All Posts Tagged With: "Business"

When I first got interested in sustainability, one of the simplest and most empowering definitions I ran across was from the Brundtland Commission Report, “Our Common Future,” published in 1987. The full report is available on-line. The definition reads:”Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (Found in Chapter 2 of the report.)

I am thrilled to see that my alma mater, University of Virginia School of Architecture, is bestowing the University’s highest honor on the commission’s chairwoman, Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland. As part of the award ceremonies for the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Architecture, she will speak on the campus on Friday, April 11, at 3:00p.m.

Her bio is impressive. She has long been a world leader in sustainable development and health, and was the youngest and first woman prime minister of Norway. The University of Virginia’s press release has a good overview.

It is striking that the ideas and recommendations contained in “Our Common Future” are just as relevant today as they were – twenty! – years ago. They were truly ahead of their time, although leading scientists and experts knew then what the rest of us are only now waking up to. Rather than fret about “it’s too late,” we should all re-read this powerful document and renew our commitment to doing what we can.

It’s full of thoughts like these (remember – written twenty years ago!): Continued

The Clean Energy Partnership is a Maryland-based non-partisan, non-profit business group that seeks to create a cleaner, better future by fighting global warming and air pollution. Their three main focuses are to increase demand for clean energy, advocate for positive environmental legislation, and promote business members.

Tilt Studio, Inc . is a design firm that works to solve a variety of design problems, while specializing in earth-friendly design practices. Tilt utilizes an artistic sensitivity to visual communication that will positively impact the future growth of your business, small or large.

Buy Local is an educational and marketing campaign encouraging Baltimore area residents to shop at local independently-owned businesses. They educate the public on how supporting locally owned business keeps up to three times as much money in the community, supports and strengthens local jobs and businesses, and preserves and enhances Baltimore’s unique neighborhoods.

Clean Water Action is a national organization that works to assure supplies of clean, safe, and affordable water, prevent health-threatening pollution, build an economy of environmentally safe jobs and businesses, and empower people to take charge of our environmental future. It organizes strong grassroots groups and coalitions, and campaigns to solve environmental and community problems, and to elect progressive and pro-environment candidates at an entry level.

Located near Frederick, Md., on the banks of the Monocacy River, the Hedgeapple Farm has been in operation since the mid-1950s. It is home to more than 50 Black Angus cattle, all grass-fed and raised on sustainably-managed farmland. Working with the Frederick Soil Conservation District, the Maryland Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the farm also strives to enact best-management practices in its environmental impact.

The Center for The New American Dream is a Washington DC based forum that "helps Americans consume responsibly to protect the environment, enhance quality of life, and promote social justice." It works with "individuals, institutions, communities, and businesses to conserve natural resources, counter the commercialization of our culture, and change the way goods are produced and consumed." They empower the public to live consciously, buy wisely, and make a difference.