Today is Earth Day -and despite some people declaring every day is earth day, I thought I’d explore a more common psyche when it comes to sustainability. Below is a comment stream captured from my network on facebook. Not only does it demonstrate how hard-wired we are to convenience, but how ‘going green’ has spent even our loose change in patience, believability and affordability.

Most poignant for me is the remark that going green means having access to the right truck. Perhaps we take the role of consumerism too seriously. After all, we’ve never stood in line for a sack of potatoes (Russia) or have had our entire city devastated by war (Berlin, Bahgdad) or have had to walk miles for clean drinking water (Africa), or wear surgical masks to protect our lungs (Beijing) or watched our kids starve to death (again, Africa). We don’t understand deprivation and destruction; we only understand demand. Hence our capacity for change is actually very short lived if it does not meet our definition of comfort or speed.

And just so I don’t leave any stone unturned, the cost factor is something that needs to be addressed. Take organic food, for example. It is more expensive than your commercially farmed variety -but so is cancer stemming from chemical absorption from our tainted food. Hybrid trucks may not be “like a rock” Chevy’s of yore, but energy independence is a hell of lot more sturdier. 

So today, I challenge all of you to reset your zero. Redefine your green baseline from the perspective of a more systems viewpoint, not from your consumer demand. Know that policy, innovation, investment, R&D, partnerships, regulation, tax incentives as well as a host of other elements play a huge role in creating a green economy. In other words, you may choose to buy a fuel-efficient car, but raising the fuel efficiency standards for the entire industry is what creates significant change.

Take the time to consider what’s involved in incubating and nurturing a new economy driven by a steady-state relationship between our lifestyles and the environment. We're at an economic juncture where it is easy to redefine our consumer norms. Reset your zero because at the end of the day, its no longer about consumer power, its about behavior change that accelerates transformation.

Meet Nancy Spencer:  Grandmother, Piano Teacher, Community and Church Activist - and now, SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR.  When not engaging students in staccatos, diminuendos and opening chords of Blackbird, Nancy sorts, stitches and transforms brightly colored fabric into rows of reusable cloth shopping bags.

The color pockets are more than just an environmental statement and passionate past-time for Nancy.  They will ultimately subsidize food, clothing and education for desperately impoverished women and children in Haiti.  

About four years ago, Nancy and her husband become intimately familiar and involved with the Haiti Foundation of Hope. The organization's mission is to help local villagers establish priorities for improving their lives:  in particular, monitoring the health of mothers and children, providing clean water. 

Philanthropy is a family affair for the Spencers.  Doctor Son-In-Law Steve became a board member of the Foundation, and when he visits Haiti, he works with medical clinic staff and local leaders to improve conditions on the ground. 

Meanwhile, daughter Beth operates a Fair Trade online business, BAMBOOTIQUE, selling hand-crafted items by women in developing nations.  Her online trade idea began while working in various countries with NW Medical Teams.  When she mentioned plans for an April Trunk Show to her mom, the seed of an idea began to grow.

An avid quilter, Nancy has accumulated yards of fabric, and recently discovered a pattern for cloth roll-up shopping bags at a quilt shop in Chicago.  So, she thought, "Why not use some of the excess quilting fabric and make the bags, sell them at a reasonable rate and give all proceeds to the Haiti Foundation?"  The $12 per-bag price tag covers Nancy's fabric cost.  More importantly, according to the Haiti Foundation, that's roughly the monthly requirement for food, uniform and books for a primary school child in Haiti.   

For Nancy, it's a win-win-win.  She gets the joy of creating, the money helps the people of Haiti, and the bags will be used over and over, reducing the use of plastic bags.  Early indications show great promise for sales - she's already out of stock with requests from her piano student's parents.  This could point toward a price increase, so supply can keep up with demand!

When asked whether she'd consider a skills transfer to allow Haitian women to become entrepreneurs, Nancy pointed to the grim reality of electricity and sewing machine supply constraints in that country - making production difficult.  But, not to be deterred, it's an idea she's chewing on.

Her optimism is as bright and cheery as the multi-colored bags she carefully displays across her living room.

As underscored by recent headlines, there has been a paradigm shift in how audiences seek and consume news. It has profoundly impacted news outlets, from the mighty to the emerging. One of the greatest present challenges to businesses and media outreach professionals is the ever-changing nature of the media landscape.

Traditional media - such as television, radio and print publications - must adapt to meet changing audience demands.  Some strive to innovate, whereas others are less able to evolve aggressively and 

strategically, so they begin to lose audiences and overall stability.

New media outlets engage audiences in deep, memorable ways. Reading, watching and listening to news is no longer a unidirectional activity; it is an active exchange between public and private, reader and reporter, video poster and mouse manipulator.

So, the question is: how can we successfully deliver stories within a changing media terrain?  By taking proactive and creative steps, it is possible to harness the potential of an unlimited scope of storytelling opportunity. Here are some ideas to consider:

Break through media inbox overload: Reporters are inundated with hundreds of daily emails. Engage them in unexpected ways. Invite and establish a dialogue as opposed to taking a unidirectional approach. Social media channels can help personalize storytelling avenues. For example, Twitter can be used as a swift, efficient pitching tool, which complements reporters’ busy lives.  Also, Facebook offers interactive methods of profiling events, people and campaigns, which presents anther great way to inform your close network of reporters.

Pitch to complement a shifting media landscape: Traditional media outlets are evolving, and new media expand message scope in exciting ways. Share your story accordingly: consider reporting trends before pitching news to ensure that story angles match reporters’ interests. Also, story-pitching tactics should take sound, imagery and video into consideration as much as the written word. Empower traditional media outlets by encouraging multimedia story coverage and by offering creative ready-to-run story delivery tools.

Deliver equal value to reporters, clients and the sustainable industry sphere: Finally, adjust your methods to work efficiently and responsibly. Why use paper press releases and media kits when electronic options are often preferred? By forgetting pricey printed goods, you can save budget and boost credibility with reporters by walking - not just talking - sustainable practices. 

A fresh take on delivering news can holistically benefit media outlets, reporters, businesses and consumers. By supporting the full spectrum news stakeholders, we can shape a strong, collaborative new kind of media culture.