Interns can be a blessing to any startup. Honestly, free labor is hard to come by and the energy and enthusiasm at which an intern often can immediately bring to the table can boost your team’s morale and productivity.  However, interns can also be an added responsibility that not all of us can afford to manage and fit into our oversubscribed schedules.  The ideal intern for any organization is one that can add value from the start with as little hand holding as possible. We like to create ‘intimate internships’ that allow our interns to be singular with the executive team. Fortunately, our lean staff allows us to do this but we also would rather not have a fleet of interns that exceed our capacity to offer a quality internship experience that is commensurate in value for both us and the intern.

We have been blessed to not have to find an amazing intern but to have been sought by an undergraduate that has the willpower of a kid at a candy store.  Samantha Bosalavage is a junior at Tulane University where she is studying for her Bachelors in Arts in Sociology, Social Policy and Practice, and Philosophy.  Her list of accolades immediately attests to her ability to independently develop programs, conduct and present extensive market research, and navigate complicated information and new territories all on her own.  Samantha hit the ground running as soon as we gave her a problem to solve or an extensive project to execute on. With little supervision, Samantha immediately demonstrated her capability to handle more than the typical intern’s bite-sized projects.  Samantha very much has a “go big or go home” attitude which seamlessly meshed with our team’s culture at Re-Nuble.  Thoroughly impressed, Samantha never allows her list of commitments to compromise the quality of her work and her dedication to Re-Nuble.

Given our amazing experience with Samantha, our first intern, we have to ask ourselves will the next two interns we plan to onboard within the next two weeks be able to do the following:

-Add value from the beginning

-Propose new solutions or projects to address existing problems or challenges

-Suggest areas where he or she can help immediately

-Willing to do whatever it takes

-Able to adapt quickly and easily

-Is curious and smart

If your next intern is able to demonstrate a majority, if not all, of these competencies than you have an amazing intern.

Thank you Sammy!

Yesterday’s Forward Climate Rally gave hope.  It gave hope that we can collectively as individuals still seek the change that we want to be.  More importantly, it depicted the change we want to have in place now for the well-being  of our future generations.  I and other family and friends of Re-Nuble and other climate change advocates represented a variety of voices across all ages, demographics, and economic segments.  The sheer representation of 40,000 people in DC demonstrated that climate change is not a politically driven motive but instead a concensus showing our grave concern that burning fossil fuels is, in fact, heating the plant, our consumption is unsustainable, and we need to act on resiliency for the sake of our existence.

Below thirty degrees Fahrenheit, the blistering wind chills didn’t hold back our passion to make sure that all of D.C. heard our cries to act now.  We continue to ask for immediacy in policy creation such as placing a tax on carbon, levying higher environmental regulations to environmental polluters, and expanding the clean energy industry despite the looming impact that D.C.’s sequestration policy may bring.  These next few weeks will be interesting to see if Congress took our pleas seriously and decided to support or cut the funding necessary to sustain federal programs instrumental to our climate movement.

We can only hope for the best.

350.org’s Playback of the Forward Climate Rally

Priti Ambani wrote a great article recently highlighting the issue of food waste and how, like any other challenge, this creates a great opportunity to create both impact and a viable venture.  We couldn’t agree more, but what caught our interest the most was when Ambani eluded to the notion of “safety-net entrepreneurs”.  These change agents create tighter business models around situations or challenges that typically fall through the cracks.

There are immense inefficiencies of which these “safety-net entrepreneurs” could solve within the food production and food service industries.  Many of the fundamental problems lie in the areas of food distribution, preservation, and allocation but few sustainable solutions have been identified that can be scaled efficiently and add value to the food supply chain.  To add numerical context, The World Food Programme reports that, ” there is enough food available to feed the global population of 7 billion people.  And yet one out of every eight people is going hungry.”  Has this become a global challenge too large for one non-profit, social enterprise or NGO to address?  Would collaboration between enterprises help close close this gap sooner or introduce too many problems such as an overlap in missions, channel conflict, or a logistical nightmare?

Collaboration is Key

Collaboration is Key

We believe, as with any like-minded partnership, that complementary business models can mend these cracks.  With poverty such a large issue, why should it be tackled alone?  We are thrilled to be connected with incredible organizations all across this country like Food Shift.  Together, despite our current locations we  can partner to fight poverty and hunger.  Food Shift is an Oakland, California based non-profit that is dedicated to building a more just and sustainable food system that curbs waste, empowers communities, respects the environment and nourishes all.  Food Shift works to build a more just and sustainable food system which prioritizes food waste reduction as an integral component of the environmental, sustainability, and food justice movements. Working primarily in the East Bay, they create replicable programs and tools which can be implemented and utilized all over the United States to divert food loss in homes, businesses and municipalities.  Food Shift focuses on education, collaborative business partnerships and the creation of a food recovery service sector.  750 million dollars each year for the disposal of food is an unnecessary and inefficient use of food, labor and money.  Food Shift is working to make the case that just a fraction of those funds could support a food recovery service sector.  Their service model is clearly a discernible win-win and blends nicely with our mission to reuse the residual of the food waste stream that can no longer be recovered and served to animals and/or humans.  As milk and sugar always go well in your coffee, an organization like Food Shift and Re-Nuble would complement each other well in creating solutions for the roots of hunger, environmental exploitation, and agricultural infrastructure.  Solving the social and environmental impacts of food waste is going to take multiple organizations working at all different levels.  We are thrilled to be part of a web that is being woven of resourceful and innovative organizations tackling this problem across the country.

We wish Dana Frasz the very best in scaling Food Shift’s laudable mission.  Since meeting her at SOCAP conference in September of 2012, we have been inspired to seek local enterprise models with similar missions and are currently working to create partnerships that help us extend our impact and exploit the highest social benefits of food waste.

Join us today to help us achieve our mission.  If not for environmental or health reasons – do it because Re-Nuble’s mission also plays a small role in eradicating global poverty and spurring local economic development.

• Become a Re-Nuble partner
• Follow us on social media
• Contribute to our crowdfunding campaign

Fortunately, attitudes are shifting closer to the scientific consensus.  Even in America – one of the last remaining strongholds of climate change denial – the tide is turning.

Unusually brutal hurricanes in late fall have a way of influencing public opinion.

But is growing awareness amongst constituents enough to tip the balance?  After all, politicians are often driven by more pressing, short-term mandates like economic development or ending poverty – areas in which progress is easier to document within a 2, 4, or 6-year election cycle.

Even the greenest of candidates might shy away from the types of long-term solutions many climate scientists advocate.  It’s hard to pitch a 10-year environmental plan if voters must assess your performance in the here and now.

Well, we’ve got good news – in fact, double good news.

Turn Down the Heat – Climate Change as Key to Ending Poverty

In a landmark report, Turn Down the Heat, released by the World Bank, climate change emerged as one of the most important factors in combating global poverty.

According to World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim, “We will never end poverty if we don’t tackle climate change.  It is one of the single biggest challenges to social justice today.”

In other words, fighting climate change isn’t simply an environmental issue any more.  Of course, many businesses already realized as much when their supply chains and services were interrupted by Hurricane Sandy.  But now the leading authority on global poverty has added its 2 cents.

Why is this good news?

Because this report draws a direct link between the economic development that typically guides political action and the environmental protection that most of us agree needs to happen.

In other words, selling 5, 10, or even 50-year environmental platforms should become easier.  Rather than view regulations and protections as job destroyers, we can reframe them as job creators – a major plus during one of the worst economic crises in recent memory.

That’s good news #1.  Now for #2.

We Don’t Need to Wait 5, 10, or Even 50 Years to Turn Down the Heat

At Re-Nuble, we’d love to see more politicians throw their weight behind long-term global warming solutions.  Cutting emissions, improving fuel efficiency, investing in new technologies – these are all critically important.  Any news that makes implementing such standards should be viewed as “good news.”

But it gets better.

There exist a range of immediate, short-term solutions we can begin implementing today.  Solutions that don’t require political risk – or even political input, for that matter.

Our entire business model revolves around one such solution:

• Collecting the 1.3 billion tons of food waste that we already produce every year
• Recycling this uneaten food into green energy and natural fertilizer
• Using both of these resources to reduce reliance on fossil fuel and improve the quality of our food, air, and water

It’s a simple fix, and the resources are already at our disposal.  We’re simply not using them.  In fact, we’re spending money not to use them and paying with our health and environment in the process.

Think it’s silly to clear trees so we can grow food that doesn’t get eaten?  We think it’s silly too.

Join us today and help us put a stop to this.  If not for environmental or health reasons – do it because Re-Nuble’s mission also plays a small role in eradicating global poverty and spurring local economic development.

• Become a Re-Nuble partner
• Follow us on social media
• Contribute to our crowdfunding campaign

There are 3 broad categories of direct and indirect benefits – regardless of your political, economic, or social background.  Whether you’re a bigwig executive or a volunteer firefighter, below are just a handful of ways that Re-Nuble’s mission helps you and your community.

Environmental Protection

The first, and arguably most important, benefit is the environment.  Every dollar donated to Re-Nuble’s crowdfunding campaign moves the world closer to a zero-waste cycle of food production and renewable energy generation.

You benefit from:

• Less overall waste in your community (we could stop the list right here).

• Decreased use of limited, precious resources (i.e. fossil fuel, virgin forests, delicate ecosystems, endangered fishing waters, etc.).

• Fewer pollutants in the air and water (due to less fossil fuel consumption and less organic waste in landfills – a major source of greenhouse gases).

• A more sustainable cycle of food production, waste management, and green energy.

By itself, greening the planet makes donating $5 worth it.  Wouldn’t you shell out a few extra dollars to have cleaner air, healthier water, and a more sustainable world?

Admittedly, we realize that not everyone is as passionate about the environment as we are.  Intangibles like “a greener planet” are not always enough.  So let’s explore something everyone can get behind.

Local Green Economic Development

Re-Nuble tackles global problems with local solutions by ensuring that the renewable energy and all-natural fertilizers it creates from waste go to the very communities that originally created this waste.  There are no national supply lanes or international shipping routes involved.  We keep all resources within the local communities that we serve.

The end result?  Well, you benefit from:

• More green job opportunities.  Even if you’re not personally in the market for a new job, you probably know folks who are.  And besides, more local jobs means more tax revenue.  This leads to better schools, safer roads, and less crime – all generated through activities that help the planet rather than hurt it.

• More economic growth.  Your community relies on local resources to sustainably grow the food and generate the power it needs.  This approach to community scale renewable energy and sustainable farming can pay huge dividends at a time when cities across the country are hemorrhaging money by sourcing these things from abroad.

By joining Re-Nuble, not only are you helping to create new green jobs, but you also ensure that local money doesn’t leave the community.  This compound benefit is reason enough to make a small contribution.  But wait, there’s more.

Healthier Living for Everyone

We said earlier that saving the environment was arguably the most important benefit.  And within a much broader context, it is.  But who doesn’t want a healthier body?  We imagine that this is #1 on many people’s list.

If you’re one of those people, you’re in luck.  Re-Nuble actively partners with farmers that champion sustainability and health over agribusinesses that value profit above all else.  Rather than grow genetically modified foods harvested with petro-fertilizers, we’re fighting for a world in which local farmers use safe and humane methods of cultivating the food we eat.

End result?  You benefit from:

• Safer and more delicious food.  The produce you buy from Re-Nuble’s partners use organic fertilizers and natural seeds rather than laboratory concoctions.  Consequently, you have fewer toxins in your body.

• Cleaner air and water.  This benefit was also in the “save the environment” section, but it deserves a second mention here.  The chemicals that non-sustainable farmers use don’t simply affect our food.  They also contaminate the air and water.  The same goes with waste that doesn’t get recycled.  When left to rot in landfills, this waste releases pollutants into the environment, and thus, your body.

• More humane working conditions.  Okay – this is not a direct benefit to you.  But wouldn’t you feel better knowing that the people who grow your food are treated fairly?  You get that peace of mind when you shop from local farmers who champion Re-Nuble’s mission.  You take your chances whenever you go with multinationals, who as mentioned, are driven by profit more than anything else.

Help Us Help You by Donating to Our Green Crowdfunding Campaign

The benefits outlined above are not simply hopes and desires.  They represent the very real outcomes of a very attainable zero-waste model.  But we’re still many weeks away from putting this model into action.

You and your friends can help move us closer.  By donating $5 or more to our green crowdfunding campaign, you can help us launch Re-Nuble – first in the DC area and then to other towns and cities across the country.  For the price of a latte or hamburger, you can make a social investment in your community that will continue to pay economic, health, and environmental dividends for decades to come.

So check out our green crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo.com and take that next step.  And don’t forget to look at some of the perks.

What is new, however, is the frequency of these events.

Fortunately, a growing number of Americans are taking note – a substantial improvement over the usual climate change denials of just a few months ago.

This growing awareness is obviously cause for celebration.  With a clear understanding of the problem, we can begin taking proactive steps towards fixing it.  That’s the good news.

Now the bad news.  Even if the entire world united tomorrow to combat global warming, progress would be slow.  Freak storms and severe droughts are not things we can solve overnight.

Wait, it gets worse.

We’re still many disasters away from united global action.

In the meantime, what steps can you take to protect yourself – as a business – as a consumer?

You might be wondering – “Why do I need to do anything?  I don’t live anywhere near drought areas or hurricane zones.”

For this, there are 2 answers:

1. New York and New Jersey are not in hurricane zones either.  But no one bothered to tell Sandy.

2. Although New York and New Jersey certainly received the lion’s share of destruction, Hurricane Sandy affected anyone directly or indirectly dependent on these 2 states.  In a globalized economy with interwoven supply chains, this means “everyone.”

So again, what steps can you take?

Weaving Redundancies and Contingencies into Our Globalized World

In a recent post on AVC.com, blogger, Fred Wilson described his experience walking around a flooded New York in Hurricane Sandy’s aftermath.  The author observed in amazement how countless businesses in lower Manhattan had lost servers, computers, and data centers – information and hardware that could never be retrieved.

Wilson hoped that his own equipment had been spared in his flooded basement.

It wasn’t.

But because he keeps his data in the cloud, the actual information he needs to run his VC business remained intact.  In effect, he had built redundancy into his business to protect himself from the unthinkable.

Cues from the Cloud – Localized Distribution and Planned Redundancy

The basic concept of planned redundancy is not limited to the digital world.  It remains equally relevant outside the realm of 1’s and 0’s.

For example.

Even while the storm raged on, many New Jersey residents had electricity despite being surrounded on all sides by neighbors sitting in darkness.

How is this possible?

These residents had embraced solar power – a distributed, renewable energy technology that complements traditional grid electricity.

So resilient is solar, in fact, that after the storm, ISO New England – the agency responsible for monitoring New Jersey’s electric power generation and transmission system – reported zero complaints of any major damage to solar facilities resulting from the hurricane.

If a few solar panels break, the system still remains operational.  Contrast this with major power stations where one broken widget can bring the entire grid down.  In some cases, power failures can lead to much worse than loss of electricity, which explains why New Jersey deliberately shut down some of its nuclear power stations in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy.

This redundant, distributed model also applies to food production.

By harvesting local crops with local resources, communities become less dependent on global supply chains.  International produce is always there if you want it.  But by developing sources closer to home, you have more options in the event of a drought in your backyard or a hurricane on the other side of the world.

Curing the Disease & Treating the Symptoms – Why Sustainability Matters

At Re-Nuble, we specialize in developing sustainability programs to combat the grave environmental challenges we face as a planet.  We remain singularly focused on treating the underlying causes of climate change.

But in Sandy’s aftermath, it’s become clear that this approach to sustainability offers many of the same benefits that VC bloggers in New York enjoy when they put their data in the clouds.

Not only does our Green Back Approach help reverse global warming, but it also limits the impact of erratic weather changes.  By developing local recycling facilities that transform organic waste into renewable energy and green fertilizer, we help communities continue thriving even when confronted with supply chain interruptions thousands of miles away.

Join us today so we can expand this Green Back Approach and simultaneously protect the planet and the billions of people who call it home.  Become a Re-Nuble partner, follow us on social media, or contribute to our green crowdfunding campaign.

But we can’t win without your help. IGNITEgood is letting the public decide which five ideas deserve to take home a Millennial Impact Challenge Grant, each worth $10,000.

We are relentlessly working to green the planet one community at a time by repurposing our food waste into renewable resources such as renewable energy and organic based fertilizers in urban areas. This mission (and the grant) really means a lot to us.

So, if you want to see our project come to your town (or if we’ve ever made you smile), take a second and vote for us here, on The Huffington Post, before 11:59 p.m. EST on November 23, 2012.

Remember: Only one vote will be allowed per IP address.

We couldn’t do this without you and are forever grateful for your continued support.

Thanks so much.

True, Obama offered varying degrees of support for clean energy and environmental protection, while Romney derisively mocked attempts to “slow the rise of the oceans.”

But given how many issues came up in this election (reproductive rights, tax codes, immigration reform, etc.), it’s difficult to conclude whether Obama’s victory was a decisive referendum on global warming.  The President won for any number of reasons.  And let’s not forget – the election was quite close.

However, a recent poll by Rasmussen suggests that climate change is an important issue for a growing number of Americans.  According to the survey, 68% believe climate change is serious – a 47% improvement from a similar Rasmussen survey conducted in 2009.

Silent Fall Replacing Silent Spring – the Demise of Climate Change Denial

It’s worth noting that the survey took place just days before the election during the height of Hurricane Sandy cleanup (and several weeks after Hurricane Isaac delayed the Republican National Convention).

It’s quite possible that, if the Rasmussen survey had been conducted 3 months ago, this 68% number would be much lower.  In fact, a 2010 Gallup poll found that 48% of Americans believed global warming’s severity to be exaggerated.

But as of right now, the number isn’t lower because:

• Hurricane Sandy did happen
• The RNC was delayed
• Millions are still without power (and many people lost much more)

Whereas “green” and “environment” used to be dirty words that invited public backlash from climate change deniers, even the far right was noticeably silent in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.  Denial is a tough sell when entire New Jersey neighborhoods are being washed away because of a freak storm that originated somewhere off the coast of South America.

Why Climate Change Acceptance Gives Us Hope

This growing acceptance is encouraging.  Even if global warming is only a political topic (or not) during any given election cycle, it seems that the public’s attitude is slowly shifting.

This gives us hope.

It gives us hope because our mission to green the planet feeds off of public participation – regardless of what the Beltway does or doesn’t do.  Growing acceptance increases the very community activism that fuels our Green Back Approach.

It gives us hope because addressing the grave environmental problems we face requires acknowledging that these problems even exist.  It seems like such a simple first step.  But remember, in 2010, less than half the country considered climate change a serious issue (and 30% continue to believe it’s not important).

It gives us hope because, as a nation, we’ve long been reluctant to join the international community in the fight against global warming.

This reluctance is truly problematic when you understand the disproportionate number of resources we use for a population of our size.  The US is less than 5% of the global population, but we consume nearly 25% of the world’s energy.  For us not to be involved is unthinkable.

Do You Share Our Hope That Acceptance Will Spark Greater Action?

68% is a pretty encouraging number.  It’s not where we need to be, but it’s a dramatic improvement from where we were just a few years ago – in fact, maybe just a few weeks ago.

Do you share our hope that climate change acceptance will lead to major improvements in the future?

Do you believe that 68% is a good starting point for slowing the rise of the oceans and improving the way we generate energy, manage waste, or harvest food?

Then we encourage you to do any and all of the following:

• Write your congress people today and let them know that climate change is real and needs to be addressed.  Help us convert the “public” will that Rasmussen’s survey illustrates into the “political” will that our country needs.  Click on these links to contact Senators and House Representatives in your state.  Hopefully it’s been updated since the most recent election.

• Tell your friends, coworkers, and family members your thoughts on climate change.  Share these environmental facts or this interactive presentation.  Some of your friends may call you crazy, but you won’t be the odd man out for very long.  The tide is turning.  We just hope the message gets out before another Hurricane Sandy (or worse) comes along.

• Become a Re-Nuble partner, follow us on social media, and contribute to our green crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo.com.

There’s safety and power in numbers.  Our efforts will yield greater results if we work together.

How often have you been invited to participate in an Ask Me Anything (AMA) Session with someone who is passionate about what you have to say?  If you’ve been following the presidential campaign closely, you may have been one of the 2.99 million users on Reddit who took advantage of this type of opportunity to interact with President Obama.

Consider me inspired, as I am trying to do just that.  However, the “why” behind our AMA is a bit different from the President’s.

I’ll be using my AMA to empower members and stakeholders within the D.C. Metropolitan area to co-create Re-Nuble’s business model during our design stage.  Our sole intention is to involve the community as much as possible to ensure that its concerns and suggestions are heard in regards to our organic recycling projects.

Waste and composting are often sensitive topics.  However, we would like to:

• dispel any fears around the technology we plan to incorporate
• raise awareness of our planned social and environmental impact
• educate our community about why we are passionate about organic recycling
• promote how Re-Nuble will create more good than profit

It is our mission to ethically satisfy our community members’ concerns and help demystify the process.

Uneaten food constitutes roughly 14-20% of the nation’s waste stream.  There is a growing movement of concerned citizens and businesses who want to reduce that percentage responsibly and ethically.  Through our organic recycling services, Re-Nuble helps solve this challenge while simultaneously producing 3 additional benefits:

• healthier food grown from our safe and organic fertilizers
• fewer pollutants in the atmosphere
• creating cleaner communities fueled with renewable power

Dave Murphy, Founder of Food Democracy Now, recently published a terrific piece on the Huffington Post that details some of the history of genetically modified foods in America.

Another important aspect of Prop 37 focuses on transparent labeling and honest marketing.  Food manufacturers will no longer be allowed to promote their products as “organic” or “all-natural” unless those products are truly “organic” or “all-natural.”

It’s a revolutionary concept.  But not surprisingly, the food companies are pushing back hard with ad spots and mailers (see the Youtube video below).

It looks like the major manufacturers and agribusinesses realize what’s at stake:

• Letting consumers know their food was created using DNA splicing and laboratory experiments will chase business away.

• Removing unjustified “all-natural” labeling prevents food companies from greedily tapping into America’s growing desire to be greener and healthier.

America’s desire is genuine.  The tactics these companies use, however, are not.

And thus, passage of Prop 37 won’t rob Americans of a much-needed platform from which to join the green movement.  Instead, the legislation helps expose a system that continues to drain money, harm our bodies, and destroy the planet.

The Timing of Prop 37 Couldn’t Be Better

Okay.  That’s not entirely true.  Our planet would be much better off if Prop 37 had hit the dockets a little sooner – say 20 or 50 years ago.  But the timing is still excellent because the potential decline of an outdated system coincides perfectly with the launch of Re-Nuble.  What good is removing one system if you don’t have a newer and better one to replace it?

This is why we’re closely monitoring events in California.  What happens there will have a tremendous influence on what happens throughout the rest of the country.

As America’s desire for “real” organic and “real” sustainability looks for new outlets in the absence of fake alternatives, Re-Nuble stands ready to offer a model that fills the gap.  Our Green Back Approach describes an innovative system in which organic waste (i.e. uneaten food) gets transformed into renewable energy and green fertilizer.

The former reduces our reliance on fossil fuel, while the latter goes back to farmers who then produce healthy, organic food.

No labs.  No DNA splicing.  No waste.  No pollutants.

It’s pretty exciting.

But we’re still several weeks away from implementing this Green Back Approach to sustainability.  Over the next month, we’re trying to raise start-up capital to get Re-Nuble off the ground.  On IndieGoGo.com, we launched a green crowdfunding campaign designed to generate $25K or more.

It’s an ambitious goal, but as a country, we spend more than that on genetically modified hamburger pickles in a single day.  So it’s definitely achievable.

What will it take to get us to this goal?  $5 here.  $40 there.  $1,000 if you can.  If enough people contribute, we’ll have the funding we need to start saving a planet we love.

Visit our green crowdfunding page to learn more.