Bisphenol A in can linings – a storm is brewing

Bisphenol A in can linings – a storm is brewing: "Is the tidal wave of concern over bisphenol A (BPA) that swept away polycarbonate baby bottles containing the chemical about to cause similar mayhem in the food and beverage can sector?" Was doing some research for a few clients and discovered this great website, which contains a wealth of information. You can subscribe to a customizable newsletter.

Major packaged goods companies urged to reduce post-consumer waste

Major packaged goods companies urged to reduce post-consumer waste: "General Mills and Procter & Gamble (P&G) are coming under pressure from a shareholder advocacy group to reduce post-consumer waste by collecting and recycling product packaging at their US operations." Interpretation: You have the power to change the world.

Earth Day Again, Already?

Man, Thursday will be the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, and I have no exciting earthy green events planned. Bummer. I will be driving to Columbus, Ohio to attend a conference of school business officials. Next year, I must remember to take this day off. The conference won't be so bad, as a member of our local USGBC Green Schools Action Circle, I can check out the green vendor booths (there will be several) and ask the school treasurers about their energy efficiency plans. I will also enjoy seeing some of my clients from Northeast Ohio out of their offices for a change. In Ohio, all new public school buildings must be LEED certified, but there is a need for information about green curriculum and financing sources, so I will ask them about their plans in those areas. Anyway, back to Earth Day. Other than eat some raw food and develop some questions for my upcoming green biz panel at the Women's Summit, I think, I might have to sit this Earth Day out. Saturday is taken as I will be attending an African American Philanthropy Summit and Sunday is gone as, I will be attending my initiation into Jack and Jill of America. So I will have to live vicariously through your Earth Day experiences. What are your plans?

Green Law: Sustainability in the Legal Community | Business | GreenBiz.com

Green Law: Sustainability in the Legal Community Business GreenBiz.com For my legal eagle friends out there. One of you recently asked me about going green in the legal profession. This article shares some nice resources and feedback from a law firm that is taking this on. Construction professionals are realizing sizeable expense reductions and efficiencies in their efforts to eliminate paper from their industry, it's time for attorneys to do the same. Part of the problem are these old school judges and lawyers that don't know how to use a computer, but as tax revenues decline, courts will be forced to operate in a more efficient manner, which means streamlining paper.

Financing Your Green Business: A Banker's Perspective

(I am reposting this for the new year) As a banker, I often get requests to find resources for financing a green business. My response to that question, based on my research to date, is that there are limited funding and financing programs available specifically for green business, fewer for small green businesses. Prior to the economic downturn, there was a growing interest in funding of alternative energy businesses by venture capitalists, while there is still interest, investors are favoring lower cost, quicker return energy projects. Interested in learning more about the world of private investment capital? The Green Venture Capital website is an excellent resource.

There are a number of green banks across the country, New Resource Bank in California, Shorebank in the state of Washington and E3 Bank in Pennsylvania (still seeking funding itself). Wells Fargo is one of the traditional banks that has gone beyond constructing green buildings to financing green construction for their clients - committing $2 million in loans towards this endeavor. You will generally find that your bank will be more interested in how much green your business generates than how green your bank is. So you may have to turn to the government for additional investment. While each state has it's own unique programs, I would encourage to you investigate the following funding sources for your green business:

• Small Business Association (SBA) 7A and CAP (working capital) and 504 programs (capital projects)
• Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI's) - non-traditional lenders targeting businesses that provide a benefit to the community, including environmental
• State Office of Development innovation fund programs (high potential, growth businesses)
• State Office of Energy Efficiency (tax credit and grant programs)
• EPA and National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research grants
• Department of Agriculture, Interior and Transportation Small Business Innovation grants
• City Economic Development Office micro-loan programs
• Ideal Cafe - Small grants awarded by other entrepreneurs
• Investment in Energy Efficient Technology/Building Improvements - energy savings reduce overhead expenses, reducing the need for working capital financing. Larger investments can be financing through leases or a performance contract. Click here.
• Factoring and invoice discounting - involves the sale of or use of your receivables as collateral. Check out the wiki. Definitely speak with your banker or attorney before going this route.
• Whole Foods Market, finances small local producers

Ready to get started? Click on this link to Business.Gov, complete the form and you will be directed to resources that meet your specific need in your state. It's an awesome tool.
My next post on this topic will be on guerilla fundraising for your green business, because all of these sources require you to post your own equity. So get ready to hustle!
Feel free to contact me at bn2g00@gmail.com for further information. Please feel free to share your financing sources using the comment form.

Gloria's 2010 Green Goals

Well, it's that time of the year again. Time to reflect, assess and re-evaluate.Last year, I purchased more local and organic food, incorporated more vegan and raw foods into my diet, ventured back into thrift stores for fashion purchases,bought less stuff, introduced a few business groups to the green economy, invested in socially responsible stock funds and spent less time at the gym, more on the pavement. Wow! That's a lot of green stuff! So here are my top ten 10 green goals for 2010.

• Take the bus to work one day a week
• 20% of clothing purchases from thrift, consignment shops, 20% organic or fair trade
• Obtain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Enviromental Design) accreditation
• Green renovation of my bathroom and invest in low flow household water fixtures
• Take advantage of tax credits for green appliance purchase
• Apply permaculture principles in my garden and plant more edibles (this will be a challenge, as my garden is shady)
• Host green events including a women's trade show, an Earth Day party and a garden party
• Promote Power of Placed Based Educational Principles in my Green Schools Action Circle
• Act as a Green Coach to an African American business
• Make five green business presentations

So what are your top three green goals for 2010?

There's No Magic Bullet for Companies Going Green -- So Just Do It | GreenBiz.com

There's No Magic Bullet for Companies Going Green -- So Just Do It GreenBiz.com Persistance and vision pays off. Finally, after a year of cajoling and sharing green business news and information with key individuals in my company, we are taking steps in our regional offices to be a more sustainable company. My goal of greening it up has been constantly disrupted by turbulent economic forces, management personnel changes and a hefty workload, but I did what I could to keep the green information stream flowing after an initial meeting last year. What really blew wind into my sails was the fact that our headquarters office has undertaken several green initiatives in the facilities management area and some in purchasing, so it will be simpler for our region to leverage their efforts and successes. I have been asked to be part of our initial green team, so I am truly happy and grateful to the Lord for this opportunity to do something I love at work. God is good!

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A Historic Win for Green Shareholders | GreenBiz.com

A Historic Win for Green Shareholders GreenBiz.com Thank you @greenlifetoday for sharing this information. Shareholder Advocacy, one of three prongs of socially responsible investing (SRI) was responsible for this historic decision by an Idaho (of all places) utility company to curb greenhouse gases.

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New York's Best Vintage Shops

New to vintage shopping? Need some guidance? Or just like to look at great fashion photos? Check out these books which introduce you to one of the most environmentally and budget friendly ways to shop. You can find them by entering the "Amazon Green" portal on this site.

Anyway, the purpose of this post was not to sell books, but to provide you with an alternative and eco-friendly shopping option on your next trip to New York, a city with one of the nation's lowest carbon footprints. The September issue of Lucky Magazine has organized a directory of New York's best vintage stores. You can peruse the magazine at the library or click here for the list. If you do a search for "vintage shops" on the site Lucky Mag, you will find online sources as well as featured shops from other cities. I recently discovered vintage shopping (at least for clothing purchases) and I am loving the bargains, one of a kind pieces and interesting folk behind the counter. I think you will too!

2nd Annual Very Green Birthday Photos

$18 for this Ann Taylor shift. Michele would be proud!

The Cleveland Shop, with its very neat, clean and well edited display - was closed on Tuesdays. My son wants to go back though, given its apparent wide selection of men's clothing.

Below: Me in front of Vintage Fair Antiques. Picked up a couple of fantastic painted metal rose pins.

The cute little 70's inspired turquoise knit above, was only $10 bucks!

What I really appreciated about each store - no strange musty odors. Thank you Lord!

In the words of Ah-nuld "I'll be back!"

Turn Your Restaurant Into an Eco-eatery

Turn Your Restaurant Into an Eco-eatery This is a great story found on Black Enterprise online, about a young black man who is living his green dream. Going green has also helped him to keep overhead expenses low in these tough times. If you are in Maryland, you know have to show some eco-love to this brother.

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The Scavenger's Manifesto - Free Yourself

When I first saw the title of this book at the Georgia Tech bookstore in Midtown, Atlanta, I had images of strange people (not homeless) rifling through restaurant dumpsters late at night looking for this weeks groceries and was like "yuck". I was pleasantly surprised by the content and the context. This book is a must read for those of us trying to save money and reduce unnecessary consumption.

Shop Green This Spring

Thinking of heading out to the mall for a little (and I mean little in this economy!) spring fashion shopping? Stop!! You must first read my latest article in emPower News Magazine for tips on being eco-fabulous (hint - you may not even make it to the mall). There are some great reads stuff in this week's issue of emPower by the way. I recommend you read everything.

Happy Resurrection Day and Passover!

Hey Fellas! It's NBA Green Week!

Okay ladies, having a hard time getting your men to reduce, reuse and recycle? Going green not manly enough? Well this week you have an unprecedented opportunity to green up your guy. How? Make sure he watches NBA basketball. Thanks to the efforts of the environmentally conscious guard, Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns, the NBA kicked off Green Week yesterday. The team hopes to set an example of eco-friendly living and working for its fans. Players from all teams will sport organic gear, use balls made with recycled materials and participate in tree planting and recycling events. The NBA even has a green oriented website. Click here to watch Steve Nash promote the benefits of having a green team. Be sure to share with your guy!

Say It Isn't So Atlanta...One of Americas Most Wasteful Cities?

The bad news is that Atlanta was recently recognized as being one of the most wasteful American cities, the good news is that it has the highest percentage of citizens with plans to improve their eco-friendliness. Subscribing to Black and Into Green by email or RSS feed is a great way to start ATL! I will participate in a TalkBlack panel discussion in May, can't wait to meet you!

They're Here....Green Stimulus Dollars

The first tranche of the $8B in weatherization stimulus dollars is on it's way to your state. If you work for a low income organization or advocate on behalf of low income families, now is a good time to request information on funding. The monies coming from the Department of Energy, can be used for such things as home energy audits, retrofitting of state and local government buildings, purchase of Energy Star appliances and energy conservation education. Click here for more information. Contractors are you on top of this opportunity?

Please Don't Squeeze The Charmin, No Really Don't

I guess we just saw too many Mr. Whiffle commercials in our youth. Americans can't seem to give up their fluffy bear bottom friendly toilet paper, though our rainforests and water supplies are at risk due to this need for softness down under. Recycled toilet paper constitutes only 2% of our toilet paper purhases compared to 20% in Europe. The economy may wipe out this disparity however, as fluffy toilet papers sales were down 7% in 2008. One problem I have with recycled toilet paper, though I use it 75% of the time, is that you seem to need more, which kind of defeats the purpose of buying recycled. After reading this article, I will continue to rough it out for the rainforest.

Affordable Organic Fashions At A Retailer Near You

"The touch, the feel, of cotton. The fabric of our lives." Remember that commercial from the 90's? It made me truly believe that cotton was the purest of fabrics. I could just imagine myself flitting through a meadow with a light and airy cotton sundress. I felt so conscious when I was wearing my crispy cotton tops. That dreamy tele-prompted vision has like so many others, been exposed as fraudulent. It turns out that cotton is one of the most genetically modified, thirstiest, pesticide laden, fertilizer intensive crops on the market. There are also some concerns about child labor in the growing of this crop. The cotton industry disputes these facts of course, so to be fair, I have included a link to the official industry site. Anyway, more clothing retailers are re-thinking their cotton purchases and including more organic cotton options in their lines. The cheap chic clothing retailer H&M, is becoming a leader in this effort. This year their organic cotton selections for men and women are greater than ever and they have vowed to increase the use of organic cotton by 50% over 2008. Check out their sustainability policy regarding this fabric. This is great news as these items are finally starting to become more affordable. If H&M is out of your league, you can now find organic jeans at Wal-Mart and Kmart stores. So it is true, the dollar is mightier than the sword. Soooo people, keep putting your money where your values are. It's working!

Peace.

The Reluctant Thrifter

Thrifting or shopping at thrift stores is a great way to live an eco-conscious and budget conscious lifestyle. Personally, I have in the past found some great deals on furnishings for my home at various thrift stores. But for some reason, I have avoided these stores in recent years, perhaps I am somewhat of a retail snob -Hello, my favorite store is Anthropologie! For one thing the musty smell of some of these places makes me ill, but the biggest reason is that I am just not familiar with the layout of the stores and the tricks to shopping that make it worth my precious time. Well, after checking out some of the photos of the cool finds in these stores by the lovely ladies of The Thrifty Chicks blog, I became motivated to give thrifting one more chance. Where do I start and what do I do when I get there, I asked myself? Well, God bless The Thrifty Chicks, they actually have several posts that answer those questions! Included in the referenced post is advice on getting your mind right for thrifting. They must have been reading my mind. Be sure to sign the petition to create a National Thrift Store month while you are on the site.

Need to find a thrift store in your area, preferably highly rated? Check out, The ThriftShopper, to search a national directory and get other tips.

Both sites can be found in the Black and Into Green Eco-links section.

Go Green at Lunch

Check out the website of the female owned, triple bottom line company, To-GoWare for eco-friendly lunch accessories, such as the bamboo utensils pictured here. I like this set in particular, because of the portable pouch included. I can't count the number of forks and spoons that have gone MIA in transit from home to work. Also, available on the site are stainless steel food containers, which are better for salads and sandwiches, since they can't be nuked. Be sure to check out the mission of the company and the featured poem about our disposable eating habits.