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We Americans have been trampling each other to death on Black Friday for decades. We're constantly reminded that stores will open One hour earlier this year! A growing number of retailers are even extending that mantra to Thanksgiving, an annual holiday intended to bring families and friends together to celebrate gratitude.

But as online sales continue to trump Black Friday door-busters -- and Americans grow even more hungry for companies with a conscience -- the trend of hunting for discounts on Thanksgiving week may be in decline.

Picking up on this shift, forward-thinking companies are taking a stand against the overconsumption surrounding Thanksgiving. Read on for their stories.

1. REI

Outdoor gear co-op REI made waves last year with its plans to close stores, headquarters and distribution centers on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Instead the company paid its 12,000 employees to do what they love to do most — be outdoors.

REI invited the nation to join team members outside -- and they responded in a big way. Users quickly began to use the #OptOutside hashtag on social media and share ways to ditch the mall and get outdoors.

This year, REI's #OptOutside movement is even bigger. More than 475 organizations are already involved in promoting the campaign, ranging from local nonprofits to the U.S. Parks Service. State parks across the country plan to waive entry fees. And even the U.S. Department of Interior tweeted with the hashtag and offered a resource guide on ways to #OptOutside.

REI is planning its own twist on #OptOutside for 2016. In partnership with Subaru, the outdoor gear giant is encouraging dog owners to head outside with their best friends to benefit charity. Simply share a photo of you and your pup using the hashtags #OptOutside and #MakeADogsDay, and Subaru will make a donation to the ASPCA.

The company will also link up with Google to support nonprofits in Austin and Seattle, among several other partnerships aimed at boosting outdoor enthusiasm. Check out the company's resource page for ways to #OptOutside.

2. Patagonia

Many say it was Patagonia that first started the anti-overconsumption trend surrounding Thanksgiving and Black Friday. In 2011, it shocked shoppers by taking out a full-page ad in the New York Times with the message “Don’t Buy This Jacket” emblazoned over its best-selling coat. The brazen ad asked shoppers to "buy less and to reflect before you spend a dime on this jacket or anything else.”

Patagonia will close on Thanksgiving and stay open on Black Friday. But this year the outdoor gear favorite plans to up the sustainability ante: It will give 100 percent of global sales on Nov. 25 to grassroots environmental organizations. That includes all retail locations, as well as Patagonia.com. The company will also promote these groups in stores and online to help customers learn more and get involved.

Every day Patagonia gives back to the planet by donating 1 percent of global sales to environmental grassroots groups, totaling $74 million to date. "But during this difficult and divisive time, it is important that we come together and #LoveOurPlanet," Rose Marcario, president and CEO of Patagonia, said in a press statement this week.

"This we know: If we don’t act boldly, severe changes in climate, water and air pollution, extinction of species, and erosion of topsoil are certain outcomes," Marcario said. "The threats facing our planet affect people of every political stripe, of every demographic, in every part of the country. We all stand to benefit from a healthy environment — and our children and grandchildren do, too."

3. Outdoor Research

Fellow outdoor apparel company Outdoor Research took a particular shine to REI's #OptOutside campaign and decided to jump on board. The company, along with other forward-thinking outdoor companies like Burton and prAna, are taking things a step further this year by officially partnering REI to promote outdoor recreation on Black Friday.

Outdoor Research will use its social media network to promote #OptOutside and also plans to leverage those shares into funds for the adaptive sports nonprofit Paradox Sports. For every outdoor photo shared on Instagram with the hashtags #OptOutside and #OutdoorResearch, the company will donate $10 to Paradox Sports — up to $5,000. Paradox Sports provides outdoor adventure experiences for people with physical disabilities. You can make an additional donation here.

4. BJ's Wholesale Club

BJ's Wholesale Club will close its 214 stores this Thanksgiving for the 10th year in a row. "We want our team members and members to enjoy time with family and friends on Thanksgiving," Chris Baldwin, president and CEO of BJ's Wholesale Club, said in a press statement. All locations will be open on Black Friday.

5. DSW Shoe Warehouse

It doesn't make a huge deal about it, but discount shoe retailer DSW traditionally keeps its stores closed on Thanksgiving. Last year it gave nod to the practice with a heartwarming post on Facebook:

 

This year's announcement is a bit more straightforward, but the end message is the same:

6. GameStop

Video games are always high on Americans' holiday shopping lists. But popular gaming retailer GameStop first closed up shop on Thanksgiving back in 2014. It was also shuttered last year, and plans to keep the tradition going.

All of its nearly 4,000 U.S. retail locations, headquarters, refurbishment center and two distribution centers will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. In a news release sent out in October, the company encouraged other retailers to do the same.

"We love retail and serving our customers, but we are even more passionate about one of our core values: Protecting the Family," Mike Buskey, executive vice president and president of U.S. stores for GameStop, said in a statement. "We believe strongly that our associates are the heart of our company and they and our customers should have the opportunity to spend the Thanksgiving holiday relaxing with family and friends, and not worrying where to find the best shopping deals.

 

"This year, we are encouraging those retailers who plan to be open on Thanksgiving Day, to join GameStop and the other retailers who have announced they will be closed on this family holiday."

7. hhgregg

Appliances, electronics and furniture retailer hhgregg plans to shutter its 220 stores on Thanksgiving. And last week, the company announced it would do its staff one better by giving a free turkey to each employee in partnership with Butterball and Andretti Autosport.

Bob Riesbeck, president and CEO of hhgregg, said picking up the tab for employees' Thanksgiving dinners simply seemed like the right thing to do when considering the company's core values.

"Providing our employees and customers the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with their families was a great start, but I thought we could, and should, do more for our employees," Riesbeck said in a press statement. "In keeping with our family-first culture, we wanted to make an additional contribution to our employees' holiday dinners to show appreciation for their hard work and dedication each and every day."

8. Costco

In 2014, Costco told ThinkProgress why it remains closed on Thanksgiving. A spokesperson for the shopping club told the outlet its employees "work especially hard during the holiday season, and we simply believe that they deserve the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with their families." Nice. The company plans to continue the tradition this year.

 

9. Publix

Grocery chain Publix first announced plans to stay closed on Thanksgiving in a 2011 Facebook post:

The company plans to remain closed this year, too.

10. TJX

TJX, the company behind discount retailers T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods, plans to shutter its nearly 2,700 stores on Thanksgiving again this year. In a statement to 24/7 Wall St., a company spokesperson said the company will stay closed to allow employees to spend time with family and friends.

Bonus: States hope to inspire #GreenFriday

In a further sign that Black Friday may be on the decline, California is hoping a new tradition will catch on. The Save the Redwoods League, California State Parks and the California State Parks Foundation are teaming up to provide first-come, first-serve free passes to 116 state parks for a "#GreenFriday" event, Mashable reported last week.

Several other states are also opening parks for free on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, although without the hashtag. (Yeah, California, you're that guy.)

Colorado will offer free entry to all 42 of its state parks on Black Friday. Michigan will do the same, and it specifically cited the "nationwide #OptOutside movement started by camping cooperative REI" as the catalyst, the Detroit Free Press reported last week. New Mexico, Oregon, Minnesota, Deleware and Kansas, among others, also plan to open their parks for free on Black Friday.

“More than 1.8 million people are planning to #OptOutside with us on Black Friday. It’s amazing to see so many park systems join in the movement to give Americans even more ways to connect with our country’s inspiring outdoor places. We are grateful for the park stewards and professionals who make the outdoor American experience so vibrant,” Jerry Stritzke, REI’s CEO and president, said in a statement.

Check out this resource page from REI to find out if your state parks are offering free entry this Friday.

Image credits: 1) REI 2) hhgregg via PRNewswire (press use only)

We often hear about the two Americas that defined this country over the past 20 years, as in the blue Northeast and West Coast separated by a sea of red in the middle and the South. But the truth is that any divides between Americans are not just political. The renewed urbanization in the U.S. also contributes to a massive economic divide. Wealthier citizens are now living in city centers and older suburbs, driving up real estate prices, while poorer (and often non-white) residents are moving to the exurbs and even rural areas, far from where they work.

The trends can be seen everywhere, from New York to D.C. to Los Angeles. But the San Francisco Bay Area is arguably becoming the most economically and culturally segregated metropolitan region in the U.S.

The definition of the Bay Area was once literal, but now it includes far-flung towns such as Los Banos, Modesto, Vacaville and Stockton, as more residents move farther out in their search for more affordable housing. With San Jose being the first city in the country to have a median home value over $1 million, the odds are high the entire region’s housing crisis will only become worse.

The results will be an area less diverse as it becomes less affordable. And in a world where much work can be done virtually, the long-term threats to Silicon Valley’s heft will grow as plenty of other cities offer both talent and a reasonable cost of living, from Reno to Eugene to Huntsville.

On that point, Urban Habitat, an advocacy group that represents low-income communities and people of color, issued a report highlighting what it says are growing inequities between the richer coastal counties and more remote and inland counties.

In a nutshell, Northern California has seen an ongoing exodus of black and Latino residents to rural areas since 2000. Many of these residents moved out of San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and their adjacent suburbs to remote areas in Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. The trend unfolded for years, as workers in sectors such as retail, foodservice and healthcare moved farther east.

The foreclosure crisis of 2007-2009, however, accelerated this demographic shift. And counties such as Solano, Stanislaus and Sonoma saw an increase in renter-occupied units. And while poverty in the Bay Area has overall decreased since 2000, several pockets in the region’s outermost reaches saw an increase in the local poverty rate. The roster reads like a list of what were once thought of as small country towns: Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Dixon and Antioch.

Urban Habitat offers plenty of data to back up its conclusion that far too many people are being squeezed out of the Bay Area housing market. The long-term implications are disturbing, as the reality is that many of the region’s profitable companies -- along with their high-income employees -- are also reliant on lower-earning workers for both their continued success and way of life. Whether they are the employees who do much of the grunt work for these companies and their contractors, or people who provide services for their families in the healthcare, education and child care sectors, there is no way the Bay Area’s economy in the can continue to rely on many of its workers spending up to four hours a day in a car or on a bus or train.

So, what are the solutions? The call for rent-control measures have caught fire across the Bay Area as local media reports of jacked-up rents and evictions stoked anger and pulled at heart strings. The problem with rent control, however, is that while it provides a safety net for those who are already living in this high-priced region, most economists agree that such laws do little, even nothing, to expand the pool of affordable housing for residents who lack it.

In the meantime, a region that prides itself on “diversity” will have a hard time finding people with whom to celebrate it as more residents give up on the struggle and just move away.

A patchwork of affordable housing programs are available, from San Francisco to Santa Clara. But demand far exceeds supply – and of course, that term “affordable” is relative. Living-wage ordinances are gaining momentum, but landing a $15-an-hour job will not make it any easier to even find a room to rent. A reform of the service industry could help make the Bay Area a more humane place for those earning lower wages. But until more aggressive tactics are taken to address the Bay Area’s housing problem, look for more residents to move to the San Joaquin Valley – and traffic to become even worse.

Image credit: Walter Parenteau

The Australian government has ambitious plans to protect the Great Barrier Reef, but it could do more, says a former government official.

The former head of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) is calling for a halt on the construction of new coal mines in Australia to prevent further damage to the reef. Graeme Kelleher served for 16 years as the first chairperson and chief executive of the GBRMPA, a government organization.

“Australia cannot have a healthy Great Barrier Reef and a continuing coal industry,” Kelleher said in a statement. “This year was a wake-up call for everyone that Australia has to step up when it comes to protecting the Reef and a ban on new coal mines would be a necessary first step.”

The call to halt new coal construction comes days after the climate talks closed in Marrakesh, Morocco. The Australian government faces a Dec. 1 deadline to report back to UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee about its handling of the Great Barrier Reef’s health. The Australian government claimed in September that it made good progress in protecting the Great Barrier Reef during the last year. But 22 percent of the Reef’s coral were killed last month from coral bleaching, the worst coral bleaching event in history.

The Great Barrier Reef, along with others, was also affected by a major global coral bleaching event last year. About half of the Great Barrier Reef was affected, and up to 90 percent of the corals are bleached in some individual reefs. Since March 2016, the sea surface temperatures over the northern Great Barrier Reef hovered around 1 degree Celsius above the recent long-term average, and some areas have higher temperatures. The bleaching event is ongoing.

What does the bleaching have to do with coal? Climate change, and the higher temperatures it brings, are the cause of the bleaching. As John Hocevar, Greenpeace U.S. oceans director, told TriplePundit: “Above all, it’s the carbon emissions. Climate change is the biggest threat to coral reefs on the global scale.”

He also spoke to Kelleher's point: “On the one hand, Australia is saying that they are doing all they can to protect the reefs, but on the other hand, they are approving new coal mines. Australia is big on approving and using coal.”

Released in March, the Australian’s government’s Reef 2050 Plan is a joint, self-proclaimed “ambitious” plan by the Australian and Queensland governments to protect the Great Barrier Reef. The Reef contains a maze of smaller reefs and islands that stretch over 2,300 kilometers on the Queensland coast. Its biodiversity is incredibly rich and contains everything from mangroves and seagrasses to coral reefs and open waters.

Both the Australian and Queensland governments will invest $2 billion (Australian) over the next decade. And in 2015, the Australian government announced it will establish a Reef Fund under the Clean Energy Finance Corporation that will provide up to $1 billion (Australian) over 10 years in investment finance for projects in the reef catchment region that provide clean energy, reduce emissions and improve water water quality.

While the Australian government has promised to protect the Reef, it also granted approval to a big expansion of the country’s coal mining last year, including the Carmichael coal mine in Queensland, the world’s largest new coal mine. The Carmichael mine’s annual emissions of 79 million tons of carbon equivalent (C02-e) will be greater than those of Paris, New York City or Tokyo, according to a 2015 report by the Australia Institute. That amount is also comparable to annual emissions from some countries, including Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Austria and Vietnam. It will be the biggest coal mine in Australia’s history, and is expected to produce 4.7 billion tons of CO2-e over its lifetime, which is over 0.50 percent of the world's carbon budget for limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius.

The emissions from the mine will “entirely offset” Australia’s carbon emissions reduction goals. It will also offset four-fifths of Canada’s carbon-reduction goals and half of Japan’s goals.

Image credit: Flickr/Paul Toogood

Poor New Balance is embroiled in a political controversy. It all started when Matt LeBretton, the company’s vice president of public affairs, made pro-Trump comments to the Wall Street Journal. That quickly spread over the Internet, as things tend to do these days, and resulted in some consumers burning their New Balance shoes. LeBretton said, “The Obama administration turned a deaf ear to us and frankly, with President-elect Trump, we feel things are going to move in the right direction.” LeBretton was speaking about the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement. 

Now New Balance is facing more controversy as the Daily Storm, an alt-right website associated with white supremacy, endorsed the company stating in a blog post: “New Balance just became the official shoes of white people.”

New Balance posted a statement on both Instagram and Facebook declaring it “does not tolerate bigotry or hate in any form." It further claimed to be a “a values-driven organization and culture that believes in humanity, integrity, community and mutual respect for people around the world.” The company also clarified that one of its “officials was recently asked to comment on a trade policy that was taken out of context.”

On Facebook it garnered numerous comments, ranging from support to staunch criticism. One man said: “I've worn NB for about 15 years now. It's not cheap but I pay more because you care enough to continue making shoes here. As long as that continues and the quality of the shoe is reflected in the price I pay, you'll continue to have a loyal customer.” Another said: “Say goodbye to another customer. Supporting a bigot just because he opposes TPP doesn't justify turning a blind eye to his attacks on women, minorities, people of color, and people with different religious beliefs. Goodbye.”

But not everyone is burning their New Balance shoes. In the central Maine town of Norridgewock, where the company has a factory, residents are supporting New Balance. One resident told the Bangor Daily News, “We just don’t make much here anymore, but New Balance stuck around.” Town Manager Richard LaBelle said, “In Norridgewock we don’t see New Balance as a company, we see them as a member of the community — a positive, proactive presence.”

New Balance has long been against the TPP, which would lower tariffs on both importing and exporting goods from countries involved in the trade agreement. It’s a law that doesn’t work in favor of a company like New Balance, which manufactures 70 percent of its shoes in the U.S., although it does import many parts and materials from other countries, including Vietnam, one of the countries involved in the TPP. New Balance is trying to make shoes that are 100 percent American-made and invested in machinery to make that happen.

The tariff on shoes imported from Vietnam will be phased out under the TPP, and in the words of NPR, “That is a huge boost to companies that import their shoes.”

New Balance states on its website that it “always has, and always will be, committed to making shoes in the U.S.” and is “proud to be the only major company to make or assemble more than four million pairs of athletic footwear per year in the USA.” As the company said in its statement on Instagram and Facebook, “We have been and always will be committed to manufacturing in the United States.”

New Balance previously stated that it “publicly supported the trade positions of Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump prior to election day that focused on American manufacturing job creation and we continue to support them today," CNN Money reported,

Image credit: Flickr/Satoshi Kobayashi

By Scott Huntington

Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, is no stranger to bold claims or bold moves. One only need take a moment to read up on his proposed high-speed Hyperloop system. It’s a bold idea, but not quite as bold – or world-changing – as his recent claims about a proprietary smart solar roof.

After a shareholders meeting, held to approve a merger between Tesla and SolarCity, Musk revealed something surprising. He consulted with the engineering team and is confident Tesla can provide its solar roof at a lower cost than a traditional roof.

In short, homeowners will be able to install Tesla's solar roof for cheaper than if they installed one using regular materials.

Musk’s words were: “It’s […] promising that a solar roof actually costs less than a normal roof before you even take the value of electricity into account.”

Promising indeed, Musk.

“The basic proposition: ‘Would you like a roof that looks better than a normal roof, last twice as long, cost less and by the way generates electricity’ why […] get anything else?”

How crazy is that?

What’s even crazier, the estimates already factor in the cost of labor and installation. They do not factor in subsidies you could earn for implementing solar technology either.

So, even with labor, the solar roof is still cheaper, and you can earn money and credits through local subsidies.

What is this solar roof he’s talking about?

Thanks to modern advances, Tesla was able to come up with glass tiles that have solar cells embedded inside. These tiles are available in four different types, each with their own unique appearance and style.

The cells inside the glass tiles – manufactured by Panasonic -- are covered in a special coating, dubbed “color louver film." This allows them to be highly efficient while also blending in with the roof. Looking at it, you’d never know the roof was made of solar panels. The glass itself is tempered to make it remarkably durable.

According to Tesla, the cells inside the tiles are 98 percent more efficient than standard cells. This is important, especially in areas of the country where there are fewer hours of viable sunlight during the day. Areas like New England and parts of the Northeastern only get about 4.2 hours of daily solar gain. During those four hours, the system collecting energy needs to be extremely efficient to make them count.

When all is said and done, a roof that is constructed using these tiles should last two to three times longer than a traditional roof.

Ultimately, Tesla’s solar roof – if the claims prove to be true – is more cost efficient on all fronts. The tiles last longer, generate enough energy to lower bills, and installation is inexpensive.

What more could you ask for?

Image credit: Tesla

By Denise McGuigan

Giant sloths. Woolly mammoths. Dinosaurs. History is punctuated by mass extinctions. People may not appreciate we are in the midst of a mass extinction as we speak. Unlike past extinction events, this sixth extinction crisis is not caused by an asteroid impact or an ice age, but rather ... humans.

Anthropogenic activities have caused amplified climate change, invasive species, exploitation of natural resources, disrupted nutrient cycles, and fragmented landscapes and habitats (think: highways and developments). Earth is an interconnected system; when one area is impacted, so is everything else, leading to a rapid decline in biodiversity.

To protect wildlife, national parks and wildlife refuges have been established, setting aside hundreds to thousands of acres for species to thrive without threat of human interaction and making huge strides toward conservation. Even so, these areas are not always as protected as we may assume, with illegal trapping in Idaho to limit wolf populations or rhinos killed for their horns.

Ongoing initiatives aim to prevent illegal trapping and poaching worldwide. But even with concentrated efforts to prevent these activities, animals are only considered safe within the confines of the park. As soon as animals cross protected boundaries, they become vulnerable to human activities, since these sanctuaries are often surrounded by humans and urban areas.

Wildlife knows no boundaries

The problem is, animals do not understand the concept of remaining within the park. Instead, animals, especially large mammals, need to roam in order to forage for food and find mates. When these mammals, like grizzly bears and wolves, are isolated within fragmented habitats, their ecosystems become “islands.” In other words, their pool of potential mates becomes narrower and their genetic diversity declines.

Imagine being trapped in an environment with your entire extended family, unable to leave and find new mates. This may not be something you want to think about, but the results are the same: a weakened, less diverse species prone to disease.

These roaming mammals also tend to have something else in common: They are “umbrella,” or keystone, species. If these animals are extirpated, the entire ecosystem depletes. For example, wolves keep elk populations in check. When wolves were extirpated from Yellowstone, elk populations exploded, leading to overgrazing and an unsustainable ecosystem, not allowing for much else to survive.

Conservation corridors: Strengthening species

To help protect these mammals, pathways must be established between protected parks and sanctuaries, allowing them to cross great distances, without the threat of being hunted, hit by a car, or poached. These pathways take on many names: conservation corridors, wildlife corridors and wildways.

Corridors are necessary to increase species richness and genetic diversity and to protect wildlife after stepping outside the boundaries of protected areas. Corridors also reduce roadkill, provide clean water, and allow animals to adapt to climate change.

Though you may envision a narrow strip of land, the word “corridor” may be misleading, since these pathways are actually quite wide, not to be misconstrued as a hallway within a home. Corridors should be created with keystone species in mind, allowing for the largest number of animals to thrive.

Landowner challenges

Wildlife corridors offer the great benefit of protecting and enriching species, though their implementation also poses many challenges. One of the greatest obstacles is working with private landowners and federal agencies, negotiating land rights and specie protection. Landowners often consider roaming mammals to be nuisances since they may attack cattle or rummage through garbage cans. Luckily, it usually takes persuading one landowner to then have the domino effect of convincing others.

There is a cultural divide between conservationists and landowners due to widespread repudiation of governmental intervention and the fear of losing land rights. To breach this divide and increase tolerance, organizations like the Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative are working with landowners to install bear-proof garbage cans and hire ranch handlers. They also educate landowners, earning their respect and building fortitude. As landowners become more tolerant of wildlife crossing their lands to the next protected area, they allow mammal populations to pass through and survive.

In a time of rapid biodiversity loss, these conservation corridors may be our last hopeful attempt at restoring species. A cultural shift within a population is sometimes all it needs to build tolerance and enhance habitat knowledge. Talk with your family, your neighbors, your community; working through cultural, behavioral boundaries is the first step toward allowing roaming mammals the space and diversity they require to survive.

Image credit: Pixabay

Denise McGuigan is pursuing her Master’s in Sustainability from Wake Forest University, planning to work in conservation to preserve biodiversity. Growing up on Long Island, NY, she has always been interested in coastal ecosystems and the outdoors.

The election of Donald Trump to the Oval Office set nerves affray in the American clean power field, and with good reason. However, if the president-elect has any ideas about reversing the trend toward a low-carbon economy, it's going to be a case of locking the barn door after the horses have escaped.

The leading U.S. energy company NRG provides a good example of clean energy's staying power, with a long-term outlook that includes human resources as well as renewable energy resources.

NRG meets Ceres

NRG's vice president for sustainability, Bruno Sarda, spoke with me on the phone last week to explain the depth of his company's commitment to a sustainable economy.

In a coincidence of timing, just after Election Day NRG announced it was joining the Ceres Company Network. That's a project of Ceres, a leading nonprofit organization that focuses investors and the business community on sustainability.

"Ceres brings together a very savvy and engaged network," Sarda explained. "Its corporate members are in a process of mutual discovery with a powerful group of investors. By engaging businesses and investors, Ceres facilitates a sustainability roadmap."

Sarda emphasized that the learning process is a two-way street. Ceres Company Network members are not passive learners. They also contribute their knowledge to the organization:

"Ceres also listens to how decisions get made, how companies and investors come to incorporate sustainability," Sarda said. "The result is an incredible interface with policymakers."

A Ceres press release further explains the value NRG brings to the network:

"In 2014, NRG committed to a 50 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and a 90 percent reduction by 2050, from a 2014 baseline. In doing so, NRG became one of the first 10 companies globally and the only U.S. company in the power sector to meet the recognized standard for science-based greenhouse gas emission reduction goals."

Nothing can stop clean power

To realize the most obvious reason why the clean power ocean liner cannot stop on a dime, just scroll through the energy news headlines since Election Day.

Here are just three random examples from the solar sector late last week:

Nov. 18: NRG Begins Operation of Largest Co-Located Community Solar Project in Massachusetts

Nov. 17: Ikea Plugs-in More Onsite Power in Costa Mesa and Covina, CA as Fuel Cell Systems Expand Retailer’s Renewable Energy Portfolio

Nov. 18: Marathon Capital Announces the Closing of a Partnership Between Soltage and Basalt for Capital Investment in Solar Generation Assets

The Marathon Capital news involves a $140 million equity capital partnership for more than 100 megawatts of commercial, industrial and utility-scale solar projects. The first of such projects -- three solar farms on landfills -- are already under construction.

The American Wind Energy Association painted a similarly bright picture for the wind sector in a Nov. 18 blog post titled, "Wind power blows away records in the Midwest and Texas."

NRG, utilities, energy consumers and other energy stakeholders have been planning ahead for decarbonization for years. And they are not likely to write off these investments.

In particular, energy consumers -- including the U.S. Department of Defense -- are also not likely to stop demanding secure, reliable domestic energy resources that provide bottom-line benefits while promoting community health and national security.

Sarda made the case for clean power:

"Sustainability is informed by a set of business strategies and imperatives ... There is less risk, less cost, and less maintenance. The demand is here to stay, and the cost will continue to decline."

Clean power and the human factor

My conversation with Sarda also highlighted an other important force behind decarbonization under the Trump administration.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable energy have been career-track fields for a generation. That human resources factor predates the acceleration of clean power technology under the Obama administration, and it will continue to influence the direction of U.S. economic development long after the Trump administration.

Sarda himself illustrated how corporate influencers like NRG are availing themselves of a mature CSR talent pool.

He joined NRG as the company's new vice president for sustainability just a few months ago, bringing along his sustainability experience with another top company, Dell. That history put him on track to reach out to Ceres on behalf of NRG.

His NRG bio page underscores how the Ceres connection builds on that resume:

"Sarda joined NRG from Dell, Inc. where he served as director of sustainability and social responsibility since 2010. While at Dell, he partnered with the company's sales organization and key customers to drive collaboration and deepen business relationships. In addition, he worked closely with Dell's supply chain organization to bridge its sustainability efforts and global sourcing priorities and practices."

NRG also highlights Sarda's connection to academia and the incoming generation of sustainability professionals:

"Named one of the 'most influential sustainability voices in America' by The Guardian, Sarda is active in multiple cross-industry collaborations and projects, and is associated with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University."

NRG looks to the future

During our conversation, Sarda noted that NRG is an independent power provider, not a utility. "That means we have to be amazingly responsive to the needs of our customers," he said.

Those needs are complex within the current energy landscape, but essentially, he explained, clean power will dominate:

"Renewables are the core of where most power will come from."

For that to happen, Sarda also folds in the development of utility-scale storage along with more effective systems for demand management, including demand response, energy efficiency, and other strategies and tactics.

Looking to the near future, Sarda also counts in natural gas power plants to ensure that quick-start capability is available when needed.

"We can't rely on 100 percent renewables -- yet," he concluded.

Image (screen shot): via NRG

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The Intertubes are buzzing over Jaguar's first all-electric vehicle, the I-PACE crossover concept car introduced at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show last week.

The new EV is still in the product preview phase, but the company says it will hit the road in 2018. That's great news for fans of the high-performance Jaguar brand, and it's interesting news as far as sustainable automotive branding goes.

Tesla paves the way for the performance EV ...

Industry observers widely agree that Elon Musk's Tesla Motor Co. did much of the heavy lifting when it comes to establishing the EV market as a luxury and performance-oriented space for auto enthusiasts. (With its foray into energy, the company is now known simply as Tesla.)

Rather than head straight for the affordability market, Musk strategically positioned the Tesla brand to promote electric drive as the "best of the best" for cutting-edge automotive technology.

As a result, EV ownership went beyond a bare bones, save-the-planet profile to embrace all of the goodies that automakers traditionally use to attract buyers at the high end of the market.

... and Tata cruises down the road

Jaguar is already a well-established brand in the luxury and performance field, so the I-PACE has one big advantage out of the box. (The automaker was once known as a British brand, but India's Tata group purchased Jaguar-Land Rover back in 2008.)

The folks at Jaguar are not resting on the brand's laurels, though. A press release for last week's announcement makes it clear that Jaguar expects to meet -- and beat -- Tesla on its own turf, with an EV designed from the bottom up:

Dr Wolfgang Ziebart of Jaguar Land Rover said, "This is an uncompromised electric vehicle designed from a clean sheet of paper: We've developed a new architecture and selected only the best technology available."

The dust will settle when drivers compare the two and add their two cents, but in the meantime Jaguar also teases with this:

"Jaguar's engineering and design teams have torn up the rule book to create a bespoke electric architecture, matched with dramatic design," the company claims. "The result is no-compromise smart, five seat sports car and a performance SUV in one."

The car will feature all-wheel drive with two electric motors, one for the front axle and one for the rear.

Combined, the two motors deliver a torque rating equivalent to Jaguar's F-Type SVR, a super-sporty coupe that Car and Driver magazine described like this:

"Our only advice to the fortunate, crazy folks who find their names on the title to a new 2017 F-Type SVR: The brake pedal is on the left, and maybe hold off on pressing that console button with the squiggly lines behind the car, at least for a while."

That translates into an acceleration of 0 to 60 miles per hour in about four seconds.

As for the all-important battery range, Jaguar seems confident that a range of 220 miles will satisfy car buyers, along with the convenience of using standard public charging stations.

Catching up with Tata

Beyond comparing cars, the looming competition between Tesla and Tata provides an opportunity to compare the two companies in the area of sustainability planning.

Broadly speaking, Tesla relies on a consumer-driven model, in which people who buy its products do the planet-saving work simply by choosing to buy a zero-emission vehicle. Tesla also just brought another Musk company, SolarCity, under its wing.

Jaguar-Land Rover adopts a more holistic corporate responsibility approach that enfolds entire communities, not just owners of its brand. In 2007, the company launched a carbon financing initiative called ClimateCare.  TriplePundit caught up with the program in 2014:

"Through ClimateCare, Jaguar Land Rover has supported 50 climate and development projects in 17 countries around the world, cutting 10 million tons of carbon emissions and improving the lives of 2 million people."

In 2014, Jaguar-Land Rover announced new targets including the creation of "measurable opportunities" for 5 million people by 2020. The company also expects to involve another 7 million people through humanitarian, environmental and educational projects.

That's no accident. Under the Tata umbrella is something called the Tata Sustainability Group, which communicates with and guides other Tata group members. The policy goes far beyond Tesla's consumer-driven approach:

"The policy will help Tata companies to integrate sustainability considerations into all decisions and key work processes, mitigating future risks and maximizing opportunities. It embodies the principles of product stewardship by reducing environmental impact and enhancing health, safety and social impacts of products and services across their life cycles."

Tata also networks with policymakers in its home nation of India and on a global level. On climate change, for example, the group is involved with India's low-carbon committee, and it belongs to the steering committee of the Caring for Climate initiative of the United Nations Global Compact and United Nations Environment Program.

The group is also part of a coalition linked to the World Economic Forum, called CEO Climate Leaders.

It looks like Tesla has some catching up to do.

Image (cropped): via Jaguar Land Rover.

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Last week, Volkswagen announced how it will achieve “greater economic viability.” It can be summed up in three words: massive job cuts. The German auto manufacturing company will cut 30,00 jobs, including 23,000 jobs in Germany, or a fifth of its German workforce. The company projects the job cuts will have a positive impact on VW’s earnings of $3.9 billion from 2020.

VW also plans to improve productivity at its German plants by 25 percent and increase its operating margin to 4 percent by 2020. The embattled auto manufacturer said it will add 9,000 jobs with a “secure future” and promised existing employees wil fill the majority of those positions. Partial early retirement and natural fluctuation will account for some of the 23,000 jobs to be cut in Germany, the company said. 

VW’s Board of Management and General Works Council signed a pact for the future. It’s a pact that the company hopes will return it to a “path of profitable growth” with significant improvement of its brand’s competitiveness. The pact is being implemented immediately. And the company said it expects to be “completely repositioned” by 2020.

That’s a tall order given its emissions test cheating scandal and its automotive profit margin compared to competitors, the Wall Street Journal reported last week. VW’s profit margin is 1.7 percent. For comparison, Toyota’s is 7.9; GM’s is 6.4; Peugeot’s is 6; Fiat Chrysler’s is 5.9; Ford’s is 5.3; and Renault’s is 4.7.

The chairman of the Brand Board of Management, Dr. Herbert Diess, characterized the pact in a statement as representing “a fundamental transformation of the value stream, the development of new competences and strategic investment.”

Through the pact, VW will strengthen its “economic viability and competitiveness,” he said, and will safeguard the future of its plants. He described the loss of jobs as being “offset by the creation of jobs in other units.” Through the pact, he asserted, VW is “transforming the entire brand and making it fit for the fundamental transformation of our industry.”

If anything good can come out of VW’s emissions cheating scandal it is that the company, the largest automaker in Europe, plans to invest heavily in new technologies, including electric vehicles. It plans to have its German plants develop and produce EVs and will develop a pilot plant to make battery cells and cell modules. Its German plants in Wolfsburg and Zwickau will also make EVs.

But VW’s new focus on making EVs is not entirely benevolent. The automaker needs to meet strict carbon emissions standards in Europe, and meeting them will only occur with “increased R&D efforts,” the company said in a statement. That statement characterized the automotive industry as undergoing a “fundamental transformation” from conventional combustion engines to electric engines. VW will also toss its proverbial hat in the ring of automated vehicle manufacturing by investing in projects to develop self-driving cars.

"With the pact for the future, we will be entering the field of next-generation e-mobility,” VW General Works Council Chairman Bernd Osterloh said in a statement. “The new cars based on the Modular Electric Drive Kit and electric components from our plants will make our German locations pioneers of electrification within the Volkswagen Group. The Works Council has ensured that these future-oriented vehicles will be made in Germany and not in other countries. ”

Time will tell if VW’s pact will improve both its profit margin and its tarnished image. What we do know is that making more EVs will be good for the planet.

Image credit: Flickr/Spanish coches

By Joe Carpenter 

The growing public concern around climate change has pushed businesses to transition to more sustainable business models, utilizing new strategies to not only respond to their customer demands but also to reduce their overall climate impact. It is a common challenge for a small business to have little-to-no leverage when it comes to discussions about sourcing renewable energy, buying biodegradable chemical components, or using organic produce. The reasons that many small businesses are not motivated to “go green” are plenty.

Sustainable retail is defined by sellers of goods that have long-term financial, social, and environmental awareness embedded into their business model. This broad terminology can be used to represent product design, sourcing of raw materials, labor practices and working conditions, transportation and distribution methods, educational strategies, branding and marketing, and internal energy use reduction initiatives.

Procurement and sourcing consciousness has grown as firms are beginning to scrutinize their supply chains, and hold suppliers accountable to higher social and environmental standards.

Suppliers tend to charge a premium for all things “sustainably sourced” or “organic," and when you don’t have a bottomless credit line with a bank, it’s hard to keep the prices competitive. Generating renewable energy on-site usually requires a large up-front investment, and saving for that takes time. So, how does a small company approach doing business with these constraints in mind?

It’s not just about the sale. It’s about how your business fits into your community, your environment and your personal values. Small business owners have a much better understanding of this than a big-box retailer does.

Artisan’s Trading is a furniture company based out of Cambridge, Massachusetts, that sustainably sources all of its hardwood furniture from Indonesia, using local fair-trade labor. At the same time, the company keeps its prices at least at a third less than the market average. Its supply chain is international, yet it is as short as it is transparent.

“There is a major problem with deforestation around the globe and where the companies are sourcing the wood from. We found that in trying to be sustainable, it is difficult to know where it comes from, since wood doesn’t get a serial number,” said Baylor Bennett, the business development manager for Artisan’s Trading. “Most of the companies we work with are family-based operations. Some of them are second- and third-generation furniture makers that are now studying business and doing their own exports. All of these company owners invited us out to see their factories and meet their workers.“

Today’s world is moving toward more responsible, awareness-based supply chains by applying principles of longevity and sustainability on to traditional business models. For many retailers, sustainability is becoming a core consideration for their business.

Bennett says it isn’t too difficult to build up a responsible supply chain in today’s world. “Now that we have such reliable suppliers, and because of the technologies such as Skype, we can have all the necessary conversations online. They can show us videos of all the pieces and samples, so we don’t need to travel there every year.”

Climate Action Business Association developed a new series of reports, Local Emerging Market Reports (LEMR), to offer a spotlight on quickly growing industries that are transforming business-as-usual. There’s a large and growing market opportunity for an economy based around local enterprises and sustainable supply chains.

By evaluating supply chain operations, retailers are uncovering cost-savings and workforce-enhancing opportunities. For retailers, reducing direct environmental and social impacts like energy and water usage, waste generation, and land use provide opportunities to streamline business operations and cut costs.

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) conducted a survey, representing more than 65,000 locations and $1 trillion in global revenue, which found five primary benefits of sustainability programs: reduced costs, enhanced reputation, risk management, employee enthusiasm, and proactive regulatory strategies. Nearly 90 percent of respondents said their sustainability efforts are lowering costs, primarily by improving business and resource efficiency.

Increasing energy and fuel efficiency, reducing waste, and partnering with suppliers may uncover resource efficiencies that also translate to lower costs, whether by reducing energy, water, material, or waste. The retail industry consumes close to $20 billion worth of energy per year, making the opportunity for energy savings immense. The combined savings potential across the retail industry equates to $3 billion annually. Most retail companies that invest in sustainability measures in operations can expect to generate a two- to three-year payback.

Sustainability as a business strategy is increasingly seen as a way of differentiating a company to appeal to both employees and consumers, and a platform for new market development. It is clear that the industry is changing, adapting itself to consumer demand and preferences. In a 2013 green market survey, “75 percent of small business respondents who sell green products or services saw an increase in sales of those products and services during the down economy from 2008 to 2011."

Further, retail companies have discovered that showing responsibility for their workforce (through education or improved workers’ treatment) gives them more credibility in the eyes of media and customers.

Changing consumption habits and emergence of closed-loop product design will continue to influence the way retail companies evolve. New manufacturing practices give leading companies the opportunity to create new industry norms. The new global awareness about issues like body image, human rights, and environmental pollution instigate a more responsible growth trend for companies small and large.

To get a glimpse of the future, refer to the Local Emerging Market Reports (LEMR) collection, and see how powerfully (and positively) sustainable retail is going to change the balance in your 401(k).

Image credits: 1) Pexels; 2) Artisan’s Trading Co.