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The Hill |
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New NAFTA must terminate corporate kangaroo courts |
Entrepreneurs gathering in Washington for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Summit, please beware.
By pushing for a little-known but damaging legal concept buried in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the chamber has chosen to represent the interests of a handful of corporations instead of the interests of responsible business owners who are focused on the needs of their local communities and the environment.
As networks representing thousands of responsible business owners, we have advocated strongly that any NAFTA renegotiations must remove the pact’s controversial provisions that incentivize job offshoring and empower foreign corporations to challenge sovereign U.S. laws.
These provisions fall under the "Investor-State Dispute Settlement" (ISDS), and they grant greater rights to foreign corporations than to domestic businesses and governments.
ISDS allows foreign corporations to sue the U.S. government before a panel of three corporate lawyers who can award the corporations unlimited sums to be paid by taxpayers, including for the loss of expected future profits.
The corporations need only convince the lawyers that an American law, safety regulation, environmental standard or court ruling violates the special rights and privileges granted to them under NAFTA.
The lawyers’ decisions are not subject to appeal. Many of these lawyers rotate between serving on tribunals that decide cases and attacking governments on behalf of corporations. Such conflicts of interest are forbidden as highly unethical in most legal systems.
It’s hard to believe this Orwellian power grab is real, but it is. Multinational corporations already have pocketed $392 million from North American taxpayers under NAFTA ISDS attacks on toxic bans, environmental and public health policies and more. Tens of billions of dollars are pending in ongoing NAFTA cases.
But the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has made it a top priority to urge the Trump administration to not only keep these controversial ISDS provisions in NAFTA but to expand their scope and coverage.
Given that it costs an average of $8 million for a company to bring an ISDS case, are we really expected to believe that the chamber wants to keep this provision in NAFTA for the benefit of small businesses?
A domestic U.S. business has to use U.S. courts if they want to challenge a law, so why would U.S. small businesses want to give foreign multinational corporations exclusive access to biased panels of lawyers, while exposing important local, state and federal policies to challenge?
The answer is, we wouldn’t. But NAFTA was originally negotiated through a process that bestows official advisor roles to hundreds of representatives of large corporations, while the public was locked out. So it should not be surprising that the deal serves the interests of irresponsible multinational corporations and undermines domestic, responsible business interests.
That’s probably why U.S. small businesses’ share of total U.S. exports to Mexico and Canada has actually fallen under NAFTA while big businesses’ share of total exports to the NAFTA countries has increased.
Had U.S. small firms not lost their share of exports to Canada and Mexico under NAFTA, they might be exporting $18.6-billion more to those nations today.
NAFTA renegotiations present an opportunity to reevaluate the model to focus on the needs of workers and responsible business owners who care about healthy communities, broad-based prosperity and long-term sustainability.
But if ISDS is included, we’ll know that, once again, the deal was captured by irresponsible business interests at the expense of the rest of us.
Fran Teplitz is director of Green America’s Green Business Network, comprised of 3,000 businesses that promote environmental best practices. Richard Eidlin is vice president and cofounder of the American Sustainable Business Council, which has a membership network representing over 250,000 businesses and 325,000 business executives, owners and investors.
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Wheel Pad L3C |
Wheel Pad is a 200 sq.ft. accessible bedroom and bathroom that can be attached to an existing home providing immediate eco-friendly accessible housing for people with mobility issues.
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Satilla Supplies, Mallard Mfg. |
Our mission is to inspire conscious living by offering simple and practical solutions for mindful consumption - so we can live in symbiosis with Mother Nature.
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Crunchy Cleaning by Kathy |
Coming soon.
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Taproot Enterprises |
Coming soon.
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Planet Media, LLC |
We work closely with sustainability-minded businesses to define and develop their identity, position, and presence in the marketplace. We help clients achieve sustained growth through ideas, strategies, and solutions that influence consumer taste and shape culture. We bring websites to life and connect them with your audience.
Our industry expertise and unwavering commitment to sustainability set us apart. Our goal is to deliver amazing experiences that make people talk, and build strategic value for a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.
Contact us today for a no-obligation, project cost analysis at ideas@planetmediallc.com or 303-653-9855.
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Clean Elegance LLC |
Clean Elegance is committed to providing affordable, reliable and exceptional house cleaning & green maid services to Katy, Fulshear & Cinco Ranch, Texas. Operating Green is a core philosophy of our business, not a gimmick. Clean Elegance has taken considerable time to research and test a large number of Green cleaning products available on the market. Not all Eco-Friendly products are the same and quite many are not truly “Green” when you take the time to investigate their ingredients. We have carefully selected products that are derived from 100% natural sources and do not contain any harmful ingredients. We continue to work hard to insure we provide the most eco-friendly cleaning service possible by continuously reviewing providers to find the most superior natural products for use in our business. We provide regular weekly or bi-weekly cleaning, deep cleaning, move-In/move-Out or special event cleaning services. Our dependable maid services are specially-tailored to complement the lifestyles of our customers so that the service plan fits your needs and hectic schedule. We provide free estimates performed on-site so we can fully understand your needs and expectations. Clean Elegance takes pride in our work and want to earn your repeat business through our quality and reliability. We back our green maid service with 100% satisfaction guarantee, if you’re not happy know we’ll make it right. Call or Visit Us Online to learn more.
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Compensation Venture Group, SPC |
Compensation Venture Group SPC (CVG) is a Washington Social Purpose Corporation and was a Certified B Corporation from 2014 to 2018. CVG consults with companies to design and implement employee compensation programs that allow the company to recruit and engage the talent they need to execute on their environmental and/or social purpose and mission. We design salary, cash incentive, equity, and other compensation programs that support company culture, strategy, and objectives. The unique strategic, financial, and governance characteristics of green businesses requires a fresh approach to compensation, benefits, and other conditions of engagement such as paid time off. The current norms in the marketplace, which have not served traditional companies well, are a complete mismatch for impact enterprises. CVG has a track record of developing innovative pay programs in unique company environments that support business success for all stakeholders. CVG is an investor in Fledge LLC, the conscious company incubator, is the creator of Conscious Compensation®, and is a founder of Global Equity Organization, a global nonprofit association devoted to the needs of equity compensation professionals who design and administer employee ownership programs. CVG also owns Cannabis Compensation Consultants(TM) and is active in the cannabis industry.
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Marble Distilling Co. |
Coming soon.
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Buckwheat Bridge Angoras Inc |
Coming soon.
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Athens Impact Socially Responsible Investments |
We offer a full range of personalized responsible investment strategies including Fossil Fuel Free portfolios, designed to meet your financial goals, promote a better society and a healthy planet. We help people align their money with their values by making socially responsible choices. Our clients invest in what matters to them and make a difference in society by using the power of shareholder advocacy. Placing your core beliefs at the center of the financial planning process helps you make better long-term decisions with your assets. The variety of ethical investment and impact investment options we provide means you don't have to choose between your values and investment performance.
Our firm is deeply committed to making a positive difference in the world. We help individuals, small businesses, non-profits, and other organizations align their investment decisions with their values and mission statements. Athens Impact is located off East State Street in Athens Ohio next to Village Bakery. Your portfolio is screened for issues that are important to you. We use both positive and negative screens to create a customized, individualized, tailored portfolio for you. You can be part of shareholder advocacy efforts from the comfort of your couch.
We offer fossil fuel free investing for climate focused clients. We also have the ability to create a passive direct index stock portfolio to minimize costs and aid in generational transfer without excessive tax consequences. Everything we offer is screened for environmental, social and governance aspects of a company, i.e. ESG investing. That is the starting point. From there, we apply both positive and negative SRI screens. Our positive screens include investing in companies that value refugees, women leaders, healthy hearts, LGBT rights, disability inclusion, racial justice, ethical supply chains. We can divest from the prison industrial complex, dark money, deforestation, weapons, big tobacco, fossil fuels, and pipelines on indigenous lands. We can measure and minimize the greenhouse gas emissions of your portfolio and we offer community impact investments that can be incorporated into any portfolio.
We consider our clients, friends. The foundation of our practice is based on strong, meaningful relationships with a clear understanding of what is important to you. We offer a wide variety of financial planning strategies including legacy and estate planning, retirement income planning, portfolio construction and management, charitable giving strategies, long-term care and end of life planning, education, budgeting, and savings options, and group retirement plans. Begin with a free consultation. All services can be canceled and prices are negotiable.
We offer comprehensive financial plans and ongoing financial analysis. This includes, values screening, investment analysis, retirement income planning, risk analysis and what-if planning, insurance analysis, tax planning strategies, estate planning, charitable giving strategies, ongoing updates and advice, behavioral finance coaching if desired, discounted AUM and AUA rates, and tax services when needed. We work with an attorney to help with wills, trusts, health care power of attorney, living will, medical power of attorney, and advanced directives. We also offer a fee only insurance shopping service, hourly advisory services, assets under advisement, business planning, cash flow and debt management, college savings, employee benefit optimization, and will soon be offering ongoing financial coaching.
Michelle Wilson is an independent, fee-only fiduciary who holds a Master's degree in financial planning and has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. She founded Athens Impact LLC to deliver a comprehensive wealth management experience to her clients focused on ethically and socially responsible investment principals. She earned her Accredited Investment Fiduciary ® certification and passed the FINRA series 7 and 66 licenses. She holds an insurance license in the State of Ohio. As a fee-only fiduciary, she does not offer any commission-based products and does not accept any kick-backs for her services. She was one of the first in the region to earn her Chartered Socially Responsible Investment Counselor ® certification.
Michelle owns a cabin on 30 acres in SE Ohio. Her goal is to have a self-sustainable lifestyle by the time she retires. She enjoys spending time with her partner, Gil, and being near her children and their families. On founding a business dedicated to sustainable practices, Michelle is grateful to be doing something that matters and makes a difference in the world. In the future, she plans to fund a non-profit dedicated to financial education for Appalachian women.
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Tulip Jones Botanica |
Coming soon.
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Catena Investment Strategies |
Coming soon.
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New England Financial Group |
Coming soon.
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Kamut International |
Our mission is to promote organic agriculture and support organic farmers, to increase the diversity of crops and diets and to protect the heritage of a high quality, delicious ancient grain for the benefit of this and future generations. Khorasan wheat has been around for millennia and our company's #1 goal is to preserve it (throught he "KAMUT" Trademark) as it was without "improvements" from modern plant breeding. We are 31 years into Founder, Bob Quinn's, vision and have no intentions of slowing down now! Perfect as a substitute for modern wheat...try out this buttery, wholesome, versatile grain today!
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LPL Financial |
Coming soon.
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Bright Planning |
Give us your vision, we'll give you the plan. Bright Planning is a strategic marketing consultancy based in Asheville, North Carolina, serving a national clientele. We eat, think, and breathe strategy that will help get your brand's name in front of the right people. This isn't a full-service agency, because we don't believe in watering down what we do best. Our specialty is an easy-to-follow comprehensive marketing plan. This plan consists of proprietary "small data" investigations to unlock the real demographics and psychographics of your target market, research-backed strategies for launches or rebrands, and message development. Our clients are companies that offer organic, ethical or sustainable retail products and positive impact services. In other words: your business should be making the world a more beautiful, healthier, remarkable place to live. Director Catherine Campbell and her team have over a decade's worth of intense marketing experience, ranging from start-ups to multi-million-dollar corporations and global brands. Catherine's business advice has been featured in Harvard Business Review, CBS Small Business, Bloomberg and other outlets. At Bright Planning, we focus on scaling innovative small to medium-sized businesses (under 25 employees or $15 million in annual revenue) that are U.S.-based but may have global market share. Learn more on our website, and enjoy free actionable tips from our weekly blog and podcast (available on iTunes)!
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Combs Coffee |
We source and roast specialty grade coffee & chocolate with one of the only solar powered coffee roasters in the USA. |
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Charitable Adult Rides and Services |
CARS is a California-based non-profit owned by Jewish Family Services San Diego, a 4-star Charity Navigator rated organization. CARS helps more than 3,000 causes in the US and Canada increase fundraising and acquire new contributors through turn-key vehicle donation programs, including Purple Heart Foundation, Sierra Club Foundation, St Jude’s, Autism Speaks and nearly 200 local NPR and PBS member stations. CARS has returned more than $125-million to its nonprofit partners and reinvests in its community by providing tens of thousands of meals and transportation solutions to seniors each year throughout San Diego.
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Equine Eco Green |
Coming soon.
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Devine Gardens LLC |
Devine Gardens makes fantastic, clean, contaminant-free, microbe-rich, organic compost and vermicompost so gardeners can enjoy healthy, productive plants without the use of harmful chemicals. I supply gardeners with compost products they trust and share knowledge of soil health, gardening, use & preservation of fresh garden grown foods, and excite people about the thrills, joys, and benefits of gardening using regenerative techniques. I'm available to speak about vermiculture/worm bins, vermicompost, and composting.
The compost is made using manure from our farm animals and bedding. The mixed raw feedstock is put into aerated concrete bays where the air is blown up into the mix from underneath. After the temperature has reached over 131 degrees for a couple of weeks, it’s either fed to the worms or allowed to mature into finished compost undercover to protect from leaching away nutrients.
The workers of the farm, the worms, live in 4’ x 8’ beds inside of a pole barn. Starting in the spring they are fed and watered regularly. They love the warm weather and eat and multiply to their heart’s content during the summer. In late November as their activity decreases, they are fed extra and put down for a long winter’s nap.
We have a growing herd of Dexter cows. Dexter cows are a smaller breed originally from Ireland. They are a nice “old fashioned family cow” good for milking and for their beef. Most of them have friendly personalities and like a good back rub now and then. In the growing weather, the cows are rotated on pasture. During the winter season, they are fed hay and free choice minerals. We do feed grain if it’s very cold to give them extra energy, to coax them here or there and as a treat.
Devine Gardens is a 70-acre farm of which 20 acres are woods. We practice regenerative agriculture, always farming/gardening to improve the long-term health of people and the planet. We don’t use microbe harming chemicals on our land or animals.
Devine Gardens is located in the Town of Nelson between Cazenovia and Morrisville along beautiful Route 20. Please visit our website, call or email for more information.
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Applied Culture Group LLC |
Applied Culture Group works to transform the way individuals and societies address conflict, trauma and healing. We work alongside our local and global partners to pioneer innovative, immersive training programs that produce positive change through shared social action. Our focus areas include: Restorative Justice Initiatives; Community Dialogue Projects; Trauma Awareness and Response; Mindfulness and Healing; Youth Empowerment and Leadership. Applied Culture Group believes that diversity is strength. Our collaborative, customized programs promote self-discovery, shared wisdom and collective empowerment across all sectors of society.
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Sleeping Organic |
Coming soon.
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Ossa Gaia Artisan Jewelry |
Coming soon.
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EcoEnclose |
Coming soon.
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Soul Flower Boho & Organic Clothing |
Soul Flower is an earth-loving clothing brand for you. Mindfully made with eco-friendly materials and heartfelt art, we design our organic clothing with kind vibes from start to finish. We seek inspiration in the simplicity of everyday life – in nature and in music, in free-spirited adventures and in like-minded souls. We create clothing in a way that supports our planet, spreads a positive message, and most importantly -- helps you express yourself. You can make a difference with what you wear, so share the vibe and let your Soul Flower.
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Seattle Green Cleaner LLC |
Seattle Green Cleaner Awarded 2020 Best House Cleaning Service in Seattle
Established in 2007, Seattle Green Cleaner is the original, award-winning professional house cleaning company. We have been providing top-notch, ethical, environmentally friendly housecleaning services with integrity throughout Seattle for 14 years.
Best known for our white-glove cleaning and excellent customer service, our passion for environmental and social responsibility is contagious!
Introducing our own of line green products!
As Seattle Green Cleaner's owner, I have spent years purchasing products at wholesale and then adjusting them to smell better, work better, have different dilutions for different purposes, etc., while always searching for the elusive perfect cleaning product.
I have created a line of minimalistic green cleaning products that are easy to use, truly work, smell great, and most importantly, are safe for the environment, children and pets. After a year of coming up with a signature scent, choosing simple ingredients, deciding on a manufacturer as well as a fulfillment/distribution center, I am very happy to introduce you to our line of products.
Thank you for being green!
Jennifer, Green Guru/President
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Communitas Financial Planning PBC |
- Financial Planning
- Socially responsible investments
- Custom-designed SRI portfolios for individuals
- Small business retirement plans
- Member: Garret Planning Network and First Affirmative Financial Network, Member USSIF
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