The Green Conversation: #3 Green Locomotives!

WELCOME BACK, TITANS!

Eek, we're at week 1 of the Fall 2008 semester! I cannot believe that our summer has finally ended. It was an amazing PBL-filled summer starting off with the National Leadership Conference in Atlanta, GA, satisfying our palates mid-summer with our Executive Retreat in Big Bear Lakes, CA, and ending with a nice, professional touch at the Summer Training Institute - South right down the street at Fullerton College! Even though I'd rather stay in bed tomorrow morning...it's really exciting to finally put all of our plans in motion --just like the topic of our green conversation today: locomotives!

Company #3: General Electric: Green Locomotives

Trains were already the cleanest way to move freight long distances, but in 2005 General Electric raised the game with its Evolution diesel locomotives, which cut fuel consumption by 5% and emissions by 40%. Up next: a hybrid diesel-electric locomotive that, just like your Prius, captures energy from braking and will improve mileage another 10%. According to GE, the energy dissipated in braking a 207-ton locomotive during the course of a year is enough to power 160 homes.

General Electric just shipped 300 Evolution locomotives to Beijing, China! Check it out! Check out how General Electric maintains its position as a leader in it's industry, branding themselves of innovation with their motto: imagination at work, in their innovation = imagination section of the website! See how they're becoming a water explorer for Google Earth, how they've helped China to harvest wind power, and how they provided over 2200 hours of live footage of the legendary 2008 summer Olympics! One more thing!!! Check out their whole entire website devoted to innovative, green technology and ideas called "ecomagination".

What are your thoughts and opinions? Keep the conversation going!


- Michelle Nakaji
Co-Internal Director of Leadership Development
michellenakaji@csufpbl.org


[from Fast Company: 50 Ways to Green Your Business http://www.fastcompany.com/multimedia/slideshows/content/50-ways-to-green.html?page=1 ]

What do you want to see in PBL this year?

Hello Titans!!

One of my goals this year as your president is to increase CSUF member participation in PBL. To do that - the officers and I would love to know what you want to see this year!!!
I have created a poll on the right column of the blog to get an idea of what you are looking forward to seeing this year. I encourage you to vote on the poll and share comments with us so that we can create an awesome year together!!!

Jackie Perez

STI - only 6 days away!!

Hello Everyone!! -

Your president here again, announcing the exciting events coming up for CSUF PBL!

On Friday August 22, your officer team will be atending the Summer Training Institute (STI) - hosted by the CA PBL state executive board! We will be training, brainstomig, and learning about programs to be able to bring a great 2008-2009 PBL year for CSUF!!!!

I am excited for what is ahead, and we will update you in our blog after Friday to let you know how it all went!!

Jackie
perez.jacquelyn@gmail.com

Speedway Training!

Yesterday, CSUF, CHC , and UCR PBL - came together at the AutoClub Speedway in Fontana to train for the upcoming fund raiser taking place August 29-31.We are all very excited to be participating in such a big event!!!

To kick off the races - the Auto Club Speedway will be having a "Racefest" on Thursday August 28- with live music, souvenirs ,food, and driver appearances. The event is FREE and starts at 5pm but the parking opens at 1pm!. Some of us might be attending together- let me know if you want to go. Also, we are still recruiting volunteers so contact me to sign up! Don't miss out in this fund raising opportunity!!

Jackie Perez
perez.jacquelyn@gmail.com

Volunteering at the Auto Club Speedway

CSUF PBL will be volunteering at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana during Labor Day weekend!! August 29 to 31!

We will be tram ambassadors during this event! Not only will we be fund raising for our chapter because we will be paid $50 per person per day- we will be also get to know and network with other PBL members because we will be working alongside UC Riverside and Crafton Hills College PBL. What a great opportunity to meet more PBL members and help our chapter at the same time.

We are currently recruiting volunteers! So let me know if you are interested!!

-
Jackie Perez
perez.jacquelyn@gmail.com

The Green Conversation: #2 E-Waste

Back again with segment # 2 of "the Green Conversation". Today's green content?

#2 E-Waste Moore's Law is great for producing speedier devices, but it's hell on the environment. According to Greenpeace, demand for new technology creates 4,000 tons of e-waste an hour, which often ends up on dead-hardware mountains in India, Africa, and China. Enter take-back programs, in which customers return spent technology to manufacturers, who recycle the parts for new gadgets. The United States has long lagged behind many European nations, which mandate the programs, but that's finally changing. Dell is leading the way. Last year, the PC maker recovered 40,000 tons of unwanted equipment for recycling, up 93% from 2005.

For more information on Dell's "environmental responsibility" check out their All About Dell section of dell.com: http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/about_dell/values/sustainability/environment/env_resp?~ck=ln&c=us&l=en&lnki=0&s=corp

Check it out...on Saturday, August 23rd, Ease E-Waste is having a FREE PUBLIC DROP OFF DAY! If anyone goes, let us know...we can make a trip out together! We'll be looking into their non-profit partnership program which has a possible fundraising program for us! So making money AND helping to improve the environment. Now THAT is what I call a partnership! :]


Questions, comments, concerns...let us know! How do you recycle your e-waste? Share! Join the Conversation!

Until next time....

- Michelle Nakaji
michellenakaji@csufpbl.org

[[from Fast Company: 50 Ways to Green Your Business http://www.fastcompany.com/multimedia/slideshows/content/50-ways-to-green.html?page=1 ]

Join the Green Conversation!

Greetings Titans and Friends!

Michelle Nakaji here! Your 2008-2009 Co-Internal Director of Leadership Development! :) I can't wait to get this year started! We've got an amazing, talented, and passionate team of leaders that will guide you this year and a solid program of work that will surely help us to achieve all of our goals! One of the key issues we will be promoting is "the power of Green" and "sustainability". After all, we are the future business leaders of America and as such, we must be knowledgeable about key issues and concerns that are effecting the business world! We are a part of the answer - so let's get it right! I encourage you to join "the Green Conversation" every couple of days here on our blog! We'll be bringing this information to you in several formats through our blog, our future website, meetings, Twitter, and more!

We're pulling out all the stops as far as communication tools so stay connected!!! Every couple of days, I will be sharing with you pieces of Fast Company's "50 Ways to Green Your Business" - short, but awesome, little tidbits on how major companies are greening their business and even saving tons of money! Furthermore, check out my absolute favorite business magazine, Fast Company! You can check more of their Green Content - they've got some majorly innovative stuff that you NEED to know about! Let's check out today's company!

#1 General Mills

At $100 a ton, feeding a landfill is pricey. But in the past two years, General Mills has turned its solid waste into profits. Take its oat hulls, a Cheerios by-product. The company used to pay to have them hauled off, but realized they could be burned as fuel. Now customers compete to buy the stuff. In 2006, General Mills recycled 86% of its solid waste, earning more from that than it spent on disposal.

For more on General Mills and their corporate social responsibility, browse their website and/or Social Responsibility Report at: http://www.generalmills.com/corporate/commitment/corp.aspx.


Until next time....share your green knowledge, links, and tips! Leave a comment! Join the Green Conversation! Have a wonderful weekend!

- Michelle Nakaji
michellenakaji@csufpbl.org


[from Fast Company: 50 Ways to Green Your Business http://www.fastcompany.com/multimedia/slideshows/content/50-ways-to-green.html?page=1 ]