April 11th, 2012

In a bygone American era, Detroit shone proudly as a center of industry, home to the Model T and other symbols of American progress. The decline of the car industry in recent decades, though, has cut the city’s population in half and left poor neighborhoods in even more derelict condition. Detroit is now home to thousands of acres of vacant land, most of it unmaintained, left to collect weeds and waste. The result? Many of the city’s residents live in what is termed a
“food desert.”

[Read more →]

August 30th, 2011

Back to school! Although it may feel like the heat wave will never end, autumn has officially begun for parents of school-age children. A new academic year is full of high hopes and fresh possibilities – the perfect time to begin or recharge a green team on your child’s school campus.

I’ve done plenty of green team development inside corporations with my consulting company EarthPeople, but schools are a different animal. In some respects the difference is a good thing. Companies may be motivated to go green in order to save money on energy or enhance brand value among socially-conscious consumers. While the “business case” is a valid reason to implement a sustainability strategy, it doesn’t compare with protecting the health and wellbeing of children – the primary motivator for greening our schools.

[Read more →]