And now, for a short rant…

I had an interesting conversation today with a friend who is a big thinker on sustainability.  We were bemoaning the fact that sustainability is a topic that can look incredibly boring in the short run, and we (as media and/or sustainable business proponents) are missing … Read on >

If you pay attention, there are clues for strategically communicating about your business’s sustainability in the wind, and in news stories that may seem to have nothing to do with sustainability.  With just a casual weekend ear and eye to national news sources (NPR, New York Times etc), I learned … Read on >

The story in the New York Times today about how smaller, independent green cleaning product brands (like Method and Seventh Generation) are doing better than “green” lines of larger brands (like Clorox Green Works) presents … Read on >

Anyone who delves into a sustainable business management book or two will quickly note references to “long-term,” “investment” and “journey” throughout.  (See Paul Hawken and Ray C. Anderson, for good examples).  By virtue of the fact that sustainability involves tending to many interconnected systems of thinking/being/doing, there’s no … Read on >

I’ve been noticing at least a tiny shift in the greater sustainability discussion lately.  There are beginning to be more examples of sustainability-mature companies, organizations and just general business thinking. This is very positive!  Still, because this movement seems to move at glacial speed, it may be worth acknowledging these … Read on >

One of the things that so intrigues me about sustainability is the way it forces a hard look in the opposite direction for just about every business topic.  For instance, you’d think “green marketing” would demand an overt or visible approach, but green or sustainable marketing seems to be most … Read on >

GOOD magazine recently interviewed me about consumer behavior and energy efficiency.  Here’s a snippet of what I had to say:

If homeowners are unfamiliar with energy-efficiency measures, but hear that people they know are doing it (and that they are saving money and feeling good about it), there’s real power … Read on >

What we should all be learning from recent events, whether that be the Australian floods, the unprecedented 49 state U.S. snow coverage, or the recent shooting tragedy in Arizona, is that the answer to “why” will not come from studying … Read on >

Sometimes the hard sell isn’t nearly as effective as the soft one.  Along those lines, weighing the direct versus indirect approach is a very interesting consideration for influencing sustainability change.  I’ve been mulling this a bit today, so thought I’d put up a quick post (and would love your take!).

The … Read on >

The fact that consumers are only going to become more knowledgeable about sustainability should inspire brands and marketers to do more than wrap their products in green labels.  In trying to be more conscious about consuming, many a shopper likely … Read on >