3p Contributor: Jen Boynton
Recent Articles
Wife Swapping Hits Sharing Economy
Just kidding! Happy April Fools 2012 :-)
It was only a matter of time before dating sites got into the game. Up until now, the sharing economy has been limited to cars, designer dresses, and books: objects. For the first time ever, people are on offer.
Popular social network and dating site OKCupid has developed a new category for users seeking temporary love and companionship. Previously, participants were limited to just a few types of relationship: new friends, long-term dating, activity partners and casual sex. The latest category is sure to turn some heads: short-term spouse.
Said Tyrell Sampson, OKCupid’s Director of Placement, “OKCupid has always been on the cusp of new trends, and we’ve seen tremendous growth in interest in romantic relationships without a sexual component. ‘Short-term spouse’ is a great option for people who are just looking for a nice home cooked meal or someone to watch CSI: Miami with.”
It also turns out to be a great option for those lonely husbands or wives whose spouses are out of town on business.
The Oil and Gas Industry’s Take on “Dealing with NGOs”
We admit it, we're a little proud of this, even though we're not unabashed natural gas haters. It's an honor just to be included!
When it comes to influencing public opinion, it’s framing that counts. We do it at TriplePundit when we talk about the need for sustainable business solutions, the President does it when he lays the case for his political agenda and NGOs do it when they ask for donations. It’s no surprise that the Oil and Gas Industry does it when they consider public support (or lack thereof) for natural gas development.
It’s not often that one gets to take an inside peek at another organization’s framing, but when you do, it’s enlightening.
This PowerPoint from the recent “Media and Stakeholder Relations: Hydraulic Fracturing Initiative 2011” meeting in Houston is worth a view. The presentation, by oil industry front and astroturfers Energy in Depth, is entitled “Understanding, Responding to and Working with Environmental NGOs.”
That’s kind of nice isn’t it? To think that this group is interested in understanding the position of Environmental NGOs. The more optimistic among you might even be thinking that the group is looking for areas of mutual understanding.
The presentation opens by explaining that there are two kinds of NGOs: those that are “solutions oriented” and those that are “committed to an ideology.” That’s not the way I’d make the division, but fair enough. I wonder which groups fall in each camp?!
Announcing Trendwatch 2012
In honor of the release of Trendwatch 2012, we’ll be rolling out posts about sustainability and economic recovery. You can find them here all week, or read the whole set here. Please also join us for a free webinar on February 29th where we’ll be discussing the role of sustainability in economic recovery.
This year came in like a tortoise, at least as far as the economy is concerned.
But everywhere we look we see signs of recovery. Just as sustainability advocates have been predicting for years, many of the sources of economic development are sustainability initiatives like green building and small scale renewable energy production where high margins allow patient investors to make returns on sustainable projects.
We also see both entrepreneurs and established leaders exploring new revenue streams like the Access Economy (aka collaborative consumption) and collaboration with unlikely partners for mutual benefit.
That’s not to say there aren’t substantial challenges to overcome in 2012. Water will continue to be a constraining issue for companies and communities alike, especially as the global middle class continues to rise, increasing consumption and straining environmental resources.
Finally, companies will face increasing pressure to be transparent about their supply chains and environmental activities. The flip side of transparency is, of course, privacy concerns, and we also examine the increasingly common corporate practice of collecting consumer information for profit.
All of these issues will come to the forefront in 2012, and you can read all about them on Trendwatch 2012, a new series on Sustainable Industries. If you’re an auditory learner, we hope you’ll join us for a free webinar exploring economic recovery through sustainability on February 29th.
2012 will be many things, but it won’t be dull.
Help Send a 3p Writer to Brazil!
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has teamed up with Treehugger to draw attention to World Environment Day June 5th. (Mark your calendars!)
In honor of this day of global action, UNEP and Treehugger are running a blogging contest — the topic is “The Green Economy, Does it Include Me?”
Since the Green Economy is one of our favorite topics, our writers had a lot to contribute. Here are their submissions. Make sure to like them on Facebook and tweet them in order to show your support for TriplePundit!
The Green Economy: It May Not Include Me, by Jonathan Mariano
Our resident libertarian Jonathan wonders if there’s really room for him at the sustainability table.
Tweet: The Green Economy: It May Not Include Me #susty #WED2012 http://bit.ly/zf8E7m
Does Gender Equality Have a Place in the Green Economy? by Andrea Newell
Andrea reaches out to some of the female leaders in the sustainability movement to get their thoughts on the role of gender and social equality in the green movement.
Tweet: Does Gender Equality Have a Place in the Green Economy? http://ow.ly/902VI #WED2012 #susty @anewell3p
The Green Economy: Does it Include You? by RP Siegel
RP makes the case for why the green economy should include everyone.
Tweet: The Green Economy: Does it Include You? http://j.mp/yvewk4 #susty #RPsiegel #WED2012
From Detroit to Doha, Citizens Are Building a Greener Economy by Leon Kaye
Leon looks at how cities around the world are embracing the green economy.
Tweet: From Detroit to Doha, Citizens Are Building a Greener Economy #WED2012 http://ow.ly/8PM29 via @leonkaye
LA’s Transition to a Greener Economy by Kara Scharwath
Kara examines how her home city is faring in the quest to get greener.
Tweet: LA’s Transition to a Greener Economy #WED2012 via @karameredith http://ow.ly/8NmNi
Tell us what you’ll be up to on June 5th in the comments, or register your action here.
Environmental Leader on the Hidden Costs of Reusable Bags
Fear the bag monster, not the bacteria
We love Environmental Leader and regularly encourage our readers to vist them as an additional source of excellent sustainable business news. But we’re not sure what they were thinking today with this item on how Plastic Bag Bans ‘Present Hidden Environmental, Economic Costs’
The article from the point of view of “conservative think tank” National Center for Policy Analysis, cites that same old study from the American Chemistry Council which found that reusable bags contain “dangerous levels of bacteria.” Of course, that bacteria is the same kind found on pretty much every surface and fabric, and it is killed with simple soap and water. No matter. Sadly, the threat of MRSA, no matter how distant, is enough to deter many from making the environmentally responsible choice.
In case the threat of dangerous microbes isn’t enough to deter your from packing your own bag, the study presents a new mystery danger: job loss!
That’s right.
Pasture-Raised vs. Industrial Organic: An Egg-cellent Stakeholder Engagement Lesson
Eggs used to simply be an affordable, easy source of protein. No longer. Selecting eggs has become among the most complicated things I do at the grocery store. My local shop has 12 different brands all of which feature advertising and imagery to make them appealing to customers who care about health and the environment. They are organic, pasture-farmed, grain-fed, humane, natural, free range or cage-free. TriplePundit readers will likely know that there’s a wide range of legal obligations associated with these terms. However few require the farmers to raise happy chickens like the ones featured on the packaging.
I’ve resorted to buying my eggs at the local farmers market. The farmers market may not be a realistic choice for many readers, but I trust the farmers and, in some cases, I’ve even been to their farms and seen firsthand the plucky little chickens pecking in the dirt.
That’s why I was surprised – and pleased – to hear that the biggest farmers market in San Francisco had revised its standards for egg sellers, limiting approved vendors to those who pasture-raise their chickens (i.e. keep them outside where they can peck and scratch and eat grass and bugs) and kicking out farmers who keep their hens in barns and feed them grain exclusively. Said CUESA in a public statement:
Sustainability in Retail: Not an Oxymoron
TriplePundit participated in the Retail Leaders in Sustainability tweet-up this morning - an inspiring chat. Not only has the retail industry (at least on paper) recognized that sustainability is here to stay, but many leaders within the industry have moved from looking at sustainability as a cost center to seeing it as an opportunity to reduce risk, improve relationships with customers and employees, and deliver better products. It’s an exciting road ahead!
The Retail Industry Leaders Association sponsored the tweet-up to promote their new report on sustainability in the retail industry. Data was collected from the most recent sustainability reports of 30 RILA retail member companies including Best Buy, Gap Inc., The Home Depot, IKEA, Petco, Safeway, Sears, Staples, Target, Walmart and Whole Foods Markets. The make-up of the organization is quite diverse:
Key Findings:
1. Retailers are working across sectors to achieve sustainability goals. Achieving social and environmental goals is a significant challenge, often requiring expertise that the organization doesn’t have. That means that employees charged with sustainability-related tasks are going outside the organization and even the sector to learn about how to improve their organizations. The research indicated a noticeable uptick in stakeholder engagement.
2. Sustainability has turned from a risk mitigation and cost center into an opportunity for business growth. Long-gone are the days of focusing on the low hanging fruit like energy efficiency (which is being tackled store-by-store as a no brainer to save money on energy costs and reduce risk associated with the fluctuating energy market). Sustainability programs are increasingly seen as a source of innovation and a key way to differentiate in a competitive market.
TweetUp on Sustainability in Retail THURSDAY
The words “retail” and “sustainability” don’t normally go hand-in-hand, but the folks at the Retail Industry Leaders Association are hoping to change that. They are leading the way, by providing a safe space for sustainability professionals in the retail industry to share best practices and discuss common operational practices, areas of concern, and pragmatic solutions to problems. Heard about solar panels on top of a Kohl’s department store or Best Buy’s new e-waste takeback program? The staff members who led these initiatives are all members of RILA.
In honor of a new report on sustainability in the retail industry, the Retail Industry Leaders Association is throwing a tweetUp (12noon Eastern, 9am Pacific) to discuss retail sustainability in general and employee engagement, industry trends, and importance of partnerships in particular. Guess who will be on deck as a designated expert participant? Our own Nick Aster. You can follow along with the TweetUp by searching for hashtag #RILAchat. You can follow Nick @nickaster and the TriplePundit team @triplepundit.
The report is embargoed until tomorrow morning, so you’ll have to attend the tweetup to get the results of the report.
Top Ten Posts of 2011
2011 was a great year for TriplePundit, with traffic up 28 percent over 2010. We’re thrilled to know that you find news about the triple bottom line as captivating as we do. As we look forward to another year of growth alongside our partners at Sustainable Industries, it’s nice to think back to the biggest stories of the year. These technologies captivated your imaginations, and these lessons gave you ideas about how to improve your companies and organizations. Without further ado:
- Nest Learning Thermostat keeps your home comfortable when you’re home
- Tata Motors car that runs on compressed air
- Sexism isn’t cool, even in the name of renewable power
- Top 10 US Climate-Ready Cities and, more broadly,
- Top 10 climate resistant cities worldwide
- Japanese wind turbine triples power output without increasing size
- Does your business pass the Waffle House test?
- Human rights: beyond CSR
- Landfill mining: a rapidly growing area of waste management
- Gibson guitars raided for illegal wood sourcing (follow-up here)
What were your favorites stories?
5 Employee Engagement Tips from PricewaterhouseCoopers
Shannon Schuyler speaking at the recent Social Innovation Summit
Surprisingly, Shannon Schuyler, Head of Corporate Responsibility at PwC, who oversees engagement for the 35,000 PwC employees, is trying to move away from “employee engagement.” That’s because engagement has to start before associates even join the firm, she told me in a phone interview yesterday, so that you know you are recruiting employees who have the appropriate mindset for your company.
Engaging prospective employees
This engagement starts with interns who participate in a service-oriented retreat to Belize along with current employees and alumni. While they conduct classes in financial literacy for local communities, current staff are able to get a feel for the working habits and styles of prospective employees. Says Schuyler, “As a member of the PwC team, you’ll be on an engagement team working within companies to educate. We want to see how well you perform on volunteer projects which require both cooperation and leadership, because the skills translate.” Of course, the interns love the opportunity to travel.
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