encourage a challenge that will start small in New England and one we hope will carry through the rest of the network. In the first half of the year, we’d like to see how many new businesses in New England will pledge to donate 1% of their sales to our nonprofit partners. We think this is a conservative (read: attainable!) goal for the New Year. We have exiting things planned for our 10th anniversary year and it would be great to have new members participate in a meaningful way. Look around our website and see who of your neighbors is already involved – we bet you already know someone who is an active member. We want our network to keep expanding and as companies are setting their goals for the next calendar year, it’s the perfect time to start seriously thinking about giving back to our planet.
Have you thought about getting involved? Talk to us! We’re happy to answer your questions and put your mind at ease – your involvement is important to us and your commitment to the program makes a huge impact worldwide.
Here’s to a bright 2013 and an even more impactful network!
Tags: 2013, holiday, New England, New Year, resolution
Posted in New England, News
Posted on December 21st, 2012 by pauline
We made it through one of the biggest shopping weekends of the season: Thanksgiving, and now Christmas is just around the corner. In addition to meaning delicious food, family traditions, and of course, food again (leftovers… yum!), it has also come to mean a weekend of big deals (Black Friday), local love (Small Business Saturday), cyber steals (Cyber Monday), and a new addition that we love at 1% for the Planet – Giving Tuesday. If you’re not familiar with Giving Tuesday, you can learn more about it in this article, featuring none other than our very own Melody Badgett.
So why does Giving Tuesday matter?
It provides an opportunity for nonprofit organizations to engage consumers, businesses, and potential donors in conversation and raise awareness for current initiatives. Several 1% for the Planet partners were involved this year including The Trustees of Reservations and Essex County Greenbelt Association. Both organizations used social media channels, including Twitter, Facebook, and blogs, to share the message of Giving Tuesday.
We think Giving Tuesday is a great addition to the shopping-centric holiday weekend. At 1% for the Planet, our members choose to give back on an annual basis and support nonprofit organizations all year round. Not only does this holiday provide a day where these nonprofit partners can have meaningful engagement with their audience via social media and other channels, but more importantly: it gets the conversation going and inspires other individuals and businesses to think about giving as we head into this holiday season.
With that in mind, we have a challenge for you: continue the spirit of Giving Tuesday through the holiday season. Throughout the month of December we have been highlighting members on our Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest channels. We’re proud of our members and the commitment they make every year when they pledge to donate 1% of their sales.
If you have a minute before you brave the cold (‘cold’ is spot on for where we are), check out our members and see what businesses are near you. From chocolates to jewelry, and everything in between – our members offer great products that you can feel good about giving as gifts. Supporting a 1% for the Planet member in your area is a double feel good: you’re supporting your local economy and a business that gives back 1% of their sales to environmental causes. So, when you’re looking for that perfect gift, remember to carry on the spirit of Giving Tuesday!
Don’t forget to share your pictures with us on Twitter & Instagram, using the hashtag #LoveYourMother, so we can see which 1% FTP network affiliates you are supporting this holiday season!
Tags: #loveyourmother, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Essex County Greenbelt Association, Giving Tuesday, holiday, Small Business Saturday, The Trustees of the Reservation
Posted in Members, Non-Profit Recipients
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