Indiegogo, The World’s Funding Platform

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INDIEGOGO

With the advent of crowd funding, a popular business funding approach that allows good ideas that do not fit the pattern required by conventional financiers to attract cash and break through, Indiegogo clearly is a leader in this industry.  This global platform allows people all over the world to raise money, millions of dollars, for all types of campaigns.

Indiegogo presents a refreshing and attractive website, with fully functional tabs on the top and sidebars that are engaging and simple to follow.  This site incorporates lots of graphs and charts, thereby giving customers the power to make educated decisions on where to spend their hard earned money.  The site provides an excellent education on fundraising campaigns, and the company does not charge a fee or require an application  to get started.  Indiegogo invites inquirers to design a campaign and raise funds by engaging others to connect with their passion for a cause.  For the novice in crowd funding, this website provides thousands of success stories which anyone can browse to find inspiration.  It also displays featured successful campaigns with in-depth descriptions of programs and the funds raised.

This company’s “Customer Happiness” tab reinforces its emphasis and commitment to customer satisfaction.  A review of this section indicates easy accessibility to knowledge based information, help center access and contact information.  Indiegogo uses a step-by-step approach to browse the site, learn how to design a campaign and to follow through with the creation.  It hosts a well delineated breakdown of types of causes, entrepreneurial sectors, quick picks, locations and partners.

Indiegogo is the go-to company for crowd funding applications.  It is a great source to seek funding for fundraising campaigns, particularly for the green movement.  The impressive list of partners and supporters on the website speaks strongly of the role of this company as an industry leader.  As such, this platform comes highly recommended by LGBG as a great place to initiate programs to raise money to help us live green, be green.

Crowd funding powers green movement

Crowd funding powers green movement

Conservation and Business: An Intersection

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The conservation movement and the business world are typically portrayed in the mass media as two entities locked in continuous conflict. They are seen as two opposing viewpoints always at loggerheads. How many times, whether it is in a movie or in TV, have we seen this plot unfold: unscrupulous business men want to engage in an action for profit, no matter what the cost? A group of typically plucky youth then engages them in a variety of ambiguous legal and illegal ways and the day is saved. The businessmen are defeated and the environment is saved, or possibly more environmental damage is deterred. However, conservationists around the country are beginning to challenge this notion of eternal conflict and look for a solution in sustainable growth.

One conservatory group taking charge in this movement is the Sierra Foothill Conservancy.  The Conservancy owns outright 6,500 acres of land and manages another 20,000 for ranchers in the counties of Fresno, Madera, Merced and Mariposa in California. At first this may seem to be an oxymoron. We have conservationists managing land on behalf of ranchers and participating in the razing of cattle themselves. Admittedly, it was a controversial idea at first, but over the past decade, studies have shown that cattle grazing can help the land, especially vernal pools, temporary collections of water that provide crucial habitat for native plants and invertebrates.[1]This partnership has spread to other industries that one typically finds at odds with the conservation movement:

“Other conservationists are teaming up with private timber investors such as the Lyme Timber Company based in New Hampshire. The company acquires quality habitat that doubles as timberland, gives up development rights by selling conservation easements to land trusts and public agencies throughout the U.S., then logs the land in a sustainable way to generate an income.

Timber is harvested at or below the annual rate of growth, said Peter Stein, the company’s managing director, and harvesting methods are third party certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry.

The approach is key, Stein said, as conservationists aim to preserve larger tracts of land – in the hundreds of acres – which are too expensive to buy outright.

The Nature Conservancy is also partnering with the timber industry in California and Alaska to restore salmon by felling trees to create stream habitat.

The group has also partnered with the fishing industry. It bought out fishing permits in California and in Maine to protect millions of acres of ocean habitat, then leased the permits back to fishermen who agreed to fish sustainably.”1

                The whole idea rests on the notion that certain actions are never going to be entirely deterred. Our entire economic system rests on the notion of continual, infinite growth and that requires the input of base resources. Whether they are lumber, cattle, salmon, or what we extract from the earth, they all play a vital role in our economy. Recognizing that a total determent is impossible, these conservationists have recognized the value of partnership. Much like the arguments for marijuana legalization, the value of this idea rests on mutual benefits. The argued benefits of the legalization of marijuana are the added tax revenue/jobs, reduction in profits for drug dealers, and development and control of a safe and well regulated product. The idea here is very similar. Instead of having no control over the outcome, they now have some input. In doing so, both sides reach a compromise where there is sustainability, where before the loggers/ranchers could have possibly done as much devastation as they please. At the same time, they are turning a profit that allows them to further invest in continued conservation. It’s a simple case of economics. Instead of engaging in zero sum activities (where one side’s win is another’s loss) they are engaging in a mutually beneficial contract. It is truly the tenets of capitalism and democracy at work for the best.

By Sean Maguire

[1] http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/12/15/4486985/conservationists-team-up-with.html

Green Living– More An Obligation Than A Choice

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On this good green news Monday, LGBG has opted to use this opportunity, in light of the tragic events at  Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, to reflect on the meaning and obligation of green living.  We know that green living means different things to each of us, from protecting the air, land and water to recycling and not polluting to eating healthy diets and getting exercise.  No matter the individual perspective towards green living, I think it is safe to say that there are basic tenets central to our understanding of green living.  They are as follows:

  • The choices made by any one individual affects all of us.
  • The choices we make today will affect us at some point in the future.
  • When we speak about saving the planet or the environment, we are talking about saving ourselves.

With this understanding, it is important for everyone to make living green an obligation, not a choice.  The greatest obligation we have is to our planet and to our children, each and every one of them.  They are the future of this land and as stewards of the Earth, we are obligated to deliver to them a clean, healthy environment.  It is our responsibility to love and protect our young and to do all that we can to ensure that they grow up to be healthy, happy and prosperous adults.  To that end, we are obligated to educate them.  We send them out to school each day with the expectation, and a very reasonable one, that they will return home to us.  In turn, our government has an obligation to provide a safe learning environment for our children and a guarantee that they will be protected and will be returned to us at the end of the day.

A major concern of green living is the safe and environmentally friendly design of buildings, and the conversation regarding this matter must be a top priority.  It is urgent that city planners, engineers, environmental consultants and elected officials design and build schools that are safe and secure from intruders, with the staff and technology to monitor all visitors and deny admission to anyone perceived to be a problem or who pose a potential danger to staff or students.  We know that buildings can be designed to be secure as our prisons are secure on any level that we need.

We also must address the safety of our society, especially our children, from a health perspective.  This begins with coming face-to-face with the issue of mental illness.  We need for every citizen to have access to health care.  This goes a long way to aid in the identification of people, young and old, with mental health or emotional problems, which apparently is a substantial portion of our population as evidenced by the widely used mental health diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder , bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.  We must provide treatment for these individuals, just as we would for people with cancer, heart conditions, arthritis autism or any other physical anomaly.  A change in attitude that regards mental illness as a sickness will help families to come forth and seek help, rather than hiding these conditions so that a loved one will not be made to feel like a pariah in the community.

Green living obliges us to raise our children to respect our environment and the other people and animals who occupy this space with us.  Our choices on how we treat our children, what we feed their minds and bodies, and the examples that we set for them to follow will determine their physical and emotional development and well-being.  We must teach them to be kind to others and to never be a bully to any person or animal.

If we all accept green living as an obligation, not a choice, we can take a major step forward to heal from these recent tragedies and move forward to save our planet and our children.  Let’s all respond to the call of duty to live green, be green.

On Children by Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Description unavailable

Description unavailable (Photo credit: theloushe)

North America Set to Become Net Energy Exporter by 2025

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Exxon,by virtue of its operational sector, is usually a lightning rod for controversy. Whether it is due to the fact that its products contribute to global warming, or because everyone who works for the company is perceived to be like the individual in the cartoon below.

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Only $4.09 a gallon?

The result is that the company seemingly is always under attack. Perennially however, Exxon seems to do one thing right: forecasting energy trends. And by all accounts, the company sees North America as becoming a net energy exporter by 2025.

Exxon’s glowing predictions for the continent stem from North America becoming less reliant on coal-based power plants, and instead, depending more on energy efficient natural-gas-fired plants. Overall, the oil giant sees coal use dropping 33% from 2010 to 2025, a substantially larger increase than its previous 23% estimate.

In addition, because North America, and particularly the United States, contains an abundance of natural gas reserves, and is working to perfect the hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling techniques needed to unlock them, the continent has become energy rich in the clean burning fuel of the future. As a result, North America will become the go-to source to feed the growing energy demands of industrialized nations. In fact, Exxon’s report states that, “Global energy demand will increase 35% from 2010 to 2040, with most of the increased demand coming from developing nations like India and China.” By setting the initiative of becoming a global superpower in clean energy technologies, North America has positioned itself well to become less reliant on foreign oil, while at the same positioning itself as a provider of clean energy for other nations.

Remarkably enough, “By 2040 developed nations like the US and Canada are expected to generate 80% more economic output than in 2010 but use the same amount of energy.” This speaks to North America’s attempt to be on the cutting edge of this breakthrough technology and to the unmistakable way in which innovation can change a nation from a net importer to net exporter. (I’m looking at you United States) As clean energy becomes more and more of a priority with each passing day, it is refreshing to see how the green movement has changed political decision making. Let’s continue to make sustainability a priority both at home and abroad so that we can all live green, and be green.

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324339204578171583862191830.html?KEYWORDS=energy+exports

LGBG’s Clean NRG (Natural and Renewably Green) Blog of the Month: Joyfully Green

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Here at LGBG, we work diligently to provide our readers with an easy and enjoyable reading experience, while keeping in line with our blog’s end goals of educating and informing. However, it is important to note that we are not the only ones on the web dedicated to all things green. With this in mind, we have decided each month to highlight a particular blog which peaks our interest in the way that it addresses green issues uniquely and daringly.

This feature is on a blog called Joyfully Green, appropriately titled after its creator, Mrs. Joy Sussman. Inspired by her two young children (ages 5 and 8) Mrs. Sussman states that, “Special attention is given to parents and teachers who are looking to nurture ‘the littlest environmentalists’ – tomorrow’s leaders on the green frontier.” With that mindset, Joyfully Green focuses on doing, rather than simply preaching, about how to be green, and shows ways in which we can accomplish this goal. She reverts to her actual experiences with her children as a way to give real examples of change rather than just proselytizing about it. With entries titled “Time Out: How to Get Outdoors with Kids as the Weather Gets Colder” and “Unplugging from Technology to Reconnect with Your Child”, she stays true to her roots and her concentration of educating with children in mind.

Joyfully Green is written with a down-to-earth sense of practicality, stressing simple changes to implement to make yourself more green. As Mrs. Sussman has quoted on her site, through an inspirational book called Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life, by Ed Begley Jr., “You don’t climb Mount Everest in a single day.” Her blog’s focus, a commendable and wise one at that, is to make green changes a daily idea, so that the amalgamated effects of those changes can be seen farther down the road.  By positively influencing the behavior of families to act in green ways, she is helping to build a future of green conscious citizens.

Lastly, Joyfully Green’s dedicated section of green-approved books and literature stands out, and it is frequently referenced throughout the blog’s posts. A different book seems to be reviewed every day, and the wealth of knowledge, particularly regarding the book’s effect on children and families, is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. In addition, within the book reviews is a section reserved for children’s books, which further emphasizes the motifs of family and creating “little environmentalists” – two consistent themes throughout the blog.

With that said, please check out Joyfully Green and all that the site has to offer for both you and your family. It is truly an inspiring blog written from a unique, but relatable perspective. Also, if you have any suggestions for a blog site worthy of being the focus of next month’s Clean NRG Blog of the Month, please email your idea to travis@livegreenbegreen.com.

www.joyfullygreen.com 

Celebrate With A Green Christmas Party

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Today for good green news, let’s talk about holiday celebrations.  Now that the Christmas shopping is well underway and the decorating is complete, we can turn attention to planning a green Christmas party.

The first order of business is planning the theme in terms of color, linens, place-setting, etc.  This year, try to avoid using disposable plates and cutlery, or if that is not possible, try to use green brands.  There are a number of websites that offer eco-friendly party ware, and also Party City stocks some green items.

When it is time to shop for food for your party, please remember the local merchants.  This is a great time to visit the local butcher, who is an expert at filling your meat orders based on expected attendance and who is more than willing to order specialty items for your holiday parties and feasts.  Also consider purchasing fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts from local vendors.  This is an excellent opportunity to support the local economy.  When planning your party menu, remember that the more you serve, the more people will eat and drink.  Try to limit over-consumption by using smaller plates to limit portion size and by limiting the available items on the menu.  Add a special touch to your holiday fare by including dishes with less meat and more vegetables, and be more than happy to provide the recipes to visitors when they ask for them.  This is your opportunity to demonstrate how appetizing a green diet can be.

No Christmas party is complete without spirits– the alcohol kind.  This year, visit your local beer crafters and distillers for great suggestions on items to serve.  Remember that you can get good beer and wine from home in any state in the United States.  A great place to start your search is http://www.distilling.com/PDF/craft.pdf and http://www.chamberstwines.com/?aspxerrorpath=/Article.asp.  On the latter site, you can find information on natural and organic spirits.  Also, check out our earlier blog on drinking green at http://livegreenbegreen.com/2012/06/18/drink-green-eat-green.  For a special added touch, considering serving a signature drink.

Also,  here is a good site for some ideas.

For a few housekeeping matters, when inviting guests to your holiday party, use telephone and electronic messages to reduce the use of paper.  The use of electronic messaging and invitations also carries a built-in method to monitor the RSVPs.  Secondly, plan ahead to recycle when cleaning up after the party.

It's just around the corner...

It’s just around the corner… (Photo credit: ecstaticist)

Christmas celebrations present wonderful opportunities to visit with family and friends.  Party hosting can be hectic, but with a little planning and research, party preparation can be less stressful, thrifty and green.  This Christmas let’s party green, live green, be green.

College Students Call For Endowment Divestment in Fossil Fuels

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Bill McKibben, by Jennifer Esperanza

Bill McKibben, by Jennifer Esperanza (Photo credit: 350.org)

Over the past few weeks, college students on several companies have demanded that university endowment funds sell off coal, oil and gas stocks.  This growing movement is spurred by the recognition by students that climate change is an urgent issue that needs to be a priority on the national agenda.  Many of the students have connected with Bill McKibben of 350.org, an advocacy group for carbon reduction.  McKibben has been traveling the country visiting campuses and educating students on the subject of climate change and global warming.

I find this idea for this movement interesting and refreshing, especially in light of comments made in response to a recent blog entitled “Exxon Hates Your Children– Fact, Fiction or Propaganda” in which one responder pointed out the need to get the attention and involvement of shareholders invested in fossil fuel companies in order to find solutions to cleaner energy as opposed to trying to use tactics of consumer boycotts to force change.

While this movement has witnessed some success at some smaller institutions, namely Unity College in Maine, which voted to get out of investments in fossil fuels and at Hampshire College in Massachusetts, which has modified its investment policy in regards to fossil fuels, several of the larger colleges and universities are not budging.  In fact, “no school with an endowment exceeding $1 billion has agreed to divest itself of fossil fuel stocks”.  Harvard University has stated that it is not considering divesting from companies related to fossil fuels, despite the support of 72% of the undergraduate student body’s recent vote supporting such a measure.

It will be interesting to see the progression of this movement.  With climate change becoming a major issue and with the public demanding action on alternative energy sources, it is likely that colleges and universities will be forced to reexamine their policies and fall in line.  Interestingly, this movement is seen as an imitation of the successful effort of the 1980s whereby colleges, universities an businesses were successfully pressured to rid themselves of investments in companies doing business under apartheid South Africa.

The green movement is growing everyday, and as the young people, who are the future stewards of this planet get on board, we all can definitely expect to see a day where we all live green, be green.

Sources for Article:

  1.  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/05/business/energy-environment/to-fight-climate-change-college-students-take-aim-at-the-endowment-portfolio.html?pagewanted=1&_r=3&hpw&
  2. http://livegreenbegreen.com/2012/12/06/exxon-hates-your-children-fact-fiction-or-propaganda/

“Exxon Hates Your Children”– Fact, Fiction or Propaganda

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The recent ad launched by opponents of the fossil fuel industry declaring “Exxon Hates Your Children” is disturbing, provocative and unsettling.  Two advocacy groups, Oil Change International and The Other 98%, launched the controversial ad on its website on Wednesday in an effort to cajole Congress to “eliminate fossil fuel subsidies amid fiscal cliff negotiations”.   The ad portrays an actor posing as a representative of Exxon, stating, “We all know the climate crisis will rip [your children’s] world apart, but we don’t care because it will make us rich”.  The targeted markets for this advertising campaign includes the very same areas where the American Petroleum Institute is running ads arguing that “[m]ore energy development produces more jobs, revenue and energy.  More taxes produce less of all three”.

This ad war comes on the heels of the budget crisis and looming fiscal cliff.  Proponents of climate change face the possible elimination of wind energy tax credits amid the arguments of conservatives voicing objection to the 2% subsidy by the federal government.  If not extended the PTC credit will expire.  Conversely, opponents of the fossil fuel industry voice objections to not only the huge subsidies received by oil companies, but also to their business model, which requires continuous drilling for oil, which is proven to be responsible for climate disruption.  They cry foul also because in the last year alone, renewable energy, though recognized as important for a healthy environment, received six times less support worldwide than fuel subsidies.

While the declaration that “Exxon Hates Your Children” grabs the attention, it is propaganda.  We all know or should know that Exxon and all major corporations exist at the will of the people.  As long as Exxon (the current poster child for the fossil fuel industry)  has a viable market, it will be around, doing what it does–  drilling and manufacturing oil for oil-hungry consumers.  Exxon does not hate children.  Rather, it loves money, and in its quest to make the money it loves so much, it harms the environment.  Perhaps the best analogy for this scenario can be found in the circumstances surrounding Timothy McVeigh‘s bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City.  It was not McVeigh’s intent to kill the children in the nursery in the federal building.  Rather, they were “collateral damage” in his quest.

Currently, the earth and its inhabitants all are the “collateral damage” of the fossil fuel industry.  However, we do have a choice.  Let’s strive to reduce our carbon footprint and reliance on fossil fuels.  We can start at home by conserving energy, reducing our use of water and electricity, recycling and using energy-efficient products.  Moreover, we can make sure we are heard by our representatives, who serve at our will.  Demand that they vote green or be voted out of office.  Let’s fight to live green, be green!

Sources for article:

  1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/05/exxon-hates-your-children_n_2246481.html
  2. http://www.catb.org/esr/writings/reflections-on-mcveigh.html
Exxon

Exxon (Photo credit: Tom Haymes)

FDA Poses A Threat to Green Living

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Food and Drug Administration logo

Food and Drug Administration logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As evidenced by the frequent news reports on outbreaks of food-borne illnesses and now hospitalizations and deaths from contaminated medical products, it is apparent that there are major problems within the ranks of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Some policy analysts attribute the FDA’s deficiencies to “the haphazard manner in which it has grown”.  The agency began operations in 1852 with a single chemist working within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and operated without regulatory duties until 1906 when news stories about horrible conditions at food-processing plants became the rage.  The public uproar from these graphic stories culminated in the passage of the Federal Food and Drug Act.  Future instances of health disasters in 1937 and again in the 1950s and 1960s heightened awareness of the need for the FDA to have greater oversight of the food supply and led to the passage of laws regarding pesticides and food and color additives.  It is important to note that the FDA still shares the responsibility for the nation’s food supply with the USDA, with the latter agency overseeing the safety of meat and poultry, and the former assuming control of the rest of the food supply.

Repeatedly in reports by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the FDA has been noted to have “systemic problems . . . that threaten the health of anyone who consumes food in the U.S.”  These problems include, but are not limited to:

  • An ineffective and confusing inspection process.
  • Poor performance in addressing overuse of antibiotics in livestock feed.
  • Lack of scientific capacity for the agency to do its job.
  • Failure to take enforcement action in more than half of its uncovered violations.

A review of articles and news stories regarding the activities of the FDA reveals that the agency’s inspection and investigation work is severely flawed.  Routine inspections are limited and audits sometimes are performed by third-party auditors who advertise work at an”unbelievable price” and give out “superior ratings”.

One major area of concern with the FDA is oversight of seafood sold in the United States.  More than 84% of our seafood is imported, with 50% of it coming from Asia.  These fish farmers produce large volumes of seafood, including shrimp, catfish and tilapia in polluted and overcrowded ponds and then use antibiotics and fungicides to sterilize the seafood to pass inspection in this country.  Amazingly, the FDA is charged with keeping these very same ‘drug-tainted fish” out of the food supply, but as the GAO reports, the agency is failing to do this and really is not even trying.   In 2009, the FDA tested only one out of every 1000 imported seafood products for 16 different chemicals.  Reports indicate that Canada tested 50 of every 1000 products for more than 40 different chemicals, and Japan tested 110 of every 1000 products for more than 57 chemicals.  In addition to posing a health threat to people who eat seafood, the actions of the FDA threaten the very existence of domestic seafood farmers, who must compete with foreign counterparts, who employ cheap labor and who get away with using chemicals that are banned for use by seafood farmers here.

The failure of the FDA to do its job puts the life of every American at stake.  For those of us trying to live a green life and eat healthy, this news is particularly unsettling.  Every citizen has the right to a safe and healthy food supply.  The federal government is obligated to perform dutifully regarding this.  We must stand together and demand effective oversight of the nation’s food supply so that we can live green, be green.

Getting a Great Christmas Tree

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For good news Monday, we have tips for getting the best Christmas tree and keeping it fresh and healthy throughout the holiday season.

For beginnings, the best trees are live trees, not artificial ones, because the latter often are imported and contain toxic materials, such as lead.  If possible, try to purchase a tree from a local tree farm.  This will guarantee the freshness of your tree.  Also, buying local reduces transportation and shipping costs, along with reducing carbon emissions.  An excellent website to find local businesses for family farms and organic products is http://localharvest.org.

When purchasing a precut tree from a nursery or local group, such as the Scouts or churches, inquire about the freshness of the trees as well as the location

A Christmas tree farm in Iowa, United States.

A Christmas tree farm in Iowa, United States. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

which they were shipped.  When inspecting trees for purchase, check the needles to ensure that they are flexible and not dry.

Once you have selected a tree, it is important that you get it home and in water as soon as possible.  Try to select a place for display that is out of direct sunlight and away from fans, heaters, or humidifiers in order to avoid drying out prematurely.  Decorate with inflammable, nontoxic ornaments  and LED lights, which burn much cooler than incandescent lights.  Once the holiday season is over, please check local community directories for programs that collect trees for mulch.

Let’s make getting a Christmas tree and decorating it a green family activity.  Have a Merry Green Christmas and live green, be green.