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Earth Day 2016 is the Most Hopeful Ever

April 22, 2016 Add Comment Edit

This is an Earth Day unlike any that have preceded it. After almost five decades of grass roots activism, the festivities in 2016 finally have something to celebrate. This year we are driving a stake into the heart of climate pessimism. We are challenging those that doubt our resolve and we are breathing hope into a new climate narrative.

We are seeing tremendous momentum in renewable energy and corporate sustainability. There is clear evidence that the fossil fuel industry is in decline. The Paris Climate Agreement offers the strongest reason yet to be optimistic this Earth Day. For the first time in history the human race has come together to collectively resolve to take on the greatest threat modern humans have ever known.

Last year was the most important year ever for climate action and 2016 promises to be even better. Although 2015 will be remembered as the year the world woke up and began to address the problem of climate change, the good news is mixed with bad. There were a number of very serious climate and environmental disasters in 2015. For a review of the best and the worst climate stories of 2015 click here.

In 2016 there was more bad news contributing to the urgency of climate action. We have witnessed the death of vast swaths of the Great Barrier Reef drawing attention to the death of coral in oceans all around the world.

We have also seen research suggesting that heat and sea level rise are not the only serious threats to human civilization. In addition to air pollution, we may actually see decreases of atmospheric oxygen attributable to climate change.

Despite these terrifying threats, there are good reasons to be hopeful. Led by US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis, we are seeing climate leadership from some of the most powerful people on the planet.

In Canada a new Liberal government released its budget that has delivered on its green promises. Canada has also partnered with the US on climate action and Arctic protections.

A clear trend is emerging as the economics of climate action are becoming clear. The COP21 climate deal will inevitably result in major policy and regulatory changes. However, it is now up to the business community to realize the ambitious goals set in Paris. The business of sustainability has reached a turning point. There are a number of reasons why corporations are embracing sustainability as never before. In 2016 we are also seeing that green finance has gone mainstream

The best news from 2015 was the successful outcome of COP21. It delivered the Paris Climate Agreement that is being formally signed today at a UN ceremony in New York. Around 150 nations including the world's top two emitters, China and the US will be present to formally sign the deal.

The agreement is a turning point that has augured a number of optimistic predictions. Perhaps most importantly the agreement augurs a radical shift in energy production which is critical step in addressing the climate crisis. Last year was a transformational year for energy and in 2016 it looks as though it will continue in earnest.

The COP21 deal specifically signals the end of fossil fuels and the dawn of unprecedented growth for renewable energy. The fossil fuel industry has been exposed. We are already seeing that investments in renewables are eclipsing fossil fuels and we are also seeing how we can address climate change by riding fossil fuels into the ground.

We have reason to be hopeful about renewable energy. We have seen the prodigious growth of renewables in 2015 and there are even higher expectations going forward is

It is heartening to see that a new understanding is permeating the powerful pressure exerted by market forces supporting the transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewable sources of energy. We are also seeing ancillary trends that like a new wave of more affordable electric vehicles.

Although the real work is just beginning, the world is coming to the realization the green economy is the right solution for our troubled times.

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The Crucial Significance of Earth Day and Grassroots Environmentalism

April 22, 2014 Add Comment Edit

April 22, is Earth Day, this annual flagship event has achieved a great deal in the last 44 years. In the US and around the world, Earth Day leads the way on issues associated with environmental advocacy. Earth Day not only raises awareness, it encourages people to act in defense of planetary ecology and local environmental issues throughout the year.

If there is one thing we have learned from the IPCC's efforts, it is that science alone has not been able to change our current trajectory. Despite decades of peer reviewed research (much of it predating the IPCC), a mountain of solid scientific evidence has not managed to build the critical mass required to augur change. If we are to change our course we will need to continue to grow grassroots environmentalism and events like Earth Day play a crucial role.

From its early origins in 1970 to its present day incarnation, Earth Day has become the leading environmental event in the world. On the inaugural Earth Day in 1970, 20 million people across the US, stood up for the environment. The event is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and it is celebrated in more than 192 countries. More than a billion people around the world celebrate Earth Day and engage in actions that will lessen our impact on the planet.

In 2014, these actions cover a wide range of issues including greening our cities, reducing energy use, increasing renewable energy, conserving forests, and saving wild elephants. People have committed to more than one billion "Acts of Green." To see the pledges made or to make one of your own click here.

At a 1969 UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day in recognition of the Earth, to be first celebrated on March 21, the first day of spring or Vernal Equinox in the northern hemisphere.

One of the early advocates of government action in support of better environmental stewardship was US Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. In 1969 Nelson began to think of ways he could marshal people to demonstrate the way people actively protested the Vietnam War. Nelson got activist Denis Hayes involved to organize the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970.

In the months which followed the first Earth Day, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was born and environmental issues were on the US political map. In the years which followed the celebration went global. In 1990 Hayes organized events in 141 nations and now, thanks in part to Earth Day, environmentalism is mainstream.

Earth Day is about far more then empty advocacy, the day has helped to foster meaningful change. In the early days people demanded federal action on air pollution and land contamination. Subsequently, a number of legislative measures have been passed along with a wide range of regulatory actions from government agencies including the EPA. Thanks in part to Earth Day, the air and water are now much cleaner in the US than they were.

Although we now face more difficult and less visible environmental problems. It is hard to see how skyrocketing rates of carbon (now at 400 ppm) and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are causing climate change. As we rapidly head towards devastating temperature increases, Earth Day's efforts to raise awareness become even more pressing.

We need grassroots action now more than ever. Events like Earth Day serve as powerful catalysts to help get larger numbers of people involved so that we can succeed in changing our perilous trajectory.

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Event - 2014 Edison Earth Day Celebration

April 20, 2014 Add Comment Edit

The 2014 Edison Earth Day celebration will take place on April 27, 2014, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm at Papaianni Park, 100 Municipal Boulevard Edison, NJ. This free, annual, family-friendly, green/sustainable, public event in honor of Earth Day. This celebration is co-presented by the Township of Edison, Edison Clean Communities Program; Edison Township Environmental Commission (ETEC) and the Edison Sustainable Jersey Green Team (ESJGT). Activities include: Volunteer plantings, site cleaning and organic debris consolidation, as well as a variety of other green/sustainable activities; Test America environmental testing; Central Jersey Bicycle Association (CJBA) Bike Ride.

The Edison Clean Communities Program has provided free, re-usable Edison Earth Day shopping bags and water bottles for event participants and the first 150 visitors. The Arbor Day Foundation has afforded free tree saplings for the public as part of the New Jersey Tree Recovery Campaign to help replant communities damaged by Superstorm Sandy. The National Gardening Association has provided free vegetable and flower seed packets, as well as youth gardening information for the public as part of its Gardening with Kids program. Ample free parking will be available for event participants and visitors.

For more information as to event attendance, volunteer/vendor/presenter participation and/or sponsorship, please contact Chris Mazauskas, Resource Development Officer, Dept. of Administration, Township of Edison at 732-248-7356 (Office Telephone), 732-287-6679 (Office Fax) and/or cmazauskas@edisonnj.org (E-mail).

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What Businesses are Doing for Earth Day 2012
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Earth Day Special: Green Blueprint Earth Day Business Resources

Video - Greener Mardi Gras

March 09, 2014 Add Comment Edit

Mardi Gras throws are usually the one part of parades you can take home. For people like Katrina Brees, the throws should be memorable and from her perspective, sustainable. party, celebration, Mardi Gras, Carnival, lent, celebration, sustainable, sustainability, improvements, better, waste, garbage, plastic,

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A More Sustainable Carnival and Mardi Gras
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March 09, 2014 Add Comment Edit

Verdi Gras from Sarah Tilotta on Vimeo.

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A More Sustainable Carnival and Mardi Gras

March 03, 2014 Add Comment Edit

Mardi Gras is getting greener. Carnival is a major event that is celebrated in many places around the world including New Orleans, Mexico, Brazil and the Caribbean. Although this party is well known for over the top excess, here are some of the initiatives, organizations and companies that are helping to make the festivities more sustainable

Each year over 25 million pounds of beads are distributed during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. This amounts to over $1 billion of Mardi Gras beads. Many of these toxic petroleum based beads are manufactured in factories where workers are treated inhumanely. These mostly plastic strings of beads are both the most popular "throws" and one of the most hazardous. Over 60 percent of the Mardi Gras Trinkets tested were above the US Consumer Product Safety Commission limit for lead in children’s products of 100 parts per million (ppm). The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 40ppm as a limit. These trinkets are unregulated and the toxins in them leach into the environment.

A report published by Healthystuff.org in collaboration with VerdiGras indicates that there are a host of hazardous material in Mardi Gras trinkets including metals such as lead and Cadmium; phthalate plasticizers, brominated flame retardants; and chlorinated flame retardants.

In addition to being hazardous, plastic beads also contribute to a whole lot of waste that ends up in landfills. To help manage the problem of waste several groups are recycling these beads. These groups include the nonprofit group, Arc of Greater New Orleans, who follow parades with their "Catch and Release" float and urge people along the parade route to throw their beads back rather than throw them out. Their decorated trailer invites party goers to pitch their surplus beads and baubles at the end of the parade The company then sorts and resells the beads. The money earned goes back to their non-profit.

Other ways that people are minimizing their environmental impacts include bringing reusable cups for water and other beverages. When it comes to costumes it is always better to create your own out of recycled materials or buy used.

There are a number of organizations that are working to make Mardi Gras festivities more sustainable they include:

I Heart Louisiana is an organization aimed at creating an economically and environmentally sustainable Mardi Gras. They strive to strengthen the local economy and protect our natural resources. Their Brees' boutique sells sustainable Mardi Gras stuff made out of recycled materials. These products are the kind of trinkets that people will actually keep as opposed to throw away.

Arc Enterprises is a branch of the nonprofit Arc of Greater New Orleans. They provide jobs for intellectually disabled citizens with jobs such as landscape maintenance, janitorial services as well as its popular Vintage Garden, which also markets its own vegetable soups. Arc employees and volunteers sorted 100,000 pounds of beads that were donated by school bead drives, collected in bead recycling bins stationed at grocery stores, and donated by private citizens. The company then resells the beads enabling buyers to save a lot of money compared to the environmentally more destructive imported throws

Verdi Gras is a non-profit aimed at greening the Carnival practices and shifting our dependence away from foreign, petroleum based throws. VerdiGras has teamed up with Arc are to introduce recycling bins to Carnival

Zombeads is an organization that offers a line of locally sourced and recycled material throws. They also partner with independently owned businesses abroad that produce throws made by women living in poverty who are paid fair living wages.

Nola Brewing is a local brewery that takes steps to be more environmentally and socially responsible. Because New Orleans does not recycle glass, they only use cans for their beers. The can holders are furthermore made of recycled plastic and are marine-life friendly. They source their ingredients locally when possible, donate their spent grain to a local cattle farm, and support local non-profits like the Gulf Restoration Network.

Throw Me Something Local: A Green Mardi Gras Ball was an event that supports the local economy and advocates moving away from petroleum-based beads. This event is all about stewardship of culture, planet, and people. The event included a local throw competition, a recycled costume contest, local beer and food.

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World Wetlands Day 2014 Highlights Agriculture

February 03, 2014 Add Comment Edit

Yesterday, Sunday February 2nd was World Wetlands Day (WWD). As 2014 is the UN International Year of Family Farming, the theme for this year is 'Wetlands and Agriculture.' The slogal for the Day is 'Wetlands and Agriculture: Partners for Growth,' placing a focus on the need for the wetland, water and agricultural sectors to work together for the best shared outcomes.

Our wetlands are of great importance to the health of the planet and all its inhabitants. Our waters provide habitat for a myriad of species, recharge groundwater and provide opportunities for wildlife viewing and other outdoor recreation.

As is becoming increasingly obvious climate change is drastically altering the water cycle. We are now living with more intense storms, floods, droughts, in addition to rising sea-levels. Many species are suffering from the impacts of habitat loss and we continue to make ever-increasing demands on our waters. Now more than ever we need to protect and restore these precious resources and the beneficial functions they offer.

WWD marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Each year since 1997, the Ramsar Secretariat has provided materials so that government agencies, non-governmental organizations, conservation organizations, and groups of citizens can help raise public awareness about the importance and value of wetlands.

The Ramsar Convention Secretariat

The Ramsar Convention Secretariat's reports of WWD activities of all types, from lectures and seminars, nature walks, children’s art contests, sampan races, and community clean-up days, to radio and television interviews and letters to newspapers, to the launch of new wetland policies, new Ramsar sites, and new programmes at the national level. Government agencies and private citizens from all over the world have sent us their news, often with photographs, and these annual summaries and over 1000 individual reports, with more than 1400 images, make an excellent archive of ideas for future celebrations.

And each year, the Ramsar Secretariat, with generous financial assistance from the private sector Danone Group, has offered a new selection of posters, stickers, videos, pocket calendars, leaflets and information packs free of charge and has suggested a unifying theme for the benefit of those who wish to use it.

The Danone-Evian Fund for Water generously supports World Wetlands Day as part of a collaborative partnership since 1998 between the Ramsar Convention and the Danone Group.

Click here to see local, national and international adaptations of WWD materials, the collection of all the WWD cartoons, the collection of WWD Children's activities.

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF)

In addition to the work of the Ramsar Convention a number of organizations work to protect wetlands, one of the best is the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). Their effort include:

Wetlands - Those amazingly productive and diverse waters that stand between upland and open water. As important as they are to water quality, flood storage, and biodiversity, they are vanishing at such a quick rate in some parts of the country that within our lifetime they may just be a memory. Economists estimate that one acre of wetlands provides about $10,000 worth of ecosystem services which include: filtering and recharging drinking water, preventing flooding, protecting our coasts from hurricanes and storms, and providing habitat for diverse wildlife populations.

Streams - Where water often first surfaces from underground and begins its march to the sea. They form a complex hydrologic network that absorbs and then gradually releases nutrients, organic matter, and stream flow downstream. These headwaters support a staggering diversity of fish and wildlife species. Like wetlands, they provide essential "services" for humans such as preserving water quality and lessening the impacts of flooding.

Floodplains- The flood-prone bottomlands that cradle rivers, streams, and wetlands are nature's best defense against floods and provide invaluable functions for wildlife and communities. Undisturbed floodplains — or those that have been restored to a near natural state — provide such benefits as flood and erosion control, groundwater recharge, enhanced farmlands, fish and wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities. Development along floodplains puts people and property in harm's way, resulting in more frequent and severe floods, puts species at risk, and compromises water supplies.

To protect these valuable waters, NWF:

Works to restore Clean Water Act protections lost due to two controversial Supreme Court decisions. We advocate for legislation and agency action to restore Clean Water Act protections.

Advocates for preventing wetland and stream destruction and pollution through strong enforcement of the Clean Water Act. Since passage in 1972, the Clean Water Act has made great strides in protecting and restoring America's waters. A series of court cases and agency decisions threaten to reverse the unprecedented progress that was made over the previous 30 years. NWF litigates, advocates, and works with federal, state and local agencies to keep safeguards strong and protect our waters from development and population pressures.

Urges agencies to consider global warming and wildlife impacts when making decisions affecting our nation's waters. Decisions that affect our nation's waters must take into account the impacts of global warming on fish and wildlife — especially endangered species — and the aquatic habitat they depend on. NWF litigates, advocates, and collaborates with all levels of government to protect our wetlands, streams, and floodplains.

Keeps people and wildlife out of harm's way by promoting nonstructural solutions to flood control. Flooding poses a major threat to people and wildlife. National Wildlife Federation works at the local and national level to prevent development along floodplains. NWF has actively advocated for reforming the National Flood Insurance Program so that flood insurance rates reflect real risk.

Prevents the construction of water projects that will degrade, destroy, or alter waters' natural and beneficial functions and promotes economically and environmentally sound solutions. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' water civil works projects and outdated federal water policies can have devastating impacts on the nation's rivers, wetlands, and coasts. National Wildlife Federation coordinates the Water Protection Network to help hundreds of organizations and community leaders understand and influence Corps projects and federal water policy to ensure water projects and policies are economically and environmentally sound. NWF is also leading a campaign to prevent the Corps from constructing the New Madrid Levee Project.

Works to enact new national water planning guidelines that are more friendly to wildlife, that preserve intact ecosystems to feed our economic growth and buffer our communities from increasing threats from global warming. The 21st century, with the increasing pressures on our nation's water resources, demands a more proactive approach to water planning, rather than the piecemeal, project-by-project approach taken thus far.

© 2014, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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DIY Workshop - A Living Christmas Tree

December 08, 2013 Add Comment Edit

The DIY Workshop titled "A Living Christmas Tree" will take place on Saturday December 14, 2013, from 1 pm - 2 pm at the Evergreen Garden Market, located at 550 Bayview Ave., Toronto, Ontario. A living tree is a far more environmentally sound alternative to traditional cut trees. During this workshops participants will learn how to care for and maintain a live Fraser fir in their homes, and then how to plant it in the garden or forest so that it will be around for generations to come.

The program is sponsored by Home Depot.

For more information go to their website or contact Evergreen by Phone: 4165961495, E-mail: info (at) evergreen.ca

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Sustainability Leadership Award Goes to The Kendeda Fund for 2013

October 03, 2013 Add Comment Edit

Southface, a nonprofit leader in the promotion of sustainable homes, workplaces and communities, presented their 2013 Argon Award for unique achievement and leadership in sustainability to The Kendeda Fund.

The Kendeda Fund widely promotes sustainable and efficient practices, through a number of channels including pulpit-based messaging, community involvement and higher education arenas. The Fund has contributed over $400 million to organizations that promote sustainability, social equity, human achievement.

The Kendeda Fund is a sustainability leader in Atlanta, they support a wide variety of environmental initiatives, including: Trees Atlanta, Park Pride, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, Chattahoochee Nature Center, The Atlanta BeltLine, The Nature Conservancy, Piedmont Park Conservancy, Trust for Public Land, Southface, The Atlanta Botanical Garden and many others.

The Fund is also supporting environmental programs including Sustainable Atlanta’s new web portal, lookupatl.org and the Grants to Green program of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.

The award was presented on September 25 in Atlanta during Southface’s 15th annual Visionary Dinner which served locally sourced whole foods and was attended by more than 400 sustainability and business professionals, The Visionary Dinner raises awareness and funding for Southface’s continued work in sustainable community development, high-performance affordable housing, green jobs training, clean energy and green building.

The keynote speaker at this year's dinner was Bridgett Luther, president of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Video - Ocean Frontiers the Movie Trailer

June 08, 2013 Add Comment Edit

Ocean Frontiers is a feature length documentary on building a new era in ocean stewardship. A new way of thinking, a new way of living, in concert with the sea, in consideration of those yet to come. Now is your opportunity to get involved.

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Video - Stunning Ocean Showcase for World Oceans Day 2013

June 08, 2013 Add Comment Edit

To celebrate World Oceans Day on Saturday 8 June, Earthtouch decided to showcase our oceans in all their splendour (and complete with Hollywood soundtrack!). A special thanks must also go to our friends at ZSL, WildAid and the South African Association of Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) for their support on this and all the work they do to conserve the oceans of the world and the species that inhabit them.

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Video - World Oceans Day 2013

June 08, 2013 Add Comment Edit

June 8th is World Oceans Day! Oceans are the life support system of our planet. Oceans regulate our climate. They provide the majority of our oxygen. The oceans are a global resource that we all rely upon.

This video was produced by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs in May 2013. The featured speaker is Philippe Cousteau, president and co-founder of Earthecho International.

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Sea Turtles and the Commercial Fishing Industry

May 23, 2013 Add Comment Edit

May 23 is World Turtle Day but due largely to commercial fishing many species of sea turtles are in trouble (six out of seven species are endangered). Climate change and pollution are destabilizing marine environments across the world, but fishing is by far the worst threat to sea turtles.. Turtles are being destroyed at alarming rates due to destructive fishing methods. In the US alone more than 250,000 sea turtles are accidentally captured, injured or killed by US fishermen. In 2004, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) identified more than 70 fisheries, operating in state and federal waters, as potentially harmful to sea turtles. Their fate is even worse in the national waters of other countries or in international waters.

All sea turtles are affected by commercial fisheries. Loggerheads and leatherbacks have the greatest risk because of their feeding habitats. The Census of Marine Life estimated that 90 percent of big fish have disappeared from the world's oceans due to overfishing and many species of turtles are being eradicated along with them. The most destructive form of fishing is known as bottom trawling which captures and drowns turtles (and many other species).

We need to change our fishing methods. Commercial fisheries need to employ Turtle Excluder Devices or TEDs, which are two-dimensional net inserts with large escape openings. Trawls are wide-mouthed nets that taper to a small end to hold the catch. Further, a shift by longline fleets, which positions miles of gear with one mainline and thousands of secondary lines and hooks, from "J" hooks to circle hooks to reduce the number and severity of sea turtle interactions with longline gear. Time and area closures is also an effective way to reduce the incidental catch of migrating sea turtles.

Other things that people can do:

* Show support for companies and countries employing TEDs;
* Make sure that the fish you buy from your local grocery store are caught by these turtle-friendly fisheries;
* Inform and encourage family and friends to purchase seafood from responsible fisheries.

Sea turtles are amazing creatures, they wander the vast oceans. Females return to the beach they were born on to lay their eggs, but males have no need to ever return to land. Leatherback turtles can travel 10,000 miles each year foraging for food, dive more than 1200 metres deep into the ocean, and range all the way from Chile to Alaska. They are adapted for cold water, warm-blooded, with an insulating layer of fat. Leatherbacks can get very big, one that washed up on a beach in Wales, was 2.2metres long.

Unfortunately some sea turtles eat plastic bags because they look like jellyfish. The easiest way for citizens to help turtles (apart from not using plastic bags and buying responsibly caught fish) is to protect their nesting beaches and the seas in which they swim. Perhaps the best was to protect turtles is to establish large scale marine reserves.

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Toshiba's Greenwash Fiasco

April 22, 2013 Add Comment Edit

Toshiba is a great example of a company that is vulnerable to accusations of Greenwash. While they produce highly efficient LED lights and have committed to reducing their carbon footprint, there are other aspects of the company's operations that are questionable.

In 2007, Toshiba Corporation established its Environmental Vision 2050, which is the company's long-term commitment to contribute to a better environment by recognizing and responding to environmental issues. Part of this initiative involves improving the value and eco-efficiency of its products and business processes and to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by the equivalent of 57.6 million tons per year in FY2025 compared with FY2000, while concurrently working to enhance its environmental efficiency.

Toshiba is one of the largest lighting companies and LED lamp manufacturers in the world. The first product Toshiba ever produced was an incandescent light bulb in 1890, and since then the company has been a leader in lighting fixtures and lamps in Japan. In addition to lighting systems, Toshiba also produces industrial, power systems, and transmission and distribution systems.

In 2010, Toshiba abandoned production of incandescent lamps and in 2011 Toshiba's LED lamps earned the US Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star® label. Energy Star was started by EPA in 1992 as a market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the Energy Star label can be found on more than 60 different kinds of products as well as new homes and commercial and industrial buildings that meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by EPA. Last year alone, with the help of Energy Star, Americans saved approximately $18 billion on their energy bills while preventing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the annual emissions of 33 million vehicles.

Toshiba's LED lighting products use up to 75% less energy and can last up to 40 times longer than incandescents, which reduces landfill waste. Plus our LED lights don't contain lead or mercury, are manufactured using recycled/recyclable materials and use up to 80% less energy compared to incandescents.

However with a sustainability score of 4 out of 19 from Rankabrand, Toshiba is a company that talks a good line but does not follow through. With a grade of D they are well behind brands like Philips and Nokia.

According to a 2012 press release from Toshiba, they proclaimed October 23 "National No-Print Day." Their goal was to raise awareness ‘of the impact printing has on our planet’ and of ‘the role of paper in the workplace,’ Toshiba America Business Solutions asked people and companies not to print or copy anything on that day. The campaign was announced at the Sustainable Brands Conference ’12 in San Diego. A

the initiative was a nationwide campaign to encourage individuals and companies to commit to one day of no printing.

‘We know that approximately 336,000,000 sheets of paper are wasted daily -- that's more than 40,000 trees discarded every day in America,’ Bill Melo, a Toshiba America vice president, said.'

As part of the campaign, Toshiba has launched a National No-Print Day website, Facebook page (where individuals can take the National No-Print Day pledge by “liking” the page), and LinkedIn page.

The company is promoting the campaign with a series of web videos featuring Tree, an ‘affable spokescharacter’ and alleged Toshiba employee. Viewers are asked to sign a pledge to give Tree “and his leafy colleagues” the day off.

The first video shows a tree marking Oct. 23 on a paper calendar, but the real issue is that while making questionable claims about how to be more environmentally friendly, they failed to acknowledge their own questionable environmental record.

Shortly after making the announcement, Toshiba was forced to scrap its National No Print Day campaign.

Google had a similar problem in 2012 when its anti-paper campaign came under attack. The search giant's campaign titled 'Go Paperless in 2013' was swiftly attacked by Two Sides, which took issue with Google's data-centre energy usage which accounts for about 2% of the US annual electricity consumption.

Toshiba rescinded its no paper day campaign and Google made some major modification including changes to their main tagline which now reads, “Take the paper out of paperwork” rather than “Save money. Save time. Save trees”.

In 2013, Toshiba is still trying to associate its brand with Earth Day. An April Toshiba ad reads:

TOSHIBA LED LIGHTING - Earth Day

"Every little bit helps, and as advocates for LED lighting we are doing our part.... Did you know using one Toshiba Par30 lamp can replace the use of up to 25 halogens? Toshiba is committed to sustainability and has reduced printing in 2013 by consolidating marketing materials where possible, and migrating to an electronic versus paper library. Please join us in celebrating Earth Day Today April 22."

To make green claims while being less than sustainable is simply bad marketing. The costs of such a campaign far outweigh the benefits. By doing it halfway right, they get it all the way wrong.

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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The Business of Earth Day Greenwashing

April 22, 2013 Add Comment Edit

Just because you paint an oil rig green does not make it environmentally friendly. Businesses have cashed in on the popularity of Earth Day with an avalanche of what can only be described as greenwashing. However, businesses are increasingly understanding that sustainability is about far more than trying to benefit from media attention one day per year. Despite the flurry of marketing activity that tries to capitalize on the event there is a growing awareness that engaging sustainability is about a serious and sustained long term commitment.

The data is clear, corporate sustainability is growing, Numerous sustainability reports support this contention and new research indicates that consumer awareness is driving this growth.

According to The Generation Roadmap, consumers believe that as a society we need to “consume a lot less to improve the environment for future generations.” Research shows that 66 percent of American executives think their social responsibility strategies improve their corporate reputation.

Responsible businesses celebrate Earth Day to do more than just raise awareness about environmental issues, they give back to their communities and interact with potential customers. Most importantly they take meaningful steps to reduce the environmental footprint of their operations.

According to Greenbiz, "tying your sales strategy to Earth Day means you're part of the problem." While this may be overstating the case, it is safe to say that unless sustainability is a year round commitment, that delivers measurable results, the criticism has merit.

While the cynicism often expressed towards corporate brands on Earth Day can be unnecessarily harsh, it is often justified. GreenBiz has made their "Earth Day Fail" an annual tradition.

Just because something's organic, does not make it good or sustainable, nor does planting a tree make a purchase green. Often things like tree plantings are paired with products that are anything but environmentally friendly.

A great example of this is JetBlue which in 2012 said it would plant a tree for each flight taken on the airline during Earth Day. Although this did result in the planting of an estimated 83,000 trees, this is eclipsed by the environmental toll of air travel. Plastic gift cards may be the rage, but even if they come with a tree planting, that does not make the card, or the products purchased with them "green.'

One of the biggest fails of 2012 came from the Glad Company which tries to pair its waste generating garbage bags with Earth Day. These types of tenuous tie-ins are a problem for the planet and the companies that generate them. The simple rule of thumb is that you cannot partner green efforts with environmentally destructive practices.

In two forthcoming articles I will review a promotion from Toshiba which is an example of greenwash. I will also review an example of a 2013 Earth Day promotion from a truly sustainable company called Mightybytes that has launched a new product with real environmental benefits called Ecograder.

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Toshiba's Greenwash Fiasco

Infographic - Chronological History of Earth Day in the US

April 22, 2013 Add Comment Edit

Source: Care2.com

This Earth Day infographic was created by Kars for Kids – a group that takes car donations to help out kids in need.

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The Historical Roots of Earth Day and its Relevance Today

April 22, 2013 Add Comment Edit

Earth Day is celebrated around the world on April 22nd, and it is now one of the world's most popular global events, but it has a long history that dates back more than four decades. Quite understandably Earth Day has been criticized as being only one day on the calendar year, but increasingly Earth Day is about promoting responsible environmental conduct all year long.

As Explained by the Earth Day Network, April 22, marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. Earth Day was born out the cultural foment that saw the hippie movement, flower power and protests against the Vietnam war.

This was a time when Americans showed a flagrant disregard for the environment. They drove gas guzzling behemoths and industrial growth polluted the air and water.

One of the factors that helped to foster environmental awareness was the publication of Rachel Carson's New York Times bestseller Silent Spring in 1962. Carson should be acknowledged as an environmental pioneer who helped to change our world for the better. The book represented a watershed moment for the modern environmental movement, selling more than 500,000 copies in 24 countries.

In this climate of wanton environmental destruction and popular cultural upheaval, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson drew upon popular anti-war sentiments to advocate for clean air and clean water in what he called a “national teach-in on the environment.”

Although it is hard to fathom given where the Republican party is today, both political parties spurred this burgeoning environmental awareness. In a true show of bipartisanship, Nelson secured the support of a conservation minded Republican Congressman by the name of Pete McCloskey, to serve as his co-chair; and recruited Denis Hayes as national coordinator. Hayes built a national staff of 85 to promote events across the land. Through their combined efforts 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies.

While environmentalism was not new, the idea of coming together to organize was a novel idea whose time had come. Students joined forces with disparate groups that were combating issues like oil spills, industrial pollution, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife. People from across the country and varying economic, cultural and educational backgrounds came together to demand action.

The first Earth Day produced powerful legacy that endures to this day including the EPA, the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.

As 1990 Earth Day became a truly global phenomenon mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries. This event helped to make recycling an internationally recognized issue and helped to spawn the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It also prompted President Bill Clinton to award Senator Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1995) -- the highest honor given to civilians in the United States -- for his role as Earth Day founder.

In 2000 the issue of global warming became the focus of Earth Day and in response people began advocating for clean energy en masse. This event included a total of more than 5,000 environmental groups in a record 184 countries encompassing hundreds of millions of people,

One of the features of the millennial Earth Day in 2000 was the fact that employed the technology of new media to send a message to world leaders demanding quick and decisive action on clean energy.

It is easy to malign the day for not producing the changes required to alter our current environmentally destructive trajectory. However, Earth Day is increasingly about far more than just raising awareness, it is about being more sustainable throughout the year. In the final analysis we are much better off with Earth Day than without it. As a focal point of awareness and action, Earth Day has a proud history and through the use of digital technologies it now has an international scope that affords us the opportunity to induce global change. Earth Day is one day a year, but what we do throughout the year is up to all of us.

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Guides - Sustainable Events

April 18, 2013 Add Comment Edit

The Sustainable Event Guide (SEG) was developed to help you find the resources and services to make your events as sustainable as possible. It is a document filled with guidance, resources, and simple advice about organizing an event that benefits the community, promotes ethical purchasing, and reduces waste. For some, this guide may simply act as an information resource about environmentally and socially responsible retailers and/or as a guide in reducing the waste produced at an event. For those who have never organized a big event, this guide may act as a framework for the "how to" of organizing. Regardless of past experience in event organizing, we suggest browsing through the entire guide - it may inspire new ideas or stir up old ones.

We believe everyone can make a difference through the way they host academic, social, and fundraising events. Although this guide includes many Concordia University specific resources, there is plenty of information that event planners from other universities and organizations may find very useful as well.

PDF of the Sustainable Event Guide.
PDF Resource List for a Sustainable Event.

For information or inquiries, contact the SEG coordinator at suscon.seg@gmail.com.

International Day of Forests 2013

March 21, 2013 Add Comment Edit

The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed March 21 to be the International Day of Forests. The Day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests. On each International Day of Forests, local, national and international activities take place involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns. Click here for the full text of the UN Resolution.

Trees, forests and their surrounding environments are vital to the health of the planet and our local communities. Forests are also offer a wide array of economic and employment benefits.

On this day at the Rome headquarters of the Food and Agriculture organizations (FAO) of the UN, there will be an opening ceremony and technical seminar entitled "Forests in the Landscape Context." It will provide updated country-based and technical information on the ways in which forests can maximize landscape products and services.

The publication "Forests and Water – International Momentum and Action" will also be launched during the seminar.

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Celebrating Female Environmentalists on Women's Day

March 08, 2013 Add Comment Edit

March 8, is International Women's Day, the most appropriate day in the calendar year to recognize the work done by women in the service of the planet and its inhabitants. Throughout history there have been a number of female environmentalists who have shown inspired leadership. Here are some of those women as reviewed in the Huffington Post.

Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson is often credited with launching modern environmentalism in the U.S. after releasing the famed book Silent Spring, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.

Carson was an avid marine biologist and conservationist-turned-author. After releasing a series of popular environmental books, Silent Spring was serialized in The New Yorker and then published, surprising millions with its claims. The book attacked the widespread use of DDT that decimated natural animal populations, including songbirds (hence the title). She was also among the first to correlate the chemical with cancer and pest resistance.

She died two years after the book was published, but her work eventually led to the banning of DDT use in 1972, according to the Chemical Heritage Foundation.

Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall's first encounter with a chimpanzee was in 1960 when she ventured to Tanzania's Gombe Stream National Park as part of a research project to study their ties to human evolution.

In the five decades that followed, Goodall has become one of the most recognized and prolific advocates for chimp research and conservation.

Her work was the first to reveal the commonalities between humans and chimps.

She established the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 and has spearheaded many conservation efforts, but told The Huffington Post last year that chimps need our help "desperately," as populations are still in decline.

Sylvia Earle

Sylvia Earle, often called "Her Deepness" by The New Yorker, has been exploring the oceans firsthand for decades and has spent more than 7,000 hours underwater. She was NOAA's first female chief scientist, Time magazine's first Hero of the Planet and she helped Google add the oceans to Google Earth. She's now a National Geographic explorer-in-residence.

Her exploration and research have led to greater understanding of oceanic ecosystems and the impact of humans and climate change.

She also won the TED Prize in 2009 and has since launched Mission Blue, an effort to increase public awareness of marine protected areas.

Daryl Hannah

Actress Daryl Hannah was taken away in handcuffs in February for the second time in less than six months while protesting the proposed Keystone XL pipeline outside the White House.

She's been an active environmentalist, running her off-the-grid home on solar power and touting the benefits of biodiesel to Fox's Sean Hannity.

She's been arrested while protesting on several other occasions, including efforts to protect urban farming in Los Angeles and to stopmountaintop removal coal mining in West Virginia.

Lady Bird Johnson

The former First Lady of the U.S. was responsible for many environmental efforts during her husband's presidency, most notably the Highway Beautification Act of 1965 that led to the wildflowers and greenery now planted on the side of American roadways. The act's still known as Lady Bird's bill.

In 1968, Lyndon Johnson presented her with a plaque which said she "has inspired me and millions of Americans to try to preserve our land and beautify our nation," according to NBC News.

She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal and is remembered as one of the most influential First Ladies in history.

Dian Fossey

Dian Fossey spent 18 years studying gorillas in the forests of Rwanda, living among them while observing their behavior, according to PBS. Her work led to international conservation efforts and an Oscar-nominated biographical film featuring Sigourney Weaver, "Gorillas in the Mist."

Along with Jane Goodall (chimpanzees) and Birutė Galdikas (orangutans), Fossey was called one of the leading primatologists of her time. She formed relationships with individual gorillas and founded the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund after her favorite primate, Digit, was killed by poachers.

She was murdered in 1985 in a still unsolved case, possibly in retribution for her fight against poaching, according to a People magazine report.

Lisa Jackson

Lisa Jackson led the Environmental Protection Agency for the entirety of President Obama's first term before she announced her resignation shortly after his reelection.

Under her tenure, the EPA led the response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, created new fuel efficiency standards for cars, and limited carbon emissions from power plants.

Loftier attempts at fighting climate change and energy policy (like the Keystone XL pipeline) often faced fierce condemnation from a Republican-controlled House, and Jackson frequently found herself defending EPA policies in strongly worded debates.

President Obama nominated Gina McCarthy to take over for Jackson in March. Upon her departure, Jackson did say she was "confident the ship [was] sailing in the right direction."

Lucy Lawless

Lucy Lawless was arrested during a Greenpeace protest after spending four days aboard an oil-drilling ship in New Zealand last year.

The actress was protesting drilling in the Arctic and was later arrested and charged with trespassing. She was sentenced in February and given 120 hours of community service and ordered to pay a fine of $547, far less than the $545,000 sought by Shell Todd Oil Services.

She called the judgment "a great victory" for environmentalists.

Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai was the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize after decades of environmental work in her native Kenya. She launched the Green Belt Movement, an NGO that organizes Kenyan women to replant trees, combat deforestation and create jobs.

The organization wrote that members have planted more than 51 million trees since 1977. Maathai regularly fought against the Kenyan government, including a major effort to prevent the construction of a skyscraper in the middle of a Nairobi park. She put herself in harm's way, and was beaten unconscious by police while protesting, according to a New York Times obituary.

Erin Brokovich

The real-life subject of the Oscar-winning 2000 biopic, Erin Brockovich is best known for defending the people of Hinkley, Calif. after local groundwater was contaminated with chromium, which resulted in a $333 million settlement in 1996. More recently, she's launched a project to map disease clusters around the world in partnership with Google, telling The Huffington Post that it will be one of her "life projects."

She's also raised her concerns about the environmental impacts of fracking. Julia 'Butterfly' Hill After living in a 600-year-old redwood tree for 738 days, Julia "Butterfly" Hill managed to save both the tree, named Luna, and a 3-acre swath of forest from logging.

Hill bathed in a bucket and lived on an 8x8-foot plywood platform for more than two years in protest of a Pacific Lumber logging project in northern Calif., according to The New York Times. She's since become a motivational speaker post-tree-sit and released a book about the protest.

Yoko Ono

In an effort to convince New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to reject fracking in the state, Yoko Ono and her son, Sean Lennon, launched a coalition of more than 180 artists and musicians who oppose the practice.

"It is a direct public health threat to families and communities," the group wrote in a letter. The group, called Artists Against Fracking, have sent letters condemning the removal of natural gas from shale deposits. Other members of the group include Lady Gaga and Susan Sarandon.

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