There’s No Wrong Way to Meet a Royal

…When you’re an Obama, that is.

Now, we flatter ourselves that our interest would not ordinarily align with that of the prying UK Daily Mail, but this once, we’ll admit that it does. Michelle Obama did something unthinkable at the G-20 Summit this week: she side-hugged the Queen of England. It was a flagrant violation of long-standing royal protocol, but it was also decidedly well-received – the Obama Effect in a nutshell.

Before the Age of Obama, the occasional, ineffectual chautauquas of the G-20 leaders were the world’s chance to hit the snooze button. It was just a bunch of gray-haired men (and Angela Merkel) quibbling over their rigid agendas and, oh yeah, the future of the world – and nothing much happened. No public engagement. No faith in leadership. No outcomes necessary.

This time, however, things were palpably different. Our pride was invested in our leader’s success, so we paid attention. And Obama knew our eyes were on him, so he made sure he shined. Brokering deals, delivering glittering orations, advancing world dreams and looking downright dapper was all in a good day’s work.

But lest heads should swell, it is our duty, as front row marchers in the sustainability movement, to point out that much more might have been said about the role renewable resources must play in our reformed economy. Although “sustainability” was certainly an undertone in conversations, specifics – as ever – were lacking. You won’t find us crying in our beer, though. A truly sustainable world economy has certain predicates, like open communication, resource-sharing,and global goodwill, and an important few of them were checked off yesterday.

We’ll leave it to the cynics to spin all the hope out of this summit. Let them say nothing changed. Or capitalism is dead. Or one trillion dollars isn’t enough. We say the London Summit was one giant leap for mankind. We leapt over multipolar jockeying and zero-sum games straight into the realm of “we’re all in this together” and “anything’s possible.” It’s almost better than the moon.

Goofy “class photos” and the President’s thumbs ups aside, nothing symbolized this progress better than the First Lady’s arm around the Queen. She captured the world with a gesture that at once represented the progressive expansion of possibility, a compassionate nod to equality, and change we can believe in.

It was just the right touch.

Time Magazine's Top Ten Green Stories of 2008

As 2008 comes to an end, it is only natural to look back at the events of this past year. And what a year it's been-- with the presidential election as the headline story almost everyday. Every list has Barack Obama at the top. And the Top 10 list of Green Stories is no different.

Here's Time Magazine's List of Top 10 Green Stories of 2008.

When it comes to the daunting task of “saving the planet” it sometimes seems like nothing is ever enough. But in reviewing the events in the past year, I'm reminded of all of the great changes that happened and how far we have come in the fight against climate change.

But it is also a reminder that we have only just touched the tip of the (melting) iceberg. More and bigger changes are necessary and, I hope, on their way. We have a huge opportunity as a nation to take even greater steps forward. And if we do, the top ten list for 2009 will be even more impressive.

In Case You Haven't Heard...Change Is Coming

Today's New York Times ran a piece suggesting the economic downturn and plummeting cost of oil are likely to hamper the global transition to a low-carbon, clean-energy economy.  

It's a good job nobody's told President Elect Barack Obama. At last week's Schwarzenegger-hosted Governor's Global Climate Summit in California, held to discuss how governments can balance economic growth with environmental protection, Obama delivered (virtually) the following address: 



His position could not be clearer. Obama's said it before and reprises here his belief that the move to a clean-energy economy is not an additonal cost to be jettisoned in tough times but, on the contrary, the solution to the economic problems we face.

It will be fascinating to see how the cultural context on this topic in America changes once the message about both the urgency and opportunity embodied in the climate crisis is coming not -down - from the President himself - not just bottom-up. Looking at the brands with best-in-class sustainability business and brand strategies, a visionary leader with the passion and tenacity to drive sustainability through the organization is a critical component to success - think Jeff Immelt, Lee Scott, Sir John Brown, Chad Holliday.

As the economy continues to spiral down, and the voices of the naysayers swell, we hope the President Elect will not falter.  The nation - and the world - will take its cue from him. Top-down, indeed...

The Climate for Change

Last Tuesday, a record number of Americans -- 122 million of them-- went to the polls and voted. And while change is on its way, we all know that it will not happen over night.

As President-elect Obama said in his acceptance speech, "...we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century....The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there."

We do have a long road ahead, but now more then ever is the time to work together and find solutions to all the looming issues facing the country, and even more importantly, a global population. That was also runner-up John McCain's message on election night.  A message of collaboration that quickly erased memories of a hard-fought campaign.  And a recognition that ideas can come from anywhere (even Nobel Prize winners).

This past Sunday, Al Gore sharing his thoughts and advice on how we can solve the economic crisis and the climate crisis at the same time, in a New York Time's Op-Ed.

If you haven't had a chance to read this piece, please do. 

It's our mantra, as well.  Since the financial crisis, The Greenery has stood firm that the economic downturn means opportunity for smart companies that employ real sustainability solutions and marketing.  And while it may mean the end of the green "trend," we believe it opens the door for the true, sustainable green industry boom.

Here's to change.

Vote Green!

It’s just a few hours until the first polls will open in what might be considered one of the greatest election of our time.

We hope by now that everyone has had a chance to review the candidates’ positions on the key issues. To pump you up for tomorrow, we thought it would be fitting to review the highlights from each of the candidates’ environmental policies.

Read with care and when voting be sure to think about the state of the world today and how you hope to leave it for future generations.

Happy voting!

CLIMATE CHANGE
* Obama's economic plan would cut carbon dioxide emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and require fuel suppliers to cut carbon content by 10 percent by 2020.
* McCain's policy favors a local level adaptation plan, based upon national and regional scientific assessments of the impacts of climate change. He sponsored legislation in 2007 to cut emissions by 30 percent by 2050.

GASOLINE PRICES
* Obama's plan would probe energy industry activities and stop filling the emergency oil reserve.
* McCain's plan would suspend the federal gasoline tax during the peak summer driving season and suspend filling the emergency oil reserve, a stockpile designed to ensure the United States has a cushion of crude oil to cope with major supply disruptions.

OIL USE AND PRODUCTION
* Obama's policy would aim to reduce overall U.S. oil consumption by at least 35 percent, or 10 million barrels per day, by 2030 to offset imports from OPEC nations.
* McCain's plan supports expanding domestic oil exploration and production

VEHICLE FUEL ECONOMY
* Obama's policy would double fuel economy standards in 18 years, give automakers tax credits to retool plants and invest in advanced lightweight materials and new engines.
* McCain's plan would increase CAFE standards (mileage requirements that manufacturers' cars must meet). He believes penalties for not following these standards must be effective enough to compel all carmakers to produce fuel-efficient vehicles.

BIOFUELS
* Obama's plan favors boosting the renewable fuel standard to at least 60 billion gallons of advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol by 2030, building the ethanol distribution infrastructure, mandating that all new vehicles be "flex-fuel" by the end of 2012 and seeking production of 2 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol from non-corn sources like switchgrass by 2013.
* McCain's policies support flex-fuel vehicles and aim to eliminate mandates, subsidies, tariffs and price supports that focus exclusively on corn-based ethanol and prevent the development of market-based solutions, which would create better options for fuel needs.

The Dem's Convention and Beer

You may have heard that the DNC offset the carbon footprint of its jet-setting delegates. But exactly how?

They composted the food waste from all 8,000+ meals. Used biodegradable trash bags for the garbage hauled to landfills. Powered both the Pepsi Center and Hyatt (the DNC HQ) by 100% wind energy.

And our favorite: used only hybrid or "alternative fuel" cars and trucks to transport delegates and the media. Alternative fuel. You must be thinking biodiesel, right?

Not exactly. Beer.

I know what you're thinking now: "Is there nothing beer can't do?" But before you throw a six-pack into the gas tank, the fuel is really ethanol made from waste materials created in the brewing process.

And that waste adds up. Molson Coors (based in Denver) donated enough clean burning ethanol fuel to the DNC for all 400 General Motors flex-fuel vehicles used throughout the convention. Nice PR move. Who can resist the irony? After all, next to nominating an historic candidate, what is the convention besides one big party?

So kick back this election season, crack open a cold one and save the world.

Disposable vs. Reusable Debate

Take a look at the below photos... notice a commonality? (Besides Barack Obama, of course.)

The bottled water.

Over a year ago, The Greenery championed the switch from disposable plastic water bottles to reusable aluminum "SIGGs." It not only saves the environment, but also money.

For Obama, there exisit a leadership opportunity to set an example. Walk the talk. Get rid of the disposable plastic bottles, or at least switch to one of the "eco-friendly" versions. This simple visual could be big-- remember the power of Lance Armstrong and his yellow Livestrong bracelets? They were the hottest item out there. And actually raised a lot of money for cancer research.

Over 38 million plastic bottles are sent to the US landfills each year and it takes 700 years for that plastic to start decomposing. Switching to reusable is an easy and cheap way to make a difference. A bit less convenient perhaps for a campaign on the move, but I'd bet there is a volunteer ready for a promotion.

And for the record, the Obama campaign sells Obama-branded reusable bottles. Maybe Barack can get a discount....