Justmeans's blogshttp://www.justmeans.com/editorials/corporatesocialresponsibility/4.htmlFri, 10 Feb 2012 16:02:09 GMThttp://www.justmeans.com en hourly 1http://www.justmeans.com/Social-Enterprise--Top-London-Restaurants--Bars-and-Hotels-Start-the-Straw-Wars/51902.htmlFri, 17 Feb 2012 03:30:47 GMTSangeeta Haindl Some of London's top restaurants, bars and hotels have created a social enterprise campaign to try to reduce the daily waste of used plastic drinking straws by encouraging others in the hospitality and fast food industry to get involved with this initiative. Straws are an eco menace as they are often found discarded in the streets and on Britain's beaches as they travel down drains, ending up in rivers and oceans, impacting marine life. The initiative is the brainchild of leading bars, restauran Read Full Article ]]> Some of London's top restaurants, bars and hotels have created a social enterprise campaign to try to reduce the daily waste of used plastic drinking straws by encouraging others in the hospitality and fast food industry to get involved with this initiative. Straws are an eco menace as they are often found discarded in the streets and on Britain's beaches as they travel down drains, ending up in rivers and oceans, impacting marine life. The initiative is the brainchild of leading bars, restaurants and hotels in Soho - one of the densest and busiest areas for eating out and drinking in the UK.While there are no figures for the number of plastic straws that contribute to the total amount of plastic waste, it is impacting urban and rural life. The restaurants behind this social enterprise, which is being coined "straw wars," are stopping automatically handing out plastic straws to customers, and only giving them out when requested. Campaigners have also flagged their concern about consumer behaviour, as people often take more straws than they need from dispensers.Emma Snowden, Litter Campaigns Officer, at the Marine Conservation Society, says, "We see so much single use plastic appear in the sea and on beaches in our surveys. In the case of straws that are given out routinely, the product may have been manufactured and then disposed of without even a single use - this represents a senseless waste of resource as well as a waste management issue. Plastic is a huge problem for our marine wildlife and makes up over 60% of all the litter we find on UK beaches, particularly single use plastic such as bags...if everyone took responsibility to dispose of their litter correctly in the first place it would help massively." This social enterprise initiative aims to eliminate the unnecessary single-use plastic, creating a cleaner environment for London's Soho area.This is an ambitious social enterprise project that ultimately benefits local businesses, customers and the environment in the long term. However, some argue that the use of plastic straws is a hygienic alternative. In the UK alone, on average 3.5 million McDonald's customers per day buy a drink with a straw. This means 3.5 million straws a day are discarded just by McDonald's customers. While scientists' estimate that every year at least one million seabirds, 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles die when they entangle themselves in or ingest plastic pollution.The people behind this social enterprise scheme believes that by reducing the disposal of single use plastic, such a simple action will not only save on overheads, but will also have far reaching and positive effect on the planet. Billions of straws are discarded yearly, filtering into landfill and littering oceans, all which is bad for the environment as plastics can't biodegrade and can last indefinitely. It can break down into smaller pieces, feeding into the food chain and potentially ending up on our dinner plates!Photo Credit: xlibber]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Social-Enterprise-Shaking-Up-the-Business-Eco-Energy-Industry/51898.htmlThu, 16 Feb 2012 03:30:07 GMTSangeeta Haindl Two emerging social enterprise financing methods are revolutionising the renewable energy business sector, creating models that could work for a range of energy sources. The first introduction is to Solar Mosaic. It has taken a crowd-funding approach to solar, similar to Kickstarter, the platform that gives people the power to fund creative projects. Solar Mosaic works in the same way. It helps people to support local solar developments and earn a return on their investment once the solar has be Read Full Article ]]> Two emerging social enterprise financing methods are revolutionising the renewable energy business sector, creating models that could work for a range of energy sources. The first introduction is to Solar Mosaic. It has taken a crowd-funding approach to solar, similar to Kickstarter, the platform that gives people the power to fund creative projects. Solar Mosaic works in the same way. It helps people to support local solar developments and earn a return on their investment once the solar has been installed.The other social enterprise model is 'Solar Garden,' an approach that enables people currently without the option of putting solar on their roofs to reap the rewards of solar power. These could be people who rent, or who live in historical buildings, or who are in a homeowners association, or whose roofs aren't positioned to make efficient use of the sun. The idea is to use marginalised or empty land to install solar panels, creating community 'solar gardens,' which enables locals to pay to be members of the garden and receive credit from the local utility for generating solar energy.The first such U.S. solar garden social enterprise initiative is in Colorado, where an old landfill is being given a second life as a community solar garden. Three-and-a-half acres of the 40-acre site will soon host 500 kw of solar panels, all owned by local residents who will be seeing an average 10 percent reduction on their energy bills (the panels cost$550, with a minimum purchase of two panels). Recent changes to legislation in Colorado and Massachusetts have made solar gardens possible and California is currently considering legislation that would do the same.The 'Solar Garden' social enterprise idea isn't just about making everyone feel like they're a part of the solar energy push; it is also about making small-scale solar developments less risky for banks. Daniel Rosen, Co-Founder of Solar Mosaic, is enthusiastic about the crowd-funding approach to solar and a big believer in social enterprise innovating business models. He says, "Solar lends itself to an innovative financing model, which is decentralized, democratised and agile. These are the business models that matter in the 21st century. Look at what Facebook did literally overnight to the media industry. It empowered every person to be their own media clearinghouse."So, just maybe we could see a similar trend happen when energy meets the web and mobile innovations, making it an even bigger opportunity than Facebook. Why bigger? Well, because energy and finance are the largest markets in the world. We have seen the digital age transform nearly every other industry, and right now the renewable energy sector is shackled by dated, 19th-century energy sources and business models without the dynamism and creativity of social enterprise.Photo Credit: jardenberg ]]>http://www.justmeans.com/The-Indian-Temple-of-Social-Innovation/51895.htmlTue, 14 Feb 2012 03:30:07 GMTSangeeta Haindl This is a wonderful story of where social innovation meets religion, set in the temple town of Tirumala, in the State of Andra Pradesh in India. Here the dazzling gold-plated temple of Lord Venkateshwara, one of Hinduism's holiest and richest shrines, is using its religious influence and economic power to change the way energy is used here. The temple has an annual income of $340M, mostly from donations, as 50,000-100,000 people visit daily. The heavy visitor traffic puts huge pressure on local Read Full Article ]]> This is a wonderful story of where social innovation meets religion, set in the temple town of Tirumala, in the State of Andra Pradesh in India. Here the dazzling gold-plated temple of Lord Venkateshwara, one of Hinduism's holiest and richest shrines, is using its religious influence and economic power to change the way energy is used here. The temple has an annual income of $340M, mostly from donations, as 50,000-100,000 people visit daily. The heavy visitor traffic puts huge pressure on local resources such as water and electricity.So the temple is promoting the use of eco-social innovation technologies and will develop the reserve forests around the temple to become carbon sinks (a carbon sink is anything that absorbs more carbon that it releases). LV Subramanyam, Executive Officer of the Temple Trust says, "We currently use a mix of conventional and non-conventional energy sources. Our aim is make the place more reliant on sustainable sources of energy. Most of our devotees are progressive. In a religious place like Tirumala, we can set the example by going green. Probably the impact will be much more than normal government advertisements or publicity."The community kitchen is open all day. It is the biggest social innovation, green project for the temple, and provides free meals for visitors. It is estimated that 50,000 kilos of rice and lentils are cooked daily. To help with this mammoth task there are rows of solar dishes on the temple roof which move automatically to capture the sunlight. This energy is used to convert water into high pressure steam, which cooks the food in the kitchen below. It generates over 4,000kgs of steam a day at 180 C, making cooking faster and cheaper. As a result, an average of 500 litres of diesel fuel is saved each day.Switching to green social innovation technologies the temple cuts its carbon emissions and earns a carbon credit, which it can sell. Badal Shaw, Managing Director, Gadhia Solar Energy Systems, which set up the solar cookers, estimates that this has resulted in a reduction of more than 1,350kgs of green house gases in the atmosphere. He says, "This was the first project to get a gold standard certification. It's a registered project and is issuing carbon credits." Now, a local company called Green Energy Solutions wants to develop multiple wind farms to supply the entire temple's energy. The temple city has been identified as a future 'low-carbon footprint city' by European Aid and Development, which works under the European Commission.The temple is unique because devotees are known to make generous donations of cash and resources, and has found that non-resident Indians are keen to donate sustainable technology. Therefore, the temple wants to facilitate these donations and translate them into wind farms, which will means the entire complex will run on green energy. It believes it's important to educate its pilgrims about social innovation and sustainable sources of energy, and that that knowledge will create more awareness about renewable energy.Photo Credit: Wikipedia ]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Social-Innovation-in-the-Philippines/51890.htmlMon, 13 Feb 2012 03:30:50 GMTSangeeta Haindl This social innovation story takes us to the Philippines, to the Liter of Light project, which was launched in July 2011 by the My Shelter Foundation with a mission to tackle the rising cost of electricity and to provide one million homes with light through its sunlight-powered bulbs made from old plastic bottles. It has already succeeded in lighting up approximately 25,000 low-income homes.In the Philippines 40% of the population lives off less than $2 a day; the rising cost of power leaves man Read Full Article ]]> This social innovation story takes us to the Philippines, to the Liter of Light project, which was launched in July 2011 by the My Shelter Foundation with a mission to tackle the rising cost of electricity and to provide one million homes with light through its sunlight-powered bulbs made from old plastic bottles. It has already succeeded in lighting up approximately 25,000 low-income homes.In the Philippines 40% of the population lives off less than $2 a day; the rising cost of power leaves many unable to afford electricity. Many are forced to use candles as a light source, which can be risky, as it is not uncommon to hear of fire accidents that occur through candles-driven fires, which then destroy whole communities. The My Shelter Foundation is a Philippines-based, not-for-profit with strong social innovation plans to bring light to the 12 million homes that are either still without light or are on the verge of having their electricity cut off.One of the organisation's social innovation schemes is to use plastic bottles filled with a solution of bleached water, installed into holes that have been made in the corrugated iron roofs of these poor communities. These bottles then reflect the equivalent of 55W of sunlight into a room during the day. It only takes five minutes to make, using a hammer, rivets, metal sheets, sandpaper and resin adhesive. Importantly, it only costs $1 to produce.Ilac Diaz, My Shelter Foundation Founder and social entrepreneur, believes in the importance of using appropriate social innovation and green technologies for poor countries. He says, "The challenge is how the developing world can come up with its own model to limit emissions of carbon. We can't afford to buy imported, patented or manufactured solutions from the developed world and can't afford to wait until they become affordable." The idea of using plastic bottles as a light source is not a new one, as it was developed in Brazil by Alfredo Moser in 2002. However, with the help of a group of students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the U.S. the solar bulb used in the Philippines has been modified to meet local needs.This programme is also creating jobs, and from starting out with teaching and contracting one unemployed person to make the first 1000 bottles, it has now evolved into an ongoing social innovation scheme that has created more than 20 jobs. It has proved that one person can change their village . . . lighting up and improving people's lives. Photo Credit: My Shelter Foundation Main Website]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Canadians-Are-Moving-West-As-Extractive--Oil--amp-amp--Gas-Sectors-Boom/51919.htmlFri, 10 Feb 2012 14:34:11 GMTMeirav Even Har The 2011 Canadian census numbers released Wednesday, February 8, 2012 by Statistics Canada revealed what many suspected - Canadians are westbound. Western Canada, most notably Alberta and Saskatchewan, are experiencing economic growth in the mining, oil sands in-situ and petroleum services sectors. All while Ontario's economic muscles have weakened as automotive and manufacturing jobs are all but disappearing. A recent move by Caterpillar to shut its London, Ontario plant after workers refused t Read Full Article ]]> The 2011 Canadian census numbers released Wednesday, February 8, 2012 by Statistics Canada revealed what many suspected - Canadians are westbound. Western Canada, most notably Alberta and Saskatchewan, are experiencing economic growth in the mining, oil sands in-situ and petroleum services sectors. All while Ontario's economic muscles have weakened as automotive and manufacturing jobs are all but disappearing. A recent move by Caterpillar to shut its London, Ontario plant after workers refused to take an almost 50% pay cut, is one in a series of recent closures.In Canada, population growth is strongly linked to immigration. According to an article by Joe Friesen in the Globe and Mail's February 4th print edition, "About two-thirds of Canadian population growth is due to immigration, the other third to births (the reverse is true for the U.S.)." Coupling the latest census news about migration from east to west to the fact that immigration is a key to the Canadian workforce, the result could be the changing face of western Canada - increased cultural diversity in cities and workforce.Alberta, where the oil and gas industry dominates, according to Alberta Venture's "The 200 Highest Grossing Alberta companies 2011", companies such as Suncor Energy, Enbridge Inc., Encana, and Nexen Inc. all have strong diversity policies and employee engagement and retention programs in place. The four companies also ranked numbers 47th, 71st, 76th and 89th respectively, in the Corporate Knights 2012 Global 100 list; a ranking of most proactive large corporations in managing environmental, social and governance issues. It is worth noting only a total of six Canadian companies were included in this year's list.Encana's 2010 CSR Report details the new on-boarding process including market pay competitiveness, leadership development and third-party feedback mechanisms, among a slew of initiatives. Enbridge also reports annually on its social indicators in terms of employee health and safety, diversity, engagement and community relations for its corporate and operations staff around the world. Nexen measures employee engagement by participating in the AON/Hewitt Best Employers in Canada survey, which is then used to improve company programs around worker satisfaction and retention.While the oil sands have traditionally attracted many from Atlantic Canada, in addition to newcomers, competition for labour is still fierce. "The current labour market environment remains extremely competitive, particularly as many growth locations are in remote areas where it is difficult to attract workers," said Cheryl Knight, Executive Director and CEO of the Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada, in a media News Release, December 13, 2011 for the Petroleum Industry Q3/Q4 HR trends report.Oil and gas, while the dominant industry, is not the only one attracting a new labour pool in resource-rich western Canada. Extractive sector companies such as Agrium Inc. an Alberta-based major retail supplier of agricultural products and services, and Saskatchewan's Cameco and PotashCorp are all expected to see continued growth. Agrium and Cameco have both been recently ranked in the "Ten Best Companies to Work For" according to the Financial Post's 2012 survey. In a press release, Cameco's President and CEO Tim Gitzel is quoted: "The competition for people is fierce in Canada's resource sector... The fact that we place consistently near the top in these competitions shows that we are well positioned to succeed."Indeed, achieving success in maintaining a happy, productive labour force in the western economic engine of Canada will require a thoughtful, strategic approach to employee recruitment and retention. And with Canada's continued reliance on immigration for its population growth, recruitment plans must also target diversity.Image Credit: Calgary (by Kevin Saff)]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Valentine-s-Day--Sustainable-Lifestyles-Score-Higher-in-Dating-Game/51913.htmlFri, 10 Feb 2012 13:22:51 GMTAntonio Pasolini Leading a sustainable life can reap more rewards than helping the planet and slowing down climate change: it can spice up your love life, too.According to new research by Timberland, the outdoor gear company, more than three-quarters of Americans find green habits attractive when it comes to the dating game.Timberland surveyed more than 1,000 men and women to find out how important green behavior patterns are when people look for love.Littering is definitely a major turn-off for Americans: 46 pe Read Full Article ]]> Leading a sustainable life can reap more rewards than helping the planet and slowing down climate change: it can spice up your love life, too.According to new research by Timberland, the outdoor gear company, more than three-quarters of Americans find green habits attractive when it comes to the dating game.Timberland surveyed more than 1,000 men and women to find out how important green behavior patterns are when people look for love.Littering is definitely a major turn-off for Americans: 46 percent said they would question whether to date someone who littered. A refusal to recycle also sends potential lovers running away (15 percent of respondents mentioned it). Other significant parameters include leaving the lights on when not at home (14 percent) and being a climate change denier (14 percent).Okay, those were the don'ts, so how about the do's? 77% of respondents said they enjoy eco-minded behaviors such as spending time outdoors (57%), keeping a green home (50%) and being a conscious consumer (30%). But don't overdo it. Putting the environment before romance at all costs could jeopardize the relationship as well. 46 percent of respondents said that dates who insisted on environmentally responsible food (organic or local) or picked them on a bicycle (43 per cent) would get the boot.Fair enough. So now you need to worry about what to wear. Embrace sustainability when it comes to clothing, as 30 percent of Americans are attracted to people who consider the environmental impact of the clothes they buy.Timberland is teaming up with the dating experts at OkCupid to create the Green Guide to Dating and Love."One of the keys to a successful relationship is connecting with your mate on common interests," said Sam Yagan, CEO and Co-Founder at OkCupid. "The Timberland Green Guide to Dating and Love is resource for those who love the outdoors and want unique ideas for putting an eco-spin on the same-old cocktails or coffee dating routine."So now you know. If you don't want to be dumped or left on the shelf, make sure you green up your act.Image credit: Timberland]]>http://www.justmeans.com/A-Social-Entrepreneur-Giving-Women-in-India-Dignity/51744.htmlFri, 10 Feb 2012 03:30:47 GMTSangeeta Haindl One Indian social entrepreneur has given women from low income groups in India dignity, by making it possible for them to afford to buy sanitary towels and provide them with an income at the same time. Arunachalam Muruganantham is the person who changed things. From a poor background in the South of India, he created the world's first low-cost machine to produce sanitary towels. According to a report by market research group AC Nielsen, "Sanitary Protection: Every Woman's Health Right", 88% of w Read Full Article ]]> One Indian social entrepreneur has given women from low income groups in India dignity, by making it possible for them to afford to buy sanitary towels and provide them with an income at the same time. Arunachalam Muruganantham is the person who changed things. From a poor background in the South of India, he created the world's first low-cost machine to produce sanitary towels. According to a report by market research group AC Nielsen, "Sanitary Protection: Every Woman's Health Right", 88% of women in India are driven to use ashes, newspapers, sand husks and dried leaves during their periods. As a result of these unhygienic practices, more than 70% of women suffer from reproductive tract infections, increasing the risk of contracting associated cancers.Muruganantham's research into sanitary towels as a social entrepreneur began when saw his wife using filthy rags as it was her only option between buying towels for herself or buying milk for the family. It was then that Muruganantham decided to create a low-cost towel for his wife. He presented his 'creations' to his wife, but she, along with other female family members, refused to discuss it with him. So, with no women wanting to discuss his handmade sanitary towels, Muruganantham tested it himself by collecting goat's blood from a butcher shop; he wore a bladder-tube contraption and women's underwear for a week. Unsatisfactory results prompted him to try another approach. His breakthrough came at the end of two years of testing different materials.Muruganantham re-engineered a sanitary machine, and in 2006 it won the award for the best innovation for the betterment of society from the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai. Plus, he also received an Indian presidential award for innovation. Currently more than 600 machines made by his start-up company, Jayaashree Industries, are installed across 23 states in India. This social entrepreneur sells the 1,600 machines directly to rural women through the support of bank loans and not-for-profit organisations. A machine operator can learn the entire towel-making process in three hours and then employ three others to help with processing and distribution.A basic machine produces 1,000 sanitary towels a day while the pneumatic device has an output of 3,000. Women pack around six to eight towels in a packet and sell them for as little as 13 rupees (16p). On average, each woman earns the equivalent of 30 to 65 a month; in comparison, farm workers earn between 35p and 85p a day! This system is based on a social entrepreneur structure of woman-to-woman where women making the towels spread awareness of the product, helping others to start using this hygienic way. Muruganantham says, "Setting-up 100,000 units will generate employment for one million women. No one is bothered about uneducated and illiterate people. Through this model, they can live with dignity." His hard work has paid off, not only changing lives but saving them, too. Impressively, in spite of numerous offers, this social entrepreneur refuses to sell his innovation to the corporate world.Photo Credit: Meanest Indian]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Consumers-Would-Buy-More-Sustainable-Clothing--If-they-Could-Find-It/51906.htmlThu, 09 Feb 2012 13:15:17 GMTAntonio Pasolini The results of this research will probably strike a chord with many consumers, this blogger included. A survey carried out by Ryan Partnership Chicago and Mambo Sprouts Marketing found that consumers would like to buy more sustainable apparel, if only they were given the choice.The 2012 Styling Sustainability Survey discovered that around 69 percent ticked 'at least sometimes' when asked if they considered sustainability when purchasing clothing in 2011. It also discovered that shoppers would bu Read Full Article ]]> The results of this research will probably strike a chord with many consumers, this blogger included. A survey carried out by Ryan Partnership Chicago and Mambo Sprouts Marketing found that consumers would like to buy more sustainable apparel, if only they were given the choice.The 2012 Styling Sustainability Survey discovered that around 69 percent ticked 'at least sometimes' when asked if they considered sustainability when purchasing clothing in 2011. It also discovered that shoppers would buy twice as much eco-apparel in 2012.There's one problem, though: consumers have not been able to access sustainable goods, a fact that is hampering the take-up of eco-fashion. A third of respondents said sustainable clothing wasn't available when and where they shopped. One fourth of them said they didn't even know where to purchase sustainable clothing.The majority informed themselves of the garment's eco-attributes through product tags while 37 per cent asked for information in-store. Another 61 per cent showed interest in apparel sustainability rating or index."The data is showing a strong interest in eco/sustainable apparel. This represents a growth opportunity, especially if manufacturers and retailers make it easier to find," said Christine Nardi Diette, group president, Ryan Partnership Chicago.The first phase of the research consisted of an online survey using MamboTrack panel to better understand 'sustainable' purchase decisions and shopper behavior. MamboTrack is a leading survey research platform of over 50,000 health and wellness consumers willing to share their opinions and insights about natural and organic products as well as sustainable living. For the analysis, the 802 MamboTrack survey respondents were segmented into groups and coded as shades of green according to how important sustainability was to their purchase decisions.The second phase of the study consisted of a series of structured retailer and manufacturer conversations. Interviewees were selected to represent the full spectrum of business philosophies and practices (e.g., natural/conventional, small/large, etc.) that are key to the study's purpose. The goal was to gather industry insight and perspective to supplement the consumer findings, as well as explore these stakeholders' potentially increasing focus on the "triple bottom line" (people/planet/profit).One of the big finds is that shoppers search for eco-friendly apparel at mainstream retailers where they shop. Therefore, these products represent an immediate growth opportunity for all apparel retailers, not just niche shops."We believe there's a case to be made for more consistent and impactful eco-apparel product labeling and compelling point-of-sale signage. A 'store-within-a-store' concept for this category could significantly increase shopper perception of availability as well, eliminating a major barrier to purchase," Diette added.Eco-shoppers are demanding, though. The report revealed they are not willing to trade fit or durability and rank a number of "sustainable" factors at the same level of importance in their purchase decision, such as "fun" and "fashionable." Technology has made it possible to offer all these options simultaneously; therefore, green fashionistas can have their whole wheat cake and eat it, too. But first, the market needs to start catering for them.Image credit: One Green Score]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Death-by-Disease--Blamed-on-the-Recession/51864.htmlThu, 09 Feb 2012 10:00:59 GMTReynard Loki "It is deeply worrisome that inadvertently, the millions of people fighting with deadly diseases are in danger of paying the price for the global financial crisis." -- Michel Kazatchkine, executive director, The Global Fund[1]In 2010, 1.8 million people died from AIDS, 1.4 million from tuberculosis and 655,000 from malaria. The malaria deaths are mostly of African children, although there is a current debate about the total number, which could be actually 1.2 million according to a study in the Read Full Article ]]> "It is deeply worrisome that inadvertently, the millions of people fighting with deadly diseases are in danger of paying the price for the global financial crisis." -- Michel Kazatchkine, executive director, The Global Fund[1]In 2010, 1.8 million people died from AIDS, 1.4 million from tuberculosis and 655,000 from malaria. The malaria deaths are mostly of African children, although there is a current debate about the total number, which could be actually 1.2 million according to a study in the Lancet that says the smaller figure, an estimate of the World Health Organization, is incorrect.[2][3][4][5]One organization that is combating these three killers is the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a public-private partnership (PPP) and international financing institution (IFI) that was founded in 2002 to "dramatically increase resources to fight three of the world's most devastating diseases, and to direct those resources to areas of greatest need." With USD 22.4 billion of approved funding, the Global Fund is the world's primary financier of projects that combat the three epidemics. According to their website, the fund has given 3.3 million people with AIDS antiretroviral treatment, detected and treated 8.6 million new cases of tuberculosis and distributed 230 million insecticide-treated nets to protect families from malaria.[6]DONORS WITHDRAW AMIDST FINANCIAL CRISISBut the financial crisis has hampered the fund's ability to issue new grants. In 2010, its fundraising goal was USD 20 billion, but it was only able to raise USD 11.5 billion, which was still below the mininum USD 13 billion required to maintain its current programs. Then, in November 2011, the board of directors announced a change in strategy that was the result of "substantial budget challenges in some donor countries, compounded by low interest rates [that] have significantly affected the resources available for new grant funding." Under the new directive, which covers 2012 through 2016, the fund will not issue new grants until 2014 and "will only be able to finance essential services for on-going programs that come to their conclusion before 2014 by making savings in the existing grant portfolio." Essentially, the fund's 11th round of funding has been scrapped.[7]Last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Bill Gates announced a USD 750 million contribution from the Gates Foundation to the Global Fund. But while welcome news, the donation will not affect the board's decision to cancel the current financing round, as they knew about it when the strategic change was made.[8]Even as the board has "urgently requested donors to consider measures to increase and accelerate funding, and implementing country governments, especially those from middle-income countries, to increase funding for the three diseases and related health investments," board chair Simon Bland tried to soften the blow. He said that with the new funding model, which "focuses on investing strategically in countries, populations and interventions with high potential for impact and strong value for money," the fund will shift "from an institution that has successfully provided emergency funding to allow countries to cope with the runaway pandemics, to become a sustainable, efficient funder of the global efforts to control them."[9]A TURNING POINT?The Global Fund is not alone. The international fight against disease in general has taken a hit because of the financial crisis. According to a report by the Sydney-based non-profit disease research group Policy Cures, global public funding to fight neglected diseases -- which include malaria, TB, HIV, pneumonia, sleeping sickness and helminth infections -- dropped by USD 136 million in 2010 due to cutbacks from governments and philanthropic organizations.[10]"This is a turning point where we decide whether our response to the global financial crisis is going to include letting neglected disease R&D be wiped out or not," says Policy Cures executive director Mary Moran. "Because you can't cut product-development funding midstream and expect that everything will just start up again when you're ready. She notes that this is "the first time since World War II where we've suddenly had this revitalization, saying that patients in the developing world deserve, need and must have better medicines. It would really turn back the clock to see that commitment disappear down the hole of the financial crisis."[11]THE GLOBAL RECESSION IS NOT AN EXCUSEIn an opinion piece last week in The New York Times, Paul Farmer, chairman of the department of global health and social medicine at Harvard Medical School and a cofounder of Partners in Health, which has received support from the Global Fund in Haiti, Lesotho and Russia, said that "a recession is a lousy excuse to starve one of the best (and only) instruments we have for helping people who live on a few dollars a day. Most marginalized populations around the globe have always faced economic contraction; 'financial crisis' has been ongoing for them since the day they were born."[12]"Simply put, if we allow the fund to fail, many people will die, and we will forfeit the chance at the 'AIDS-free generation' that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for in November," Farmer said. "This is no time to step back."[13]###NOTES[1] The Global Fund. "The Global Fund Adopts New Strategy to Save 10 Million Lives by 2016." November 23, 2011. Accessed February 7, 2012.[2] Avert.org. Global HIV and AIDS estimates, 2009 and 2010. Accessed February 7, 2012.[3] Centers for Disease Control. Tuberculosis - Data and Statistics. Accessed February 7, 2012.[4] World Health Organization. Malaria Fact sheet N94. December 2011. Accessed February 7, 2012.[5] McNeil, Donald G., Jr. "Malaria: Specialists Duel Over Death Toll in 2011: Was It 655,000 People or Twice as Many?" New York Times. February 6, 2012. Accessed February 7, 2012.[6] The Global Fund. About. Accessed February 7, 2012.[7] The Global Fund. "The Global Fund Adopts New Strategy to Save 10 Million Lives by 2016." November 23, 2011. Accessed February 7, 2012.[8]Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. "The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Lifesaving Work." PR Newswire. January 26, 2012. Accessed February 7, 2012.[9] Ibid., 1.[10] Policy Cures. Global Funding of Innovation for Neglected Diseases: G-FINDER. December 8, 2011. Accessed February 7, 2012.[11] Wadman, Meredith. "Financial crisis hits developing world disease research." Nature. December 7, 2011. Accessed February 7, 2012.[12] Farmer, Paul. "Why the Global Fund Matters." The New York Times. February 1, 2012. Accessed February 7, 2012.[13] Ibid.image: An Anopheles stephensi mosquito is obtaining a blood meal from a human host through its pointed proboscis. Note the droplet of blood being expelled from the abdomen after having engorged itself on its host's blood. This mosquito is a known malarial vector with a distribution that ranges from Egypt all the way to China. Source: CDC (credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Wikimedia Commons)]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Social-Innovation--A-New-Way-of-Doing-Your-Laundry-With-Super-Wash-Balls/51741.htmlThu, 09 Feb 2012 03:30:20 GMTSangeeta Haindl The Super Wash Ball is one of the latest social innovation products to help us with our laundry, especially as this time-consuming and tedious task of getting our clothes clean exposes us to a host of chemicals through detergents. People are choosing to use earth-friendly products to get their items clean, as they have increasing environmental concerns. One product to turn things round is the Super Wash Ball, made by a South Korean company called Biocera.Natural social innovation and eco-friendl Read Full Article ]]> The Super Wash Ball is one of the latest social innovation products to help us with our laundry, especially as this time-consuming and tedious task of getting our clothes clean exposes us to a host of chemicals through detergents. People are choosing to use earth-friendly products to get their items clean, as they have increasing environmental concerns. One product to turn things round is the Super Wash Ball, made by a South Korean company called Biocera.Natural social innovation and eco-friendly home laundry products have been around for years. However, this revolutionary product, the Super Wash Ball uses natural patent ceramic technology combined with patent water technology to eliminate bacteria as well as increasing the cleaning effect of water, raising pH levels to remove stains without using any laundry detergents. The Ball attracts dirt to it and lifts the dirt from the clothes. Traditional detergents contain a number of polluting ingredients, which can wreck havoc on both the environment and some people's skin. Most people are not aware, but even after a washing machine rinses and spins, a lot of detergent residue still remains on the clothes.The Super Wash Ball is designed as a round shape in order to minimise the damage of laundry. It claims to be hygienic through the influence of its antibacterial effects that elimate mould and bacteria in the washer, as well as increasing the cleaning effect of water. Its social innovation impact is that when compared with the normal washing process, it not only reduces the use of synthetic detergents, but it also saves water, electricity and time. The ingredients in laundry detergents first came under scrutiny in the late '60s after bodies of water were found to be polluted and the remains of soap gunk were attributed largely to phosphates in detergents. In time, phosphates were banned in laundry detergents. Today, many products available contain an alphabet soup of toxicity, such as NPE (nonylphenoxyethoxylate), a petroleum-derived non-ionic surfactant; chlorine bleach; LAS (linear alkylbenzenesulfonate), a petroleum-derived anionic surfactant; and synthetic fragrances, which can contain toxic substances like phthalates. You would use this Ball like you would do any normal washing in the machine: loading the washing machine and instead of using detergent you use this social innovation Ball. If the weight of the load exceeds 8.5 kg you use two Balls.So this social innovation Super Wash Ball appears far more attractive! It's economical, friendly to use, and helps to reduce the damage of clothes in washing and skin conditions. They last up to 1100 one-hour washing cycles, which works out to two to three years. All you need to do is dry the Super Wash Balls in the sun once a month to keep them fresh. Interested? Want one? They can be bought through QVC and soon through various U.S. retailers.Photo Credit: Well Green Life]]>http://www.justmeans.com/WWF-Canada-and-Loblaw-to-Raise-Awareness-about-Climate-Change-in-National-Sweater-Day/51877.htmlWed, 08 Feb 2012 11:21:14 GMTMeirav Even Har The second annual National Sweater Day - a WWF-Canada campaign, presented by Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) - will take place February 9th and is expected to engage thousands, predominantly through school and workplace activities. The campaign is meant to educate and motivate Canadians on the issue of Climate Change; specifically, how individual actions can help reduce energy use at work, school and home. The message is simple: wear a sweater and lower the thermostat. "If every Canadian turne Read Full Article ]]> The second annual National Sweater Day - a WWF-Canada campaign, presented by Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) - will take place February 9th and is expected to engage thousands, predominantly through school and workplace activities. The campaign is meant to educate and motivate Canadians on the issue of Climate Change; specifically, how individual actions can help reduce energy use at work, school and home. The message is simple: wear a sweater and lower the thermostat. "If every Canadian turned down their thermostat by two degrees Celsius [35.6 Fahrenheit] each winter, 2.2 mega-tonnes of carbon dioxide could be saved every year - equivalent to taking 350,000 cars off the road," writes Hadley Archer, WWF's VP Strategic Partnerships and Development.In 2011, National Sweater Day had approximately 500,000 Canadian participants, a noteworthy achievement for its first year. Loblaw - Canada's largest food retailer - had over 400 of its grocery stores participate by engaging both employees and customers. WWF's Climate Savers program for business also helped drive participation numbers in workplaces.This year's campaign has a focused theme - grandma. A playful creative take on a nagging grandmother wanting her sweater gift to be worn. While fun, it is also a smart theme as it has a meaningful reference: "there is a strong showing that energy conservation is almost a lost art," says Josh Laughren, Director of Climate and Energy at WWF. "Previous generations had to exercise energy conservation and did it intuitively." Speaking from his Toronto office, Mr. Laughren observed that people understand the campaign is not about the day or the hour - referencing WWF International's Earth Hour campaign - but rather a personal commitment and a call to action on climate change. "The individual action is really important not because we'll solve the climate change problem, but because the only way we are going to drive action by government and business is by demonstrating constituent change - demanding to see action by our government and business leaders. That's what Sweater Day and Earth Hour is all about. Creating a constituency for change."WWF and Loblaw have worked in partnership since 2009, primarily on sustainably sourced seafood. National Sweater Day is supported through partial proceeds from Loblaw's national Charge-for-Plastic-Bags program, which has successfully reduced over 2 billion plastic bags in stores since 2007. In a statement, Bob Chant, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Communication at Loblaw notes, "Sweater Day is a great way for us to remind our colleagues, customers and all Canadians about the positive impact of collective action. Whether it's reducing our electricity use with energy-efficient lighting, improving our refrigeration systems or doing small things like turning down our thermostats, together we are taking steps in the right direction for our environment."And while winter temperatures have been warmer than usual in most parts of Canada, February 9th may still be cold enough to don on a sweater, lower the thermostat and remember why even simple actions, when multiplied, can really make a difference.Photo courtesy of WWF-Canada]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Leave-the-Corn--Take-the-Algae--Time-to-Say-Buona-Notte-to-Food-Based-Biofuels/51770.htmlWed, 08 Feb 2012 10:00:41 GMTReynard Loki You have a bushel of corn. You can either produce 2.7 gallons of ethanol or feed 50 people. Which would you choose?On December 31, 2011, America's three-decade-old federal tax credit for ethanol expired, ending a government subsidy that poured more than USD 20 billion into an industry that the New York Times called one of Congress's "most resilient boondogles." Oil companies received a 45-cent-per-gallon tax credit to blend ethanol into gasoline, costing American taxpayers between USD 5-6 billio Read Full Article ]]> You have a bushel of corn. You can either produce 2.7 gallons of ethanol or feed 50 people. Which would you choose?On December 31, 2011, America's three-decade-old federal tax credit for ethanol expired, ending a government subsidy that poured more than USD 20 billion into an industry that the New York Times called one of Congress's "most resilient boondogles." Oil companies received a 45-cent-per-gallon tax credit to blend ethanol into gasoline, costing American taxpayers between USD 5-6 billion a year.[1]THE PROS AND CONS OF BIOFUELSOf course, there are many environmental benefits of biofuels, including reductions in particulate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions (they are inherently carbon-neutral because burning them simply releases back into the atmosphere the same amount of carbon that was initially absorbed by the plant matter) and a move toward local production, which is not only less transport-heavy than importing fuel, but also reduces dependency on unreliable foreign resources. Overall, advocates stress the energy security to be found in biofuel production.But while biofuels are inherently carbon-neutral, growing biofuel crops like corn, oil palms and sugar cane means the creation of vast plantations -- and that means massive deforestation, which is responsible for up to 30 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, about 1.6 billion tonnes, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).[2]"[Ethanol's] environmental virtues were less than advertised," according to the New York Times. "Billed as a lower-carbon replacement for fossil fuels, corn ethanol generated more carbon dioxide than gasoline after taking into account the emissions caused when new land was cleared to replace the food lost to fuel production."[3]LOWER BIODIVERSITY, HIGHER FOOD PRICESAnd all that clearcutting of forests means the destruction of natural habitat and loss of biodiversity. The endangered orangutan, for example, is rapidly losing its habitat in Indonesia due to the conversion of tropical forests to palm oil plantations.[4]Also, biofuels have been criticized for pushing up the price of corn and food in general as farmers replaced other crops with corn. In the United States, government-mandated ethanol production has represented around 27 percent of the corn crop (net of the by-product credit; i.e., the leftover plant materials that is then processed to produce livestock feed), according to a 2011 study by economists at Purdue University. Considering that amount, the report, requested by Farm Foundation NFP, a not-for-profit non-partisan agribusiness policy think tank based in Oak Brook, Illinois, concludes that "there is little doubt that biofuels play a role in the corn price level and variability, and this has spilled over into other commodity markets."[5]EUROPE'S BIOFUEL GAMBLEIn April 2009, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union passed a directive requiring all EU member nations to derive 20 percent of their total energy and 10 percent of transport fuels from renewable sources by 2020. Now, three years since it passed and eight years left until the deadline, pressure is rising, and so are concerns, as "[m]ember states are placing large bets on biofuels to meet that target," according to a recent press release issued by the Geneva-based International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).[6]Two recent reports -- one by the FiFo Institute for Public Economics at the University of Cologne and another by the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) of the IISD -- look at the economic costs of using biofuels to achieve the EU's renewable transport fuel targets. The researchers found that by the target year of 2020, consumers in the United Kingdom will be expected to pay between GBP 1-2 billion (USD 1.6-3.2 billion) every year in higher transport fuel prices, while German consumers will face EUR 1.4-2.2 billion (USD 1.8-2.9 billion) more annually.[7][8]The Renewables Energy Directive (RED) asserts that a "framework that includes mandatory targets should provide the business community with the long-term stability it needs to make rational, sustainable investments in the renewable energy sector which are capable of reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels and boosting the use of new energy technologies." But considering all the cons, how rational are biofuels, especially those derived from food sources? Can EU states rely on the future of biofuels to achieve their green energy portfolio goals?[9]FIDEL CASTRO WAS RIGHTThat biofuels -- and in particular, ethanol -- have become such a hotly debated issue was on marked display in 2007 when The Economist -- the pro-globalism bastion of classic liberalism and free market capitalism -- actually sided against a U.S. president and with a Marxist revolutionary who spent decades at the top of America's most wanted list:"It is not often that this newspaper finds itself in agreement with Fidel Castro, Cuba's tottering Communist dictator. But when he roused himself from his sickbed last week to write an article criticising George Bush's unhealthy enthusiasm for ethanol, he had a point. Along with other critics of America's ethanol drive, Mr Castro warned against the 'sinister idea of converting food into fuel.' America's use of corn (maize) to make ethanol biofuel, which can then be blended with petrol to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil, has already driven up the price of corn. As more land is used to grow corn rather than other food crops, such as soy, their prices also rise. And since corn is used as animal feed, the price of meat goes up, too. The food supply, in other words, is being diverted to feed America's hungry cars."[10]For EU states looking to meet the 2020 renewable energy mandate and a United States that has finally let go of pricey ethanol subsidies, algae fuel should be on the top of the biofuel list. Algae fuel doesn't compete with farmland or food crops. Plus, it's biodegradable and virtually harmless to the environment if spilled. The Energy Department estimates that if algae fuel replaced America's total petroleum fuel requirement, it would require only 15,000 square miles -- less than one half of one percent of the entire area of the United States.[11]To paraphrase Clemenza from "The Godfather": Leave the corn. Take the algae.###NOTES[1] New York Times Editorial Board. "One Bad Energy Subsidy Expires." January 6, 2012. Accessed February 7, 2012.[2] Food and Agriculture Organization. "Deforestation causes global warming." September 4, 2006. Accessed February 7, 2012.[3] Ibid., 1.[4] Smith, David. "Five years to save the orangutan." The Guardian. March 24, 2007. Accessed February 7, 2012.[5] Abbott, Philip C., Christopher Hurt and Wallace E. Tyner. What's Driving Food Prices in 2011?. Farm Foundation NFP. April 2011. Accessed February 7, 2012.[6] International Institute for Sustainable Development. "Biofuels a high-cost means to reach renewable transport fuel targets in Germany and the UK." February 2, 2012. Accessed February 7, 2012.[7] Global Subsidies Initiative. "Biofuels - At What Cost? Mandating ethanol and biodiesel consumption in the United Kingdom." International Institute for Sustainable Development. January 2012. Accessed February 7, 2012.[8] FiFo Institute. "Biofuels - At What Cost? Mandating Ethanol and Biodiesel Consumption in Germany." International Institute for Sustainable Development. January 2012. Accessed February 7, 2012.[9] 2009/28/EC Directive of the European Parliament and the Council of European Union. April 23, 2009. Accessed February 7, 2012.[10] The Economist. "Castro was right: As a green fuel, ethanol is a good idea, but the sort that America produces is bad." April 4, 2007. Accessed February 7, 2012.[11] Hartman, Eviana. "A Promising Oil Alternative: Algae Fuel." The Washington Post. January 6, 2008. Accessed February 7, 2012.image: Loyna, Flickr Creative Commons]]>http://www.justmeans.com/IBM-Supports-Socially-Responsible-Internet-Initiative/51842.htmlTue, 07 Feb 2012 12:14:28 GMTAntonio Pasolini Today is Safer Internet Day 2012 (#SID2012) and the initiative has attracted the support from technology giant IBM. The company said it is supporting the initiative by releasing free internet safety training tools for students. The company has thousands of volunteers working to help raise awareness and educate students and businesses on Internet safety and digital responsibility.Safer Internet Day started in 2004 and these days it is supported in all five continents and almost 80 countries, incl Read Full Article ]]> Today is Safer Internet Day 2012 (#SID2012) and the initiative has attracted the support from technology giant IBM. The company said it is supporting the initiative by releasing free internet safety training tools for students. The company has thousands of volunteers working to help raise awareness and educate students and businesses on Internet safety and digital responsibility.Safer Internet Day started in 2004 and these days it is supported in all five continents and almost 80 countries, including all 27 countries of the European Union. The goal of the day is to help make the Internet safer for children and young people.IBM is unveiling three free volunteer kits to educate students, parents and teachers on Internet safety: Control Your Online Identity - A volunteer education kit, it is designed to help teenagers learn to protect personal data online and reputation online. Teenagers are typically savvy about how to use the Internet, but often unaware about what happens to personal data once it's shared. This presentation and volunteer information helps students learn how to protect personal data and control how they present themselves online. Internet Safety Coaching - Aimed at teachers or adults working with children, this is a general primer on Internet safety providing basic information about common Internet activities by young people including instant messaging and social networking. This kit is designed to raise awareness of Internet safety and how to have a meaningful and open dialogue with children on this topic. Cyberbullying -- Aimed at parents or adults who work with children, this activity helps adults learn about how young people use the Internet today and how to recognize cyberbullying symptoms, how to prevent online bullying from happening and how to intervene if it does happen."The resources we are donating will help teachers and parents raise awareness that most Internet-based threats to individual and computer security can significantly be reduced by actions that informed users take themselves," said Harriet Pearson, IBM Security Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer.Volunteers are taking action in several parts of the world. In Finland, for instance, IBM's lead volunteer on Cyberbullying will participate in a national summit at Helsinki City Hall in conjunction with Safer Internet Day. In Germany IBM will expand its partnership with klicksafe, the national partner of the Insafe network, focusing on the Manage Your Identity Initiative. In the United Kingdom, IBM volunteers will use the volunteer kits to promote online safety awareness in schools. IBMers will partner with non-profit YPNGlobal on their initiative called Cyber Champions. In Italy, an IBM team will conduct events in local schools using both the IBM materials and a film from Safer Internet Day to discuss Internet safety and cyberbullying. In Romania, IBM volunteers are partnering with NGOs APDETIC and Junior Achievement Romania to deliver an Internet Safety session to students focusing on controlling your online identity and Facebook usage.IBM said last year its employees donated more than three million hours of volunteer service.Image credit: Safer Internet]]>http://www.justmeans.com/The-Meaning-of-Responsibility/51837.htmlTue, 07 Feb 2012 11:39:52 GMTWayne Visser Part 1 of 13 in Wayne Visser's "Age of Responsibility" Blog Series for 3BL Media.Do you sigh when you hear the word responsibility? Perhaps responsibility is even a dirty word in your vocabulary. Perhaps you associate it with burdens and restrictions; the opposite of being carefree and without obligations. But responsibility doesn't have to be a chore, or a cage. It all depends how you think about it.Responsibility is literally what it says - our ability to respond. It is a choice we make - whet Read Full Article ]]> Part 1 of 13 in Wayne Visser's "Age of Responsibility" Blog Series for 3BL Media.Do you sigh when you hear the word responsibility? Perhaps responsibility is even a dirty word in your vocabulary. Perhaps you associate it with burdens and restrictions; the opposite of being carefree and without obligations. But responsibility doesn't have to be a chore, or a cage. It all depends how you think about it.Responsibility is literally what it says - our ability to respond. It is a choice we make - whether to be attentive to our children's needs, whether to be mindful of the plight of those less fortunate, whether to be considerate of the impact we have on the earth and others. To be responsible is to be proactive in the world, to be sensitive to the interconnections, and to be willing to do something constructive, as a way of giving back.Responsibility is the counterbalance to rights. If we enjoy the right to freedom, it is because we accept our responsibility not to harm or harass others. If we expect the right to fair treatment, we have a responsibility to respect the rule of law and honour the principle of reciprocity. If we believe in the right to have our basic needs met, we have the responsibility to respond when poverty denies those rights to others.Taking responsibility, at home or in the workplace, is an expression of confidence in our own abilities, a chance to test our own limits, to challenge ourselves and to see how far we can go. Responsibility is the gateway to achievement. And achievement is the path to growth. Being responsible for something means that we are entrusted with realising its potential, turning its promise into reality. We are the magicians of manifestation, ready to prove to ourselves and to others what can happen when we put our minds to it, if we focus our energies and concentrate our efforts.Being responsible for someone - another person - is an even greater privilege, for it means that we are embracing our role as caregivers, helping others to develop and flourish. This is an awesome responsibility, in the truest sense, one which should be embraced with gratitude, not reluctantly accepted with trepidation. Responsibility asks no more of us than that we try our best, that we act in the highest and truest way we know. Responsibility is not a guarantee of success, but a commitment to trying.So why is responsibility seen by many as such an onerous burden? Responsibility becomes onerous when choice is removed from the equation, when we do not realise our freedom to act differently, when we forget that we are allowed to say no. Responsibility becomes pernicious when we take on too much, when we mistakenly think that more is always better, when we take on the guilt and expectations of others. Accepting too many responsibilities is, in fact, irresponsible - for it compromises our ability to respond. Do few things but do them well is the maxim of responsibility.Being responsible also does not mean doing it all ourselves. Responsibility is a form of sharing, a way of recognising that we're all in this together. Sole responsibility is an oxymoron.Taking responsibility is a way of taking ownership in our lives, of acknowledging our own hand in the shaping of destiny. Responsibility is the antidote for victimhood.When we walk with awareness, we realise the enmeshed nature of reality, we see the subtle strands that make up the web of life, we accept that everything is linked to everything else. Responsibility is being conscious of the oneness of existence.Responsibility, if we manage it well, should never be like the curse of Sisyphus, eternally rolling a rock uphill, but rather a blessing gratefully received. For what can be more joyous than making a positive contribution in the world, or making a difference in someone else's life?Responsibility is the footprint we leave in the sand, the mark of our passage. What tracks will you leave? Where is the place where you can most freely and effectively respond? The choice, as always, is yours.I wrote these opening words on responsibility in 2005, and I believe they are still as relevant today as they were back then. Responsibility is the choice we make to respond with care. My book - The Age of Responsibility - and this 3BL Media blog series, is a way of taking stock. What choices have we made - in the way we live our lives, in the way we do our work and in the way we run our businesses? How have we responded to the needs of our day - especially the social, environmental and ethical crises we face? And have our actions been taken with care - have we cared about our impacts on others?There are even more troubling questions. For instance: Are companies more a part of the problem or the solution? Is the net impact of business positive or negative? There are other questions too; awkward questions that cut even closer to the bone. For better or for worse, I chose corporate sustainability and responsibility (CSR) as my way to make a positive difference in the world - the mark of my footprints in the sands of time. But given that CSR has increased dramatically over the same 50 years that many of our global problems have been getting worse, does that mean that CSR is ineffective?It gets worse. Could the whole CSR bonanza be an unwitting accomplice to the spate of corporate crimes of recent decades? Am I quietly and unintentionally aiding and abetting our collective demise? After all, Enron was stuffed to the gills with CSR - from codes of conduct and ethics officers to corporate volunteering and community development programmes. I am sure all of these CSR programmes had their merits. And yet, if they did nothing to prevent these companies acting like pirates on the high seas of finance, what good are they?If CSR cannot form the bedrock of ethical corporate behaviour, does it deserve to have 'responsibility' in its title? More worryingly still, if CSR is used to legitimise businesses or practices that are, at heart, irresponsible, surely CSR is partly to blame for the various corporate 'sins' that go undetected and unpunished? I am led to a very uncomfortable conclusion. At worst, CSR in its most primitive form may be a smokescreen covering up systemically irresponsible behaviour. At best, even the most evolved CSR practices might just be a band-aid applied to a gaping wound that is haemorrhaging the lifeblood of the economy, society and the planet.So we need a new approach - a new CSR, which I call CSR 2.0. This blog series will explore why CSR 1.0 is broken, and how CSR 2.0 can breathe new life into the concept and practice of corporate sustainability and responsibility. I hope you will join me.Image credit: Vectorportal]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Social-Innovation-Launches-Solar-Ships/51738.htmlTue, 07 Feb 2012 03:30:35 GMTSangeeta Haindl There has been a lot said and written about social innovation in cars and aeroplanes, but what about the sea vessels that belch out huge amounts of pollution into the seas? Well, an Australian company called Solar Sailor has created the Solar Eagle: the world's first hybrid powered ferry fleet that could transform the future of marine travel. The ferries can be found in Hong Kong and use technology similar to that used in hybrid cars. There are other solar-powered ships in operation like the cat Read Full Article ]]> There has been a lot said and written about social innovation in cars and aeroplanes, but what about the sea vessels that belch out huge amounts of pollution into the seas? Well, an Australian company called Solar Sailor has created the Solar Eagle: the world's first hybrid powered ferry fleet that could transform the future of marine travel. The ferries can be found in Hong Kong and use technology similar to that used in hybrid cars. There are other solar-powered ships in operation like the catamaran, Turanor PlanetSolar, which is circumnavigating the globe exclusively by harnessing the power of the sun.The Solar Eagle and its three similar ferries use a grid of solar panels on their roofs and form electricity created by the solar panels stored in a battery that powers the engine when the vessel comes in and out of the harbour. Once out in the ocean, a faster clip is required and that's when the diesel starts. One of the fleet, the Solar Albatross, has two of its sails covered in solar panels, which are used to harness both the sun and wind to further reduce reliance on fossil fuel. This social innovation solar-sail technology is also in use in two ferries in Shanghai and Sydney.Robert Dane, Solar Sailor's founder believes this technology gives ship owners huge fuel savings with the potential to be used on all types of vessels, from ferries and luxury yachts to big shipping carriers and navy patrol ships. He says, "I think in 50 to 100 years all ships will have solar sails. It just makes so much sense. You're out there on the water and there's so much light bouncing around and there's a lot more energy in the wind than in the sun".Mr Dane says the company will soon announce a trial with an Australian mining company to attach a 40m (130ft) tall solar sail to a newly built bulk carrier that will ship iron ore and other raw materials to China. By harnessing the wind, the company estimates that the giant social innovation sail could reduce 20% to 40%, or around A$3m (2m; $3.1m), off a ship's annual fuel bill when travelling at 16 knots (18mph), with the solar panels contributing an extra 3% to 6% saving.This social innovation technology has the potential to clean up the shipping industry, which environmental campaigners claim emits more greenhouse gases than commercial aviation! Roughly 50,000 ships carry 90% of the world's trade cargo, and these ships burn heavily polluting oil known as bunker fuel as their powerful engines run on a cheap dirty fuel. Governments have found it difficult to regulate the shipping industry because it does not fall into one jurisdiction. However, the United Nations International Maritime Organisation has recently introduced new regulations on fuel efficiency and sulphur emissions that could drive demand for Solar Sailor's technology.Photo Credit: Solar Sailor Main Website]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Social-Enterprise-Supports-Global-Education-Efforts/51834.htmlMon, 06 Feb 2012 21:49:44 GMTVikas Vij Social enterprise is an effective tool to help meet the challenges of global education. This is the finding of a recent McGraw-Hill Research Foundation policy paper, "How Social Entrepreneurship is Helping Improve Education Worldwide." It shows how social entrepreneurship is providing practical and effective solutions to education issues in both the developed and developing nations.Social enterprise in the last decade has been increasingly viewed as a promising way to resolve some of the world's Read Full Article ]]> Social enterprise is an effective tool to help meet the challenges of global education. This is the finding of a recent McGraw-Hill Research Foundation policy paper, "How Social Entrepreneurship is Helping Improve Education Worldwide." It shows how social entrepreneurship is providing practical and effective solutions to education issues in both the developed and developing nations.Social enterprise in the last decade has been increasingly viewed as a promising way to resolve some of the world's toughest problems. The policy paper of the McGraw-Hill Research Foundation outlines specific ways in which social entrepreneurs are helping improve education in the United States and other parts of the world.The policy paper has been prepared by Rupert Scofield, the President and CEO of the Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA). FINCA is an international microfinance network that focuses on leveraging the power of for-profit businesses to create organizations that are innovative, mission-driven, effective and sustainable.The education sector globally has struggled in recent years to cope with problems ranging from limited accessibility, achievement gap and a general deterioration in education quality standards. The failure of market forces and governments to successfully address education access and quality issues is particularly marked in the developing countries.The paper by Scofield shows how social enterprise is playing a crucial role in developing innovative solutions with an aim to enhance the quality of and access to education, both domestically and globally. Scofield makes use of case studies conducted by four organizations: The Women's Housing and Economic Development Fund, Genesys Works, The Mann Deshi Foundation and DonorsChoose.org. These case studies illustrate the benefits of social entrepreneurship and how it can make an impact on the challenges faced by the education sector.Scofield writes, "The ability of social enterprises to become financially sustainable renders them an especially relevant model in these turbulent and uncertain economic times. Budget cuts mean fewer resources for already underfunded schools and the more opportunities we have to address failures in the sector through interventions that are self-sustaining, the better off our children will be."Source: SacbeePhoto Credit: todorov40]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Chase-Bank--Abusing-the-Legacy-of-Dr--Martin-Luther-King--Jr-/51778.htmlMon, 06 Feb 2012 16:15:53 GMTReynard Loki In terms of economic justice, we haven't come very far since Dr. King's famous marches from Selma to Montgomery. Hypocrisy and deception, on the other hand, are as strong as ever.Just a few days before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the financial services giant JPMorgan Chase launched a webpage to promote the bank's involvement with the King Center in creating a website preserving King's legacy through "a comprehensive collection of documents, photographs, and audiovisual materials." The initiativ Read Full Article ]]> In terms of economic justice, we haven't come very far since Dr. King's famous marches from Selma to Montgomery. Hypocrisy and deception, on the other hand, are as strong as ever.Just a few days before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the financial services giant JPMorgan Chase launched a webpage to promote the bank's involvement with the King Center in creating a website preserving King's legacy through "a comprehensive collection of documents, photographs, and audiovisual materials." The initiative is part of JPMorgan Chase's "Technology for Social Good Program."[1]Visitors to the webpage are greeted by a photograph of King and the following text: "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. worked to build and strengthen America's communities through justice, equality, and peace. At JPMorgan Chase, we are proud to play a part in sharing his message and legacy with the world."[2]HOMES FOR SALE, ETHICS SOLD OUTIn fact, the bank has been creating the exact opposite legacy, one based on injustice and inequality. On Friday, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo for misleading homeowners. The suit charges that "the creation and use of a private national mortgage electronic registry system known as MERS has resulted in a wide range of deceptive and fraudulent foreclosure filings in New York state and federal courts, harming homeowners and undermining the integrity of the judicial foreclosure process."[3]"The banks created the MERS system as an end-run around the property recording system, to facilitate the rapid securitization and sale of mortgages," said Schneiderman. "Once the mortgages went sour, these same banks brought foreclosure proceedings en masse based on deceptive and fraudulent court submissions, seeking to take homes away from people with little regard for basic legal requirements or the rule of law."[4]USED AND ABUSED: THE LEGACY OF MLKMillions of Americans have had to foreclose since the start of the financial crisis, and many of them have been forced to do so by the unethical actions of banks. But the current struggle of one homeowner in particular is emblematic of the deep wellspring of Wall Street hypocrisy. In a petition on Change.org, the Occupy Nashville Housing Protection Group says, "Chase misappropriates the memory and image of Martin Luther King this Black History Month." The group says that Chase, the consumer and commercial banking arm of JPMorgan Chase, is about to foreclose on Nashville resident Helen Bailey, a woman they describe as "a 78-year-old grandmother who participated in the civil rights movement, worked as a childcare provider for autistic children, and was a community volunteer." The foreclosure date is set for February 15.[5]Bailey's lawyer has found an alternate buyer for her home; the sale would allow her to leave her current mortgage and find other housing. The petition urges Chase to cancel any foreclosure action; waive all interest, legal fees and penalties accrued since the initial refinance offer; and accept the buyer's offer of USD 85,000. Occupy Nashville has been occupying Legislative Plaza since October 7, 2011.[6]"[Bailey] has paid her mortgage since 1999, but now she can't keep up the payments," according to Occupy Nashville. "All she wants is to stay in her home until she dies, in the neighborhood where she feels safe and has lived for nearly quarter of a century. She could have refinanced with a company willing to let her live in the house for free until her death, but Chase Bank would not reduce her principal by $9,000. She's been paying 7% interest, well above most rates, so Chase could have decided they had made enough. Instead, they have started foreclosure and Ms. Bailey could end on the street."[7]According to the petition, Chase may lose over $30,000 if they don't accept the settlement offer, "Therefore this option makes the most sense financially for Chase and given Ms. Bailey's specific circumstances, there is little moral hazard in this solution." The petition, which is addressed to JPMorgan Chase president and chief executive Jamie Dimon, among others, is seeking 50,000 signatures. As of February 6, over 35,000 people have signed.[8]GRAPES OF WRATH REDUX: DEPRESSION-ERA HARDSHIP RISES AGAINOf course, we all know that Bailey's plight is not an isolated incident. In November, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof interviewed James Theckston, former regional vice president for Chase Home Finance in southern Florida, writing that the ex-banker "fully acknowledges that he and other bankers are mostly responsible for the country's housing mess." In 2007, Theckston's group wrote $2 billion in mortgages, some of which were "no documentation" mortgages. "On the application, you don't put down a job; you don't show income; you don't show assets," said Theckston. "But you still got a nod..If you had some old bag lady walking down the street and she had a decent credit score, she got a loan."[9]Linking John Steinbeck's 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath to the Occupy Movement, Kristof notes, "those Depression-era injustices seem so familiar today...That's why the Occupy movement resonates so deeply: When the federal government goes all-out to rescue errant bankers, and stiffs homeowners, that's not just bad economics. It's also wrong."[10]King would have agreed. "Economic war broke out between black and white Montgomery," writes Thomas F. Jackson in his book From Civil Rights to Human Rights. "King learned important lessons about black economic power, economic dependency, and poverty. Though advisors counseled moderation and mainstream press framed his message in moral terms, King's evolving rhetoric richly documents his growing sense linkages between civil rights and economic justice."[11]MONSTERS, INC., WITH PERSONHOOD STATUSThe title of Steinbeck's novel is taken from a line in Julia Ward Howe's 1861 song, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," the lyrics of which were quoted by King in a public speech he gave on March 25, 1965, on the steps of the State Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama, following the completion of the third march from Selma to Montgomery.In that speech, known as the "How long, Not Long" or "Our God Is Marching On" speech, King posed the question, "How long will justice be crucified, and truth bear it?" He gave the answer: "Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice...Not long, because...His truth is marching on."[12]In The Grapes of Wrath, when the landowners came to evict the sharecroppers after years of poor crops, they blame the bank, saying, "It's not us, it's the bank. A bank isn't like a man...The bank is something more than men...It's the monster. Men made it, but they can't control it." But how can a bank be a monster when the Supreme Court specifically gave corporations the status of personhood, conferring them rights that a human being would have? King was wrong when he said "Not long." The real answer was and still is, "A lot longer."Speaking about the lawsuit, Attorney General Schneiderman said, "Our action demonstrates that there is one set of rules for all -- no matter how big or powerful the institution may be -- and that those rules will be enforced vigorously."[13] If King's vision of equality and justice will ever become a reality, more of these actions must come to bear on these personhood-status-enjoying monsters.That banks are morally challenged is a given. But by connecting its brand to King's message of justice while deceiving its customers -- and foreclosing on a civil rights activist during Black History Month -- JPMorgan Chase has reached a new height of hypocrisy, a height matched only by its monstrous mountain of money. With $2.3 trillion in assets, JPMorgan Chase is America's biggest bank. In 2009, the salary of Jamie Dimon, its chief executive, was $1.3 million. In 2010, his salary jumped to $20.8 million, an increase of almost 1,500 percent. He is currently the highest paid chief executive on Wall Street.[14]###NOTES[1] JPMorgan Chase. "Preserving the inspiration and sharing the passion of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." January 13, 2012.[2] Ibid.[3] The Office of the Attorney General of New York. "A.G. Schneiderman Annouces Major Lawsuit Against Nation's Largest Banks for Deceptive & Fradulent Use of Electronic Mortgage Resgistry." February 3, 2012.[4] Ibid.[5] Occupy Nashville. "Chase: Don't foreclose on Helen Bailey - Petition." January 9, 2012.[6] Ibid.[7] Ibid.[8] Occupy Nashville Housing Protection. "Chase: Don't foreclose on Helen Bailey." Change.org. January 9, 2012.[9] Kristof, Nicholas D. "A Banker Speaks, With Regret." New York Times. November 30, 2011.[10] Ibid.[11] Jackson, Thomas F. Civil Rights to Human Rights. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2006. p. 52.[12] King, Martin Luther, Jr. "Our God Is Marching On! The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute. March 25, 1965.[13] Ibid., 3.[14] Baldwin, Clare and Jonathan Stempel. "JPMorgan CEO Dimon's pay jumps to $20.8 million." Reuters. April 7, 2011. image: Martin Luther King, Jr., June 8, 1964. (credit: Walter Albertin, Wikimedia Commons)]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Sustainable-Paper-Is-Part-and-Parcel-of-a-Green-Magazine/51785.htmlMon, 06 Feb 2012 13:22:31 GMTAntonio Pasolini When the internet became a mass phenomenon, sometime in the mid-1990s, futurologists on duty started throwing around the paperless office concept. And it did seem to be going that way. After all, if everything was going to be digital, why on earth would should we knock down trees to make paper? Many people thought that magazines and newspapers were destined to become a thing of the past as well.However, things turned out differently. Nearly two decades on, our use of paper has only increased. Wi Read Full Article ]]> When the internet became a mass phenomenon, sometime in the mid-1990s, futurologists on duty started throwing around the paperless office concept. And it did seem to be going that way. After all, if everything was going to be digital, why on earth would should we knock down trees to make paper? Many people thought that magazines and newspapers were destined to become a thing of the past as well.However, things turned out differently. Nearly two decades on, our use of paper has only increased. With the boom in personal printers, the amount of paper used has grown exponentially. As for magazines and newspapers, some of them went out of business. But other magazines were launched and newspapers are not gone yet, although print runs have gone down in some cases and they seem to find themselves trapped in a state of permanent crisis.Since paper persists, it's good to see magazines made of the stuff (ironically called 'dead tree' magazines by digital publishers) taking measures to make their businesses more sustainable. Recently, Dirt Rag and GRIT magazines received recognition for their sustainability efforts at the 2012 Aveda Environmental Award competition. Dirt Rag was the winner of the 2012 Aveda Environmental Award and GRIT received the finalist honor.Both magazines have bolstered their green credentials by using FutureMark Paper to print their product. According to a report published by the American Forest & Paper Association, paper production is responsible for over 66% of all types of greenhouse gas emissions in the life cycle of a typical magazine. Therefore using green paper is the most effective way for these companies to tread more lightly on the planet. For that same reason, paper choices is a major parameter for the Aveda Environmental Award, as paper-making offsets all other aspects combined in evaluating the environmental footprint of manufacturing and distributing of magazines.FutureMark is a maker of high-quality paper with an average of more than 90 per cent recycled content (more than 30 percent from post-consumer waste). Its recycled paper is used to print magazines, catalogs, textbooks, pictorial books, advertising inserts and container labelling.The event was co-hosted by Green America in partnership with Aveda. Green America says that optimizing recycled content in paper is the best sustainable choice for publishers, as it requires less chemicals, water, trees and energy to produce new paper from old ones when compared to producing new paper from trees.Image credit: Aveda Environmental Award]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Social-Enterprise-Mera-Gao-Power-Connecting-Those-Without-Power-in-India/51731.htmlMon, 06 Feb 2012 03:30:46 GMTSangeeta Haindl A social enterprise electricity and mobile charging service is giving poor farming families living in one of the poorest states, Utter Pradesh, in India, a chance to lead a different lifestyle through micro grids. It means huge improvements in quality of life for these deprived communities. The two entrepreneurs who are making it possible are Nikhil Jaisinghani and Brian Shaad. Together they have started a new type of energy company called Mera Gao Power (MGP), which is designed to meet the need Read Full Article ]]> A social enterprise electricity and mobile charging service is giving poor farming families living in one of the poorest states, Utter Pradesh, in India, a chance to lead a different lifestyle through micro grids. It means huge improvements in quality of life for these deprived communities. The two entrepreneurs who are making it possible are Nikhil Jaisinghani and Brian Shaad. Together they have started a new type of energy company called Mera Gao Power (MGP), which is designed to meet the needs of these people who currently live without light, heat or clean water, and who are forced to use kerosene as a fuel, which is both expensive and damaging to people's health. MGP provides low cost energy services by building and operating solar-powered micro grids at village level.Each household that signs up to MGP's social enterprise service receives two LED lights and one mobile-charging point in their home at a cost of 25 rupees (0.30/50 cents) per week; the setup cost is an additional one-off payment of 40 rupees (0.48/80 cents). The lights makes a huge difference to people's lives after dark, providing extra time for activities that generate income and gives children more time to study, something we take to for granted in the developed world. Mobile charging enables villagers to be connected and entertained by listening to music and watching films on their phones.Shaad explains that the need to supply lighting at such a low cost inspired their business model, yet at the same time has been a real challenge. He says, "Many social enterprises sell products such as solar lanterns or wind-up chargers to meet their customers' lighting or charging needs. But in this region, where average family incomes are rarely higher than 800-1600 rupees per month, villagers would have to put themselves into debt to purchase such products." MGP allows customers just to pay for the lighting itself, keeping their upfront costs to an absolute minimum.Through the small payments the villagers receive, they hope to gain back their investment in each micro grid system within 18 months with a projected return on investment of almost 15% over three years. To provide such low prices and still make a profit, Jaisinghani and Shaad constantly innovate their social enterprise model. Moreover, they want to reach 100,000 households with their solar service by 2016. This means installing systems in 50 villages in 2012, increasing to 1,000-2,000 over the next five years. The signs are promising as demand is starting to come to them; in fact the World Resources Institute estimates India's off-grid distributed energy marketat $2bn a year!Jaisinghani says, "We have enough investment, thanks to USAid, to reach at least 50 villages this year, but this work is capital intensive, and new rounds of investment will be essential for us to grow beyond this point". These two entrepreneurs believe in social enterprise: using the power of business to support social and environmental communities. Photo Credit: Mero Gao Power Website Picture Gallery]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Sustainable-Energy-Challenge-Kicks-Off-in-the-UK/51765.htmlFri, 03 Feb 2012 16:54:05 GMTAntonio Pasolini The Co-Operative, a pioneer of social responsibility in the UK and in business since1844, has launched a challenge whereby it will seek six to eight communities keen to develop projects that "involve local people, change the way we think about energy, and inspire others to shape a renewable energy future."The Community Energy Challenge is part of The Co-operative's Clean Energy Revolution campaign, which calls for a moratorium on the development of shale gas in the UK (fracking) and support for Read Full Article ]]> The Co-Operative, a pioneer of social responsibility in the UK and in business since1844, has launched a challenge whereby it will seek six to eight communities keen to develop projects that "involve local people, change the way we think about energy, and inspire others to shape a renewable energy future."The Community Energy Challenge is part of The Co-operative's Clean Energy Revolution campaign, which calls for a moratorium on the development of shale gas in the UK (fracking) and support for clean energy by government. It will support a set of community energy projects in the hopes of unleashing an alternative energy revolution in the UK.The Community Energy Challenge will provide 12-18 months of enterprise development, mentoring, technical advice and community facilitation for six to eight communities, enabling them to initiate co-operative renewable energy projects at a significant scale (e.g. valued at 1m (US$1.58m) to 3m (US$4.75m) and/or rated in excess of 500kW).The Co-operative Group has hired the Centre for Sustainable Energy to manage the project, which aims to bring the selected community projects to a state where it's ready for further support and investment from The Co-operative Enterprise Hub and The Co-operative Bank."The Community Energy Challenge offers a supported application process designed to help communities develop strong project proposals, even from a standing start. Lack of technical know-how should not be a barrier and communities with ambition are encouraged to apply," CSE says on its website.The Community Energy Challenge will operate a competitive bid process. All applications will be carefully evaluated and the final selection made by an expert panel. The deadline for expressions of interest is 29 February 2012. The organizers anticipate a mix of technologies (wind, hydro, solar PV, biomass, anaerobic digestion) and a geographical spread in the chosen projects.Image credit: The Co-operative]]>