GreenSmith Consulting

GreenSmith Sessions #8: Is Global Sustainability Even Possible? Yes, Says Bryan Welch

Sometimes the most forward looking among us come from the most unlikely places.  I’m neck deep in the sustainable business realm, and delight in discovering  and sharing new sources of inspiration and innovation with my audiences. And the most powerful mover of green ideological mountains and catalyst for action I’ve seen in 2011? A rancher from Kansas. Bryan Welch.

Oh and he happens to also publish Mother Earth News, Utne Reader, Natural Home, and, um, Gas Engine magazine. 

This former newspaper man turned publisher has had an eclectic background that has helped him develop a broad perspective that doesn’t have the blinders on when it comes to thinking about how living and doing business sustainably can happen.

He recently wrote a book called Beautiful & Abundant: Building The New World We Want, that eschews the dramatic eco alarm sounding and finger wagging that many books and people take, while at the same time not avoiding thinking about and looking at the challenges we face. 

He has a clear framework for how to shape what you do and how you communicate it, that could very well be the glue that sticks all the disparate, supposedly separate groups of people in the world, together, in common cause.

For GreenSmith Sessions #8, I had the good fortune to spend just over 30 minutes in frank conversation with Welch about everything from how many environmentalists are stymieing mass scale progress on the important issues at hand, to his desire to see Earth Day and green business become obsolete concepts in the near future. Do stay tuned to the last five minutes, where he deftly explains that how he sees drastic population reduction being achieved, not by government mandates of natural/manmade disasters, but in an organic fair, just, desirable fashion. 

 This Session was full of gems, here’s two of the best:

 “It seems to me illogical that the concept of sustainability would be controversial. Who does not want clean air and clean water? Who does not want, 3 or 4 generations from now, a wonderful place for human beings to live on this planet? Yet somehow we’ve allowed sustainability to be pigeonholed as this wonky, tribal fascination for people who wear Birkenstocks and burn Patchouli. It’s wrong, it’s destructive, and it’s absurd.”

“People who are utterly cut off from the prosperity that we enjoy in the developed world don’t have the time, resources or motivation to think about sustainability. We alienate them if we pose solutions or pursue visions that exclude them, and we can’t afford to exclude or alienate them, because we need a very broad consensus across the planet, or the whole notion of human sustainability is unattainable.”

Listen in, and let's talk about it, below! 

Remember, you can play the podcast here, right click and save it, or get it free from iTunes, where you can also subscribe to get all future GreenSmith Sessions.

~~~

Paul Smith is a sustainable business innovator, the founder of GreenSmith Consulting, blogs weekly on green start ups of note at Triple Pundit and has an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco. He creates interest in, conversations about, and business for green (and greening) companies, via social media marketing.

CLick here to play/save GreenSmith Sessions #8 Bryan Welch

Green Businesses: It's Time to Cut it Out!

Recently I read a piece by Tara Hunt, talking about how she was warned while in preparation for her TEDx presentation that some presenters might be a hard act to follow. She delved into how she’d decided to toss aside this fear, in favor of being that tough act to follow. Being the one to set the bar high. Being the one to not concern herself with how she compared to others. 

It got me thinking. How do green companies suffer from this comparison paralysis?

Is it time for us to stop thinking of ourselves as creators of an alternative to the mainstream option, and decide, or in many cases recognize that we are the mainstream option? And if not, just set down that need to be validated by the popular kids on the block. Or better yet, quit being resentful of others not changing as fast as you’d want, and do it yourself!

For so long, green businesses have defined themselves using the status quo, big name options as a barometer of how valid they were. Or perhaps they've identified themselves by how in opposition they were to that supposedly big bad company. 

People, stop. It’s a waste of your time. And time to forge your own road, focusing on your product being a superior experience, giving superior results, delighting in unexpected ways, as compared to any product or service in the neighborhood of what your creating. 

It’s time to kick ass, and make money. While making a positive impact. And if you are, be that shining example to others, that it’s ok to succeed, on a big scale, with integrity. In fact I’m saying it here: If you’re playing small and think it's somehow more noble to be so, you’re not serious about making a meaningful impact. Drop the old stories, and write a new one.

What’s your take on this? Are you ready? Are you doing it now? 

Paul Smith is a sustainable business innovator, the founder of GreenSmith Consulting, blogs weekly on green start ups of note at Triple Pundit and has an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco. He creates interest in, conversations about, and business for green (and greening) companies, via social media marketing.

When is a Product Too Green?

I had a conversation with a newer green apparel company founder recently that really irked me. Not necessarily about them specifically, but the choices they and other green businesses make. And I wanted to get your input on it. 

Put yourself in this situation: 

I bought a shirt from them online, and when it arrived, the black ink design was largely swallowed by the dark brown recycled fabric shirt. I suggested they consider white or light blue ink to contrast better. Their response: Any other colors at this point wouldn’t be as environmentally friendly. They were firmly committed to the greenest option. I can respect that. And yet to me, that means neglecting the overall quality of the product.

I returned the shirt, and got another, this one made from recycled plastic. They later told me the ink will fade, noticeably, in the first few washings. This time the reasoning was that the ink met an obscure sustainable clothing standard, and they were working out finding an ink that bound better to this type of fabric. 

My first suggestion was that they leverage their firm stand on being highly sustainable, and educate the public about the standard they were adhering to. Their response: We’re not actually certified by that standard, it costs too much, and we have to be careful associating our products with that standard. 

This makes no sense. Holding firm to a standard that you can’t claim to have met, that nobody is familiar with, while not knowing if your customers share your fervor, is ridiculous. They should have waited until their product could both meet this self set sustainability standard and offer an equivalent experience to its non green counterparts. Or, just started with a less green but better overall product, being transparent about where they need to improve, enrolling their customers and fans in the process. 

Coincidentally, this week Tom Szaky of Terracycle wrote a rather provocative piece on the post Sunchips compostable bag debacle, and his thoughts match mine when he said, 

 “Green companies need to hear this: Being green is not an excuse to put out an inferior product. Absolutely, aim for the highest sustainability possible in your products. But do not neglect quality, experience, or enjoyment. If you do, you lose, with everybody but the most dedicated green people.”

Putting out products that confirm people’s negative preconceptions about green product quality is a disservice to all other green businesses that pay attention to all aspects of customer experience with their product.

Readers: What’s your take on this? Where can we as green businesses learn from others? What’s important to focus on in 2011, in your opinion?

Image credit: Kalavinka

Paul Smith is a sustainable business innovator, the founder of GreenSmith Consulting, blogs weekly on green start ups of note at Triple Pundit and has an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco. He creates interest in, conversations about, and business for green (and greening) companies, via social media marketing.

GreenSmith Sessions #5: Sustainability Firebrand John Marshall Roberts (video & podcast)

Do you want to know what the core of all the (human) problems in the world are? Empathy. Empathy, you mean that word tossed around by new age enthusiasts? Not quite. 

Think about how recently you got angry over another person’s actions or words. Or presumed someone or some group couldn’t possibly understand where you’re coming from, so why try? Or better yet, clung forcefully to being right, trying to diminish their point of view in favor of yours?

More often then we’re comfortable admitting, I suspect. 

I had an interesting, inspiring, deep, funny time in GreenSmith Sessions #5 (after post, below) with John Marshall Roberts, a man who describes himself as, “…a renegade social scientist who refused to fit in in the academic world that I came from.”

Roberts is an amalgamation of many things: a one time musician, now deeply versed in psychology, behavioral studies, and how they interest with business. Luckily for us, he’s able to distill it in an engaging, understandable manner, whether presenting at crux points like the Sustainable Brands conference or most recently at TEDx New Zealand (See video at the end of this post)

The problem it seems is pervasive cynicism of that which isn’t like us, no matter our level of development. And it’s not insurmountable. Recognizing cynicism for what it is - undigested pain - is the start to dissolving it and effectively, collectively moving forward. As Roberts said in our interview, when we realize the source of the cynicism, we don’t feel as personally offended, and we have more strategies and choices available for how to deal with them constructively.

However, having good, constructive ideas is one thing, executing them in the real world is another. Listen in as Roberts shares how he and his team have been creating ways to repurpose and give further structure to the concepts of his keystone book, Igniting Inspiration, in a modern, quick bite, media enmeshed society. The results are impressive. (NOTE: As Roberts mentioned in our interview, he's given us a very generous 30% off code for his Igniting Inpiration 101 course, good through December 15th, 2010. It is GSCART)

He and his company World View Learning have also taken what they learned about online learning outside their own projects, working with other organizations to better bring to life the crucial knowledge that businesses, governments and individuals need to know, and make beneficial, durable change more likely.

This was a fascinating GreenSmith Session, I encourage you to listen to the whole thing, you’ll want to keep a notepad nearby. It’s positively full of thoughts to get your mind moving, laughs to loosen you up and leave you hopeful, and many things that will have you wanting to take action, right now. 

Best quote: “If we take that blame away, and throw in the word empathy, which leads to insight, then insight can lead to common vision, which can lead to collaboration, which can lead to actual problem solving.”

For more on what John Marshall Roberts and World View Learning are up to, visit www.johnmarshallroberts.com.

Click here to play GreenSmith Sessions #5 John Marshall Roberts
(To save, right or control+click)

Readers/Listeners: What did you learn from this podcast? Have any questions for John? I’ll make sure he sees them.

 

Paul Smith is a sustainable business innovator, the founder of GreenSmith Consulting, blogs weekly on green start ups of note at Triple Pundit and has an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco. He creates interest in, conversations about, and business for green (and greening) companies, via social media marketing.

Maker Faire Africa and Beyond: GreenSmith Sessions #3 with Mark Grimes

In the third edition of GreenSmith Sessions, I talked with Mark Grimes, a Co-Founder of buzzing coworking hubs NedSpace, and one of the driving forces behind Maker Faire Africa. 

 A man of many hats, mostly of a social entrepreneurial bent, he and a small crew of people from around the globe took a leap of faith last year with the first African edition of this gathering of the inventive, the resourceful, and the appealingly crazy. It worked, and they went back again this past August.

Our conversation ranged from open source stop signs to fulfilling on the eight Millennium Goals , and an interesting puzzle for you: how to reshape social media to fit African entrepreneurs, within the current technological constraints they face?

An idea that particularly stuck out to me is when Grimes explained how small local African companies can compete with the often quite a bit larger Indian companies based there: Let the consumer decide how much they can afford, and build an object, i.e. a bed, within that budget. Makes you wonder, perhaps this idea can be applied in developed markets as well. It’s in a way the reverse of the high end notion of made to fit, this time made to fit your budget.

Please enjoy, comment, and add to what you hear in GreenSmith Sessions, below.

 

images via Maker Faire Africa

 

Click me to play/download GreenSmith Sessions #3 Mark Grimes

Paul Smith is a sustainable business innovator, the founder of GreenSmith Consulting, blogs weekly on green start ups of note at Triple Pundit and has an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco. He creates interest in, conversations about, and business for green (and greening) companies, via social media marketing.

Care2: The Social Network Most Green Businesses Miss

With the recent release of the film The Social Network, a lot of attention is being focused on Facebook. But one social network of a different sort and vastly different numbers bears paying attention to if you’re a green business: Care2.

  You’d be in good company if you said you’ve never heard of it. Or dismissed it as a bastion of petition signing activists. But you’d be off the mark and missing out on an important group of people to pay attention to and engage with, that could prove tremendously valuable allies. 

Already a group inclined towards action, both online and in the real world, Care2 incentivizes member participation by awarding points for nearly every action you take on the site, then allowing you to redeem them for things you’d never expect: a toy for a shelter dog. Raising a farm animal humanely. Life saving oral hydration salts. Note the lack of swag for the member themselves.

While at first this may seem counterintuitive, my experience at 3rdWhale Digital Media, a green mobile app developer, showed that many people would prefer beneficial gifts to others and the environment rather than themselves. A surprising and hopeful find, wouldn't you say?

Of greatest interest to green companies is what they call C2NN - Care 2 News Network. 

10 Ways Geolocation is Changing the World

This post was written by Rob Reed. He is the founder of MomentFeed, a location-based marketing, strategy, and technology firm.

Location technologies are transforming how we experience, navigate, and ultimately better our world. From the global to the local, here are #10Ways geolocation is a positive force for good.

Social media has changed the world. It has revolutionized communications on a global scale, and the transformation continues with every status update, blog post, and video stream. The global citizenry has become a global network.

Since becoming widely adopted just a couple years ago, social media has supercharged social action, cause marketing, and social entrepreneurship. Indeed, the true value hasn't been the technology itself but how we've used it. Today, a second wave of innovation is defining a new era and setting the stage for change over the coming decade.

Mobile technologies will extend the global online network to anyone with a mobile device while enabling countless local networks to form in the real world. We've decentralized media production and distribution. We're doing the same for energy. And we'll continue this trend for social networking, social action, and commerce.

The combined forces of smartphones, mobile broadband, and location-aware applications will connect us in more meaningful ways to the people, organizations, events, information, and companies that matter most to us---namely, those within a physical proximity of where we live and where we are. Can location-based services (LBS) change the world? Here are #10Ways:

GreenSmith Sessions #1: Joey Shepp of Earthsite

Somewhere amidst the preparation to move my life 12 hours away to Portland, Oregon, an idea took root: Talk to the people that inspire me, and share it with you. My goal is to have brisk freeform conversations with some of the key influencers, thinkers and doers in the sustainable business realm, and all the neighboring arenas it touches. Rather then be a linear Q & A, I want to  see them be a dynamic dialogue that will give you much food for thought.

It's called GreenSmith Sessions.

My first guest is Joey Shepp, who has been involved in the sustainable business realm in some form or another for the better part of a decade, and presenting engagingly about it at innumerable events. Whether it's leading the technology efforts at Green Festival, running web, design, and social media strategy firm EarthSite, Joey has a lot to say on how technology and green meet, and how to do it effectively. 

We had a far ranging conversation, largely anchored in the social media realm, Joey sharing interesting perspectives on privacy, Facebook, how he sees geolocation based businesses being of use to you and I, and more.

So join me please, for GreenSmith Session #1. 

And please, do share your thoughts, on the content, on the overall presentation, on who you think I should be talking to. I'm all ears!

PS: That article I mentioned talking about youth actually being nearly on par with (rather than jaw droppingly open with) their online privacy, is here. 

>>>Download/Listen to GreenSmith Sessions #1 Joey Shepp

Paul Smith is a sustainable business innovator, the founder of GreenSmith Consulting, blogs weekly on green start ups of note at Triple Pundit and has an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco. He creates interest in, conversations about, and business for green (and greening) companies, via social media marketing.

Is Portland, Oregon Really the Green Mecca Its Reputed to Be?

I’ve been quiet on this blog for some time. With good reason. Its called moving 12 hours from tiny but mighty Nevada City, California to the Mecca of green that is Portland, Oregon. A huge move made for many reasons and one that, a month in, I’m glad I made.

As you’ve likely heard, Portland is lauded for it’s sustainability, often being cited as the greenest city in America. Does it deserve it? Mostly.

Just look at the Redirect Guide, a source for local green companies, products and services. It’s more than 200 pages long. Go out to eat, and you’ll find that even the fish and chips restaurant makes a point to tout it’s healthier, more sustainable fare. Farmers markets dot the city, more then one happening every day of the week, the biggest drawing 10,000 visitors weekly.

Bicyclists are everywhere, with well marked lanes, respectful motorists (I've even had a trash truck wave me through!) bike only roads, and bike designated streets adjacent to the busier car trafficked ones. Sunday Parkway events sees miles of road closed to automotive traffic, becoming a mass of cyclists, skaters, and walkers.

Well integrated mass transit covers the majority of the city, well, and with the aid of such things as the free PDX Bus iPhone app, is easily used even if you’ve never ridden before, as I can attest. And I’m not alone, as it was recently revealed the bus system’s servers get nearly 100,000 hits a day, just from this app!

Why is Portland the way that it is? A vocal citizenry and a supportive government helps. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen our Mayor Sam Adams directly answering people’s questions and requests on Twitter and Facebook. It’s clear he’s committed to making Portland an increasingly sustainable city, both on an individual and regional level.

Some less obvious factors contribute to Portland’s famous livability: Metro is a prime example. I’m still getting my head around it, but from what I understand it’s a regional government, distinct from the conventional government structure in place. They help make recycling easier, for people to live more sustainably, and know what’s fun to do They even manage to make outdoor activities sexy, with The Intertwine.

And yet, Portland misses the mark in some key ways.

Time to Stop Talking About Going Local, and Doing It (pt 3 of 3) Eating and Getting Around

You hear so much about the value of "going local," but perhaps not so much on how to go about doing it effectively. Thanks much to Wayne Maceyka for sharing copious resources to do so, first covering the value of and need for localizing economies, then who's doing it, and now for two of the essentials in our modern life: local food and transportation.

One of the basics of life is nourishment and along with that, moving the foods that provide said nourishment around.  Additionally, we move ourselves and other goods around all over the world as part of the economy.  We currently rely upon inexpensive fossil fuels to keep a national and international supply chain running to do all these things.

Industrial food production is garnering a fair amount of attention for the GHG emissions associated with its production (including transportation) as well as the growing awareness of the health consequences of ingesting it.  We derive industrial fertilizers from petroleum, and the machines that sow seeds, harvest plants, and spread the fertilizer depend upon fossil fuels to operate. 

From a popular culture perspective, Michael Pollan's book Omnivore's Dilemma (here's his recent TED talk),  Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation, and Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution which premiered March 26 (to name a few) have helped raise the public's awareness about where our food comes from and what that means to our collective health.

An inherent danger in relying upon a far-flung and energy dependent food infrastructure is the price of oil.  It skyrocketed to somewhere north of $140.00/gallon in mid-2008, and what did that do to global food prices and basic access?  For those of limited means; they struggle mightily.  A recent post on a food security e-mail list had an interesting comment about the ongoing need for local & regional food infrastructure.  I highlighted the potential for regional & local food,

"[Senate Bill] S 510 (and even more so, HR 2749) will make it almost impossible to get local, healthy food to local people by dramatically increasing the cost of preparing local, healthy food for sale and distribution.  We need new cooperative packing houses, new processors, new distributors and new retailers or our food will only be available to the affluent at a premium price.  Not only the poor (both working and unemployed) but also the lower middle class will be almost entirely dependent upon industrial agriculture"

Time to Stop Talking About Going Local, and Doing It. Here's How. (pt 1 of 3)

With gold reaching all time highs in value, and other indicators that our global economy is in serious trouble (or seen more positively, ripe for a reset) money as we know it, and commerce as we know it may well vanish, or drastically change in the not too distant future. So perhaps, now more then ever, it’s time to look at how to build and maintain robust local economies.  

This week’s guest writer Wayne Maceyka takes an interesting, inspiring look at how that can happen. Part 1 of a 2 part series, we encourage your thoughts, ideas, and questions in the comments below.

  Considering the seismic activity that's been rumbling through the global economy over the past few years (it's not over, unemployment here in the United States is over 10%, the highest since 1983 and there are fears that commercial property loans, additional residential mortgages, and energy prices will squash a full-fledged recovery - in the traditional sense of the word), perhaps looking at our economy through a different lens would be interesting.

 For me, that lens has been building local and regional economies as a way to buffer regions from the winds of globalization and perhaps address some of our environmental challenges as well.

Why import items that meet basic human needs (food for instance) when much of it can be supplied from nearby? Of course, “nearby”, “local”, and “regional” are relative terms, the definitions of which are up for debate, but lets leave that discussion for another day Why is “going local” a good idea? It reduces our dependence on long distribution chains that are vulnerable to energy price fluctuations, reduces environmental impact, and perhaps most importantly helps keep financial capital circulating within the region.

 This recirculation of financial capital supports regional businesses and the jobs and value they create, further increasing the region’s resilience in the face of large-scale economic challenges.  Will every city, county or state be self-sufficient in the next 20 years? Probably not, though depending upon your beliefs around peak oil (see Jeff Rubin below) perhaps they’ll have to be.  The point is not to seek protectionist self-sufficiency, but cooperative interdependence on a scale consistent with human needs and natural resources.

U2, Oxfam America, New York MTA: Green Hypocrites?

If you're looking for an example of someone who walks their talk, Mike Lieberman would be your man. Best known as CanarsieBK on the web, this Brooklyn man is a living, breathing demonstration of how one can live sustainably, anywhere. He proves anything is possible, growing a thriving vegetable garden on his fire escape, and demonstrating actionable steps, daily, on how to be personally sustainable. And he's definitely not afraid to speak his mind.

Today Lieberman takes aim at those who don't seem to be walking the talk, balanced with options they could choose to align their actions better with their words. Do you agree with what he says? Have other views? Have other creative solutions for these and other organizations and globe trotting bands? Chime in, below.

With the green movement becoming more trendy, there are lots of high profile companies, organizations and individuals that claim to be green, but are they green hypocrites?



They talk the green talk, but they don't walk the green walk. Since they are in high profile positions they have the ear of people and are saying one thing, but their actions say otherwise.



U2


Arguably the biggest rock band of the past three decades, U2 has been vocal over the years about their stance on the climate and social injustice.



On their current "No Line on the Horizon" tour, their acts have demonstrated the opposite of what they've been saying. Due to the extravagant stage set, requiring 100 trucks, there is a massive crew (200 people) that need to travel with the band.



Carbonfootprint.com has said the tour's carbon emissions are equal to "the four band members travelling the 34.125 million miles from Earth to Mars in a passenger plane".



Coming soon...

I've got something bubbling up inside me, and it's all Chris Brogan's fault. The man who I'm sure has a stunt double or two for all that he does, issued a challenge in a recent video, Overnight Success Part 2 - A Call to Arms.

In it, he said that it's time for us to stop just playing small, playing remedial when it comes to using social media to its full potential. Time to level up, together, as it were.

It knocked something loose in me.

I began to write all sorts of thoughts, not necessarily focused on social media, but instead on sustainability, and how I see people and businesses practicing it and shifting others towards it in a healthier and well, more sustainable, enjoyable fashion than is prevalent now. Social Media definitely plays a part.  

What I've been writing has more questions then answers, and when it comes together to something I'd like to share with you, you'll be the first to see. Something big is bubbling inside me, and it's time to let it out. And I want your minds and hearts in on it too.

Stay tuned...

Paul Smith is a sustainable business innovator, the founder of GreenSmith Consulting, blogs weekly on green start ups of note at Triple Pundit and has an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco. He creates interest in, conversations about, and business for green (and greening) companies, via social media marketing.

10 Ways to Support Charity Through Social Media

This guest post is a collaboration between Mashable's Summer of Social Good charitable fundraiser and Max Gladwell's "10 Ways" series. The post is being simultaneously published across more than 100 blogs. Social media is about connecting people and providing the tools necessary to have a conversation. That global conversation is an extremely powerful platform for spreading information and awareness about social causes and issues. That's one of the reasons charities can benefit so greatly from being active on social media channels. But you can also do a lot to help your favorite charity or causes you are passionate about through social media.

Below is a list of 10 ways you can use social media to show your support for issues that are important to you. If you can think of any other ways to help charities via social web tools, please add them in the comments. If you'd like to retweet this post or take the conversation to Twitter or FriendFeed, please use the hashtag #10Ways.

1. Write a Blog Post

Blogging is one of the easiest ways you can help a charity or cause you feel passionate about. Almost everyone has an outlet for blogging these days -- whether that means a site running WordPress, an account at LiveJournal, or a blog on MySpace or Facebook. By writing about issues you're passionate about, you're helping to spread awareness among your social circle. Because your friends or readers already trust you, what you say is influential.

Recently, a group of green bloggers banded together to raise individual $1 donations from their readers. The beneficiaries included Sustainable Harvest, Kiva, Healthy Child, Healthy World, Environmental Working Group, and Water for People. The blog-driven campaign included voting to determine how the funds would be distributed between the charities. You can read about the results here. You should also consider taking part in Blog Action Day, a once a year event in which thousands of blogs pledge to write at least one post about a specific social cause (last year it was fighting poverty). Blog Action Day will be on October 15 this year.

2. Share Stories with Friends

Another way to spread awareness among your social graph is to share links to blog posts and news articles via sites like Twitter, Facebook, Delicious, Digg, and even through email. Your network of friends is likely interested in what you have to say, so you have influence wherever you've gathered a social network. You'll be doing charities you support a great service when you share links to their campaigns, or to articles about causes you care about.

10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media

We are honored to have our friend and fellow traveler of the intersection of social media and green, Max Gladwell grace our blog with a host of innovative ways for each of us, as individuals and collectively to make an impact. Citizen journalism, open government, status updates, community building, information sharing, crowdsourcing, and the election of a President are in the mix here. 

Our children will inherit a world profoundly changed by the combination of technology and humanity that is social media. They'll take for granted that their voices can be heard and that a social movement can be launched from their laptop. They'll take for granted that they are connected and interconnected with hundreds of millions of people at any given moment. And they'll take for granted that a black man is or was President of the United States.

What's most profound is that these represent parts of a greater whole. They represent a shift in power from centralized institutions and organizations to the People they represent. It is the evolution of democracy by way of technology, and we are all better for it. For most of us, social media has changed our lives in some meaningful way. Collectively it is changing the world for good.

Given the pace of innovation and adoption, change has become a constant. Every so often we find the need to stop and reflect on its most recent and noteworthy developments, hence the following list. Please note this is not a top-10 list, nor are these listed in any particular order. It's also incomplete. So we ask that you add to this conversation in the comments. If you'd like to Retweet this post or take the conversation to Twitter or FriendFeed, please use the hashtag #10Ways.

Conserve One of the Most Precious Resources - Trust

April Fool's Day, for those that don't know, is a chance for you to play practical jokes on people. While the pranks can be quite amusing, one that I did got me thinking...

On April 1st my editor at Triple Pundit invited us to do April Fool's Day posts, the more absurd the better. I was reading the book Revolution in a Bottle by Terracycle CEO Tom Szaky at the time, to be reviewed the next week. Having soaked in all things Terracycle for the past week, I was full of facets of Terracycle to poke fun at.

So I wrote a piece, pleased at how over the top it was, how people would laugh and have a good time with it. This, along with GM becoming a bike company, American Airlines going into the zeppelin flight business, complete with bungee jumping. You get the idea.

Then something happened.

How to Optimize Twitter Communications with your Facebook Friends

I've recently been experiencing something that I imagine many of you are as well, and found an elegant solution to it.

I use both Twitter and Facebook, and began favoring Twitter more and more in the past year, for its simplicity, focus, ability to more easily connect with and learn from others. Yes, I'm seeing that Facebook has recently become more amenable and useful to businesses and I'm interested to see what possibilities that creates, but we're talking '08 to the present, at the moment.

Seeing how I blossomed on Twitter and how much people enjoyed what I shared on there, it seemed a blessing to learn that there was a Twitter/Facebook client, which allowed my tweets, or status updates, to also show up as my Facebook status updates, everything but those that began with @yourfriend'sname, which are clearly a reply to someone else on Twitter, and would be out of context to those on Facebook.

Great, thought I, now my Facebook friends will be as in the know as those on Twitter, and I don't have to waste time wading through zombie invitations and superpokes.

But it slowly began to make less and less sense to use it. 

Energy Circle Shows How to Effectively Integrate Social Media Into Your Business

I tend to consult with companies I like. As in I'd do business with them as a customer. Recommend them to friends. Respect what they represent. It's why when I recently worked with Ode Magazine, more then 50% of the blogs I contacted chose to write about them, with great enthusiasm, two even inviting me to write my own content on their sites. My genuine affinity with the businesses I choose to consult with generates better quality results.

Energy Circle, my most recent client, is a home energy efficiency focused business who knows well how to effectively use social media. They are a business I want you to get to know better. Not because they're my client, but because more than likely, they have several ways they can directly benefit you and those in your life, and in doing so, make a collective impact that is substantial. Their business model and how they execute may also be a source of inspiration for your own business.

Energy Circle is an ally to those seeking to make their home more energy efficient, and professionals helping people do it.  During a time of constrained budgets, from personal to institutional,  with a president actively in support of green collar jobs, particularly in terms of home energy efficiency, Energy Circle is a a case of right timing, with a compelling offer.

Solar and other renewables get a lot of press, but the smartest way to green your home is by starting with energy efficiency. Energy Circle is an excellent, assured, friendly resource for anybody to do it. Whereas Google's Powermeter and other technology is still in the works, they've got many "right now" solutions available, including this quick, ongoing, useful article demystifying how and who to go with for home energy audits.  In a nod to the wisdom of their audience, they encourage them to continue filling in the blanks. And it's working.

How to Amplify Microfinance Effectiveness: Don't Pay People Back!

This week Twitter has been abuzz about the interactive, technology, social media focused component of the South By Southwest conference, or as it's tagged on Twitter, #sxsw. Mark Lovett of Global Patriot was particularly excited about a microfinance organization called OptINnow. Though I thought the name sounded more like a mailing list company, I was intrigued when Lovett said they took donations via cell phone. I'm glad I looked. Read on as we learn about an organization that on the one hand is the new kid on the block, and on the other, has been around for 37 years.

Sometimes being in the business that I am, I presume things to be common knowledge that I'm reminded are not, microfinance being one of them. For those not familiar with it, it's the facilitated process of making small loans, typically to people in developing countries, in order to help them create and grow their businesses, thereby better supporting themselves and their family.

OptINnow does it a differently then I've seen before, for example Kiva, where your loan a one time thing, benefiting one person/business. As in you lend money to a specific person, they repay it, and it gets repaid to you. End of story. You can of course choose to fund others, but the cycle ends should you choose not to lend any more money.

With OptINnow, the money gets repaid to the local partner bank, plus interest, then gets loaned back out to additional entrepreneurs. Hang on, it doesn't go back to you, the original lender? And they charge interest? That might be a hard sell for those used to the typical microfinance model made popular of late.

Why is There a Disconnect Between Green Products and The Latino/Hispanic Market?

I love Twitter. Why? Because of conversations like the one I had today. Laura Gomez, aka @lauraisgo, a self described, "latina geek who likes: the planet, food, films, languages, writing, fútbol, web 2.0, travel, riojas and music.....and has a crush on Hugh Laurie" reached out to me about a subject I can honestly say hadn't crossed my mind yet: Why haven't more green cleaning product companies reached out to the Latino market?

She said that in many places, it's they who are doing the cleaning, carwashing, and other blue collar service jobs. Is it a matter of companies presuming that their main market is white LOHAS people who shop at Whole Foods? Perhaps.

But in continuing the conversation, Gomez shared with me an interesting observation: Many Latinos, even well educated ones, don't see the relevance to their lives. She herself practices many green behaviors, and to some of her friends, it seems a bit extreme. I asked, putting it bluntly, do they see it as something white people do (and not them)? Yes.

So how do we shift it to something that people, no matter their background, do?

Can Greener Gadgets Really Make a Difference?

I sift through a lot of information, opinions, and ideas in the course of my work. Last week two of them dovetailed in an interesting way: One was talking about excess consumption, how it's not about making greener gadgets, it's about making less things to begin with. The old saw of less is more, cut back on your life, it's the only way to save the planet. They even mentioned, as though it was clearly a symptom of things gone wrong, that there's a Greener Gadgets conference coming up.

 I don't think it's about wagging your finger and telling people to change your behavior. It's like expecting a smoker to quit by telling them it's a bad thing. It's about giving consumers a way to look smart, be conscientious, and still meet their needs in an affordable way.

And at the same time, there is value in continuing to educate people on the impacts of consumption, while giving them options to do it differently, allowing for a natural, more durable movement in a more sustainable direction.

So it was ironic that a few days later, I learned about such an option came from the design competition sponsored by the above mentioned baddies the Greener Gadgets conference.

The Recompute is a cardboard housed PC that in a nod to the always evolving nature of personal technology has 8 USB ports, allowing for complete customization and upgrading without needing to get a whole new computer.

In choosing cardboard rather than the energy intensive ABS plastic, giving you the ability to migrate whatever you want from your current computer into it,  and making it capable of being disassembled entirely by hand at the end of its lifecycle, Recompute truly is a "greener gadget."

While no product can claim to be impact free, smartly minimizing it in a way that consumers will positively respond to, green product or not, is a wise move all around.

Readers: What other products, existing or prototype, do you see that are truly greener gadgets, capable of making a positive impact? What's your take on consumerism, electronics, and the greening of them? I look forward to your comments, below.

Paul Smith is a sustainable business innovator, the founder of GreenSmith Consulting, blogs weekly on green start ups of note at Triple Pundit and has an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco. He creates interest in, conversations about, and business for green (and greening) companies, via social media marketing.

How to Address Deforestation, Sustainably, at a Profit

Today I want to share with you a creative solution to something many complain about, but frequently don't offer a solution: Deforestation.

So often these days you hear statistics of how rapidly deforestation is happening, wringing of hands over people's shortsightedness, cutting them down so that they can raise cattle, soy, or some other cash crop. But something's being forgotten here: the people.

Like smokers who know it's damaging, but in their lives, don't see another option, these people often don't have another viable way to make a living, and feed their families. Without something as profitable, what reason do they have to take a long term view of things? They're not stupid, they know they're damaging their environment, but to them, what other choice do they have?

Planting Empowerment is fast growing another option for them, starting in Panama:  They partner with people in the area, making deals with them to replant the area with native tree species, plus other plants that would make up a forest,  like there was before. In the case of the indiginous community of Arimae, for every hectare of land they replant, another 5 will be preserved. This agreement is a first between an indigenous community and a private forestry business.

Then what?

Spotting Innovation in the Everyday

Ok I'll admit it. Sometimes I can be a green snob. I've at times looked down my nose at publications such as Plenty magazine, which in the past have catered to a more, shall we say, dabbling demographic.

But then something changed. They went and got more substantial. Yes, there's still fluffiness to be found there, but you know what? I now think fluff plays a role too, giving access points to people who otherwise wouldn't have come to the party. The latest organic facial creme may not float my boat, but someone else may care about that, and from there delve broader, deeper into things sustainable. Plenty makes room for that to happen.

An example of Plenty's new substance is in the current issue: "Radiating Roads," which talks about a relatable, accessible innovation that has a connection to a common shared experience. In this case, doing something with the scorching heat produced by streets, parking lots and sidewalks during the summer: Heat water, or use the steam to produce energy.

Green Minimarts? Believe It.

I was recently interviewed for a piece in Plenty Magazine, about the greening of gas station convenience stores. I'd thought they meant as in AM/PM infusing their product offerings with green options. Actually it turns out it's all about new stations that are green from the ground up. Impressive, inspiring, and I hope to see them succeed and for the trend to spread.

The article is here.

Image credit: Plenty Magazine

Paul Smith is a sustainable business innovator, the founder of GreenSmith Consulting, blogs weekly on green start ups of note at Triple Pundit and has an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco. He creates interest in, conversations about, and business for green (and greening) companies, via social media marketing.

An Ode to Ode Magazine

Ode magazine saved my life.

Well ok, pointed it in a new direction, more like.

Let me back up.

Four years ago I got West Nile virus. It nearly killed me. After a lengthy recovery period, I found myself in a restaurant with my wife, pondering what to do next. It was clear I was given a second chance, and I wanted to make the most of it. Always a strongly intuitive woman, I asked her what she saw as the next way to go with my life, my work.

She got a distant look in her eyes, then returned my gaze. "Sustainability. And Utne Magazine. And...", she paused, "The orange and green on the walls here."

The next day I found myself experiencing what I call Yellow Karmann Ghia Syndrome: The experience of suddenly seeing everywhere something that wasn't previously on your radar. At first it seems unusual, but it's just you deciding to notice what's all around you, all the time.

 

It was that way with sustainability. It seemed to show up in every facet of my life, overnight. Honestly, it had not been something I had a strong awareness of...or so I thought. It wasn't until my wife pointed out how often I relayed with great excitement stories from Ode Magazine, that they all had a common thread of sustainability in them.

Enter The GreenSmith...

Greetings, and welcome to the first entry of the GreenSmith blog. You have Chris Brogan and Max Gladwell to blame  for this.

Well not entirely.                

I've been wearing the green business blogger hat for the past few years as a weekly contributor to Triple Pundit and Ecopreneurist, in addition to being a green/sustainable business consultant here at GreenSmith. And having a grand time at it. So why start my own? Why now? Great question, and it's one I'm going to answer for myself as I write here.

I'd have to say it's because I see things. No not ghosts and goblins (though those were quite prevalent a few days ago, to be sure!) No, I have a set of eyes and brain that sees things out there in the world, perhaps with a slightly different lens than most. I consider this an asset, as I find possibility and promise in what others may miss, a benefit to both myself and my clients.

And I want you to see it too.

But before I dive into the innovation that comes across my radar, what GreenSmith Consulting is up to, promising future scenarios that I'd like to see realized, and interesting people, I want to stop and ask:

What do you want to see me write about? What's not being covered out there these days that you'd like to see more of? What gems are underneath the muck, waiting to be discovered? Many of you reading this are probably somehow connected to me via Twitter, and you've watched what I've shared on there. What do you imagine me writing about? 

I have many ideas in the cooker ready to be written about, but I want to hear from you first. It's how I work as a consultant, listening carefully to my clients so I can best help them. Now I'm listening to you here. I can't promise I'll write about everything you suggest. But I do promise to listen to what you have to say, and to be grateful for all suggestions.

Some boundaries: I'm not interested in writing straight up environmental pieces. I'm interested in the intersection of commerce and consideration (of environment,  resources, and people). Solutions being created for supposedly intractable problems.  Exuberance over despair.

I'm not interested in polarizing people, or emphasizing what's wrong. I want to shine a light on what's being done to create a more positive, supportive, healthy, and yes profitable world for all. And I reserve the right to go completely off topic, should it have a useful insight or lesson for you and I.

So, what's it going to be? I look forward to your thoughts, below.

Paul Smith is a sustainable business innovator, the founder of GreenSmith Consulting, blogs weekly on green start ups of note at Triple Pundit and has an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco. He creates interest in, conversations about, and business for green (and greening) companies, via social media marketing.