Description
Our Programs include the following research and education initiatives:
RESEARCH
Ia. 'What's Really Green'? - to help consumers and businesses identify products and practices whose green claims are credible. We are launching the program by producing a report that will answer the following questions about common green claims, including organic, 'sustainably harvested', 'non-toxic', 'natural' and more:
(a) What does the claim really mean - in simple terms?
(b) What is the current state of science concerning the claim's (a) environmental and (b) people benefits? What key information gaps need to be addressed to strengthen the claim's benefits?
(c) How can people identify green products that they can trust to credibly provide the claim's benefits? What certifications or companies should they look for?
We will make the report available to the public for FREE via our web site and blog, and will leverage our findings to develop lectures, workshops and simple fact sheets for our education programs. Additional possible applications of this program include 1-2 university courses (e.g., Environmental Studies 150: What's Really 'Green'?) and a book. This is a long-term research program that will provide the public with groundbreaking reports and educational materials for years to come.
Ib. GreenTracker - ongoing research to calculate savings of resources and money from over 50 green practices.
EDUCATION INITIATIVES
IIa. Online Education - The CVI web site is our 'Online Library of Sustainability', featuring and archiving mission-oriented articles and tip sheets. The 'Conservation Value Notes' blog provides mission-focused news and commentary.
IIb. Music Industry Partnerships - CVI is grateful for the opportunity to partner with friends in the music industry to advance the rising sustainability revolution. Our initiatives in this area include the following:
· 'Ask a Sustainability Expert' information tables - CVI organizes multidisciplinary teams of experts to provide sustainability education at concerts and festivals. A key goal is to provide academic experts with fun opportunities to get better at communicating their knowledge to the general public. A long-term vision for this program is to offer a 3-6 week traveling course each year that will include events in multiple cities PLUS educational seminars at universities and institutions in the areas we visit (possible topics include climate change science, communication to motivate change, maximizing profits by going green, and more...).
· Customized partnerships - CVI invites inquiries to secure our educational, greening, and/or fiscal sponsorship support at events. We will work with you to identify your needs and devise a partnership agreement that both of our organizations will be proud of.
