Archive for April 2010

Observing Earth Day

by Nancy Rogers on April 21st, 2010

Those who work even in the periphery of sustainability are inundated from Earth Hour to Earth Day and beyond with pointers on living green, saving energy and planting trees. However, if we step out of our green circle, it is surprising that many business associates are not aware of water, solar and planet holidays.

As with New Year’s there is a lot of hype to use this benchmark for improvement. Instead of weight loss and financial stability, the focus is on reducing footprints and considering the next generation. For me deadlines are always helpful. Earth Day is a reminder to reflect on what else I can do and how I can be a better change agent.

Like the holiday cards from my insurance agent, I try to ignore the avalanche of corporate boasts and be pleased that the occasion was noted. Like adding 15 more minutes of exercise, a percentage may think about modifying behavior for the environment. In Atlanta and around the globe, community activities for individuals and business abound: tree planting; socials and challenges to celebrate this 40th observation. The options let you choose what matters to you among flora, fauna, water, air, energy, and future generations.

Did someone you know become a supporter this year? Did you gather with friends who remember their first Earth Day? Let the day launch another year of considering the planet.

Green social media panel in Atlanta

by Nancy Rogers on April 15th, 2010

On the Atlanta green calendar, a worthy entry was last night’s Social Media: Business Beyond the Buzz panel sponsored by Green Chamber of the South and SoutheastGreen.com. The presenters offered solid credentials with diverse experiences attuned to large and small business needs: Sean McCandless, Colfax; our own Nora DePalma, O’Reilly/DePalma and Green Earth PR Network; Gretchen Miller, Vitrue; Candace McCaffrey, Cookerly Public Relations; and moderator Beth Bond, Southeast Green. Here are summaries of select questions.

Is social media more popular in the green arena than in other sectors? In the building sector, DePalma noted that green references were more often retweeted including exchanges with green journalists to yield a broader conversation.

Since McCandless deals a lot with green regulation, he sees claims that amount to green washing among products that offer only slightly better performance. What he likes about social media from the green aspect, is the flow of information. If marketers are trying to hide, it is less likely to work since green promotes transparency. As an early adopter of social media with green clients, McCaffrey felt social media offered a good match for users with a higher level of passion.

Is it social media more important to establish transparency for established versus small businesses? McCandless offered that it was equally important to large and small organizations, although small business can reach scale faster on social media. Both DePalma and McCaffrey noted the need to put strategy and marketing behind the effort, stressing that social media is not free. It is a way to get your message out quickly. At the same time, McCaffrey emphasized that with a lot of clutter, a strategy was particularly important.

Miller works with large entities, balancing value and entertainment. Her firm had just announced some of the first useful metrics for social media. She predicts Facebook will be operating system of the future, advising that all business needs a local, scaleable viewpoint.

The conversation echoed themes that support our Grammar of Green whatever the channel—transparency, engagement, value, and strategy for clarity among the clutter. For more social media tips from the event, visit the O’Reilly/DePalma website here.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words … but this one word says it all

by l.lilienthal on April 12th, 2010


When I was sorting my disposables during a recent visit to the David Brower Center in Berkeley, Ca., I stopped short. I was used to sorting paper and plastic, maybe even compost, but LANDFILL? That’s a choice I’ve never seen. In place of the word TRASH, some enterprising environmentalist decided to tell it like it is: If you put it here, it’s going to the LANDFILL, and it’s all on you.