Green Buckeye

This January 13 event isn't directly about sustainability or environmentalism, but it is about making change in Ohio. According to the announcement from ProgressOhio:

"RootsCamp is about Ohioans talking with Ohioans. It's an opportunity for open dialogue between Ohio's activists, field organizers, leaders, techies, fundraisers, bloggers - the whole team. We'll share innovations, failures, old wisdom and new discoveries, with an eye toward:

• Developing our skills to lead the way in 2008 and beyond


• Building sustainability in Ohio's growing progressive movement

RootsCamp is Participant-Driven. Anyone who wants to lead a session writes their topic on a large index card and tapes it to the day's schedule. Participants may add more sessions throughout the day as ideas are generated - a session may inspire an additional sub-topic, etc.

RootsCamp is Free. We provide a free breakfast and lunch for all participants, and there is no registration fee. However, we do accept donations from individuals and organizations to help defray the costs of the event. If you would like to donate to RootsCamp Ohio, please contact Abby Levine at ALevine@americavotes.org

RootsCamp: Come. Talk. Learn. Initiated by the New Organizing Institute, RootsCamps are self-organized. This open format never fails to yield an astounding exchange of information, spin-off projects, and cross-pollination among unexpected partners."

RootsCamp 2008 is an all-day event on January 13 at The Verne Riffe Center at the corner of High and State in downtown Columbus. You can register online here.

Labels: events, leadership, learning, media

New columbusblogger Jason posts about Monday night's screening of The 11th Hour at the Drexel.

Jason's blog profile says he:

". . . created this blog as a means to track our evolving and more environmentally aware lifestyle. We are also trying to become more bike-centric, by replacing some car trips with cycle excursions. We are attempting to make eco-conscious decisions and reduce our impact on our Earth."

It's really cool to have a blogger in Central Ohio with a focus on personal environmental sustainability!

Labels: blogging, columbusblogger, media

Paul Hawken has written a new book called Blessed Unrest. Last night I listened to an "America the Green" podcast of Hawken speaking about the book, and I just had to share it with you here.

If you're looking for a little inspiration, this is the ticket.

Labels: inspiration, media, podcast

Bruce Piasecki will discuss his new book, World, Inc. , at OSU's Knowlton Hall May 22. In his book, Piasecki makes the point that corporations who "get" social responsibility will create products and services that fill social needs and will flourish.

The first 80 folks to the lecture will receive a free copy of World, Inc.

Labels: events, green business, media

I don't remember how I found this on MSN, but find it I did. In this slideshow, Columbus comes up as the first of Five Cities That Need Help Getting Green.

I agree, and as a gesture of good will, I'd like to ask Jacob of Treehugger and MSN City Guides to donate a small portion of their proceeds to help Columbus get green. The least they could do is donate the money they spent on a 25-year-old stock skyline of Columbus for the story.

Labels: media

NBC4 news will go green Thursdays at 6 p.m. Marshall McPeek will "show you simple and inexpensive ways to go green, highlight the city and state’s efforts on the initiative, and show you what some of your friends and neighbors are already doing to benefit the environment."

You can suggest stories to McPeek at itsaboutgreen@wcmh.com.

They've got a little web page going on there, too.

When I started Green Buckeye, I thought it was filling a need in Central Ohio for sustainbility news and resources that wasn't being filled. Looks like maybe the mainstream media is starting to fill that need, too. Cool.

Labels: media, resources

Former EPA administrator Carol Browner speaks eloquently and with intelligence in this lecture recorded at Stanford Graduate School of Business. The recording is part of the Social Innovation Conversations series, and it's free to listen.

When you hear the preponderance of evidence outlined, and you let yourself visualize the consequences of not acting, it's really hard to understand why anyone is still debating whether climate change is real and whether we ought to be doing something about it as a society.

Tags: global warming, climate change

Labels: climate change, inspiration, media

Last night I listened to an interview with John Sage, one of the co-founders of Pura Vida Coffee. The Pura Vida business model is an innovative blend of socially responsible capitalism and non-profit philanthropy, or "capitalism as an agent of compassion."

The entire interview is less than 30 minutes, and in that time you get a high-level explanation of "fair trade" plus an overview of Pura Vida's business model and key partnerships.

If you're running a small green business or thinking of starting one, this interview is a great listen.

Labels: green business, inspiration, media

Local green businessman Dan Weisenbach was recently visited by Cupman (Cupman?!) from Planetsmoothie. Dan's a great sport. Be sure to watch long enough to hear Dan sing the low-VOC song!



Surrealism lives.

Labels: fun, green business, media

The April 2007 issue of Columbus Monthly features stories about "the greening of Columbus."

And the April issue of Outside Magazine is emblazoned with a banner reading: "The Green Issue."

Environmentalism has been marginalized for as long as I can remember. Seemingly overnight it has become the cause of the week. Although I'm glad there is increased interest in "saving the planet," I also worry that this interest is a fad and will be tossed out with the old magazines after 6 months. What then?

Labels: media

Neil Drobny of KFCB points us to the April 2 issue of Fortune, which features green business as "what could be the business story of the 21st century."

Note to my doubting little brother: I told ya so!

Labels: green business, media, news