“Even before the challenges Wall Street has endured, there were good and bad firms,” said Kelly Damron, a certified public accountant and MBA.  “ But it seems the firms are better today, in general, because there is more oversight, collaboration and accountability.” While it’s nearly impossible for corruption to be detected by the public it’s also difficult for regular accountants to identify fraud.  There is actually a special certification for fraud examiners since they require such a different skill set from tradition accountants. Consumers can find out if the firm or advisor they are working with has had an audit done by a certified fraud examiner and the outcome of the audit.

Publically traded companies are less likely to commit fraud, Damron said, since they are under inspection by a number of consulting services. “Unfortunately, ethics is not a Firm issue, but an issue of those who are running the Firms,” Damron said.  In many cases word-of-mouth or media accounts are the only resources for the public in determining who to trust.

Kelly Campbell, author of Fire your Broker, a book about finding sound financial advice gave a few tips.

-Do research on any financial adviser: Background checks can be done to see if a broker has any infractions on his or her license. If there is not that much info on them that’s a good sign. “No news is good news.”

Check out these sites for backgrounds on brokers: FINRA.org and SEC.gov

-Ask to talk to current clients: They will point you toward their happiest clients for sure but be creative with your questions and you can still find out a lot.

-Look for earned experience: Did the person go to school? Did they spend the money and the time to get the designations respected in the industry? These can be signs that they are truly committed to the field and not just about making a quick million.

Be smart. Ask questions. Go forward and finance.

Elizabeth Ulion is a graduate student at Northwestern University. Finances confuse her.

Photo courtesy of srqpix/Flickr.

Could the skills learned through growing marijuana be put to use growing sustainable food?  Treehugger kind of thinks so. “After all, growing illegal plants in illicit conditions requires a stealth and ingenuity that could prove useful as we try to figure out how to reintegrate food production into our everyday environments.”

The Acacia tree can be used to increase soil quality and decrease dependency on petroleum fertilizers in Africa, reported National Geographic.  The acacia tree drops its nitrogen rich leaves just when crop seeds need nitrogen. It also acts as a windbreak, provides wood for fuel and construction and prevents soil erosion.

Baby Snow Leopard! Via HuffPo Green

Elizabeth Ulion is a graduate student at Northwestern University. She needed an inspirational Tuesday after a Van Jones-less weekend.

Photos courtesy of HickoryHollow113/Flickr, Qfamily/Flickr and Neilsphotography/Flickr.

When leaving a footprint make sure it's a helpful one

Green travel can mean more than offsetting carbon emissions. Travelers should also think about where their money is going while on vacation. When the family takes a trip to Disney World where does the ticket price go? What communities are really impacted from the stops cruise ships make?

GoGreenTravel makes a distinction between eco-friendly travel and responsible travel. While eco-friendly adventures will have a smaller environmental footprint, responsible travel makes sure the footprint is beneficial in more ways than one. The triple bottom line approach they recommend focuses on the environment, culture and economics.

Instead of looking just at avoiding environmental impacts, try to make some positive impacts. Travel can benefit conservation efforts like with ecotourism trips. Through the International Ecotourism Society you can find a trip as adventurous as you’re comfortable with that funds efforts like wildlife conservation.

A highlighted trip on the blog YourTravelChoice is the Parque Natural de Madeira, Portugal. Visitors can explore, in a sustainable manner with a local guide, a unique island ecosystem of rare subtropical woodland communities and protected marine habitat. “The best way to be part of the local community’s conservation efforts is to visit Madeira, show your awareness of the issues and be a responsible traveler.” Money spent in the area will go back to the community and to local NGOs working to conserve the ecosystems.

Even a low key trip to a nearby national park will bring funds to much needed restoration efforts in your locale.

Many ecotourism companies also focus on the community of people, not just ecological issues.  A trip to Marmaris-Dtaca, Turkey is also highlighted in YourTravelChoice.  Villagers dependent on local resources and tourism have made an effort to preserve not only the natural environment but their traditional culture.Instead of inviting chain hotels and tour guides to run their tourism business, they do it themselves and the money made actually goes to benefit the communities people are visiting. Not only are traditions preserved but travelers will have an unquestionably unique experience.

Travel is one part of modern life that is difficult to replace with a smaller-footprint alternative. So when traveling make sure your footprint leaves behind something good for the communities you visited.

Elizabeth Ulion is a graduate student at Northwestern University. Her latest eco-travel experience was at Mono Lake, CA.

Photo courtesy of DavidSC78/Flickr

With the limited progress made on climate change thus far it’s hard to be optimistic for the outcome of Copenhagen. At the G8 meeting in July representatives agreed  that warming should not exceed 2 degrees Celsius, a statement applauded by the scientific community as a great step forward. They then failed to plan how this goal would be achieved.

President Obama, along with other G8 leaders, says he supports a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of 80 percent by 2050. Unfortunately the group has not outlined short term targets or committed to binding reductions.

Sigh.

It’s easy to get disheartened. But a post over at Grist (yes I’m all about the Grist links today) reminded me of something important. If we assume politicians or anyone else for that matter will bring about change for us, we are going to be sorely disappointed. “The president, even an extraordinarily popular president, can only do so much,” David Roberts wrote in his post Barack Obama is not Bagger Vance.  This was a vital wake-up call.

Sitting at home, reading blog post after news article about nations refusing to compromise on pollution reduction because of economic impacts does nothing but deflate any passion and motivation one might have about an issue even as monumental as climate change. That’s if we are to rely solely on the efforts of others. Roberts quoted Mike Tomasky via the Guardian:

“This is what movements do—they do the hard, slow work of winning political battles and changing public opinion over time. It isn’t fun. It isn’t something Will.i.am is going to make a clever and moving video about, and it offers precious few moments for YouTube. It takes years, which is a bummer, in a political culture that measures success and failure by the hour. The end of euphoria should lead not to disillusionment, but to seriousness of purpose.”

If you’re at home, like me, waiting around for the travesty you’re sure Copenhagen will turn into, get up and do something! It’s on us. It’s on you. It’s on me to create change.

Here are some ways to get involved:

350.org : Organize an action event for October 24 to promote the number 350 as in 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the highest level we will be safe at.

TckTckTck: Is the sound of the clock ticking down to the Copenhagen climate conference.  Members from around the world are uniting to show politicians that their efforts on climate change are supported.

Seal the Deal: A UN-led campaign to “galvanize political will and public support for reaching a comprehensive global climate agreement in Copenhagen in December.”

Elizabeth Ulion is a graduate student at Northwestern University. She apologizes if this post got a little too ‘go get ‘em!’ but go get ‘em!

Photo is courtesy of Oxfam International/Flickr

Need a new car? Go green!

Turns out the answer depends more on your driving habits than technology.  “The manner in which a driver pilots their vehicle makes the most impact of all,” said Daniel Gray, editor of MPGomatic.    “As I road test cars, week-after-week, I never cease to be amazed by hybrid drivers that fly past on the Interstate highway, exceeding the speed limit by fifteen or twenty miles per hour. At these speeds, there is no environmental advantage to driving a hybrid.”

Whatever car is right for you make sure to be light on the gas since a lead foot will lower MPG and waste fuel.

Where you live will also impact how you drive your vehicle.  “If you live in smaller cities like Oklahama City, Buffalo, Santa Rosa, Butte, etc – then consider a vehicle that is gasoline powered and gets higher fuel efficiency,” said Lauren Fix of CarZen. “If you tow a trailer of any kind or tend to carry heavier loads then Diesel is your best bet. The diesel engine features the most successful efficiency technology in the world.”

“If you live in a major metropolitan city like DS, LA, NY, Chicago, Dallas – then a hybrid gas/electric is your best choice,” Fix said. “Sitting at zero equals zero miles to the gallon.”

Unfortunately for plug-in drivers not all localities are equal. Depending on how electricity is generated (coal vs wind, etc) a Prius may be greener than a completely electric car in some areas of the country according to the folks at Brighter Planet.

“The long and short of it is driving 100 miles in a Prius emits 40 lbs of CO₂e across all states whereas driving 100 miles in a Volt in Kansas emits 53 lbs, in California 19 lbs, and in Massachusetts 25 lbs. When electricity comes from burning coal, the Prius is hands-down greener than charging your Volt from the garage outlet.” They even have a handy map of where it’s better to drive either a Prius or a Volt.

New technology options can put unnecessary pressure on consumers to update what they have whether a cell phone or a car. Terra Wellington, author of The Mom’s Guide to Growing Your Family Green , reminds car shoppers that if they don’t drive a lot, less than 200 miles a week, and have an older vehicle they might not need a new car.  Once the cost, production impact and waste are factored in, the lower emissions and higher MPG might not be worth it. But if a new vehicle is a must think alternative.

“Many industry analysts believe that oil production has peaked, so the less dependent you can be on gasoline and diesel fuels the better,” Wellington said.  “Gas and diesel prices will continue to go up. So if a new car is in your future, go with the most fuel efficient, alternative fuel vehicle.”

Waste vegetable oil is probably the most alternative fuel one can get right now. Instead of pulling up to a gas station, stop at a fast food joint. Fuel is free, plant based and will just be thrown out anyway.

“Here is a sincere warning that goes out to anyone considering converting a car to run on Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) as I did: you are about to become a rock star,” said Tonya Kay at EcoHearth. “After only one visit, restaurants will know you by name, auto shops will call their friends to show you off, and people in the parking lot will want pictures with you with greasy hands.”

A used diesel car plus a few add-ons to heat and filter the veggie oil could have you cruisin’ and commuting in low-carbon style with the delicious scent of French fries wafting behind you.

What do you drive and why? Yell it out!

Elizabeth Ulion is a graduate student at Northwestern University. She dreams of a city with well funded pub trans and little need for personal vehicles.

Photo courtesy of footloosiety/Flickr.

Atrazine is a common weed killer used on farms, golf courses and lawns across the country.  The chemical can wash into watersheds and drinking water supplies are monitored for contamination. Officials are required to report increases in atrazine to consumers. The Times investigation found that in some areas concentrations had spiked but the rise was not reported to residents.

Studies on the health impacts of atrazine done after regulations for the chemical were put into place have shown new information. Exposure may cause serious developmental effects during times of fetal development.

“There are short, critical times — like when a fetus’s brain is developing — when chemicals can have disastrous impacts, even in very small concentrations,” said Deborah A. Cory-Slechta, a professor at the University of Rochester in New York who has studied atrazine’s effects on the brain and serves on the E.P.A.’s science advisory board. “The way the E.P.A. tests chemicals can vastly underestimate risks.”

“There’s still a huge amount we don’t know about atrazine,” she added.

Well, I’m going to pick up a water filter…Yell out your thoughts!

Elizabeth Ulion is a graduate student at Northwestern University.

Photo courtesy of lindyireland/Flickr

There are many philosophies behind sustainability but the most prevalent stem from the fact that humans are dependent on the planet for survival. If we use up limited resources like fresh water and oil or destroy ecosystems that provide resources we can use like forests and farmland humans are out of luck. Without soil we can’t eat. So according to this reasoning we should use farming practices that conserve and create naturally nutrient rich soil.  This thinking goes along with the proverb: “Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children.”

For others nature has value separate from people. The philosophy known as deep ecology focuses on the intrinsic value of all parts of the planet. Animals have the right to live as they are meant to live and the natural systems of earth should be allowed to function as they always have.  For a brief comparison of shallow and deep ecology check out this video:

The trend of religious groups working towards sustainable systems has grown over the last few years.  Putting aside the focus on the “dominion” of people over nature, these new groups follow the belief that it is their duty to treat the planet created by a divine hand in a respectful and protective way. “At the core of Jewish and Christian ethics are the commandments to love God and one’s neighbor. Can we love the Creator without celebrating and caring for the creation? Can we love our neighbor without protecting the environment on which that neighbor’s life and health depend?”  states the Web site of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment.

In a post Why be Sustainable? the blog Sustainable Progress highlighted three simple reasons to strive for sustainability:

1. Help to avert major conflicts over dwindling resources
2. Increase the level of personal happiness and health within communities
3. Give people a sense of hope and an ability to focus on longer term visions for humanity

There are many reasons people try to live more sustainable lives. Yell out your reasons!

Elizabeth Ulion is a graduate student at Northwestern University.

Photo courtesy of woodleywonderworks/Flickr.

The compound most common in antibacterial products triclosan has been used for 35 years and is becoming more prevalent in household products. It’s also showing up in breast milk.

Most antibacterial products are disposed of down residential drains and the environmental impact is not pretty. “According to Mike Layton, program manager with advocacy group Environmental Defence, triclosan can react to chlorine in drinking water and form chloroform, which is a carcinogen. And when triclosan reacts with light, it can actually form poisonous dioxins, he says.”

Where are these compounds found?

“There are hundreds of products that contain triclosan nowadays, with everything from liquid soaps and toothpastes to deodorants, clothing, tissues and toys. Beyond Pesticides, a non-profit organization in the United States, has an extensive list of everyday products containing triclosan, such as Colgate Total, Old Spice High Endurance Stick Deodorant, Aveeno Therapeutic Shave Gel and J Cloth towels.”

Well, that’s frightening.

What do you use instead of antibacterial products? Yell it out!

Elizabeth Ulion is a graduate student at Northwestern University.

Solar DJ:

A great game for outdoor parties or festivals, it pits player against player to generate the most solar power possible. Players stand with personal solar panels and tilt towards the sun to up the volume on the instrument connected to their panel. The person with the loudest instrument wins! And everyone learns about solar energy!

Dark green golf:

Find a golf course near you that has sincerely made an effort in cutting pesticide and fertilizer use, reducing water consumption and creating habitat for wildlife. Really look into the changes being made to avoid a greenwashed par 9! Treehugger has some examples from around the world of the greenest golfing spots.  Then hit that bio-degradable ball to your heart’s frustration content!

Build a windmill…out of Legos!

Get back to your toy roots with an eco themed Vestas windmill Lego set.  GroovyGreen points out that the moving windmill is battery powered, but with rechargeable batteries this could be a great centerpiece for your next party!

Travel! National parks , national forests and prairies and state preserves are everywhere! The amusement parks of nature these areas provide recreational opportunities from casual day hikes, swimming holes and picnic areas to intense camping adventures. It also feels good knowing your entrance fee, if there is one, goes toward park maintenance and helps improve the area instead of going into the pocket of some giant corporation.

Yell out  your low impact entertainment ideas below!

Elizabeth Ulion is a graduate student at Northwestern University. She is a fan of exploring much ignored national forest lands – no one thinks about them so no one is out there!

Photo courtesy of GroovyGreen Blog

The New Hampshire Virtual Farmers Marketplace has been in operation since 2008.  Customers can log in, place an order and schedule a pick up or delivery time from farmers near them.

“This technology is an absolute requirement for survival.  We know there is a whole generation of consumers that is comfortable with computers and the Internet, and they use it for shopping,” said Jeff Cole, executive director of the Massachusetts farmers markets group and reported by USA Today.

A whole new group of people might start buying directly from farmers this way. For others it might make it easier to sit and wait for delivery instead of getting out and connecting with a community. Being part of something bigger, meeting people you might not have a chance meet (farmers!) and seeing the wide variety of food produced by farms in your area are some of the best opportunities created by farmers markets.

What do you think?

Elizabeth Ulion is a graduate student at Northwestern University. She is addicted to the summer squash from the local Kern Family Farm.

Photo courtesy of NatalieMaynor/Flickr