Stories from Jonathan Mariano
Finance
In Defense of Increasing Profits as the Social Responsibility of Business
Over the next couple of weeks, we’ve asked our writers (and guests) to respond to the question “What is the […]
August 30, 2012
Technology
Chick-fil-A: Stewards of the Environment?
Last week, we saw an uproar of protests for and against Chick-fil-A, not because of the company itself, but because […]
August 7, 2012
Technology
George Brown College: Creating Collaboration for Health Care
Have you ever gone to your primary doctor, only to be referred to a specialist, and the specialist was clueless […]
July 5, 2012
Technology
Evergreen Brick Works: Past and Present Working Together for A Greener Future
When I first heard the name Evergreen Brick Works, I thought I was going to be touring a brick factory […]
July 2, 2012
Energy
Cleanwell: Partnering with Nature to Clean
Nestled a few blocks away from the Embarcadero in San Francisco is an enigma in the clean technology startup world, […]
June 29, 2012
Technology
How Can Ethernet Empower Innovation?
Earlier this week, Cisco Canada unveiled its Innovation Centre in Toronto. The Innovation Centre serves both as a showcase and […]
June 27, 2012
Technology
Cisco: Connecting for Sustainability
You may know Cisco as a company that designs, manufactures, and sells networking equipment. At a quick glance, it may […]
June 26, 2012
Voices for Change
Appropriate Engagement: A Strategy for Personal Sustainability
You have heard of stakeholder engagement, which covers social dimension of sustainability. But have you heard of appropriate engagement? Appropriate […]
June 11, 2012
Energy
Brewing Beer Sustainably with Mushrooms and Algae
Read the rest of the series here » What do mushrooms and algae have to do with brewing beer? Isn’t […]
June 8, 2012
Finance
Paul Hawken: Be Bold and Fail
There are a ton of sustainable business ideas out there. Some of these ideas gradually build upon prior technology. Other […]
June 1, 2012
Energy
Should CSR Stand for Chefs' Social Responsibility?
We’ve covered many Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in the past. But does this sort of social responsibility also apply to […]
May 23, 2012
Energy
Lights, Camera… Waste Diversion
Imagine you are a commercial video production company striking a set. You are in a time crunch, so the easiest […]
April 13, 2012
Corporate Responsibility
Local Governments Start Recycling, Environmentalists Halt
Just kidding! Happy April Fools 2012 🙂 Facing a never-ending shortage of funds for local initiatives, several city governments in […]
April 1, 2012
Energy
Jet Fuel from Pine Trees
With the price of fuel rising, many folks are looking for alternatives. The challenge facing many alternatives, especially when it […]
March 30, 2012
Finance
The Green Economy: It May Not Include Me
This post was submitted for the United Nations World Environment Day blogging competition sponsored by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Please […]
February 10, 2012
Voices for Change
Chip Conley on Becoming Your Own CEO: Chief Emotions Officer
All too often in the workplace (and maybe even just life), we are asked to push our emotions aside and […]
January 30, 2012
Energy
Bottlenecks of Utility Scale Renewable Energy
Renewable energy still has a long way to go to be our de facto utility energy source, especially in a […]
January 26, 2012
Finance
Making Clean Tech a Commercial Reality, Faster
There are a plethora of potential clean tech ideas and innovations out there. I have 5-6 in my head right […]
January 25, 2012
Voices for Change
World Peace Scores in the NBA
Many people define world peace as an ideal. One player in the National Basketball Association is attempting to promote world […]
December 30, 2011
Finance
Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party: Fighting the Same Battle?
The Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement is often seen as the idealogical counterpart to the Tea Party movement (TPM). […]
December 15, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Green Bay Packers Sell Stock as Nonprofit Community Organization
When we think of owning stock in an organization, we usually think of for-profit corporations. Images of streaming ticker symbols […]
December 6, 2011
Energy
New Child Labor Law Proposals: Benefit or Hinderance?
The United States Department of Labor has proposed an update to child labor regulations. These regulations are allegedly targeted at […]
November 28, 2011
Energy
School Pizza is a Vegetable
Last week, Congress passed a bill that allegedly labels pizza as a vegetable in school lunches. How did pizza spontaneously […]
November 21, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Keystone XL Pipeline Relies on Eminent Domain for Success
Over the weekend, protesters marched on Washington against the construction of the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline. A variety […]
November 7, 2011
Voices for Change
How to Talk with Global Warming Deniers
Most of you reading this probably believe that human caused global warming is true. Likewise, you probably know a family […]
November 2, 2011
Finance
Pre-Occupied with Wall Street: A Systems Thinking Perspective
The Occupy Wall Street movement has grown exponentially over the past week. What began as a movement targeting Wall Street has […]
October 10, 2011
Voices for Change
How to Encourage ‘Good Food’ for Good Health?
Good food is not only more sustainable for the planet but for our health. Good food tastes really good too. […]
September 19, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
B Corp and a Benefit Corporation are Not Created Equal
B Corp is just short hand for a Benefit Corporation, right? Not quite. Although there are similarities between the two […]
September 8, 2011
Finance
Solyndra Bankruptcy: Economic and Sustainable Business Lessons
The once highly touted clean tech start up, Solyndra, has filed for bankruptcy. Solyndra was hoped to be a key […]
September 2, 2011
Finance
How to Control Labor Costs Before They Control You
When times are tough, companies look for ways to cut costs. Labor costs are often one of those cuts. An […]
September 1, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Benefit Corporation Passes California Assembly, Sent to Governor
This post has been edited since it was first published Benefit Corporation, a new way form of corporate entity that purports […]
August 30, 2011
Voices for Change
Green Festival Comes to Los Angeles
For the past ten years, the Green Festival has been an annual or bi-annual event in San Francisco. The Green […]
August 29, 2011
Finance
Introducing The Da Vinci Index: Biomimicry and Economics
During an event at the San Diego Zoo Biomimicry, Dr. Lynn Reaser of the Fermanian Business & Economic Institute […]
August 25, 2011
Energy
Renewable Energy Usage Surpasses Nuclear
There are a ton of energy sources. Some are renewable, some not so renewable. On the renewable front, we have […]
August 23, 2011
Finance
Is Raising the Debt Ceiling Economically Sustainable?
Yesterday, an agreement was made between the President and Congress to raise the debt ceiling. It is expected to pass both […]
August 2, 2011
Energy
Persuading Climate Change Doubters with "Cool It"
A new documentary, Cool It, may be able to help some of us in our quest to settle arguments about […]
July 20, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Southern California Edison's Journey Towards the Smart Grid
The smart grid is getting more and more attention these days. With all this talk, a few questions lingers in […]
July 18, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
HP Interview: Carl Eckersley, Environmental Product Stewardship Director
I recently had a chance to chat with Carl Eckersley, Director, Environmental Product Stewardship, Personal Systems Group, at HP. He provided insight not […]
July 12, 2011
Technology
William McDonough Interview: We Are Not a Green Standard, We Are a Quality Standard
Late last month at the Dwell on Design 2011 conference in Los Angeles, CA, we had the chance to chat […]
July 5, 2011
Energy
PizzaSalad: A Slice of Sustainability
Yesterday, restaurant start-up PizzaSalad celebrated it’s third anniversary. PizzaSalad isn’t your average pizza joint. It incorporates sustainability across its entire […]
July 1, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Affluent See Sustainability as Positive Trend, Yet Hesitate to Purchase Sustainable Goods
The Dwell Insights Group, part of the architecture and design publisher Dwell, did a study on “The New Face of […]
June 28, 2011
Technology
Modern Living Showhouse: Built-in Sustainability
Over the weekend, the Modern Living Showhouse was unveiled during the Dwell on Design 2011 show in Los Angeles. The […]
June 27, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Apple Retail Employees to Form Union?
This post is part of a series on Stakeholder Engagement sponsored by Jurat Software. Seeds are being planted by employees […]
June 23, 2011
Energy
Study: Biodegradable Products Bad for Climate?
Biodegradable products are becoming more and more common these days. Just when you thought we were heading in the right […]
June 2, 2011
Finance
Creating a Sustainability Army
A new book, Army of Entrepreneurs (AOE), by Jennifer Prosek, shares a system that makes entrepreneurial behavior as a core […]
May 22, 2011
Finance
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: Restore Free Market Capitalism for the Environment
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is well known as an environmental advocate and attorney. Given his pro-environment position, it is quite […]
May 19, 2011
Technology
Cameron Sinclair Becomes Advisor to Obama Administration
Earlier this month, the Obama Administration under the USAID (United States Agency for International Development) launched the advisory committee on […]
May 17, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Senate Holds Hearing on Big Oil Tax Breaks
The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing yesterday on tax breaks for the nation’s top five oil companies: Chevron, Shell, […]
May 13, 2011
Manny Pacquiao: Boxing to Knock Out Poverty
Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao (pronounced PAK-ee-ow) recently won a boxing bout for the WBO Welterweight championship against “Sugar” Shane Mosley […]
May 10, 2011
Finance
Is Sustainability Stimulus Funding Sustainable?
Yesterday, a mock hip hop battle video was released describing two opposing economic solutions to the recent “great recession.” On one […]
April 29, 2011
Finance
A Response to "The Sustainability Fraud"
Is sustainability a big hoax? Are folks who frequent websites like TriplePundit being duped by all the sustainability related articles […]
April 25, 2011
Energy
Monsanto Will Create Own GMO Environmental Reports
In a bizarre move, the USDA will allow Monsanto to conduct its own impact studies on genetically engineered (GE) organisms. […]
April 21, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Beyond the Red-Blue Electric Car Divide
Should electric cars be a political issue dividing not just red states and blue states, but a person’s political and […]
April 19, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Partners Beyond Carbon: Cargill and EOS Climate
Cargill and EOS Climate have partnered up to curb emissions from aging refrigerators and air conditioners. This is a relationpship […]
April 15, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Terminating the GHG Debate: CA Governors Schwarzenegger and Davis
The connection between greenhouse gasses (GHG) and global warming is a difficult one for many Americans to grasp. The connection […]
April 15, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Wanted – Both Dead and Alive: Cap and Trade
This piece is inspired by the Navigating the American Carbon World 2011 Conference, in Los Angeles, CA. Cap and trade […]
April 14, 2011
Finance
SEC Considering Crowdsourced Funding
Let’s say you want to invest in the latest and greatest sustainable start-up. You can only afford to invest $100. […]
April 13, 2011
Technology
C3: The Boom in Energy Resource Management Software
The term “CRM” has become part of the lingo for almost any corporation or non-profit organization. Even if you don’t […]
April 8, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Patrón Spirits: Giving Sustainability a Shot
Patrón Tequila is probably best known as being the world’s number one ultra-premium tequila. With a company started just a […]
April 7, 2011
Finance
Growing Profit by Protecting Forests
Trees and forests are an important part of our ecosystem. They also play a vital role as a part of […]
April 6, 2011
Energy
Waste Management Turns Trash to Cash
Waste is one of the things we want to minimize or even eliminate. The challenge is we generate tons of […]
April 5, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Clean Tech Public-Private Partnership or Collusion?
Let’s start off with a general scenario that happens almost every election cycle: A corporate leader holds fundraisers for a […]
April 4, 2011
Cap and Trade Bill Passes Both House and Senate
April fool 2011 🙂 After years, if not decades of bickering, both the U.S. House of Representatives, and the U.S. […]
April 1, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Drill, Obama, Drill: Administration Advocates for Expanded Domestic Drilling
President Obama gave a speech yesterday, on a plan to cut oil imports. While at first, it may sound like […]
March 31, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Secrets of Getting a (Green) Job
Many of us at one point in time have been looking for a job. Readers of this site may be […]
March 29, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Does Earth Hour Truly Benefit the Environment?
Earth Hour will be taking place this Saturday, March 26th, between 8:30-9:30pm local time. Call it an initiative, campaign, or […]
March 25, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Guayaki Yerba Mate to Market Only with Social Media
Social media now provides a basic means of communicating with friends. It has even taken deep root in the way […]
March 24, 2011
Energy
A Cultural Flight Change: LAX Airport to Open Farmers’ Market
If you have ever taken a flight, you may have trouble finding good, healthy and local foods at airports. Some […]
March 22, 2011
Technology
Light Emitting Plasma Bulb by Luxim
Light bulbs and lighting in general appear to be going through a renaissance. Last month, we reported on a breakthrough […]
March 11, 2011
Finance
Leading with Purpose: The Steve Jobs Way
Apple has been in the news a lot lately. Last month, it released new Macbooks and an iPhone 4 for […]
March 9, 2011
Finance
A Risky Strategy: Government Clean Tech Venture Funding and Social Impact Bonds
The element of risk is part of every investment. Some investments are more risky than others. There is no guarantee […]
March 7, 2011
Technology
Ford's Flexible Strategy to Drive Toward Lower Impact
With sustainability becoming more and more of a concern with consumers, automobile manufacturers are providing solutions to meet that demand. […]
March 4, 2011
Energy
WSJ Announces Top 10 Venture Backed Clean Tech Companies
During this years ECO:nomics Conference, The Wall Street Journal announced the Top 10 venture-backed clean-tech companies. Eco:nomics is a conference that […]
March 3, 2011
Energy
Microsoft Suggests IT Industry Look to Energy Efficiency, Is EE Enough?
When sustainable energy comes up in the realm of IT, it usually involves low carbon energy production and a better […]
March 2, 2011
Finance
Obsessed with Impact: The Mulago Foundation
The Mulago Foundation approaches funding social enterprise a bit differently than other foundations. To sum it up in three words, […]
February 28, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
GoodGuide Names Levi’s Top Jeans Brand
The GoodGuide has named Levi Strauss & Co (Levi’s) as the Top Jeans Brand. GoodGuide rates companies on both environmental […]
February 23, 2011
Finance
The Hidden Reality Behind Social Impact Bonds
Hidden within President Obama’s proposed budget is a line item that attempts to start a new model for financing government […]
February 22, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Apple Supplier Responsibility Report: Transparency Good, Findings Bad
Let’s say you are in charge of a multi-billion computer and consumer electronic device company. The company itself appears socially […]
February 17, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Capturing and Sharing Sustainability: The Green Living Project
When we think of education, thoughts of heavy textbooks and lengthy lectures may come to mind. Even when it comes […]
February 15, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Support the GOP in De-Funding the IPCC?
With the GOP takeover in congress, the party has stronger power to push its party values and agenda forward. The […]
February 14, 2011
Technology
A New Path of Building with New Avenue Homes
Are you tired of the continual expansion of suburban sprawl? Or perhaps just want a home that is right sized […]
February 11, 2011
Voices for Change
Nonprofit Wins Super Bowl
The city of Green Bay celebrated their team’s win at Super Bowl XLV, yesterday. You may ask, what does a […]
February 9, 2011
Energy
Strike at the Root Culprit of GE Alfalfa
Last week the USDA announced its decision to fully “deregulate” genetically engineered (GE) Round Up ready alfalfa.This lead to a […]
February 3, 2011
Voices for Change
What Advertisements Would You Add or Delete?
We live in a culture full of advertising. Advertising bombards us during commercial breaks on television, or before a movie […]
February 1, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
End Both Fossil Fuel and Clean Energy Subsidies
Last week President Obama touched on sustainability themes during the State of the Union address. He called for ending federal […]
January 31, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Is Apple Supply Chain ‘Polluting and Poisoning’?
A new report suggests that Apple is secretive about its supply chain, and that very supply chain is polluting and […]
January 24, 2011
Technology
A Bright Idea: Introducing ESL Light Bulbs from Vu1
When changing out incandescent light bulbs for energy efficiency, there are usually two options, CFL and LED. However, the start […]
January 21, 2011
Technology
Chimneys Make a Comeback, Solar Style
With the holidays over, its time to take down the stockings from the fireplace hearth, that is if you have […]
January 13, 2011
Finance
A Reason to Smile: The Environmental Toothbrush
A toothbrush is something we (hopefully) use every day. With high frequency use comes high frequency wear and tear. Professionals […]
January 7, 2011
Energy
Biomass Plant Construction Begins at Colby College
A new biomass plant is under construction at Colby College. The plant will replace 1 million gallons of heating fuel […]
January 5, 2011