State of Green Biz in Bay Area – forum

One of the things I do is volunteer with the Job Forum here in San Francisco and many of our participants want to know about green jobs and the state of green business here in the Bay Area. On February 2nd greenbiz.com and others are putting on the 2009 State of Green Business Forum here in San Francisco. 

Deets:

• February 2, 2009
• 9:30 – 3:30
• PG&E Auditorium
• 245 Market St.
• San Francisco, California

Attendees will participate in sessions on:

• The State of Green Business, 2009 — A presentation by GreenBiz.com Executive Editor Joel Makower of the trends and metrics on the greening of Corporate America.
• Innovation as a Green Strategy — How companies are harnessing environmental thinking to create new products, services, and sources of business value.
• Energy Efficiency Rises Again — The resurgence of interest in efficiency, especially among manufacturers and commercial building owners.
• Is Water the New Carbon? — How companies are preparing for anticipated disruptions in access to water around the world.
• The Green Jobs Opportunity — The role of companies and local governments in promoting economic and workforce development.

In another post, I’ll outline the speakers — which look like an interesting cross section from big businesses like IBM and small businesses and Institutes.

I feel good about America today

Yes, I know the financial markets are in a mess, here at home and all around the world.

Yes, I know China is building at least one coal fired power plant a week and already 1/3 of the pollution that reaches my city comes from China.

Yes, I know a friend of mine has defaulted on his mortgage at least 5 times and may lose his home.

What the next president can do at little cost

Given the constraints the bailouts and the economy will have on the new president, it seems that we should look at, first, what we can do that will cost no (or little) money. Please share other ideas!

• Release the scientists (let them communicate with other scientists, let them speak — i.e. Jim Hansen of NASA on climate change)
• Review current rules and regulations and start enforcing the ones that fit our vision
  • FDA
  • EPA
  • Fed Reserve
• Make all government transactions more transparent and more understandable

Open letter to Barack Obama

I am a supporter. I’m going to vote for you. I’ve given, and will give, both money and time. I live in San Francisco and realize this is not one of your battleground states, but I feel so strongly about what we need to change that I need to tell you and I want, badly, more from you, too.

We are falling apart from the inside. These past months with the Mississippi flooding and the bridge in Minneapolis failing – was such a clear metaphor to me. Our infrastructure, and really, the way we manage our society, is falling apart. Lots of reasons why, but we are. And I think this is true of health care (was a misnomer, it should be called a disease care system,) of politics, of our belief in science, in energy, in absolutely every aspect of my American life. The middle class I was raised in is gone. It sickens me.