A lot of sustainable companies truly operate with conviction. They're buying better ingredients; exceeding industry standards for quality and safety; doing the right thing by employees; and spending more to reduce their impact on the environment.

Everyone has a strong opinion of California. Too much traffic, too wide economic disparity, too rich real estate, too high on itself, and "too perfect" are some of the divergent opinions on the Golden State. A recent announcement by Toyota gave this Canadian one more reason to be jealous and reverent of California at the same time.

There has been a paradigm shift and all signs are indicating that global consumer culture is changing. In this new consumer culture, there is a growing realization that consumption does not necessarily equal happiness. And happiness is now being linked more intrinsically to sustainability.

Every creature on earth, from the tiniest single-celled organism to the complex species that is mankind, is ultimately looking out for one thing: itself. So it shouldn't be any wonder why people still find it so hard to adopt a green lifestyle. A few weeks ago, over 1 billion people participated in Earth Day in one way or another. Sure, it's nice to know that people are willing to turn off their lights for an afternoon once a year, but how many of Mother Earth's children truly took any value away from that Sunday and brought it into Monday?

Can marketing create a culture of "enough?"

I often watch my favorite childhood film, “The Muppet Movie,” with my son.  Dom DeLuise makes his entrance in Kermit’s swamp, rowing frantically, asking for help. “I’m lost. I’m lost. I’m truly lost,” he exclaims.  “Have you tried Hare Krishna?” Kermit responds.  To some, this is a groaner; to others, this is funny; to others, this is offensive.  But everyone LOVES humor.  Similarly, who loves green? The short answer: everyone.  Over the past five years, green marketing has gone from marginal, risky and controversial to a ubiquitous, mature and mainstay practice.  Traditionally, advertisers were conscious of alienating so-called “conservative consumers,” …

Last week, I attended the New York Times-hosted Energy for Tomorrow conference. Held in New York City, it was a day of discussions and debate about the future of energy - weighing the pros and cons of wind, natural gas, ethanol, solar cells, nuclear or some heretofore undiscovered source of power. A recurrent theme was that restricted resources - or in some cases, restricted access to resources - is a key catalyst for innovative solutions.

In the history of this newsletter, we've covered everything from renewable tech marketing to corporate sustainability efforts as part of a consumer marketing plan. We know how to get consumers to want to participate in green efforts, the advantages and disadvantages of e-commerce, and how to get consumers to donate to a green cause.

Here's an idea: Let's all wear green clothes. Every day. Let's drive green cars. And live in green houses. I mean green like Kermit. Ridiculous, right? It's easy to imagine the response in the boardroom at the receiving end of this pitch.

As most of you are aware, Invisible Children has changed the landscape of modern digital activism with a video that will do for cause media what Star Wars did for sci-fi. In short, the video is a professionally produced documentary highlighting African rebel warlord Joseph Kony's unconscionable practice of forcing 9 to 12 year olds into a life of violent slavery as child soldiers. The general purpose of the campaign is to raise international awareness of Kony's crimes, with a goal of capturing and trying him by the end of 2012.