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Visit www.misustainable.com for resources and more on sustainability.

MiBiz has compiled the following series of sustainability articles that have been published in our past editions. We have also compiled a list of definitions & related links that support the sustainable business initiative. Look for the TBL logo in the next edition to follow the continuing coverage on sustainability.

Sustainability Desk

Columns from the U.S. Green Building Council Western Michigan

Recent Columns

Definitions:

Sustainability:
Ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come.

Sustainable Business:
A non-traditional strategy that strives to maximize efficiency and effectiveness while restoring environmental quality, building social equity and increasing long-term profitability.

Triple bottom line (TBL):
Describes the integration of economic, environmental and social aspects of an organization. Often used in relation to an integrated reporting system for these aspects.

Smart Growth:
Developments that serves the economy, the community, and the environment.

Green Building:
Green or sustainable building is the practice of creating healthier and more resource-efficient models of construction, renovation, operation, maintenance, and demolition.

Renewable Energy:
Energy obtained from sources that are essentially inexhaustible, unlike, for example, the fossil fuels, of which there is a finite supply. Renewable sources of energy include wood, waste, geothermal, wind, photovoltaic, and solar thermal energy.

Social Investing:
The practice of aligning a foundation's investment policies with its mission. This may include making program-related investments and refraining from investing in corporations with products or policies inconsistent with the foundation's values.

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Sustainability Links:

1. www.wbcsd.org - The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) brings together some 180 international companies in a shared commitment to sustainable development through economic growth, ecological balance and social progress.

2. www.epa.gov/sustainability/index.htm - This site examines sustainability and provides links to EPA programs and tools in four key areas: the Built or human-created Environment; Water, Ecosystems and Agriculture; Energy and the Environment; and Materials and Toxics.

3. www.erb.umich.edu - Utilizing a collaborative approach, we help business, government and civil society organizations to achieve meaningful progress toward sustainability.

4. www.wmsbf.org - The West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum is a non-profit organization of area companies united in their commitment to the principle of a concept known today as the "Triple Bottom Line".

5. www.cmsbf.org - The Central Michigan Sustainable Business Forum is a coalition of Lansing-area businesses working together to become leaders in their industries by implementing the "Triple Bottom Line".

6. www.centerforsustainability.org - The Center for Sustainability at Aquinas College (C4S) is a student-run and faculty-directed organization providing a web-based clearinghouse of information for consumers, business people, non-profit organizations, students, and governmental agencies interested in sustainable practices.

7. www.cec.org - The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) is an international organization created by Canada, Mexico and the United States under the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC).

8. www.sustainableresearchgroup.com - The Sustainable Research Group (SRG) is an organization of experienced industry professionals dedicated to identifying, documenting, and improving business performance based on principles that are economically sound, environmentally healthy, and socially responsible.

9. www.sustainablebusiness.com - An independent company helps green businesses find the resources they need to grow.

10. www.buildinggreen.com - An independent company committed to providing accurate, unbiased, and timely information designed to help building-industry professionals and policy makers improve the environmental performance, and reduce the adverse impacts, of buildings.

11. www.ceres.org - Ceres (pronounced "series") is a national network of investors, environmental organizations and other public interest groups working with companies and investors to address sustainability challenges such as global climate change.

12. www.sustainability.com- SustainAbility is a strategy consultancy and independent think tank specializing in the business risks and market opportunities of corporate responsibility and sustainable development.

13. www.grpartners.org - Community Sustainability Partnership- The Community Sustainability Partnership is a coalition of businesses, community members, and city administrations to facilitate the sharing of information, combination of strengths, and to take advantage of opportunities.

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