Green Forward Thinking Going Green Forward Green Forward Thinking (GFT) is where sustainable principles, practices, techniques and technologies are applied to inform and guide the decision making process. It provides a framework where Going Green becomes an integral part of better serving society’s needs. We call this process Going Green Forward. Through GFT, new questions can now be asked. Imagine for example, if sustainable principles could be applied directly to help revitalize a neighborhood? Or how about to create sustainable value for a small business and better serve their customers? Or how to inform and guide the economic development of a city? Through Going Green Forward, all these things now become possible. GFT is a powerful idea but it is not theory. It was developed from our study of how successful green/sustainability programs are actually working. What is different however, is that we have placed the concept within a modified forward thinking/design-thinking model that makes Going Green useful to anyone seeking a higher quality of life. Most importantly, it provides clarity on how to move forward. In the media stories to your left you will find real examples of how GFT is already working. Over the coming months through podcasts, articles, workshops conferences, speaking engagement, social media and our magazine we will explore how it is continuing to shape America. We will also show you ways you can put it to work for you. So join us as we Go Green Forward. Future Green Forward topics Green Supply Chains Green Value Chains Green Government Weatherization Green Jobs & Greened Jobs Green Business & Greened Business Green Homes and Greened Homes Green Buildings Green Schools Alternative Energy Creating Sustainable Value Compliance LEED NEPA EPP Sustainability Initiatives Inconvenient Consequences The Small Business Sustainability Gap Why Go Green How to Green your Business Emerging Markets Compliance Value and Supply Chain Construction Sustainability Repurposing Leadership Urban Planning and Development Adaptive Reuse Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) & Neighborhood Revitalization What We Do Turn Compliance into opportunity. More and more businesses are having to comply to new green and environmental regulations in the work they do (NEPA, LEED, EPP, IPM etc) or are judged on their green credentials when responding to RFPs. Though our processes we help businesses add these compliance measures to their value chains so instead of being expensive responsibilities, the compliance measures become a source of direct value to the company. Greening the Supply and Value Chains For sustainability to be sustainable make it useful. We assist businesses, non-profits, governments even home owners to add green technologies in synergy with their established business management and planning methods to achieve superior social, environmental and economic results. Outreach Clients and constituents need to know the value of sustainability initiatives. We are expert in designing and executing this kind of green educational/public outreach event. Who We Are Angela Brooks For over twenty-five years Angela has worked with corporations including Allied Signal, Norplex-Oak, Creative Innovations, the Urban League, Arizona’s Children's Association and Ameripsych in organizational and human resource development. She has a clear understanding of corporate issues and challenges and is able to coach corporate managers to be successful under today’s stressful business conditions. Angela’s experience as a successful entrepreneur enables her to assist people starting businesses to handle the personal and professional challenges inherent in the entrepreneurial life. She is also a successful copywriter who work that has resulted in awards for her clients. Angela specializes in educating business executives, entrepreneurs and individuals on creating and coping with change, and motivating them to walk through the inherent risks. Her private practice includes individuals who are looking to improve the quality of their lives and make long lasting life changes. She offers a practical, solution-oriented approach to creating balance and success, and helps people develop the strategies and tactics needed to make those changes stick. Angela has a BA degree in Human Resources from Ottawa University. Dr. George B. Brooks Jr. Ph.D. Dr. George Brooks Jr., is a subject matter expert, environmental scientist and recognized innovator in green/sustainability, small & green business, natural resource management, aquaculture, NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act), sustainable agriculture and transformational leadership, marketing and corporate communications and an experienced consultant, strategist and executive coach. George specializes in advising professional services firms on improving overall organization performance through the integration and application of sustainability principles as a proactive strategy to improve growth, operations, management/staff development, profitability and shareholder value. Over the past 30 years he has worked with a wide range of organizations on environmental and sustainability related issues including Arizona State University, The University of Arizona, San Diego State University, the City of Phoenix, the Minority Business Enterprise Center, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Gila River Indian Community, the State of Arizona, the office of Congressman Ed Pastor, the Herberger Theater, the Phoenix Union High School District and many more. He is also the author of a number scientific and public oriented articles on aquaculture, sustainability/green and public affairs. He has been published in the Arizona Republic newspaper, Phoenix Business Journal, the Business Journal of New Mexico and Aquaculture magazine. He is also the publisher of Southwest Green magazine (NOW SW-G), the outreach arm of Southwest Green. He has served on numerous public service committees and boards of directors including the City of Phoenix Developmental Services ad hoc committee, the South Mountain Village Planning Committee, The Greater Phoenix Black Chamber of Commerce, The Southminster Social Service Agency, The Green Revival Initiative, the Rio Saldo River Restoration Project, the Tres Rios River Restoration Project. In 2003 he was appointed by then Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano to serve on the Board of the Central Arizona Project. Dr. Brooks graduated of Arizona State University with a B.S. in Zoology, San Diego State University with a Masters in Biology (Marine) and the School of Renewable Natural Resources at the University of Arizona with a Ph.D. in Wildlife and Fisheries Resources. How We Do It Consulting/Coaching Subject Matter Experts Speaking Engagements SW-G An eJournal of Ideas and Articles The great sage Lao Tzu said, “The true nature of things can not be explained in words so why try? However, what cannot be explained can be demonstrated!” SW-G marks the transition of our groundbreaking eMag Southwest Green to a new mission as an eJournal bringing you cutting edge information on Going Green Forward and using green as a new and powerful planning tool. Though SW-G we will bring you in-depth and valuable stories of how people like you are I are putting green to work to achieve great things. SW-Green.com Podcasts (Audio & Video) AzBizGreen The Arizona Minority Green Business conference Events Social Media Twitter: twitter.com/southwestgreen twitter.com/goalgreen twitter.com/gogreenforward A Little History Going Green to Going Green Forward In general, Going Green is to seek to apply as many environmentally, socially and economically sound practices as possible in your endeavors. This indeed is a good thing to do. However, though Going Green generates great benefit, it’s unfocused nature often leaves the dedicated unsure of what to do next. It also disturbs the fiscally oriented and confuses the novice. The result is green being often pushed in to those lower boxes called social responsibility and/or environmental mandates that lack full support or understanding of management or even your significant other on the home front. This backwards approach can be counterproductive and likely does not meet the goals of the triple bottom line. Go Green Forward (Green Forward Thinking) is a powerful strategy and highly effective best practice to help set and achieve your goals and core missions. In practice it gives direction and clear purpose to Going Green. However, though, many of these concept were recently validated in the September 2009 edition of the Harvard Business Review, they are not new. Consider the following: GRANDMa WAS GREEN!  An evolution of what grandma did, Green Forward Thinking changes the paradigm and gives direction to green efforts. It encourages ingenuity and allows anyone to innovate and not have to wait for the next green invention to come along. It provides that clarity needed to take that first green step and captures those synergies required to make going green a truly to beneficial to your family, neighborhood and business. It even addresses the often raised cost concerns by focusing its application and making sustainability a part of the value chain. The really cool thing about this concept is that that when you green the process you also green the outcome. Though out this website you will find critical information on how you can put green to work to meet your needs. We already have some great podcasts up and are hosting events such as our recent weatherization forum with the City of Phoenix. Through our @gogreenforward, @southwestgreen and @goalgreen sites on Twitter, you will be alerted to new information and be able to share your tips on how you have put green to work. In our consulting and coaching we will work with you hand in hand to help you to apply this revolutionary new process in your own lives and businesses. GREEN REVIVAL: Keeping Green in the Pockets of Arizona’s Families Green Revival is our first Goal-Green project where we are putting green to work to revitalize a neighborhood. In these down economic times it is critical we use the benefits of sustainability to help families and small businesses survive and later prosper. This is the purpose of the Green Revival Initiative (GRI). The goal of the GRI is to help mitigate increasing energy costs to low-income and later middle income homes and small businesses. If we are successful, Sustainability Starter Kits containing CFLs, low-flow shower heads and a few others green tools will be donated to thousands of qualifying families. Through these efforts, low-income residents may see annual energy savings of up to $500 (see link to the left for more information in GRI). The GRI will return some control of their energy costs to these good people and we look forward to your support. http://www.sw-green.com/media/swgmedia111408.pdfhttp://twitter.com/gogreenforwardhttp://twitter.com/southwestgreenhttp://twitter.com/goalgreenshapeimage_1_link_1shapeimage_1_link_2shapeimage_1_link_3
 
Coming soon WE NEED YOUR INPUT! Click here to take the preference survey for our new eJournal SW-G in the Media Links Green Survival Initiative Begins Quest to Help Others Arizona Informant Newspaper 10-15-08 Couple Looks to Build Green Foundation Phoenix Business Journal 10-04-08 Green Jazz Series Continues in October Arizona State University News Release 10-01-08 Green Jazz to benefit low-income families Arizona Republic Newspapers 8-30-08 WELCOME TO SOUTHWEST GREEN Grandma was Green (Op-Ed) Arizona Republic Newspaper 11-14-08 Minority Green Business Conference and Expo Growing and Thriving Arizona Informant Newspaper 7-08-09 Green Revival Means Dollars, Sense Arizona Informant Newspaper 4-01-09 “In our zeal to Plan to Go Green we have forgotten to use Green to Plan.” Dr. George B. Brooks, Jr. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL COMMENTARY FROM THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC NEWSPAPER Green as a planning tool new way of looking at old idea Arizona Republic Newspaper 8-28-09 Southwest Green wins first MBEC/MBDA Minority Green Business Award Arizona Informant Newspaper 8-26-09 Orientation offers information about stimulus projects Arizona Informant Newspaper 8-26-09 SW-G Green Forward Lecture Series click here for details Grandma was Green and you can be too Greening your Business Going Green Forward Green Forward Thinking Work your Faith (John 2:20) Grandma was Green and You Can Be Too Arizona Informant Newspaper Green Edition 11-18-09 Congressman Ed Pastor’s Go Green and Save Day Review Article in Arizona Informant Newspaper Green Edition 11-18-09