Interview with Steven Matt, founder, One Earth

The Matt brothers, Steven and Dino, recently returned from a road trip out west, where they traveled in a retrofitted biodiesel vehicle to film interviews with representatives from sustainable companies, such as Clif Bar, Simple Shoes, and Nau, an outdoor clothing company. Their mission was to spread the word about how companies can combine profitability with sustainability. Back at their home base in Brooklyn, Steven is working on making the community of Fort Greene a greener environment, and has recently launched One-Earth.com, a wiki that will provide a community for sharing eco tips, where the participants themselves create profiles and become part of the network and resources. Steven also works as a freelance "green" graphic designer. Sunrise Advisors is pleased to welcome One Earth as its first official client, and looks forward to a long and fruitful collaboration ahead.

How did you first get the idea to drive a biodiesel vehicle, and why this approach to dealing with environmental issues?
I wanted to know what companies were doing to reduce their impact on the environment, and to interview their representatives face–to–face. This resulted in the documentaries we filmed during the trip that are now posted on our web site. While I was researching sustainable companies to highlight, I came across “VeggieWheels,” a company that converts vehicles to run on biodiesel fuel. It’s an efficient way to get around with minimal effects on the environment, and a great alternative to traditional cars. Nate Petre, the owner, agreed to donate the vehicle to One Earth.

What do you think is the most popular misconception about sustainability in this country today, and what do you think we can do about it? Also, what do you think is the single most damaging effect we are having on the environment right now?
The most popular misconception about sustainability is that it only concerns environmental issues. Yes, preserving biodiversity and natural resources is important to the practice of sustainability, but one has to consider the social and economic aspects as well. If all aspects are considered, our society will be able to meet its needs and express its greatest potential locally and globally.

The single most damaging thing we are doing to the environment right now is not educating our children about sustainability. We are indirectly harming our environment by not integrating sustainability into the curriculum of schools throughout the world. Ideally, sustainability should be a part of everything–it’s a practice. If we educate ourselves and build it into our way of life, we will really begin to see the positive effects of this practice.

You have stated that you looked at climate change as a "design problem." What do you mean by this?
There are two factors that matter when organizing information about sustainability: geography and lifestyle. All communities are different; each has their own problems and therefore their own solutions. They need to be treated individually. Currently, organizations disseminate generic energy saving “tips” that may or may not be relevant to most people. Not only is this method inefficient, but also it’s also ineffective. One Earth developed a system that allows residents to share user–generated information about their local community. Our website is designed to provide locally–applicable, lifestyle–relevant information-- it’s completely personalized.

What are the highlights of some of the interviews you have had?
One of the most innovative companies we interviewed is Nau, an outdoor clothing company that has successfully integrated sustainability practices into nearly every aspect of their operations. Their “webfront,” a gallery–style storefront, reduces the amount of square footage required for each Nau store, therefore reducing the amount of energy consumed by 1/16 that of a standard store. Chris, the CEO, explained their 5% donation program. Not only is it greater than most companies (Patagonia’s 1%), it allows the customer to choose local organizations to donate to.

You recently launched a new web site, one-earth.com. Can you explain its purpose and some of its features? What do you hope to accomplish with the web site?
The web site is the world’s first social–geographic networking web site dedicated to helping people reduce their impact on the environment. Our advanced organizational structure easily allows people to share information about their local community. We’re not telling anyone what they should be doing, we’re allowing local residents to discuss the issues themselves and develop their own solutions. We’re simply giving them the tools to communicate and collaborate. This sets us apart from all other environmental organizations out there now. The key feature of the site is the “wiki,” which allows users to edit actions they can take in their local community to reduce their impact. Some of the other features include a carbon calculator, community-specific forums and blogs, a social networking system based on geography, and a user–regulated community home page. By incorporating a social–geographic networking system into the site, we’re also encouraging residents to bring their actions out into the open and share with their neighbors what they’re doing to reduce their impact on the environment. With all of these features, we hope to educate and empower individuals to take tangible actions in their local community.

What kind of sponsorships are you seeking and how will they further your goals?
It is our goal to educate consumers about the indirect influences they have on the environment. We promote and will be looking for alliances with businesses that practice sustainable resource management and waste and pollution prevention. Any business that does not follow these practices is a liability to the environment, the public and the economy. By allowing only green companies to advertise on our site, we will be promoting green consumerism.

What role models do you have for living a sustainable lifestyle and how
have they inspired you?
Actually, my younger brother, Dino, has become an unexpected role model for me. He has an innate propensity to consider everything in a situation, and this allows him to always see the bigger picture. As a result, he’s very concerned about the environment. He’s also very thrifty-–always innovating and using things in a creative way.

Do you have any statistics or info on how much would be saved on carbon emissions if everyone in the US drove using vegetable- based vehicles?
Most importantly, biodiesel is a renewable domestic resource. It’s biodegradable and nontoxic. There are many different grades of biodiesel, the most common being B20 (20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel). Burning B20 reduces net emissions by about 16% compared to petroleum diesel. Unfortunately, not everyone in the country can convert to biodeisal, there just isn’t enough cropland to meet the production need. Still, it’s a great start, and why not use it if we have the opportunity?