Elementary, my dear Wattson

Meet Wattson. He might just be your new best friend. In these times of economical worries he will show you how much electricity your house is using. As always he is accompanied by his trustworthy companion Holmes and together they help you reduce your electricity bill. Wattson has a blue glow when you spend little electricity and he turns red when consumption is high. The display also shows you how much your annual costs would be based on your current use.

And if that isn´t enough, he´s also “gorgeous” according to himself. So you can add modest to the list as well.

Here's to the Earth...

Team,

I realize that most of us are out of the office, but it does bring a little tear to my eye to not be in proximity to you all on such a special day, that would no doubt be full of lots of banter back and forth and harassment for me, a better option than remaining in this cubicle where I don’t really have the right to spread green wisdom.

In lieu of doing something as a group, I was inspired by my Outward Bound Quote of the Day:

"The important thing for you is not how much you know, but the quality of what you know."
- Erasmus

And thought that it might be fun to share a list of a few of the sources that I use to gain good knowledge on the environment and all things “sustainable.” Perhaps, to start a chain of eco-inspiration on Earth Day that I would love for anyone else to build upon. You got insight on saving the planet? I am all ears.

Here’s where I go to learn about environmental issues – both fun stuff, practical stuff, and sometimes serious stuff.





















www.sprig.com Created by the Washington Post, this site has great information on eco-friendly products and eco-friendly people – entrepreneurs who are changing the world, and often these are small business people. Go to the website and sign on to the daily newsletter that includes info on one product, one person. It’s a wealth of information for those of us that like to buy nice things (it’s a little pricey) or just look at nice things that we’d like to buy later in life!










www.idealbite.com My libertarian philosophy professor’s wife, who is a yoga instructor, referred me to this website. So rest assured, it’s smart, practical, and the absolute minimal information you need to make fair decisions (both to others and to yourself) (i.e. cheap!) on what to buy, what to read, what to build. It’s a lot less froo-frooey then sprig but for those of us that are wondering, “How can I lessen my impact easily?” it’s great daily newsletter to receive.










www.stopglobalwarming.org Thought I would add this to the list, given our strong interest in celebrity affairs around the office. A website and newsletter from an organization that is environmental activism Hollywood-style. Started by the woman who partnered with Al Gore for An Inconvenient Truth, Laurie David, there are some slight political leanings but it’s really not too drastic (i.e. the grist). Instead, go here to see cute pictures of Leo or George spreading the word. There’s also a Stop Global Warming March that they’ve held online – you go, sign up for the march and then get the monthly newsletter automatically.







www.sierraclub.com If you’re looking for quality of information, here’s where to go. It’s the most established environmental awareness group with great local activism. As a member you get the national quarterly magazine and a local quarterly newsletter. It’s how I learn about things like the huge coal plant that Dominion is trying to build in western Virginia, or the cool things happening on the James. Thought it might be nice for those of us that love the local nature that people don’t take advantage of enough. Anyways, a great reference, should you not want to join ($25.00).


That’s it. Again, just wanted to share some places I use to continue to try to stay informed – hope everyone is having a great day, and again, if you’ve got a newsletter, blog, organization, etc. that you’d like to share – feel free to leave a comment. Wanted everyone to get this information today – wherever we are!

Seriously people.
-Patty

Green or Jaded?

The comment box was too small for my opinion on this.

Q: Do I support Play Green?
A: I'm in the moderate zone and could be swayed either way quite frankly.

I am not crunchy. I enjoy meat and actually boycott veggies. I love my Jeep. HOWEVER, I am a support junkie. I am your loyal on- board person. I believe in those who believe. So seeing Patty (and others) so passionate about any ONE thing is awesome. We get so caught up on initiatives, we forget to finish what we start(we as in Play yes, but also the world) So, if this is something we as a whole can move forward on, I might trade in my plastic bags for some canvas ones. BUT we've got to be smart. To what extent are we green? Green enough to pay more for supplies? Green enough to monetarily reward those who practice the zen of greenness? Green enough to be hard on those who are not, internally and externally? Green enough to not take clients on because they are not as green as we are?

I need some fodder here. I am not green in my own right. Never even thought about it til I started here. But, I do see the value in it. It's like our internal discussion today about caring. I care about the environment, but I do not feel a call to action. Nope, too many others on my call list.

So how can we take people from care/interest to action/acceptance?
1) Make it easier, not harder. Taking away something (bottled water) without providing an easy substitute makes unwelcomed response. Maybe giving a choice is better. Set a pitcher of water and some citrus (woo Kelly) next to the bottles for a few months. Start a collection bin at your desk for used supplies and volunteer to donate them on behalf of Play to save teammates the time and energy. See what happens naturally. Then people are intrinsically motivated to do the "right" or "green" thing but not forced to. Positive vibes aboutnd.

2) Don't impose, inspire. People don't take respect,they earn it. I admire many people in this office. Do some green things and reep the warm fuzzies and maybe I'll adopt the same practice because I'm inspired.

3) Support others' inititatives. If you want to get people on baord, you've got to go the extra mile on what they believe in. Create a supportive environment. That's the cause part of Play right? Do we know the #1 cause of each person on this team? If everyone put a think card on their desk tomorrow with what they care about - St. Jude, Sustainability, the SPCA, their mom, Former Rockers at VCU unite, would we be surprised at who said what? What are we doing to nuture ALL of those causes and not just most vocal? Does the squeaky wheel get the grease on the cause front?


Okay, enough with my never ending rhetorical questions. That's just how I express it. I will support Play Green if:

it is for the right reasons (the majority of us prioritize that, not just 3 people in a given week)
we are given options for the level of green we want to be. Making the options easy and your own individual choice.
and lastly, if it will inspire others who believe in that cause to want to come to work even a hair more than they did the day before. For this reason and this reason alone, I will try my best to believe in you and what you believe in.


whew. go dukes. Comments welcome. Love to Patty.

Play Goes Green, Act One

Based upon an emerging internal interest in how Play can leverage “sustainability” (i.e. environmental stewardship, community give-back, corporate social responsibility, etc.), I have been quite the feisty advocate of authenticity around the office these days. With “green” as a passion, I want to challenge and encourage us to think about how we as a collective walk the walk before (ideally)/as (likely) we continue to work more and more with our clients on the topic.

After a heated discussion with me at the party last night, this morning, Andy announced that Play would no longer be buying bottled water. Looking for an immediate area of improvement, it’s a small step towards us being just a bit better. If you’re not sure why it matters, here’s two unique links to educate us on the matter:

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/117/features-message-in-a-bottle.html

An article that provides the “equal signs” for the energy that is used in producing and transporting startling numbers of bottled water. A lengthy article, but you can get the most crucial information in the first couple of pages. This is a good place to “get smart” on the topic quickly; it also has good business value case stories.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/waterwatch/?fs=plasma.nationalgeographic.com

This one is a little more fun/visual. Learn about the world water crisis that is happening already – think it doesn’t matter in the US? Check out the map. Also, think that bottled water is cleaner than tap water? Check out the FDA article on why it’s a “6 in one, half a dozen in the other” outcome: bottled water versus tap.

If we can look at this as the first step to 1. initiating some “sustainable” changes in-house and 2. stimulating good fodder to use in sustainability conversations with clients, then I’ll stop making such a fuss about the whole thing and we’ll be better for it overall. To be continued . . .Thanks team.

Sustainability - New and Different Thinking

If you're like most business leaders, you're seeing and hearing more and more about sustainability, carbon-responsibility, clean-tech, and, of course, "green" - and that this collection of issues will be one of the primary forces transforming business for the next 20+ years.

Perhaps you are business leader who has already and/or is currently taking tangible action in this arena. The ranks appear to be growing - in small and large companies alike across industries, including among others, WalMart, GE, Tyson, and BP. In addition, venture capital and private equity devoted to this "emerging" market, especially in "clean-tech", have increased dramatically.

And yet, the current reality seems to be that most business leaders are at the point of:

"I know this is upon us, I know it's big and only going to be bigger, I know I need to be taking action, but where do I start and how do I take action with my team in a meaningful, effective, profit- and growth-oriented way?" and

"I know we are doing a few things on this, but the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing - it's not deliberate, defined, purposeful - and I see that, at the least, being counterproductive - and more than likely, resulting in us being left behind."

Taking action in a meaningful way - a sustainable way, if you will - will require new and different thinking - pushed thinking - a new mindset. Notwithstanding the technical issues involved, perhaps most important to the long-term success will be answers to these questions: Do we have a coherent vision and strategy for how our organization will address this set of issues? How do I align my leadership and employees around this vision? How do we communicate a cohehsive and coherent set of messages internally? How do we align and develop the culture to support our vision? Are our external and internal actions and messages consistent? How do I ensure that the infrastructure is in place for the new ideas and different thinking required to address this new business reality?

How are you answering these questions? Are you prepared to tackle them? Are you ready for the new and different thinking that these questions require?