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5 Tips for Getting a Job in Green Advocacy

Today we have a guest blog post by Michael Long, Director of GreenLocalJobs.com about tips for getting a job in green advocacy.  Thanks for a great blog post, Michael!  

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1. Learn Business Software - Before you can get your donor list engaged in your cause, you need to be able to create and manage a donor list.  I’ve interviewed executive directors and program managers at many great non-profits, and while passion is important, the hard skills are more often the best inroad into green advocacy.  Advocacy groups have to deal with donor lists, volunteer lists, mailing lists, financial documents, filings and marketing outreach. The nuts and bolts of most organization are going to be the word processing, spreadsheets and databases. A “certifications for basic office software” (word processing, spreadsheets, Microsoft Office) can be a huge advantage when applying for a position in an environmental advocacy organization.
 
2. Learn Online Promotion - Facebook pages and “tweets” are quickly becoming the most popular outreach mechanism for green and environmental advocacy organization. While it is not difficult to find a college student with hundreds of Facebook friends, it is much more of a challenge to use Facebook to get donors and the public engaged in a good cause. Learning the ends and outs of professional social media outreach is vital to building a base for change. A great way to do this is by building your own advocacy page or your own online green network. The employer will be impressed and your resume will go to the top immediately.
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Exercise Greener

green runnerEven the greenest of us might find that keeping up with different green habits can fall by the wayside.  Exercise can be one of those things.  You may drive to the gym, throw your used sneakers in the trash, or drink Gatorade out of disposable plastic bottles.   Here are some ideas to make your exercise a little bit more eco-friendly.  ... read more

Go Green with Plants

Today we have a guest blog post from David Hicks, co-president of Homevestors, discussing a way to make your home more appealing to green homebuyers.  

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For years, people have claimed that plants were good for us. Plants can help us be greener as well and not just because they are green! When you are selling your home, you want it to be as green as possible.  Here are a few small ideas to help your home become greener and make a big impact on the earth.

Add a Little O

Ever walked into a place and felt like you were stifling or walked into one and felt at peace and relaxed? If so, you have felt the effects of plants in a space. Plants naturally make you feel calmer and more relaxed. They also clean the air of carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the area. Incorporate this feeling whenever you sell your home by growing herbs, salad greens, and other plants in the kitchen, the bath, or anywhere around your home. Edible plants are easy to grow, make a great addition to your dinner plate, and make your house self-sustaining.... read more

Green Beauty Tips: How to Choose Eco-Friendly Beauty Products

Green beauty products

Today there are more “green” beauty products on the market than ever before – which is great! It gives us a variety of choices (where there used to be few) while sticking to our environmental guns. But not all green beauty products are created equal. Even if the label says “natural,” “eco-friendly” or even “organic,” there are still a few things you should look for. Here's my quick guide for choosing environmentally friendly beauty products:

- Read the labels!! If you don't know what something is or can't pronounce it, it probably isn't very good for you or the environment.... read more

10 Green Pregnancy Tips

Pregnancy Green

There is no better time to green your lifestyle that during pregnancy. Common pollutants that barely impact you and I  can have a much larger effect on your growing baby, in utero and out. Make these simple changes during pregnancy to establish healthy habits for your kiddo.

Here are some green pregnancy tips:... read more

Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Food: Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Through What You Eat

Food Greenhouse Gas Emissions

A comprehensive study released on July 18, 2011 by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) outlines guidelines to help you, the consumer, make wiser food choices. We have long known that certain foods create an abundance of CO2 emissions. What this study adds is understanding the roll of the entire life cycle of various foods, whereas previous research mostly focuses on food production. The EWG research tracks food production, processing, consumption and waste disposal to teach us how to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and pollutions that result from our dietary habits.

“By eating and wasting less meat, consumers can help limit the environmental damage caused by the huge amounts of fertilizer, fuel, water, and pesticides, not to mention the toxic manure and wastewater, that goes along with producing meat,” said Kari Hamerschlag, EWG senior analyst and author of the report. “Choosing healthier, pasture-raised meats can also help improve people’s health and reduce the environmental damage associated with meat consumption.”

Five Worst Foods For the Environment:

1. Lamb, especially loin

2. Beef – choose grass-fed and lean meats to reduce your impact on the environment

3. Cheese (this one shocked me! Total bummer!) - Less dense cheese (such as cottage) results in fewer greenhouse gases since it takes less milk to produce it... read more

What is a Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)?

Solar Power Purchase Agreement

Over the past 3 years, California and other states have seen a large increase in Solar Lease programs and Solar Power Purchase Agreement programs. Both types of programs allow property owners (residential and business) to power their property with solar energy without a large upfront investment. But what is the difference between a solar lease and a power purchase agreement?... read more

10 Ways to Reduce Plastic Use

plastic bottlePlastic is a HUGE problem for the environment.  Yes, some of it is recycled, but they’re technically downcycled. Instead of a milk jug being recycled into another milk jug, it gets turned into lower quality plastic which is not recyclable.  Not all plastic is readily recycled, and it ends up just sitting up in a landfill.  And another enviornmental problem with plastic is that it’s made from oil.  

We can reduce our plastic usage easily.  You may not realize how much plastic you use on a daily basis, but here are 10 tips to reduce how much plastic you use:... read more

Have a Green 4th of July!

Green 4th of July

The Fourth of July is a time to get together with friends and family, to celebrate American history, and to eat BBQ in the summer fun.  Traditional 4th of July celebrations can create a lot of pollution.  It's easy to replace some old habits with new ones for this year's Independence Day.

Greener Grilling: On the Fourth of July alone, an estimated 60 million barbecues light up nationwide, consuming enough energy to power 20,000 households for an entire year. But who says you need to give up your hot dogs and steak in order to be an environmentalist? Buy a natural gas or infrared grill instead of dirty-burning charcoal. Avoid chrome-coated aluminum grills and instead opt for steel or cast iron (my favorite). Also, go with a smaller grill, as they take less energy to heat up.... read more

10 Tips for Summer Energy Conservation (without spending a dime)

Energy savings

Here are some tips for staying cool this summer while decreasing your energy consumption.  If you're not ready to go solar, there are still plenty of changes you can make to reduce your carbon footprint.

1. Turn your thermostat to 120 degrees.  Run a meat thermometer under the water 5-6 hours after you lower the temperature and adjust the settings on the thermostat as necessary.

2. Wash your clothes in cold water.

3. Insulate your hot water heater.... read more

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