Do you practice eco excellence?   We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. ~ Aristotle

As it turns out, habits are powerful forces, and companies are using those forces when interacting with customers and employees.  The post, Are Habits More Powerful Than Decisions? Marketers Hope So states "habits, rather than conscious decision-making, can shape as many as 45 percent of the choices we make every day, according to a study [pdf] from Duke University."  (A great read and recommended reading.)

We are all familiar with habits - they are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously, without one directly thinking consciously about them.    In the world of sustainability plans, this unconscious display of habits is a fertile ground of opportunity offering low hanging fruit for eco action.    

The gap between awareness and action may represent the single largest opportunity for global sustainability progress.  The post highlight's a process for habit formation: The Cue, The Reward, The Routine.  Cues trigger an action, a reward reinforces it, a routine develops. Take a look at a great diagram of the three elements to visualize how it works (and how to break it).

As communicated in our sustainability consulting, we view the basic formula as: change your habits= different result.  The trick is to become aware of the areas in your life that have the biggest environmental impact, and then take inspired action to create new habits.   Sounds easy, but how do you do that? 

First, what are your current habits telling you?  Where is your biggest environmental impact?  Next, create new habits.  Following are 4 areas of eco action to help get you started. 

• Vehicle Fuel Consumption: The most significant area of personal impact and one that is well within your sphere of influence.  Sustainable actions directly aligned with personal savings include: alternative fuel transportation, fuel efficiency and personal reduction (commuting, ride share, alternative transportation).
• Electricity Consumption: By switching to wind or renewable sources, the average family could save the equivalent to thousands of miles driven in a car.  Sustainable actions include: source control (wind, renewable, offsets), home efficiency (energy star appliances), and personal energy management.
• Water Consumption: Clear fresh water is rapidly becoming an endangered resource in even the most developed countries.  Sustainable actions directly aligned with personal savings include: water management (personal use and outdoor watering) and waste water management (controlling what goes down the drain and into the storm drains).  
• Waste Disposal: A large portion of what goes into the average garbage is recyclable.  By separating your plastics, glass, and paper, the weekly volume sent to the landfill could be cut by more than half.  Sustainable actions include: inquiring about recycling programs with traditional collectors and locating recycling centers in your area.

Discovering hidden treasures in your daily habits begins by becoming conscious of your cues, rewards, and routines as well as creating new habits and eco actions you take.  Change your habits and watch your world unfold differently. Remember, every eco action adds up.  Your eco actions matter.  Together, we can all make positive change in our world. 

More than 500,000 American employees now work at a Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB), thanks to visionary leadership in the private and public sector. Just recently, the League of American Bicyclist announced 67 new Bike Friendly Businesses, who joined the ranks of the 412 local businesses, government agencies and Fortune 500 companies that are transforming the American workplace.

“These leaders are at the forefront of a movement to make American businesses more competitive, sustainable and attractive to the best and brightest employees,” said Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists. “An investment in bicycling enhances employee health, increases sustainability and improves the bottom line.”

What are easy ways to become a bike friendly office?  Some business owners might argue that small business resources can be limited towards building a sustainable business; however, our sustainability consulting encourages employers to promote employee bicycling commuting as a great way to attract and retain those eco minded employees.  The post, Top 10 Benefits of Bicycle Commuting Programs for Businesses, explores bike commuting benefits to employers while the post, 10 Reasons to Bike Commute to Work, gives employees ideas and inspiration to ride to work. But what can a business do to promote and maintain a winning bike commuting culture?  Our business sustainability consulting advocates taking the following eco actions to keep bike commuting fun and safe for employees.

Education

• Offer regular safety classes.
• Provide lunch and learn opportunities for current topics and discussion.
• Share information on how to share the road.
• Participate in bike maintenance classes.

Encouragement

• Offer incentives to ride.
• Host a CEO led ride.
• Guarantee a ride home service.
• Create a company bike club.
• Celebrate bike to work day or month or create your own company mile markers and celebrate them.

Foundation

• Make bike parking safe and secure.
• Provide lockers, showers, and changing areas.
• Utilize car sharing programs like ZipCar for off site meetings.
• Provide a repair station with tools, lubrication, and tubes.

Review

• Get to know your employee's commuting habits: what's working/ what isn't and suggestions for improvement.
• Set goals: number of commuting miles/ week/ per employee.
• Appoint a bike coordinator: the go to person for everything bike commuting related.

Wondering how many Bike Friendly Businesses are in your city or state? Check out this helpful map to find out.  Zoom in on your community — and show your bike-friendliness by patronizing your local Bike Friendly Business!  Better yet, get your business on the map: Learn more about the Bicycle Friendly Business program.

Did you know? Just one tradeshow can have the same C02 footprint as one year of powering everyday office equipment and supplies? 

We all know that too much C02 in the environment is bad, how do we find out how much carbon dioxide we produce? 

Benchmarking success in green living or business starts with closing the gap between awareness and action.  Here's where the tried and true adage applies: "What gets measured, gets managed." While expressed more frequently in a business setting, it applies to our personal lives as well.  For instance, if you want to lose weight, first you have to know how much you weigh to benchmark your success.  Similarly, in living a sustainable lifestyle, you first need to know the areas of your environmental impacts to measure your success.  

Carbon calculators offer visibility to reduce emissions, but consistently taking eco action to reduce impacts can be overwhelming.  What if there was a quick, easy and long-lasting way to make a difference?  Is offsetting the answer?  From our sustainability consulting perspective, offsetting is not a substitute for reducing or eliminating emissions or other environmental impacts.  However, there is a time and a place for carbon offsetting.  

• Offsetting can be a partial solution that complements other approaches,
• Offsetting can be seen as part of maintaining the balance of life,
• Carbon offsets offers a path to eco action and raises eco awareness,
• Offsetting schemes can be used as an interim measure until other solutions are developed – efficient emission-free fuels and renewable energy sources.

What options are available for offsetting?  Introducing the Green Air Project.  GAP is a social enterprise that helps individuals and businesses offset their carbon footprints in the most sustainable and positive way- by planting trees.  As you know, at Taiga Company, we love trees!  

Why choose Green Air Project? 

• Business Sustainability: Green Air Project's offsetting of carbon dioxide by planting large numbers of trees is a viable option to a businesses' corporate sustainability plan. The program can also aid in increasing employee engagement and retention with employee participation. 
• Transparency:  Clients and other stakeholders have access to a businesses' sustainability strategies with a company-specific website and code to track how many trees have planted.
• Affordable: Businesses, individuals and families can all participate and benefit.  At $10.00/ tree, enough to offset the average American’s CO2 emissions for a month, the trees are professionally cared for including: tree- Lease and preparation of the land, professionally planting the trees, maintenance/weed control, making fire lines and maintaining them on the property, security, boundary maintenance, surveying of land and forestry service to manage the land. 

Green Air Project's offsetting of carbon dioxide by planting large numbers of trees is an easy to grasp sustainability concept for eco curious individuals and stakeholders.  Demonstrate your commitment to sustainability by taking sustainable leadership and eco action.  Visit Green Air Project website today to get started. 

While escalating conversations on topics such as climate change, carbon legislation, energy independence, and growing consumer eco awareness generate forward eco movement for some it simultaneously creates confusion and skepticism for others.   To address these complex issues, it's going to take all of us demonstrating eco awareness in our daily lives.  Some eco actions are easier than others.  In fact, at Taiga Company, we promote green cycling as a means to make a difference. 

What is green cycling?  It is bike commuting or riding your bike and it is a win-win on many different levels.  For businesses and individuals looking to reduce costs, embrace eco awareness, and adhere to business and personal sustainability programs, bike commuting benefits everyone.  How so?  even if you don’t ride a bike, we all enjoy the benefits of bicycling infrastructure. Every cyclist on the road is one less car, which means there is less need for expensive road projects that take money from other important government programs. Bicycle and pedestrian improvements cost a fraction of what it takes to widen streets and highways and improve the livability of our cities, attracting new businesses and development. 

As we are mid way through National Bike Month.  We encourage you to read and gain eco awareness of the many benefits green cycling has to offer.  Enjoy! 

• David Suzuki: The benefits of cycling go beyond reducing climate change 
• Transportation and Young Adults: Driving is Down, Biking and Public Transport Way Up 
• Bicycle-Friendly Businesses Are Booming: 67 New BFBs Announced 
• New Report: Americans Driving Less, Especially Youth 
• If You Build Bike Lanes, They Will Ride 
• Bike Commuting Trends are UP: Here's Why 
• Bikes are Good for Business 

When people ride bikes, good things happen.  Why?  Because bike commuting is a win-win for both businesses and individuals looking to reduce costs, embrace eco awareness, and adhere to business and personal sustainability programs.  

In recent years, the bicycle industry has stepped up to support bike advocacy and education programs like never before. Much of that leadership has come from Bikes Belong, the industry's advocacy and education organization.  In fact, just over two years ago, PeopleForBikes.org was launched with the goal of collecting one million pledges for a better future for bicycling.  As if the timing couldn't be better, May is National Bike Month and to date, PeopleForBikes.org stand 500,000 riders strong.

While only halfway to their goal of one million supporters, there is still time to get involved, contribute to making our nation a better place to ride, and to send a powerful message to our elected leaders, the media, and the public that bicycling is important and should be promoted.

At Taiga Company, we are no strangers to the bike community.  We have the opportunity to work with individuals and businesses to integrate sustainability concepts into the workplace and daily life.  We refer to it as green cycling and naturally view how bike riding and commuting benefits the needs of both worlds: business and individuals.  Clients commute to work; businesses provide resources and incentives for cycling commuters.  So, why is bike commuting so wonderful? 

• Bike commuting helps the environment by reducing your carbon footprint.
• Bicycles emit no pollution when in use; they require far less materials, energy and waste in their production than even the ‘greenest’ car. 
• Cycling offers a certain connection to the open air and the surrounding trees.  It's amazing how usual surroundings look different when on a bike.
• Cycling can be done by toddlers, teenagers, youngsters and adults as well.  It can be used as personal time to reflect upon your day or a means to unite friends for regular rides.
• Regular participation in a cycling routine naturally shifts your focus to include thoughts of the weather, areas in your community to ride, road safety, and traffic.  Thereby increasing your awareness of the link between the environment and your community.
• Enjoy the freedom your bike gives you- go places your car can't.
• National health statistics show that when you're more active, you decrease your risk for cancer, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.
• Bicycle commuting allows you to include your workout in your daily schedule and helps to meet fitness goals.
• Bike commuting saves you money:  reduce car maintenance, reduced gas bill, reduced parking cost.
• Cycling is a good exercise for overall fitness of the body.  It improves health and reduces stress and tension.
• Cycling contributes to a positive work/ life balance.
• Bicycles can be produced and maintained locally by local bike shops contributing to local job opportunities as part of a sustainable economy.
• Increased cycling commuting reduces air pollution generated from motorized vehicles.
• The bike industry is getting involved.  Check out Action Outdoor Bike Magazine for resources.
• Bike riding is FUN!

Express your passion and commitment to our two wheeled friends.  Please take a moment to visit the website and sign the pledge. It is quick and easy. You will help the future of biking and ultimately you will be enhancing the work of the League. All the campaign needs is your name and email address: www.peopleforbikes.org/signpledge

How do you connect with nature?   Does it matter?  Actually it does.  According to Richard Ryan, professor of psychology at the University of Rochester, paying attention to the natural world not only makes you feel better, it makes you behave better. As sustainability consultants, we can't see a better connection between the natural world and eco inspiration.  Inspiration is a source of life.   What fuels our souls and calls us to become more in our lives differs from person to person in as much as how one chooses to fulfill these needs. At Taiga Company, green cycling is what inspires us to ride our bikes outdoors in nature.  

When people ride bikes, good things happen.  Why?  Because bike riding is a win-win for both businesses and individuals looking to reduce costs, embrace eco awareness, and adhere to business and personal sustainability programs.   But wait! There’s yet another reason to use your pedal power for good!  May is National Bike Month.  Kicking off National Bike Month, we share pictures from our recent 60+ mile mountain bike race in Castle Rock, Colorado.   

Enjoy! 

Super powers are cool.  They  invoke the imagination of superhuman qualities capable of tacking any challenge and succeeding. In many ways, the call for sustainability invokes the better qualities of us as humans.  If we were to have sustainability superpowers, what would they be?  How would we use them? How could we invoke sustainability superpowers to not only change the world at large, but also our personal worlds?

Most of us recognize that change can be unsettling.  It can be scary, and too often it is just easier to slip back into a traditional and comfortable way of doing things.  However, implementing effective sustainable change does not have to be a laboring process.  How so?  All too often, we turn our attention to the barriers and roadblocks to the incorporating sustainability concepts into our businesses and personal lives.  There is a tendency to take too broad of a view of the concept of sustainability and become overwhelmed by its magnitude and our ability to make change.  Instead, we need to focus on the benefits we are individually trying to achieve from a specific change.  What are the baby steps we can take that make change easier? 

To help you do just that, following are ways to go green each day of the week.  As a sustainability consultant, I suggest starting off with ideas in each area that are of most interest to you and build from there.  Each week can be a new platform to launch new eco actions.  Have fun with it and know that every eco action you take adds up and makes a difference.

Paperless Mondays:  Within our business sustainability consulting, we explain that when it comes to paper, producing paper from virgin fiber is both energy and water intensive.  It releases significant amounts of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere.  By choosing to use less paper and paper with recycled content you are making the choice to save wood, water and energy, and cut pollution and solid waste.   The costs savings add up and the environmental impact goes down.   Need ideas?  Check out 19 Tips to go Paperless at Home.

Turn Tuesdays Green at Work:  Keep in mind, every job is a green job: it's all in how you do it.  One approach is to increase your participation in the sustainability programs offered within your organization.  This offers a broader perspective of potential green projects and areas of improvement.  Another approach is to green your physical environment.  If you work at home, check out Green your Home Office 101 for ideas or 10 Ways to Green Your Cubicle.  Both offer ideas to embrace sustainability concepts in your work environment.  

Water Wednesdays:  Clean, fresh water is no longer just an issue for developing countries.  It has become more and more a global issue.   Water is linked to every facet of life on our planet and directly interacts with a myriad of other sustainability concepts.  Learn water wise habits to Reduce your Water Footprint.

Adventurous Thursdays:  Explore different modes of transportation .  The benefits of alternative transportation include conserving energy, preserving resources, reduced commuter traffic, cost savings (gas and parking), and reduced carbon emissions.  Fun ideas include: carpool, bus, train, cycling or telecommuting/ coworking options for work environments.  

 Friday Fun: Slay Energy Vampires with energy efficiency practices: The U.S. Department of Energy tells us that not only do appliances continue to draw electricity while the products are turned off, but in the average home nearly 75% of all electricity used to power electronics is consumed by products that are switched off.  Explore energy efficiency eco actions to use less energy.  

Saturday Waste Management/ Recycling:  When you avoid making garbage in the first place, you eliminate the disposing of waste or recycling it later.  It's the first component of the sustainability concept of the three R's: reduce, reuse, and recycle.  Clues to how to reduce waste can be found by visiting what's in your garbage.  

Sparkle Sunday with Green Cleaning:  Conventional cleaning supplies contain ingredients that are toxic or hazardous. By replacing them with eco-friendly products, you're providing improved indoor air quality, as well as reducing the 5 billion pounds of chemicals consumed by cleaning industry each year.  Get started using non toxic products and breathe easier. 

Do you fall prey to routine habits out of convenience or do you take extra steps to embrace sustainability concepts in your daily life?   It seems in recent years being busy has become the rule rather than the exception.  With busy comes conveniences and sometimes conveniences means having to compromise on values.  Fortunately, that's no longer the case.  With growing eco awareness sprouting more and more environmentally friendly options, those living a busy and sustainable lifestyle can take their green on the go.  

At its essence, personal sustainability is about addressing the environmental concerns of carbon, water, and energy on a smaller scale: your life.  Committing to sustainability in your personal life is holding yourself accountable for the very commitments and eco actions we are asking our leaders to make.    Additionally, it's about leveraging your financial dollar to support credible and sustainable businesses.  Vote with your financial dollar; as a shareholder, uphold reporting, transparency, compensation related to business sustainability.

Looking to make your green life more convenient?  Enjoy some of the iPhone apps shared in our eco friendly consulting practice.

• Carbon Tracker: This GPS-enabled carbon footprint application allows users to calculate their carbon footprint from daily commuting, business trips or vacations. Users can also create goals for maximum emissions in a month, then monitors progress. Great for expanding eco awareness in your daily life.
• iRecycle, makes it easy to find recycling locations anywhere in the U.S. Find places to drop-off your old cell phone or other items, get directions and find out what else they accept.
• GoodGuide:  Use this app to find out what’s in 75,000 common household products.  Reviewers praise the level of detail in the GoodGuide database as well as its ease of use.
• Green Gas Saver: This app tracks your driving habits and warns you through gauges and sounds if you accelerate too quickly or take a turn too hard. The app saves your score from each trip to help you improve over time. It’s a good way to become a better driver overall, in addition to saving on fuel costs. 
• Greenpeace Tissue Guide: Research brands of consumer paper products to find the greenest tissues, paper towels, and toilet paper.
• GreenGenie:  If you need ideas for how to be more green, try this app as it suggests more than 100 eco action to tackle.  It also includes a glossary on green terms and educational sustainability sources.  
• Green Outlet  tries to predict your electric bill and carbon footprint based on what appliances you use.
• Farmers Market Finder:  This app is similar to the Locavore app, which helps you find local farmers markets. However, this app does a little extra legwork and not only tells you where farmers markets are, but also tells you where you can find CSAs, pick-your-own gardens/orchards, and open markets. It also provides up-to-date information on weather cancellations and parking information.  
• EcoCharge: Wonderful app designed to help you stop doing overcharging your mobile device by alerting you when your phone’s battery is completely charged. 
• Green Square: Foursquare for Greenies You've heard of Foursquare, now there is Green Square!  If you recall, Foursquare is a combination of micro-blogging (like Twitter), and GPS geocaching (finding places) and by using your smartphone, you 'check in' with the Foursquare website, publish your physical location, and write a quick review about the restaurant or pub or coffee shop you are visiting.  Well Foursquare just got a little greener with Green Square.   For those living a sustainable lifestyle, it's natural to want to spread the good word of local green businesses, non profits, and green events.  By checking in at sustainable businesses offering green products and services, you are putting those businesses on the map, introducing those businesses to friends, as well as supporting for these businesses with your financial dollar. 
• Have an iPad? Check out 13 Awesome Green-Themed Apps For Your New iPad

What is Karma?   Karma is a Sanskrit word that means "action." Karma has commonly been considered a punishment for past bad actions, but karma is neither judge nor jury. Rather, it is simply the universal law of cause and effect that says every thought, word and act carries energy into the world and affects our present reality. From a sustainability viewpoint, how does karma apply?  Many argue that business is best used as a vehicle to not only aid in solving today's environmental challenges, but also to help create a better world.

If so, then How do business leaders walk the delicate art of transitioning to more sustainable business strategies?  When you think about it, the requirements to maintain a sustainable business today are quite different than they were just ten years ago.   Companies on the leading edge are evaluating the economic, social and environmental impacts that will ultimately affect profitability.  Green business practices are becoming more and more the norm, as companies both large and small realize the value of integrating eco awareness and sustainability concepts into their operations and business strategies.   

For example, many organizations are developing strategies to reduce emissions.  These organizations are proactively implementing process improvements and new technologies to add value and reduce risk.  By focusing on and applying resources to a broad concept, a company can drill-down to more detailed sustainable actions to address:

•    Office Building Energy Consumption – evaluating the average energy use per square foot of office space and implementing best practices to reduce: energy consumption studies, efficiency practices, equipment modifications, etc.

•    Operations Efficiency – incorporating energy efficient process into their daily operations, evaluating peak hour consumption, and decreasing off-hour usage.

•    Supply Chain Efficiency: creating integrated processes with suppliers to improve communication, ensure common sustainable processes, and increase energy efficiency.

Masterful companies recognize that business sustainability is a mind-set change that should be consistent and in alignment with organizational commitment and continuous improvement efforts already in place within the company.  The critical elements to affective implementation include: executive leadership, consistent action, clear communication, and stakeholder engagement.

While eco awareness is important, demonstrating sustainability values through eco action is key.  "Like a beautiful flower that is colorful but has no fragrance, even well spoken words bear no fruit in one who does not put them into practice."  ~ Dhammapada, Sayings of the Buddha, Pali Cannon

“The creation of a thousand forest in one acorn.”  Emerson, Ralph Waldo

Climb a tree - it gets you closer to heaven. ~Author Unknown 

"He who plants a tree, Plants a hope. ~Lucy Larcom  

Inspired yet?  We are! At Taiga Company, it's hard to contain enthusiasm in celebrating Arbor Day.  Why? Inspired by the taiga, that's where our sustainability consulting practice got our name!  

Taiga, pronounced, tahy-guh is a biome that stretches across a large portion of Canada, Europe, and Asia.  The taiga is truly vast in extent; in fact, it makes up 27 percent of the world's total forest and occupies 11 percent of the land area of the Northern Hemisphere.  What is most impressive is the taiga's immense oxygen production literally changes the atmosphere and refreshes the plant.  It is this inspiration that I founded and named Taiga Company.  The continuous renewal that the taiga offers our planet has shaped our company vision to drive similar change in the business world.  

Celebrating Arbor Day offers an opportunity to share our appreciation for what our trees do for us.  Trees are the earth’s oldest living organisms. They improve air and water quality; reduce heating and cooling costs; provide a cool and beautiful place to live, work and play; are a renewable source of fuel, shelter, food and other products and provide benefits that directly affect the economic, environmental and social health of people and the communities where they live.   "Trees outstrip most people in the extent and depth of their work for the public good."  Sara Ebenreck, American Forests  

Celebrated on the last Friday in April, Arbor Day was founded by J. Sterling Morton in 1872 and is a United States national celebration that encourages the planting and care of trees.  Founded with the same sustainable mindset many of us share today, J. Sterling Morton saw a greater value in planting a tree than from its removal in the farm lands of Nebraska.  Arbor Day is a nationally-celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and care and there are several ways to get involved and take eco actions.  

• Plant a tree! Learn which trees are best in your area and techniques to plant
• Make a donation to the American Forest
• Spread eco awareness by sending a customized e-card to your friends and family for your local Arbor Day
• Discover what kind of tree you are! Take the fun quick, "Take Your Hortiscope Quiz" from Timberland to find out. 
• Download the Celebrate Arbor Day Guidebook 
• Save a tree and go paperless for the entire day or weekend. 
• Share with a friend what inspires you most about green living. 

Not only as sustainability consultants but also as avid nature enthusiasts, we are always inspired by sustainability concepts, personal action, and business direction that support the world’s forest.  So on this very special day of the year, we are overjoyed as our love of trees is celebrated across the United States in the observance of Arbor Day.

As the world continuously adapts to shifting expectations for more sustainable business practices and end products, executives are feeling the need to redirect their resources or sharpen their innovation strategies.  In our professional consulting, we see leading businesses shifting the emphasis of their research and development to include less conventional sources of inspiration.  But from were where will the next breakthrough come? 

The Forbes Magazine post, Reverse Innovation and the Myth of Cannibalization, examines the traditional challenges of low cost idea generation in the corporate world.  Describing how innovation typically trickles down from highly funded sources, new research may now reveal that personal and business sustainability concepts may actually be breaking this top-down mold. 

“We are likely to see the reverse innovation phenomenon in a wide range of industries such as ultra-low-cost transportation, renewable energy, clean water, micro finance, affordable health, low-cost housing, and many others.” -Vijay Govindarajan, Professor of International Business at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business

Through our direct engagement with companies and business leaders seeking to inspire and motivate sustainable action in their organization, we find business stakeholders as a valued source for new ideas. Our professional consulting works with clients to step outside of the confines of the business to leverage employee, supplier, and end consumer thinking. In doing so, sustainability concepts naturally find their way into the new developments within the company.

At Taiga Company, our business sustainability programs are tailored towards the encouragement of business sustainability, innovation, and expanded eco awareness as an asset of the organization - particularly through stakeholder engagement. Contact us to learn how your business can leverage social media engagement to tap into the reverse innovation occurring around the globe.

"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; If you can dream it, you can become it." ~ William Arthur Ward

What do you imagine for yourself?  Is there something you dream of becoming or doing?  In as much as Earth Day is a calling for eco actions, it is also a source of renewed inspiration.  We talk about renewable energy, innovative sustainable business strategies, and employee engagement but at the essence of it all is a quality of human inspiration.  Inspiration in which each of us connect with and renew our spirit is what enables us all to powerfully live our values of sustainability.

For us at Taiga Company, our inspiration is found in nature - and especially so from the view of two wheels.  Also, knows as bicycles.  We call it green cycling and we celebrated Earth Day 2012 by participating in the first race of the Rocky Mountain Endurance Series. The series opened its mountain bike racing season at Lake Pueblo State Park with an estimated 650 riders racing the 66 miles long course that took riders along the state park’s arroyos, single track and bluffs over looking Lake Pueblo, Colorado.

When the connection is made between the natural environment and the actions taken to support the environment, it becomes even easier to continue and expand upon that type of lifestyle.  Hence, one of the reasons we love riding our bikes through natural environments.  

Leading by example, we find the easiest way to promote a sustainable lifestyle to others is by sharing with friends, neighbors, and in the community.  Enjoy the views taken from our Earth Day delight and see if you aren't inspired to go for a stroll!  

Much of the popular text and research reveals that a common characteristic among sustainable organizations is an ability to effectively manage the flow of information across key business stakeholder relationships.  In fact, our sustainability consulting finds that the true business sustainability differentiators are those who understand and effectively manage their supplier and customer relationships.  The question then becomes: How do companies balance growing needs with increasing risk?

In a recent study conducted by CFO Research Services in collaboration with professional consulting services firm Crowe Horwath LLP, the research concludes that third-party relationships are becoming a permanent fixture on the corporate landscape.  With more than half of respondents seeking third party support, there is recognition of increasing business sustainability risk.  

Referring back to our own professional consulting study on the topic, we leverage the post, 3 Pronged Approach to Mitigate Supply Chain Risk with Sustainability.  This text offers guidance on managing risk in the supply chain.  Focused on how organizations can take a more proactive approach, we study a structured three-prong framework to sustainable supply chain risk mitigation.  Key components of this comprehensive advice include:

• Look Beyond the Obvious – Some organizations focus on mitigating risks that are palpable and overlook less-obvious ones.

• Expect the Unexpected – Organizational risk-management plans may deal with known or suspected risks but fail to provide a comprehensive overview of the risks inherent within the supply chain. 

• Practice to Be Perfect – Some risk-management plans are contained neatly in binders and placed on shelves. That doesn’t mean those responsible for implementing these strategies are aware of the origin, likelihood, and severity of risk that exists. Effectively planning for risk requires full disclosure of risks, and all risk-mitigating and contingent actions that may be required, to all who will have to perform such actions. 

Our professional consulting has observed how many leading companies are now realizing the unique value of elevating sustainable supply chain management as a strategic in-house competency.  This evolved perspective is just the beginning of expanded eco awareness and reform in global supply. We believe visibility, engagement, and stakeholder alignment will drive sustainable business practices and begin to address 3rd party risk in the supply chain.

Do you know your waste and recycling facts? 

• The average American office worker uses about 500 disposable cups every year. 
• Every year, Americans throw away enough paper and plastic cups, forks, and spoons to circle the equator 300 times.
• Every year, Americans use approximately 1 billion shopping bags, creating 300,000 tons of landfill waste.
• Plastic bags do not biodegrade. Light breaks them down into smaller and smaller particles that contaminate the soil and water and are expensive and difficult to remove.
• Less than 1 percent of plastic bags are recycled each year. Recycling one ton of plastic bags costs $4,000. The recycled product can be sold for $32.
• Consumers in North America and Europe waste about 209 to 253 pounds of food per person every year. The USDA says the average person in the U.S. eats 4.7 pounds of food per day. So that means the amount of food we each waste in the U.S. per year would feed us for about one and a half to two months (44 to 54 days to be exact). 

Shocked by the statistics?  As Earth Day approaches, many are looking for eco actions that can be taken not just on Earth Day, but every day.  Living a zero waste lifestyle is one path to consider.  

Within our eco friendly training we share the intention behind a zero waste lifestyle is to maximize recycling, minimizes waste, reduce consumption and ensures that products are made to be reused, repaired or recycled back into nature or the marketplace.

A quick start to set you on your personal sustainability plan on waste reduction will not only reduce waste, but save you money as well.  But what does reducing waste mean?  When you avoid making garbage in the first place, you eliminate the disposing of waste or recycling it later.  It's the first component of the sustainability concept of the three R's: reduce, reuse, and recycle.  

Ready to get started but now sure where to begin?  Check out your garbage!  Your garbage gives you clues as to how to reduce waste, save money, and live a more sustainable lifestyle.  

Clue #1: 

This is an easy one.  If you look in your garbage and notice paper, plastic, aluminum, kitchen waste and more all combined together, then your first step towards building a personal sustainability program is to embrace the sustainability concept of recycle.  Separate the paper, plastics, glass, and aluminum into bins and begin a recycling program.  

Clue #2:

Inspect the paper and plastic in your garbage.  Are the paper products you are using made from recycled content?  Do you receive a lot of junk mail? Are you using reusable containers?  What kind of garbage bags do you use?  Take eco action and make a difference.  Address each area and explore ways to reduce your waste as well as make more environmentally friendly choices.  

Following are some suggestions from our eco friendly training classes: 

Reduce Food Waste: 

• Pre plan your meals, buy in bulk, and prepare what you need.
• Compost and turn your old food into healthy soil.

Reduce when you shop and shop with the environment in mind: 

• Purchase products that are returnable, reusable or refillable.  Use reusable and refillable containers in your home instead of disposable items.
• Purchase products with the least amount of packaging.
• Get the most out of what you buy by comparing warranties and cost to repair or replace the item.
• Look for products designed with the environment in mind.  Organic clothing, sustainable furnishings, and solar powered products are just a few examples.
• Rent or borrow instead of purchasing.  Check out the post, Buy or Barter? Best Trading Websites for ideas.

Reduce items at home: 

• Reduce paper consumption- go paperless.  In fact, try using technology to go paperless. 
• Find new life for old furnishings, appliances and clothes.

By evaluating the contents of your garbage, there exist the opportunity to make more sustainable purchase choices, to reduce your waste, and to modify behavior to support the environment - not just for Earth Day, but everyday!      

"Sow a thought, and you reap an act. Sow an act, and you reap a habit, and you reap a character. Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.” Charles Reade

Habits are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously, without one directly thinking consciously about them.    In the world of personal sustainability plans, this unconscious display of habits is a fertile ground of opportunity offering low hanging fruit for eco action.    

The gap between awareness and action may represent the single largest opportunity for global sustainability progress.  While historical efforts have focused on expanding awareness, the recent explosion of information and global interest indicates that the “word is out” on most major issues.   The next step is closing the growing gap between knowledge and personal action.  

To improve in a specific area or program, the process of increasing awareness will yield improvements.  The same applies to living a sustainable lifestyle.  Most of us recognize that change can be tricky:  habits and convenience make it far easier to slip back into the comfortable way of doing things.  However, implementing effective sustainable change does not have to be a laboring process.  The key is conscious awareness.  

Awareness is the tool used to help discover the personal patterns of behavior that offer low hanging fruit for a sustainable lifestyle.  For instance, are you aware of your habits related to energy?  Consider how and when you consume the most energy in your day?  How could you be more efficient? What inspiring eco actions could you take?  

Conscious awareness is key to sparking the eco awareness in a personal sustainability program.  As noted in our eco friendly training, following are aids to assist in raising awareness: 

• Consciously notice what is most inspiring to you about living green and take eco action in those areas.
• Notice your current patterns and invoke curiosity as to which eco actions would be a sustainable substitute.
• Applaud your efforts: small changes add up.  In fact, daily habits have the most impact.
• Observe how new changes become the new habit/ norm.
• Momentum brings visibility to previously inaccessible ideas and behaviors.
• Gain speed: There is ease in taking more eco action.
• Inspire by living the example.

Each day we are presented with opportunities to expand our eco awareness and make informed choices.  The trick to capitalizing on those opportunities is being aware.  Conscious awareness offers us the opportunity to make changes that are inspiring and manageable relative our current life and the process of incorporating sustainability becomes much easier.  Having resources, tips, and ideas accessible makes it easier to keep sustainability top of mind.  Which ones resonate with you?   

• 10 Ways to Green your Cubicle
• I Recycle. You Recycle. We all Recycle.
• What is Your Sustainability IQ? 
• Green Home Office Basics  
• Smart Cycling 
• What Does Sustainability Mean to You?
• Eco Recourses to Gear Up for Bike to Work Week

Remember, every eco action adds up.  Your eco actions matter.  Together, we can all make positive change in our world. Happy Earth Day 2012! 

Oftentimes we associate our business sustainability consulting practice to that of a garden.  We plant the seeds of sustainability concepts as we counsel business leaders and employees on the how's and why's of business sustainability.  A combination of factors makes it such that taking eco action is not always a first priority or it may not be "the right time."  As a result, we frequently find our social media engagement and sustainability consulting to be much like a gardener planting and nourishing seeds with intentions of sprouting eco awareness in others.

We believe by giving others the freedom to explore and discover the value of sustainability concepts, it fertilizes the foundation for sustainability concepts to germinate and fosters eco actions to come.   Sustainability and social media together offer a refreshing and innovative approach to business. But, can social media be a catalyst for green businesses?  At Taiga Company, we think so!  By building strategic relationships with key influencers of sustainability in the social space, we all create and empower sustainability and its mainstream adoption.  Here's how you can build strategic relationships for your sustainable business too: 

1. Identify key influencers - select a handful of sustainability professionals for social media or key leaders in the space.  
2. Connect - follow, like, subscribe to their social media streams and platforms.
3. Engage - show your support by retweeting, commenting on blog post, and liking Facebook updates.
4. Social - introduce others to key influencers, share mutual interest whether that be a resource, website, blog, or topic of interest.
5. Promote: offer to interview a key influencer.  Or, review their book, product or event.   
6. Comment - offer feedback, honest opinions, or additional viewpoints.

Because sustainability concepts and definitions are still subject to interpretation and debate, the ‘active’ engagement and dialog with key influencers cannot be overlooked when building effective business sustainability programs and a social media marketing strategy. The propagation of sustainable information to effectively communicate business sustainability successes is becoming a more active dialog.  Find your voice! Connect and engage in the green twitterverse! 

Want to go green but just don't know where to start?  Well, great news!  You don't have to be a fantastic to live green and you can get started today.  Going green isn't an all or nothing approach -just a simple transition into making better choices that help our planet as well as our pocket books!  In fact, if you think about your life now, there are probably many eco actions that you are already taking. 

In our sustainability consulting, we like to offer fun challenges to our clients to see how many green things they can do in a day.  Wondering what simple actions you can do today to go green?  Enjoy the following list of eco ations designed to bring eco awareness to your daily living and help support living a sustainable lifestyle.  How many eco actions can you do today?  This weekend? 

1. Go for a hike in the woods.
2. Discover how much land area it takes to support your lifestyle with Global Footprint Network
3. Have a picnic.
4. Take the kids to the park.
5. Visit a museum -There are lots of free museums and many others take a donation.
6. Work on an arts and craft project.
7. Go paperless for the entire day.
8. Watch this video on recycling and see how these recycling tips make a big difference in saving our environment while creating green jobs in the process. 
9. Check out fun online games that challenge your eco-socio-political skills.
10. Look around your home and office and unplug seldom used appliances.
11. Learn ways to recycle your junk.
12. Eat an organic meal or purchase some fruits and veggies from a local farmer's market and compost your vegetable scraps.
13. Do some bird watching.
14. Go for a bike ride.
15. Roller blade, Run, Ski, exercise outdoors. 
16. Visit the zoo.
17. Go camping - enjoy the US National Parks system.
18. Apply the 3 R’s to your closet: reduce by removing clothes you no longer wear, reuse and recycle by donating to a local clothing donation.
19. Visit a street fair.
20. Bake organic goodies.
21. Make a birdhouse.
22. Stroll through a public garden. 
23. Work on your own garden. 
24. Take advantage of local cultural events.
25. Clean out your house and have a garage sale.
26. Discover what can be recycled and what cannot!  Can you recycle paint? Hair? Crayons?  Find out here.  Better yet, discover recycling centers near your home by visiting Earth911.
27. Discover the rewarding sensation of volunteering in your community.  Not sure where to start?  VisitVolunteerMatch and enter your zip code and area of interest to find a perfect volunteer match.
28. Discover cycling as part of a sustainable lifestyle and as a rewarding personal adventure. 
29. Take the The 7 Day Green Power Pledge
30. Subscribe to the Taiga Company newsletter or blog.
31. Pick up litter you see as you are walking on the sidewalk.
32. Turn the lights off after someone else has forgotten as they left the room.
33. Collect scrap office paper and bring it to the recycling center.
34. Treat a friend to organic fare at a local sustainable restaurant.
35. Share your favorite green blog with friends….hint…Taiga blog.
36. Volunteer to clean up the break room and use eco friendly cleaning supplies.
37. Feed the birds from a park bench or feeder.
38. Adopt a pet from your local animal shelter.
39. Donate a bag of organic coffee and share with your office.
40. Make a contribution to your favorite charity.
41. Notice and compliment the sustainable efforts other are doing.
42. As Bill Keane said, “A hug is like a boomerang - you get it back right away". Share the green love with a friend- inspire them to eco action. 
43. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook for sustainability related news and information.
44. Enjoy getting outside - reconnect with nature and re-discover the joy and appreciation that nature calls forth from each of us.  That inspiration is the fuel that propels us towards living sustainably in our lives and our communities.
45. Reduce your personal emissions.  Not sure how? Read: 5 Easy Online Tools to Reduce Personal Emissions 

Have any fun eco tips to add to the list?  

As global expectations for ‘sustainable’ businesses practices continue to intensify, many companies are beginning to view business sustainability as a key component of their long-term business planning process.  In addition, our sustainability consulting finds that executives are embracing a more comprehensive definition of business sustainability.  They are closing the traditional gap between business planning and corporate action through effective stakeholder engagement and business sustainability alignment.  As we follow these actions, we find ourselves asking: What are the keys to effective communication?

Explained in the Strategic Sourceror post, How to Become an Effective Communicator, being able to effectively communicate is a vital aspect for success.  Further offering great insight on the subject, the author offers tips to consider:

• Get personal:  Understanding what is valuable to those you are working will guide you to make better decisions on their behalf or when relating to them.

• Get specific:  Simple and concise is always better than complicated and confusing.

• Focus on the leave-behinds not the take-aways:  While we participate in events to gather information from the other party, we also want to ensure that both parties leave the conversation with a clear concept of what the end goal was at that instance as well as what is next to come. 

• Have an open mind:  Simply put, do not enter into communications guarded or with too many pre-conceived notions..

• Replace ego with empathy:  There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance so tread lightly. 

• Read between the lines:  The most effective communicator can absorb subtle hints of inspiration simply by having a heightened awareness. 

• Speak to groups as individuals:  Tailoring your message to the audience as best you can in any situation involves knowing something about the audience and what they are expecting from you.

Evidence has shown that stakeholder engagement is critical to a company’s ability to capitalize on its eco awareness, product stewardship, reputation, and overall business sustainability.   In addition, the rise of social media has led companies to form new relationships with their stakeholders.  Stakeholders are increasingly looking for authentic, transparent, two-way communication with organizations. Taiga Company’s professional consulting can help your business extract increased value from its stakeholders by enabling your communications with social media strategies.

Spring into Eco Action with Earth Day & Bike Month Sharing the Green Love!  Earth Day Resources ~ Blogs we Love SustainAbility CSR for HR ValueStreaming Guardian Sustainabililty blog Strategic Sustainability blog  Earth Day Education ~ Websites we Love  Earth Day Network Earth911 GoodGuide Center for Climate Change and Solutions Carbon Disclosure Project Earth Day Leaders ~ Corporate Blogs SAP Intel  IBM Earth Day 2012  Earth Day Wishes ~ What are yours? At Taiga Company, we make Earth Day everyday by inspiring others to eco action. Reflecting on the words of Nelson Mandela, "As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."  This Earth Day, be creative! LIve bold! Commit to eco action - live your green dreams inspiring others to do the same. As an Earth Day Special, our recently launched, Social Media for Sustainability Professionals online course, is offered with a coupon! Why? As consumers, employees, businesses, communities, and non government organizations increasingly question business actions on climate change, they want to see transparent, more credible information on the responsible actions companies are taking to address their social and environmental impacts. Social media is a medium that offers transparent, always on engagement facilitating the probation of sustainability communications.   Get the details here!

The easiest ways to promote sustainability include leading by example and sharing in community.  

We invite you to subscribe to the Taiga Company newsletter.  Why subscribe? 

• You get a free download: SME Green Office: From the Inside Out.
• You get green inspiration to live a sustainable lifestyle.
• You get advanced notice of new products and services.
• You get tips, tricks, and ideas for advancing business sustainability.
• You get the latest and greatest articles delivered in your inbox.
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Join us! Subscribe here! 

If you think about it, everything we do every day has an impact on our planet.  Not everyone was raised with eco awareness, so why and when does it start becoming important?  Speaking from experience as a sustainability consultant, I've learned that some families go green because of their children or because it saves money.  Living a sustainable lifestyle may be influenced by one's stage in life or maybe it's because it's Earth Day and you've made a choice to make a positive impact.  

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd.  As that day draws closer, perhaps a little history lesson to start?  

Earth Day was first conceived by Sen. Gaylord Nelson in the early 1960s. Nelson worried that environmental issues were not being addressed in the political arena. In his conservation efforts, Nelson organized a nationwide grassroots demonstration in the spring of 1970, to further promote conservation involvement and awareness.   Support for and interest in the activity was immense and the 1970 demonstration became the first official Earth Day. The first Earth Day helped inspire the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts. 

Facts about Earth 

•    Earth's surface area is approximately 196,935,000 square miles.

•    It is made up of approximately 70% ocean.

•    Land mass is approximately 30%.

•    Circumference is 24,901.5 miles.

•    The lowest point is the Dead Sea at 1,302 feet below sea level.

•    The highest point is Mount Everest at 29,028 above sea level.

•    The Earth's diameter is approximately 8,000 miles.

•    Water is 3% fresh and 97% salt water.

•    Earth will travel 1.6 million miles in its annual journey around the Sun, the 4.6-billionth such round-trip. It will rotate about its axis exactly once.

•    The Sun will travel 13.5 million miles around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Here's where my interest in eco awareness and living a sustainable lifestyle kick in:

•    Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to watch a TV for three hours - its equivalent to half a gallon of gasoline.

•    Never underestimate the importance of recycling: if every newspaper was recycled, we could save about 250,000,000 trees each year. Unfortunately only 27% of all American newspapers are recycled.

•    More than 20,000,000 Hershey's Kisses are wrapped each day, using 133 square miles of tinfoil. All that foil is recyclable, but not many people realize it.

Now that you've read some facts about Earth Day and our Earth, how do you plan to take eco action?  Visit the Earth Day website and pledge your acts of green.