Co-op America Business Network: the Original Socially Responsible Business Network
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Connections Newsletter - Newsletter of the Co-op America Business Network and the Social Investment Forum

Business Network News

May 11, 2006

New Responsible Shopper Launched on Earth Day

Visit Co-op America’s new ResponsibleShopper.org, our smart-shopping Web site for the more mainstream conscious consumer. The site features a new section, Go Green, which profiles the greenest options from our CABN members and directs people to consumer campaigns against problem companies.

Visit ResponsibleShopper.org »

 

Green Business Conference — Register Early

Mark your calendar for the third annual Co-op America Green Business Conference, Nov 7-10 in San Francisco, before the Green Festival.

Anthony Sandberg, founder and CEO of OCSC Sailing School tells Co-op America he credits the Green Business Conference as a key inspiration in his work to green his company. In addition to reclaiming a landfill to build his school on, Sandberg has adopted a local third-grade class in a low-income community for sailing lessons, and established a “Green Team” on staff to ensure that all company practices are as green as possible.

This year, eatured speakers will include: Sharif Abdullah, Ben Cohen, Paul Ray, Chip Conley, Jill Bamburg, David Korten, Gerald Prolman and Betsy Rosenburg.
We sold out last year, so be sure to register early.

Visit www.coopamerica.biz or call Tish at 202-872-5340. »

 

Renew Your Membership, Receive Growing Green Businesses Book

If you have not yet renewed your membership, please do and receive the new book Getting to Scale: Growing Your Business without Selling Out*.

Your membership keeps you in touch with the marketplace of progressive green business leaders and gives you access to our many member; benefits:

  • Socially Responsible 401(k) Plan
  • Credit Card Processing Services
  • Discount Shipping Services
  • Carbon Offset Program
  • Networking opportunities at Green Business Conference, Connections e-newsletter, email discussion group, and Web site.
  • Green marketing through Green Pages, seal of approval, Green Festivals, Co-op America advertising options, and editorial/PR.
  • Gain recognition through People’s Choice Awards and Green Business Leaders Awards given annually to CABN members for cutting-edge sustainability work.

*Renew your membership at $100 or more to receive Getting to Scale: Growing Your Business Without Selling Out.

Renew your membership today »
Renew by phone at 202-872-5340

Green Expands to Chicago for 2007

The Green Festival will bring its celebration of the green economy to the midwest for the first time in the spring of 2007. The city of Chicago's commitment to sustainability has soared in recent years, and is the natural location for growing the Green Festival.

“It’s a natural match,” says Denise Hamler, Co-op America’s business division director. “Mayor Daley has said he wants Chicago to be the greenest city in the country, and Co-op America is working with city organizers to help make that happen.”

What’s more, the San Francisco Green Festival will expand to three days this year, starting on a Friday, rather than on Saturday, and the Washington, DC event will move to a new hall with more space and plenty of natural light.

Save the dates now for these three big Green Festivals

Washington DC—October 14-15, 2006
San Francisco—November 10-12, 2006
Chicago—April 21-22. 2007


Visit www.greenfestivals.org or call 877-727-2179 to reserve booth space »

 

NEW Member Benefit—Web Hosting

Does your Web host share your progressive values?
Co-op America launches our newest membership benefit—Web hosting through ThinkHost. ThinkHost is a progressive and environmentally conscious Web hosting company powered by 100 percent renewable energy. Through this service CABN members will receive deep discounts on Web hosting plans.

Aside from hosting thousands of business sites, ThinkHost also provides free and discounted hosting to community groups. According to ThinkHost business operations manager Michael Bloch, “It’s our way of giving back to the communities that support us.”

Sign up at ThinkHost.com »
use coupon code THD11325COA

 

Adopt a Supermarket Campaign for World Fair Trade Day

This World Fair Trade Day, May 13, consider joining Co-op America’s Fair Trade Alliance with its Adopt-a-Supermarket campaign. Choose a supermarket in your area, and commit to asking the manager for more Fair Trade Certified™ products on store shelves. Or, circulate a petition in your community asking your local supermarket to expand its Fair Trade offerings, and present the petition to the supermarket manager on World Fair Trade Day.

Contact jaimeb@coopamerica.org for more information on the campaign »

 

10,000 Respond to Action to Stop Coal

Thanks to our members, we delivered more than 10,000 letters and e-mails to the board of directors of Peabody and Dominion, two of the major utilities working to build more coal plants. Jim Perry and Christian MacAuley on our staff delivered letters directly to the CEO and board members of Dominion at its annual meeting in Richmond, VA, last Friday.
Major power companies and the current White House administration are telling Americans that coal is the future of affordable energy. But increased greenhouse gas emissions, dangerous coal mining, mercury pollution, increased asthma and human health problems, forest loss from mountaintop-removal mining, and dramatic groundwater waste are costs that no one can afford.

Visit our Actions page to find out more »

 

Co-op America's Stop Wal-Mart Work Proves Powerful

The spring 2006 edition of the Co-op America Quarterly proves to be one of our most popular issues ever. We’ve sent more than 8,000 additional copies of this issue, dedicated to the problems with the Wal-Mart business model and actions citizens can take to stop Wal-Mart, to people around the country who wish to share the Wal-Mart issue with their local communities.

As one organizer put it, “I’ve never seen one piece anywhere outline the issues so well in just 12 pages —well done—I plan to use it and send more copies.”

Download a free copy of the Wal-Mart issue of the Quarterly, or call 202-872-5307. »


Need a Green Gift? Visit First Giving

If you’d like your friends, family, or business colleagues to help you celebrate your special occasions without getting more stuff, our new First Giving Web site is just the thing for you. It’s a free and simple way to build your social and environmental values into your celebrations. Co-op America has set up an account, so you can create a Personal Giving Page and help support our work to grow the green economy.

Visit our FirstGiving page »