Archive for the ‘30 Under 30 Contest, Learn More!’ Category
Ecover Ecological Cleaning Products Celebrates Thirtieth Anniversary with 30 Under 30 Contest
Ecover’s 30 Under 30 Contest Will Find and Honor the Next Generation of “Green” Innovators
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Meet Ecover’s Exceptional 30 Under 30 Contest Judges!
Last year, I was honored to be nominated as one of 30 finalists in Ecover’s first 30 Under 30 contest. It was a privilege to celebrate the collective achievements of all the candidates, as well as Ecover’s leadership. We were thrilled for Ryan Arnold when he was announced the grand prize winner!
Now I’m delighted to help introduce this year’s distinguished panel of 30 Under 30 judges. These eco-innovators have graciously agreed to lend their expertise to choose the group of 30 finalists, which will be posted on Facebook. Then it’s up to all of our Ecover Facebook fans to cast their votes to choose the grand prize winner!
Lindsay Brown, 2010 Ecover 30 under 30 Finalist
Ryan Arnold
Returning to the 30 Under 30 contest as last year’s grand prize winner, Ryan now joins the judge’s table.Ryan is a writer, entrepreneur and advocate and combines issues of sustainability, business, and technology. He is currently the sustainability manager for Winfiniti, a social media writer for Social Media NZ, and an active board member for Kootenai Environmental Alliance. He is also working to develop North Idaho’s first co working community, CoSpace CDA.
Megan McWilliams
Another second year 30 Under 30 judge, Megan is a former magazine publisher. As a radio show host, author, multi-media content producer and marketing professional, this Green Diva has successfully applied her experience and skills to extol the value of healthy, sustainable living. Her big-picture: promoting ideas for simple, low-stress sustainability, accessible to a broad and diverse audience. She keeps busy writing, producing and performing in print, radio, TV, web, blog and social media). The Green Divas Radio Show and podcast goes out to an audience of over 17 million people per month!
Jeff McIntire-Strasburg
Jeff McIntire-Strasburg returns for his second year as a 30 Under 30 judge. Jeff is the founder and editor of sustainablog, born from Jeff’s passion for creating a greener world. It’s one of the most recognized blogs on the web for information and analysis of all things green: business, activism, science and technology, politics, culture, and lifestyle. Jeff is also a writer at the Sundance Channel’s SUNfiltered blog, the co-founder of Green Options Media.
Nikke Alex
Nikke joins our panel of judges as a finalist in last year’s 30 Under 30 Contest. She is Diné (Navajo) and was originally from Dilcon, Arizona, Navajo Nation. She has worked with social movements and indigenous communities around the world as well as doing independent research in both uranium and coal mining on the Navajo Nation, focusing on the social impacts of mining on Navajo families. Currently, Nikke serves as a community resource for Indigenous communities who are impacted by coal and uranium mining.
Cara Janelle
A finalist in last year’s 30 Under 30 Contest too, Cara is the co-founder of Crooked Creek Records, a sustainable record label in Chicago. She has been working with The Giving Tree Band since 2006 as their vegan chef, green consultant, and yoga instructor! She just finished a children’s book that will be released in December, called “The Stream.” When not touring the country doing yoga and supporting independent small businesses, Cara can be found in a kitchen somewhere creating recipes for her cookbook!
Our judge’s rock! We’re looking forward to seeing all the 30 Under 30 entries! The contest runs untilOctober 24, so be sure you share the exciting news and enter on Facebook today!
Image courtesy of judges. Nikke’s image from this site
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Will You Be The Next Ecover 30 Under 30 Contest Winner?
We are so excited to present our 30 Under 30 Contest once again this year! That’s right; Ecover is looking for 30 people under 30 years old who are making a sustainable difference in their local or global communities. Are you or someone you know among them? Don’t be shy … you have until October 24 to enter on our Facebook page, where you will find all the details. The grand prize winner will receive a year’s supply of Ecover products! Also, 29 finalists will receive Ecover’s fantastic lineup of dishwashing products – including all three dishwashing liquids (1 each, 32-oz), Automatic Dishwasher Tablets and Rinse Aid.
Ecover sponsored the first 30 Under 30 contest last year to celebrate the 30th anniversary of our powerful and sustainable cleaning products, that both respect our environment and the growing needs of our customers. Last year’s contest was such a success and generated so much enthusiasm among young eco-innovators, that we just had to bring back 30 Under 30! We were truly blown away by the passion and drive of people like Ryan Arnold, last year’s 30 Under 30 grand prize winner, who is helping low-income citizens in Idaho reduce their energy costs.
Ryan joins this year’s distinguished panel of 30 Under 30 judges, which includes Jeff McIntire-Strasburg (Founder, Sustainablog), Megan McWilliams (co-host of Green Divas Radio Show), Nikke Alex and Cara Wasielewski (both finalists from last year’s contest). It’s their job to choose the 30 finalists. Those finalists’ names will be posted on Facebook, and then it’s up to all of you to cast your vote one time per day if you are up for it for the grand prize winner!
So what are you waiting for – enter today … and spread the word about 30 Under 30!
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Ecover Asks: What Do YOU Think the Future of Sustainability Will Be?
At Ecover’s 30th Anniversary party, CEO Mick Bremans had the opportunity to talk about sustainability with some of the brightest young minds in green blogging and eco-innovation. Many of the attendees were finalists in Ecover’s first annual 30 Under 30 contest, which helped celebrate the passion and insight of a new generation of ecological heroes. As this video from the event shows, every good discussion about sustainability inevitably turns toward the future.
Looking ahead, Mick Bremans raises some valid points about the future of sustainability. For example, according to the UN, by 2050, there will be 9 billion people on the planet. This will create a host of resource conflicts. As theHuffington Post recently asked, how can we feed 9 billion people sustainably?
Fortunately, the event’s attendees had some great ideas and some equally legitimate concerns about our immediate ecological future:
- Brian Howard (The Daily Green) believes so-called “green building” will be the standard.
- Starre Vartan (Eco-Chick) thinks we’ll need to “convince away, debate away and legislate away” our unsustainable ways of thinking.
- Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff (EcoStiletto) is optimistic that our existing push toward ecological solutions will make unsustainable ways of life obsolete.
- Jill Fehrenbacher (Inhabitat) believes it’s media responsibility to keep “green” topics from becoming passé.
- When it comes to business, 30 Under 30 contest winner Ryan Arnold believes “profit doesn’t have to be separate from doing good work.”
One night (and one video) simply wasn’t enough to explore this subject fully, so we’d like to invite you to join the conversation:
What do you think are our most pressing eco-issues?
What problems (and solutions) do you think we’ll be facing in 2040?
Which existing hurdles seem like the biggest challenge toward positive change, and how do you think they can be overcome?
Leave your thoughts in the comments below, or connect with Ecover on Twitter or Facebook. Let’s carry this conversation forward and work toward a better, brighter and greener future together!
What do YOU think the future of sustainability will be?
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Ryan Arnold, Ecover 30 under 30 Grand Prize Winner, Answers Eco Questions Posed by Event Attendees
30 under 30 Grand Prize winner Ryan Arnold with Ecover CEO Mick Bremans
At our eco-fabulous event on November 10th in NYC, we announced our Ecover 30 under 30 grand prize winner, Ryan Arnold. Our guests had some great questions for this green leader, and Ryan answers them below:
Q: In less than 180 characters, tell me your best eco-moment under 30.
R: By far my best eco-moment is being recognized in NYC by ECOVER and participating in a roundtable discussion with great Eco-bloggers.-
Q: How do you use technology in a sustainable way?
R: The main way I use technology for sustainability is twofold: first, I use programs like Google Reader, Twitter, and LinkedIn to stay current on the latest news regarding sustainability issues so that I can use that information in my own work. Second, I use the same technology to redistribute that information to my social networks and blogs so that others can use that information in their daily lives without needing to search for it.-
Q: How you get your creative juices going?
R: The best way I stay creative is by staying current on ideas and broad in scope. I’m a person who tries to understand, read and participate in a little bit of everything, and gaining that broad view helps connect the dots between different trends, events, and ideas. Having those dots laid out is enough motivation to get me going on trying to figure out the connections between them.-
Q: What is one thing anyone can do to be green?
R: Being green is not about one single action in my belief, but it is about understanding how you’re actions impact things beyond you’re direct vicinity. If there was one thing someone can do to be “green,” it is acknowledge that each action or purchase has positive and negative consequences beyond what may be tangible in that moment. Considering and valuing those affects I believe will lead most people towards better, more “green” choices.-
Q: What is your favorite color?
R: Orange.-
Q: What inspires you every morning?
R: My wife Jaime, the amazing people I interact with through my career, and the unknown possibilities that lay ahead.-
Q: What lies in store for you future environmental endeavors?
R: I started this journey in environmental work only a short 3 years ago, and I would have never imagined the wonderful path I’ve taken to get where I am now, so for me it’s hard to guess where I am going. I’ve lived by a few ideas, including being diversified in what I do, keeping myself open to new possibilities, and staying dedicated to following my interests, passions, and morals. Those ideas have led me down an exciting and rewarding path so far, and I have no doubt sticking to it will be no different, where ever that path may lead.-
Q: What does green mean to you?
R: For me it means being conscious of your actions and to take a long term view of how those interactions are positively or negatively affecting yourself, others, and the natural capital which we are all dependent on.-
Q: How are your efforts going beyond green washing to address the dilemmas facing our planet given the disposable culture we live in?
R: Though my work efforts don’t directly deal with the disposable culture we live in and is more about conserving direct-use resources such as energy, I would like to put my 2 cents in about the fight against the disposable culture. One of the things that I see that makes changing the disposable culture hard, and why it as a “culture” is so prevalent in our society, is because it is convenient and inexpensive. While this is pretty common knowledge, the solutions I see out there to change disposable behavior usually only address one of these two issues and address them in the wrong way.You cannot fight against a “disposable culture” because being disposable is not a driving value for consumers, cost and convenience are. If you want to stop disposable, you need to find either a “positive” consumer solution such as an equal alternative that fits the product values for that consumer or a “negative” consumer solution that change the values of the original item through something like a tax, ban, social pressure, availability, or consumer liability. The positive solutions are ideal because it is equal-to or better in the consumers eyes and more likely to be adopted, while a negative consumer solution will be met with resistance, and the message of why disposable is an issue may be lost to the common story of “environmentalist forcing us to change something we don’t want to.”
Think “plastic grocery bags” and “bike don’t drive.” These both find heavy resistance with negative consumer solutions such as bans or car-free zones, and neither issue has found a solution to the convenience part of each of them. Green groups can pass out all the cloth bags they want and bike to work weeks can be organized every day, but the majority will not give up convenience even with a great solution to cost.
If you want to get beyond green washing and start making effective change, I believe you need to start understanding what will actually make change, which will not, and which will be met with resistance and lost message. Decide which you causes you want to fight for, which you can design for, and which don’t have a solution that is yet viable.
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Q: What is the role of young people in leading the environmental movement?
R: I think the role for young people in my generation in the environmental movement, and in general for the success of our generation, is to become more educated and more aware of the world we live in. Environmental issues are difficult and in-depth, and are not something that can be addressed with “101 way” solutions. The problems we face, as a society and a generation are complex, interconnected, and will need more attention than a Tweet or a sound bite, but the information for solutions in a lot of ways is out there already. The key is for us to be smart enough to recognize the information that is important, and have the capabilities to make the right long term decisions for all stakeholders.To hear more from Ryan, join him on Twitter or his blog.
Congrats again Ryan! And thank you to everyone who made the 30 under 30 contest a big success!
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Ecover Hosts Party to Celebrate 30 Years of Ecological Cleaning Products! Ryan Arnold Named Grand Prize Winner of 30 Under 30 Contest
30 under 30 Event at Environment Furniture
Last night in New York City Ecover hosted a party to celebrate thirty years of producing ecological cleaning products … and also announced the Grand Prize Winner of its 30 Under 30 Contest!
- Ecover CEO Mick Bremans congratulates 30 under 30 Grand Prize Winner Ryan Arnold
At 7 p.m., Ecover CEO Mick Bremans made the much-anticipated announcement: Ryan Arnold was named the WINNER of the 30 Under 30 Contest. Ryan, a self-proclaimed “energy geek,” helps low-income citizens in Idaho reduce their energy costs. Congratulations!
Ecover CEO Mick Bremans with Finalist Sharon Able
At Environment furniture’s showroom (not only the amazing venue but also the provider of the grand prize: a bedroom or dining room set that the winner is still trying to decide on), the eco-elite gathered for a night of food from our environmentally friendly caterer Choice Cooking Company, with wine brought to us from Lapostolle, and soda provided by Dry Soda.
Ecover CEO Mick Bremans with Finalist Lindsay Brown
Later in the evening, the Green Blogger Conference panel discussion on the future of sustainability was very interesting and enlightening as thoughts were shared by panel moderator Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff of EcoStiletto, and panelists Meaghan O’Neill of Treehugger, Jill Fehrenbacher of Inhabit, Starre Vartan of Eco-Chick, and the 30 under 30 grand prize winner, Ryan Arnold.
Ecover CEO Mick Bremans with Finalist Antuan Cannon
In addition to announcing the grand prize winner, the event also served as a thank you for all who participated which included the finalists and the judges. All of the top thirty finalists were invited to attend the event and were awarded a year’s supply of Ecover cleaning products.
Ecover CEO Mick Bremans with 30 under 30 judges, Deb Brancato (left) and “Green Diva” Megan McWilliams (right)
Ecover would also like to thank businesses who displayed or demonstrated their products: Jane Iredale, Waterpik, Tom’s of Maine, and Zhena’s Gypsy Tea.
Ecover CEO Mick Bremans with Finalist Robert Filbin
It was a night to look back on Ecover’s success … and to look toward its future as a world-leader in sustainable business practices and ecological cleaning!
Finally, we hope that our 30 Under 30 Contest Winner, Ryan Arnold, will continue to change the world and make it a better place!
Photos by Kate Eisemann
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Just A Few Hours Left To Vote!
This is it … the final day of voting in Ecover’s exciting 30 Under 30 Contest! Which contestant would you like to see win the grand prize on November 10th?You have just a few hours (until midnight tonight!) to cast your ballot. Simply visit our 30 Under 30 Contest Webpage or Facebook page and submit a vote for the person who you think stands out in this field of sustainability pioneers!
Thanks to all of our fans and customers who have voted this week. It has been an exciting time at Ecover and an exciting 30 years! We’ll be busy tallying votes this weekend and we’ll announce the name of the deserving winner on November 10th!
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Have You Voted Yet?
If you’ve already voted for the person who you’d like to be the winner of the Ecover 30 Under 30 Contest, we thank you for your participation! And here’s a reminder that you that you can vote again today and tomorrow. If you haven’t voted yet … what are you waiting for?!Go to our 30 Under 30 Contest Webpage or Facebook page and check out these amazing young eco innovators. It might be tough to choose just one, but someone’s got to walk away with our grand prize on November 10th – a choice of a dining set or bedroom set from Environment, unique furniture created from reclaimed, recycled, and sustainably harvested wood!
We look forward to tallying your votes … and don’t forget: voting closes at midnight tomorrow!
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Three More Days To Vote!
In case you haven’t already heard, we’re here to remind you that it’s time for you to help Ecover pick its 30 Under 30 Contest grand prize winner! There are only three days left for the public to vote, and every vote counts! (And don’t forget … you can vote once a day, each day this week.)If you need some help, here’s a list of the criteria our judges looked at: (1) the environmental impact of the contestant’s sustainability efforts; (2) the creativity/innovation used in achieving sustainability practices; and (3) the contestant’s demonstration of passion and dedication to sustainability.
So log onto our Contest Webpage or Facebook page today and weigh in!
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Super Tuesday At Ecover!
Today is Election Day here in the U.S. … and at Ecover today is the day to vote as well! Actually, each day this week (November 1-5th) you can cast your vote—one vote per day—for the person you’d like to see win our 30 Under 30 Contest. The Grand Prize Winner receives a choice of a dining set or bedroom set from Environment, unique furniture created from reclaimed, recycled, and sustainably harvested wood.This might be the easiest election in which you’ve ever participated. No driver’s licenses, no long lines and no bubbles to fill out. Just stop by our 30 Under 30 Contest Webpage or Facebook page and click on your favorite contestant.
Thanks in advance for helping us pick the person most dedicated to the future of our planet!
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It’s Time To Vote!
The submissions have been evaluated, and Ecover has announced the top 30 contestants in its 30 Under 30 Contest! Now it’s time to choose our grand prize winner—and you get to help!For just five days, starting today, November 1st and ending on Friday, November 5th, you will be able to vote for the person who you feel most deserves to be our 30 Under 30 Contest grand prize winner! You can vote once a day, every day this week … but after midnight on Friday voting will be closed.
Just go to the Contest Page or Ecover’s Facebook page and follow the instructions to vote.
The winner will be announced on November 10th!
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