Top 25 Sustainable Brands on Twitter

Here is Triple Pundit's list of 25 for-profit businesses who are using Twitter to support their advocacy of people, planet and profits.

1. @SCJgreenchoices: Daily tweets from SC Johnson’s Global Corporate Affairs, Communication & Sustainability team on environmental topics, tips & green choices.
2. @Unilever: Sharing new content and engaging topics like marketing, business strategy, results, and sustainable living.
3. @SustainableSAP: Tweeting general sustainability and CSR info, and news about SAP’s sustainability solutions/efforts.
4. @CiscoCSR: Sharing resources for nonprofits & NGOs as well as global corporate social responsibility news & updates from Cisco.
5. @WalMartGreen: WalMart believes that together, we will create a more sustainable world to help people live better. 6.
@Ecomagination: GE’s forum for fresh thinking and conversation about clean technology and sustainable infrastructure.
7. @WasteManagement: Waste Management Inc. is the leading provider of comprehensive environmental solutions in North America.
8. @eBayGreen: Join eBayGreen to help the world buy, sell and think green every day!
9. @Stonyfield: Everything you want, and nothing you don’t! Fresh, organic tweets from the world’s leading organic yogurt maker.
10. @TerraCycle: Global leader in collecting hard-to-recycle waste to be recycled or upcycled. TerraCycle turns waste into new items.
11. @BASF: BASF is the world’s leading chemical company. About 113,000 employees worldwide create chemistry for a sustainable future.
12. @SeventhGen: Seventh Generation is committed to being the most trusted brand of household and personal-care products for your living home.
13. @JNJNews: The Johnson and Johnson company, partners and communities are caring for the world, one person at a time.
14. @Recyclebank: Recyclebank rewards you for taking every-day green actions with discounts and deals from local and national businesses.
15. @REI: Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) is a member-owned coop, circa 1938, providing gear, guidance, and inspiration to get outdoors and explore nature.
16. @NativeEnergy: An expert provider of carbon offsets, renewable energy credits, and carbon accounting software.
17. @DardenSustains: Darden is the world’s largest full-service restaurant company; investing in our culture, restaurants and supply chain. Their focus is People, Planet, Plate.
18. @DuPont_ability: DuPont sustainability news: clean energy, solar, wind, biofuels, climate change, green chemistry and renewably sourced products to help people and the planet.
19. @AnniesHomegrown: Annie’s Foods says… We make good food, but that’s just the beginning. Let’s watch good grow.
20. @OATshoes: OAT Shoes are Shoes that Bloom: bury them after they wear down and flowers bloom, while the shoes decompose!
21. @Sainsburys: This grocery chain believes its values give real competitive advantage, and looks to differentiate on this basis for customers, colleagues, suppliers and stakeholders.
22. @AirBnB: Airbnb connects travelers seeking authentic experiences with hosts offering unique, inspiring spaces around the world.
23. @Interface_NA: Setting the pace for development of quality modular carpet tile using materials and processes that take less from the environment.
24. @SouthwestAir: Environmental Stewardship is a responsibility Southwest Airlines takes seriously, and efficient operations are the hallmark of the company.
25. @Zipcar: A community of folks who’ve found out that car sharing beats the heck outta car ownership.

Source: Triple Pundit

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Success of #EndFossilFuelSubsidies Twitter Storm Directed at Rio+20

On Monday June 18, climate change activists used Twitter to send a message to end fossil fuel subsidies that has echoed around the world. People all over the planet understand that it's simply wrong to be spending tax dollars off to the richest industry in the world, an industry that's wrecking the atmosphere and endangering our shared future. The 24-hour "Twitter storm" garnered the support of hundreds of thousands of people and was the top ranked tweet of the day. According to the Guardian this was the top trending topic in the  US and second place globally while Topsy.com reported that it was the #1 story in the world. Politicians have also joined the storm, with messages streaming in from Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi in the US and former Prime Minister Helen Clark of New Zealand.

In addition to the Twitterstorm, activists at Avaaz.org, Friends of the Earth, and 350.org delivered a petition of more than 750,000 signatures calling for an end to fossil fuel subsidies to 10 Downing Street this morning. Similar petitions are being presented in other nations. In Rio yesterday in which campaigners unfurled a massive trillion dollar bill on Copacabana beach marked with calls for an end to the subsidies, which are approaching that scale.

Keep the Twitterstorm alive and Tweet this post. To make sure the message is not ignored organizers at 350.org are asking people to get 5 friends on Twitter to join the storm. Share this Facebook event on your wall and tag five of your savviest friends asking them to join. 

The Twitter Storm has made it that much more likely that we will see the beginning of the end of fossil fuel subsidies.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Rio+20: 350.org Campaign to End Fossil Fuel Subsidies

As people converge in Rio for the "Earth Summit," it is time to pressure world leaders to end fossil fuel subsidies. Ending Fossil Fuel Subsidies topped the UN Rio Dialogues online vote, but the official UN text still lacks clear commitments. That stalwart friend of the environment, 350.org is partnering with Avaaz to promote a massive social media storm designed to pressure world leaders to put an end to fossil fuel subsidies.

According the 350.org there are now over one million people around the world who are calling for an end to fossil fuel subsidies. Rio+20 is being billed as a landmark event for the planet's future, and the theme of the conference is "building the global green economy." There is no better way to build the green economy than ending fossil fuel subsidies and investing in renewable energy instead.

On June 18th, concerned global citizens from around the world will take to Twitter to make their point: we need to end fossil fuel subsidies NOW! Our message will be heard in Rio de Janeiro—where world leaders will be gathered for the Rio+20 Conference on the Environment—and in capital cities around the world. 350.org is partnering with Avaaz to make the Twitter Storm an event that cannot be ignored.

Learn more about the End Fossil Fuel Subsidies Twitter Storm here, and sign up here to join the 350 Social Media Team Today. The Twitter Storm will take place on Monday June 18th 2012. Join and SHARE the event here. Make sure you use the hastag: #EndFossilFuelSubsidies.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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India's GreenMela Website Business Resources

GreenMela is a new website that focuses on a panoply of green elements including green business. The site claims to be India'a No.1 green online platform. GreenMela aims to unlock India's green potential and help green to grow and grow clean.

GreenMela offers comprehensive coverage of 14+ Sectors and 80+ Sub-Sectors. The GreenMela site includes a platform to showcase CSR activities by green companies, a platform to showcase green entrepreneurs, green business ideas, green news and current affairs, a green marketplace for green and eco-friendly products, green jobs section, green tips, green events, green promotional offers, green social networking. green photos and videos, there is even a whistle blower section to share environmental wrong-doings anomalously.

As quoted on their site:

"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin." - Shakespeare

To review the featured areas on the GreenMela site click here.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Video: Introduction to 24 Hours of Reality

Between September 14th and 15th, the event 24 Hours of Reality saw people around the globe calling attention to the climate crisis and working to solve it. By the time former Vice President Al Gore finished his presentation on the evening of September 15th, the 24 hour long event had 8.6 million views.

There are countless stories of impressive grassroots mobilization for the event. A company in Tel Aviv hosted a watch party at their headquarters. A group of graduate students in Athens, Georgia rented out a popular local movie theater. People across the world joined hands to say: Climate change is real, it’s happening now and the time to act is now.

But this is just the beginning. There are important actions you can take today:

Request a presentation: There are more than 3,000 trained Climate Presenters around the globe. Organize an event and invite a Presenter to come to your community.
Go local: Team up with our partners around the world and help solve the climate crisis. Visit our website to find a partner organization near you.
Moving Planet: On Sept 24, hit the streets with http://350.org for a global day of action. Find an activity near you.
Check our comprehensive video library to watch highlights from 24 Hours of Reality.

It is up to all of us to continue to stand up for reality and share the truth about the climate crisis. We will succeed because we must.

For more information click here.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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24 Hours of Reality

This event is a 24-hour worldwide marathon all about the reality of the climate crisis. 24 Hours of Reality will be broadcast live online, over 24 hours, representing 24 time zones and 13 languages. The Climate Reality Project will host the live streaming event, which begins on September 13 at 8 p.m. EDT and ends at the same time on September 14.

A different climate activist will speak each hour on the effect climate change is having on his or her community and "connect the dots" between human emissions and more frequent and extreme weather, the group says. The event will conclude with a multimedia presentation by Gore live from New York City.

This global event designed to help people to make the connection between extreme weather, climate change, and the need to push the planet beyond fossil fuels.

Around the world, people will use the power of the Internet to present their stories of living with climate change, and make clear the connection between extreme weather and the corporate carbon pollution that's changing our climate. All the presentations, which will be in multiple languages, and in every single time zone, will be streamed live at ClimateRealityProject.org. 24 Hours of Reality is being spearheaded by Vice President Al Gore.

24 Hours of Reality is a worldwide event to broadcast the reality of the climate crisis. It will consist of a new multimedia presentation created by Al Gore and delivered once per hour for 24 hours, representing every time zone around the globe. 24 Presenters. 24 Time Zones. 13 Languages. 1 Message.

Each hour people living with the reality of climate change will connect the dots between recent extreme weather events — including floods, droughts and storms — and the manmade pollution that is changing our climate. We will offer a round-the-clock, round-the-globe snapshot of the climate crisis in real time. The deniers may have millions of dollars to spend, but we have a powerful advantage. We have reality.

From Tonga to Cape Verde, Mexico City to Alaska, Jakarta to London, people living with the impacts of climate change every day will tell their story. You can experience as much as you like without even leaving your home. Click here to find the location — or locations — where you would like to watch a presentation. Due to logistical considerations, three of the presentations will be broadcast remotely from New York — Tonga, the Solomon Islands and French Polynesia — but will include local footage and information. All other presentations will be filmed on location around the world.

For more information click here.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Social Network for Sustainable Development

The number of social networks is rapidly growing and for the sustainably minded networker, there is enviMotion. Some members compare enviMotion to a mix between Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Groupon. This social network is designed to bring together all those interested in sustainable development. The network welcomes businesses and NGOs involved in sustainability, industry experts, and others committed to sustainable development.

enviMotion allows everyone to be a part of information sharing and discussions on sustainable development related topics, news and special offers.

Members can share their sustainable development commitment and get the latest news on environmental policies and processes. The platform is well suited to creating partnerships. Specialists (companies whose activity is directly linked with sustainable development), can communicate on their activity, projects, and sustainable development policy. Specialists can also add jobs and internship listings.

More than 460 companies, associations and communities from 20 countries have already joined this social network.

To find out more or to join click here.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Social Media and Toyota's Greener Cars

Car manufacturer Toyota has developed a private social media platform know as the “Toyota Friend” service. This social media platform will enable drivers of Toyota's electric and plug-in hybrid cars to use their smartphones, tablets and computers to access their car's data.

The Toyota Friend service will allow these drivers to share diagnostic information about their cars with dealerships and relevant servicing personnel. The information include things like driving habits, car performance and battery level.

Drivers of Toyota's greener cars can also connect the network to existing well-known social networks like Twitter and Facebook to share stories and improve efficiency. Toyota is not the first to develop social media platforms for their vehicles. Ford has worked with Microsoft to create Sync, an on-board wireless system that lets drivers access the Bing search engine and a number of interactive online features.

Toyota is developing this social presence along with Salesforce, a provider of web-based software for large companies. Salesforce.com will invest $2.7 million in Toyota Media Service, which oversees Toyota’s cloud computing projects like Toyota Friend. As part of the deal. Toyota will also invest $5.4 million in its media subsidiary to fund the private social network.

Toyota will benefit from Salesforce.com's private enterprise social network known as Chatter. This network feeds into its customer relationship management (CRM) software and is designed to streamline collaboration and internal communication. Like Yammer, chatter is a mainstream social networking site for large enterprises. The service will first be available in Japan in 2012.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Social Media is Mobilizing the Youth Vote in the Canadian Federal Election

Social media has been driving the environmental movement to new heights and encouraging businesses to be more sustainable, now it is being used to challenge Canada's federal government. As the first social media influenced election in Canadian history, the 2011 Canadian federal election seems to be poised to produce dramatic results.

Due to fragmented nature of Canadian politics pundits predicted a Harper majority even though the majority of Canadians do not support him. Organizations like LeadNow are working hard to mobilize the youth vote in the face of historic voter apathy. In 2008, just 58.8 percent of Canadians voted and only 37.4 percent of the 18- to 24-year old demographic bothered to vote.

Leadnow is using the power of social media to encourage a Vote Wave and social media campaigns like Vote Mobs are connecting with the young voters and mobilizing youth which is increasing support for the New Democrats.

Flash mobs are well known to supporters of the environment and now we are seeing a more organized event known as a “vote mobs.” In a vote mob, university students use social media to encourage their peers to get out to advanced polls. Leadnow asked people to host 'voter socials' during advanced polling between April 22nd and the 25th. Organizers of voter socials invited friends and family to meet at an advanced poll, vote, and then celebrate together afterwards.

These vote mobs are getting Canada's youth involved to help energize and encourage them to vote and engage in the political process. The first vote mob appears to have taken place at Ontario’s University of Guelph, at the end of March. There are now 38 separate vote mobs listed on the website of LeadNow.

Whether or not social media and initiatives like vote mobs will actually get more young people to the polls depends on whether they shed their tendency towards slacktivism. (Slacktivism is the tendency express interest but not follow-up). There is reason to believe that young people will actually vote on May 2. Voter turnout at the advance polls this year set records, rising 34 per cent over 2008 numbers.

On May 2, we could see a radically different outcome than the one predicted by the pundits. The polls are suggesting that a big turnout for the under-35s could end in unprecedented gains for the NDP. This would be of immense benefit to Canada's environment.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Greenpeace Campaign is Asking Facebook to Unfriend Coal and Befriend Renewable Energy

Greenpeace has been peacefully defending the planet since 1971, now they are asking Facebook to unfriend coal by Earth Day on April 22, 2011.

Greenpeace has played a pivotal role in huge environment victories including:

- Commercial whaling moratorium
- Ban on toxic waste exports to less developed countries
- Bans on dumping radioactive and industrial waste at sea
- 50-year moratorium on mineral exploitation in Antarctica
- An end to large-scale high-sea driftnet fishing
- Establishment of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary
- Ban on all nuclear weapons testing

Today, the fight to save the planet has grown more serious than ever. The threat of global warming, destruction of ancient forests, deterioration of our oceans, and the threat of a nuclear disaster loom large. Greenpeace is actively working to address these and other threats.

Greenpeace's newest campaign is encouraging Facebook to drop coal and commit to 100 percent renewable energy, cutting its carbon footprint and helping in the struggle to prevent catastrophic climate change.

Facebook announced in February 2010 that it is building a massive data centre in Oregon, using the latest energy efficient computers. But the Facebook data center will run on electricity made by burning coal which is the dirtiest source of energy and largest single source of global warming pollution in the world.

Greenpeace wants Facebook to run their massive data-centres on renewable energy, and ‘Unfriend’ dirty coal and dangerous nuclear. Greenpeace also wants to see Facebook be a climate leader and push for strong clean energy and climate policies in the US and around the world.

According to Greenpeace, Facebook uses about 55 percent coal power while Google uses 34 percent and Yahoo uses just 12.7 percent.

Join others in demanding that Facebook commit to stop using coal and choose renewable power for all its servers as soon as possible.

To support this campaign, join Greenpeace's Facebook group and help Greenpeace to get the social networking website to go green. You can also share this post on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites.

Greenpeace is also trying set a Guinness World Record by getting more than 50,000 comments for Renewable Energy in 24hrs on April 13, 2011. Add your comment by simply following the steps below:

1. To comment on this post you must first ‘Like’ Greenpeace's Unfriend Coal Facebook page.

2. Click here to leave comments for Facebook staff, in support of renewable energy.

3. Repeat! You can comment more than once - it is still counted in the record attempt!

4. Share this note on your profile to spread the word among your friends!

Greenpeace is displaying your comments today directly outside FB headquarters in California. The best 50 commenters worldwide will get a ‘Facebook Unfriend Coal t-shirts. For more information on this campaign click here.

UPDATE

Greenpeace International has succeeded in setting a world record for getting the highest number of comments on one of its Facebook pages in a single day. According to an email blast to subscribers/members, the world record consists of no less than 80,000 comments in at least 11 different languages on the Facebook Unfriend Coal page. The initial target of 50, 000 comments was met just 11 hours after the call for posting comments on the page was sent out to members.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Top Green Social Networks

Do The Right Thing: This social network gets users to collectively rate the performance of large corporations, with the goal of getting companies and their executives talking to consumers about sustainability issues. This is one of the first sites to use a Digg like rating system on corporate social and environmental performance.

Zerofootprint.net: This is a nonprofit social network with a sustainable business model. This Toronto-based company creates branded carbon calculators and community sites for cities and large organizations.

BeGreenNow: This site was created by Austin, Texas-based clean-electricity provider Green Mountain Energy. It is a great example of how companies are using green community sites to market themselves. It’s includes a carbon calculator and ways to offset carbon emissions.

BigCarrot: This site offers cash prizes to help address the world’s problems, they offer prizes for innovations (such as the Auto X Prize and Virgin Earth Challenge) into a distributed community project. Individuals can pool their resources into a cash offering, which they can then use in the community or to build a language-teaching web app. The site makes money from a combination of a 5 percent fee for transactions, advertising on its website and investing the cash prizes in “low-risk financial” tools.

Carbonrally: This social network seeks to capitalize on the desire to compete. Carbonrally uses the draw of being on a team to help members focus their efforts on challenges that reduce carbon emissions. This site is great for corporate customers because it helps them organize company carbon programs. Corporations could also be Carbonrally’s real moneymaker, as businesses could be willing to pay for more premium subscription services.

WorldCoolers.org: This site is a browser add-on made by marketing company Collactive that alerts you to news and announcements on global warming. The site also has a section for online campaigns and a blog. Their desktop app is designed to give people concerned about the climate crisis the means to connect with one another, organize their efforts, and reach out to the larger community.

2People.org: This green social media site gets its name from the motto: “How do you move a nation: 2 People.” This site is focused on the important work of trying to organize people around climate policy.

Celsias.com: Celsias started as a blog and evolved to include a social network community site for climate change-fighting advocates. Celsias organizes its community around “Projects” that users can create and join.

Care2.com: Launched in 2008, Care2 is one of the oldest green social networking sites. With millions of members this is one of the more popular social networking sites.

Change.org: This social network addresses a variety of philanthropic actions but highlights several green projects like “End Dependency on Oil,” and “Stop Global Warming,” and features “take action” and “donate” buttons directly under the appropriate news stream. We also like the “network graph” which lets users take a look at all their recruits and contacts around the cause they are fighting for.

MakeMeSustainable: As the name suggests, this site offers ways of reducing your carbon footprint. The “Manager” section monitors your carbon emissions over time via “actions” you’ve taken like. Then there’s a social-networking component where you can join user-created groups and see who’s involved in the site in your local area. This site is well designed, with easy-to-read charts and Google maps of other MakeMeSustainable members nearby.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Hashtags and Twestivals Essential to Using Twitter for Green Marketing

Twitter is one of the world's most powerful social media technologies, it includes some great green and sustainable feeds that can be followed.

Since its launch in 2006, there have been over 2 billion messages posted on Twitter. A 2010 study examining Twitter usage in the US, found that Twitter now has 105,779,710 registered users. New users are signing up at the rate of 300,000 per day and 180 million unique visitors come to the site every month. Twitter gets a total of 3 billion requests a day via its API and Twitter users are, in total, tweeting an average of 55 million tweets a day. Twitter's search engine receives around 600 million search queries per day.

A hashtag is a tag used to categorize posts on Twitter (tweets) according to topics. With millions of tweets each minute, hashtags enable users to zero in on others with similar interests. Along with attracting followers, hashtags are great for pulling together Tweets of people attending a live event and to create a feed of people Tweeting about your business.

Use hashtags composed of relevant key words, examples of good hashtags are #greenstream for green news and #earthtweet for tips on living green. EarthTweet is a tweet-a-thon organized by BrighterPlanet that encourages Twitter users to do good things for the planet. Another good hashtag for finding green oriented individuals and groups to follow is #ecomonday.

Other green oriented hashtags include: #waterwednesday, #climate or #climateaction or #climatechange, #green, #greenliving, #ecofriendly, #environment, #econews, #sustainability, #sustainable, #energy, #cleanenergy, #solar, #solarenergy, #windenergy, #renewableenergy, #cleantech, #energyefficiency, #greenjobs, #recycle, #reuse, #endangered #animals, #greenbiz, #greenbusiness, #CSR, #socap, social capital. You can also ask a question on Twitter by including the #GreenQ.

Twitter Search, TweetGrid and TweetChat are services that can search and monitor hashtag use.

Twitter can be used for events with an environmental theme. This involves participating, promoting or even creating Twestivals. A green Twestival is a twitter-based global event that promotes green ideas and solutions. A great example of a successful Twestival is the "Charity: Water" event. On 12 February 2009, over 200 international cities hosted a Twestival to bring Twitter communities together to raise money for Charity: Water. With over 1,300,000 followers on twitter, the Twestival raised $250,000 and brought worldwide public awareness to the global water crisis.

The Go Green Twitter Sweepstakes was another campaign especially created for 2010’s Earth Day. Developed by Create the Good and the AARP, the campaign consisted of users tweeting examples of environmental action at @createthegood by using the #gogreen hash tag. They offered a zero-emission trip to Washington, DC for the official 2010 Earth Day celebration. Over 150,000 people participated in this campaign and its twitter feed has more than 6,000 followers.

For a comprehensive list of green feeds or to register your green Twitter feed see the Green Twitter Directory from Green Upgrader.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.


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Top 20 Green and Sustainable Business Facebook Groups

1. The Green Market Oracle

The Green Market Oracle is one of the top sustainability blogs, its original content covers the convergence of sustainable capitalism and the global environment. it is owned by Richard Matthews, a prolific author and the President of Small Business Consulting. The Green Market Oracle champions the cause of sustainable business and is one of the Web's most comprehensive resources for information and tools on sustainability. Posts address subjects like sustainable positioning, green investing, environmental politics, eco-economics and much more.

2. Sustainable Industries Magazine

Sustainable Industries is intended as a business source for leaders of the New Economy. This group provides news analysis and information for top-level professionals with an interest in green building, renewable energy, cleantech, energy efficiency, organic food, green marketing, finance, investment and more. Their products include, Sustainable Industries Magazine, Sustainable Industries Economic Forums, Webinars, Quarterly Supplements: Green Real Estate Guide, Top 10 Green Building Products Awards, Green Office Guide, Clean Energy Handbook for Business, Sustainable Industries industry-specific monthly e-newsletters.

3. Brighter Planet

Working at the intersection of climate science, information technology, and financial services, Brighter Planet builds tools that deliver carbon intelligence where and when it counts, integrating emissions solutions in surprising places. Helping businesses and individuals manage and accelerate the transition to a sustainable future. Carbon intelligence solutions for organizations, Emissions integration toolkits for software developers, Clean energy debit and credit cards for individuals.

4. Ceres

Integrating sustainability into capital markets for the health of the planet and its people. Ceres (pronounced “series”) is a national network of investors, environmental organizations and other public interest groups working with companies and investors to address sustainability challenges such as global climate change. Ceres believes in the idea that "information is power." Their cutting-edge reports give investors and companies an early advantage in understanding key business sustainability trends. Insurance and banking sector responses to climate change, electric utilities emissions, fuel economy standards and climate risk disclosure are just a few of the topics they have investigated in recent reports.

5. World Wildlife Foundation

We need to stop damaging our only life support system. A system on which we all depend. We need to share our world with all the other species that live on it. Respectfully. Harmoniously. And we must stop being the cause of their disappearance. Their extinction. We must learn to live with what natural resources are available to us. Our planet. It's all we've ever had, and it's pretty much all we've got left. Yet we already consume more than our planet can sustainably provide. And by 2050 we'll need the output of 2 Earths if we're going to continue living as we do now.

6. Greenpeace USA

Greenpeace has been peacefully defending the planet since 1971. By bringing together activists, supporters and people just like you, they have played a pivotal role in huge wins for the environment. Some of their victories over the years include: Commercial whaling moratorium, ban on toxic waste exports to less developed countries, bans on dumping radioactive and industrial waste at sea, a 50-year moratorium on mineral exploitation in Antarctica, an end to large-scale high-sea driftnet fishing, and the establishment of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. They are now focused combating the threat of global warming, destruction of ancient forests, and deterioration of the oceans.

7. Greenpeace Canada:

Greenpeace is an independent, campaigning organisation which uses non-violent, creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems, and to force the solutions which are essential to a green and peaceful future.

8. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

NRDC is the nation's most effective environmental action group, combining the netroots power of 1.3 million members and online activists with the courtroom clout and expertise of more than 350 lawyers, scientists and other professionals. To safeguard the Earth: its people, its plants and animals and the natural systems on which all life depends. NRDC is one of the most effective U.S.-based environmental action groups. They use law, science and the support of 1.3 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment. Become a member of NRDC!

9. Planet Green

Planet Green is the multi-platform media destination for people looking for something new. Launched on June 4, 2008, Planet Green is following the evolving conversation about sustainability and is the entertainment brand that champions the visionaries who move our world forward in small and large ways. Planet Green and its two robust Web sites, PlanetGreen.com and TreeHugger.com, offer unique, insightful and inspiring content related to how we can evolve to live a better, brighter future

10. TreeHugger

TreeHugger is the leading media outlet dedicated to driving sustainability mainstream. Partial to a modern aesthetic, they strive to be a one-stop shop for green news, solutions, and product information. They live green, through education and action. TreeHugger offers a wide variety of information and formats from their up to the minute blog, weekly and daily newsletters, weekly video segments, and their weekly radio show.

11. Community Seeds ECO Magazine:

Community Seeds Eco Magazine encourages people to make small changes that they are able to make; changes that would not have been made without a little information and encouragement. They want people to become more socially, environmentally and community conscious. They also want to provide people a way to collaborate with others for a common cause.

12. The Green Library

The Green Library Global Facebook Group is devoted to discussion of significant activities, events, literature, and projects that focus on " ... increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources — energy, water, and materials — while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment during the building's lifecycle, through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal" of and by libraries.

13. Sustainable Brands

Sustainable Life Media is the leading producer of sustainable business (SB) conferences and educational events, with supporting products and services that include targeted e-newsletters, an online learning resource and community and more. They are here to inspire and support innovation for sustainability by linking people with ideas and solutions that are creating positive change in the global business marketplace. Their mission is to help you and your company catch this enormous wave of new competitive opportunity. They want to paint you a clear picture of what's driving change in today's business landscape; to point you to the innovators and stories of emerging best practices and successes, and to help you learn to be an innovator yourself of more sustainable business strategies, products, and practices.

14. Chelsea Green Publishing

Publishers of renewable energy, sustainable living, organic gardening, and progressive books since 1984. They provide updates on all sorts of interesting information from news to how-tos.

15. Trees Have Rights Too

The Trees Have Rights Too campaign was introduced to the United Nations by Polly Higgins at the United Nations Climate Change Conference. They hope to achieve a Universal Declaration that "trees have rights too".

16. Hotspex

Hotspex is a market research company that works with Fortune 500 companies to help them create better products for the world to enjoy. People take surveys on Hotspex.com and are rewarded with Hotspex BUX that they can spend on prizes or donations to leading charities. A recent Hotspex program in conjunction with the Rainforest Conservation Fund, plants one tree in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest for every survey completed on Hotspex.com.

17. Green Energy News

Green Energy News provides the latest breaking news in renewable energy from government loans, clean tech developments, green products and services to hard hitting environmental topics. Green Energy News is dedicated to informing the public about environmental topics that are extremely significant to today's society. They are of the view that God, who gave humans dominion over the plants and animals of the earth, desires for us to take care of our resources and our fellow brethren as much as they possibly can.

18. Nameless Carbon Offsetting Group

For every 250 people that join this group they donate £10 (or £1 for every 25 that join) to combating climate change. This group supports a Contraction and Convergence (C&C) framework that will solve climate change by forcing governments into international action to reduce their CO2 output. By joining this group you help raise money to solve climate change.

19. Surfrider Foundation

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves and beaches for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education. Since its inception in 1984 in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation has proven to be an effective grassroots environmental organization. The Foundation has over 50,000 members (in the U.S.), is represented by 60 national chapters dispersed along the East, West, Gulf, Puerto Rican and Hawaiian coasts, and has branches in 5 foreign countries. What makes Surfrider Foundation unique is its membership made up of surfers, swimmers, bodysurfers, divers, bodyboarders, kayakers and beach

20. Green Festival

At Green Festival™, a project of Green America and Global Exchange, they celebrate what’s working in our communities—for people, business and the environment. Think of Green Festival™ as a walk through a sustainable community. It begins with finding solutions to help make our lives healthier—socially, economically and environmentally. Individuals along with business and community leaders come together to discuss critical issues that impact us at home and abroad.


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Solutions to the World Water Crisis

Despite the devastating water issues that plague our planet, there are solutions that can help address the water crisis.

Many organizations are leading the charge by bringing fresh water to communities in the developing world. Your donations can help support organizations that provide clean drinking water to those in need. Among these organizations is Charity: Water, which allows you to create a fundraising page to raise money to build wells in Africa. You can also directly donate through Water.org, an organization co-founded by Matt Damon. Just $25 provides clean water for a lifetime for one person.

There are also things that everyone can do in their homes and businesses. It starts with water conservation initiatives.

HOME

Here are some helpful tips for water conservation as well as tools that help individuals monitor and manage their water usage at home.

Take shorter showers and save up to 25 gallons of water a day by cutting 5 minutes off your shower time.

Turn off the tap while you’re brushing your teeth or shaving can save about 8 gallons a day.

Use a broom rather than hose down your driveway or sidewalk.

Landscaping using climate-appropriate plants need significantly less water.

Replacing showerheads with low-flow models and putting inexpensive aerators on faucets can cut water use by up to 20 percent.

Conservation Starts at Home: The average person uses 465 liters of water per day, this link helps you determine how much water you use.

Keeping Rivers Clean: Small steps to help keep pollution out of our rivers and streams.

Drop the Bottle: Communities around the world are taking steps to reduce water bottle waste by eliminating bottled water.

Technology for Good: An App that calculates the amount of water it took to make a given food.

BUSINESS

Green Biz has put together an excellent resource page for businesses looking to conserve water. They also include several resources to help businesses use water more efficiently.

Business for Social Responsibility has several online research reports on water conservation, including several case studies.

Water Conservation Tips: A 10-Step Approach for Your Business was prepared by the Long Beach Water Department for commercial and industrial businesses.

WaterSense This voluntary program is offered to manufacturers, retailers, distributors, nonprofits, trade associations, utilities and landscape irrigation professionals to bring water-efficient products to market. Website also offers water-saving resources. Contact: watersense@epa.gov or (866) 987-7367.

Waterwiser Website lists providers of water conservation products and services in a searchable database.

Forty-nine tips for saving water, can be applied to the office or home.

Cleaner Water Through Conservation is a US Environmental Protection Agency document that provides an overview of water conservation and provides action steps.

"Building the Way to Water Efficiency" is a feature story that describes how facility managers, municipalities and innovative companies are working together to make water conservation easier and more effective.

Another water management resource is the Water Sustainability Tool: This tool is designed to help individual companies build a business water strategy.


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