Sustainable Brands '10 is just around the corner, and in our own backyard! And now's the time to make the commitment to join brand leaders from the bay area like HP, Gap, Clorox, Yahoo, Williams Sonoma, PG&E, Intuit and more, along with brand leaders from across the country, and even overseas at the world's leading conference on sustainability as a driver of innovation and brand value. Why wait to join them? Won't you take a minute now to secure your seat?

From Target to Naked Pizza And Beyond -- Innovation Abounds at Sustainable Brands '10

Sustainable Brands '10 is an incomparable mash-up of forward looking big-name brands like Target, Nike, Coca-Cola, and IBM, as well as bonfire brands like Naked Pizza, Revolution Foods, PACT underwear, MODO eyewear, Joby Energy, and so many more -- all coming together to share ideas for creating the better brands of the future. Over 120 top faculty will be there to share ideas for creating sustainable brands that are poised to lead.

Just Added: New Sessions to Inspire, Engage & Equip You...

• The Healthy Food Revolution: Innovations in Response to the Growing Concern About Obesity
  -The Founders of Revolution Foods & Naked Pizza
• Culture Shift and Brands
  -Tom LaForge, Global Dir., Human and Cultural Insights, The Coca-Cola Company
• Valuing Corporate Sustainability Initiatives: New Methods & Models
  -Pam Cohen, Ph.D., Board Member, University of Chicago Sustainability Certification Program
• Sustainability 2020: Envisioning the Future of Sustainability
  -Eric Olson, SVP, Advisory Services, Business for Social Responsibility

and others!

Over the last 4 years, we've played host to 56% of the current Fortune 100 and hundreds of bonfire brands. Here are just a few of the brands who are already joining us this year for the fresh ideas, new energy, and distinctive stories they find only at the Sustainable Brands Conference:

3M, Avon, Applied Materials, Bumble Bee Foods, Coca-Cola, Clorox, Dell, Disney, Domtar, Gap, Hewlett Packard, Interface, Johnson & Johnson, Kashi, Kendall Jackson, Life Technologies, New Balance, Nestle, Nike, Nordstrom, Mattel, Microsoft, Mohawk, Molson-Coors, SAP, SC Johnson, Sierra Nevada, Target, Travelocity, Timberland, Unilever, TOTO, UPS, Wal-Mart...and so many more.

SBA Community Qualifies for 20% Discount! Contact Mark McLeod for details.

The brand leaders of the future will be sustainable brands. Building them takes new ideas, new tools, and new collaborators. SB'10 is the place for getting inspired and equipped to be a sustainable brand leader of tomorrow.

Questions? Give the folks at Sustainable Life Media a call at 415/626-2212. They're there to help. Then please join us in Monterey as we work together to build a bridge to better brands,

P.S. The Portola Hotel & Spa is the conference hotel where many of our attendees are staying. To reserve your room, contact the hotel directly today!

Bill Roth's new book The Secret Sauce: Best Practices is making the case for green business practices being increasingly profitable in the coming years. Bill was recently interviewed on Eco-Libris, and Los Angeles-based Business Book Reviewer Dr Letitia Wright gave the book high regards:

"He gives details on the economics of green and repeatedly goes over the concept of “costs less and means more”. I understand why, it’s because as a business owner, that may sound like some cute catch words. In the green world, they signify a lot and you cannot afford to ignore them."

Roth is the Green Coach for Entrepreneur Magazine and Triple Pundit.

 

Our friends at Green Cities are constructing a four-day workshop series in the San Francisco Bay Area featuring John Adams, Gil Friend, Odin Zackman, including a few others. Learn more about the "How to Integrate Sustainability Into Your Organization Development Practice" workshop.

The FINAL East Bay Green Drinks will happen this upcoming Wednesday, December 16th from 5:30PM to 8PM. We'll be in the backroom at Luka's this time - a little quieter for conversations and plenty of seating!

Join us in good community, good work and good spirits!

Luka's Tap Room
2221 Broadway, Oakland, CA
(3 blocks north of the 19th Street BART station)

East Bay Green Drinks is a lively monthly gathering of people interested in sustainability, including green business, architecture, design, building, organics, clean energy and more.

Support the local East Bay economy by getting your friends and loved ones a copy of EcoMetro Guide for the holidays - packed with coupons and special offers from local businesses. The 2010 edition is the largest one yet! Pick up copies at a participating retailers or online.

B Corporation is encouraging people to support businesses that meet high social and environmental standards this holiday season. They have put together 20 special discount offers from certified B Corp businesses. Visit their Season of Giving site.

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS ALLIANCE

presents

Researching & Selecting Green Products

Potentially hazardous chemicals are ubiquitous in the products we use daily, from your couch to your toilet bowl cleaner. Calls for chemicals policy reform and more sustainable products increase as the high cost to our health and the environment becomes clear. In this Sustainable Business Alliance speaker event Environmental & Public Health consultant Ann Blake will share insights on researching and selecting environmentally friendly products. Come find out about green product vetting tools such as GoodGuide.com, and other efforts to move us to a more sustainable economy.

Ann Blake, Ph.D., Environmental & Public Health Consulting

Date: Tuesday, December 8th
Time: 5:30-7:30 pm
Location: Tilden Room, Martin Luther King Student Union, UC Berkeley

Register Here

$15 Members (Join Now!)
$20 Non Members

Economist and green business coach, Bill Roth, has come out with a new book that outlines best practices for greening a business, and gives several real world examples of businesses going green and succeeding. The Secret Green Sauce is primer for anyone thinking about implementing green practices to a new or existing business. Several examples mentioned in Roth's book are from local Bay Area businesses, such as Amanda's Feel Good Fresh Food, Give Something Back, and First Solar.

The Secret Green Sauce can be purchased here, and the first chapter can be downloaded for free. More information about Bill Roth and his new book can be found at Earth2017.com.

The following is a list of green events and green business events in the San Francisco Bay Area during November through December 2009:

November 12th
Ella Baker Center Year-End Celebration & Fundraiser
Scottish Rite Center from 6 pm to 8 pm
More Info


November 13th-15th
Green Festival
SF Concourse Exhibition Center
More Info


November 18th
Bay Localize: Convergence for Climate Action
Oakland from 6 pm to 8 pm
More Info


November 18th
East Bay Green Drinks
Oakland from 5:30 pm to 8 pm
More Info


November 19th
Cutting Edge Capital Raising for Small Business
David Brower Center 6pm-8pm
More Info


November 19th
Berkeley Sustainability Summit IV & Green Gathering VI
David Brower Center 4pm-8pm
More Info


November 19th
Sustainable Industries Economic Forum
St. Regis in San Francisco from 8 am to 11:40 am
More Info


December 1st
Green Investing Workshop
Berkeley Central Library from 6 pm to 7:30 pm
More Info


December 2nd-3rd
Corporate Water Footprinting
San Francisco
More Info

December 4th
SBA Networking Lunch in Oakland
Swans Cohousing in Oakland from noon to 1:30 pm
More Info

December 8th
SBA Speaker: Ann Blake - Researching & Selecting Green Products
Tilden Room UC Berkeley from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
More Info


December 10th and 11th
Oakland Unwrapped Holiday Shopping Bazaar
Jack London Square in the evening
More Info


December 17th
Bay Localize's 4th Annual Holiday Party
436 14th Street, 2nd Floor Conf. Room, Oakland from 6 pm to 11 pm


December 17th
Climate Change, Agro-biodiversity and Food Security: The Value of Traditional Seeds in an Unstable World
Ecology Center, Berkeley from 7pm to 9pm
More Info

The following is a list of green events and green business events in the San Francisco Bay Area during October through December 2009:

October 30th
Engaging Local Communities in Learning Conversations for Sustainability
San Francisco from 10am to 3pm
More Info


October 30th
USBGC Green Building Super Heroes Awards Gala
California Academy of Sciences in SF from 7 pm to 10:30 pm
More Info


November 3rd
Bob Schildgen Tackles Your Toughest Green Living Questions
Oakland from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
More Info


November 5th
Green Chamber Annual Celebration
Oakland from 5:30 pm to 8 pm
More Info


November 6th
SBA Networking Lunch in Berkeley
Berkeley from noon to 1:30 pm
More Info


November 11th-12th
Green America's Green Business Conference
Hotel Whitcomb in SF
More Info


November 12th
Ella Baker Center Year-End Celebration & Fundraiser
Scottish Rite Center from 6 pm to 8 pm
More Info


November 13th-15th
Green Festival
SF Concourse Exhibition Center
More Info


November 18th
East Bay Green Drinks
Oakland from 5:30 pm to 8 pm
More Info


November 19th
Berkeley Sustainability Summit IV & Green Gathering VI
David Brower Center 4pm-8pm
More Info


November 19th
Sustainable Industries Economic Forum
St. Regis in San Francisco from 8 am to 11:40 am
More Info


December 2nd
Solar Richmond Celebrates 5MW
Richmond from 7 pm to 9pm
More Info


December 2nd-3rd
Corporate Water Footprinting
San Francisco
More Info

December 4th
SBA Networking Lunch in Oakland
Oakland from noon to 1:30 pm
More info to come

December 8th
Ann Blake: Researching & Selecting Green Products
Location TBD

The following is a list of green events and green business events in the San Francisco Bay Area:

October 15th
Webinar on Stakeholder Engagement
Online from 9am to 10am
More Info


October 15th
You've Tackled the Low-Hanging Fruit: Now What?
Online webinar from 10 am to 11 am
More Info


October 16th
StopWaste 2009 Business Efficiency Awards Celebration
Midtown Event Ctr in Oakland from 8am to 10am
More Info


October 16-18
Bioneers Conference
Marin Center, San Rafael
More Info


October 17th
Garden on the Roof with Soul of the City
E.C. Reems Academy in Oakland from 10am to 2pm
More Info


October 17th
David Korten: Spiritual Awakening, a New Economy, and the End of Empire
Fellowship Hall, Berkeley from 7pm to 9pm
More Info


October 17th
East Bay Evolution's Foodie Bike Tour
Emeryville and Berkeley from 11 am to 4:30 pm
More Info


October 17th
Resilience for All/Anti-Oppression Workshop
Humanist Hall in Oakland from 10 am to 4 pm
More info


October 19th
Social Media for Sustainability Conference
Mission Bay Conference Ctr
More Info


October 21st
East Bay Green Drinks
Oakland from 5:30 pm to 8 pm
More Info


October 21st
Green Chamber Business Mixer
Burnham Brown in Oakland from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
More Info


October 24th
International Day of Climate Action
Everywhere all day
More Info


October 24th
OBUGS Fall Health and Harvest Festival
West Oakland
More Info


October 30th
Engaging Local Communities in Learning Conversations for Sustainability
San Francisco from 10am to 3pm
More Info


October 30th
USBGC Green Building Super Heroes Awards Gala
California Academy of Sciences in SF from 7 pm to 10:30 pm
More Info


November 3rd
Bob Schildgen Tackles Your Toughest Green Living Questions
Oakland from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
More Info


November 5th
Green Chamber Annual Celebration
Oakland from 5:30 pm to 8 pm
More Info


November 6th
SBA Networking Lunch in Berkeley
Oakland from noon to 1:30 pm
More Info


November 11th-12th
Green America's Green Business Conference
Hotel Whitcomb in SF
More Info


November 12th
Ella Baker Center Year-End Celebration & Fundraiser
Scottish Rite Center from 6 pm to 8 pm
More Info


November 13th-15th
Green Festival
SF Concourse Exhibition Center
More Info


November 18th
East Bay Green Drinks
Oakland from 5:30 pm to 8 pm
More Info


November 19th
Berkeley Sustainability Summit IV & Green Gathering VI
David Brower Center 4pm-8pm
More Info


November 19th
Sustainable Industries Economic Forum
St. Regis in San Francisco from 8 am to 11:40 am
More Info


December 2nd
Solar Richmond Celebrates 5MW
Richmond from 7 pm to 9pm
More Info


December 2nd-3rd
Corporate Water Footprinting
San Francisco
More Info

Green Cleaning for a Better Planet

by Terry Mandel

Since my North Berkeley Hills Homestay is an eco-friendly inn, and I have chemically-sensitive guests who feel fine here, I frankly thought I didn't have much to learn about green cleaning at the August SBA program I produced on “Choosing & Using Green Cleaners at Home & Work.” The evening turned out to be wonderfully informative even for those who thought they knew it all!

Leila Khatapoush, a sustainability consultant with Alameda and San Francisco counties and the city of Berkeley, shared not only her vast expertise, but that of two respected colleagues, Robin Burns and Deb Goldberg. A solo proprietor, Robin does business as Elbow Grease Cleaning. Deb is general manager of Natural Home Cleaning, a worker cooperative of Bay Area Latina housekeepers who are building successful green businesses.

We learned a lot from this powerhouse panel, including some things that might surprise you:

• Green cleaning involves more than just using non-toxic products; the processes we use can be more or less sustainable, as well!

• 95-97% of germs are removed by cleaning (with a microfiber cloth, for example); no hot water & soap are even needed!

• Anti-bacterial soaps & cleaners contain triclosan, an endocrine disrupter, which is bad for humans as well as other living systems.

• Disinfectants, which make sense only in high-use, high-traffic, areas, are effective only if left on a surface for 10-30 minutes!

• Most waterless hand cleaners do not clean thoroughly and dump alcohol into your body; try Clean Well All-Natural Sanitizer (with ingenium) instead.

• Microfiber cloths are great for all cleaning. Launder separately from other items and don't put in the dryer to maximum their useful life. The cheap ones at Costco are just as good as the pricey ones at Pastime Hardware. Different textures seem to work best for different jobs.

• Recommended products/companies include: Bon-Ami, Seventh Generation Dishwashing Liquid, Bio-Kleen All-Purpose Cleaner, Vaska (local), Dish Drops Scrub Buds, Melaleuca, Ecover

• Specialty products include: Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds (degreaser), hydrogen peroxide (whitening & laundry disinfectant), Oxo-Brite (porcelain whitener), tea tree oil & baking soda (multiple uses)

If you're seeking green cleaning professionals for your home or office, contact Robin or Deb. Robin also offers one-time consultations for those who'd like to learn how to clean their own places more sustainably. Leila welcomes referrals for speaking and consulting engagements for municipalities, large employers, and professional associations.

For more information, contact:

Robin Burns, Elbow Grease Cleaning, 510.409.8885, antidust1@cs.com

Deb Goldberg, Natural Home Cleaning, 510.532.6645, manager@naturalhomecleaning.com

Leila Khatapoush, Breathing Room Organizing, 510.520.1103, leila.khatapoush@gmail.com

Terry Mandel, North Berkeley Hills Homestay, 510.910.0086, innkeeper@hillshomestay.com

 

SBA member Timothy Yee of Green Retirement Plans attended the recent Social Capital Markets Conference and has sent in this special report:

Beyond Lip-FlappingThe Social Capital Markets Conference was held September 1 - 3, 2009 at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. In its second year, the conference brings together leaders from across the sustainability spectrum to discuss how capital can be deployed for social good. What is the intersection of money and meaning? I titled my talk "Beyond Lip-flapping" based on a comment Gil Friend made at an earlier conference in August. To paraphrase, he stated that if real change and results do not come out of a meeting, then whole lot of lip flapping occurred. To that end, I went into the conference with Gil Friend perched on my shoulder.

It is not possible to cover a conference of this breadth and depth in the time we have here so I will focus on three ideas instead.

The first one I call "This is one huge mountain". It was clear from the get go that the number of social, environmental, and corporate issues that need to be addressed was huge. Even larger was the number of solutions to those issues. For example, a real environmental issue is what to do with trash that is not recycled and will not decompose. Vinyl strips from billboards are one such type of trash. The solution, as proposed by Ann Wizer of XS Project is creating these conference bags out of the vinyl strips. In doing so, she gives meaningful work to the trash pickers of Indonesia. The next issue she faces is how to make this endeavor a viable and scalable business. What was clear from the conference is that regardless of the challenge, there are many committed people who want to help. Conference attendance was up 30% from last year and participants came from 32 countries. It was also clear that what is needed to solve many of these issues is private money. Government can enact legislation but that can take a while. In addition, the White House's Office of Social Innovation only has a budget of $50MM and a staff of 4. That is hardly enough to address the ills of American society let alone those of the world. Real issues demand real results. To do otherwise is simply lip-flapping.

The second idea is called "Pay Attention and here's why!" Simply put, in order to bring private money to bear on these issues, we need to engage the mainstream at a level they understand. We need to give them a reason to care. While the conference attendees understood and were moved by one woman's use of her business to fight human trafficking, I can guarantee there are many individuals who will simply ask if she is making a profit. To that end, we need to be able to show real returns that incorporate the social and environmental good these businesses do. This brings up the concept of metrics. We need to be able to quantifiably measure the good companies do and reward those that are doing well. This is easier said than done because in the two-hour discussion we had on metrics, there was no common agreement on what metrics to use. The B Corporation certification was one standard discussed. The move from IRIS Impact Reporting and Investing Standards to the GIIRS or Global Impact Investing Ratings System was debated. In trying to scale the mountain, we each have our own concerns, causes, and issues and each feel that those should be ranked at the top. What is essential in the metrics discussion is to define a common goal and work towards that. I wish I could say this will be easy but it won't. It is however necessary to get mainstream Wall Street to pay attention to these issues. The book, Firms of Endearment, speaks to this and provides quantifiable studies to show that doing good is profitable.

The third idea came in the form of an open challenge to eat, live and breathe sustainability in all we do. Jeff Cheung from One California Bank gave an excellent talk on the need for community banking and the good it is doing - in a profitable way - for local communities. In a friendly but serious way, he pointed out the dichotomy of being sustainable while banking with a non-community bank. Again, this is not an easy issue. As consumers, there are a myriad of reasons why we spend our money where we do. And his point was not to call someone a hypocrite or shame a person into changing. He was simply asking all attendees to think about how they do business. To his point, this community will be strengthened the more we support each other.

As I left the conference site late on the final night, one attendee remarked, "What's next?". I was about to respond that the next steps are an on-going dialogue but then I thought to myself, "Isn't that lip-flapping"? But then I realized, that this movement is trying to right decades of wrongs. This cannot happen overnight. It is ironic that the vision one of the speakers described of a business with a social contract with its employees and a government with a social contract with its citizens, was very much how America used to operate. To get back to that level of caring will take some time

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS ALLIANCE

presents

Choosing & Using Green Cleaners at Home & Work

Household cleaners cause more than twice the problems posed by pesticides! In 2007, household cleaning products were among the top three most frequent causes of toxic exposure reported to one of the Poison Control Centers in the United States. More than 50% of these exposures were to children five years or younger. About 6% of professional janitors are injured each year by the chemicals they use at their jobs.

Many common products used at home and work contain neurotoxins, solvents, and nasal/ocular irritants that can be carcinogenic, lead to liver, lung, and nerve damage, cause reproductive, endocrine, and immune system disorders, and bring about or exacerbate breathing problems, low blood pressure, low levels of hemoglobin, acidic blood, and blood in the urine. People, plants, and animals can be poisoned at the source through ingestion, inhalation, and absorption … not to mention downstream.

According to green company Seventh Generation, the domestic market for natural household cleaning products has grown to $100 million annually. Although that represents only one percent of the total household cleaners market, it's been growing by 18-25 percent each year for the last five years! Join us for a presentation and interactive discussion about how to clean your office and home using environmentally-preferable products and practices. Please bring any products from home as well as any questions you may have.

Speaker Leila Khatapoush is a Bay Area Green Certified sustainability consultant and professional organizer. She currently works with local government agencies to help them reach their environmental goals. Recently, she has assisted the City of San Francisco with their toxics reduction goals by conducting trainings for City custodial staff in the proper use of environmentally-preferable cleaning products. Additionally, she works with the City of Berkeley as a commercial food waste and recycling specialist and with the Alameda County Green Business Certification Program assisting businesses with their greening efforts and verifying practices for Green Business Certification.

Date: Tuesday, August 11
Time: 5:30-7:30 pm
Location: East Bay Cohousing Clubhouse 2105 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley

Register Here

Attend this event for free by signing up for SBA membership in August! Details here.

Co-sponsored by Alameda County Green Business Program, Daily Californian, Downtown Berkeley Association, East Bay Express, Planning for Sustainable Communities

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS ALLIANCE

presents

Choosing & Using Green Cleaners at Home & Work

Household cleaners cause more than twice the problems posed by pesticides! In 2007, household cleaning products were among the top three most frequent causes of toxic exposure reported to one of the Poison Control Centers in the United States. More than 50% of these exposures were to children five years or younger. About 6% of professional janitors are injured each year by the chemicals they use at their jobs.

Many common products used at home and work contain neurotoxins, solvents, and nasal/ocular irritants that can be carcinogenic, lead to liver, lung, and nerve damage, cause reproductive, endocrine, and immune system disorders, and bring about or exacerbate breathing problems, low blood pressure, low levels of hemoglobin, acidic blood, and blood in the urine. People, plants, and animals can be poisoned at the source through ingestion, inhalation, and absorption … not to mention downstream.

According to green company Seventh Generation, the domestic market for natural household cleaning products has grown to $100 million annually. Although that represents only one percent of the total household cleaners market, it's been growing by 18-25 percent each year for the last five years! Join us for a presentation and interactive discussion about how to clean your office and home using environmentally-preferable products and practices. Please bring any products from home as well as any questions you may have.

Speaker Leila Khatapoush is a Bay Area Green Certified sustainability consultant and professional organizer. She currently works with local government agencies to help them reach their environmental goals. Recently, she has assisted the City of San Francisco with their toxics reduction goals by conducting trainings for City custodial staff in the proper use of environmentally-preferable cleaning products. Additionally, she works with the City of Berkeley as a commercial food waste and recycling specialist and with the Alameda County Green Business Certification Program assisting businesses with their greening efforts and verifying practices for Green Business Certification.

Date:                         Tuesday, August 11
Time:                         5:30-7:30 pm
Location:                   East Bay Cohousing Clubhouse 2105 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley

Register Here

Attend this event for free by signing up for SBA membership in August! Details here.

Co-sponsored by Alameda County Green Business Program, Daily Californian, Downtown Berkeley Association, East Bay Express, Planning for Sustainable Communities

Sharon Close has assembled this list of green online social networks:

Greenopolis
Greenopolis is an environmentally-focused social networking site (and forum) created to engage users on green issues.  Waste Management sponsored the creation of the site to encourage individuals, communities, non-profits and businesses to communicate about green practices, to give users a tool to share ideas.  With more than 20 million residential and commercial customers and 10,000 school partnerships nationwide, Greenopolis is a natural extension of Waste Management's efforts to bring together people, companies and organizations to help benefit the environment.

Wiser Earth
Provides a collection of online information, resources, profiles, groups and discussion forums aimed at the sustainability community. Non-commercial. Operated by Natural Capital Institute

Just Means
A social media platform that rallies both companies and individuals around social responsibility.

How You Eco
Brings more green into your home, work and play. The leading multi-channel platform with green directory, social network, media outlet and marketplace where like-minded people and businesses interact.

Idea List
Idea list is a project of Action Without Borders, a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 with offices in the United States and Argentina. Idealist is an interactive site where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas, locate opportunities and supporters, and take steps toward building a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives.

Greenwala
A social media platform for connecting with people who want to change the world. Many articles on going green and green products are posted daily.

July 22nd
Green Business Mixer in Richmond

July 26th
SBA Summer Picnic at Tilden Park, North Berkeley

July 27th
Money, Mobs, and Media: Mobilizing Action for Change

August 5th
Green Innovation for Business Silicon Valley Unconference

August 7th
SBA Networking Lunch in Oakland

August 7th
Best of the East Bay Party in Oakland

August 11th
Green Business Mixer in Fairfax

August 13th
Workshop: Promote Your Business Through Social Networks in Berkeley

August 15th & 16th
Art & Soul Festival in Oakland

August 15th & 16th
California Co-Op Conference in San Francisco

August 19th
East Bay Green Drinks in Oakland

August 19th
Green Software Unconference in Mountain View
(SBA members get 10% off!)

August 27th
Nonprofit Day 2009 Conference in San Francisco

August 29th & 30th
East Bay Evolution Bike Tours in Oakland

September 22nd
Green Book Fair and Business Recognition Event in Berkeley

Heros From A Small Planet Film Festival
June 30th 2009

This year's festival will feature the latest films from FRONTLINE/World's Social Entrepreneur Series. Learn about one man's mission to improve wheelchairs in the developing world and how young Egyptians are combating mass unemployment by building their own companies. Also, the story of a pioneering surgeon who's changing women's lives in Sierra Leone; and an encore screening of the Kiva story.

Meet FRONTLINE/World reporters and social entrepreneurs featured in the films.

Special guests include:
Matt Flannery - Co-founder and CEO, Kiva
Sandy Herz - Senior Advancement Officer, Skoll
Ralf Hotchkiss - Co-founder and Chief Engineer, Whirlwind Wheelchairs
Marc Krizack - Director of Operations, Whirlwind Wheelchairs
Sharon Tiller - Series Executive Director, FRONTLINE/World
Ahmed Youssry - Youth entrepreneur, INJAZ

And filmmakers Charlotte Buchen, Jenny Chu, Marjorie McAffee and Amanda Pike

Parking information: San Francisco General Hospital Parking Garage, 2500 24th St. (415-206-8770). Unmetered street parking after 6pm.

This is a free and public event. If you have not already, R.S.V.P. by June 24 to confirm entrance: rsvp@flworld.org

June 30th, 2009, 6:00 p.m.
Brava Theater, 2781 24th Street
San Francisco
6:00 p.m. -- Reception
7:00 p.m. -- Film screening followed by Q&A
8:30 p.m. -- Coffee and desserts

Upcoming SBA & GCC Events: Tuesday, May 12th Straw Bale House Tour The Sustainable Business Alliance and Build It Green, in partnership with Realty Advocates, is happy to co-sponsor a private tour and reception of the only straw bale home in Oakland. The walls are made of California rice straw bales, two feet thick, providing tremendous insulation and a restful ambiance. There are unique window seats and niches in nearly every room, and energy and water-saving features throughout. Tour from 5pm to 8pm. Experts on straw bale construction, Green building, and eco-wise remodeling will make short presentations: Daniel Smith, DSA Architects Brett Weinstein, Realty Advocates Straw Bale House Tour 99 Roble Road, in Oakland's Upper Rockridge District Space is limited, reservation required. RSVP to rsvp@realtyadvocates.com Wednesday, May 13th Created in Oakland Program Celebration "Created In Oakland" is an innovative program to retain and grow businesses in Oakland. Learn more about Created in Oakland and meet business owners who have recently completed the nine-month program. This will also be a great business networking opportunity. Oakland Museum, Lecture Hall 1000 Oak Street, Oakland, CA 94607 3pm - 5pm RSVP to rsvp@signatureeventdesign.com or call 415-480-8808 Wednesday, May 20th East Bay Green Drinks A lively monthly gathering for anyone interested in sustainability, including green business, environmental and social causes, architecture and design, organics, renewable energy and more. East Bay Green Drinks began in 2000, and is one of the original groups in the US. We keep growing, and have many great people in attendance every month. Join us in good spirits and community - all are welcome. Luka's Tap 2221 Broadway, Oakland, near 19th St. BART 5:30pm-8pm More Info Tuesday, June 2nd Green Credentials & Certifications - Which one is right for you? GRI, FSC, CERES, CCAR, LEED....what do they all mean? In the last two years, demand for environmental certifications has exploded, now everyone wants to be green! Even the recent economic slowdown has not stemmed this tide.  Businesses still want to reduce their carbon footprint and otherwise demonstrate their commitment to a sustainable planet. As a business owner, how do you know which 'green credential' is right for you? And, how do you know which vendors are offering truly 'green' services and products? Susan Sakaki of EnviroSystems Group and Sustainable Earth Initiative will guide us through the 'green haze' of acronyms, explaining the key features of each and what benefit each one offers your business! Agenda: 5:30-6:30 networking & food 6:30-7:30 presentation and Q&A Community Bank of The Bay 1750 Broadway, Oakland near 19th St. BART Register Here Pre-registration ends June 1st at 6PM $15 pre-registered SBA & GCC Members $20 pre-registered non members Co-Sponsors: Alameda County Green Business Program, The East Bay Express, The Green Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Berkeley Association More Green Business Events: May 14th Bike to Work Day More info May 14-15th Sustainability Manager Training Silicon Valley - All Day, Both Days More info May 15th Oakland Indie Awards Crucible, West Oakland - 5:30pm-8:30pm More info May 19th Alternative Energy Investing Workshop East Bay Cohousing Clubhouse, Berkeley - 6pm-7:30pm RSVP: justin@effectiveassets.net

The East Bay Green Tours takes you through 'The Green Corridor', the epicenter of business sustainability. Catch an insider's look at how green businesses operate and succeed. The tour is educational and inspiring. Tours can also be crafted for your particular organization or school.

Check out this new promotional video that gives you a taste of what the tours are like!

From our friends at Main Street (National Trust for Historic Preservation):

From eco-Andersonville in Chicago to "H Street Grows Green" in Washington, D.C., more and more Main Street districts are finding value in sustainability. Find out how going green can benefit your commercial district economically, socially, and environmentally.

Read Full Story

The East Bay Green Corridor got the attention of the SF Chronicle:

East Bay tries to take lead in green economy
Charles Burress, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 8, 2009

More than a year ago, four East Bay mayors joined the heads of UC Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laborat...

(continues ...)

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS ALLIANCE

presents

Operating LEAN & GREEN in a MEAN Economy!

A speaker panel moderated by Joel Makower of Greener World Media, joined by local Green Business Leaders:

James Duffy, Alonzo Printing Company
Ina Pockrass, Transcendentist, Inc.
Heidi Crouch, Mechanics Bank
Mike Hannigan, Give Something Back

How are green businesses doing in this economy? The economic downturn challenges us to work smarter and more efficiently.

Our panelists are using effective strategies not only to stay in business, but to develop a marketing edge and emerge stronger as the economy improves!

Panelists will share ideas and resources to help you operate leaner and greener!
AND
Green Business Program recognizes newly certified businesses in Alameda County!

THURSDAY, APRIL 30TH, 2009
5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

Bort Metro Building Auditorium
101 8th Street, 1st Floor, Oakland
at Oak Street, near the Lake Merritt BART Station

$15 pre-registered SBA & Green Chamber Members
$20 non members
$22 at the door

SPACE IS LIMITED!
Pre-registration ends April 29th at 6PM
Register here

Co-Sponsors: Alameda County Green Business Program,
The East Bay Express, The Green Chamber of Commerce, Stop Waste, Oakland Recycles, Association of Bay Area Governments

Oakland's annual earth EXPO is a popular and festive lunchtime environmental fair that has come to be the region's lead-off event for Earth Day.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Lunchtime (10 am - 2 pm)
Frank H Ogawa Plaza
(14th & Broadway, in front of Oakland City Hall)

Celebrating Sustainable Urban Environment

Join us at the Oakland EarthEXPO. Commit to make 2009 green(er)!

Hope • Commitment • Action • Change

Make a commitment to take one new green action and receive a pledge pin, reusable bag, special edition poster, or other items!

One Day:  Green Exhibitors in Downtown Oakland

Opportunities to connect with dynamic local • green businesses • environmental and social change organizations • artists • government agencies • community groups

How to Tips: • reduce waste or compost • green your workplace • drive less • build or remodel green • reduce energy use • become a smarter consumer • bring your own bag • restore our creeks • practice bay-friendly gardening • hold a ZeroWaste event • reduce your carbon footprint • much more!

We can help you recycle too:

Exchange your mercury thermometer for a digital thermometer. Bring it in a zipper bag to prevent spills. Pharmaceutical collection. Also recycle your used household batteries, old cell phones and cell phone batteries at the EXPO.

Calling all green entrepreneurs! The first Green Business Camp will happen later this month in South San Francisco. This will be an 'unconfrence', where the normal conference setting is turned upside down and the attendees shape the event.

Green Business Camp is a one-day event in the San Francisco Bay Area that brings together small green business owners and entrepreneurs, who are passionate about creating positive environmental and social impact through their businesses and who are committed to successful business growth.

With Green Business Camp's innovative “unconference” program, you will get:

• Access to a roomful of green entrepreneurs and their strategies, ideas and resources to take your business to the next level
• New relationships and collaborations during powerful small group discussions
• Insights and wisdom from dozens of other green business leaders into your biggest business challenges

To register and for more information, click here.

Upcoming SBA & GCC Events:

April 3rd
Monthly Networking Lunch

Join us at India Palace Restaurant in Berkeley for business networking and delicious food at SBA's monthly networking lunch. A delectable lunch buffet from a local caterer will be provided.

Cost:
$12 pre-registered SBA & GCC Members
$15 non members
$18 at door
Register Here

April 7th
Tools for Great Sustainability Managers
Presentation by Justine Burt - GreenWalaTraining.com

If you work on sustainability projects for your organization, you know how challenging the work is. You try to implement projects to reduce your organization's environmental impact but you frequently run into internal resistance. The key to success is to identify the specific technical, financial, and psychological barriers in you way, and use proven tools to overcome them. Justine Burt will share highlights of the tools she has gathered over 18 years of environmental change agent work. This is a preview of the two-day Sustainability Manager Training Ms. Burt will lead in Silicon Valley on May 14 and May 15. To learn more, visit greenwalatraining.com

Planning for Sustainable Communities
2105 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Berkeley
5:30pm-7pm

Register Here
Pre-registration ends April 6th at 6PM

$15 pre-registered SBA & GCC Members
$20 pre-registered non members

Co-Sponsors: Alameda County Green Business Program, East Bay Green Tours, The East Bay Express, Natural Logic, The Green Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Berkeley Association

April 8th
Green Business Mixer - Network with local green businesses

Ecohome Improvement
2619 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley
6pm-8pm

Cost:
$10 pre-registered SBA & GCC Members
$15 non members
$5 more at door
Register Here

April 30th
Operating Lean & Green in a Mean Economy!
Speak Panel moderated by Joel Makower, GreenBiz.com

How are green businesses doing in this economy? The economic downturn challenges us to work smarter and more efficiently. Our panelists are using effective strategies not only to stay in business, but to develop a marketing edge and emerge stronger as the economy improves! Panelists will share ideas and resources to help you operate leaner and greener!

Bort Metro Building Auditorium
101 8th Street, 1st Floor, Oakland
5:30pm-7:30pm

Register Here
Pre-registration ends April 29th at 6PM

$15 pre-registered SBA & GCC Members
$20 pre-registered non members

Co-Sponsors: Alameda County Green Business Program, The East Bay Express, The Green Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Berkeley Association

More Green Business Events:

March 25th
East Bay Green Tours
Berkeley Tour
More info

March 25th
Green For All National Conference Call
12pm PST
More info

April 4th
Feminine Eco-Leadership: Women in Sustainability
UCB Extension - San Francisco
More info

April 8th
Green Energy Economy Forum Webcast
9am PST
More info

May 8th
Sustainable Enterprise Conference
Rohnert Park - All Day
More info

May 15th
Oakland Indie Awards
5:30pm-8:30pm
More info

Pre-registration closes at 3PM.

Let's talk about how to thrive as a green business in our current economy. Send us a challenge your business is facing. We'll pick a few of them to discuss in a collective brainstorming session. Eric Corey Freed from OrganicARCHITECT will present and join our discussions.

Share your knowledge, learn from each other, and have fun at the  eco-conscious Temple.

Where: Temple, 3rd Floor, 540 Howard St, San Francisco
When: 5:30-7:30PM
Cost: $15 members, $20 non-members
Limited space available.
Pre-register here

Join us this Tuesday for a presentation by Bill Roth:

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS ALLIANCE

presents

THE GREEN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION

Learn How This Mega-Trend Can Transform Your Life & Work

Bill Roth is the Green Business Coach for Entrepreneur.com with a regular column. He is also President of NCCT, an East Bay firm that has participated in the development of the first hydrogen fueled Prius and in-grid, non-thermal solar peak power plants. As a professional economist Bill published in 2008 his critically acclaimed book, On Empty (out of time) that provides compelling documentation and layman language economic explanations on what Bill has labeled the Green Economic Revolution.

Bill will outline at our February 10 meeting his statistical analysis and business case studies that document how Sustainability has now merged with Globalization and the Information Age to create a transformational mega-trend that will impact how we live, redefine our core business systems and provide the basis for renewed economic growth. And most encouragingly, Bill holds an optimistic perspective that the American consumer will be the enabling force that drives the adoption of solutions to unsustainable energy pricing, Energy Independence and Global Warming. Don't miss his insights on how we in the Bay Area have a unique opportunity to capitalize upon what Bill estimates will be a $4 billion U.S. annual revenue market by 2020.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH, 2009
5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

Tilden Room, MLK Student Union
University of California, Berkeley
(near downtown Berkeley BART)

Register here

Co-Sponsors: Alameda County Green Business Program, The Daily Californian,
The East Bay Express, The ASUC Auxiliary, Downtown Berkeley Association

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS ALLIANCE

presents

THE GREEN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION

Learn How This Mega-Trend Can Transform Your Life & Work

Bill Roth is the Green Business Coach for Entrepreneur.com with a regular column. He is also President of NCCT, an East Bay firm that has participated in the development of the first hydrogen fueled Prius and in-grid, non-thermal solar peak power plants. As a professional economist Bill published in 2008 his critically acclaimed book, On Empty (out of time) that provides compelling documentation and layman language economic explanations on what Bill has labeled the Green Economic Revolution.

Bill will outline at our February 10 meeting his statistical analysis and business case studies that document how Sustainability has now merged with Globalization and the Information Age to create a transformational mega-trend that will impact how we live, redefine our core business systems and provide the basis for renewed economic growth. And most encouragingly, Bill holds an optimistic perspective that the American consumer will be the enabling force that drives the adoption of solutions to unsustainable energy pricing, Energy Independence and Global Warming. Don't miss his insights on how we in the Bay Area have a unique opportunity to capitalize upon what Bill estimates will be a $4 billion U.S. annual revenue market by 2020.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH, 2009
5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

Tilden Room, MLK Student Union
University of California, Berkeley
(near downtown Berkeley BART)

Register here

Co-Sponsors: Alameda County Green Business Program, The Daily Californian,
The East Bay Express, The ASUC Auxiliary, Downtown Berkeley Association

From our friends at iGreenBuild.com:

Submit your video, article, case study or LEED project profile to iGreenBuild.com in minutes!

Do you want to spread the word about your LEED certified project, green building product or upcoming event? Are you an expert on a particular green building or sustainable design topic? Submit your content using our automated form and our Senior Editor will review it for publishing on www.iGreenBuild.com, in an upcoming issue of our eNewsletter or on our popular blog. Just click here and follow the simple form instructions.

NPR's Spencer Michaels examines the Green Revolution here in the San Francisco Bay Area and how venture capitalists are funding green tech startups (mostly business related to energy) in what they call the next economic boom. Watch the video here.

A new carmaker has a plan for cheap, environmentally friendly cars to be built all over the country.

An air-powered car? It may be available sooner than you think at a price tag that will hardly be a budget buster. The vehicle may not run like a speed racer on back road highways, but developer Zero Pollution Motors is betting consumers will be willing to fork over $20,000 for a vehicle that can motor around all day on nothing but air and a splash of salad oil, alcohol or possibly a pint of gasoline.

The expertise needed to build a compressed air car, or CAV, is not rocket science, either. Years-old, off-the-shelf technology uses compressed air to drive old-fashioned car engine pistons instead of combusting gas or diesel fuel to create a burst of air to do the same thing. Indian carmaker Tata has no qualms about the technology. It has already bought the rights to make the car for the huge Indian market.

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Want to lean about sustainable business practices? Marissa LaMagna of Rasa Travels has put together a new venture called East Bay Green Tours. Visiting a variety of businesses in Berkeley California, participants meet the leaders of sustainability and get an insiders look at how green businesses operate.

In a recent blog post, Marissa reflects on the significance of The East Bay:

The East Bay - in particular Berkeley - has been a hub for the environmental and progressive movements for decades. The seeds of the environmental movement planted in the 1960s have sprouted and are growing into a beautiful forest - the arc of "conscious capitalism" can be traced immediately to the businesses and organizations featured on the Green Tours.

Next tours are November 11th and 17th. To find our more information, visit the East Bay Green Tours blog.