Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, and Cause Marketing News.

  The joint venture is scheduled to launch operations at the end of 2011, including the assembly, testing and overhaul of engine components such as power assemblies and turbochargers in China.  During the second phase, starting in 2013 engines as well as components will be assembled, tested and overhauled.

  “This new joint venture directly aligns with GE’s strategic direction to design, manufacture and service product within the region or country in which they are used,” said Tim Schweikert, President of GE Transportation China.  “GE will continue to supply key engine components for the final engine assembly such as turbocharger and fuel injection kits.  Providing these key components also helps sustain approximately 120 U.S. manufacturing jobs.”

  In October 2005, GE Transportation marked the formal beginning of its partnership with CSR Qishuyan by signing a strategic contract with China’s Ministry of Railways to supply 300, 6,250-horsepower Evolution Series HXN5 China Mainline Locomotives.  Today more than 100 of these Evolution Series China Mainline Locomotives already have been produced by CSR Qishuyan and placed in revenue service by the Ministry of Railways.

  There is significant opportunity for locomotive modernization in China.  CSR produced more than half of the more than 12,000 diesel locomotives currently in service.  Most diesel locomotives in China would benefit from advanced fuel-savings and emissions- reducing technologies.  The Evolution Series locomotive diesel engines are GE’s most fuel-efficient and low emission diesel engines to-date and, thereby, support China’s green initiatives.  The Evolution Series Locomotive is one of GE’s most prominent ecomaginationSM products.  Ecomagination is a GE-wide initiative to help meet customer demand for more energy efficient products.  

  To learn more about GE’s announcements in China this week, visit http://www.ge.com/chinanews.

I’d like to correct a common misconception, although I do not imagine that these comments will actually have far reaching impact. The well-entrenched concerns for global warming have designated greenhouse gases as the culprit for this global climate change issue. In particular, the anthropogenic (man made) contribution of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere due to the use of fossil fuels must be reduced according to the Kyoto Protocol. At the start, it should be stated that the issues of global warming or global cooling are not debatable issues. Both of these phenomenons have occurred before and will happen again. Neither is the impact of greenhouse gases under question. The greenhouse affect keeps us from experiencing incredible temperature changes between night and day. So, just in case you didn’t already know this, the greenhouse effect is our good friend. The greenhouse effect is the fundamental reason that we have a habitable planet that retains a proper amount of heat in our atmosphere. It is the concerns about an out-of-balance atmospheric condition that promotes global warming or global cooling.

It is the imbalance of the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere that is of concern right now, and the debate that rages is whether mankind can make the difference in how it operates. That issue is not the debate of this article. The point of this offering is the question of the application of "Green" when it comes to a "Carbon Neutral" status of a business. Is is fair or correct to apply the term Green to a carbon neutral business? Well, it all depends on how the terms are defined.

If Green means "anything environmental" no matter how extended the connection, then it is probably allowed to call a carbon neutral company Green. I debate the core of this issue because Green is not a synonym for environmentalism. It is a part of the environmental issue with a more specific meaning. Green is best defined as the "health impact" of what we do. If this definition is correct, then Green is misapplied to carbon neutral applications. As seen in the chart above, I believe that Green refers to the health impact of a process. I also believe that sustainable issues are what should be called a Blue issue. Pollution is a Red issue, and Conservation is a Yellow designation.

Given these definitions, carbon-neutral may well be a pollution issue and obviously a sustainability issue. In the proper sense, being carbon neutral does not make a company Green. And, I am not referring to a long extrapolation of reduced carbon emissions that will help the global health. This allows the morphing of any "carbon neutral" designation that frankly deserves to stand on its own right as a positive environmental contribution. It need not be relabeled as Green. It complements the Blue sustainable issues, the Red pollution concerns, and even the Yellow conservation issues since we are concerned about the atmosphere (a natural resource). Good definitions help us build a better debate on the subject, and loose definitions will keep us wandering in the mists of confusion.

Buying carbon credits to offset the calculated CO2 output is both somewhat trendy and helpful. These carbon credits are ostensibly a method of funding the capital needs of environmental projects like windmills, solar installation, hydro power, methane energy production, and reforestation. All worthy causes as long as the underlying cause it legitimate and verified. The carbon neutral status shows a consciousness of the CO2 problem and a willingness to make a contribution to the better solutions that are yet to make it to the profitable status.

So, there is no criticism on our part concerning the carbon neutral status nor the need to be better environmental citizens. The reduction of our dependency on oil is yet another problem that needs our collective support. There is merit in the carbon offset strategy that is clearly good for pollution reduction and sustainability concerns. The present voluntary program of carbon offsetting is directing billions of dollars into the alternative energy and reforestation programs. This is substantial and commendable.

The mislabeling of everything environmental demonstrates the unfortunate lack of definition in this cause. The fact is that there are four great areas that compose the environmental topic, and each deserve our attention. The blurring of these subjects leave the public in disarray and confusion as to what needs to be done and the associated impact on the greater environmental challenge. I would argue, in the kindest of terms, that carbon offsetting is a good idea, a meritorious idea, and helpful to the cause. But, let me explain why carbon offsetting is not Green.

A company outputting carbon dioxide may well buy offsetting carbon credits and call itself "carbon neutral," but did they change anything by this action? No, they are still outputting CO2, although they may wish to reduce their output later. Has their carbon neutrality changed their daily operations so that workers are healthier? No, the company wears the badge of carbon neutrality even if it has poor indoor air quality, neglected energy consumption, and pours pollution out the back of the plant every day. It is far too easy to allow your hand to block what is really in front of you. One brick does not make a building. One star does not compose the heavens, regardless of its beauty. Neither does the environmental option applied to the company by a carbon neutral status make the company an environmentally-friendly operation.

A Certified Green Consultant can assist your business in its pursuit of an environmentally-friendly status. There are many things that a company may do to become a Green company, and carbon credits are a helpful part of the larger project. Many companies now proudly display their Certified Green Business status, having earned 100 points in the Green Business League program. Several points are added for being carbon neutral, but there is more that can and should be done. Working with a Certified Green Consultant makes this complex and involved process simple. Never accept a one-sided solution as the full solution. The Green Business League is the best Green business certification in the industry.

Mayors Across America is a new and tremendous idea that all mayors need to be aware of.　 It seems that everyone is looking for leadership today, and environmentalism has taken many distracting routes.　 Mayors often talk about Green initiatives in their communities, but taking real action is not as simple as it sounds. Mayors Across America is the first step that all mayors need to take to make sure their offices, communities, and cities become authentically Green.

Green leadership is very important to encourage others to Go Green as well.　 We are struggling right now with-in a period of Greenwashing tactics and an "Easy Green" attitude that will actually buying a Green certification off the Internet.　 What is needed is a program that does not "Dumb Down Green," but encourages people, families, businesses, and organizations to step up to a respected standard of Green Practices

The Green Business League transcends local Green programs that are well-intended but not capable of creating the kind of program that can change our nation and our world.　 While every little bit counts, we also suffer from a discordant array of Green promotions that lack the size and vision found in the national (and International) program of responsible and holistic Green Practices that millions of people and companies can achieve under a common system.

We encourage every Mayor to join Mayors Across America, and take the leadership in their community for what is happening in other cities across America.　 The fee, of course, is extremely modest.　 The public relations value is also very obvious.　 But, the signal that this effort sends is invaluable to the community.

The Green Business League offers a true "Plug and Play" type of approach.　 Bringing a Green program to your city is easy and well-conceived.　 Our trained Certified Green Consultant will provide all the necessary support required.　 She/he will coordinate with your existing projects to build a system that creates Green business, Green communities, and Green events.　 Why create the wheel over again?　 The environmental crisis is not served by well-intended but casually-implemented programs like a patchwork across America.

Setting a standard that carries more than local recognition will enhance your city's commitment and success.　 The Green Business League has more than 300 Certified Green Consultants nationally.　 There is probably one in or near your town who can easily assist the Mayor's office in the program. We ask only for a modest endorsement of the Green Business League program as we encourage businesses and organizations to participate in a Green business network that will also stimulate local business buying from businesses.　 There seems to be no losers in this project, because while there is a cost for each certification, the actual savings will increase profits in any business.

Mayors Across America offers the opportunity for any Mayor's office to earn the GBL Green Business Certification for the small fee of certification.　 What is important, now, is that community leader’s step up to this challenge as an example for others to follow. To help promote the value of this program, we are going to create a massive Internet syndication of each and every mayor's office in the program.　 This includes hundreds of syndicated articles, a media campaign that reaches the major news agencies in the country, and a good number of high-value links resulting from this effort.

Any mayor's office wishing to join this initiative is encouraged to contact our office, and we will have a trained Certified Green Consultant follow up with them as soon as possible.　 The process starts with an assessment of all Green Practices currently in place.　 Points are assigned for all such improvements.　 The assessment will highlight other Green Practices that will allow the business to attain the 100 point requirement.　 Since this program is not an honorary or shallow certification, an assessment and audit are annually conducted to encourage Green Practices in areas that fit the company's situation. 

Sustainability Officer Training is perfect for businesses that are looking for ways to become environmentally healthy.  We offer a well rounded training program into two and a half, knowledge packed days, and show any business how to install an eco-friendly program that anyone can see importance in.  For a long time, the Green transition for businesses has been left to the best efforts of a group of people within an organization who had no formal training in environmental education.

The online Sustainability Officer Training will provide participants with a heavy introduction to the Greening process.  They will be shown how to implement a program that merits respect and will save money.  Green is also about efficiencies, and we know how to make Green pay in the short and long run.  The final project at the Sustainability Officer Training is to prepare a Green program for your business that fits the needs of your company and allows your team to control the application of the program.  You will leave with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to plan an Authentically Green Program in your company.

It is almost impossible to imagine that the problems of environmental duties could be so well organized in a two-day session that will produce such superior results, but it will.  With knowledgeable material, the Sustainability Officer Training will provide you with the most vital issues in the Green World. In fact, the last segment provides a Green program that will allow any business to Go Green despite the size or type.

Successful businesses have realized that "Going Green can save your company thousands of dollars in lost revenue!" Most businesses see the Greening process as another expenditure that is good for the earth, but not good for the bank account. That type of thinking is changing, and the savings realized by companies that use Greening processes is far more priceless than ever imagined.

You must realize that your cost of daily operation is sure to go up in the near future. The Cap and Trade legislation will add a hidden cost to everything we use.  The cost of energy alone is predicted to go up by 200-300%. Your carbon output may even be taxed.  In the past, businesses hired sustainability experts to speed up their procedures, reduce waste, and increase profits. Green officers are the modern version of sustainability experts. When it comes to a sustainable issue, there are areas of waste that will greatly affect your company's profits for the years to come.

Greenwashing is something that every business must keep away from because it will mostly likely come back as very bad press.  It is not credible enough to talk or promote your company as Green by good worth of some Green adjustments to your operation. To be Green Business Certified, your company will want to be validated by a true independent third party like the Green Business League, Inc. This is awarded when a company is able to acquire enough points for already having Green practices.

Sustainability Officer Training offers a significant edge for any business. Don’t waste time "trying to be Green, and then doing a poor job of it," when actually establishing a Green program will give your business a Green Business certification that is earned not bought.  Find out how Going Green will save your business an immense amount of money each year, and you will also profit from the impressive marketing value of an authentically Green certification.

Look three to five years down the road and ask yourself whether being a Green business will be necessary. Obama's must read books during his Martha's Vineyard vacation was "Hot, Flat, and Crowded" by Thomas Friedman. He has appointed a Green Czar with sweeping powers to push a Green agenda across our country. Climate change, population growth, and the need to heal our world will hurt any company that does not have Green practices or programs.  To sign up or learn more go to www.sustainabilityofficertraining.com.

The Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) in North America is proud to announce it will be hosting its IEMA Workshop titled, “Certified CSR Practitioner IEMA Approved”, on February 9-10, 2010 for the second time in Chicago.

This certified workshop will give participants the opportunity to earn a certificate designating them as Qualified to originate and manage a Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability program within their organization. The CSE workshop is certified by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), and is designed for all professionals responsible for the management of CSR, Marketing, and Public Relations activities. General Managers, Public Relations Managers and Sustainability and Environmental Professionals can advance their Sustainability understanding, acquire the skill and knowledge that will bring added value and authenticity to their company, and also earn an official business qualification through this two-day workshop.

With specialized, detailed and highly focused training, the CSE workshop will cover:

• CSR/Sustainable Development Concepts & its Return on Investment

• Global Warming & Climate Change Issues

• Future trends & legislation in the U.S. & Worldwide on Corporate Responsibility

• The Stakeholder Approach & CSR

• CSR Communication & Reporting

• Global Standards/Models/Guidelines & Tools for practical CSR integration (GRI, UN Global Compact, EFQM)

• A CSR Action Plan for your organization (prerequisite for CSR practitioner Qualification)

More than 80 Professionals from 5 continents have already joined this unique workshop, which is designed for all professionals responsible for the Sustainable Management of their organizations. The certified workshop, launched in Europe and expanded in many different countries successfully by CSE, represents a stepping-stone for organizations that want to implement Sustainability into their operations gradually, one-step at a time. September's CSR Practitioner Workshop was certified as carbon neutral and attracted an eclectic group of professionals, ranging from CSR Managers to University Directors, and finally CSR media.

To request additional information or register in the next workshop contact CSE at research@cse-net.org or info@cse-northamerica.org .

The Eco Institution, a San Diego-based environmental education and training firm, today announced the release of a new and enhanced “Green Consultant” certification and training course. The new online course is intended to make it easier than ever before for home-service professionals and other interested individuals to become Certified Green Consultants, and thereafter to deliver “Green Consulting” services to homeowners, businesses, and organizations in their neighborhoods and communities.

The new course builds on and replaces the Eco Institution’s initial Eco Consultant Certification course, which has been offered since early summer. The new course presents more detailed and advanced training content than was included in the original course, and focuses exclusively on strategies for reducing energy use, water use, and utility costs in homes and workplaces. The release of the enhanced course could not be timed more appropriately, as it responds directly to a recent call by the White House “Recovery Through Retrofit” Middle Class Task Force for greatly accelerated training of environmental professionals. The October 2009 report noted that “there are currently not enough skilled workers and green entrepreneurs to expand weatherization and efficiency retrofit programs on a national scale.”

“In recent months, our nation’s mission has become clear,” Kevin R. Hopkins, the course’s co-author, declared upon announcing the new training program. “Energy- and water-conservation efforts will succeed only if they are implemented and driven at the local level. But to achieve that goal, we literally need an ‘army of Green Consultants’ to visit the millions of homes and workplaces in America, and to help their occupants to save energy and water in the most effective and lasting ways possible.

“As a nation, we certainly have the ideas and initiative that this vital objective demands,” emphasized Mr. Hopkins, a Business Week contributing editor who also served as an economic, energy, and environmental advisor in the Reagan White House. “But now we need one thing more: we need the talent. We need people in every neighborhood and in every community in America who possess the knowledge and skills to bring this goal about. And that is exactly what the Eco Institution’s new Certified Green Consultant Course will provide.”

Responding to the White House Mandate

The new Certified Green Consultant Course has been designed and written to fully comply with the training parameters set forth in the White House’s “Recovery Through Retrofit” overview document. The Presidential report noted that “making American homes and buildings more energy-efficient presents an unprecedented opportunity for communities throughout the country… Home retrofits can potentially help people earn money, as home retrofit workers, while also helping them save money, by lowering their utility bills. By encouraging nationwide weatherization of homes, workers of all skill levels will be trained, engaged, and will participate in ramping up a national home retrofit market.”

The report went on to describe in detail the dimensions of the challenge—and the corresponding opportunity—that is facing the nation. “There are almost 130 million homes in this country,” the report observed. “Combined, they generate more than 20% of our nation's carbon dioxide emissions, making them a significant contributor to global climate change. Existing techniques and technologies in energy efficiency retrofitting can reduce home energy use by up to 40% per home and lower associated greenhouse gas emissions by up to 160 million metric tons annually by the year 2020. Furthermore, home energy-efficiency retrofits have the potential to reduce home energy bills by $21 billion annually, paying for themselves over time.”

The “Recovery Through Retrofit” initiative, which the White House will make more specific in coming months, also will include new national energy-efficiency standards for existing homes along with a program to expand the availability of so-called “green mortgages.” But the training-standards component remains a key centerpiece. “By implementing Recovery Through Retrofit’s recommendations,” the report concluded, “the Federal Government will lay the groundwork for a self-sustaining home energy-efficiency retrofit industry. This report provides a roadmap of how the Federal Government can use existing authorities and funds to unlock private capital and mobilize our communities.”

Saving Green by Living Green

Mr. Hopkins applauded the government’s efforts, noting that it was the key “missing piece” in the nation’s commitment to environmental protection and wiser energy use. “Homeowners and businesses in the United States and elsewhere have long been supportive of environmental initiatives, but have been frustrated by a lack of both knowledge and opportunities for living and operating in a more environmentally responsible fashion,” he said. “But thanks to the emerging Green Consultant profession, local residents and business owners can begin to really make a difference—right in their own neighborhoods and communities.”

That difference they can make means more than just doing a “good deed” for the planet. It also can translate into saving money. Indeed, the Eco Institution emphasizes that, in the difficult economy that has battered the United States and others developed countries in recent years, consumers and small businesses are more interested than ever before in saving money wherever they can—and that planetary consciousness needs to follow suit.

“It’s easy for someone who is passionate about protecting the environment to say that cost doesn’t matter,” says Mr. Hopkins. “And in the larger sense, maybe it doesn’t. But environmental protection and planetary preservation depend on people’s actually taking action. And like it or not, most people today—no matter how committed to the environment they might be—simply don’t have the thousands of extra dollars required to purchase a new hybrid car or to line their rooftops with pricey solar panels.”

With that fact in mind, the Eco Institution focuses its training efforts on helping future Green Consultants to demonstrate to their clients how “living green” and “saving green” go together. By undertaking simple, relatively inexpensive steps—from wiser usage of lighting, heating, cooling, and water to improved insulation and replacement of old appliances—some families can save up to $2,000 or more each year through the adoption of green-living practices, and many businesses can save much more. In addition, U.S. Federal tax credits for energy-efficient structural additions can save taxpayers up to an additional $1,500 in the coming tax year.

A Powerful New Approach to Energy- and Water-Efficiency

The Eco Institution’s Certified Green Consultant Training Course is aimed at both existing home-service professionals—ranging from real estate agents and home inspectors to interior designers, electricians, and plumbers—seeking to add a new line of business to their current professional practices, as well as other individuals (including career-changes, underemployed professionals, and local entrepreneurs) looking to generate extra income and to establish a foothold in a solid and promising next-generation career.

The Certified Green Consultant Course, which was co-authored by veteran energy executive Michelle L. Hopkins, is designed to be a no-nonsense “nuts and bolts” training guide for cost-efficiently saving energy and water at home and work. At the same time, the course (and the Eco Institution’s approach to “Green Consulting” in general) goes far beyond the more formulaic “energy audits” traditionally offered by utility companies and earlier-generation environmental training programs. “The Eco Institution’s new course will help Certified Green Consultants to become ‘trusted counselors’ to their residential and commercial clients, and to help guide them through the maze of technical and legal complexities that surround the practice of energy-efficiency and retrofitting,” Ms. Hopkins explained.

Ms. Hopkins previously served for 17 years in various senior executive capacities with Pacific Enterprises/Southern California Gas Company (now Sempra Energy), one of the nation’s largest energy utilities. Working closely with the company’s award-winning energy-auditing program, she witnessed first-hand how much more effective “trusted energy counselors” were in the field than were the more traditional checklist-driven energy auditors. “Whenever clients needed help in dealing with energy-efficiency or retrofitting issues, our people were always the ‘first call.’ We hope to create the same, powerful dynamic with this new generation of Eco Institution-trained Green Consultants.”

A Rich Course Curriculum

The Eco Institution’s Certified Green Consultant Training Course covers the full range of topics necessary for future Green Consultants to become locally recognized experts in residential and commercial energy- and water-efficiency. Among the topics covered by the 17-unit online course are:

•    Green Consulting as a profession
•    The residential ecosystem
•    Residential heating and cooling systems
•    Insulation and thermostats
•    Windows and doors
•    Household appliances and electronics
•    Water use and water heating
•    Energy-efficient lighting solutions
•    Alternative-energy options, including solar and wind
•    Green home design principles
•    Energy and water use in the workplace
•    Workplace-based recycling practices
•    Conducting Green Home and Green Workplace surveys
•    Marketing and selling Green Consulting services
•    Publishing and promoting Green Consulting services
•    Promoting Green Consulting services online

The Eco Institution’s Green Consultant certification process has been designed for maximum flexibility and adaptability to the needs of individual Green Consultant trainees. Taking advantage of the latest in web-based training technologies, the Certified Green Consultant Training Course is available online, and can be studied at the student’s own pace and on his or her own schedule. Each of the introductory course’s 17 units includes a detailed, easy-to-read text-based lesson, and is accompanied by email-based access to a professional Green Consulting Coach who will guide students through both the substantive and practical aspects of setting up and building their Green Consulting practice.

The Certified Green Consultant Training Course also includes a professionally designed business “Start Up Kit” intended to help Green Consultants to rapidly build their professional practices. Among the Kit’s more than two dozen components are a suite of home consulting, workplace consulting, and marketing and promotion tools that will enable Green Consultants to focus more time on the vital matters of client service and follow-up and less on the rote mechanics of running a business. The centerpiece of the Start Up Kit are comprehensive Green Home Survey and Green Workplace Surveys and Reports, that will enable Green Consultants to review homes and workplaces and to deliver their findings in a cost-efficient and consistent manner.

The Eco Institution operates its Green Consultant credentialing program as an educational and training network and not as a franchise. Specifically, the Eco Institution sets no fee structures that its trained and certified Green Consultants are required to charge and makes no guarantees of any specific income stream (although many Green Consultants and Eco Consultants currently earn from $100 to $400 per home or business survey, and several hundred dollars or more from follow-on work with the same client). Additionally, Green Consultants choose their company’s own name and location, set their own hours, and determine which specific services they will offer and how much they will charge. There are also no sales territories or sales quotas.  Eco Institution-trained Green Consultants keep 100% of whatever they earn from clients, and do not have to pay a “sales commission” or licensing fee to the Eco Institution for ongoing use of Eco Institution materials.

Signing Up for the Eco Consultant Certification Course

Signing up for the Eco Institution’s Certified Green Consultant Training Course is a simple and straightforward matter. Interested individuals should visit the Eco Institution’s Green Consultant web site at www.greenconsultant.com. Alternatively, students may telephone the Eco Institution directly at (877) 235-3170

CorporateRegister.com is pleased to announce that the full NEWSWEEK GREEN RANKINGS REPORT is now available to purchase at http://www.corporateregister.com/greenranking.html.

CorporateRegister.com played a key role in these rankings, drawing on the resources of our site, our users, and our partners, in order to contribute to what we believe is the first objective ‘green’ analysis of America’s 500 largest companies.

The rankings are a product of a year-long collaboration between CorporateRegister.com, Newsweek, and environmental research firms KLD Research & Analytics and Trucost. Despite the challenges of comparing sustainability across sectors, the team created an overarching methodology to compare firms based on a Green Policies Score, an Environmental Impact Score, and a Reputation Score. 

Companies that topped the rankings include Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Johnson & Johnson, Intel, and IBM, and additional rankings by sector were also clarified. 

The full report, available in PDF and printed formats, features additional details of the findings, including:

• Proprietary data for all 500 companies in the NEWSWEEK GREEN RANKING.

• Sector-by-analysis, including an overview of 15 industry sectors, detailed performance data about the top 10 companies in each sector, and each company's ranking relative to its peers.

• Expanded information about the NEWSWEEK GREEN RANKING environmental reputation survey results, including how a company's U.S. image differs from how it's seen abroad.

The online summary report can be found at http://greenrankings.newsweek.com/.

Registered CorporateRegister.com users can request a discount code for online purchase of the full report. Simply contactinfo@corporateregister.com with subject line ‘Newsweek’ and your username to request the discount code. Then go to http://www.corporateregister.com/greenranking.html to purchase the full report.

On November 5 at 12:00 PM Central, Molly Meyer LLC will be hosting our first live webinar! Molly will be presenting on "Vegetated Roofs: German & U.S. Markets." The presentation provides a detailed history of the development of the German vegetated roofing industry, including the political and financial motivations for vegetated roofs’ widespread presence in today's mainstream German construction practices. Comparisons are drawn to the vegetated roofing market in the U.S., and implications on the current and future development of the U.S. vegetated roof market are discussed. (AIA/CES credit available.) Sign up for our first live webinar here!  http://www.mollymeyer.com/seminar-1 
 

Molly Meyer LLC is a vegetated green roofing consulting company, advising architects, contractors and property owners on best practices for design, installation, and maintenance. Located in Chicago, we advise on projects nationwide. Our mission is to provide long-lasting green roofs at reasonable budgets. We have worked on green roofs for every imaginable design goal, including extensive, intensive, vegetable gardens, terraces, steep-sloped roofs, inverted roofs, and native systems.  
 

Molly Meyer LLC is a certified Female Business Enterprise with the State of Illinois, an AIA/CES registered provider, a LA CES registered provider, a member of the Chicago Sustainable Business Alliance, and a member of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. 
 

Molly Meyer, M.Sc., GRP, is a vegetated green roof consultant and founded Molly Meyer LLC in 2009. In 2007, she received a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship to work in the vegetated green roofing industry in Germany. She installed all varieties of green roofs (including steep sloped, single-course extensive, multi-course extensive, intensive, and inverted roofs), analyzed hundreds of existing green roofs for maintenance issues, and executed technical design for basic to advanced green roof systems including wind uplift, drainage, irrigation, and sloped applications. The experience has given her a solid understanding of the mature green roofing industry in Germany, and she is bringing this unique and rich advisory perspective to the young green roofing industry in the U.S. Molly’s love for work in the construction industry began when she worked as an apprentice carpenter for Seattle-area general contractor Edifice Construction from 2005 to 2007. She earned her B.S. and M.S. in Earth Systems, with a focus on soil research, from Stanford University. She is originally from Indianapolis. 

My1Stop.com®, America’s Online Printing Superstore, today expanded their online selection of plastic card printing to offer PVC materials in addition to traditional plastic materials.

My1Stop.com® demonstrated its commitment to being a leader in plastic card printing innovations by adding new PVC material options to their plastic card printing offering. The new PVC materials can be ordered through customer service or instantly priced, and ordered, online. The PVC material option is now available on many plastic card printing products including plastic gift cards, plastic loyalty cards and many other plastic cards. Customers can experience the expanded product offering at My1Stop.com.

The addition of PVC plastic card printing materials ushers in more choices for consumers who utilize plastic cards to grow their business. "Adding PVC as an alternative to plastic is something that our customers have been looking for," said Michael Del Chiaro, company president.  “Once we heard customer demand building, we began our search for the best value we could find in a PVC card supplier” continued Del Chiaro. “We now have a great new material option in PVC that is affordable, durable and very receptive to full color digital printing for our plastic card printing customers,” concluded Mr. Del Chiaro.

In addition of PVC choices on plastic cards and expanded product tools, My1Stop.com® offers a full line of eco-friendly products such as presentation folders, brochures, flyers, and postcards. There are also a variety of specialty items such as biodegradable pens and seed paper business cards. As part of their green printing services, they also offer PDF proofs which saves dramatically on paper usage. My1Stop.com® is a member of the Green Business Alliance® and offers a 10% discount on your Green Business Alliance Membership through the website.   My1Stop.com® will be expanding its line further in the future by offering even more eco-friendly products and green printing services.

My1Stop.com®’s commitment to innovative product enhancements is backed by nearly five years of continuous product and feature enhancements. Features are added based on customer demand and exceeding, not just meeting, this demand.  These additions have resulted in My1Stop.com® being recognized by Inc.5000 as one of the fastest growing, privately owned businesses in North America.

My1Stop.com® offers the most innovative plastic card printing solutions online – or offline. We look forward to seeing you in one of our plastic card printing aisles soon. My1Stop.com®, America’s Online Printing Superstore.

Learning how to care for and respect the planet that we live on is an important lesson for all children to learn.

There's a wide variety of activities parents can do with their children that will not only teach them how to live a "greener" life, but will also encourage them to be more considerate of their planet.

1. Explore the great outdoors together: Through exploring nature, children are better able to gain an appreciation of the world around them. A nature walk can give you the opportunity to teach your children about life cycles and natural habitats. Find out what animals live in your area and teach your children about them. Write out a list of items you can search for on your walk and make the activity into a fun game.

2. Use Eco Bucks: Eco Bucks can be given out, much like an allowance, for every eco-friendly activity your child does. At the end of the month those dollars can be donated to the environmentally friendly charity of your child's choice.

3. Read Green: Buy one of the many eco-conscious books on the market such as William is Going Green by James Martin II; My Bag and Me by Karen Farmer; How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World by Juliana, Isabella and Craig Hatkoff; and Michael Recycle by Ellie Bethel

4. Grow an indoor herb garden: Get their little fingers dirty by showing them how to grow their own indoor garden. Ask them what herbs they would like to eat and then let them go to the store and pick out seeds. Explain how a plant's life cycle works and teach them about the importance of nurturing their garden. When their garden is ready to be harvested, teach them healthy ways to prepare the herbs and allow them to cook a few recipes.

5. Reduce your carbon footprint: Calculate your environmental footprint together by using the online calculator at www.conservationfund.org. Let your children type the numbers into the calculator and then discuss what your "carbon footprint" means. Come up with ways you can all help to reduce your environmental impact. Plan a Carbon Footprint Challenge where you spend the month living more eco-friendly. After the month is over see if you've reduced your footprint.

6. Make some paper: Paper making is an easy way to recycle used paper and is very eco-friendly. Invite a few of your children's friends over to have a paper-making party. Let children choose different patterns and designs for their paper, and teach them about the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling.

7. Go bird watching: Try identifying birds in your neighbourhood. Once you have figured out which birds are which, go online and do a little research. Find out what type of nests they live in and what kind of food they eat, then build your very own bird house and bird feeder. This will teach children the importance of caring for and respecting the animals.

8. Pick up litter: Put on gloves and walking shoes, and take the kids out to pick up garbage in your area. Teach them how important it is to clean up after themselves and dispose of garbage in the appropriate places.

9. Plant a tree: Trees are a simple and inexpensive way to help better the planet and fight climate change. Research what trees grow best in your area, and then let your child pick one to plant. Explain to them how trees clean the air, store carbon, increase wildlife habitats, provide shade and prevent flooding.

10. Get the Buzz: Help the diminishing insects by planting the flowers they love. Plant bee and butterfly-friendly flowers in the spring and watch them come calling in the summer. Teach your children about the importance of these insects and the role they play in pollination and how without them, we would not be able to raise the crops that provide our food.