Green Networking

GreenNetworkingSanDiego.com is a blog dedicated to bringing like minded “green” people together. Our mission is to be an online resource for national green-related news and green events in the San Diego area. Through our efforts with the blog and ongoing green networking events, much to our delight, we’ve received some recognition and accolades. The first came from NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) with a nomination for their Green Community Award! We were so honored to be considered for this award for the 2010 NAWBO BRAVO! Awards.

Angelina Sereno, president of Skybox Creative and Skybox Ink, is an environmentalist at heart. Starting with Skybox Ink (a green printing company), she felt good about the steps she was making but wanted to do more. GreenNetworkingSanDiego.com provided an opportunity for her and her team to give back.

Sereno’s nomination comes off the heels of another successful green networking event in March 2010, and the consistent growth of Skybox Ink, a full-service green printing website, which features commercial print products that utilize recycled stock and soy and vegetable based inks.

Sereno was featured in a PowerPoint presentation including all nominees at the BRAVO! Awards event on May 19, 2010. BRAVO! was an amazing evening headed by keynote speaker Lisa Nichols, who was one of the featured teachers of The Secret and is the author of “No Matter What.” Lisa’s powerful message of personal empowerment has helped thousands of people make significant, positive changes in their lives.

We applaud Nisaan in their diligent efforts to bring the first fully electric car to the market in the US. And not a bad design either! Can you imagine, a car without an engine under the hood? Personally, we love the idea.

When will the car be available?
That seems to be something of a secret, but you can reserve one with a $99 deposit. For more info Click Here

Great Q & A’s from their site:

Emissions
Q. It’s great to cut down on vehicle emissions, but shouldn’t I worry about the power plant used to generate the electricity too?
A. Even in its dirtiest form, the electrical grid is much cleaner than burning gas. And the grid will get cleaner over time, unlike gas.

Charging
Q. Is there a timer that allows you to set what time the charging starts and stops?
A. Yes – you will be able to set a charging timer in the car. You will also be able to control the car’s functions and charging from any computer or internet-enabled phone.

Q. Is the Nissan LEAF going to have an onboard charging system of some kind for emergency back up?
A. Your Nissan LEAF will be delivered with a 110/120V Trickle charge cable that works with the onboard charging system. As the name implies this will be primarily used for opportunity charging and is not recommended to be your primary method of charging. For that we have the Nissan home charging dock which uses a 220/240V dedicated line in your home.

Q. What do I do if I want to go farther than 100 miles in one trip?
A. The Nissan LEAF’s nav system will be able to show you charging locations along your route.

Q. Will it plug into a regular household outlet?
A. It will charge on a regular 110/120V 20-Amp dedicated outlet. This is considered a “trickle charge,” which means it would charge at a slower rate. For home charging, we recommend a home charging dock on a dedicated 220/240V, 40A circuit.

Q. How long does it take to charge?
A. Most people will charge it like a cell phone overnight at home. A full charge will take 8h on a 220/240V home charging station. A 480V quick-charging capability will eventually be available in many markets once a standard is set.

Q. Will there be multiple options on how/where to charge up?
A. Absolutely. You’ll be able to charge at home, possibly at work and at stations along your route. Options will grow as infrastructure is developed.

Click here to learn How it Works

And the price… Starting at just over $25,000, the Nissan LEAF is also affordable. Now I think the government needs to help in the effort and get cranking on adding charging stations throughout the U.S.

Click here to Learn More About Nissan LEAF

The response operation in Louisiana. © BP p.l.c.

A couple of weeks have passed since the occurrence of the tragic Deepwater Horizon Incident in the Gulf of Mexico and energy giant British Petroleum (BP) has gone to work in controlling the flow of oil from the undersea well. As the Gulf Coast oil spill becomes a major cause of concern for the natural habitat, marshes, and wildlife along the Louisiana shoreline, BP has taken efforts to assess and contain the situation by creating a taskforce and working with the US Coast Guard, the Army National Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, just to name a few. Let’s not forget the overwhelming numbers of volunteers from the communities affected by the oil spill. This collective of groups, agencies, and people coming together to find solutions in solving this crisis is a contributing factor for evaluating BP’s overall level of response. Their actions have expressed their willingness and desire to prove their empathy and concern for the occurrence, but a lack of transparency and speediness of response has hindered public trust in their company.

Boom bordering shoreline near Venice, LA © BP p.l.c.

Taking a look at a different public relations incident circa 1982, Johnson and Johnson (J&J) was faced with their moment of proving themselves worthy by responding to what is now known as the Chicago Tylenol Murders. Cyanide-laced capsules were tampered from an external source, replaced back on retail shelves, and were unfortunately sold to unknowing citizens in Chicago, Illinois, and the surrounding area. In the days to follow, seven people died from ingesting  Tylenol capsules laced with the poison, creating mass panic in the homes of America. So what did J&J do? They immediately set up a taskforce to figure out the true occurrence of events, they set up a national recall for all Tylenol capsules and offered exchanges for their “tablet” alternative, spent over a hundred million dollars for the recall, newspaper ads, and repurchasing of Tylenol capsules from physicians, and worked with federal authorities and the media to provide transparency and establish public trust. The result? After Tylenol’s initial dip in the market as a result of the shock, they rebounded back into the number one spot in market share for the over-the-counter, analgesic market… within one year!

Though BP is pulling all the stops, there is one thing they are lacking and are failing to do which J&J did. BP has not created enough vocal response to assure the public that they are trying everything they can to resolve this incident and take full responsibility for the situation. There has not been enough re-assurance to local businesses and fisheries which are tremendously affected. Although the actual handling of the situation may be strong on BP’s part, the public and those affected by this event can assume a weak response due to their lack of transparency and a diminished company image as a result. If there is anything one can learn from the Chicago Tylenol Murders case study of 1982, it was that during tragic, unexpected situations associated with your brand it is best to not only act quickly and responsibly, but also to act vocally. Business owners must not underestimate the power of public relations and especially, the power of perceived company image amongst your consumers.

Ford Mance Capital Advisors and Waddell & Reed Financial Advisors welcome the community on May 16 to support Friends of Cardiff and Carlsbad State Beaches – a new 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization protecting and ensuring the health and beauty of our local beaches. Exciting raffle, music, art, food and more!

Date: May 16, 2010
Time: 12-4pm
111 Chesterfield, Cardiff By the Sea

For More Information Click Here!

Green Networking San Diego is brought to you by Skybox Ink – Green Printing!

A friend recommended that I check this video out, it is such a powerful movement, I highly recommend you check out their site and learn how you can do your part!

Four Years. Go. is a rallying call asking us all to…

• Wake Up to the enormous harm we are doing to Earth and ourselves
• Wake Up to the profound opportunity we have now to create a future to match our deepest longing and greatest dreams
• Become change agents in redirecting humanity’s current path from self-destruction to sustainability
• Do it now. Don’t wait for any one or anything. And complete it by 2014.

There’s still time to act, but no time to waste.

What’s at stake?

We are confronted with a time of great peril as a human species. The overwhelming majority of peer reviewed scientific scenarios warn that we are rapidly approaching perilous tipping points, after which life as we have known it will change irreversibly.

The extent of mounting crises is daunting—profound climate disruption, wide and deep poverty, global water shortages, loss of topsoil, depletion of fisheries, erosion of democracy, unsustainable population growth, mass extinction of plant and animal species, economic breakdown. And these crises are in fact completely inter-related.

More and more people are recognizing the urgency of the situation but seem unable to muster the vision and commitment needed to cause a change in course. Unless we break free of this gridlock, we will, tragically, end up where we are headed.

Read more www.fouryearsgo.org

Green Networking San Diego is brought to you by Skybox Ink – Green Printing

For the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, Repower America supporters and staff joined hip hop legend DJ Biz Markie to record a clean energy remix of his classic song, “Just a Friend.”

With the climate crisis, a generational challenge for our country and our planet, it’s more important than ever to share the passion we have as a movement.

Take a moment to bob your head to our new anthem for clean energy — and be sure to invite your friends and family to witness the diverse faces and dance moves our movement has!

Source: Repower America

Green Networking San Diego is brought to you by Skybox Ink – Green Printing

{As an eco-friendly printing company, Skybox Ink, along with Skybox Creative, is committed to furthering the education of environmental issues to business owners in its series of posts: Pause for an Eco-Cause.}

It’s been forty years since the first Earth Day celebration on April 22, 1970 brought together over 20 million people from all over the nation to promote their environmental message. It still continues to reach hundreds of millions of people on a global scale. This day was founded by Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin whom was elected in 1962, with a passion for conservation and increased environmental legislation. Often coined as “the Conservation Governor,” Nelson was not always successful in promoting his environmental agenda to lawmakers. It took seven years from the time he was elected into office before he came up with a catalyst to drive concern for environmental conservation.

During this era, companies had little concern about getting trapped in a PR nightmare due to the amount of carbon emissions let off from their factories. Many individual Americans as well did not see the folly in purchasing leaded gasoline to power their car’s V8 engines. Incidents around the time began to bring conservation into focus though, one of which being a major oil spill in Santa Barbara, California in 1969. Overall, environmental conservation was beginning to gain focus, but to spread the idea on a national level was a challenge. Nelson needed a powerfully driven campaign to create the modern environmental movement, thus Earth Day was born.

An amazing fact about the first ever Earth Day was that events and rallies were not organized by large government or corporate entities, but by grassroots efforts conducted by experienced college students. Strong negative sentiments about the Vietnam War culminated into a large voice amongst students, and Nelson’s intention was to focus that energy into caring for the environment. His thought became:

“If we could tap into the environmental concerns of the general public and infuse the student anti-war energy into the environmental cause, we could generate a demonstration that would force the issue onto the national political agenda.” (nelsonearthday.net)

After handing the reigns of Earth Day over to Dennis Hayes, student president of Stanford University, student organizations began to coordinate and develop successful protests and rallies promoting various environmental issues and condemning corporate polluters.

The result was the overwhelming success of Earth Day, bringing together people from different cultures, races, religions and people of all ages to stand up for planet Earth. Other developments from the introduction of Earth Day were the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Act. Nelson also did not go unnoticed for his service. For his environmental efforts, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995.

We can all take small steps to make Earth Day everyday by developing eco-conscious habits. Recycling, using public transportation, buying organic or eco-friendly products, and using energy efficient lighting are just a few of the ways to start down the green path, if you’re not already traveling it.

Please take a moment to watch this incredibility artistic ad to raise awareness for mother earth’s cause. GreenPeace International presents “Give Earth a Hand.” For more info, please visit their website here.

Green Networking San Diego is brought to you by Skybox Ink – Green Printing

It’s that “green” time of year again! Earth Day 2010 is upon us on April 22, and the place to celebrate early will be at Balboa Park for their annual EarthFair on Sunday. This free event brings various eco-sensitive businesses and vendors together to promote their message of environmental sustainability along with different social issues that affect people worldwide. According to the San Diego EarthWorks website, “each year, the EarthFair draws around 70,000 visitors.”

If you’re planning on attending, be sure to make proper travel arrangements as the parking lots fill to capacity by about 10:30am. Free shuttle services will be available to and from the event from two different parking lots: the parking lot at San Diego City College, and the San Diego County Administration Lot. Directions to these lots can be found on the San Diego EarthWorks website. Of course, you can always ride a bike or bus, take the trolley or walk to the EarthFair in the spirit of eco-friendliness! 

We hope you take advantage of everything the EarthFair has to offer and celebrate this day dedicated to Mother Nature! Go Team Earth!

Surrounded by the luxurious ambiance of Sé Hotel’s Sîren Uber Lounge, Skybox Ink, in association with Skybox Creative, held their second Green is the New Black Mixer on March 18^th, 2010 in Downtown San Diego. The night consisted of networking with eco-friendly professionals and entrepreneurs, a sponsored raffle prize giveaway, and numerous photo opportunities taken in front of our gorgeous blue Skybox Ink step and repeat banner (created by 858 Graphics).

Sponsors for the night’s event included Eco Corp Home Services, Casalinda Studio Designer Jewelry, Eufora, and eLiveLife.com.

Some of the night’s attendees included clients, industry friends and local “green” entrepreneurs including, Marvin Stanford of Green Electric Solutions, Christy Gramann of Four Seasons Tree Care, Craig Blanchard of the San Francisco Business Times, Denise Schwartz of Incharacter Costumes, Bryan Ottinger of Airco Energy Soltions, LLC and Jim Edmonson of LightingPlanIt.

The main sponsor of the night, Skybox Ink, is a green printing company located in Southern California, offering high quality print services at affordable rates. By using recycled and chlorine-free papers paired with soy/vegetable based inks, Skybox Ink provides the best solution for eco-friendly business printing. Other attributes of Skybox Ink’s method is using Zero VOC solvents on printing jobs to prevent air pollution and improve employee safety.

A great feature of the Green is the New Black Mixer is that it is not required for attendees to represent a business that is currently committed to green practices, but this event is certainly an opportunity to become involved with the movement towards sustainability and ecological awareness. Getting involved with the green movement can be as simple as developing an office recycling program, setting up volunteer activities for employees such as beach cleanups, and conserving electricity. More green tips can be found in the Office Environmentalism 101 articles from GreenNetworkingSanDiego.com.

We hope to see you at our next event!