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Coursera is offering a free course, Intro to Sustainability Coursera - Sustainability classes

2011 Sierra Innovation Summit Series – Part 2 of 6 Focus on Opportunities and Solutions In part 2 of the 2011 Sierra Innovation Summit Series, I want to address the theme of focusing on opportunities and solutions.  During the opening statements of the summit, the audience was reminded to "focus on the opportunities", "focus on the solutions."   This message should not be new to anyone yet it seems to surface often in light of knowing that for any industry to succeed, this set of rules must be included. As a new student entering the industry, you may very well have the solutions or even believe that you are the solution.  So what are we missing here that would prompt the reminders?  Perhaps it’s the overwhelming possibilities that come with solution generation.  But more importantly, not all possibilities are solutions. One of the common words of guidance that I've received from those who are successful in their green careers is that you must first ...

So the challenge of reviewing the latest on Obama and his direction toward domestic solutions brings up the question of whether or not we look at the package for the immediate good or the realization that the longer term issues are unwavering.  In the article, " Obama urges one-third cut in oil imports " Obama offers the same speech of focusing on the wider use of natural gas and biofuels and establishing higher fuel efficiency standards.  Yet in the same breath, there is a call for "oil companies to make greater use of the federal leases both onshore and offshore to prop up domestic oil output." In my classes, I've had discussions on how to gauge progress in environmental economics.  In one instance, we can commend the President and his drive to push for the advancement of alternative fuel sources, yet without addressing the reason why there is a need for alternatives, we end up with the "more domestic oil!" speech which does little for decreasing d...

Today I had the opportunity to attend the Sacramento Region Consortium that focused on the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program.  In short, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded the Sacramento Region $1.5 million to create a regional sustainability plan for the six-county Sacramento region.  What I found most intriguing was that the consortium is a collaborative effort that can include anyone from the interested citizen to staff in local jurisdictions.  As far as business development is concerned, any organization that includes feedback from top to bottom (i.e. executive to front line employee) is destined for success.  It's a golden rule for effective communication and strategy implementation. But back to the program.  The initial meeting was designed to facilitate an understanding of the objectives, which includes the Transit Priority Area vision.  Imagine a community with optimal housing and employment ch...

GreenBiz Salary produced a report in Oct 2010 on the salaries of sustainability managers. The numbers further support the importance of sustainability and the emphasis (through salary) that companies are placing on the practice. Update (1/11/17 - The Report link has since been retired) Here is a link to Clean Tech Job Trends for 2010

In a recent post from The Green Economy Post, an article titled, " Green Energy’s Big Challenge: The Daunting Task of Scaling Up " places the penetration progress of our various resources into proper perspective.  With impressive increases in acceptance of renewable energy, (see " $6-billion solar industry logs another record year ") society is nowhere near snapping the umbilical connection to fossil fuels.  One of the more prominent notions is that the United States is trailing Europe in renewable project implementation.  Make no mistake, this form of international "in-your-face" is necessary for innovation here in the states.  However, the article goes on further to stifle the belief that countries like Germany are faring better.   "Despite more than 21,000 wind turbines and 13 million square meters of solar installations, Germany still gets more than 50 percent of its electricity from burning fossil fuels, including lignite, the most polluting form...

Despite the capital invested in your education or transitional training, be prepared to enter the industry at the bottom of the pecking order.  No matter how strong of a game-changing attitude you may think you'll bring, understand that the hierarchical system of social organization in that company is going to ensure that your aspirations of coming in as top chicken will be de-feathered.  At least initially or until you’ve made enough coffee runs.  Corporate culture alone takes a period of saturation to understand.  Add in passion for environmental responsibility to that culture and you have one of the toughest organizational environments to penetrate if you don't support the vision.  In addition, the game has become ...still remains challenging as many career individuals with the very experience you desire to obtain have been displaced and are now fighting for the same position you're willing to do for free.  This only adds to the necessity ...

As you dive in to the vast world of sustainability, you must first recognize there are many applicable sustainability standards depending on the industry you choose to participate in.  As with any job interview, one of the main cards you can have in your back pocket is the element of industry standards knowledge.  Familiarizing yourself with sustainability standards for your target industry is essential to determining the health of an organization and whether that company compliments your level of environmental ethics. ASTM International , formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is an organization that develops standards that address environmental and economic concerns in buildings and construction.  These standards focus on measurements for sustainability action impact.  This organization offers a virtual classroom to new members which may be of interest to you. Have an eye for interior design?  Perhaps the sustainability st...