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Impact Financial Planners is a fee-only financial planning firm that specializes in Sustainable Responsible Impact Investing (SRI). We offer a free upfront meeting. We work with individual clients throughout the US. As an independent fee only personal financial planning firm we earn no commissions and sell no products. SRI is an investment strategy seeking to maximize both financial return and social good.

We are comprehensive advisors, working with you on: investment management, retirement planning, tax planning, insurance review and estate planning. 

Elegantly handcrafted fashion accessories in palettes of infinite beauty. Award-winning pieces worn by Halle Barry, Christina Aguilera, and featured in Good Housekeeping, Essence, and Seventeen.

Helps families tastefully, conveniently, and easily take pesticides and allergens out of food, danger out of cleaning products, and toxins out of body care products.

Technical services: composting, watershed protection, and sustainable development. Offering composting and thermal energy systems (hot water) to farms, commercial/municipal and institutional sites. Patented renewable energy capture (heat) from aerated compost. Agrilab Technologies continues the work of WASTE NOT Resource Solutions as part of its portfolio.

Imports and wholesales fairly traded African market baskets, working directly with weavers in Ghana. Proceeds contribute to health care, education, and community buildings for weavers and their families. For wholesale orders: wholesale@africanmarketbaskets.com.

Advanced Maintenance and Pest Solutions, LLC is a locally owned pest control and maintenance company that provides services throughout Chicagoland, with a focus on integrated pest management (IPM) and minimizing the need to apply pesticides.

A 'financial coach' who can help maximize your opportunities with investments, insurance, tax, estate, and retirement planning. Building relationships with SRI-focused clients since 1986. Member, First Affirmative Financial Network.

Notecards, journals, and stationery printed on 100% recycled paper and handmade tree-free paper. Beautiful imagery inspired by nature. Fundraising kit available.

Private label/promotional natural lip balm and sunscreen lotions, sticks; petroleum-free soy-based candles; and more. Eco-hats, tree-free paper options too!

"Providing nontoxic cleaning of homes and organizations using natural and environmentally safe products. Cleaning your world; saving ours. Using Earth-friendly solutions, everyone benefits."

Green consultants (eco-consultants). Specializing in no-/low-cost solutions for businesses and organizations desiring to incorporate green strategies into their operations. "We make going green easier!"

Local, organic, and Fair Trade fresh produce; plus large bulk selection including nuts, grains, oils, tamari, liquid soaps, and shampoo. Member-run and everyone can shop.

All-Natural Soaps, spa style foot and body scrubs, body butters, lip balms—all packaged in recycled and recyclable containers. No artificial preservatives, no animal testing.

The firm works with socially aware investors to create customized investment portfolios in harmony with their moral and ethical values. Account minimum: $2 million.

Financial activist serving SRI clients since 1989. Co-authored Investing with Your Values: Making Money & Making a Difference (2000). Please see Natural Investment LLC. Member of First Affirmative Financial Network.

Sunshine Burger makes certified organic, verified non-GMO vegan burgers with whole food ingredients free of major allergens. We use raw sunflower kernels and brown rice!

The leading national network of Community Development Financial Institutions, OFN shapes policy, conducts research, and creates partnerships and programs that deliver high impact in financially stressed communities.

'Through the lens of faith, ICCR builds a more just and sustainable world by integrating social values into corporate and investor actions.'

A community development financial institution (CDFI) that is a bridge between socially responsible investors and cooperatives, community-oriented non-profits, and worker-owned businesses in New England.

Calvert Impact Capital (CIC) is a proven market leader in the global impact investing industry, with over $2 billion raised through its unique and accessible fixed-income investment product, the Community Investment Note® (“Note”), which channels high impact investments into communities around the world. Note investors range from institutional, accredited, and retail investors, and Note purchases range from over $20mm to $20 (the minimum through CIC’s online platform). The Note blends financial, social, and environmental returns into one accessible product that offers global exposure to more than 100 countries including the US, as well as exposure across a multitude of sectors. The Note also includes robust reporting on social and environmental impact. Additionally, CIC offers loan syndications, where they originate, structure, and administer loans for institutional and accredited lenders seeking environmental and social impact. To date, CIC has syndicated and/or administered more than $300 million of capital for impact-oriented transactions.

Investment Thesis:

CIC invests to connect capital with the communities that need it most, demonstrating that private capital can be successfully invested in communities often overlooked and underserved by traditional finance in order to provide broad economic opportunity and protect our planet.

Investment Overview:

CIC prioritizes both financial resiliency and lasting impact, and its portfolio strategy is focused on creating more inclusive and accessible markets around the world. CIC helps its borrowers to build, grow, and sustain their portfolios, organizational strength, and impact that they have on the ground. CIC makes investments that create a positive, measurable impact as well as financial return across nine sectors including: small business finance, renewable energy, health, microfinance, sustainable agriculture, education, environmental sustainability, and community development. Each sector has a unique impact thesis and strategy that outlines the impact CIC seeks to affect in that sector, how impact is measured, and what role CIC’s capital plays in strengthening local markets. CIC conducts thorough due diligence on each organization to which it lends, and has rigorous credit quality and social performance standards.

Company Differentiator:

Calvert Impact Capital (CIC) is known for its 25-year track record of innovation, impact, and financial performance. Through the Community Investment Note®, CIC has a diversified portfolio across impact sectors and geographies, creating measurable social and environmental impact, that is managed by a team with deep credit analysis and risk management expertise. Complementing our strong portfolio performance is a capitalization cushion of over $100 million to protect investors against any potential portfolio losses, which has led to 100% repayment with returns to all investors to date. More than 5,400 individual and institutional investors, as well as financial advisors, have conveniently made investments ranging from $20 to $20 million via CIC’s online investment platform or through over 120 brokerage firms. Beyond the Note, CIC provides a syndications service, thought leadership practice, and other investor and industry resources that support moving investment capital toward creating an equitable and sustainable world.

Investment Example

One of our borrowers is Greenline Ventures ("Greenline"), a financial services company that specializes in serving the unmet capital needs of small businesses. Their objectives include job creation and retention, worker training, improving employee benefits, boosting minority and women-owned businesses, and reducing environmental impacts. In December 2016, Greenline launched a $20 million Small Business Capital Fund (SBCF I) to provide affordable loans to underserved small businesses in distressed census tracts throughout the US. SBCF I leverages federal tax credits with mission-driven capital to provide flexible, patient financing to small businesses. After the success of SBCF I, Greenline launched the SBCF II in 2018 with the same goal of creating quality jobs and wealth-building opportunities for low-income populations in under-invested communities. Calvert Impact Capital syndicated both funds and made a larger loan to Greenline's second fund to help them grow their impact. All of our borrowers can be found at calvertimpactcapital.org/portfolio/list.

Jewelry, belts and bags designed by Balinese artisans

Green alternative to AAA with 24-hour nationwide roadside assistance for autos and bikes. Discounts on hybrid car rentals, eco-travel, hotels. Trip routing, auto insurance, bicycle roadside assistance, and free maps. Supports a cleaner environment and alternative modes of transportation.

Everyone and anyone can be sustainable! Save time and money! Clean water and Air are best for our health, these are by-products of being sustainable. Make a plan, implement it, monitor and measure the plan and then review the plan!

Since 1987, crafting comfortable, durable, and Earth-friendly products for home, health, and comfort. Browse the selection of buckwheat, kapok, and recycled Sleeping Bean body pillows, reading, and head pillows. Great tools for Pilates, maternity, yoga, and meditation. Bean-bag chairs and floor comfort living products, shower curtains from hemp or cotton. Introducing contemporary upholstered furniture of hemp and organic cotton.

Highly specialized GOTS Certified sourcing consultancy. Offering consultancy and sourcing services for businesses in the organic and sustainable textile industries. Research, development, stock and custom sourcing, production and quality assistance, shipping and logistics coordination.

Green America urges everyone to end their relationships with big Wall Street banks and to “Break Up with Your Mega-Bank." Instead, open accounts with community investing banks and credit unions, which have a mission of lifting up low- and middle-income communities.

Why break up with your mega-bank?

Mega-banks often use your money to fund projects that may not be in line with your values— and nearly 40 of them are financially supporting the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), including US Bank, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and more. (See the graphic below from our allies at Food & Water Watch for a complete list.)

Break up with your DAPL-funding bank by:

• Following these 10 steps to find and switch to a socially responsible bank.
• Switching your credit card to one of these responsible credit cards.
• Find a socially responsible financial institution, loan fund, or credit card from our national database!

Victory!

DNB, Norway’s largest bank, sold its assets in the DAPL and is considering terminating the three loans it made to the project. DNB loans made up ten percent of the project’s costs, according to Reuters.

Image © Food & Water Watch
Sources and more info here.

Want to create a greener world that works for all people? One of the most important things you can do is vote with your dollar. Where you spend and invest your money is a powerful way of voting each day to support local communities, fair wages, and a healthy planet. 

Here at Green America, we’ve helped educate and mobilize consumers to use their money for a greener world, and we’ve seen the results in the growth of organic foods, fair trade products, clean energy solutions, and community banks and credit unions, just to name a few. Voting with our dollars works. 

When we talk about building the green economy, it's about more than being informed about corporations—it’s about actually supporting businesses that have adopted green practices, are growing the local economies, and pay suppliers fairly. Where you shop and what you buy when you do sends a direct message to business owners. If many of us shift our spending at once – to preference non-GMO foods, for example – it can force large corporations to scramble and drop harmful ingredients from their products. And in the case of small businesses, it helps them stay afloat in a competitive, deal-driven market. 

Green America's mission of creating a green economy that works for all – one that preferences social justice, environmental preservation, and healthy communities, is one that we can participate in at any time. Like casting ballots in an election, decisions we make every day cast votes for our values. When people support small businesses with forward-thinking practices, we call that #VoteWithYourDollar.  Vote With Your Dollars is a powerful way to build the green economy we need, without Washington. 

One of the most powerful actions you can take to Vote with Your Dollar keeping your money in your wallet, to not buy what you don't need, and to not line the pockets of CEOs of big box stores you don't agree with. Our culture is obsessed with deals, but those deals are paid for by the people who work low wages in factories or in big-box stores. In the case of shopping on the biggest store, Amazon.com, well, its track record isn't the cleanest. Every dollar you don't spend, is a dollar you can put in a community bank or credit union, where your dollars will be used to finance jobs, housing and social services that every community needs.  Or, it can be donated to a charity that is helping those less fortunate, combating hate, or taking action on climate change. 

It’s unrealistic not to shop at all, and unnecessary. The money you use to buy necessities, treat yourself, or spend on gifts for others is a vote cast for your values. Here are our tips for feeling good about the products you buy, but also the businesses you support.

Vote with your dollar

• Every time you buy at a local business, you tell the world your community is worth more than a big-box store sale. 

• Every time you buy organic, you tell the world you want more farmers to grow healthy, safe food. 

• Every time you buy certified fair trade, you fight poverty. 

• Every time you buy from a business owned by women or people of color, you help build an inclusive economy. 

• Every time you don’t buy something, you tell the world you don’t need more stuff to have a good life.

Where do we go from here?

• Read more tips on what it's like to live green.
• Get yourself a better bank and make money moves with socially responsible investing! Voting with your dollars at a financial institution can have an outsized impact.
• Shop the Green Business Network, where our certified businesses are much more likely to match your values!
• Check out our Vote With Your Dollar Toolkit to find out how your dollars impact everything from clothes to forests and food.

In its newest push to encourage the magazine industry to use recycled paper, the nonprofit Green America’s Better Paper Project launched “One Million Trees” to encourage higher education institutions to publish alumni magazines on recycled paper.

One million trees a year could be saved if colleges and universities took this common-sense step for the environment.

According to the U.S. Census, there are almost 67 million people with higher education degrees across the country, with over three million new graduates joining alumni associations every year. These alumni receive up to four magazines throughout the year from their alma maters. These tens of millions of alumni magazines add up to significant environmental impacts, such as wasting enough energy to power a small town for an entire year.

“Printing on recycled paper is a great way to achieve multiple environmental benefits all at the same time,” said Susan Kinsella, executive director of Conservatree, a nonprofit environmental organization that researches and strategizes paper production impacts. “Not only does recycled paper save trees and reduce greenhouse gases, but it also reduces the demand for water and energy, diminishes the production of solid waste, and quickly minimizes the paper production footprint on the environment. In fact, a recent life cycle analysis found that 100 percent recycled paper had considerably lower impact levels for over 140 environmental impact categories. And it’s top quality paper, as well.”

Green America is asking universities to participate in the One Million Trees campaign by making the Better Paper Commitment. By taking this step, universities would commit to starting with a minimum of 30 percent recycled content for alumni magazines and publications, as well as using Forestry Stewardship Council-certified fiber for any virgin content in the paper.

More on the goals of the campaign can be found at http://betterpaper.org/onemilliontrees.

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The right materials and know-how for your project.

Amicus is a new kind of home improvement store. We create fresh spaces--fresh designs, fresh air and water, and a fresh take on what our buildings can do for us.

No matter your goals or budget, our products and expertise can help you create a wonderful space that looks fantastic and feels great...whether it's a home, office, school, playspace, or whatever you have in the works.

You can breathe easier with Safecoat^® – we take your health seriously.

Paints, stains, cleaners, and protective sealers formulated without toxic chemicals. Designed to prevent or alleviate indoor air pollution. Safer even for the chemically sensitive.

All AFM building products — paints, primers, coatings, finishes, stains and more — are formulated for the least possible toxicity with high-quality performance. These are durable, long-lasting finishes that look good for years and also help seal in outgassing. No other product is as safe and enduring.

We Plant Trees — 875,000 and Growing

Amber Lotus Publishing is proud to be an independent, carbon-negative publisher with a dedication to environmental stewardship. We print our products on high-quality recycled stock and have planted 875,000 trees since 2008 to offset our carbon footprint.

We craft calendars, greeting cards, journals, and coloring books that illuminate the sacred dimensions of everyday life — mindfulness, healthy lifestyles, and earth awareness. We strive to consistently offer products that are authentic and distinctive to bring you a sense of the eternal by nurturing your heart, renewing your soul, and expanding your mind.

Back to the Vote With Your Dollar Toolkit

Get everything you need from the green economy, and the green economy will flourish instead of sweatshops and corporate polluters. Though not all of these stores will exist in your local community, it's possible to find everything you need from the green economy through our Green Business Network online listings— you can look for shops that are close to you or that will ship wherever you are. 

1. Eco-Friendly Body Care Store: Soap, lotions, cosmetics, and other body care items made without toxic chemicals. 
2. Eco-Friendly Children’s Store: Green toys, games, and clothes for kids. 
3. Nontoxic Cleaners Retailer: All the cleaning power without the harmful chemicals.
4. Organic, Fair Trade Clothing Store: Clothes made without toxins—and sweatshops.
5. Fair Trade Store: Coffee, tea, home decor, and more, made or grown by workers paid a living wage and working in healthy conditions.
6. Eco-Flooring Company: Eco-friendly and nontoxic carpets and hard flooring options.
7. Green Restaurant and Grocer: Fresh, organic food that’s healthy for you and the planet.
8. Eco-Furniture Store: Green furniture made from forest-friendly wood, recycled materials, organic fabrics, without toxins.
9. Green Architect: For help building green, efficient, and renewable structures and homes. 
10. Green Home Improvement Store: Paints, stains, sealers, and more—sans harmful chemicals. 
11. Green Home Goods Store: Organic sheets and towels, nontoxic pots and pans, and more for a green home. 
12. Green Transportation Company: Get from A to B while minimizing your global-warming footprint. 
13. Eco-Travel Agent: Plan vacations that don’t burden the Earth or locals. 
14. Responsible Bank: Fair loans and financial services that help build up communities. 
15. Social Investing Financial Planner: For help incorporating socially responsible investing concerns into your portfolio. 
16. Green Office Supplies Store: Recycled paper, pens, folders, sticky notes, and more.

Back to the Vote With Your Dollar Toolkit

If you’re not a buy-off-the-registry type of person, or you just want to give sustainable wedding gifts to a new couple, try these options. Our staff picked them as just a few of the standout choices offered by Green America member businesses.

“I like the idea of giving a couple of organic pillows. CozyPure has a lot of options, from mattresses to sheets and comforters, if you’re not sure what the couple would want.”

        —Scott Kitson, Membership Marketing Manager, Green Business Network®

“I like giving farmers’ market baskets. The Bolga Market Baskets from My Bolga Baskets are colorful, unique, and made with fair trade practices by weavers in Ghana.”

        —Dana Christianson, Director of Membership Marketing

“If you’re in the market for an engagement or wedding ring, try Naturaleza Organic Jewelry. They make recycled wood and metal rings with gorgeous stones. They work with you on custom rings to make sure its special for you and yours.”

        —Mary Meade, editor and digital content manager

“Some people don’t want more stuff—for them, planting a tree can be a nice way to celebrate them. Plant a Tree USA  has a few different options depending on your budget.” 

        —Todd Larsen, executive co-Director of Consumer and Corporate Engagement

Updated December 2022

On June 1, President Trump pulled the United States out of its voluntary commitment to the Paris Climate Accord, a decision that sent shock waves around the world. As the nation that is the second largest emitter of CO2, and the greatest cumulative emissions, the US should play an equally large role as a leader in the clean energy future. Instead, efforts of other countries to mitigate the effects of climate change may be negated by the US’s continued climate denial and greenhouse gas pollution.

After this historic and upsetting exit, it is time for states, cities, businesses, and individuals to take action to ensure the US meets its commitments, regardless of what Washington does. In addition to the 192 countries signed on to the agreement, 247 mayors representing 56 million Americans, 10 states, and many corporations (including Green America’s Green Business Network) are agreeing to adopt and uphold its standards.

You can be part of the clean energy future with them. Here’s how.

1.     Use your voice as an individual to encourage your city to join the growing number of entities standing by the accords.

2.     Work with communities. In whatever groups you’re already part of—schools, places of worship, or civic associations, encourage your group to commit to reducing emissions. You may be able to find a local 350.org chapter to join to help connect you to resources, pressure local government, and mobilize more people towards clean energy.

3.    Reduce your use of energy and water at home. Whether you’re a beginner who can’t spend a lot of time thinking about energy or someone who has been aware of phantom loads for years, we have tips for you to cut back (and probably not even notice the difference).

4.    Switch to wind and solar energy for your electric utilities. The same power will come through the same wires, but instead of supporting coal power plants every time you pay your bill, you’ll be supporting clean solar or wind energy. When the sun is shining, you may event send power back onto the grid. If your home is equipped for them, and gets enough sun, getting solar panels on your own roof has a higher upfront cost, but will lower your electric bill in the future. Project Sunroof is a tool that uses Google Earth to project how much you could save depending on the sunny-ness of your rooftop, and will help you get in touch with a local solar installer.

5. Share your favorite energy-saving and emissions-reducing tips and steps you take on social media and in conversations. The more people who see their friends and family taking action on climate change, the more likely they are to do so as well.

Solar and wind power are among the oldest sources of energy harnessed by humans. Ancient Egyptians used the wind to sail small boats on the Nile as early as 5,000 BC, and the Chinese were using crude windmills for grain processing by 200 BC. The Greek scientist Archimedes used an enormous mirror to reflect and focus sunlight, burning the invading Roman fleet in defense of the city of Syracuse in 212 BC.

Romans used solar as passive heating in their bathhouses; European colonialists in the 1500s  cooked food on small-scale solar collectors; the first solar water heaters and steam engines were created in the 1800s. Windmill technology for the processing of grains spread across the world and was widely used well into the 20th century. In 1954, a huge step towards clean energy was taken when scientists at Bell Labs created the first photovoltaic (PV) solar cell capable of producing small amounts of electricity for commercial use.

Due to high cost of energy utilities in the 1940s and again in the 1970s, passive solar became popular in the design of buildings and houses. Government and private investors saw value in wind and solar in the 70s and the industry grew quickly.

Global historical solar panel prices and installations. The decrease in the global price of solar is impressive, especially when graphed next to the increase in global capacity of solar. The explosive success of the solar industry both nationally and internationally is an indicator that renewables are the future, and we should be doing everything in our power to develop and scale wind and solar energy. Source: Earth Policy Institute/Bloomberg

The US led the world in renewable energy development and installations until the mid-90s, when cheap fossil fuel energy prices slowed down US investment in wind and solar, except in California, where market incentives kept renewables growing. At this time, Japan, Germany, and other countries began to invest heavily in photovoltaics and wind gained traction especially in Europe.

Despite lagging in the 90s, the US wind and solar industries are now growing at an impressive rate. During the early 2000's, Green America's Solar Catalyst Project issued several reports highlighting the potential for the price of solar power to come down dramatically and for installation to rise rapidly, countering the dominant narrative of the time that solar power would always be too expensive. In 2016, solar became the fastest growing source of energy in the US, and wind and solar represented almost 66 percent of all growth in energy capacity, surpassing natural gas at 29 percent, with the remaining 5 percent being made up of nuclear, hydroelectric, and petroleum power sources.

A record-breaking 14.8 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity was installed in 2016 in the US, bringing the total US capacity to 42.4 GW, enough to power 8.3 million American homes. In fact, one new solar installation was completed every 84 seconds in 2016. In 2017, the capacity of wind power in the US is 84.1 GW, with utility-scale projects operating in 42 states and territories. The US industry is projected to more than double to 100 GW of capacity over from 2017-2022. Wind energy supplies 5 percent of US power, and the Department of Energy says it has the potential to supply 35 percent by 2050, and has laid out a plan for how to get there.

Falling prices of solar and wind are one of the main drivers of the growth the industries have seen over the last decade, during which time solar prices have dropped across the supply chain by an astonishing 60 percent. Prices are falling quickly for two main reasons: better technology, and growing demand leading to growing economies of scale. By 2025, solar is set to be cheaper than coal-fired energy as well as energy combined cycle gas turbines (CCGT), which run on natural gas, diesel, or biofuels. In some areas, wind is already cheaper per megawatt hour than coal or natural gas, and is projected to continue its downward trend in price.

Although solar isn’t new, it’s much newer than coal and other fossil-fuel technologies. Due to the sophistication of photovoltaics, making them commercially viable has required a significant amount of research and development. Current residential and commercial solar panels are between 14 and 22 percent efficient, meaning they can convert 14 to 22 percent of the energy they receive from the sun into electricity. However, researchers have achieved up to 34.5 percent efficiency, and new breakthroughs are happening all the time.

Although not as drastic as the solar industry, wind power technology has also seen significant advancement making turbines cheap and efficient. This has kept the price of wind energy low, and since renewables like wind and solar have no fuel cost, utility companies can lock in low rates for as long as 20 or 30 years without worrying about fluctuating fuel costs due to economic issues or social unrest.

As with any developing industry, the price of solar and wind has fallen significantly due to advances in technology and growing demand. As they get better, they also becomes cheaper, which is why it’s important to continue to invest in renewables and move away from 20th century sources of power like coal.

Solar and wind are also important drivers of the economy. Currently, the solar industry employs 374,000 Americans, which is more than double what is was in 2012 and is expected to continue to add jobs through 2021. In 2016, the US wind industry employed 102,000 people, 20 percent more than the year before. Solar and wind employ more people in the generation of electricity than the coal, petroleum, natural gas, and nuclear sectors combined. While some parts of the fossil fuel sector are seeing growth, like natural gas, coal and petroleum are expected to lose jobs as other technologies become cheaper and more available.

       Employment in U.S. energy generation by sector in 2016. Source: US Department of Energy

Climate change is a serious issue, and our decisions about how we source our energy going into the future will drastically affect the severity of its impacts. In addition to the greenhouse effects of fossil fuels, they also pollute our air and water during extraction, transportation, and combustion harming both humans and ecosystems. There is no doubt that the continued use of fossil fuels will be catastrophic for the planet and human health.

Despite the falling costs of wind and solar, the required shift from reliance on fossil fuels to renewables will take significant investment. However, risk assessments including one from CERES (an NGO that works with corporations and investors on environmental issues) show us that the upfront costs of renewables are worth the reduced long-term risks. Even if fossil fuels are cheap now, the costs down the line will be unbearable on the planet. As a result of our fossil fuel use we face air pollution, mining hazards, oil spills, and the destruction of local communities through mountaintop removal mining. We must consider fossil fuels' effects on public health, climate change, and national security when we evaluate risk. In order to take on the climate crisis, we need to advance energy solutions that reduce emissions, create jobs, and drive the economy. Wind and solar have proven fulfill those goals while providing affordable electricity to consumers and businesses.

We provide promotional products to North America's leading changemakers.

We specialize in cool, ethically sourced promotional merchandise. Clients include Aveda, Patagonia, and ETSY. If you're a change-maker and you need merchandise, we're your people. B Corporation and Fair Labor Association Licensee.

Changemaker Series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNx-2LN-Hx0

At Ecowood Retail Display Systems we create displays systems from post-consumer and post-industrial recycled lumber, perfectly blending the beauty of real wood with the ethic of sustainable reuse.

Eco-friendly screen printing with water-based inks. American-made, organic and recycled t-shirts, sweatshirt, and apparel. Specializing in creative t-shirt design and eco-friendly screen printing for clothing labels, retail stores and green businesses. Affordable design & printing for the planet.

Feeding The World Without GMOs from Gringo Starr Productions on Vimeo.

Here is what we can do to end hunger:

1. Overturn Citizens United v. FEC.

Citizens United is a Supreme Court case that removed limits on campaign contributions by corporations allowing for unfettered financial influence of US politicians. This has major implications for agriculture and the food system within the US and worldwide as US companies and policies tend to have an international ripple effect.

2. Prevent harmful trade agreements.

The US is currently negotiating two major trade agreements, the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP); both of these agreements further entrench our current failing food system. They will increase worldwide income disparities, increase GE crop production and pesticide use, and continue to spread the poor western diet abroad

3. Increase programs that work on education and poverty alleviation worldwide.

As discussed above, hunger is an issue of equity and poverty. Until these issues are addressed it does not matter how much food is in the world; there will always be unequal distribution and hunger.

4. Petition Congress to make a better farm bill that supports regenerative farming methods and increase funding for it.

There has already been an international call for a change in farming practices. The International Assessment Agricultural Knowledge, Science, and Technology for Development (IAASTD) found it essential that we embrace methods of regenerative agriculture.

5. Support international food sovereignty.

Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through sustainable methods and their right to define their own food and agriculture. Not all regions are the same and they require diverse agricultural and food systems. We must support this movement for developing countries to establish their own systems that allow them to grow cultural foods and sustain their local environments and people.

6. Switch to a plant-based diet.

The more meat we consume as a planet the greater demand we are putting on its precious resources. We should all cut back on our meat consumption, eaten only occasionally if at all. There are lots of wonderful plant-based options and alternatives to meat and other animal products.

Green America (www.greenamerica.org) is a nonprofit, membership organization whose mission is to harness economic power – the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace – to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society. Our Climate Action Program has produced several groundbreaking reports on solar power; combated the dirtiest forms of energy, which helped stop the construction of 15 coal-fired power plants in the US; and engaged hundreds of thousands of people in actions to promote corporate responsibility and government action on climate change.

We are seeking a climate fellow with outreach and organizing skills, excellent writing skills, social media experience, and an interest in climate change issues. The focus of the Climate Action Fellow will be to further our corporate responsibility campaigns on climate as well as to promote federal action on Clean Energy Victory Bonds (which would create financing for clean energy nationwide).

An ideal candidate will:

• Have strong writing skills and experience writing content for various platforms including blogs, webpages, formal letters, and reports;
• Have excellent oral communication skills and be willing to call congressional offices, NGOs, business leaders, and others to build interest and support for Clean Energy Victory Bonds and track responses;
• Have excellent organizing skills and be able to help coordinate events;
• Be familiar with social networking platforms and draft content for Facebook and Twitter
• Assist with research and mobilization on clean energy and other energy-related projects as needed;
• Be able to work independently and take initiative.
• Graphic design skills a plus.

Green America is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. Women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply.

To apply:
Please email a resume and cover letter to: Todd Larsen.
Email: toddlarsen@greenamerica.org. Please use the subject "CLIMATE Fellow: First Name Last Name"

No calls please.
Due to the volume of applications we receive, we will not respond to every application we receive. If we wish to contact you for an interview you will hear from us by phone or email.

If you have skills in online communications, simple web development, and/or web production platforms, and you want to make a difference in the world, check out this internship.

Green America is a national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. Since 1983, we’ve been working to create a green economy defined by environmental restoration and sustainability, social and economic justice, thriving and inclusive local communities, and personal health and well-being. We inform people’s choices, organize consumer collective action, and bring together businesses and other stakeholders to achieve system-wide change.

We seek someone to work with our Communications Team to engage and educate online by producing and publishing content for our websites, blog, email blasts, and social media. This position can also assist with performance metrics, online marketing, and/or graphic design, if desired and able.

This position provides an excellent career-building opportunity, especially for someone wanting experience in web content production, online communications, frontend web development, advocacy, or online marketing.

Some of the job responsibilities can be flexible depending on candidate’s skills and desires.

Responsibilities

• Put up and maintain content on Green America’s multiple websites including articles, blog posts, campaign materials, news, etc.
• Build advocacy actions for our campaigns using an online platform (Salsa).
• Create and monitor Google Adwords.
• Assist with collecting and reporting on metrics for various communication channels.
• Optimize web content for search engines to increase website.
• If desired and able, create graphics for emails, websites, and social media.
• Work in a collaborative environment where creativity is encouraged.

Qualifications

• Experience with website CMS and/or advocacy tools
• HTML and CSS skills
• Some knowledge of online marketing or JavaScript/JQuery a plus but not required
• Great attention to detail
• Ability to proofread content and ensure no mistakes or typos
• Comfortable with multiple tasks and deadlines

To apply, please send your cover letter and resume to skarimi@greenamerica.org with subject line: Online Communications Intern

This position is at Green America’s headquarters at 1612 K Street NW, Suite 600, Washington DC 20006.

Due the volume of applications we receive, we will not respond to every application.

Green America (www.greenamerica.org) is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a just and sustainable society by harnessing economic power for positive change. Our unique approach involves working with consumers, investors and businesses on both the supply and demand sides of the market to build and economy that prioritizes the well-being of people and our planet. Our workplace reflects our goal of creating a more cooperative, environmentally sound economy. We have a participatory decision-making process, which aims to build consensus within the departments and teams.

The Center for Sustainability Solutions at Green America supports several innovation networks, focused groups of stakeholders with the objective of making significant, industry-wide system change. The program team of the Center for Sustainability Solutions provides the strategic direction, stakeholder engagement program, facilitation and coordination services, and program management for participating individuals and companies in each working group.

The Central States Dairy market initiative is a specific application of our Innovation Network methodology to the supply chain that serves dairy production in the central midwest. Green America will be working with a wide range of stakeholders throughout the supply chain, from seed to cow, to develop an orderly, cost-effective transition to non-GMO feed for large dairies.

Reporting to the Manager, Central States Dairy, the Associate Project Manager will support a wide range of activities to refine the market initiative and translate it into action. Specific tasks may include: conducting landscape and targeted research to understand market dynamics or market opportunities, designing and evaluating research programs, supporting the planning and implementation of stakeholder meetings, coordinating the efforts of external subject matter experts, contributing to project reports, maintaining accurate meeting notes and project records, and other tasks.

Strong candidates for this position will have experience with and passion for developing robust, sustainable food systems. Demonstrated experience in agricultural extension, relationship development, stakeholder engagement and collaborative project work is highly relevant for this position. Experience with supply chain management, field research, dairy systems, or process consulting a significant advantage.

The position may involve occasional domestic travel (3-4 times per year). The position would be based in Washington, DC at the Green America offices or in Boston, MA. Remote work is not available for this position. This is a two-year, grant-funded position.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The overall objective of this role is to support and coordinate the implementation of Green America’s supply chain partnership in the midwest. As the Associate Program Manager, this person will work closely with the Manager, Central States Dairy, the Director of Sustainable Food Supply Chains, other Center and Green America staff, and working group participants.

Coordinate Central States Dairy market initiative:

1. Support efforts to identify and invite participants to the Initiative.
2. Support research efforts aimed at understanding non-GMO dairy market dynamics, mapping existing supply chain design, assessing agronomic models for non-GMO feed regimes, and identifying industry leaders to engage or follow. May involve on-line research, scheduling and conducting interviews by telephone.
3. Participate in outreach to farmers, growers, policy makers, and other key stakeholders.
4. Establish professional working relationships with key players in the network.<
5. Provide administrative support the Central States Dairy Design Team (support meeting planning and scheduling and ensure Design Team notes are taken, distributed and filed)
6. Track project progress against goals and timelines using work management software.
7. Participate in the creation of accurate, high quality deliverables.
8. Maintain appropriate project confidentiality and manage proprietary information with care.

Participate in activities of Center for Sustainability Solutions:

1. Attend and contribute to Center meetings.
2. Attend and contribute to Green America Staff meetings and processes.
3. Regular reporting to Manager, Central States Dairy and Director, Sustainable Food Supply Chains. Updates to the Center Director or other staff as needed.
4. Keep accurate records of time and expenses for client billing purposes.

You will be a good fit for this position if:

• You believe passionately in the importance of making positive changes to the agricultural system.
• You have strong stakeholder engagement skills.
• You have excellent communication skills (written and spoken).
• You understand the positive impact that a large corporate supply chain can have, and you are eager to help make changes within it.
• You understand that system change is hard and you are eager to work with all willing partners to make progress.
• You have urgency to get things done, and you also understand that sometimes change is neither linear nor immediately obvious. You are comfortable with uncertainty.
• You are comfortable working in an environment with many remote stakeholders.
• You can manage multiple demands with a cool head and poise.
• You have a growth mindset and see every situation as an opportunity to learn.
• You use your resourcefulness to find creative solutions.
• You like a good laugh. You take your work seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously.

Qualified candidates will have:

• At least two (2) years of experience in program management, agricultural program management or extension, management consulting or network coordination.
• Bachelor's Degree
• Key skills:
• • Research skills to effectively and efficiently complete complex research tasks and synthesize findings (e.g. assess relationship between agronomic practices for soil health
  • Ability to earn trust of farmers and extension services providersExcellent soft skills around relationship management, distributed and shared leadership, and creative problem solving (essential)
  • Confidence and poise when working with senior corporate leadership
  • Ability to professionally represent market initiative to a diverse set of stakeholders
  • Demonstrated written communications and marketing skills
  • Strong work ethic and organizational skills (work accurately to deadlines)
  • Flexibility to enable working effectively in a highly collaborative environment

Knowledge:

• Working knowledge of dairy policy or operations; soil science, agronomy, or farming; industrial food supply chains; or non-GMO advocacy (highly desirable)
• Demonstrated familiarity with current and emerging trends in the agriculture sector, sustainability metrics or measurement, or CSR (desirable).
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite and experience with customer relationship management processes and tools. (essential)
• Familiarity with Zoho or other CRM; experience with Wrike or other comparable work management platform. (desirable)

Send cover letter and resume to CentralStatesDairy@greenamerica.org or to Green America, 1612 K Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20006.

No calls, please.

Green America is an equal opportunity employer.

Due to the volume of applications we receive, we will not respond to every application we receive. If we wish to contact you for an interview you will hear from us by phone or email.

So you’ve realized that a diet free from animal products is better for the planet, your health, and your wallet, not to mention it can be enjoyable and it doesn’t have to be hard? Great! Now you're ready for a plant-based diet.

Before you embark on a new way of eating, try these tips to make it as smooth a transition as possible. If you follow these, you will have a much easier time sticking to a vegan or vegetarian diet, but remember: the goal is simply to reduce dollars spent on animal products. Slip-ups in your diet aren’t a big deal. No one’s perfect and you’re new at this!

1. Start your Plant-Based Diet Slowly 

If you’re currently eating a diet that includes meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal products, going directly to a vegan diet will be a huge shift from what you’re used to. Starting out with a vegetarian diet or even just giving up one kind of meat at a time (for example, beef this month, chicken next month) will help you transition easily.

If you’re currently vegetarian and looking to begin a vegan diet, you might begin by eating vegan only when you cook at home, one day a week, or on the weekends. You can learn what kinds of plant-based meals you like during these periods and then use them as you expand your vegan diet into the rest of the week!

Replacing every product in your kitchen (condiments, dressings, etc.) with a plant-based version can be costly, and will contribute to food waste. A better idea would be to replace non-vegan items as they run out with their vegan counterparts. This will make it an easier transition both financially and mentally.

Above all, be forgiving and kind to yourself. You are trying your best for yourself and the planet. Progress is not always linear and if you keep at it, you will get there!

2. Make a meal plan and shopping list

To get meal inspiration, look on the internet or in cookbooks for some meat-free recipes that appeal to you. For healthy, allergy-friendly and delicious plant-based recipes try Minimalist Baker, Oh She Glows, and Veganuary. You can write down ingredients from these recipes and create a shopping list.

If you prefer to go a simpler route, just make a shopping list of some veggies you like, tofu or tempeh, and your favorite beans, legumes and nuts. Add a whole grain and a healthy oil like organic coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil.

You can mix and match these ingredients to create simple grain bowls topped with roasted veggies, fresh greens, and tahini or curry sauce. Pasta dishes are another great way to tie in a bunch of colorful veggies without using a bunch of dishes. Soups and salads are also simple, tasty, and healthy options.

3. Shop smart 

A plant-based diet can be far more cost-effective than one containing animal products. If you know how to shop properly, you’ll wind up saving tons on groceries. Here’s how:

• Buy from bulk bins if your store has them
• Stock up on staples like lentils, beans, grains and rice
• Shop at the farmers market and shop seasonally whenever possible
• Cook and prepare things yourself as much as possible (more processing = higher prices)
• Grow your own food (start a Climate Victory Garden!)

4. Always bring a plant-based snack

While it’s likely that there will be plant-based options (or simple modifications you can make to menu items) there will inevitably be times when you are away from home without a vegan option. Always having a snack or two in your car or bag allows you to avoid being hungry in situations where there is no plant-based snack or meal. Some great options are nuts, fruit, popcorn, and crackers with peanut butter or hummus.

5. Be kind to others

Just like you want people to respect your decision to eat ethically, going plant-based will be a lot more enjoyable if you withhold judgment. Everyone is in a different place in their life when it comes to living sustainably. Have patience and inform other people about the environmental benefits of a meat-free diet when they show curiosity or inquire. Preaching will only make people defensive. The best way to encourage others to eat better for the planet and themselves is to focus on your own delicious, nourishing food and how great it makes you feel. Being such a great example, you’ll be sure to inspire others.

by Jamie Landa, Food Campaigns Intern

One of the most important things we can do as consumers to lessen our impact on the climate is to reduce the amount of animal products we eat. Raising animals for food produces over 51 percent of global greenhouse gas emission in addition to using more water and creating more pollution than growing plants.

Going vegan or vegetarian can seem inconvenient, expensive, and just plain not-fun. But it doesn't have to be—it can be easier and more enjoyable than you think. In fact, there are many benefits of vegetarian diets that can make it feel like a daily accomplishment for both people and planet.

Cutting down on animal products doesn’t mean you need to adopt a label. Holding yourself to a standard like veganism or vegetarianism can mean setting yourself up for failure. It helps to go into a meat-free life with the attitude that nobody’s perfect and the less animal products you consume, the better for the Earth. And if you’d like a label that gives you some wiggle room, you can always be a reducetarian.

Once you get past the fear that you need to be perfect, eating a plant-based diet can be fun and easy. Here’s 5 reasons why it’s exciting to ditch animal products from your diet:

1. Try new things 

It’s easy to get stuck in a food rut, we all do it. Cooking and ordering the same dishes day after day can become a bore. Cutting out meat means changing up your diet and trying interesting new restaurants and meals.

Whether it means learning to cook with plant-based proteins like tofu and tempeh or trying that new vegan spot in town, going vegetarian/vegan continually exposes you to new foods. Even better, these new options can be healthy, satisfying, and just as flavorful.

2. Get healthy 

According to the American Heart Association, vegetarians have a lower risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain kinds of cancer than meat-eaters. Some people fear that they will struggle to get enough protein on a vegetarian or vegan diet, but there are plenty of plant-based protein sources including nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, soy, quinoa, hemp, and vegetables. Furthermore, this worry over vegans’ protein levels isn't necessary since many people may be getting too much protein.

A diet free of animal products can also result in weight loss. Provided you steer clear of vegan junk food, (Oreos are accidentally vegan) a diet rich in greens, colorful vegetables, and whole grains will keep you fit and full of energy!

3. Save money 

Want to save over $700 dollars a year on food? Reducing the meat in your diet can get you there. Eating a vegan or vegetarian diet often is looked at as overpriced and designated for a privileged few. The reality is that if you shop consciously, you can end up saving money on a meat-free meal plan. A diet focused on whole and minimally processed foods is often the most economical. In-season vegetables and fruits as well as grains, nuts, and seeds can be found at very low prices compared with animal products and prepared foods.

4. Stop the guilt

Factory farmed animals often suffer prematurely short lives in terrible conditions. To make the most profit, factory farms confine large numbers of animals into small spaces, restricting their movement. This also creates unclean conditions in which animals can easily get sick.

To prevent this, large amounts of antibiotics are administered regularly. The livestock industry uses 24.6 million pounds of antibiotics annually. This overuse of antibiotics has led to antibiotic resistance in humans as well as the development of drug-resistant “superbugs.” Large chains like Starbucks use milk and meat sourced from factory farms, making it difficult to avoid supporting these operations unless you buy items free of animal products.

Giving up animal products means you no longer are using your money to support animal cruelty, human health damage, and environmental harm. Being able to enjoy your meals guilt-free makes them so much more enjoyable!

5. Eat delicious food 

There are so many great vegetarian/vegan recipes out there. Check out all the recipe links found in the captions of the tasty-looking photos in this post. More great recipes for yummy vegetarian/vegan meals can be found at Minimalist Baker, Organic Authority, and MindBodyGreen. Happy cooking!

As early as the 1930s and 1940s, doctors confirmed that asbestos was causing serious illnesses among factory workers who handled the heat-resistant mineral. But that did not stop companies from continuing to use the material in building construction and household items.

Up until the late-1970s, asbestos was used in products to help you cook your food, get ready in the morning and even grow the plants in your garden. But it wasn’t until 1989 that the EPA banned asbestos and created a timeline for phasing it out. In 1991 that ban was overturned by a federal appeals court in New Orleans, making the substance legal in limited uses today. Although regulations regarding asbestos use are much tighter today than they were 40 or 50 years ago, the dangerous material may still be in your home.

All forms of asbestos can cause serious illnesses like asbestosis, mesothelioma, and ovarian, lung, or laryngeal cancers, though they may take decades after exposure to develop. If you do find items in your home that you think might be contaminated, don’t try to remove them on your own. Make sure to have a licensed professional remove the asbestos for you. Searching "asbestos removal" on a search engine should give you local results.

5 Everyday Products that May Have Asbestos

1. Crock Pots

Crock pots made prior to the mid-1970s contained asbestos, both as an insulator found in the lining between the inner and outer pots and around the power cord to help prevent electrical fires. Due to its excellent insulation abilities, crocidolite asbestos (also known as blue asbestos), was likely used as the insulation for the cords, mainly because the products would be plugged in for long periods of time.

2. Home Appliances

Asbestos wasn’t just in the kitchen. You could find asbestos-laden items all over the house, including hair dryers, ironing board covers and popcorn poppers. In the case of hair dryers, the Consumer Product Safety Commission called some of the biggest hair dryer manufacturers together to get those containing asbestos off shelves and out of homes. Unfortunately, a voluntary recall in 1979 only recovered a fraction of the 18 million affected dryers sold.

3. Toys

In 2015, CNN reported that asbestos was found in several boxes of crayons and two toy crime lab kits tested by a lab hired by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Action Fund. In each case, the toys were produced in China and imported to the US. This wasn’t the first time the mineral has been found in these toys. Similar tests in 2000 found traces of asbestos in crayons, and a 2007 test by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization found the substance in toy fingerprint exam kits.

4. Vermiculite Insulation (Zonolite)

Vermiculite is a lightweight and fire-resistant mineral that can expand between 8-30 times its size when exposed to high heat. For that reason, it found its way into attics, walls and other insulated areas. However, from 1919-1990, about 70 percent of the vermiculite sold in the U.S. was mined near Libby, MT, and was contaminated with asbestos. If you have vermiculite insulation in your home (usually sold by the brand name Zonolite), you can assume asbestos is there too.

5. Potting Soil

Vermiculite found in potting soil is great for seedlings because it absorbs water and helps retain moisture. It’s also inert, which helps protect seedlings from fungus and other killers. The problem is that the vermiculite used in some soils was also mined in Libby, MT, where asbestos contamination took place. Today’s vermiculite is much safer to use, though some gardeners now also use perlite, which has many of the same qualities but retains air and offers better drainage.

Asbestos has largely been removed from our daily lives in favor of much safer alternatives, though the mineral has still not been banned in the U.S. With that said, you may not have to look as hard as you think to find an asbestos-containing product in your home, and perhaps even find it in something you use every day.
 

About the author:

Charles MacGregor is a health advocate with the Mesothelioma.com working to spread awareness about the disease and advocate for a ban of asbestos in the United States.