3BL Blog

Green Clouds

A couple of weeks back, Federal CIO Vivek Kundra announced the White House Cloud Computing initiative.  Cloud computing, he said, was the "green computing option". The presentation video concluded with the phrase "lower cost, faster, greener."
 
Twice in the past few weeks I have been asked, "What is Cloud Computing and why is it green?". I expect - hope - to get this question more often. So let me practice an answer here - and I'd appreciate any suggestions you have to offer.
 
Basically, Cloud Computing is a model in which IT infrastructure and software are offered as services to users over  the Internet. 
 
Simple enough, right? At first glance, it doesn't sound particularly new.  Applications such as Salesforce.com and EMC's own Mozy On-Line Backup have been served up over the Internet for a while now.  And indeed, those applications are part of the gathering cloud. But cloud computing implies much more.
 
The difference
 
The cloud itself comprises many services running on a set of pooled, highly configurable hardware and software resources.  In fact, those resources are so dynamically configurable that services can easily get more resources, give some up, or even move to a different set of hardware while still running.
Clouds are be self-provisioning, or "on demand". Like the similarly named cable service, there's no human intervention necessary to order and start receiving your service.
 
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Icestone CEO: "Buy American and Ask Questions" - An Interview with Miranda Magagnini

Today, I visited Miranda Magagnini, Co-CEO of one of New York's leading ethical companies, IceStone at its headquarters in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The Brooklyn site, which used to be owned by the U.S. Navy to produce the USS Missouri and other famous war ships, is now home to IceStone, which is waging its own battle for a better world by creating green alternatives to stone surfaces and counter tops. The company, which Miranda runs with Co-CEO Peter Strugatz, produces durable surfaces made of recycled glass and concrete. Their product is not only made from recycled materials but is also recyclable itself. The company has achieved an extraordinary level of certification, including LEED, Cradle to Cradle GOLD, and B Corporation.

Miranda was especially proud of their company's B Corporation Certification since big companies simply don't have the ability to be transparent enough to get B Corporation Certified. There are only 190 B Corporations, including Seventh Generation, Good Capital, and Greyston Bakery (listen to our interview with CEO Julius Walls, Jr. here). IceStone's logo is featured prominently on the B Corporation website. Miranda also showed me a stunning table made from their refined collection (pictured in photo from their website). She also had some cautionary advice for would-be ethical consumers.

Non-Profit Social Responsibility

In addition to some lively feedback (positive and negative) to my recent post about the The Bay’s current Think Pink campaign, I also heard from a number of people in the last week about the $2.7. million g0lden parachute that the SickKids Foundation gave former president Michael O’Mahoney (as it was reported in the Toronto Star, the $2.7M included his final salary of $600,000 and $2.1M in “incentive payments” and money to compensate him for leaving before the end of his contract).

 People I...

Smart Giving: Look Who's on the Board

Whether you're an individual, company or foundation, making a significant contribution, you can get a good idea of an organization's vitality and prospects for success by taking a look at who's on the board.

As the editor and co-Founder of the Corporate Library, Nell Minow said in a recent Financial Times article about for-profit boards, that "in the years before its collapse...as with most of the banks,

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Philanthropy and Service: Getting the Best Return on Your Investment

One year ago, I wrote a post here on "Building Your Nonprofit Investment Portfolio: Leveraging Your Impact." In the post, I recommended how to decide where to make your personal contributions in order to make a difference on the issues that matter to you most.

Given the economic challenges of the past year, I looked back on that post to see what I would update. Surprisingly, nothing, in terms of how to choose where to invest. What I would like...

Kiva and fungibility

David Roodman, whom we previously interviewed, has a very interesting post up about a specific microfinance vehicle, Kiva.org.

Our existing report argues that donations through this sort of vehicle are likely “fungible,” and therefore better thought of (for impact purposes) as general support of organizations rather than as support of specific projects or people. Mr.

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Hyatt (still) should be ashamed

Business for Social Responsibility (“The Business of a Better World”) does valuable work with business around social and environmental issues. It’s helped organize efforts to get global companies to take responsibility for the rights of workers in their supply chains, particularly in poor countries.

So what will BSR do about its 2009 conference, the premiere event on the corporate-responsibility circuit, now scheduled for the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero in San Francisco?

You’ve heard about Hyatt’s labor problems by now, haven’t you? Last month...

How to Lead a Great Panel Discussion

In my work in training and preparing business executives and professionals for service on nonprofit boards of directors, I facilitate panel discussions. The panelists include corporate leaders who chair and serve on NGO boards, and CEOs of global, national, and regional nonprofits. I've always said that the best panel discussions are more like Broadway shows. You get across the vital learning content--but with spontaneous drama, engaging the audience in the personalities and dynamics of the panelists and the stories and experiences they are conveying.

At the Clinton Global...

Moody's and Kiva: "The Double Bottom Line"

While it's a thrill for me to help engage companies in strategic philanthropy, corporate social responsibility (CSR), skilled volunteering, and other forms of giving and service, I've always believed that corporate initiatives are only sustainable if there's a solid business case to be made. So after my initial excitement about a terrific new corporate-nonprofit partnership, my next question is: "How did you sell it to the board?"

At last week's CGI, I was delighted to meet with Premal Shah, President and CEO of Kiva, the world's first person-to-...

Time to Re-think Think Pink?

This morning I walked through The Bay and had a look at the many pink products on display as a part of their annual Think Pink program. By purchasing these products consumers can support the work of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF).

At one level, cause related marketing programs like this are a positive way to create awareness of important issues and to motivate behaviour change. However, in addition to featuring products that re-enforce gender stereotypes of women (without a sense...

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