Green Jobs Green Bay

When parks and real estate mix, there’s often a hard working local resident behind the plans. Or a couple. In the case of New York City’s High Line green space and commercial corridor, two unlikely promoters (a Chelsea artist and a Village painter) sat down with developers and city planners to come up with something truly innovative: an abandoned freight railway that quickly became the city’s favorite brand, and a model for how to make the most of an old industrial space. Warehouse to condo conversions have long been a trendy ticket for developers and high-end buyers, but projects like the High Line show how the non-wealthy majority can participate in exciting urban renewal, leaving lots of room for investors to make a buck.

It’s my job to write about the environment, so I try my best to walk the walk when it comes to the size of my carbon footprint. But even this ecophile can do more. So one weekend my fiancé, David and I set out to make a few easy, eco-friendly adjustments to our apartment that could also reduce our utility bill. And, we figured, what better time to finish greening our home than while our friends’ young daughter, Rebecca was visiting.

The “Green Age” is a global transformation similar in magnitude to the “Information Age.” Wall Street investment bank, Goldman Sachs, concluded environmental businesses will earn over 1 trillion dollars by 2010. President-elect Obama’s Administration will make energy and the environment a top priority. The opportunity to create a sustainable start-up has never been better. While oil continues to come down below $50 per barrel, we still need alternative energy sources, education and conservation to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and overcome global warming. As the world races to find solutions to many ecological problems, it’s creating vast opportunities for entrepreneurs to make money while helping to protect the planet.As founder of the Green Maui Guide, I invented the first green e-zine for Hawaii. In addition, I taught a class titled “how to start a green business.” In my class, I listed over 100 opportunity areas for green entrepreneurs. In virtually every field. My favorite opportunity areas include: green investment advisors, eco-fashion designers, business energy auditors, green computer gurus, indigenous landscape architects, green builders, eco-tourism guide and sustainability consultants.Why not come up with an invention or service yourself? If you’re already living a green lifestyle the idea is probably right in front of you. You might just come up with the next big idea. Pay attention to the green things in your life and consider if you can make them better. Then check your idea out on the Internet to see what your competition is up to. Maybe somebody is providing a service outside your area that you could set up locally. Or maybe there is a niche market for a product that focuses on the home, autos, pets, gardening or the like. Sell your products or services on craiglist or ebay. It not just new technology entrepreneurs in Solar Valley making bucks. It companies like the Whole Foods natural food chain, Pantagonia clothing and Method, green cleaning products.There are venture capital firms springing up that fund private companies specializing in alternative power, water technologies, organic and natural foods, and environmental technologies. Check out the Green Investment Network to get connected with ecology minded investors. Socialize with other entrepreneurs in a fun environment at Green Drinks. Join or start and eco-investment club. Read the “Going Green” section of Entrepreneur e-zine.Create a job for yourself in the new green collar economy. While companies are laying off people, business is booming at placement agencies like Green Bright Talent.  Starting a green business will not only transform your finances, it will help change the world for the better.Larry Burke is an award winning Professor and publisher of the popular Green Business (greenmauiguide.com). He has an MBA from Harvard University and a BA from Stanford University.Visit for more about sustainable energy and conserve energy

Copyright (c) 2008 Virginia Ginsburg
In the current economic climate, it seems as if everyone is looking for ways to save a little more money. While many people think that “Going Green” means spending more, it really doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, if you think about it, some of the “Greenest” activities that you can undertake are free or lower cost than their alternatives. So, consider some of the many ways that you can cut back on your budget while simultaneously improving the positive impact you make on the world.
We’re going to focus today on the first two sentiments of the classic environmentalist call to action: Reduce; Reuse; Recycle. It’s an oldie-but-goodie when it comes to being green and saving green.
REDUCE
One of the biggest impacts you can make on the Earth is to reduce the number of items you consume on a daily basis.
First, drive less. It is quite fashionable today to drive less, given the $3+ cost-per-gallon of gas. To support this economical and Earth-friendly practice, look for easy ways to cut back on your gas bills by taking public transportation if it’s available. Carpooling is a great idea, but even if it doesn’t work every day, try to share a ride with friends or family once per week when you’re out and about. Also try to minimize your shopping trips. For example, if you currently visit the grocery store four times per week, commit to creating a shopping list, and you can cut that down to just two times per week quite easily.
Second, buy less. With the holidays right around the corner, it might be hard to imagine buying less, but a truly Green consumer weighs each purchase based on how it impacts the Earth. For example, you must consider the environmental costs involved in growing, harvesting, producing, packaging and transporting all items. From a green perspective, you need to take all of these issues into account when making a purchase, but from a budgeting perspective, you should also consider the very first question a true environmentalist should ask: do I really need to buy this item? Many things that we buy for ourselves and others end up cluttering our personal space, and then ultimately are discarded to clutter a landfill Instead of adding to this problem, double- and triple- think every purchase before making it.
REUSE
Once you have made the decision to purchase an item, before discarding it, consider the ways in which you might be able to re-use it. Here are five easy ways to reuse items:
1. Instead of purchasing containers for storing your leftovers, wash out glass jars from pasta sauce and plastic yogurt container and reuse them.
2. Save Ziploc bags used for storing bread, keeping crackers fresh, and other dry items and use them again and again for the same purpose. Most of the time you just need to shake out the crumbs and you’re ready to go again!
3. Dry out your produce bags after each trip to the grocery store and then put them in your shopping bags (you do reuse your shopping bags, right?!?) so that they are ready to go next time you visit the store.
4. If you use a paper towel to wipe up a small water spill or for any other light job, simple put it off to the side and use it again later in the day for a more serious (or another light) job.
5. If you forget to bring a shopping bag, or simply can’t avoid getting a plastic bag at the check-out, be sure to re-use the bag a few more times. Then recycle it – most grocery stores have a receptacle in front that is specifically for plastic shopping bags.