Global Warming and the Tooth Fairy

An editorial from today's New York Times "Still Out in the Cold" highlights the frustrating lack of progress being made on the issue of global warming and the recent 2-day summit on the topic. The President is still refusing to commit the United States to a sustained, mandatory program to reduce its emissions. The article states: The divide between the United States and its industrial allies in Europe and Japan is easily stated. They want firm, obligatory targets and a clear timetable for reaching them; Mr. Bush prefers a country-by-country, voluntary approach. They believe that the necessary efficiencies and technologies will emerge only when a stiff price is placed on carbon and nations are forced to meet legally binding commitments; Mr. Bush seems to believe they will spring up magically, as if from the Tooth Fairy.

According to the US. Environmental Protection Agency: If greenhouse gases continue to increase, climate models predict that the average temperature at the Earth's surface could increase from 2.5 to 10.4ºF above 1990 levels by the end of this century. Scientists are certain that human activities are changing the composition of the atmosphere, and that increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases will change the planet's climate. But they are not sure by how much it will change, at what rate it will change, or what the exact effects will be.

Do you have time to wait for the Tooth Fairy?

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10 Ways You Can Help Prevent Global Warming

10.	Plant native, drought-resistant trees and shrubs around your home and outdoor air conditioning unit
9.	Use an electric or push mower instead of a gasoline-powered mower to cut your lawn.
8.	Replace your current home appliances (refrigerator, washing machine, dish washer) with high-efficiency models.
7.	Buy food and other products with reusable or recyclable packaging instead of those in non-recyclable packaging.
6.	Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.
5.	Install a solar heated system to provide your hot water.
4.	Recycle your home's waste newsprint, cardboard, glass and metal.
3.	Leave your car at home (walk, bike or take mass transit instead).
2.	Insulate your home, clean your air conditioning filters and install energy efficient showerheads.
	And the number one thing you can do to prevent Global Warming is...
1.	Purchase a fuel-efficient car (rated at 32 mpg or more) to replace your most frequently used automobile.

Portland Sustainable Lifestyle Expo

We recently learned about the launch of a new sustainable lifestyle expo on March 28-30, 2008, at the Portland, Oregon Expo Center. It looks, to use one of our favorite retro terms, "way cool." Entitled the "Better Living Home, Garden & Lifestyle Show," the event features a soundstage for music and special performances, a Toyota mobile interactive hybrid tour, an EcoMetro Pavilion, and a kids and gardeners corner. While the speaker list and sessions have yet to be announced, we've no doubt that this will be a very unique and cutting edge conference, particularly since Portland is truly a city at the forefront of anything eco.

We have visited Portland and were impressed with its renovated downtown and waterfront areas, walkable neighborhoods, and friendly atmosphere. As a former English major and book lover, I became obsessed with Powell's bookstore and must have been in the place for at least 2 hours, and that was just on the first visit. Not to mention the wide variety of excellent restaurants that are constantly being reviewed by The New York Times, probably resulting in large numbers of New Yorkers relocating in order to get more real estate for the money. We were also particularly struck by the fact that most of the city transportation was free, with designated sponsors getting an audio "plug" during the course of your ride. OK, these people have got the right idea....anyway, back to the conference.

According to the conference home page: "The idea of the Better Living Show is to give you access to local resources that will improve your life. The show highlights eight core topics: lifestyle, home/garden, transportation, food/beverage, clean tech, eco adventure, recycling and conservation. All presented in an entertaining way like you've never seen before. From layout and lighting to the food and speakers, the Better Living Show will be unlike any show--green or otherwise--that you've ever seen. The Better Living Show is destined to become the premier sustainable lifestyle show in the country. Show producers Michael O’Loughlin and Stephanie Frisch are veterans of consumer shows and understand what good show design, presentation and marketing can do for attendance and exhibitor success."

We plan on keeping up to date on conference developments and are eager to learn who the keynoter will be and how many attendees are expected.

The Passing of Anita Roddick

The passing of Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, on September 10, is truly a loss. Roddick, a pioneer of social entrepreneurship, was one of the first to embrace the concepts of fair trade and organics, supporting the environment, and protesting animal testing. Starting with a small store in England in 1976, and expanding to over 2000 stores in 50 countries, she is also an inspiring example for entrepreneurs and proof that you can do well, while still doing good. According to a recent write up in The New York Times, "Anita did more than run a successful ethical business: she was a pioneer of the whole concept of ethical and green consumerism,” Tony Juniper, director of Friends of the Earth, wrote in The Evening Standard on Tuesday. “There are quite a few business people today who claim green credentials, but none came anywhere near Anita in terms of commitment and credibility.” She will be greatly missed.

Spencer Hoo, Southern California Real Estate Specialist, Joins Sunrise Advisory Board

Spencer Hoo leads The Hoo Group, a southern
California based real estate group, and is a pioneer in
mixed-use and loft residential living.


Irvine, CA, September 21, 2007. Sunrise Advisors, a southern California based partnership founded by Emmett Pickett and Caroline Jaffe-Pickett, is pleased to announce that Spencer Hoo, an innovative real estate leader in Orange County, Los Angeles, and Riverside Counties in Southern California, has joined its official Advisory Board. Spencer heads up The Hoo Group, a southern California-based real estate group.

Coming from a multidisciplinary background affords Spencer a unique ability to see potential and value in real estate projects. He received his BA in Studio Arts with Honors (and with a concentration in visual arts and critical theory), from the University of California, Irvine (UCI). He also has a solid background in computer engineering and information systems. This combination gives Spencer a truly "multimedia" understanding of marketing, both through online and more traditional means, and not limited to more generic real estate transactions alone. Spencer takes a more organic, integrated view of the overall business community. For example, he is fascinated with "new urbanism," and specifically, loft communities. His interests, studies, and experience have resulted in Spencer becoming a pioneer in live-work and mixed-use (including with retail) loft residential living. Spencer was recently selected as the exclusive real estate loft specialist at the OC Loft Guide, a new website focusing on lofts and loft communities across Orange County, slated to debut in December 2007.

As a skilled market researcher and negotiator, Spencer prides himself on his ability to help clients achieve their real estate and related goals. Having many repeat clients, as well as referrals, illuminates the high level of service that Spencer and The Hoo Group provide, and is rooted in his passion that his clients succeed -- whether it is in a sale, purchase, or lease within residential, commercial, or mixed-use real estate, or other matters. Spencer attributes many of his successes to providing value-added, "win-win" relationships with his clients.

Sunrise Advisors is a consulting partnership designed to help Nonprofit Organizations and Creative Community Enterprises (CCEs) by providing a unique package of services, including public relations, income generating projects, and staffing and marketing assistance. "Our mission is to focus on customized attention for each client in the delivery of strategic guidance, featuring earned income generation approaches and integrated communications," Pickett and Jaffe state. "We are dedicated to the health of the organizations and enterprises we are working with, and their sustainability for the future. Their enduring success is our guiding principle."


For more Sunrise Advisors background information on Carrie
For more Sunrise Advisors background information on Emmett

Co-op America Green Business Awards

We recently began subscribing to Co-Op America's e news and have found the articles to be very informative. The organization focuses on "economic action for a just planet." A recent e-mail highlighted the top 10 Green Business People's Choice Award, which will be announced at the Green Festival on November 10 in San Francisco. Below is the list of nominees. Also, check out the green festivals listings page (see link above) for more information on upcoming events.

1. Flexcar
Seattle, WA * www.flexcar.com
"Flexcar made it possible for me to get rid of my car! My workplace has a corporate contract allowing our employees to use Flexcar during the day. As a result, most of us now use mass transit to get to work."
--David K., Portland, OR

2. Greenfeet.com: The Planet's Homestore
Chico, CA * www.greenfeet.com
“Great eco-friendly products at reasonable prices. Plus, the owners podcast their show, “More Hip than Hippie” every week, which is the best green show we’ve listened to.”
--Cynthia and Larry G., Jacksonville, FL

3. Green Living Now
Huntington, VT * www.greenlivingnow.com
“Amy Todisco is not just a business owner, she is a partner in health to all she serves. She delves deeply into researching the products she sells in order to more completely serve her clientele.”
--Donna H., Fredericksburg, VA

4. Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods and Oils
Winnipeg, Manitoba * www.manitobaharvest.com
“I've never met a more enthusiastic, passionate group of people, dedicated to spreading the word not only about the value and sustainability of hemp, but the ways in which each of us can make our mark on this world for the better. I adore them!.”
--Linda S., Boulder, CO

5. Mountains of the Moon
Camby, IN * www.mountainsofthemoon.com
“Mountains of the Moon does something very simple: they give the earth-conscious consumer the ability to be fashion-conscious, and vice versa. Enough said!”
--Julie C., Chicago, IL

6. Only Natural Pet Store
Boulder, CO * www.onlynaturalpet.com
“Fantastic, responsible product selection. Biodegradeable, recycled packaging. Plus, the company runs on wind and solar power. Wow!”
--Aileen W., Sierra Madre, CA

7. Pizza Fusion
Fort Lauderdale, FL * www.pizzafusion.com
“Pizza Fusion introduced me to the concept of a green business, which I knew nothing about. Their way of building their business with the least amount of negative influence on our environment is something that everyone should follow.”
--Chris J., Hialeah, FL

8. ReusableBags.com
Chicago, IL * www.reusablebags.com
“Small Web-based retailer, changing the world one reusable bag at a time. I'm a convert myself and have converted several others into BYOBaggers in less than six months!”
--Kristin F., Middleton, WI

9. UsedCardboardBoxes.com
Montebello, CA * www.usedcardboardboxes.com
“They are taking one of the most wasteful industries in America and are sincerely dedicating themselves to the recycling and greening of the transportation and storage businesses.”
--Daysun P., Los Angeles, CA

10. Yoga Nine/Buddha Body Fair Trade Store
Smithville, NJ * www.yoganine.com
“Laurie Green facilitates health and spiritual growth while being a responsible business person, both in the local community and the global village, by supporting Fair Trade practices.”
--Diane S., Egg Harbor City, NJ

Arctic Ice Shrinking...Is This a Good Thing?

According to a recent Associated Press article and other news stories, arctic ice has shrunk to the lowest levels on record, raising the possibility that the northwest passage (Canada, Alaska, and Greenland), will become an "open shipping lane." I am shocked that the news slant of this recent story is on new possibilities for shipping, when what we really should be concerned about is the rapid rate of global warming. What's the point of shipping anything if no one is alive to receive it? I doubt that the tradeoff of less polution is enough to make this new routing environmentally worthwhile, particularly when you consider the potential damage for oil spills and the harm to our natural resources. At least one Norwegian researcher is quoted as saying: “Shorter transport routes means less pollution if you can ship products from A to B on the shortest route,” he said, “but the fact that the polar ice is melting away is not good for the world in that we’re losing the Arctic and the animal life there.”

What do you think about this growing problem, and how can we change the media focus?