Posts Tagged economy

EPA, SEC Take the Lead on U.S. Environmental Progress

Jul 18

Posted by 7star.wwwmaster@gmail.com in News | Comments off

“While the EU charges ahead with carbon trading, stricter environmental laws and better enforcement, we here in America hang our heads in shame. Our Federal government is in environmental denial and the media cries Cassandra. Al Gore goes to a highly-publicized meeting with President Obama to lobby for climate change mitigation, while Obama has still not honored his promise to reinstall solar panels on the White House roof. Businesses beg for definitive rulings on issues such as carbon pricing and environmental social governance (ESG) reporting requirements, while the legislature clamors (successfully) “drill baby drill” and accuses environmentalists of favoring spotted owls over jobs. Our leaders’ attitude seems to be climate change has to wait until the economy has turned around.

But civil servants are having remarkable success. In living up to their duty to protect the health and wealth of U.S. citizens, the EPA and the SEC are remarkably focused, even strident, about green. In fact, the EPA has had a number of amazing wins.”

EPA, SEC Take the Lead on U.S. Environmental Progress via Carol Pierson Holding – Triple Pundit

Tags: al gore, Brack Obama, carbon, carbon pricing, climate change, economy, Energy, energy efficiency, environment, environmental policy, EPA, EU, Green, Green Festival, Health, Oil, policy, SEC, US

Behind the Greening of Wal-Mart

May 17

Posted by 7star.wwwmaster@gmail.com in News | Comments off

“My latest intellectual Bosnia has been the knot of issues that’s come to be known as “sustainability.” In this regard, I suspect I’m not alone, especially among business people, many of whom still tend to associate these ideas with increased cost and government regulation.

The idea that “going green” could actually be profitable, a notion put forth by economists as long as 20 years ago, remains a source of skepticism in some quarters. If you still need convincing, pick up Edward Humes’s excellent new book, “Force of Nature” (Harper Business, 265 pages, $27.99), the story of how the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart, came to go green. I’ll wager that you won’t look at sustainability issues quite the same way again. It certainly opened my eyes.”

Behind the Greening of Wal-Mart via Bryan Burrough – NY Times

Tags: Business, economy, edward humes, force of nature, Green, Green Festival, greening, Industry, ny times, profit, retail, Seattle, Sustainability, wal-mart

Taking Aim at Mutant Capitalism

May 11

Posted by 7star.wwwmaster@gmail.com in News | Comments off

Excerpted from: Taking Aim at Mutant Capitalism via Nic Halverson – Mindful Metropolis

John Perkins, author of the New York Times bestseller, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, talks about his most recent book and how to create a more equitable and ethical economy

Are you starting to see more companies—one’s that honor true cost accounting—emerge through the Green Festivals?
It really gives me great hope when I see things like the Green Festival, where there’s a very strong vetting of the products that are sold there and we’re looking at companies that really are producing clothes, food, shoes and appliances in a much more socially and environmentally responsible way. And I have to say that I don’t think any of these companies are perfect at this point, but we’re moving in that direction. At places like the Green Festival, you have this huge market place where so many things are for sale that are all being [produced] in the most advanced socially and environmentally responsible ways that we know today. That gives me great hope and its always pushing the envelope. So every year these companies ought to get better at what they do and over time, perhaps, we’ll be approaching perfection and maybe someday we might even reach it. But in the meantime, what we all ought to do is support companies that have made a commitment to being socially and environmentally responsible.

It sounds like communities that foster social and environmental stewardship really motivate you to speak at and participate in the Green Festivals.
Absolutely. I’ve been speaking at the Green Festivals for many years now and I’m speaking at all of them this next year. The last couple of years Amy Goodman and I have been the only ones who have spoken at all of them. People sometimes ask me, ‘how can you afford to do that [every year] as so things don’t get tedious at the Green Festivals?’ And my response is, ‘How can I afford not to? I have a three-and-a-half-year-old grandson and I want to make a better world for him and all his brothers and sisters on the planet.’ So, how can I afford not to do it? We can teach a lot of people and support a very, very good cause. And the organizations behind the Green Festival are all very committed and dedicated to creating a more environmentally and socially responsible planet.

Tags: Chicago, community, corporate responsibility, CSR, economy, environment, event, family, government, Green, Green Business, Green Festival, John Perkins, mindful metropolis, policy, social, weekend

10th anniversary for Green Festival in 2011, Chicago event May 14th and 15th

May 9

Posted by 7star.wwwmaster@gmail.com in News | Comments off

“This year’s annual Chicago Green Festival taking place on May 14th and 15th at Chicago’s McCormick Place Lakeside occurs as Green Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2011, with an updated interactive marketplace and countless learning opportunities designed to promote sustainability and interconnectivity within the green movement.

Green Festival is a joint project of Green America and Global Exchange, two cutting-edge nonprofits that have been dedicated to furthering environmental and social concerns for nearly 30 years.

The goal of the Green Festivals, which are playfully dubbed ”Parties with a Purpose,” is to promote healthy living by addressing a wide variety of social, economic and environmental concerns.”

10th anniversary for Green Festival in 2011, Chicago event May 14th and 15th via Kirsten E. Silven – Earth Times

Tags: anniversary, arts, Chicago, economy, education, environment, fair trade, Global Exchange, Green, Green America, Green Festival, green living, Health, home and garden, market, natural, organic, outdoors, shopping, social justice, Sustainability, Vegan, vegetarian

Proposed wind energy development will bring billions in economic investment to Illinois

May 5

Posted by joanna in News, Press Releases | Comments off

“SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS –As many as 20,000 jobs would be created with the development of the 3,200 MW of utility-scale wind generation currently permitted in Illinois, according to a report from three leading wind energy organizations. The report—entitled “Investing in Illinois” and released by the Illinois Wind Energy Association (IWEA), American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), and Wind on the Wires (WOW) — is being released at a crucial time, as state lawmakers consider legislation to overhaul the state’s electric market. The study highlights why any major energy bill passed this year must include provisions that accelerate development in Illinois of clean, affordable, homegrown renewable energy.”

Proposed wind energy development will bring billions in economic investment to Illinois via Renewable Energy World

Tags: clean energy, economy, electric, energy bill, government, Green, Green Festival, illinois, jobs, law, policy, renewable energy, state, wind energy

Dennis Kucinich, broadcaster Amy Goodman to appear at Green Festival in Seattle

May 3

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Congressman Dennis Kucinich headlines a roster of more than 125 speakers at the 10th annual Green Festival in Seattle next month.

Billed by promoters as the nation’s largest green living event, Seattle’s Green Festival is among several festivals around the country promoting sustainable lifestyles. The event features presentations by more than 125 authors, leaders and visionaries, workshops, films, children’s activities, organic beer and wine, vegetarian cuisine and live entertainment, and a green marketplace featuring local and national eco-friendly businesses, according to the festival website.

The festival will be May 21 and 22 at Qwest Event Center, 800 Occidental Ave. Other speakers include Amy Goodman, host of the TV and radio show Democracy Now; bestselling author Jeffrey M. Smith who writes on the health dangers of genetically modified organisms, and Gifford Pinchot III, the president and co-founder of the Bainbridge Graduate Institute, which offers an MBA integrating sustainability and social responsibility with innovation and profit.
Read more: Dennis Kucinich, broadcaster Amy Goodman to appear at Green Festival in Seattle via Debby Abe – The News Tribune

Tags: Amy Goodman, bainbridge graduate institute, congress, Democracy Now, economy, environment, ethics, event, GMO, greem, Green Festival, jeffrey smith, kuchinich, nature, Non-GMO, policy, Politics, Rep. dennis kuchinich, Seattle, social responsibility, sustainable

How the bicycle economy can help us beat the energy crisis

Apr 25

Posted by 7star.wwwmaster@gmail.com in News | Comments off

“This is the fifth column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling.

Libya. Bahrain. Iraq. Afghanistan. Canada.Fukushima. North Dakota. Fukushima. North Dakota. The Gulf Coast. Pennsylvania.

Each of these stories stands alone as an urgent parable about our increasingly fragile reliance on affordable, plentiful energy.

Take them together, and the myth of abundant fuel that our economy relies on falls to pieces all at once.

What if there were some source of energy that could replace a substantial part of our current consumption?

One that didn’t rely on coal, or on corn, or on fast-track investment in renewables? One with negligible direct costs, that paid us back, equitably and many times over the more we used it?

I mean the bicycle, of course.”

How the bicycle economy can help us beat the energy crisis via Elly Blue – Grist

Tags: bicycle, bike, economy, Energy, Green, Green Festival, renewable, Seattle

GREEN FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY MAY 21-22

Apr 25

Posted by 7star.wwwmaster@gmail.com in News, Press Releases | Comments off

The nation’s largest green consumer living event: Now in Seattle’s Qwest Event Center

Seattle Green Festival May 21-22 at Qwest Event Center

SEATTLE – The premier sustainability event in the nation celebrates 10 years, one million attendees at a new location, Qwest Event Center, May 21-22. This one-of-a-kind weekend experience offers opportunities for community members to meet their favorite authors, actors and community leaders; shop more than 300 eco-friendly exhibitors; participate in educational workshops; enjoy live music and local vegetarian cuisine; and sample organic chocolates, wine and beer.

Ten stages and pavilions host more than 125 inspirational and educational speakers, including Amy Goodman, Jeffrey Smith, John Perkins, Zoe Weil, Dr. David Korten, Dr. Sharif Abdullah and Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

The Green Marketplace showcases more than 300 green and socially-responsible businesses and organizations. Attendees browse everything from non-toxic home products to organic clothing to fair trade treats and décor. Green Festival gives back GF Bucks to individuals who purchase tickets online or at the door. GF Bucks are the local Green Festival currency and can be used the same-as-cash to shop in the Green Marketplace. Discount admission available online until May 20: http://tickets.greenfestivals.org/events/139716.

“Last fall, Green Festival stimulated the green economy by giving back $44,000 to local, regional and national sustainable businesses through the new ‘GF Bucks’ admissions policy,” says Global Exchange and Green Festival Founder, Dr. Kevin Danaher.

Volunteer or donate to various local nonprofits in exchange for complimentary Green Festival admission. Engage with Sierra Club Seattle, Washington State 350, Sound Circle Center, Sustainable Seattle, Solar Washington, International Bicycle Fund, Alleycat Acres, Washington Health Foundation, Community Alliance for Global Justice, Seattle International Film Festival, El Centro de la Raza, Sustainable Wallingford, Transition Seattle, Real Change, feet first, SCALLOPS, Sightline Institute, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, The Art Affect, Green America, Global Exchange and more to receive free Green Festival tickets. Also, Green America and Global Exchange members always receive free admission to Green Festival.

A joint project of Green America and Global Exchange, two leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to environmental and social justice for more than 27 years, Green Festival inspires and promotes the connection between change and sustainable progress for people, communities and businesses. Green Festivals empowers people to live healthier lives—socially, economically and environmentally.

“Whether you go to shop, learn, try new organic foods or experience art and music, Green Festival has it all, with the goal to motivate every person to think, participate and make more planet-friendly, sustainable choices in their every day lives,” says Green America and Green Festival Founder, Denise Hamler.

Thank you to Corporate Innovators Bon Ami and Ford for their commitment to sustainability. Receive complimentary tickets when you visit your Seattle-area Ford Dealer. Test drive one of Ford’s new green hybrid and electric vehicles right at the Green Festival.

Thank you to Green Festival partners: Hyatt at Olive 8, Mother Earth News, Utne Reader, Herbal Companion, Natural Home, Entercom, AM1090 and KOMO.

Engage with Green Festivals online at www.GreenFestivals.org, www.Facebook.com/GreenFestival and www.Twitter.com/GreenFestival for the latest news about the Seattle Green Festival and additional Green Festivals in 2011. Children under 18 and all volunteers receive free admission. To volunteer, email: volunteer@greenfestivals.org.

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About Green America

Green America is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1982, providing the economic strategies, organizing power and practicing tools for businesses and individuals to address today’s social and environmental problems. Its Green Business Network is the largest national network of businesses screened for their social and environmental responsibility. www.greenamericatoday.org

About Global Exchange

Global Exchange is a membership-based international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world. Since its founding in 1988, Global Exchange has successfully increased public awareness of root causes of injustice while building international partnerships and mobilizing for change. www.globalexchange.org

About Seven-Star, Inc.

Seven-Star, Inc. is the nation’s premier green full-service event company focusing exclusively on green events. Since 1999, Seven-Star has provided turn-key green event services for environmentally Responsible and socially Respectful (eR/sR) festivals, trade and consumer expositions, conferences and concerts. From the greening of the 2007 International Live Earth events, to the 2008 Democratic National Convention events, to producing the nation’s largest consumer Green Festivals, Seven-Star has defined itself as the company for eR/sR event production. Seven-Star is the first event company to have won the EPA’s Gold Waste Wise Award for Excellence in recognition for their proprietary system of event waste diversion, which has consistently achieved greater than 95%.www.sevenstarevents.com

Tags: alternative, Beer, careers, community, cuisine, eco-fashion, eco-friendly, economy, education, Electric vehicles, environment, event, fair trade, farming, Ford, garden, Global Exchange, Green, Green America, Green Business, Green Festival, green living, home, jobs, kids, nonprofit, organic, renewable energy, Seattle, shopping, social justice, social responsibility, solar, sustainable, Vegan, vegetarian, weekend, wind, wine

A Militarized Economy Cannot Balance the Budget

Apr 8

Posted by 7star.wwwmaster@gmail.com in News | Comments off

Dear Friends,

I hope you will take time to read this and share it with your social networks. I hope to also see you at my upcoming events at the Green Festival and Praxis Peace Institute. Please share and forward this enewsletter with others so we can all change the world one step at a time.

A Militarized Economy Cannot Balance the Budget

By John Perkins

“Disarmament, with mutual honor and confidence, is a continuing imperative. Together we must learn how to compose differences, not with arms, but with intellect and decent purpose.” -Eisenhower, 1961 Military Industrial Speech

While we send our love and support to those so horribly impacted by the earthquake and tsunami, we must not allow this shock to divert us from the tsunami headed our way. Our business and political leaders will try to use this terrible catastrophe as a diversion to hoodwink us into budgetary reductions that will fatten their wallets and leave us and our children devastated.

It does not matter on what side of the political fence you sit during the current budget debates. The fact is that if our leaders are not willing to take into account our over-dependence on a militarized economy and change it, we will never balance the budget. Our progeny will face an endless struggle to clean up the debris.

Each year the Department of Defense’s tidal wave grows more menacing. We witness countless billions allocated for weapons research and development; nuclear warheads; and the secret and often illegal activities of the CIA, NSA, FBI, Homeland Security, and other “intelligence” agencies. We watch countries that are caught up in natural disasters and political upheavals and see how this “crisis elixir” attracts and profits predatory capitalists. Turmoil in foreign lands encourages U.S. hawks to party on at their military orgies. They stagger out to launch campaigns into new areas of conflict.

And they have the gall to do this under the guise of promoting democracy.

It is time for us to tell them that they are exposed, that we comprehend that what they are really doing is reaping huge profits and making other nations their financial servants for generations to come. Meanwhile, at home, we face severe cutbacks in social services, transportation, health care, the environmental and educational sectors, and other civil services.

Now is the time for us – you and me – to let our leaders know that we are no longer duped by their rhetoric. We understand they cannot bring our financial house to order without significant reductions in military spending. This includes calling our troops back from the Middle East and Afghanistan.

In 1961, President Eisenhower said, “As we peer into society’s future, we — you and I, and our government — must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow.” There is a very sad irony in those words. We need to let those who have followed Ike’s footsteps to the halls of power in Washington know that we understand the relevance of those words to today’s economic and military crises.

The United States accounts for almost 50 percent of the world’s total military spending; yet our share of the world’s GDP is less than 25 percent. This official budget does not take into account the money that is secretly allocated in the “black” budgets of the Pentagon, CIA, and other clandestine operations.

We must all ask ourselves:

How can a nation that prides itself on government “of, for, and by the people,” justify hiding these black budget allocations from taxpayer scrutiny? How can a nation continue to prosper by ignoring its own long-term demise at the hands of a militarized economy?

If we truly want a real democracy to survive for generations to come, then we must demand extensive military reductions. We must demand a peaceful and sustainable path for our country and for the world at large. We must bring our soldiers home. We must protect ourselves from the tsunami that is building on Wall Street and in the halls of Washington DC.

A Militarized Economy Cannot Balance the Budget via John Perkins – JohnPerkins.org

Tags: budget, democracy, economy, education, environment, finance, Green, Green Festival, John Perkins, military, military spending, nation, social service

Green Festival visits San Francisco in April

Apr 6

Posted by 7star.wwwmaster@gmail.com in News | Comments off

Green Festival is currently the largest sustainability event in the world. Ten years and one million attendees later, Green Festivals are going strong in five major US cities.

Six festivals a year are presented: San Francisco has two, and Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Chicago each have one festival.

A combination of a trade show and educational conference, Green Festival seeks to educate the population and provide the public with opportunities to sample and witness changes in the green movement. The trade show aspect includes about 300 companies showing their products, and the conference aspect encompasses speakers on a wide variety of sustainability topics.

“The goal is to save humanity from itself. We are undermining the planet’s ability to support human existence,” explained Kevin Danaher, Executive Director of the Global Citizen Center. “With Green Festival we are trying to accelerate the transition to the green economy. As the natural resource base gets depleted, the profitability of saving resources goes up. There are many green companies that people are not aware of. Green Festival puts the public in contact with this.”

Green Festival visits San Francisco in April via The Western Edition – San Francisco

Tags: Business, earth day, economy, event, fair trade, global citizen, Global Exchange, Green, Green America, Green Festival, green living, nonprofit, organic, product, San Francisco, service, SF, shopping, social justice, sustainable, weekend

Posts Tagged economy

EPA, SEC Take the Lead on U.S. Environmental Progress

Behind the Greening of Wal-Mart

Proposed wind energy development will bring billions in economic investment to Illinois

How the bicycle economy can help us beat the energy crisis

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