Interview with Carrotmob’s creator, Brent Schulkin

You may have seen a very interesting video knocking around the internet lately from the innovative organisation Carrotmob. In this video called ‘We Make it Rain‘ they use consumer power to turn a regular grocery store to a much more environmentally friendly one. I don’t want to give too much away, you really need to watch the video yourself, then read the interview below…

Carrotmob Makes It Rain from carrotmob on Vimeo.

Carrotmob’s ethos really appeals to me. It’s all about reaching those with the real power - businesses - to make actual, tangible changes. Plus this isn’t done through demonising business, negative pressure or boycott but actively encourages businesses to compete to become more environmentally friendly.Here at Green Girls Global we’re very lucky to be able to get an exclusive scoop on the genius behind Carrotmob, Brent Schulkin, and find out what inspires him, how Carrotmob works and where it’s going next….

Q1 Welcome Brent. The idea behind Carrotmob and your ‘We Make it Rain’ campaign is one of the most inspiring I’ve seen in ages because it really speaks to businesses in a language they understand - profit and competition. Where did you get the initial idea?

Why thank you! I started off thinking about the consumer side of the transaction. Several years ago, I read a book called Smart Mobs, by Howard Rheingold. It got me thinking about the power that can be created just by connecting groups of people into networks, and spurring those networks into action. Later I realized just how promising a network of consumers could be as a carrot to change corporate behavior. The idea of creating positive incentives for business to do good is not entirely new, but there are several recent developments that make now a good time for this approach to flourish: First, technology now allows us to easily connect and coordinate our activities like never before. Secondly, in the last couple years, environmentalism has gone mainstream. And third, we have a reputation economy, and companies are putting huge resources into protecting or improving their reputation. Moreover, these days bloggers and normal citizens have much more power over the reputation of businesses. In an age when companies are desperately trying to be seen as authentic and good, they have plenty of motivation to try and please an authentic grassroots network of consumers like us, since they know we have great power when it comes to defining their reputation.

Q2 How did you publicise your first campaign and gain so much support?

I emailed my friends, and then it turned out that people thought that the idea was interesting enough that it was worth forwarding the email to their friends. I would also give a lot of credit to Facebook and other social networks.

Q3 In the Make it Rain video we see a regular grocery store taking part and gaining some real financial benefits. How do you see the same principle translating to big businesses?

There’s something very attractive about having a community event, and focusing on local businesses. I want to keep doing that, and cultivate little Carrotmob franchises all around the world. However, in order to have a greater environmental impact, I’d like to see our main focus turn to big well-known brands. Once our network is big enough, we should be able to go to competing consumer products companies (who make things that your average consumer would want to buy) and have them compete to see how much good they are willing to do, relative to their competitors. It will be challenging to develop a system for comparing the proposed actions of companies that may be doing business in very different circumstances, but we’ll figure out how to do it, and then companies will do what they do best: compete for profits. I think we can use that competition to get them to commit to making significant improvements. And the nice thing about dealing with the heavy hitters is that even if they are only willing to do something relatively small, the impact would still be enormous compared to what a little grocer can do.

Q4 Does it matter what a businesses’ incentive is to improve its environmental practices?

The short answer is no, but I must make a few distinctions. There are privately held companies and publicly held companies. When some rich family owns a company, they can do anything they want with it. They can be greedy and pollute, or they can be environmentally responsible and make sustainable choices. They may be susceptible to arguments about morals, right and wrong, etc. But when you are dealing with publicly-held companies, you’re dealing with a cold machine that knows nothing of right and wrong. When you’ve got a gazillion stockholders and financial institutions calling the shots, profit is the only thing that matters. It is actually illegal for publicly-held companies in the US to do good unless that good is also profitable. That goes back to the Dodge brothers suing Henry Ford for trying to give some cash to his workers rather than his investors. But I digress. The point is that when you’re talking about these huge companies, there’s no point in asking what the business incentive is, because there is only ever one incentive: money. It’s an ironic situation, because lots of these companies are filled with people who have very strong morals, but even a company with Mother Teresa as a CEO can’t get around this situation. Imagine that Mother Teresa decides to take the profits of her oil company and spend billions of dollars to clean up old oil spills, give college scholarships to the children of all their workers, end world hunger and cure AIDS. The next fiscal quarter rolls around and shareholders find that they didn’t get to line their pockets as much as they expected. They have the power to fire Mother Teresa. They also have the power to sue. Mother Teresa isn’t calling the shots here, it’s the corporate entity itself that demands a focus on profit. Luckily, if a group like Carrotmob exists, we can translate good into profit. Mother Teresa COULD get away with it if she knew that in exchange for ending world hunger, Carrotmob would send more customers her way, her company’s reputation would soar, the other oil companies would struggle, and overall her company’s profits would go up. So we don’t have to worry about their motivations if we can find and embrace these mutually beneficial situations.

Q5 If someone wanted to start a Carrotmob style campaign in their home town how would they go about it? Do you have starter packs or campaign guides?

I would love to see some local campaigns get going. For now people can go to our list of cities and leave their contact info so that others can connect with them. Once we get on our feet a little more we will try to get some great resources and tools that people can use to coordinate their own campaigns. We want to have a central Carrotmob entity that deals with larger companies, and then a distributed grassroots network that uses our site to get things going in their own communities. We can do global AND local at the same time!

Q6 What other ways would you say consumers can work with businesses rather than against them to bring about change?

There is no other option. EVERYONE MUST JOIN CARROTMOB IMMEDIATELY. Ha ha. But seriously. There are a lot of options for socially responsible investing. Shareholder activism is great if you own shares of something. And people working inside companies can do a whole lot of innovation from within. Of course there are a lot of sticks out there as well. I’m advocating the carrot approach, but I don’t want us to drop our sticks and exclusively switch to carrots. It takes a team effort.

Q7 Can others join the Carrotmob movement and is there a place to share ideas?

Everyone is encouraged to join Carrotmob by visiting our site and joining the mailing list. You can also link up with us on:
Facebook
Myspace
Twitter
and Digg
You can share ideas by leaving comments all around the site or on the Facebook discussion board. The next version of the site should have a better forum for sharing.

Q8 What’s next for Carrotmob?

Ha ha, I’m working on it! At this point I still have another job part-time to pay rent, so it’d be nice to get some sort of funding so I can work full-time on this, but for now I’m thinking we will do another local campaign in another retail environment, on a larger scale. Help us spread the word and soon we will be the most powerful mob in all the land!

Thank you Brent. GGG wishes you lots of success with Carrotmob and do keep us in touch with your news.

Well you heard him, go spread the word about Carrotmob!!

www.carrotmob.org

Brighton World Fair Trade Day event - Sat 10 May

We are really excited about our World Fair Trade Day event this Saturday 10 May!

Greg Valerio of Cred Jewellery is going to be telling us all about the process of seeking Fair Trade certification for gold and diamonds. So if you’re on the lookout for an ethical engagement or wedding ring, are confused about conflict diamonds and focused on Fair Trade, it really is a must.

The event takes place this Saturday 10 May at The Friends Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton.

If you happen to be in Brighton on Saturday and can tear yourself away from the beach for an hour or two, we’d love to see you there…!

Midday – 2pm – fair trade stalls and information stands

2-3pm – speaker event – ‘Fair Trade that glitters’ - raising awareness of the social and environmental issues surrounding gold and diamonds (going beyond conflict or blood diamonds) and the route towards fair trade certification that Greg Valerio of Cred Jewellery has been spearheading.

Greg will be talking about his experiences to date and what future he sees for fair trade gold and diamonds. A Q&A session will follow the presentation.

3-4.30pm – chance to chat to local ethical businesses

4.30pm – late! – chat some more in The Cricketers pub over the road (The Cricketers, Black Lion Street, BN1 1ND)

The event is free but donations to cover costs will be gratefully accepted.

You are very welcome to come along to all or any part of this day-long event.

Hope to see you there!

Katie & Jamie
www.ethicalweddings.com

Guest Editor: Trish Smith - Green Thrift Store Shopping Tips

Instead of spending your paycheck on an expensive new outfit or gadget, how about saving some cash and helping out the environment by shopping at a thrift store.

Thrift store shopping is just another form of recycling and regulating CO2 emissions. Not only do you get to reuse a unique or vintage item, but you also stop factories from making more items and creating pollution, and that greatly reduces your carbon footprint.

Make the Most of Your Experience
If you’ve never been to a thrift store, then you may not know what you’re getting yourself into. Most thrift stores are disorganized and crowded, which may overwhelm shoppers and cause them to turn away in disbelief.
But if you’re willing to take some time to poke around the store and ask employees questions, then you may find that special something you’ve always been looking for.

Here are some tips to follow when thrift store shopping:

Go Through Your Personal Belongings
First, decide which items you are willing to donate. People don’t realize how much waste is created from items that were thrown away but could have been reused. You’ll not only make some extra space in your home for your newly bought thrift store items, but you’ll also provide someone with a reusable item. Once you have a bag of donations, then you can see what needs to be replaced.

Make a List
Know ahead of time what you’re looking for so you won’t be scrambling to remember amidst a sea of shoppers. If you’re getting something for someone else, like clothes, write down their sizes. (To reduce paper waste, write this down on a scrap sheet of paper that has already been used).

Choose a Location
Look up the locations of the thrift stores so you don’t get lost trying to find them. There are usually Salvation Army and Goodwill stores in most cities, so they should be easy to locate. (The best thing about these two organizations is that they give their proceeds to humanitarian efforts.)

Bring Cash
Even though almost every store in the world accepts credit cards, there are many thrift stores that only accept cash. So go to the ATM or borrow some cash from a friend before you head out to go shopping.

Transportation
If you live close enough to a store and the weather is nice, you can walk or bike to it. That will save you gas money, reduce CO2 emissions and save you time from trying to find a parking spot. But if you have to drive, know exactly how to get there so you don’t waste gas driving around.

At the Store
When you’re searching for items, think green.

• If you don’t find the perfect shirt you’re looking for but you find a few that have certain elements you like, look for ways you can recycle the elements. You can find cool fabric from one item to add to another, or you can make something completely original from a mix of fabrics. And if something isn’t exactly your size, it can be easily altered and hemmed.
• Try not to choose items that need to be dry-cleaned. Dry cleaners often use perchlorethylene (PERC), which is a man-made substance that can damage the central nervous system, liver and kidneys. You can read more about the dangers of dry cleaning here.
• Don’t buy things you’ll never use. That means don’t buy something just because it’s super cheap and you think it’s too great of a deal to pass up. Buying a stack of books you’ll never read, some pots you’ll never cook with or a record you’ll never listen to will only wind up in a landfill later, and then you’ll just be contributing to our land pollution problem.

Also, don’t forget to check for price tags and correct sizes. Sometimes a price tag is missing or the clothing item doesn’t have a size label, so ask an employee if you need help. The more that you get to know the employees, the more you’ll be aware of cool sales or future shipments.

Back at Home
After you’ve returned from the thrift store, you need to wash any clothing that you purchased. If there are tough stains on the clothes you can use a mixture of water and baking soda to get them out. You can also add a ½ cup of vinegar in the wash cycle to help kill bacteria and other germs on the clothing.

You can find a whole list of homemade cleaning products here.

Thrift store shopping can be a fun, green experience for everyone. Finding cool items that can be recycled will not only help the environment, but they might just help you brighten up your eco-lifestyle.

About the Author:
Trish Smith is a copywriter for Green Student U, a blog-style site that introduces today’s students to a wide variety of global environmental issues by recognizing college campus green initiatives and personal success stories, as well as how the world is being shaped by environmental reform

Vote local!

As great green girls you probably already know all about this but just in case…!

The Federation of Small Business has just launched a national petition which calls on the Government to pay special attention to securing the future of independent shops across the UK.

You can sign here on the 10 Downing Street website. It takes less time than it takes to eat a locally made organic choc chip biscuit!

The FSB has also launched a Small Business Manifesto which urges local authorities to take specific steps to champion small businesses.

It’s our duty as green girls to do all we can to support the distinctiveness of our unique, independent businesses! Also take a minute to check out Brighton-based uniqueto.co.uk - who alerted me to this petition - their site offers the easiest way for locals and vistors to find unique local businesses.

And if you’re in London, you could also consider investing in a Wedgecard - the local shop loyalty card. Am hoping these cards make it to Sussex soon!

Katie
www.ethicalweddings.com

Climate Change Charity Art Auction

For all green art enthusiasts, this is the event for you!

A charity art auction, ‘Art Aid: Embrace‘ will be taking place on Saturday 21st June to raise money to support poor communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America adapt to climate change.

The work of around 50 artists from the East Midlands will be displayed in the View from the Top gallery in Nottingham from Wednesday 18th June until the reception and auction on Saturday 21st June.

The many artworks available are:
Painting and Drawing
Mixed Media
Original Printmaking
Ceramics and Sculpture
Photography
Signed Print

So there’s something for all art lovers out there!

If you’d like an evening of culture, treat yourself to a beautiful piece of art and help raise money for those affected by climate change then pop along to the website www.art-aid.org to find out more.

Guest Editor: Ellie La Trobe-Bateman - The future of the Carbon Offset

Currently carbon offsetting is justified by three main factors that have obvious uncertainties around them;

1) Guilt –Individuals or businesses may feel guilty about continuing to pollute. It is an emotion though, and difficult to predict.

2) Taking action on Climate Change - The evidence that offsetting can help combat climate change is reliant on the carbon footprint estimates and project compensation estimates being accurate. Estimates can never be accurate as they are built on a set of assumptions. There are assumptions for the amount of carbon produced as well as for the amount that it has been reduced.

3) A business requirement – part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) objectives - this is likely to be short lived. Businesses are fickle; and as quickly as it arose it could be dismissed.

In addition there has been a large amount of off-putting press regarding offsetting projects that have either been having negative impacts to the local community or environments or failing to make their claimed carbon reductions. The ‘Which’ report (1) on carbon offsetting noted the great deal of variation in the market and the confusion present for consumers. This confusion and wariness that currently exists makes the future of carbon offsetting unpredictable.

The Future
Carbon offsetting organisations need to show all that they are credible, and are running worthwhile projects that would otherwise not be able to go ahead (i.e. are additional) and are reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The future of carbon offsetting is not in the development of standards to ensure that a project reduces an exact amount of carbon dioxide. It is impossible to get to that level of accuracy for any project regardless of the verification standard used; there are too many unknowns; too many assumptions have to be made. What is needed is a standard for projects that reduce carbon emissions, by doing more than this, for example by helping communities in other ways that would not receive finance any other way.

Take fuel efficient or renewable energy stove programmes in developing countries as an example of such a community benefiting project. Each stove with help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1 – 3 tonnes per year that they are in use, it will also reduce the household’s income spent on fuel wood, improve the household’s health by reducing smoke and burns incidents, reduce local deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and increase time available to women and children for other activities. This programme helps communities to develop and reduce their dependence / future dependence on fossil fuels. The potential is huge, but the funding is not available to enable such programmes to assist the poorest. Carbon finance could be such a way.

Knowing the exact amount of carbon dioxide reduce by a stove programme is a challenge and dependent on making extrapolations from a sample of the population. It could be suggested that it would be better to measure project effectiveness by simply counting the number of stoves distributed, since this is a directly verifiable measure. It would also be more cost effective, and time efficient. This is not only applicable to stove projects, but many other energy efficient and renewable energy community projects too,

Carbon Offsetting should no longer be seen as a way to enable businesses and individuals to pollute; but should be a way of empowering them to help other communities reduce carbon, and be kept connected to that project that they are funding. There is a future to offsetting, but it may need to take a slight change in direction to retain integrity and to reduce the confusion for everyone.

(1) Source: Which.com, (2008)

Ellie La Trobe-Bateman is the Managing Director of Blue Ventures Carbon Offset (BVCO), a not for profit carbon offset organisation. BVCO is a small organisation that has been in operation since 2007. They have recently launched a ‘sponsor a stove’ campaign; promoting compensating your carbon footprint. Ellie’s background is in Environmental Change and Management – taking the MSC from Oxford University, and has an ongoing involvement in environmental consultancy.

Balloon Litter

I have to admit it but we don’t have the best view from our front room window. In fact for lovely leafy Leamington it’s perhaps not the best view or most typical of our town. I live opposite a car show room that has flags flying in the daytime, lights glaring at night time and balloons by the dozen at the weekend to promote their special offers. So as you can imagine for someone who is passionate about sustainable transport it’s not a view I tend to marvel at.

Now a few months back on a Sunday afternoon we were lazing in the front room with our Sunday papers when I happened to look up and see a staff member walk around the car park and cut all the balloons free. Up, up, up they floated as the worker continued to set about 50 balloons free.

I was flabbergasted, as to me it was just plain littering. A business wouldn’t throw out 50 odd leaflets or food wrappers on the street. Just because they float upward and out of site doesn’t mean they are not litter when they land. They obviously weren’t thinking about where they were going to land as it would be far, far away out of sight and not on their land. Not their problem! I was also annoyed as I’d read that they posed a danger to wildlife as birds and marine creatures can mistake them for food similar to plastic bags and can choke on the remains.

The following Saturday to my shock horror when I drew back the curtains there were pink, blue and yellow balloons (yes, all colour co-ordinated) promoting their latest cut deal offer. This time there must have been over 100 balloons gracefully bobbing in the breeze. I wont go into the next half an hour but it involved me stomping around the house whilst my poor long suffering partner looked on bemused followed by me marching across the road to see the manger.

Luckily I ‘d found some info on the net about balloon littering and that organisations could be fined up to £2,500 if caught littering. Needless to say the manger did take seriously what I had to say and promised not to release (litter) any more. Whilst balloons are no way on the same scale as plastic bags for polluting our landscape. I still think it’s important for companies to realise the risks to our wildlife and that there is no excuse to litter. Hopefully the ‘Don’t let go’ campaign will raise awareness of this issue.

For more information about the campaign you can download a Don’t let go fact sheet. This has details of the threat to wildlife and more information about fines, the environmental protection act and the Marine Conservation Society.

Ask Lola the eco-dog

A slobbering advice column written by a dog for eco-minded dogs & their owners

Dear Lola: Finally, its summer again! Time to hike, run, and play with Buster at the park or on the trail. Are their any eco-friendly options out there to pick up that squishy stuff?
Sincerely, CONSIDERATE DOGWALKER

DEAR CONSIDERATE DOGWALKER: First, let me give you a big paw on the back for picking up after Buster. Like many dogs, a walk to the park, around the neighborhood and on the trail makes my day, but sometimes nature calls (no, not the howling of the wild). Whether it’s in the brushes, on the sidewalk, near a hydrant (a dogs version of the port-a-potty), or on a neighbor’s lawn it is important to do the right thing and pick up. Because no one likes the reminder of what your dog ate for dinner last night. Not to mention, it’s a dog owner no-no to leave piles behind, so beware you can be charged a heavy fine for not picking up. So be courteous of those joggers, law-abiding dog walking citizens, neighbors, and speed walkers out there because no one likes to step in dog poo.

I know many people opt to use an empty grocery bag, just please keep in mind these take 100’s of years to break down. Possibly clogging the throats of poor innocent earthworms and dung beetles. Luckily, there are eco-friendly alternatives out there. The two I recommend and use are Skooperbox & Spike Brand Business Bags. Trust me, the earthworms and dung beetles will thank you for it.

The Skooperbox is made from 100% recycled paper, hooks conveniently onto your leash, just scoop and toss. So say good-bye to that squishy feeling, and hello to no more grabbing because with the handy scooper your hand never has to touch that mess again. Best of all it is 100% biodegradable and breaks down in 30 days.

Spike Brand Business Bags are made from corn, are strong, compostable and biodegrade without a trace in 45 days.

So go ahead, enjoy the walk! Now every business trip you make with Buster can help make for a cleaner planet & a cleaner conscience.

Barkingly yours,
Lola the eco-dog

You can find this and other eco-friendly products at www.pawlux.com. Paw Luxury specializes in selling earth friendly products. We offer quality products that are stylish, durable, all natural, organic, holistic, sustainable, biodegradable, fair trade, and Made in the USA. Our motto is “healthy dog, healthy earth, and happier life”.

If you have a question or need advice from Lola the eco- dog on ways you & your dog can go green just email her at asklola@pawlux.com. Lola the eco-dog is here to help!

Green Chic Book Review by Guest Editor Julie Coleman

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is very easy reading, its thought provoking and offers fun, realistic and practical tips to make changes and re-think your lifestyle. The book is a neat pocket size and has a nice feel to it, it explains why it is in book form and advises the reader of where the materials have come from to produce it.

The first chapter ‘Green Glossary’ is written for the layman, which is great. We all hear green terminology and don’t always understand what they mean, this chapter provides a quick, concise explanation of each, for everyone to understand, without blinding them with science.

I particularly like the information in chapter two, it breaks down all the statistics and makes them relevant to everyday life. One of my favourites is ‘dry time’ which makes perfect sense. Leave your hair to dry naturally and then finalise it, not only does it save energy but is better for your hair. Many of the sub chapters were of a similar nature and I found them very easy to put into practice. Another favourite which I have tried is the ‘cool wash’ which is to cold wash your laundry. To my surprise this works! And now I am converted.

The book doesn’t go overboard and lecture, it just says it how it is and leaves you and your conscious to decide whether to make changes.

There is a theme that runs through the book which is basically not to buy into commercialism, don’t spend on unnecessary items and be confident enough to revamp and design yourself and your home without compromising style.

‘Green women don’t get fat’ – what a quote, its so true, even without eating organic, just to eat local produce and fresh fruit and vegetables, take a walk instead of the car will keep you in check. Its not difficult and it makes perfect sense, true of many of the tips in this book.

Favourite quote ‘Buy only what you truly need or love’. There are many other topics and quotes but if I quote them all it wont be worth you reading the book!

For me the book was like having a conversation with a friend, easy and comfortable, sharing experiences and knowledge without any pressure to take forward any of the topics discussed, but as with advice from a friend you will find yourself taking it on board and making changes.

‘Green Chic: Saving the Earth in Style’ by Christie Matheson

Event - Turning up the HEAT

Can big business really save the planet?

Turning up the HEAT is a series of free interactive and virtual debates on climate change and corporate power organised by the World Development Movement.

You can turn up in person to the events in London (8th May), Cardiff (10th May) and Manchester (13th May) or you can watch and participate online - by watching the live webcasts and pre-recorded videos both before and after the events.

Panel speakers include: Rt. Hon Brian Wilson Flying Matters; Caroline Lucas MEP Green Party; Ricardo Navarro CESTA, El Salvador and many more.

For more information and to register please go to: www.wdm.org.uk/heat

Information provided by Rachel Tavernor