The other night the phone rang at 3 am in the morning! It scared the H out of me. As I rolled over to pick up the phone, I noticed it was my fax line that was ringing.  Who in the heck was faxing me in the middle of the night?

Readers, has this happened to you?

The next day I checked the National  Do not Call service to see if I entered my fax number as a “do not call” for marketers.  Well, there was the number plain as day in their registry.  I figured this fax was a fluke and in the event I received another one, I would file a complaint.

Well, this Sunday I received another one.  As I stared at the fax, I noticed the following sentence on the bottom:

“To Unsubscribe Please Register Your Fax Number at www.NationalDoNotFaxList.org.“

Hmm.   Was this a hoax?  Gingerly and being skeptical, I entered the url name into my search engine. (By the way the web address above is re-directed to  www.stopjunkfax.org.) With a gulp, I entered my fax line. Hopefully this will be the end of the marketing faxes and my late night calls.

I prayed that I did not open up a can of worms, …I mean, faxes to be delivered at all hours of  the night and day.  There is nothing  about this site good or bad on the internet, and there does not seem to be any other “do not fax” sites.  Readers, a little help please.

How to get off the Unwanted Fax Treadmill.

But I was still mystified as to why I received two emails despite my do not call status.  So, I decided to go back to the FCC site and to see if I missed something.

Boy, did I ever.  What I did not realize is the do not call registry does not protect me from fax advertisements!

However, the FCC requires broadcast advertisers  to provide a fax recipient with a

“telephone number, fax number, and cost-free mechanism (including a toll-free telephone number, local number for local recipients, toll-free fax number, Web site address, or e-mail address) to opt-out of faxes. These numbers and cost-free mechanism must permit consumers to make opt-out requests 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

For specific fax opt-out information and how to file a complaint with the FCC, see here. Want to opt out but there is no address at the bottom of the fax?  Check out this article from the Michigan Attorney General’s office.  It  does a nice job laying out how to fight back from unwanted faxes.

Before you jump to put your fax number on the National Do Not Call’s web page, it is not a national registry so it may not help if a company does not use them for opt-out subscribers.  If you receive an unwanted fax, call the number listed on the bottom of the fax or follow the FCC or Michigan Attorney General’s advice.

But if you are a broadcast advertiser and do not want to be screamed out by people like me, you should consider having this organization manage your opt-out subscribers like the stupid advertiser who sent me a fax at 3 in the morning.   It seems like a no-brainer since why would a company want to waste time and energy sending faxes to someone who has no interest in their products?

So, broadcaster advertisers,  get the hint.  Your unwanted faxes are an unnecessary use of our resources and time.

As I thought about it…

Is faxing in general  just bad for the environment?  For that answer, you have to tune in tomorrow.

Similar Posts:

• Is Faxing Bad for the Environment?
• Are Intuit’s Disk Becoming an E-nusiance?
• 18 Ways to Cure the Unwanted Gift Blues
• Sick of those Yellow Pages?
• Recycling Junk Mail–Is It Enough To Save Our Trees?

Photo by Fernando de Sousa.  I love this picture!

This week I have some great green speed links ranging from green business funding to what to be aware of with protein shakes.  (Think wallet to stomach.)  As always, I encourage you to include your own favorite green news story in the comments below.  Self promotion is encouraged!  So, here goes.

The Secrets to Getting Your Green Business Funded via GreenBiz.

Anna Clark interviews Bryan Korba, the managing partner of Y Street Ventures, an investment management company with an interest in the sustainability industry and the triple-bottom line business philosophy. See the dos and don’t of green funding.

EPA Calls for Chemical Law Reform, More Responsibility on Companies (again Greenbiz.  They had alot of great articles this week.)  EPA is calling for the strengthening of  the Toxic Substances Control Act.  Could this be in conjunction with the Kids-Safe Chemical Act?  According to the article,

“The EPA’s initial list of chemicals it plans to review includes bisphenol A (used to make hard plastics, can liners and a wide range of other items), phthalates (used to make vinyl and soft plastics), brominated flame retardants (primarily found in electronics), perflourinated compounds (used to make non-stick coating), some parafins (used in lubricants) and benzidine dyes and pigments.”

Iowa State experimenting with “green” gadgets: (via the Chicago Tribune)  Iowa State is experimenting with smart vending machines which reduce power when no one is around.  Think occupancy sensor meets vending machine.  Each machine stands to save the school $80 a year.  That might seems like a small sum, but if you multiply that amount by the number of vending machines on campus, it will surely add up.  According to the University,  the average savings on 168 vending machines will save the university $13,000.00.

Hepatitis B Vaccine Triples the Risk of Autism in Infant Boys (via Mercola.com ) New study shows that the risk to newborn baby boys given the Hepatitis B vaccine developing autism triples.  According to Dr. Mercola,

“[i]n addition, vaccine-derived immunity is thought to be short lived. Up to 60 percent of persons who initially respond will lose detectable antibodies within 12 years. So that means that these vaccines will provide little to no protection to the real risks of acquiring hepatitis B, namely promiscuous sexual behavior and IV drug abuse”.

The Truth about Protein in Shake Mixes (via Dr. Mercola. )  Great video about what you should eat for breakfast.  Learn what Dr. Mercola makes for breakfast and the dos and don’t of protein shakes.

Colleges Get Sustainability Report Card (via the Environmental Leader.)  Check out the grade your college got for its sustainability efforts.  None of the NJ school listed received above a B.   How did your own state schools rate?

Green printing tip no. 18: What is rock paper, and why is it considered a Green paper? (via Eco-Libris blog) Forget about post consumer recycled content paper!  Check out rock paper made out of demolished building products.

Have any green news you would like to share?  Add it to the comments.   Just keep it green.

Similar Posts:

• Gardasil: Did the FDA F-up Again?
• Make Back to School Shopping PVC free
• The Green Buzz for week of September 8, 2009
• New Jersey Needs to Say No To Extra Vaccines! Your State Could be Next!
• You’ve Got Green Mail March 22, 2009

Photo by Fernando de Sousa.

Here is some of green speed link finds of the week. Some are via my email and others are from various reads on the web:

Power Management Project May Save Indiana University $500K a Year via Greener Computing:

IU invented software that puts some of its computers into deep sleep after a designated period of inactivity. In addition, the University’s Information technology department developed the “Go Green Gadget” which allows the users to track how much carbon emissions their individual computer is avoiding.

Hailing Cash for Appliance Program via GreenBuildingAdvisor:

October is Kitchen and Bath month. What better way to kick off this month, then with a stimulus package that enables you to obtain rebates on purchases of an energy star rated appliance?  See here regarding the rebate program in your area.   Check out cash for recycling options as well on the Energy Star site.

What is a Waterless/Water free Toilet System? via Merlin the Planet Saving Wizard.

Featuring Sun-Mar, a unique waterless composting toilet system.  No need for a sanitary system, plumbing,  or water and is  low odor.    According to the Company’s website:

“The way a Sun-Mar works is not only unique, it is also elegantly simple. Common sense tells us that the best way to compost is to use a drum. Luckily for Sun-Mar, our many international patents ensure that only Sun-Mar can take full advantage of the benefits a drum offers for mixing and aeration.”

Not being a compost toilet expert, how does this differ from other compost toilets on the market?

HUD offers $10 Million to Clean Up Dangerous Lead in Housing via HGTV Pro’s newletter:

“The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is offering $10.1 million in grants to help eliminate dangerous lead-based paint hazards from lower income homes and protect young children from lead poisoning. HUD is making these grants available through its Healthy Homes Demonstration Technical Studies, and Lead Hazard Control Capacity Building programs.”

The  Green and Healthy Home Technical Studies grants will

“improve knowledge of the effects residential green construction has on both indoor environmental quality and occupant health, with a particular focus on children and other sensitive populations.”

Honeywell Launches New Material to Improve Efficiency Power Output of Solar Panels Anti-Reflective Coating for Glass Improves Light Transmittance via Chloregy.

This new product helps make solar panels more efficient.

“Honeywell’s SOLARC, which is a liquid-based coating, can be used by all common types of PV modules. However, it provides the most benefits to rooftop installations, where space is limited and any increase in efficiency is critical. Because SOLARC coating reduces glare from the glass, it also contributes to a discreet, blend-in look of residential PV panels that has become very desirable to consumers installing the panels.”

Walmart Digs In Deep to the Sustainability Index via Greenbiz:

Two months after Walmart announced its sustainability index questionnaire  for its suppliers, Joel Makower and Rand Waddoups, Walmart’s senior director for sustainability,  sat down for a 90 minute conversation about the index.   According to the article,

“First and foremost among the takeaways from today’s event is that calling this “Walmart’s Sustainability Index” is a misnomer; the concept of the project has first and foremost been to create an open and all-inclusive system to measure the environmental impacts of retailers’ products and operations.”

Read this article for more details about the interview or you can register to hear the webcast at Getting Ready for the Sustainability Index.

Got green news to share?  Leave a comment!  Don’t be shy.  Self-promotion is absolutely allowed provided that it is green.

Similar Posts:

• Green Speed Links for November 29, 2009
• FDU’s Jumpstart the New Green Economy. A Conference Not to Miss!
• Jetson Green previews First LEED West Coast Residence
• Green Speed Links for October 12, 2009. Affecting Your Wallet to Your Stomach
• Home Depot BP Solar Partnership. No Installation Deals here.

Photo by Trent Bigelow.

Welcome guest poster, Mary Reilly, of  Reilly Green Associates,  a Six Sigma™, facilitator and green sustainable consultant. (Six Sigma™ is a business management strategy. For more information on Six Sigma, see here.)   I had the pleasure of meeting Mary at the Jumpstart Conference in NJ and was totally fascinated by her.  I asked her to write an article for me utilizing her specialty of Six Sigma™ with sustainability.

Many companies that are now touting sustainability got their green start from concerned employees. Most of the employee teams started with small, but well planned projects. If you would like to move your company in a green direction, go for it, but do it with a plan. This guide, derived from Six Sigma™, will help you gain buy-in, increase credibility for yourself as well as sustainability endeavors, and enjoy the project as it rolls out. (This is specifically for small projects.)

1. Know what you (and your team) want to accomplish: The more specific, the better chance you will have of accomplishing your goal. While rolling it out, be careful not to enlarge the scope of the project. You can always take on more later.

2. Write a list of all stakeholders: all people who will be involved, whose agreement you need, who might be threatened or who could help you on this.

3. Have a plan to win over each of the stakeholders. This will most likely involve different forms of communication for different people.

4. Have a plan to promote your projects: Company newsletter, word-of-mouth, and lunch programs are all means of promotion as long as they are within company policy.

5. Establish steps to the process: and identify what should happen and who should do it.

6. Anticipate possible problems: and prepare to handle them.

7. Show the savings/costs of the project: Calculate a baseline (“before” costs) and then the resulting savings. There is nothing like cost savings to win the hearts and minds of business people.

8. Make it easy for people to succeed with your endeavor: for example, are the recycle bins easily accessed (if you are doing recycling)?

9. Tell your direct supervisor after you have given this some thought and before you do anything. Although you may need his or her help, make it clear that this project will not cause more headaches for him/her. Also, it will not take away from your work time or the work time of others involved. A clear plan will give upper management confidence that this project will go as planned.

Example: One group decided to start a “Coffee mug” campaign where they would ask all their compatriots to use a ceramic coffee cup instead of company supplied paper cups.

They let their boss know after they had done some of the planning and the boss was cautiously supportive.

The group knew that the person who ordered the cups might feel left out if she were not involved, so they included her in the initial group. Not only was she happy to be invited, but she was able to give the team cost information about cup costs.

The money spent on paper coffee cups before starting their project was $400.00/month for the whole office (160 people). The team used this number to compare the amount spent after the project to calculate the savings.

The team launched the project by holding a lunch time information meeting. Their boss had helped them secure the room and the team served cookies to attract their co-workers. Although the cookie idea sounds corny, it worked; the cookie lovers became first adopters of the cup campaign.

The team then went around to their coworkers during lunch and breaks asking their fellow workers to use ceramic cups and forgo paper cups – at least for a trial period. Most of their co-workers were willing to try it and brought in their own cups to use for coffee, tea and water.

After a month, the cost of paper cups had been cut in half. When the Green Team presented their findings (and their savings) to management, management supported the project by purchasing cups with a “Waste Not” logo on it.

The results: savings to the company, less waste, and the employees were recognized for their good work and on to the next project. Furthermore, the team grew as more people wanted to become involved in a worthwhile, successful project.

Mary Reilly has successfully facilitated corporate adoption of sustainable practices, lowering costs and improving employee engagement. Using Six Sigma, Adult Learning techniques, and group dynamic tools, she has helped her clients cut process time by 40%, improve sales by 25%, improve leadership, and of course, embrace a green culture.  You can contact Mary at  Mary@ReillyGreen.com  To learn more about Mary visit her website.

If you wish to guest post on Green Talk, give me a shout. Anna

Similar Posts:

• Gore’s Message to Repower America
• The Lunch Sak, Kooling off the Earth a Kid’s Way
• Meet “The Low Impact” Lunch
• 25 Ways to Green Your Office
• Green Speed Links for October 12, 2009. Affecting Your Wallet to Your Stomach

Photo by Cavin B.

This week’ s roundup is an eclectic mix of green news form the state of green marketing to IBM’s big splash into water management:

Financial Incentives Could Spur Green Roof Installations

“The Clean Energy Stimulus and Investment Assurance Act of 2009 (S.320) introduced by Sen. Maria E. Cantwell (D-Wash.) intends to create green-collar jobs and revitalize the economy through clean energy investments. But the bill also provides financial incentives for homeowners or commercial building owners which chose to install green roofs on their buildings.”

Think of financial incentive to install a vegetable garden on top of a roof.  Talk about stress reduction at work.

Bringing the Consumer Perspective to CSR Reporting

Got a green product you want to market?   Read the report and you will see who knows how to play the green game and who doesn’t. What the secret?  Consumer Perspective.  Side note,  I actually met one of the authors of this publication at the Jumpstart the new Green Economy conference.  A must read for anyone trying to get a foot hold into the green market place.

7 breakthrough acoustical products for green buildings

I have to include one for the die hard green building aficionados.   Though this might not sound sexy, a must read for those venturing into commercial green building or want to install an acoustical basement ceiling.

IBM Wants to Make a Big Splash in Water Management

IBM just launched their Strategic Water Management Consulting services to help governmental agencies, utilities, and businesses to reduce their water, energy, waste, and other environmental impacts.  In addition,  the Company announced a breakthrough in the purification and desalination of groundwater.

Not All Stem Cells Are the Same

As the debate rages on about the use of adult versus embryonic stem cells, the use of newborn stem cells offer wonderful opportunities without the ethical implications.

“Newborn stem cells are a rich and diverse population of stem cells that can be collected from umbilical cord blood without ethical concerns in a 10-minute window immediately following birth.  This population of stem cells is a desirable source for clinical research because they are younger, more flexible and more pristine than adult stem cells.  In addition, newborn stem cells have demonstrated embryonic-like capabilities to proliferate and develop into all of the major cell types in the body; yet they don’t carry the same safety concerns as embryonic stem cells. “

We collected my last son’s cord blood cells at the time of his birth.  I would highly recommend this course of action for anyone having a new baby.  As many of you may know, my oldest was diagnosed with JV1 diabetes.  Promising research is being done which may reverse the course of diabetes.  You never know what life brings you.  Your own child’s newborn stem cells may save his life one day.

Free Solar Powered WIFI coming to a Town Near You

According to the article, “Meraki–the ubiquitous WiFi company–announced their mission to bring affordable Internet access to everyone via new solar powered mesh repeaters.”  With their new solar unit, this could easily be accomplished throughout the country.  Read on and see if the benefit outweighs the payback.

Offering the Best Price for Learning Supplies: Free

If you live in the Boston area, Extras for Creative Learning, funnels cast-offs of supplies from businesses for schools, day care, and parents  to use.  A small yearly fee is charged.  Many teachers I know often go into their pockets for much needed supplies due to budget constraints.  Read on for other organizations offering similar programs.

So, do you have any green news to share?  Go ahead and post your own articles.  Self-promotion is encouraged.  The more green news, the better.

Similar Posts:

• Needle Point Homes Reveals Essential Ideas to Build Energy Efficient
• Cheap Solar–Is this For Real?
• “You’ve Got Green Mail” January 4, 2008 Round-up
• Green Speed Links for November 29, 2009
• Green Speed Links for September 27, 2009

On May 19-21, 2009,  Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, New Jersey, will be the host for the conference, Jumpstart the New Green Economy.  If you haven’t registered, it is not too late.  The cost to attend these 3 days is a mere $295 (until May 18) and $325 at the door with discounts being given for students, academia and non-profits. In addition, there are options for partaking in just a few of the days if you can spare the  time for the entire conference. (The register button is at the bottom of the column to the right on the home page.) For a complete list of the program events, see here.

Simply looking for a green job or green products? The Green Job Fair and Expo are free to the public.

This is the second conference of the Sustainable Business Incubator.  Last year’s conference, Growing the Next Generation of Green Ventures, had over 200 people attend.  I met some very interesting people at the conference who I still network with today.

Personally, I think this Conference should be billed as the best business value in town.  Want to know why?  Keeping reading about all this Conference has to offer. Realize I am only highlighting key components of the Conference.   Think five course meal at a 5 star restaurant with a huge buffet of desserts.

Just because you don’t live in the tri-state area, doesn’t mean you can’t participate in the Conference.  All panels discussions are being taped and will be uploaded to the site after the Conference.

Green Expo

On Tuesday, the Conference will have a Green Expo with 65 exhibitors which is free to the public. Thinking of taking your business green? Want to learn more who is green in the Garden State? Come visit the Expo for a myriad of different exhibitors. The Expo is open from 6-8pm.

Keynote Speakers

Tuesday night,  Bill Willard, Author and Business Sustainability Champion, will present “the Business Case of Sustainability” from Toronto, and  on Wednesday morning, Miriam Hawley, CEO of Enlignment®, Inc., a business coaching and consulting company, will be presenting “Opening a Sufficiency Conversation: The Foundation for Sustainability.” Thursday morning, David Grant, President and CEO of the Dodge Foundation, will present “Beyond the Current Economic Growth Paradigm – Expanding Sustainable Prosperity.”

Panel Discussions

The meat of the conference is on Wednesday and Thursday, where there will be panel discussions on different sustainable business and community topics.   There are numerous discussions.  Listed below is small smattering of the discussions:

• Green Jobs. Where are they?
• Green Media
• Green Chemistry
• Sustainable Communities
• Sustainable Local Food Systems
• Business Case for Going Green
• Selling Green
• Electrifying the Transportation System
• Optimizing Performance in Existing Green Buildings
• Small Business: How to be Green and Stay Alive
• Socially Responsible Investing

On Wednesday, panel discussions starting at 10 am and 2 pm.  On Thursday, they are offered at 10 am.   I wish I could be in three different places at once since there are so many panel discussions that I would like to cover for Green Talk as well as for my own green growth.   Panels discussions are lead by experts in their own field coupled with panelists that have lived and breathed being green in their particular field.  For more information about the panelists, see their biographies  on the website.

The beauty of these discussion is attendees of the conference will be able to be active participants in all the discussions.  Just think. Not only will you be hearing form the experts, you can ask questions and be an integral part of the  discussions.

On Thursday afternoon, you are in for a treat.  Starting at 2pm, the following  Action-Learning Workshops are being conducted :

• Transition New Jersey
• Neighborhood Green Incubators
• Transitioning to Green™ Careers
• GreenTech Angel Network
• Sustainable Leadership Forum
• Community Clean Energy Aggregation
• Creating New Business Models and Enterprises
• Enough Already! A Sufficiency Dialogue for Creating a Sustainable World
• All The Trained Workers You Need: What Service-Learning Can Provide NJ’s Green Businesses and Industries

Some of the leaders of the workshops I know personally and can tell you are definitely in for a learning experience.

Invention2Venture

This Conference has something for everyone. On Wednesday, there is the  Invention2Venture conference, which is geared towards young and student entrepreneurs.  Learn about financing green ventures and green intellectual property.  Also, you can attend a lunch panel on green ventures from green business entrepreneurs.

Green Jobseekers

Looking to change your job to a new greener future?  Attend the Green Jobseekers Networking and Entrepreneurial Opportunities Fair on Thursday between 5:45 and 8pm.  It is a free public event.

Audio of Panel Discussions

For those of you who  can not attend,  all panels discussions will be taped so that you can hear the conference in the comfort of your own home. A few days after the conference, the audio will be uploaded to the website.  I urge you to go if you can because the networking opportunities will be outstanding.

I complained to Jonathan a couple of weeks ago that I could not spare 3 days for a conference. I am so expo’ed out with over 35 podcasts waiting to get published and piles of products to review.  To be honest,  I could not understand why any conference should be that long.  Jonathan, in his usual patient, calm self,  replied most people asked if the conference could be longer.

After reviewing the extensive list of the panel discussions, workshops, expos, and networking oppurtunities, I feel a little sheepish to say the least.  I too wish this conference could be longer.  Jumpstart the New Green Economy  is absolutely the best place to be this week if you wish to become more sustainable or take your business or community to the next level.  Green is the Garden State at our very own Fairleigh Dickinson.  Hope to see you there.

Similar Posts:

• Advancing Diversity in the New Green Energy Economy: How to take advantage of the green gold rush in California
• April’s NYC Go Green Expo is the Place to Be.
• Urban Sustainable Cities: The Challenges and Priorities
• First Soil Health Conference in New Jersey
• Green Talk Added a Forum

Where have I been? Busy as a beaver trying to  finalize a video for the greenmoms of the Green Moms Carnival fame along with doing my taxes and running from green show to show.  Why am I creating a video?  Here is where it all began.  Grab a cup of organic joe and gather around.

It all began when Rapunzel let down her freshly-washed-with-organic-shampoo hair …Oh, I guess that one has been  told before.  Sorry.  Try this one.  Perhaps, it all began when a wolf tried to blow my green house down…Er, that has been done too but not the green house part..  Okay. Okay.  Enough with the drama. Here is the skinny.

The green moms of the Green Carnival  recently won the Shorty Award for best short green content on Twitter! How do I explain Twitter?  Imagine a chat room where you can “IM” people  in only 140 characters that are following you to tell them what you are doing, great articles you found, ask question, promote your product, or  whatever your heart desires.  But not just one person, but thousands.  Time is money and Twitter gets the message out to thousands for only 140 characters.  I would say this is time management at its best.

In my case, I use Twitter to feed my blog content into  my account so I can gain more followers for the site.  In addition, I look for new green products from those who follow me.  Many times, I just ask a question, and someone usually answers. I am part of the green thumb tweeples and green tweeples.  It can be very addicting.  Believe it or not, I CAN type a message in 140 characters, but it is really hard.  Some would say I am pretty verbose.  I have no idea where that idea came from?  Back to this whole Shorty Award thing…

(I am in purple, Lynn is in white, and Maryanne is in black pictured with our award.)

There are several green moms in the group and I know them virtually or by having spoken to a few of them  on the phone.  Both Lynn Miller, our fearless leader from Washington DC, who put all of us Earth mothers together to create the Green Moms Carnival and  Maryanne (MC) Conklin of California, who put all of our blog feeds on @GreenMoms, which is our Twitter feed, came to my neck of the woods  to receive our Shorty Award.  I have always been so impressed by these two marketing mavens,   but just getting to spend some time  talking to them and of course, picking their brains was a real treat.  They were inspiring, knowledgeable, and a wealth of information.

After listening to Lynn and Maryanne converse about their trade, it made me realize that I should have taken marketing  so much more seriously in business school.  I always found the “numbers” so much more interesting.   A note to all those B- schoolers.

After the three of us spent time together at Lynn’ s hotel room, we headed to the dinner where many of the award recipients gathered to chat and meet each other.  There were several categories for content including politics, brand, financial, etc. (See  the list who won.)  I found the other winners fascinating.  Pictured above is  Martha Van Inwegen, creator of Action Wipes.  Her slogan is “Your face is not a baby’s butt. Don’t wipe it like one.” I can definitely see how she won for Brand.  Woman has moxie.

Above is Wendy and Adam (sans Lola, their dog)  of PawLuxury, an online eco-friendly dog company who won in the business category. Voters thought they were bark-tastic! They have almost 14,000 followers on Twitter.  They know how to work social media.  Who can resist man’s best friend?

After dinner, we headed across the street to the award ceremony.  Honestly, I did not take the whole Shorty Awards seriously since the ceremony was in Brooklyn for goodness sakes. I am quite a Manhattan NYC snob. (Sorry to everyone who lives  in Brooklyn for my pretentiousness.  Maybe the Brooklyn-Manhattan thing is so yesterday.  I have been in the burbs so long.  Maya culpa.)  I also thought  how important could this award ceremony be? What press was going to be there? (Just in case, I wore a sexy dress with an underwire bra to hold up my seldom seen, sagging cleavage from nursing too many children.  Well, what was left of my cleavage.)

When I entered the club and saw all of these people waiting to get in, I realized that I was wrong.  The club was full of people and Twitter comments were being streamed live on large screen at the front of the room.  Not one,  but literally hundreds of them!  What have we all become?  Stuck to our blackberries and computers? See for yourself on the video here.

People were tweeting on their phones right outside the night club complaining that the producers did not take into account that there would be more people who wanted to attend than there was room in the night club.  Everyone wanted a piece of the Shorty Awards.  Not only was it young, hip, and the Big Apple, the awards  featured Shaquille O’neal in a  short video and  had CNN’s Rick Sanchez and MC Hammer as the MCs. (Yes, of the “don’t touch this!” fame.)   Was I taking a reality check or what?  Twitter is hot and the boy toy of social media.  Everyone wants a piece of Twitter uhm’s.  (You know..a*s)

You are probably saying to yourself, what is social media?  It is the new marketing frontier.  So, if you have a business, climb aboard the social media train or be left behind in a cloud of dust. It is all about expanding your marketing plan to include the internet, which is the virtual  playground of your customers.  Not sure what all this means?  Some of our green moms are quite savvy green marketing and social media mavens such as Sommer Poquette, Lynn Miller, and Maryanne Conklin, just to name a few.  Trust me. Anyone of these capable gals can help your business grow since not only do they have their finger on the pulse of green marketing, they are equally social media savvy as well.

We received our 30 seconds of fame as Lynn gave our acceptance speech.  The highlight of the night was meeting MC Hammer and taking a picture with him. (See picture above)  I am still stuck in the 80’s. Both Lynn and Maryanne shared a cab with him back to the hotel!  I, on the other hand, was literally running for the train back to New Jersey with my tennis shoes and purple cocktail dress.  What a sight.

What does this all have to do with the video?  I had prepared a 4 minute video of all of the “moms” who could not be at the awards with us.  Without them, this award would not be possible.  Unfortunately, I was told that it was too long and I could not show it at the awards.  However, I added more content, fixed it up again, and it is ready to show as soon as I receive the green mom seal of approval.  Believe me, when I tell you that each woman featured on the video is just as impressive as the next one, I am not making this up.  President Obama should consider us as ad hoc committee for advice.   So, stay tuned for my now 5 minute video.

By the way,  before I forget, this month’s Carnival topic  is Spring cleaning  hosted on Tiny Choices.  Join us to submit a post or just read up on our own spring cleaning styles. Due date March 8.  Darn, another thing to add to my growing list of “to-dos.” Hope to see you over at the green moms carnival!

Got any news to share?  Think of Green Talk as G-eople. So, dish.  If I can tell you about my sagging cleavage, you can tell me your news…

Similar Posts:

• You Gotta Love these Green Moms
• What’s Up on Green Talk
• Please Buckle Up so You Can Live to Tell the Story
• Vote For Green Talk for GREEN LOG Home Lifestyle Awards
• Architect Michael McDonough: A Green Living Perspective Video

Photo by permission of Shira Gal

2009 is going to be an amazing green year. My bones can feel it and they are never wrong.  In the green mail box this week is an eclectic mix of topics ranging from the old stand-by of green building articles, kiddies’ green TV to greening your business’ IT (information technology) Department.  Remember, to add your own favorite Green article, which can include you own, to the mix. (Self promoting is okay.) All I ask is that you provide a short summary of the article so Green Talk readers can decide if they want to read it.

 Mail Time….

 USGBC Opens Door To Ending FSC’s Green Wood Monopoly via Builder.  Under the current LEED system, points are given for the use of FSC certified wood.  Although the article is written in August, 2008, I thought it was interesting that the USGBC was seeking comments to expand wood certification to other agencies.  FSC has always been known as the gold standard despite grumblings amongst the timber industry.

 What Is Green IT? Part 1: Cutting Emissions and Energy Use Enterprise-wide and Part 2 What Is Green IT? Part 2: Converging with the Shadow Network via Energy Priorities. According to Part 1 of the articles, data centers in companies consume the most energy per square foot than any other part of an office building.  Instead of solely focusing on the amount of energy used for lighting, read both part one and two of the above articles to  turn your attention to  reducing your companies true energy hog, the IT center.

 Nickelodeon’s Big Green Help.  The Nickelodeon’s entertaining website is chalk full of daily green messages, videos, and quizzes to help our children get their green groove on.  We all know that kids love to play video games.  Have them head on over to play LeBron James’ video to teach kids to “curb the car” and use their bikes instead.

 ”Duke Wants to Rent Rooftops for Solar Power” via Greener Buildings Staff (Greenbiz.com).  This is my favorite of article on the list.  Duke Energy is seeking approval to lease commercial and residential roofs to install solar panels for a cleaner creation of energy.  All utility companies should take notice of what Duke Energy is doing.

 ”Can you super insulate that house, please?” via CNET’s Green Tech. Super insulating your house is not a new concept but CNET’s article brought the concept into the mainstream consciousness of insulating your house from the outside as well as inside.  What about the cost, you might be thinking.  Read on.

“Dell: Apple’s Green Claims “Are Not Accurate“  via GreenerComputing.com. Dell is screaming hog wash about Apple’s green claims.  Not only do companies have to worry about the consumers screaming greenwashing, they have to worry about their competitors as well. The motto? Keep it honest, boys and girls.

 ”Vegawatt plugs in grease-fired restaurant generator ” via CNET’s GreenTech.  Restaurants can now use their own oil to power up part of their electricity with a Vegawatt system by Owl Power Systems.  With a monthly lease payment of $435 a month, a restaurant using the machine found that it cut its monthly utility bill by $800.  Talk about burning the midnight oil.

Which article is your favorite this week and why?  Do you have a favorite green article that you read this week?  Even if it is yours, let Green Talk readers know.

Similar Posts:

• Be Creative, Use Your Power Tools For Cooking
• The Green Buzz for week of September 8, 2009
• Home Depot BP Solar Partnership. No Installation Deals here.
• You’ve Got Green Mail, Dec 7, 2008 Round-Up
• You’ve Got Green Mail, January 18, 2009 Round-up