Huffington Post’s John Tepper Marlin spoke with Sanders recently about his book and the notion of corporate social responsibility (CSR) moving beyond being a “luxury good” to a more mainstream commodity.  Sanders also shares his thoughts on how to make such a revolution sustainable, what defines pioneers in the space of corporate responsibility and why companies embracing CSR as yet another way to make a buck won’t survive.   You can read the entire interview here. 

We’ve long believed in the premise that making a profit and making a positive social impact can and should live together in the world of business … we’re putting “Saving the World at Work” on our reading list.  If any of you have read it, we’d love your review.

Back of the Hill Urban Wild, Mission Hill

EarthWorks, a community-based nonprofit dedicated to creating a healthier and more sustainable Boston, is working to restore the city’s urban wilds and, in the process, provide city residents the opportunity to experience nature close to home.  Through several major programs, including its Urban Orchards Program, Outdoor Classroom Program and Urban Wilds Restoration Program, EarthWorks is actively engaging Boston neighborhoods in its effort to reclaim neglected urban space, and providing hands-on environmental education to city residents of all ages.

On Wednesday, October 1, EarthWorks will help host the first of Timberland’s Dig It events, as we descend on the site of the Boston Nature Center – the last remaining “green oasis” in the neighborhood of Mattapan.  What was once over 200 acres of open space has diminished over time to a mere 67 acres; our challenge for the day is to mitigate the impacts of invasive plant species by planting over 300 trees , which will also increase the area’s tree canopy and ensure the sustainability of its habitat for years to come.

To learn more about EarthWorks’ commitment to strengthening local communities through environmental service, be sure to visit their website.  And if you live in the greater Boston area, please consider joining your fellow Earthkeepers at next Wednesday’s Dig It event (more details and sign-up information can be found here).  We’d love to meet you.

The above insight about one of the pitfalls of public transportation, from an environmental perspective, is from environmental artist Catherine Blackwell-Pena’s blog, Riding Green.  Her point is an important one: while some “green” behaviors have developed a degree of social cachet over time (think of all those celebrities driving hybrids and shopping at their local farmer’s markets), other actions – like riding a bus – have somehow not garnered the same desirable environmental status. 

Blackwell-Pena is working to change the image of public transportation and help raise its green status by designing these Duv-Tal seats – environmentally-conscious, inexpensive and unobtrusive public chairs, installed on light posts commonly found at public bus stops.  The Duv-Tal seats serve to add a level of “visual respect” to the Memphis, TN  area where they’ve been installed (many bus stops here lack adequate seating, leaving passengers to stand or sit on the ground) and messaging on each seat reminds passengers that by utilizing public transportation, they’re serving as positive environmental role models.

To impact real positive environmental change, we’re going to have to move beyond actions that are convenient, inexpensive or popular to tackle those more complex, requiring more effort and perhaps less socially-desirable.  Thanks to the efforts of individuals like Catherine Blackwell-Pena, such actions are getting overdue attention and respect.

Click here to read more about Catherine Blackwell-Pena and the Duv-Tal seats … and thanks to our friends the Canaries for turning us on to her work.

These icebergs were calved from Greenland’s Jakobshavn Glacier, which sends 11 cubic miles of ice into the ocean each year.  Photo courtesy of Nationalgeographic.com.

The cameras will shoot once an hour for every hour of daylight until the project’s completion in fall 2009, when EIS plans to publish a book, followed by a feature documentary film.  In the interim, EIS team members return to the field periodically to download images – like those shown here — which can be viewed on the EIS website.

James Balog is widely considered a visionary in the art of photographing nature and wildlife.  True to form, the images he and the EIS team are capturing of the real-time impact of global warming are both breathtaking and thought–provoking.

An iceberg drifts in Columbia Bay near Valdez, Alaska. The source of this iceberg, the Columbia Glacier, has lost more than 10 miles of ice since 1984.  Photo courtesy of Nationalgeographic.com.

Balog will be speaking about his work next month during Timberland’s Dig It event – a four-city tour that combines community service (in the form of urban greening) and the celebration of environmental activism, all in one day.  Dig It debuts in Boston on October 1, followed by events in New York (October 4), Los Angeles (October 11), and San Francisco (October 18).

To learn more about the Extreme Ice Survey, visit the EIS website (don’t miss the video clip of one of the largest glacial calvings ever documented on video – truly remarkable).  And, while we’ll be sharing more information about Dig It in the coming weeks, you can learn more and sign up to participate in one of the events by clicking here.

The goal of Serv-a-palooza – beyond enjoying a day out of the office and a unique teambuilding opportunity with colleagues – is to create a positive, sustainable impact on the community in which you’re serving. As a visual example of the kind of impact that can be created by a group of energetic volunteers in one day, consider these photos from another recent Timberland service day — Earth Day 2008, when approximately 100 volunteers spent the day planting native vegetation in Taipei’s Peace Park in Taiwan.

Before the Earthkeeping started:

On Earth Day:

The positive impact — still growing three months later:

Next week’s Serv-a-palooza projects promise to yield equally rewarding transformations … some of which we hope to document and share here on Earthkeepers. Stay tuned.

Hear more about Timberland’s approach to practical problem solving and why Jeff believes the best is yet to come us by clicking below. Our thanks to the LifeTips radio team for sharing with us.

Webmaster Radio
	Timberland Going Carbon Neutral Show: Life Tips

Here’s an idea we love: tap into the athletes among us – by nature a passionate, dedicated group – and use their events and venues to advance environmental awareness. 

Athletes for a Fit Planet is working to do just that — providing environmentally-responsible solutions for race and event organizers looking to reduce their event waste and emissions.   Below, Chief Green Officer Bruce Rayner shares his experience, inspiration and vision for the future of environmental awareness in the athletic world:

I launched Athletes for a Fit Planet early in 2008. I had an epiphany at a race last year – after the race I was carrying around an empty water bottle and looking for a recycling bin, but there were none. All they had were trash cans piled full of plastic water bottles, paper and food waste. It occurred to me then that there was a need for someone to offer a service to help race organizers re-think their events so the environment would not have to suffer. I’m an avid triathlete and runner, and so my focus with Athletes for a Fit Planet is on these events for now — but I’m also branching out to include charity walks and student groups. When you think about it, whenever people gather together for an activity – be it a school, a race or a concert – there’s the opportunity to integrate environmentally responsible practices.

The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive. I get emails just about every day from athletes who say they are grateful for the work we’re doing, which is very motivating. Most of the race directors and organizers I talk to like what we’re doing and they want to do the right thing – but for them, it’s about cost and benefit. They’re not willing to invest more in the products and services they purchase for their events. I have to convince them that it’s an investment in their own future;  if they don’t start down the eco-path now, they may not be here in a couple of years when it becomes the standard way to operate. When you look at the big picture, it’s not a significant investment.  

My vision for success would be the widespread adoption of an international environmental standard for certifying athletic events. Without a standard for defining what is acceptable eco-practice, you’re going to have a lot of green wash – which we are already seeing today. Athletes for a Fit Planet is working with a standards organization – The Council for Responsible Sport - that will be launching the standard criteria in early 2009. Beyond a standard, I’d like to see the day come when athletes demand that event organizers and the companies that support them are environmentally responsible. It should be second nature that we do all we can to protect and repair the land, water and air. Unfortunately, today it’s not second nature – FitPlanet is helping to educate and inform athletes, race directors and the companies that support them so that day will come sooner rather than later. 

Bruce Rayner
Chief Green Officer
Athletes for a Fit Planet

Our Earthkeeper Hero Agent 350 shared his experiences with the Green Long March in a recent blog post and also in the following video.  You don’t need to understand Chinese to be able to see and hear the enthusiasm in the students participating on the march; they’re optimistic, energetic, and clearly committed to their effort to preserve the environment.

We live in a marvelous, modern age of technology – technology that has its place and plays a critical role in countless initiatives underway to help stem global warming.  But campaigns like the Green Long March remind us that positive, powerful change can also come, more simply, from putting one foot in front of another.

Congratulations to the Green Long Marchers on a successful journey … and for making the most of their summer break.