Definitions of corporate social responsibility - What is CSR?

Definitions of corporate social responsibility - What is CSR?:

Here's a nice definition of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Cool graphic to depict it as well.:-)

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Dell Wants Employees To Work From Home - Business Insider

Dell Wants Employees To Work From Home - Business Insider:

Dell is following a "Do Good" plan for 2020. Remote work, packaging and shipping. Working with supply chain and customers as well. Looks pretty GOOD!:-)

As it pertains to telecommuting... Dell seems to be saving a lot and doing "Good" as well. Telecommuting and other initiatives are outlined in Dell 2020 Legacy of Good Plan.

Here's a calc and additional info on Telecommuting savings: http://www.globalworkplaceanalytics.com/calculator

So Dell is saving lots of money. $14m last year, and reducing impact on the environment, including almost 7 thousands barrels of oil/gas reduction.

Sounds like a Good Plan, pun intended.:-)

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Sustainability Business Success Hinges on CEO Mindset Change · Environmental Management & Energy News · Environmental Leader

Sustainability Business Success Hinges on CEO Mindset Change · Environmental Management & Energy News · Environmental Leader:

"Some 67 percent of CEOs in the study believed business is not doing enough to address global sustainability challenges. . .  While 84 percent believed business should lead the way in addressing those challenges"

Sustainable Leaders... Seems like something that Hall and Knab were talking about in their 2012 article/chapter.

For businesses and business leaders (CEOs) not to take an active roll in sustainability would be, well, irresponsible (Hall & Knab, 2012).

Reference

Hall, E., & Knab, E.F. (2012, July). Social irresponsibility provides opportunity for the win-win-win of Sustainable Leadership. In C. A. Lentz (Ed.), The refractive thinker: Vol. 7. Social responsibility (pp. 197-220). Las Vegas, NV: The Refractive Thinker® Press.
(Available from www.RefractiveThinker.com, ISBN: 978-0-9840054-2-0) 

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Microsoft, Owens Corning Join Climate Declaration · Environmental Management & Energy News · Environmental Leader

Microsoft, Owens Corning Join Climate Declaration · Environmental Management & Energy News · Environmental Leader:  BICEP (Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy) calls climate change “one of America’s greatest economic opportunities of the 21st century.

That's right, opportunity.

Microsoft and Owens-Corning have joined the Climate Declaration (spearheaded by CERES).

This is a very nice & concise article on the more that 650 major corporations worldwide that have stepped up to the plat to take and active stance on sustainability.

Microsoft is due to be Carbon neutral by the end of 2013: http://sustainzine.blogspot.com/2012/06/social-irresponsibility-energy-and-cost.html . . . Turns out they made it with a few months to spare: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2013/10/03/microsoft-achieved-carbon-neutrality-nrdc-says/

So many businesses are on board, now all we need is a little help from the gov.

Keywords: CERES, zero carbon, carbon footprint, energy policy, Microsoft, Carbon Declaration

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Patent Trolls Threaten Green Innovation · Environmental Management & Energy News · Environmental Leader

Patent Trolls Threaten Green Innovation · Environmental Management & Energy News · Environmental Leader:

There is a lot of discussion about "patent trolls" and the impact they have on various industries.

Here is the argument about the impact they have on the innovation in "green" technology. This is really the case for all new technology and all new industries, but the argument is about the major impact the trolls have on smaller organizations in the fledgling green technologies.

Much if not most of sustainability, however, is the practice of ancient technologies like organics (manure) and energy efficiency.

Hmmm...???

Keywords: patents, Patent Troll, green business, sustainability,
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Organic. Foods to buy Organic -- The dirty dozen foods

There's a lot of discussion about foods that are really and issue to eat that are not organic.

The idea is that you can eat the cheaper stuff in many cases but definitely spend the money on some of the foods that are really likely to be very unhealthy if you don't go for the organically grown.

Look here for the annual list of the dirty and also the green foods by Environmental Working Group's annual list.

7 Best Foods to Buy Organic

Here's the Dirty 7: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/builtlean/best-food-to-buy-organic_b_3779168.html

• Potatoes
• Beef
• Milk
• Apples
• Strawberries
• Kale / Spinach
• Peaches

The Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/dirty-dozen-foods#slide-1

"But organic food can cost more, meaning many families are loathe to shell out the extra cash for organic produce on every shopping trip. That's what makes the Environmental Working Group's annual list of the dirty dozen foods so useful. The group analyzes Department of Agriculture data about pesticide residue and ranks foods based on how much or little pesticide residue they have. The group has estimated that individuals can reduce their exposure by 80% if they switch to organic when buying these 12 foods."

The Dirty Dozen PLUS (14 foods to strongly consider organics)

Eating Well will tell you that there's a couple more you should keep your eye on that are dirty(er).

http://www.eatingwell.com/food_news_origins/organic_natural/dirty_dozen_plus_14_foods_you_should_buy_organic

Note that the USDA has not yet offered a Minimum daily recommendation for pesticides. So, if you want to reduce that wild-card in your diet, avoiding these foods unless they are organic is probably a good idea!.

But, it's your body and your diet, so you decide where and how you spend your money and gain your calories/nutrition.  

Healthy eats to you.

Non-GMO Food Market to Hit $800 Billion by 2017 (i.e. Organic) Environmental Leader

Non-GMO Food Market to Hit $800 Billion by 2017 · Environmental Management & Energy News · Environmental Leader:

Notice that Non-GMO does not necessarily mean "organic"...

Should be cool to read the full report: http://www.packagedfacts.com/Non-GMO-Foods-7822141/

But that would cost about $3,000... So we'll have to read the discussion on it.

But the trends in whole foods -- as in Whole Foods, Hanes, Chipoltles, etc. -- has been more than impressive. The organic section of all grocery stores is growing like weeds, to offer a green mixed metaphor.

Looking forward to more momentum on the organic front.

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Next generation of biofuels is still years away | Hattiesburg American | hattiesburgamerican.com

Next generation of biofuels is still years away | Hattiesburg American | hattiesburgamerican.com:

Biofuel is a byline in the energy mix.

So biofuel is mandated. And because it is ordered to be true, it must be.

And because it is ordered to be true, the mandate must meet the expectations.

Thus is the problem with government subsidies... Burning food for fuel (corn to ethanol) is still a rather dumb idea, even though it is finally getting efficient enough that there is a small net gain gallon-equivalent per gallon of ethanol.

What would work perfectly well, from an economics point of view, is to raise taxes on non-renewable sources of fuel and energy. A simple carbon tax would do it. It could be progressive over time.

Then the more accurate costs of non-renewables would allow for the energy economy to shift and make its on path forward. The types of renewable fuel would decide themselves and the government would be out of the picture setting mandates in less-than-smart -- some might say foolish -- areas.

Of course the politicians who set the wheels in process for a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade (tax?) will soon find themselves out to pasture shoveling biowaste.

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Sustainability becomes a business law

Sustainability becomes a business law:

This is a straight-forward article about sustainability in the ag world.

There are business forces that are pushing toward sustainability as a "business law". Sustainability has always been a "law of nature". Break the law consistently and you should expect "unpredictable" results. (Well, probably somewhat predictable, but certainly not good results.)

With the move toward $1T in non-GMO (organic-ish) worldwide, it is certainly clear that Ag needs to take the market seriously.

The market may make the non-sustainable business models extinct, long before the non-sustainable practices exhaust the non-sustainable businesses.

Look for an upcoming article here on "Fertilizer, a broken and non-sustainable business model".

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Fuel cell cars from Toyota, Honda, Hyundai set to debut at auto shows - latimes.com

Fuel cell cars from Toyota, Honda, Hyundai set to debut at auto shows - latimes.com:

We've been waiting for decades (50 years?) for a fuel cell car.

It looks like Toyota will come out fist with a Fuel Cell car next year.

The fuel cell being announced this next week are coming from Honda and Hyundai.

Unfortunately, it seems, these will be hydrogen fuel based.

Other versions of Fuel Cell generators use liquid fuels, not straight hydrogen. Without fueling stations for hydrogen the technology is stuck where LP  and LNG was 10 years ago before Clean Energy (and others) started putting up liquid natgas stations along the trucking corridors.

Let's see what the announcement(s) bring.


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