Paris Climate Conference

As some of you might know, there is a conference going on in Paris, where country leaders have gotten together to try and tackle some of the issues that surround climate change. It is actually a pretty historical conference, and theres going to be some impertinent decisions made that may or may not help save our planet. We talked a little bit about the conference earlier in our class, but before that, I really had no idea it was even happening. And even when it did start, I never really heard about it on the news. Its crazy to think that such an important current event is being brushed under the rug like that. I think that a lot of people just don't understand how important this conference is, and many are still trying to ignore the environmental issues at hand. So I decided to check in on the meeting and try and learn a little bit more about what has been happening. It was actually really encouraging to read about, and see how many people are taking the right steps in order to help save our planet. One example of this is our very own Bill Gates, who announced plans to team up with 19 governments and 28 billionaires from 10 countries. They will create a multi-billion-dollar public private group to finance clean and renewable energy research. It's really cool to see that not only is the government trying to help, but the people are as well. Also, earlier on Tuesday announced that 73 U.S. companies are pledging support for action on climate change. Their goal is to reduce their emissions by 50 percent. It is really encouraging to hear that initiatives like these are happening all over the world, and I really hope that this conference is small step to creating a sustainable world. My hope are that this conference isn't just a phase, and that more people get on board, and realize how serious of an issue this really is.

http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/paris-climate-summit-update/3085038.html

The Future of Sustainability and EF Update

 

As our class is coming to end, I decided that I would take a different approach. I have learned some amazing things in my marketing sustainability class, and it has given me a lot of insight into what I need to expect as I enter the job world here in a few months. After everything that I've learned, I have no doubt in my mind that sustainable marketing is here to stay. Whether companies like it or not, sooner or later everyone will have to get on the same page. If there is one thing these current events have taught me its that in today's economy, more and more (and more) people are looking and striving to help protect the environment and live a "greener" life. In return, big companies are starting to understand that, and are forced to tailor themselves in a different way to attract their target markets. Its crazy for me to see how many companies are striving to become more sustainable, from someone like Nike all the way to Apple. I honestly would've never guessed that any of them were even trying to make efforts at all, but after seeing all the reporting they have done, it is clear to me that this movement is not going away, sustainability is here to stay.

For my last article, I wanted to just see how the future of sustainable marketing was looking. So I decided to just google sustainable marketing, and to my surprise, I found a really interesting article that helps explain where people's heads are at on this topic, and what the future holds. according to the latest Nielsen research:

• Fifty-five percent of consumers from 60 countries around the globe say they're willing to pay more for products and services from companies committed to making a positive social and environmental impact.
• More than half say they have purchased a product from such a company in the past six months, and;
• Approximately the same percentage say that before making a purchase they check labels to see if a company is committed socially and environmentally. 

These findings really helped me cement my thought on sustainable marketing, and I hope it encourages some of you to do a little more research, and examine the benefits from living a sustainable lifestyle.

EF Update

Here were my previous results:

  

Here were my new results:

 

As you can see, my original footprint was 4.3 earths, and by the end I was able to achieve 3.8 earths. Now, I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but I am super proud of myself, and I think its a great first step for me. By taking a step back, and examining some of my daily routines, I was really able to see where I was going wrong and how I could fix them. At first, it wasn't easy. As a college student you kind of get stuck in the normal daily routine that you get used to because its easy and simple. But once I realized that all I had to do was tweak my routine, I realized that it was just as easy, and all it was was a little different. One of my original goals was to make sure my apartment had power supplies, and to make sure to shut them off to eliminate ghost power. As I started to get into that routine, I realized that a lot of times we would leave our lights on when we left, so my added goal was to make sure all the lights were off before I left the house. Another goal was to use less meat, and I am glad to say that I have done a good job by not eating meat at least once a week. I also make sure to only buy local and organic poultry. 

In the end, I think that this was a lot more than just a project. I think that after learning about all these ways we personally could help the environment made me realize that I needed to change my lifestyle. Whether it be small or large, I realized that everything I do really does make a difference in the world, but not only that, I also discovered a different side of marketing which I now realize is critical for me to fully understand if I want to succeed in the world. I will definitely pursue a more sustainable lifestyle, and am really excited about the the future of sustainable business holds.