http://www.cchange.net Covering the transformations to social, environment and economic sustainability Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:08:33 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Sea Change Radio covers the transformations to social, environmental, and economic sustainability. Change is accelerating in positive and negative directions: the clock is ticking in the race to see which will tip first—the problems or the solutions. Join Sea Change's Host, Alex Wise, as he provides in-depth analysis to help our audience understand possible remedies and potential pitfalls. Sea Change interviews sustainability experts including Paul Hawken, Stewart Brand, Bill McKibben, Van Jones, Lester Brown, and many others. Sea Change airs on over 30 radio stations around the country. Alex Wise clean Alex Wise awise@cchange.net awise@cchange.net (Alex Wise) 2007-2011 Making Connections for Sustainability Sustainability, Climate Change, Human Rights, Environment, Corporate Responsibility, Socially Responsible Investing, Accountability, Stakeholders, Clean Tech, Renewable Energy, Green Jobs, Wealth Divide http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/cwr-images-archive/SeaChangeRadioTAG_square144_sm.jpg http://www.cchange.net Weekly http://www.cchange.net/2012/02/07/walmart-green-or-greed-part-ii/ http://www.cchange.net/2012/02/07/walmart-green-or-greed-part-ii/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:08:33 +0000 Alex Wise http://www.cchange.net/?p=4164 http://www.cchange.net/2012/02/07/walmart-green-or-greed-part-ii/feed/ 0 alex wise,csr,Grist,marc gunther,sea change,sea change radio,stacy mitchell,sustainability efforts,Sustainable Business,walmart Business and sustainability reporter Marc Gunther offers his perspective on Walmart’s sustainability efforts (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/walmart-150x150.jpg)(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/MarcGunther.jpg)Last week on Sea Change Radio, we spoke with Stacy Mitchell (http://www.cchange.net/2012/01/31/walmart-green-or-greed-part-i/), a researcher and author who believes that Walmart’s sustainability efforts over the past five or six years have only disguised, not improved the tremendous detrimental effects caused by the world’s largest retailer. This week, we hear from a business and sustainability reporter who has a different perspective on Walmart’s green campaign. Marc Gunther (http://www.marcgunther.com/) thinks that while Walmart still has a long way to go to become a truly responsible corporation, the company’s work in this area represents important steps in the right direction. Gunther and host Alex Wise (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Wise) discuss the parallels of Walmart and Apple’s supply chain troubles including slave-like labor conditions in China, and look at the Walmart situation from both a management and consumer perspective. After hearing both Stacy Mitchell last week and Marc Gunther this week, Sea Change Radio invites you to draw your own conclusions about this retail giant. Alex Wise clean http://www.cchange.net/2012/01/31/walmart-green-or-greed-part-i/ http://www.cchange.net/2012/01/31/walmart-green-or-greed-part-i/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:57:10 +0000 Alex Wise http://www.cchange.net/?p=4146 http://www.cchange.net/2012/01/31/walmart-green-or-greed-part-i/feed/ 0 alex wise,csr,Grist,marc gunther,sea change,sea change radio,stacy mitchell,sustainability efforts,Sustainable Business,walmart Author, researcher and advocate, Stacy Mitchell talks about Walmart’s sustainability efforts. (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/StacyMitchell-150x150.jpg)(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Grovvy-Green-Walmart-Logo-150x150.jpg)Walmart. What does the name of the world’s largest retailer evoke for you? Do you think of its reputation as a poor employer and its anti-union tactics? Do you lump it in your mind with other large corporations who worship profit at the expense of environmental and social justice? Or perhaps you’re among those who respect Walmart’s more recent initiatives to improve its environmental impact, cut back on energy use, and reduce packaging. Today on Sea Change Radio, we begin a two-part series in which we speak with two writers for whom the name Walmart evokes very different things. This week, host Alex Wise (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Wise) talks with author, researcher and advocate, Stacy Mitchell who recently published a 6-part series for Grist (http://grist.org/series/2011-11-07-walmart-greenwash-retail-giant-still-unsustainable/) on Walmart’s sustainability efforts. Mitchell believes that the company’s purported efforts to improve its sustainability profile are mostly window dressing, a ploy to change the media narrative of Walmart’s poor track record without actually changing its overall negative global impact. Next week we will hear a contrasting opinion from reporter Marc Gunther who’s written extensively on Walmart, as well. Gunther is more impressed by the company’s sustainability efforts, believing that the perfect should not be the enemy of the good, and that when a giant like Walmart makes moves toward environmental responsibility it is worth taking notice. But first, our discussion with Stacy Mitchell. Alex Wise clean http://www.cchange.net/2011/07/05/a-greener-way-for-san-jose/ http://www.cchange.net/2011/07/05/a-greener-way-for-san-jose/#comments Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:42:45 +0000 Alex Wise http://www.cchange.net/?p=3545 http://www.cchange.net/2011/07/05/a-greener-way-for-san-jose/feed/ 0 alex wise,ash kalra,ashu kalra,california,city council,councilman,councilmember,kalra,politics,san jose,sea change radio,Sustainable Business An Interview With San Jose Councilmember Ash Kalra (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/ash-kalra.jpg)It’s the tenth largest city in the United States and the third largest city in California, but San Jose (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Jose,_California) is often overshadowed by its popular neighbor to the north, San Francisco. This week on Sea Change Radio we talk about San Jose and the little-known ways that this big city is leading the charge toward sustainability. Our guest is Councilmember Ash Kalra (http://www.sjdistrict2.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=171&Itemid=214), who talks with host Alex Wise (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Wise) about the successes and challenges of promoting environmentally sound policy in a city that’s one of the most ethnically and economically diverse in the nation. Councilmember Kalra tells us about the progress being made there, from hybrid busses, to a city-wide plastic bag ban, to the mission to make San Jose a zero-waste city. He also shares with us some of the challenges the city’s policymakers have encountered, including the economic downturn and a pervasive not-in-my-backyard attitude that stands in the way of progress. Listen now as we examine how the lessons learned in this urban microcosm of the United States can be applied to any city working for a greener tomorrow. Alex Wise clean http://www.cchange.net/2011/06/27/further-to-fly-examining-air-travel-part-ii/ http://www.cchange.net/2011/06/27/further-to-fly-examining-air-travel-part-ii/#comments Tue, 28 Jun 2011 05:10:38 +0000 Alex Wise http://www.cchange.net/?p=3534 http://www.cchange.net/2011/06/27/further-to-fly-examining-air-travel-part-ii/feed/ 0 air travel,airline,alex wise,american airlines,carbon footprint,jim walsh,sea change radio,Sustainable Business Jim Walsh of American Airlines talks about the sustainability efforts his company is making despite the enormous carbon footprint associated with air travel. (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Jim-Walsh.jpg)Last week on Sea Change Radio, we talked about how a single flight can virtually neutralize all the efforts a family makes in a year to reduce their carbon footprint. As individuals, it’s essential that we begin to fly less, but isn’t there something more that the airlines can do, too? This week, Alex Wise (http://www.cchange.net/about/alex-wise/) interviews Jim Walsh, Managing Director of Corporate Environmental at American Airlines (http://www.aa.com/i18n/aboutUs/corporateResponsibility/environment/progress.jsp). He explains how early motivations to become more efficient and sustainable stemmed from rising fuel costs and an associated self-interest in saving money. But these seeds of sustainability began to sprout and the airline now boasts a number of employee-informed solutions, including donating used carpets to animal shelters, plans for burning alternative fuels, replacing heavy food carts with lighter ones, and even serving rain-forest certified coffee. Alex Wise clean http://www.cchange.net/2010/08/04/eat-drink-and-be-sustainable/ http://www.cchange.net/2010/08/04/eat-drink-and-be-sustainable/#comments Wed, 04 Aug 2010 04:35:25 +0000 Alex Wise http://www.cchange.net/?p=2674 http://www.cchange.net/2010/08/04/eat-drink-and-be-sustainable/feed/ 0 alex wise,berlin reed,breakaway cook,eric gower,ethical butcher,farmers markets,food preparation,global flavors,local food,Sustainable Business We profile two pioneers in the local food movement on Sea Change Radio this week. Host Alex Wise speaks with The Breakaway Cook, Eric Gower, about fusing locally-grown food with global flavors and The Ethical Butcher, Berlin Reed, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Eric_Gower-e1280893478896-150x150.jpg)(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/butcher_pri_-150x150.jpg)We profile two pioneers in the local food movement on Sea Change Radio this week. Host Alex Wise (http://www.cchange.net/about/alex-wise/) speaks with The Breakaway Cook (http://www.breakawaycook.com/), Eric Gower, about fusing locally-grown food with global flavors and The Ethical Butcher (http://www.theethicalbutcher.com/), Berlin Reed, about selecting food from local farms and farmers' markets. Both guests are commited to sustainability in their food preparation without compromising the search for authentically delicious culinary experiences. Alex Wise clean http://www.cchange.net/2010/04/14/water-water-everywhere-nor-any-drop-to-drink/ http://www.cchange.net/2010/04/14/water-water-everywhere-nor-any-drop-to-drink/#comments Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:42:11 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=2440 http://www.cchange.net/2010/04/14/water-water-everywhere-nor-any-drop-to-drink/feed/ 0 Climate Change,IBM,Sustainable Business,water,water footprint,water risk The title of today's show, which quotes Samuel Coleridge in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, aptly describes the dilemma companies are starting to face when it comes to water management.  Today, we speak with Jeff Erikson of SustainAbility, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/JeffErikson-150x150.jpg)(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/CameronBrooks.jpg)The title of today's show, which quotes Samuel Coleridge in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, aptly describes the dilemma companies are starting to face when it comes to water management.  Today, we speak with Jeff Erikson (http://www.sustainability.com/about/profile.asp?id=21) of SustainAbility (http://www.sustainability.com/index.asp), a think tank that recently surveyed experts globally on corporate impacts on water (http://www.sustainability.com/downloads_public/MediaRelease_TSS_Sept%202009.pdf), and Cameron Brooks of IBM's Big Green Innovations (http://www-03.ibm.com/technology/greeninnovations/) team, which has been focusing on "Smarter Water Management (http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/water_management/examples/)." Water has been climbing up the corporate agenda as the next big sustainability issue, on par with climate change.  And companies are adopting increasingly sophisticated tools for managing water sustainably.  Examples include the  Corporate Water Gauge (http://www.sustainableinnovation.org/Corporate-Water-Gauge.pdf) from the Center for Sustainable Innovation (http://www.sustainableinnovation.org/index.html) in Vermont, the Global Water Tool (http://www.wbcsd.org/templates/TemplateWBCSD5/layout.asp?type=p&MenuId=MTUxNQ&doOpen=1&ClickMenu=LeftMenu=LeftMenu) from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (http://www.wbcsd.org/templates/TemplateWBCSD5/layout.asp?type=p&MenuId=MQ&doOpen=1&ClickMenu=LeftMenu), and launched just this spring, the Water Risk Index (http://www.wwdmag.com/World-Resources-Institute-General-Electric-Goldman-Sachs-Launch-Water-Initiative-newsPiece19852) from GE, Goldman Sachs, and the World Resources Institute.  And I recently edited a report (http://www.ceres.org/Page.aspx?pid=1200) from Ceres (http://www.ceres.org/Page.aspx?pid=705) on corporate disclosure of water risks. Water was recently identified as the most important sustainability issue for companies, followed by climate change, poverty, and biodiversity.  This was the finding of the 2009 Sustainability Survey (http://www.sustainability.com/downloads_public/TSS%20Media%20Release.pdf), a joint project between GlobeScan (http://www.globescan.com/) and SustainAbility, the UK-based think tank and consultancy.  So this year, the two groups followed up with a "pulse" survey focused specifically on water (http://www.sustainability.com/downloads_public/MediaRelease_TSS_Mar2010.pdf), which polled over 1200 sustainability experts in 80 countries.  Sea Change Executive Director Bill Baue (http://www.cchange.net/about/bill-baue/) spoke with Jeff Erikson, senior vice president of SustainAbility, who worked on the project -- and also worked together with Baue in 2007 on the first-ever Walmart Sustainability Report (http://walmartstores.com/sites/sustainabilityreport/2007/). Erikson discussed the Sustainability Survey findings, first and foremost that "experts have a strong preference for policy measures that reduce water demand over those that increase water supply."  The survey also found that "managing fresh water sustainably and equitably requires a multi-faceted approach," listing about a dozen strategies with more than 70 percent support from experts.  Interestingly, only 16 percent of sustainability experts thought privatization is a good solution, and 55 percent opposed it. This aligns with the growing sense that water is a basic human right, according to Erikson -- an opinion validated by the recent decision by Intel to explicitly confirm the human right to water (http://blogs.intel.com/csr/2010/03/a_water_policy.php).  Erikson also discusses the key role of “water footprinting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_footprint)” across entire product lifecycles to provide complete sustainability context Bill Baue clean http://www.cchange.net/2010/02/17/cool-industry-for-a-cooler-planet/ http://www.cchange.net/2010/02/17/cool-industry-for-a-cooler-planet/#comments Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:27:28 +0000 Francesca Rheannon http://www.cchange.net/?p=2370 http://www.cchange.net/2010/02/17/cool-industry-for-a-cooler-planet/feed/ 1 boston associates,Calvin Ellis,Charlie Lotspiech,connecticut river,George Ewing,heritage state park,jim lavelle,machine tool industry,Martorell,mass humanities,massachusetts nurses association,Penni In this fifth episode of our Back To The Future series, we look at how the mighty power of the Connecticut River fueled the birth of manufacturing in Massachusetts -- and the country -- not just in producing finished goods, like paper and textiles, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Holyoke-dam-150x150.jpg) In this fifth episode of our Back To The Future series (http://www.cchange.net/mass-humanities/), we look at how the mighty power of the Connecticut River fueled the birth of manufacturing in Massachusetts -- and the country -- not just in producing finished goods, like paper and textiles, but also in making the machinery that drove the mills. We hear from Jim Lavelle, manager of Holyoke Gas And Electric (HGE) (http://www.hged.com/), a hydroelectric power company. He tells us how Holyoke's industrial  past points the way to the future. HGE’s Calvin Ellis takes us on a tour of the hydroelectric plant at the South Hadley Falls. Robert Forrant (http://www.uml.edu/college/arts_sciences/History/faculty/forrant.html), professor of regional economic development and sustainability at UMass-Lowell tells us about machine tool manufacturing in the 19th century and the lessons that holds for today.  And we also hear about Holyoke's industrial history from Penni Martorell (http://holyokehistory.blogspot.com/), archivist of the Holyoke Public Library and Charlie Lotspeich, Park Supervisor at Holyoke Heritage State Park (http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/hhsp.htm). The Connecticut River has always been a vital resource for the people who have lived along its banks.  Early indigenous people (http://www.holyoke.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=40&Itemid=152&limitstart=1) used it for transportation, fishing, and farming, as did the early settlers. And local merchants use the river to transport their goods.  But the high falls at south Hadley presented an obstacle to transport up the river from port cities further south.  So locks and canals were built to get around the falls and keep the goods moving north. In 1858 George Ewing and the Boston Associates, who developed Lowell as an industrial city, turned their attention to Holyoke. There was a 59 foot drop in the river there, making it a perfect place to build a dam (http://www.holyokemass.com/hwp_1876/tex2.html), while the sloping land and  the bend in the river made it an ideal site for a hydro-powered city, complete with canals (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holyoke_Canal_System). Holyoke's mills depended on a thriving machine tool industry that began in Springfield just a few miles south on the Connecticut River. It soon spread upriver to Holyoke itself.  A former Springfield machinist himself, Robert Forrant tells us how the industry got started in the early days after the American Revolution, incubated by the Springfield Armory (http://www.nps.gov/spar/index.htm). (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/SPAR_SA-ind-1861-150x150.jpg) But industry fell on hard times in the Connecticut River Valley. It started first in Holyoke in the 1920s and culminated in a wave of arsons and plant closings in the 1960s and 1970s.  It was all part of the de-industrialization of the northeast, a victim of globalization.  But Holyoke Gas and Electric's Jim Lavelle tells us that machine tooling could come back strong to Holyoke, especially as the cost of fossil fuels skyrocket, crimping transportation costs and encouraging more local manufacturing.  With a revival of intercity rail (http://www.masslive.com/chicopeeholyoke/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-25/1266049008177780.xml&coll=1)planned along the banks of the Connecticut River, and a new green data center (http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2009/06/08/daily28-Holyoke-targeted-for-green-data-center.html) to be built in Holyoke, prospects are looking up for a revitalized, sustainable, manufacturing economy in western Massachusetts. Francesca Rheannon clean http://www.cchange.net/2009/11/25/green-recovery-can-company-eco-initiatives-boost-the-economy/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/11/25/green-recovery-can-company-eco-initiatives-boost-the-economy/#comments Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:55:27 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=2137 http://www.cchange.net/2009/11/25/green-recovery-can-company-eco-initiatives-boost-the-economy/feed/ 0 Andrew Winston,economic recession,green recovery,green to gold,Sustainable Business Sea Change Radio Host Bill Baue speaks with Andrew Winston about his book, Green Recovery: Your Company's Green Guide to Surviving the Recession—and Thriving in the Upturn.  And Tania Haldar Hart brings us this week's Sea Change News Analysis. - (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/AndrewWinston-150x150.jpg)(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/GreenRecovery-125x150.jpg) Sea Change Radio Host Bill Baue (http://www.cchange.net/about/bill-baue/) speaks with Andrew Winston (http://www.andrewwinston.com/bio/) about his book, Green Recovery: Your Company's Green Guide to Surviving the Recession—and Thriving in the Upturn (http://www.andrewwinston.com/books/).  And Tania Haldar Hart (http://www.cchange.net/about/tania-haldar-hart/) brings us this week's Sea Change News Analysis (http://www.cchange.net/2009/11/25/newsanalysis-obama-is-showing-up-in-copenhagen-but-will-he-step-up-to-climate-leadership/). Andrew Winston (http://www.andrewwinston.com/index.php) made a big mark on sustainable business with his 2006 book Green to Gold (http://www.amazon.com/Green-Gold-Companies-Environmental-Competitive/dp/0470393742/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259188707&sr=1-1), which has been called "the definitive book on the greening of business."  Together with coauthor Dan Esty (http://www.law.yale.edu/faculty/estybio.htm) of Yale, Winston presented the case for companies to adopt eco-initiatives to boost their bottom line -- by protecting the environment. This year, Winston published his solo followup, Green Recovery -- which looks at how eco-initiatives can help solve the economic recession. Bill Baue clean 28:30 http://www.cchange.net/2009/09/23/the-art-of-sustainability/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/09/23/the-art-of-sustainability/#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:41:33 +0000 Francesca Rheannon http://www.cchange.net/?p=1989 http://www.cchange.net/2009/09/23/the-art-of-sustainability/feed/ 1 arizona state university,art museum,beyond green,conceptual artist,deep energy retrofit,defining sustainability,heather lineberry,indigenous artists,Kade Twist,multimedia,native american,permaculture Heather Lineberry of the Arizona State University Art Museum in Tempe tells us about Defining Sustainability, a new exhibition at the museum. Native American conceptual artist Kade Twist talks about “Do You Remember When”, Heather Lineberry of the Arizona State University Art Museum in Tempe tells us about Defining Sustainability (http://asunews.asu.edu/20090624_definingsustainability), a new exhibition at the museum. Native American conceptual artist Kade Twist talks ab... Francesca Rheannon clean 27:06 http://www.cchange.net/2009/06/17/banking-futures-making-money-sustainable/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/06/17/banking-futures-making-money-sustainable/#comments Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:51:18 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=980 http://www.cchange.net/2009/06/17/banking-futures-making-money-sustainable/feed/ 0 Alternative Economic Models,Climate Change,Community Economic Engagement,doug rushkoff,international finance corporation,Life Inc,Local Currency,Local Living Economies,Lyle Estill,Peter Blom,Renewable Energy,Sustainable Agriculture Banks are increasingly viewed as a bane to a healthy economy.  But done right, banks can play a key role in the shift to sustainability.  Today, Sea Change presents three perspectives on futures for banking.  Peter Blom, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/PeterBlom-100x150.gif)(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/DougRushkoff-150x150.jpg) Banks are increasingly viewed as a bane to a healthy economy.  But done right, banks can play a key role in the shift to sustainability.  Today, Sea Change presents three perspectives on futures for banking.  Peter Blom, CEO of Triodos Bank (http://www.triodos.com/) in the Netherlands, proposes a shift in the mission of banks, from maximizing profit to maximizing sustainability.  Doug Rushkoff (http://rushkoff.com/), author of (http://lifeincorporated.net/), discusses how a surplus of debt that banks needed to sell triggered the financial meltdown.  (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/LyleEstill.jpg)And Lyle Estill (http://lyleestill.com/blog/?page_id=4) describes the role a chapter in his book (http://www.newsociety.com/bookid/3993) played in a local currency in North Carolina, The Plenty, being carried by a local bank. Triodos Bank was just named Sustainable Bank of the Year (http://www.triodos.com/com/whats_new/latest_news/press_releases/triodos_most_sustainable_bank) in an award (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/e1dafe8c-51a4-11de-b986-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=590f3c26-4564-11da-981b-00000e2511c8.html) from the Financial Times and International Finance Corporation (http://www.ifc.org/).  Last year, Triodos CEO Peter Blom was knighted into the Order of Orange-Nassau (http://www.triodos.com/com/whats_new/latest_news/press_releases/603833) for pioneering sustainable saving and investment schemes.  At the recent Summit on the Future of the Corporation (http://www.summit2020.org/), Blom facilitated a World Cafe (http://www.theworldcafe.com/) session where Francesca recorded his comments on the changes necessary to achieve sustainability -- from the individual to the systemic level. Doug Rushkoff discusses the instrumental role banks played in the current financial crisis.  His new book ,LIFE INC, is about how corporatization is holding our lives as captives, all the way down to our individual identity.  In the book, Rushkoff presents the counter-intuitive notion that a surplus of money caused our collective financial crisis. This is an excerpt from a longer interview he gave Francesca and Bill. Finally, we end with a story of hope: the role banks can play in supporting local currency (http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2009-04-05-scrip_N.htm), and the revitalization of regional economies.  Lyle Estill's story of how a chapter in his book, SMALL IS POSSIBLE, helped inspire a local bank to back a local currency in North Carolina serves as a launching pad for Estill to discuss the larger context of how local economies can help solve our concurrent crises around climate change, resource depletion. This segment is excerpted from a much longer interview he gave Francesca, which we'll air later in the season. Bill Baue clean 29:11 http://www.cchange.net/2009/05/06/community-governance/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/05/06/community-governance/#comments Wed, 06 May 2009 19:35:37 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=840 http://www.cchange.net/2009/05/06/community-governance/feed/ 0 Community Economic Engagement,community governance,corporate governance,Fair Trade,Fair Trade Towns,Green Living,human rights,jessie smith noyes foundation,Labor Rights,Local Living Economies,Shareholder Engagement,southwest organizing project Longtime shareowner activist Steve Viederman discusses the notion of community governance, where communities reclaim democratic power of self-determination from corporations and other external forces.  Exemplifying community governance is the Fair Trad... (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/steveviederman-150x150.jpg)Longtime shareowner activist Steve Viederman (http://www.sustainability.com/about/profile.asp?id=84) discusses the notion of community governance, where communities reclaim democratic power of self-determination from corporations and other external forces.  Exemplifying community governance is the Fair Trade Towns (http://www.fairtradetownsusa.org/) movement, where communities commit to supporting Fair Trade (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade) commodities such as coffee and cocoa.  We speak about Fair Trade Towns and World Fair Trade Day (http://www.worldfairtradeday09.org/) with Amherst Fair Trade Partnership (http://www.myspace.com/amherstfairtrade) Chair Yuri Friman and Bart's Cafe (http://www.bartshomemade.com/greenfield.htm) owner Al Sax, who is coordinating the launch of the fourth Fair Trade Town here in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_Valley) where we produce Sea Change Radio.  And finally, this week's ViewPoint comes from Liana Foxvog of SweatFree Communities (http://www.sweatfree.org/) on its latest report, Subsidizing Sweatshops II, which identifies how communities can advocate for their state and local governments to avoid buying products such as firefighter uniforms produced in sweatshop conditions. In November 2008, Steve Viederman met with some of the best community organizers in the country at the the South by Southwest Learning Continuum: Southern Echo (http://southernecho.org/s/) from Jackson, Mississippi; Southwest Workers Union (http://www.swunion.org/) (SWU) from San Antonio, Texas; and SouthWest Organizing Project (http://www.swopblogger.org/) (SWOP) from Albuquerque, New Mexico.    "Community governance" was the buzz -- in other words, communities reclaiming democratic power of self-determination from corporations and other external forces.   As longtime president of the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation (http://www.noyes.org/), Viederman helped steer grants to community organizations working to empower citizens and protect their local environment.  For example, the Noyes Foundation helped SWOP engage with Intel (http://www.noyes.org/97pres.html) over environmental issues such as water use and toxics in its New Mexico chip manufacturing facility.  On a recent visit to his grandchildren, Viederman stopped by the studios to chat about community governance. Among other things, he distinguished between communities as stakeholders, the current terminology, and stakeowners, the term Viederman proposes as a more accurate description of communities' rights and responsibilities.   (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/fairtradetown-150x150.jpg)Next, there's a movement afoot for communities to use their collective consumer power to promote Fair Trade, which sets a fair price for commodities like coffee and cocoa and deals directly with worker cooperatives to empower growers globally.  Fair Trade Towns is gaining steam in the US, particularly here in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts where we produce Sea Change Radio.  To find out more, we invited Yuri Friman, Chair of the Amherst Fair Trade Partnership, and Al Sax, who's helping launch Greenfield as the fourth Fair Trade Town in the Valley, into the studio. Bill Baue clean 29:31 http://www.cchange.net/2009/05/06/viewpoint-communities-going-sweat-free/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/05/06/viewpoint-communities-going-sweat-free/#comments Wed, 06 May 2009 19:34:25 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=847 http://www.cchange.net/2009/05/06/viewpoint-communities-going-sweat-free/feed/ 0 human rights,Labor Rights,Liana Foxvog,Local Living Economies,Sustainable Business,Sustainable Public Policy,SweatFree Communities,sweatshops Currently, communities are unwittingly supporting sweatshop labor when state and local governments use tax dollars to buy things such as firefighter uniforms.  Liana Foxvog, National Organizer of the advocacy organization SweatFree Communities, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/lianafoxvog.jpg)Currently, communities are unwittingly supporting sweatshop labor when state and local governments use tax dollars to buy things such as firefighter uniforms.  Liana Foxvog, National Organizer of the advocacy organization SweatFree Communities (http://www.sweatfree.org/), discusses findings of Subsidizing Sweatshops II (http://www.sweatfree.org/subsidizing), the latest research on sweatshops perpetuated by government contracts. Guillermo Cosajay works in a garment factory making apparel for the government. When his vision started going blurry, he didn’t know why. Then he looked at his glasses and saw they were covered with oil. But the glasses weren’t keeping the oil out of his eyes. Cosajay told researchers from SweatFree Communities, “The thread uses lots of oil. So when you are working, there is a part of the machine that shoots oil into your eyes.” Guillermo brought this issue to several supervisors, but to no avail. A new report by Sweat Free Communities, Subsidizing Sweatshops II, shines a light on workers' rights violations in seven factories like the one Cosajay works in. It also looks at how our tax dollars can foster workers' rights --and economic recovery-- rather than fuel the race to the bottom. A previous exposé last summer profiled four of the same factories. Since the first report (http://www.sweatfree.org/subsidizing1), the stock market crashed. That's brought increased attention to jobs and insecurity. But, long before news of the crisis hit the airwaves, most of the world’s population had been experiencing a quieter, less-publicized economic crisis. The workers we interviewed face a daily crisis. Families can't make ends meet on their wages. They go to work sick because they can't afford to lose a day’s pay.  People are fired and blacklisted when they try to organize. Workers are laid off--often without warning or adequate severance pay--when factories move for cheaper labor. The collapse on Wall Street only made things go from already bad to worse. Companies tell workers that they should be happy to have a job-- and never mind about the poor conditions. Guillermo Portalatin, a worker at Eagle Industries, who makes Army and law enforcement apparel, said: “The workers have a lot of fear because of the economic situation. The company takes advantage of that. They told us recently not to listen to radios, and when somebody asked for a raise, the supervisor said we were lucky to be working.” Portalatin and Cosajay don’t work in a third world sweatshop. They work in Massachusetts. Ongoing SweatFree Communities’ research shows that a family of four with two adults working at the factory make only 60-65% of a living wage. The company’s family health insurance plan costs 80% of their monthly earnings, so workers don’t buy into it. Workers say that time-keeping and surveillance create an uncomfortable work environment. They told us of incidents of favoritism, sexual harassment, ethnic discrimination, and monitoring of union supporters. In addition to shooting oil, health and safety concerns include heat exhaustion and fainting, accidents involving forklifts hitting sewing machine operators, and cuts from sharp material. Equally concerning is management’s unresponsiveness to workers' requests for safety equipment and improvements in the working environment. Workers at Eagle and many other factories are organizing for a seat at the negotiating table with management. Tax-payers can act in solidarity with workers by asking state and local officials to adopt sweatshop-free procurement laws and join the Sweatfree Purchasing Consortium (http://buysweatfree.org/). Those actions will help ensure that our tax dollars no longer subsidize sweatshop conditions--and instead provide incentives for companies to improve conditions and respect workers' rights. For the Sea Change ViewPoint, I’m Liana Foxvog of SweatFree Communities. Bill Baue clean 3:47 http://www.cchange.net/2009/04/22/phoenix-economy-rising/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/04/22/phoenix-economy-rising/#comments Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:47:33 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=796 http://www.cchange.net/2009/04/22/phoenix-economy-rising/feed/ 0 Alternative Economic Models,Climate Change,Community Economic Engagement,john elkington,karen ribeiro,phoenix economy,Social Entrepreneurs,Sustainable Business,Sustainable Public Policy,terry mollner,triple bottom line,william spademan Sea Change Radio Co-Hosts Bill Baue and Francesca Rheannon speak with green business guru John Elkington about the new Phoenix Economy report.  And Sea Change members join in the conversation with Elkington in the second half of the show for the first ... (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/johnelkington1-150x150.jpg) (http://stage.volans.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/thephoenixeconomy-201x300.jpg)Sea Change Radio Co-Hosts Bill Baue and Francesca Rheannon speak with green business guru John Elkington (http://www.johnelkington.com/) about the new Phoenix Economy report.  And Sea Change members join in the conversation with Elkington in the second half of the show for the first Sea Change Radio RoundTable.  In this feature, we host a sustainability expert fielding questions from Sea Change members -- this time featuring Calvert Social Funds (http://www.calvertgroup.com/) Founding Boardmember (http://www.calvertgroup.com/about-board-of-trustees.html#social) and Ben & Jerry's (http://www.benjerry.com/) Boardmember Terry Mollner, Ener-G-Save (http://www.ener-g-save.org/) Executive Director Karen Ribeiro, and Common Good Finance (http://commongoodbank.com/) President William Spademan. The Phoenix.  In myth, this bird would build a pyre on which to burn itself and then re-emerge from its ashes.  Volans (http://www.volans.com/), the new venture founded by John Elkington, borrows this imagery to symbolize the current economic meltdown -- and potential re-incarnation into a more sustainable economic order.  Today, we speak with John Elkington about the Phoenix Economy report from his offices in the UK.  Elkington coined the term triple bottom line, referring to people, planet , and profits, and he founded the sustainable development consultancy and think tank SustainAbility (http://www.sustainability.com/) in 1987.  BusinessWeek called him the "dean of the corporate responsibility movement."  Baue started by asking him to describe the notion behind the Phoenix Economy.  He later asks Elkington to distinguish between the Phoenix Economy and the Chrysalis Economy (http://www.amazon.com/Chrysalis-Economy-Citizen-Corporations-Creation/dp/1841121428), the name of his 2001 book.   Elkington also serves on the Sea Change Advisory Board (http://www.cchange.net/advisory-board/), and agreed to participate in the first Roundtable with Sea Change members posing questions of sustainability experts in the second half of the show. Bill Baue clean 28:30 http://www.cchange.net/2009/04/08/closing-the-climate-feedback-loop-with-everyday-citizen-opinions/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/04/08/closing-the-climate-feedback-loop-with-everyday-citizen-opinions/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:58:53 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=759 http://www.cchange.net/2009/04/08/closing-the-climate-feedback-loop-with-everyday-citizen-opinions/feed/ 2 Alternative Economic Models,Carrick McCullough,Clean Tech,Climate Change,Colin McCullough,Community Economic Engagement,corporate governance,Green Jobs,Green Living,Lars Klüver,nell minow,OurRenewableNation Lars Klüver of the Danish Board of Technology talks about the World Wide Views on Global Warming project he directs that will gather opinions of everyday citizens in 45 countries globally in September 2009 to feed into negotiations at the United Nation... Lars Klüver (http://www.tekno.dk/subpage.php3?page=sekretariatet/person.php3&toppic=om_os&id=1&language=dk) of the Danish Board of Technology (http://www.tekno.dk/subpage.php3?page=forside.php3&language=uk) talks about the World Wide Views on Global Warming (http://www.tekno.dk/subpage.php3?article=1497&toppic=kategori11&language=uk&category=11) project he directs that will gather opinions of everyday citizens in 45 countries globally in September 2009 to feed into negotiations at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (http://en.cop15.dk/) (COP15) in Copenhagen in December 2009.  And Colin and Carrick McCullough of OurRenewableNation.org (http://www.ourrenewablenation.org/index.htm) talk about their "cross-country eco-video adventure" where they will visit, video, and interview folks advancing sustainability solutions -- as well as everyday folks on their thoughts about climate change and this shift toward renewable energy.  Finally, this week's Sea Change ViewPoint comes from Nell Minow (http://www.thecorporatelibrary.com/info.php?id=62) of The Corporate Library (http://www.thecorporatelibrary.com/) with commentary on first steps on toxic assets. Last year at a monthly get-together here in Amherst, Sea Change Co-Host Bill Baue met Dick Sclove, and the two chatted over a beer or two.  Sclove worked for years with a nonprofit that coordinated community consultations around the world, and now he's senior advisor to World Wide Views on Global Warming.  That's an initiative spearheaded by the Danish Board of Technology to gather input to COP15 -- the United Nations Conference on Climate Change happening in  Copenhagen in December 2009.  WWV is coordinating community consultation meetings in 45 countries two months before the conference to gather opinions from everyday citizens on what kinds of climate change policy they'd like to see enacted at COP15.  Baue recently spoke with WWV director Lars Klüver from his office in Denmark. Klüver has agreed to coordinate with Sea Change Radio to cover the events of September 26, and continue following up with interviews of WWV participants around the world. On the day of producing this episode of Sea Change Radio, the New York Times ran an article (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/business/energy-environment/08greenoil.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper) on big oil companies expressing skepticism about the shift to renewable energy.  On the other end of the spectrum, the McCullough family is full of optimism.  They're gearing up to embark on what they're calling a "cross-country eco-video adventure" to visit, video, and interview folks working hard to make the transition to  renewable energy a reality -- no matter what big oil says.  They're heading out from central Massachusetts in early May, and you can follow their progress on the web at OurRenewableNation.org (http://www.ourrenewablenation.org/index.htm).  Sea Change Radio Co-Host Bill Baue spoke with Colin and his nine-year-old son Carrick, who has been nominated for the President's Environmental Youth Award (http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/peya/index.html). The McCulloughs have agreed to send dispatches from the road to Sea Change Radio with interviews of folks working on renewable energy and everyday folks' views on how to tackle climate change. Bill Baue clean http://www.cchange.net/2009/03/25/seeding-the-solidarity-economy/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/03/25/seeding-the-solidarity-economy/#comments Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:03:49 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=729 http://www.cchange.net/2009/03/25/seeding-the-solidarity-economy/feed/ 0 Alternative Economic Models,center for popular economics,chilo villarreal,Climate Change,Community Economic Engagement,emily kawano,Fair Trade,forum on solidarity economy,Green Jobs,Green Living,human rights,Labor Rights The Center for Popular Economics (CPE) recently hosted the first Forum on the Solidarity Economy at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst -- home of Sea Change Radio.  CPE Executive Director Emily Kawano explains the theory and practice behind the s... (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/solidarityeconomy.gif)The Center for Popular Economics (http://www.populareconomics.org/) (CPE) recently hosted the first Forum on the Solidarity Economy (http://www.populareconomics.org/ussen/node/99) at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst -- home of Sea Change Radio.  CPE Executive Director Emily Kawano (http://www.populareconomics.org/bios/kawano_e.htm) explains the theory and practice behind the solidarity economy, and discusses strategies and next steps for the US Solidarity Economy Network (http://www.populareconomics.org/ussen/) in cultivating a socially and environmentally sustainable economy.  And Chilo Villarreal (http://www.ruralco.org/aboutus/board.html) of the Coalición Rural (http://www.ruralco.org/index.html) in Mexico illustrates solidarity economy concepts through story.   Finally, the News Analysis examines the business of water. (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/emilykawano.jpg)As our existing economy collapses under the weight of its own unsustainable growth, what economic forms will replace this failed system?  Policymakers bend over backwards to prop up a the broken status quo, while idealists around the world envision more equitable and ecological alternatives.  The solidarity economy -- that's one such vision.  Last week, these visionaries traveled from around the world to the Forum on the Solidarity Economy here at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, hosted by the Center for Popular Economics.  This week, after the dust had settled, Center for Popular Economics Executive Director Emily Kawano visited us in the WMUA studios.  Sea Change Host Bill Baue opened the conversation by asking Emily, what is a solidarity economy, and what role can it play in helping fix the current economic breakdown? Kawano identifies three priorities for advancing the solidarity economy by focusing on leverage points where the current economic system is failing or has gaps: housing, finance, and cooperatives. (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/chilovillarreal.tiff)The colorful wrap draped across her back immediately caught the eye of Sea Change Host Bill Baue at the Forum on the Solidarity Economy.  When he saw her later in an empty classroom, he jumped at the chance for an interview.  She introduced herself as Altagracia Villarreal -- but everybody knows her as Chilo.  Since 1995, she's served on the board of the Coalicion Rural, a collaboration between 17 organization in Mexico.  Its partner in the US, the Rural Coalition, is made up of 70 to 80 organizations throughout the country.  He opened by asking Chilo how she defines solidarity economy, and later asked Chilo to describe a specific example that illustrates the solidarity economy in action, and she answered in both Spanish and English.  You'll hear her Spanish underneath her English response. Bill Baue clean 29:30