Ask Mr. Green: Does Eco-Crowdfunding Work?

Hey Mr. Green,

So what's your opinion of crowdfunding for environmental projects? —Art, in Kalamazoo, Michigan

It’s, um, fairly negative, and not just because I’m an ancient crank who dismisses much Internet traffic as the product of people infatuated with their own banality. And of course I warmly encourage readers to send me whatever they can afford for my own invaluable environmental research.

Eric Sofge perhaps put it best in the Wall Street Journal, when he wrote of the crowdfunder Kickstarter: “Blockbuster projects aside, much of Kickstarter can be shrill and desperate modern-day panhandling by entitled go-getters. For every legitimately exciting pitch . . . there are dozens of musicians, filmmakers and designers pleading for funds to complete ill-conceived projects."

So crowdfunding, green or otherwise, is basically like any other investment: You’d darn well better do your homework and know the topic thoroughly before you lay down any cash for some stranger’s proposal. An example: I came across a crowdfunding appeal for a media and publishing project on honey bees that, as a beekeeper, I found sketchy, but that might easily appeal to the non-apiarist. The pitch was about the “plight” of the honey bee—which indeed there is—but it showed little knowledge of bees and their functions, while being loaded with apocalyptic exaggerations that were obviously contrived to attract funding.

The Most Littered Object in the World?

 America's got a butt problem. A big one.

We're talking about cigarette butts — the shriveled little bits of flicked cigs that are creating a not-so-little problem for our environment. "World No Tobacco" day, which was on May 31, prompted us to examine smoking's environmental impact.

What's that? You just saw a cigarette butt sail from a car window? Lodged in a sidewalk crack? Chances are you're not alone; cigarette butts are far and away the most littered item in the world, with roughly 4.5 trillion being tossed each year. The lobbying group American for Nonsmokers' Rights (ANR) reported that 1.69 billion pounds of butts ended up as toxic waste last year. That's like the weight of 177,895 endangered African elephants, or 555,555 Toyota Prius automobiles, or. . . well, you get the idea. That's a lot of junk in our collective trunk.

But cigarette butts aren't just a punch line for bad puns — they present a serious hazard to our natural world.

The butt itself is comprised of two parts: A plastic filter and the remnants of the used tobacco. While the leftover tobacco is by definition biodegradable, the filters are made from a plastic called cellulose acetate, a compound that eventually breaks down but never disappears. Ever. Combine that with the roughly 4,000 chemicals found in cigarettes, and you've got the recipe for a pretty awful eco-aftertaste.

Green Tax Breaks for 2013

The IRS filing deadline may be looming, but there's still enough time to cash in on green tax breaks. Ask your accountant for help, or consult the Database of State Initiatives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE), which provides comprehensive information on environmentally sustainable local, state, federal, and utility-based incentives and policies. Here we highlight a handful of federal initiatives that could help you green your wallet this tax season.

Renewable remodeling: Homeowners who have installed renewable energy heating and cooling systems, including geothermal heat pumps, small wind turbines, and/or solar energy systems, can claim 30 percent of the cost of a new renewable energy system, with no maximum limit. An added bonus: the Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit, which runs through 2016, applies to any home you own, not just your primary residence.

Cats Facts: Green Jobs Mean Big Bucks

Cats, again! This week has been a good run for our favorite companion animals and their accompanying green tidings. (Feel free to debate "favorite" in the comments.) 

From a fluff ball and EVs to a lean kitty and big savings, to a tabby who doesn't give a shale about oil, we've carried the April Fools' fun through to the weekend.

A final word from our feline overlords:

 

Just the facts:

What could shifting funds to greener pastures look like? Instead of building and expanding roads, green jobs include building and expanding mass transit, and increasing existing buildings' energy efficiency. 

Green Careers: Environmental Law

Do you have brilliant writing and public speaking skills? A sharp, analytical mind? You might find success as an environmental lawyer. Today, find out what practicing environmental law entails and tips for getting your career started. If you're still not sure which green profession to pursue, make sure to take our quiz. 

Green Careers: Environmental Law

Environmental lawyers focus on litigation dealing with a wide range of concerns, from air and water quality to wildlife protection. They develop policies and engage in lawsuits to prevent environmental damage, compel waste cleanup, tighten regulations, or compensate individuals for harm due to environmental contamination. They're crucial advocates, preventing the government and corporations from engaging in practices that could hurt the environment and local residents. But an environmental attorney might also represent government agencies and businesses by working on environmental impact planning and sustainable growth and development. Cases could involve a builder’s use of toxic paint; a company’s contamination of groundwater used for drinking; or an irrigation system’s harmful impacts on endangered fish species.

Green Careers: Sustainability Consulting

Did you take our green career quiz on Monday? If so, did you score mostly d's? You'll probably excel as a sustainable planning consultant. Read below to learn how to launch a career helping companies both succeed and practice environmental responsibility.

Green Careers: Sustainability Consulting

You don’t need to dirty your hands reporting on an oil spill, tilling an urban vegetable garden, or monitoring Sumatran tiger populations to protect the planet. As a sustainable planning consultant, you can minimize harm to the environment from a corporate conference room. 

Sustainable planning consultants research and implement cost-saving strategies to reduce a company’s environmental impact. They help evaluate sustainable development requirements and create and implement strategies to help companies go green. To do this, a sustainable planning consultant might help a company choose an alternate form of energy, like solar panels, or start an initiative to reduce the company's carbon footprint by 25 percent in five years.

Green Careers: Wildlife Biology

Passionate about protecting animals and their habitats? Curious about different animal species and the complex relationships that make up an ecosystem? You might find your calling as a wildlife biologist. Stay tuned this week for more green career profiles. If you haven’t already, take our quiz to discover which eco-profession could offer the best fit for you.

Green Careers: Wildlife Biology

Wildlife biologists research the characteristics and habitats of animals. Some do primarily office work, but if you’d rather work outdoors, check out field biologist or research biologist positions, which involve studying species’ feeding, mating, and/or social habits in their natural habitats. Fieldwork could also include collecting specimens, which the researcher will take back to a lab. There, he or she might dissect dead animals to understand their anatomy or how parasite might be affecting a wildlife population.  Lab work could also entail data analysis using computer software.

Green Careers: Urban Farming

For Green Lifers seeking to align their career compass, we've dedicated this week to profiling different eco-professions. Yesterday we learned about environmental journalism. If you took our quiz on Monday and scored mostly b's, then read below to learn more about urban farming, your green career fit.

Green Careers: Urban Farming

Urban farmers grow, process, and distribute food in or around a city, allowing its residents easy access to fresh, seasonal produce. Some farmers raise animals, such as chickens or fish. Often found on rooftops, patios, formerly vacant lots, and even indoors, urban farms can play a crucial role in improving food access and food security in underserved neighborhoods with few grocery stores. Farms also add greenery to stark cityscapes; reduce harmful runoff; and help counteract "urban heat islands" —  metropolitan areas that, due to human activity, are significantly warmer than nearby rural communities. Community farms can provide income and build job skills for disadvantaged, at-risk youth.

An urban farmer’s day usually begins early in the morning and could include feeding animals, delivering food to restaurants and caterers, selling food at farmers’ markets, bookkeeping, marketing to potential clients — and of course, watering seedlings, fertilizing, weeding, planting, and harvesting. Some urban farmers are involved in local food justice advocacy and policy, which might involve planning and participating in meetings.

Green Careers: Environmental Journalism

Stumped on a career path? Itching to explore new job opportunities? Yesterday we posted a quiz to help you get started. Today we launch our series of green career profiles with a glimpse into environmental journalism.

Green Careers: Environmental Journalism

Environmental journalists inform and engage the public about important environmental issues. Whether it’s climate change, dirty coal plants, or genetically modified crops, the public wants to stay abreast of possible threats to their environment and their implications for human and ecological health. Reporters should be able to explain developments related to these issues clearly, fairly, objectively, and engagingly, without relying on sensationalism or jargon. Their stories should serve to improve the dialogue among journalists, scientists, policymakers, and the public.

Quiz: Which Green Career is Right for You?

It's never too early or too late to launch a new career. Whether you’re a student stumped about your post-grad future or a professional stuck in a mid-career rut, our green career series will help you find your path. This week, we’ll outline job requirements and highlight training programs and internships that can help you build the skills and network you need to jump-start your career.

Still not sure which professional path to pursue? Take our short quiz to learn which eco-friendly gig might be the best fit for your personality.

Quiz: Which Green Career is Right for You?

1. Close your eyes. Imagine your ideal work environment. What are you doing and how are you dressed?
   a. Backpacking through southern California’s San Jacinto mountains, in full hiking gear, chronicling your trek through a video and blog post.
   b. On a rooftop garden or greenhouse, wearing your trusty jeans, t-shirt, tennis shoes, gardening gloves, and sun hat.
   c. Bobbing on a boat out at sea in a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals, studying orca social structure.
   d. In a corporate office advising business executives, wearing a button-down shirt, skirt/slacks, and dress shoes.
   e. In your office, dressed in a smart suit as you write a legal brief for your latest case, this time involving a group of families with asthma caused by a local coal plant.
   
   
2. Quick! Classes are filling up, and you can only squeeze one elective into your schedule next term.  What do you sign up for?
   a. Journalism/communications
   b. Agriculture/botany
   c. Biology/ecology
   d. Business/marketing
   e. Law