Archives: Episodes

Filmmaker Linda Booker spent her formative years in southwest Florida, and after graduating from Florida State University, worked as a graphic designer and Art Director for publications that include Yacht Vacations Magazine, Palm Beach Illustrated and Toy & Hobby World. Her love of movies and a growing commitment to community activism converged after attending the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in 2003. Two years later, Linda completed the Certificate in Documentary Studies program at Duke University and went on to produce and direct MILLWORKER: The Documentary, chronicling a theatre production about cotton mill workers in the American South. Her feature documentary, Love Lived on Death Row (2008), combined a powerful story of forgiveness, healing from domestic violence, and four siblings’ battle to save their father from execution. Her latest award-winning film, Bringing It Home (2013), co-directed with Blaire Johnson, has screened at film festivals worldwide since its release last year, and its audience engagement campaign is reaching communities and college campuses across the USA. The film’s outreach initiative aims to entertain and educate about the environmental, economic and health benefits of industrial hemp, and energize policy change using the unique power of film. In addition to documentary films, Linda’s company, By the Brook Productions, has provided video production services to regional organizations and nonprofit groups. A self-admitted travel junkie, Linda is grateful for being invited to locations such as Hawaii, Sedona and Portland to screen and speak about Bringing It Home. All these beautiful places and her home in central North Carolina inspire a passion for environmental and sustainability issues.

How did you first get involved in the green industry? My holistic medical practice has been in operation since 1987. What interests you most about being green? Optimizing patients’ health. What is your biggest “green” pet peeve? Calling something “natural” when it really isn’t. What green trend is most exciting to you or your industry? Labeling GMO foods.

John Knudtson is the Vice President of Business Development for Motiv Power Systems. His long career in commercial vehicles includes more than 20 years with Utilimaster, a major manufacturer of delivery van bodies, where he served as Vice President of Product Development. While there, he developed relationships with many of the major U.S. delivery fleets, such as FedEx, Frito-Lay, UPS and the USPS. By gaining an understanding of their business, he was instrumental in developing innovative solutions to reduce their total cost of operation. He also worked with a major automotive OEM to initiate, plan and execute the development of a brand new, highly innovative, fuel-efficient commercial van. John has also worked very closely with many major vehicle OEMs such as Ford, GM, Navistar, Mercedes and Isuzu on joint vehicle development projects. Many of these projects involved the development of new vehicles using alternative propulsion systems and other highly innovative systems. These included the development of a diesel-electric hybrid van with Freightliner and Eaton, a gas-electric van with Ford and Azure Dynamics, and an electric straight truck. John brings an exceptional understanding of delivery van and truck requirements to the Motiv team. He leads tasks that require technical expertise in these vehicles and the use and maintenance systems of the vehicles.

Dennis serves as Chief Operating Officer for Theo Chocolate, the first bean-to-bar maker of organic, fair trade, fair for life, and non-GMO-certified chocolate in North America. In his role, Dennis oversees the day-to-day functions of the company, including its supply chain and sourcing strategy. With more than 15 years of experience in ethical sourcing and sustainable agriculture, Dennis helps Theo deliver on its mission to create delicious products while working to improve livelihoods and protect the environment in farm and factory communities alike. His supervision of Theo’s supply chain — from smallholder farmers in the Congo to local logistics partners — ensures strict compliance with trusted third-party certifications such as fair trade through IMO’s Fair for Life program, Non-GMO Verified Project and organic certification by QAI. Before arriving at Theo, Dennis led a private consultancy to clients including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, World Cocoa Foundation and the Eastern Congo Initiative. He spent eight years as Director of Global Responsibility at Starbucks, where he was responsible for coffee and cocoa sourcing practices, CSR reporting, strategic NGO partnerships and sustainable agriculture initiatives. Prior to his career in the consumer packaged goods industry, Dennis worked in similar capacities for startups and international NGOs. Dennis is a member of the Specialty Coffee Association of America sustainability council and was a member of the USDA Consultative Group on Child Labor under Secretary Tom Vilsek. He received his M.B.A. from UC – Berkley after earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University. His earliest chocolate memory is of a homemade dark chocolate cake prepared by his mother for his fourth birthday — a tradition he has happily carried on in the years since. How did you first get involved in the green industry? My first professional engagement with environmental work dates back more than 20 years when I worked in Central America as a Peace Corps Volunteer. In the mid-’90s I worked for Conservation International — a group you might know for its public and private sector partnerships as well as its field projects with goals to protect rainforest and ocean biodiversity. In my role, I worked with rainforest communities to establish viable businesses for sustainable products like Tagua Nut buttons and developed markets for them with major manufacturers and retailers who shared their commitment to protecting tropical forests. What interests you most about being green? I think the most interesting topics in sustainability are those that truly get at the intersection of social and environmental responsibility. For example, people increasingly want to learn about where their food comes from and how it is produced. They want to know these things for a variety of complex and interrelated reasons: they want to be sure that their purchasing decisions support fair labor conditions, sure, but it’s also important that producers are protecting ecosystems, respecting wildlife reserves and using only natural and organic ingredients. I’m proud to work for Theo because it’s a company that understands the full breadth of what “being green” can mean. What is your biggest “green” pet peeve? Opportunistic greenwashing. I see a lot of claims about products or practices that go unchallenged. Finally, we are seeing efforts to define “all natural,” and consumers are starting to demand transparency and facts about what is in their product. At the same time, there seems to be a somewhat persistent notion that being “green” is like checking a box to make consumers feel good, but it’s not that simple. Confusion around compostable, biodegradable and recyclable materials allow people to feel good about using more packaging. Compostable packaging made from corn sounds good. But what about the actual life cycle of that product, how much energy or calories were used to produce it? Is it diverting food into waste? Is it made with GMO grains? What is the actual “greenness” of the final product that it’s being used to hold or wrap? It’s important for organizations to understand the full range and depth of their environmental impacts before determining where to focus their efforts. For companies like Theo, it’s not about simply choosing the one or two most visible aspects of our business but considering which issues have the greatest long-term social, environmental and bottom line impacts. What green trend is most exciting to you or your industry? It’s not pervasive yet, but it’s very gratifying to see companies beginning to take stock of their full supply chains, from raw material to retail distribution, and thinking about how their products are used. We’re starting to see a realization that companies can affect change beyond just their own operations — that their influence extends upstream to suppliers and downstream to retail partners and consumers as well. It’s the same “value chain-focused” way of doing business that Theo looks for in our supplier and distributer relationships.

Dr. Neil Drobny

Neil Drobny migrated professional to the academic world after many years of environmental consulting. Through his consulting work he determined than many companys’ environmental issues were really business issues stemming from unwise use of resources. About 10 years ago, after some research he found that a small group of business schools were starting to work into their M.B.A. programs an understanding of the nexus between business performance and environmental stewardship. He convinced the Fisher College of Buisness at The Ohio State University to let him teach a course in the M.B.A. program on a trial basis. That course went well, and became a regular elective in the curriculum. Eventually, he added a family of courses at the undergraduate level. Two years ago, Ohio State initiated a university-wide major in sustainability and Dr. Drobny’s courses on sustainable business practices were made a part of the core curriculum in that program. Additionally, Dr. Drobny was asked to play a leadership role in developing the new major which has become the fastest growing major on campus, with over 150 students enrolled – which is a larger enrollment than in some departments. Ohio State graduated its first sustainability majors last June, a grand total of five students, all of whom found jobs in the field. Dr. Drobny graduated from Dartmouth College with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in environmental engineering and obtained his Ph.D. at Ohio State. His work has taken him to all seven continents and he speaks regularly to business groups on matters related to sustainability in business. How did you first get involved in the green industry? My first job out of school was as a Naval Officer in which I was assigned to work on waste management issues in the Antarctic in support of Operation Deep Freeze. What interests you most about being green? The opportunity to work with people, especially students, who have high energy and passion about the subject. What is your biggest “green” pet peeve? The notion that we must foul our air, water and soil to have a strong economy. What green trend is most exciting to you or your industry? The growing interest in the subject being exhibited by current and future business leaders.

Tanis Marquette

Tanis Marquette, Global Sustainability Leader, has been with Momentive Specialty Chemicals for 17 years. She has held site, regional and global roles in health, safety and sustainability. Since 2009 she has participated with National Sciences Foundation, ASTM and the National Association of Home Builders to develop green building and sustainability standards and guidelines. She has a technical diploma in Occupational Health and Safety from BCIT and professional credentials in health, safety, chemical management and green building from both Canada and the USA. She is an active member of numerous professional and trade associations across North America. Outside of the office, she is a strong supporter of her local community. She is the treasurer of the HoA and speaks at the local schools each year on various sustainability topics. How did you first get involved in the green industry? In my Global Industrial Hygienist role, I was responsible to support our North American customers’ product stewardship programs and travel with our commercial and marketing leaders. In early 2005, we recognized an opportunity to further enhance our value by supporting customer and supplier environmental programs. This led to the creation of a new role: the Technical Market Manager, which I assumed in 2007. This role was solely focused on understanding the market demand for greener products through advocacy and partnering with our stakeholders. What interests you most about being green? The opportunity to collaborate with our stakeholders and continually learn new ways to positively impact the markets we serve. What green trend is most exciting to you or your industry? The increase in stakeholder engagement. More companies are collaborating in new ways.

Dr. Ruediger Kuehr is the Head of UNU-IAS Operating Unit SCYCLE, which is focusing its work and activities on sustainable production, consumption and disposal since the establishment of the Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) in January 2014. Ruediger also functions as Executive Secretary of the Solving the E-Waste Problem (StEP) Initiative which aims to initiate and develops just and environmentally safe solutions to the e-waste problem through analysis, planning and pilot-projects in joint cooperation with industry, governments, academia and NGOs. From 2010 to 2011, he served as Head of UNU-ISP Operating Unit SCYCLE; from 1999 to 2009 as Head of the UNU Zero Emissions Forum (ZEF) – European Focal Point; and from 2000 to 2002 he was Secretary to the Alliance for Global Eco-Structuring (AGES) under UNEP’s Cleaner Production Network. Dr. Kuehr has authored, co-authored and co-edited several books, studies and proceedings, including “E-waste in China: A Country Study” (2013), “Japan’s Transnational Environmental Policies” (2011), “E-waste: From Recycling to Resources” (2010), “2008 Review of Directive 2002/96/EC on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)” (2007), “Computers and the Environment: Understanding and Managing their Impacts” (2004), whose research results have received acclaimed attention worldwide. He also publishes and lectures on e.g. environmental technology transfer, transnational environmental policies, strategic sustainable development and development cooperation. Dr. Kuehr is a political and social scientist by education with a Ph.D. (Dr. rer. pol.) from the University of Osnabrück (Germany) and a M.A. (Magister Artium) from the University of Münster, (Germany), and additional post-graduate studies in Tokyo (Japan) he served as Senior R & D Specialist with The Natural Step in Sweden and as a freelance policy consultant to various national governments, international organizations and companies. He was a visiting fellow to the Free University of Berlin (Germany) and the Hitotsubashi University (Japan), a Research Associate to the Japan Research Centre of the University of Osnabrück (Germany), and freelance writer to some large weekly and daily newspapers. He is a member of a number of national and international steering and expert committees and regular reviewer of a dozen of scientific journals.

Though Rebekah is a real city kid — a third-generation native New Yorker — she spent my summers in the woods of upstate New York communing with nature. Her father, the writer Kirkpatrick Sale, was a deep ecologist and highlighted humans’ arrogance when it came to the natural world. After college Rebekah got a job organizing Earth Day 1990 and working on a pro-recycling, anti-incinerator campaign with the New York Public Interest Research Group. At the time, the NYC Department of Sanitation was not at all supportive of recycling. At the same time, Rebekah has always been a theatre fan and has gone to Broadway shows for as long as she can remember. She left NYPIRG to work for Broadway producer Rocco Landesman at Jujamcyn Theaters. Rebekah then took 10 years off of full time work to raise her two daughters. When she heard from a former colleague of hers from Jujamcyn (Jennifer Hershey, who is the co-chair of the BGA’s Venues Committee) that the BGA was looking for someone with both theater and environmental experience to become its coordinator it seemed like a great fit. Environmental organizing in the New York theater community is a perfect job for Rebekah’s experience and her interests.

John Campbell is an entrepreneur with a track record of success who has now turned himself toward the goal of building the world’s preeminent waste reduction company. Partnering with his friend Mark Dancy, Campbell has been engaged with WasteZero as an investor and board member since 2006, and he began spending the majority of his time with the business in 2011. Prior to his investment as a major shareholder in WasteZero and his appointment as Chairman of the Board, John Campbell was the co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Campbell Alliance, a leading specialized management consulting firm. Campbell Alliance was sold in 2011 to inVentiv Health and Thomas H. Lee Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm. Campbell also founded the Pharmaceutical Institute, a provider of educational and information resources to companies in the pharmaceutical and biotech sector. Before that, Campbell was vice president of a U.S. subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline, where he provided leadership primarily within the Business Planning function for more than six years. On special assignment, he co-founded HealthMatics, developers of an electronic health record used by thousands of physicians. The enterprise was subsequently acquired by Allscripts. He began his professional career with Lawrence Investing Company, a New York-based investment firm. In 2006, Campbell was named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. John Campbell earned an M.B.A. from the College of William & Mary and received his B.B.A. summa cum laude from Pace University. How did you first get involved in the green industry? I started out as a businessperson who was also an environmentalist, but a few years ago I had an unusual opportunity to combine my experience in business with my environmental work. I began investing in WasteZero, a company started by my dear friend, Mark Dancy, that uses the power of financial incentives to cut trash in half in our partner cities. What interests you most about being green? I am particularly interested in green initiatives that make a significant immediate impact while also being sustainable over the long term. What is your biggest “green” pet peeve? Green initiatives that pretend to deliver real impact but are actually just window dressing designed to meet short-term publicity goals frustrate me. For example, in the solid waste world, people often try to game the system by reporting inflated waste diversion figures that count things like discarded cars as recycling. A situation like that, which looks like progress but actually isn’t, lulls people into thinking there’s not still a great amount of work to be done. What green trend is most exciting to you or your industry? The fact that people are increasingly looking at the impact of a given green initiative, regardless of how it achieves its goals, has been good for the waste reduction movement. On the surface, garbage may not be as “sexy” as some other fields, such as wind power and solar energy, but to date, nothing has been proven to be nearly as effective as cutting the trash in half for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conserving energy.

John is joined by Green Festival President Dr. Corinna Basler to talk about all the happenings at the 2014 Green Festival in Chicago.

Rachel Meeuwse is the Event Manager at the Stonehouse Farm & Eco Retreat in Illinois. How did you first get involved in the green industry? I came to Stonehouse for yoga teacher training last summer. I came back this spring to help out and have been working for the farm ever since. What makes Stonehouse Farm special is the people that come to enjoy it. The types of events and people that come through the farm are seeking an increased mindfulness in their lives; to celebrate, explore and learn about themselves and this experience of life through nature, yoga, music and community. Stonehouse not only provides the setting for these experiences in a beautiful way, but I believe it carries that energy even after the people have gone. The Stonehouse Retreat weekends offer various types of yoga and meditation classes, sweat lodge, camping (or yurts), music, nature and volunteer opportunities like gardening, which helps support Stonehouse’s farm to table initiative to use food grown on site in our menus during events. Atttendance to events ranges from 10 or so during our smaller retreats to 1,500 for some of the larger festivals. Stonehouse started with the vision of Daren Friesen, the owner of the Moksha Yoga Studios in Chicago as a place for people to retreat from the city and connect with nature, and for practitioners of yoga to be able to take advantage of the natural setting to deepen their practice and share their skills with like-minded people. I am very interested in sustainable farming/gardening practices that reduce food miles, packaging waste and that intimately reconnect us to the earth itself on a personal level.