TODAY’S ECO WAKE-UP CALL: Research has shown over and over that even though the use of mercury in vaccines is linked to health issues “there have been no lawsuits over its use. The answer is that Congress acting on behalf of the big pharmaceutical companies have created a Vaccine Court where plaintiffs are not permitted to have paid legal representation. Who does that help? Only the giant companies that aim to eliminate any way for society to limit the massive social and environmental costs that they impose on the rest of us.” (Source: Amy Domini, “Looking Ahead: the Next 15 Years” - www.Greenmoney.com)

 

 Social Investing [43:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (4086)

In today’s show, we take a look at the next 15 years of social investing through the eyes of several visionary leaders. Our guest is Cliff Feignbaum, the Founder and Managing Editor of Greenmoney Journal and the co-author of “Investing with your Values.”

Resources:

GreenMoney Journal’s 15^th year anniversary issue

Book: “Investing with your Values,” with authors, Cliff Feigenbaum, Hal Brill and Jack Brill.

Intro and Outtro Music:
A special thanks to Kevin Hays for his song “What Survives” off the Kevin Hays Trio CD. PLEASE, if like this music, check him out at KevinHays.com

 

 ATG 19 A Marriage Made in Eco-heaven [27:22m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (6432)

TODAY’S ECO WAKE-UP CALL: Investments in renewable energy hit a record $30 billion last year - that’s a whopping 20-25% of the total investment in the energy industry worldwide; meanwhile the organic food industry just keeps growing. The clean technology era we are entering is often compared in scale to the rise of the telecommunications industry in the early 1980s. (Source: SustainableBusiness.com)

Green companies can’t grow without the green. In this show, America the Green discusses how start-up and emerging eco-conscious companies are finding investors who share their values and their capital. A marriage made in eco-heaven. Our guest, Rona Fried, is the publisher of the newsletter, Progressive Investor and the Founder of the popular website SustainableBusiness.com.

Some of the questions we asked:

You’ve been in this green business for a long time - before it was chic to be green. How did you find your way to this marketplace?

Last week, Whole Food, the mega green food retailer, bought Wild Oats. But back in 1980 they started as a small green co-op in Texas. Today there are thousands of green companies that might have the same potential. How does a great green idea get financed?

Are their green venture capitalists? Are they value driven or just money driven?

Any inspiration stories of companies you know that found a marriage made in eco-heaven?

How does a green emerging company begin to find eco-friendly investors.

Closing Question: What one significant change do we as a species need to shift towards to create permanent, positive change in our world?

Next week on America the Green: Mark Spellun, Editor of Plenty Magazine, will be talking with us about how government not global warming is our greatest threat to our environment.

Show links

Sustainable Business.com

Social Investment Forum

Triple Bottom Line Investing

Social Venture Network

Social Funds.com

Intro and Outtro Music:
A special thanks to Kevin Hays for his song “What Survives” off the Kevin Hays Trio CD. PLEASE, if like this music, check him out at KevinHays.com

 

 Putting Your Money Where Your Values Are [37:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (3083)

In this show, America the Green talks about how greening the economy through social responsible investing and purchasing is gaining momentum - and how you can begin. Our guest, Cliff Feigenbaum is the Founder and Managing Editor of the award-winning GreenMoney Journal, a socially responsible investing and business newsletter. Cliff is also the co-author of “Investing with your Values“.

TODAY’S ECO WAKE-UP CALL: Socially responsible investment assets grew faster than the entire universe of managed assets in the United States during the last 10 years reaching 2.29 trillion in 2005 according to the Social Investment Forum’s report on SRI trends. (Source: GreenMoney Journal).

Some of the questions we asked:

• You started GreenMoney back in 1992, what are you seeing in the marketplace from your point of view?
• What is socially and environmentally responsible investing?
• Why are people investing with their values more than ever?
• Is green investing sound investing?
• Is green investing another dot com boom?
• Is green investing contrary to the values of the green world?
• What do you think about Wal-mart’s entry into organics?
• What other companies are making a commitment to environmental sustainability and acting on it?
• How do you begin to invest green? How do you make the green with green investing?

Closing Question: What one significant change do we as a species need to shift towards to create permanent, positive change in our world?

Show Links

GreenMoney Journal, Social Investment Forum, Triple Bottom Line Investing, Sustainable Business.com, Social Venture Network, The Association for Sustainable & Responsible Investment in Asia, Social Funds.

Comment links

Jennifer wrote:
In the podcast about Green Marketing you mentioned briefly thoughts about buying organic flowers. I am planning my wedding and have been considering it as something worth looking into. This brought me to a topic idea that I thought I could suggest for a show . . . Green Weddings. Tell me more about the organic flowers! Talk to me about paper choices for my invitations! Weddings are big business in our country and we brides want to make green choices. Help!

Read this article: Why Buy Organic Flowers, visit this site: GreenWeddings.net

Intro and Outtro Music:
A special thanks to Kevin Hays for his song “What Survives” off the Kevin Hays Trio CD. PLEASE, if like this music, check him out at KevinHays.com