Ted is always looking for ways to minimize his ecological footprint. Professionally, Ted is working to gain the skills necessary to turn his passion for sustainable development into action, as an entrepreneur or financing sustainable businesses.
Ted studied economics and international business at Saint Louis University’s campus in Madrid, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and was honored as the Distinguished Student in International Business for his class. As the founder and president of the SLU Madrid Business Club, Ted focused the club’s activities on sustainability.
While working for commercial real estate multi-national Jones Lang LaSalle’s Madrid office, Ted strove to implement sustainable practices both within the firm and for its clients. He proposed and designed an Environmental Sustainability Action Plan for JLL Spain. Green Building and Environmentally Sustainable Development remain a passion for Ted: he believes that the intersection of sustainable infrastructure and sustainable attitude is where we’ll find a sustainable society.
Ted currently works for a private equity firm in Madrid, learning skills that he hopes to apply to finance Environmentally Sustainable Development in the United States and around the world.
Cherl Petso is the Associate Editor at Disaboom.com, an online magazine for people with disabilities. Her writing expertise includes articles about the environment and sustainable living, and vegan/vegetarian issues. A vegetarian for 16 years and a recent vegan, Cherl is passionate about animal rights and issues. She enjoys writing about simple ways to lessen the impact on the Earth.
Cherl recently moved to Denver, Colorado from Bellingham, Washington. She enjoys hiking and hanging out with her puppy.
Marie Oser is a best-selling author, columnist, and host/producer of VEG TV. A vegan lifestyle expert, and environmental advocate with a focus on nutrition and its role in disease prevention, Oser specializes in creating original gourmet recipes with a solid nutritional bottom line.
Many prominent medical and nutrition professionals endorse her work, including Dr. Colin Campbell, Professor Emeritus, Cornell University and principal researcher of the groundbreaking CHINA STUDY, and Neal Barnard, M.D. founder and president of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, DC.
Marie is president of VEGTV, Inc., a video production company producing content for TV and new media. VEGTV streams hundreds of lifestyle videos to more than 1,000 sites globally. In her role as Director of Product Development at Smart Planet Kitchen, she has created, Marie Oser’s Lean & Green, a new line of vegan and Fair Trade Certified products. Marie has appeared on CNN, ABC, National Public Radio, QVC, WUSA, WNBC, KCAL, KOVR, Home & Garden Television (HGTV), FINE LIVING, TECH TV, and Discovery Channel.
Vegetarian since 1971; vegan since 1990, Marie left a career in TV advertising to pursue her interest in food, health, and nutrition. Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, she studied psychology at St. Joseph’s University. Marie is a gourmet cook and organic gardener living in California, writing her 5th book and hiking every day with Travis, her Yellow Lab companion.
Loretta White is a writer, educator and scholar who gained huge diversity of experience within varied industries; energy, government, high tech and more. The last fifteen years she brokered deals with the top multinational companies globally, her Rainmaker skills are unsurpassed and she remains an authority on BD, BI, sustainability and the Global Marketplace.
Frugality was the voice of her elders who endured wars, rationing and Depression, raised to respect, love and to co-exist with nature through sustainability, self reliance, need and RRR practices. Loretta’s juxtaposition of ideas, deep love for the planet and her Yankee sensibilities are the foundation of a lifestyle that is in partnership with nature. Loretta indulges her passions for renewable energy, organics and being green on her 17.5 acre farm in central Massachusetts.
Recently Ms. White has lead an Assoc. of Caregivers providing support to those caring for parents, disabled, and others.
Loretta is invested in the community of our species and our planet and her diverse background in technology and green living gives her a unique perspective on how to live with nature and with our own gifts of technology.
Ms. White’s work has been published by Corporations, magazines, readers digest and many others.
Tracy is the CEO and Founding Partner of Technical Green - a green industry career site focused on clean tech and green research and development.
Tracy's professional experience are in the recruitment advertising and non-profit sectors and she has for many years maintained a sustainable lifestyle.
Heather O'Neill is the founder of Eco to the People, a green living blog.
Before founding Eco to the People, Heather O’Neill wore so many hats in the field of journalism that even the Queen Mother would envy her collection. She has worked as the managing editor of a beauty trade magazine; as a copy editor for an online tech magazine; as the associate editor of a city magazine and as a newspaper reporter and columnist, and as the senior editor at the popular online newsletter ecofabulous.
Her work has appeared in many publications, including Parenting, Alternative Medicine, Natural Solutions, Marin Magazine, Greenwich Magazine and HOME.
Heather earned a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from California College of the Arts. She lives and works in San Francisco.
One of the fastest growing trends in ethical and sustainable consumption, the Fair Trade movement began in Europe about forty years ago out of a concern for the exploitation of developing nations by large corporations. Once a niche market driven by activists with a vision of social justice and ecological sustainability, the Fair Trade industry has become recognized as a viable consumer-driven economic model that generates $1.5 billion per year.
The Fair Trade initiative is a dynamic social movement that advocates fair payment to third world producers for a broad range of goods. The Fair Trade certification system identifies products that meet Fairtrade Labeling Organizations’ International (FLO) standards. FLO is an association of 23 member organizations empowering producers in Latin America, Africa and Asia to improve the quality of life in their communities through market-based social change.The demand for Fair Trade products, and their availability, increased dramatically since TransFair USA began certifying products in 1998. Fair Trade Certified agricultural products such as, coffee, tea, herbs, cocoa and chocolate, fresh fruit, sugar, rice, flowers, honey and vanilla are available at over 40,000 retail locations in the U.S. Fair Trade Certified products have generated more than $100 million in additional, above-market revenue for farmers in 60 developing countries throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia since 1999.Wholesome Sweeteners, manufacturers of organic natural sugars, syrups and nectars, pioneered Fair Trade Certification for sweeteners. In a recent interview, Pauline McKee, Director of Marketing, described their ongoing program, saying, “Fair Trade Certified is our guarantee that we pay the farmers a set premium for their crops. The money is wired directly from our accounts to the cooperatives’ accounts in Costa Rica, Malawi, Mexico and Paraguay. This means that farmers can compete against factory farms, keep their land (and buy more), send their kids to school, develop the quality of their crops and build community resources. Since the last quarter of 2005 we have paid more than $1,000,000 in premiums to our cooperative partners.”Starbucks is North America’s largest purchaser of Fair Trade Certified coffee, which it sells around the world. In a groundbreaking initiative the Seattle coffee giant recently announced that it will double purchases of Fair Trade coffee to 40 million pounds in 2009. This will make Starbucks the largest buyer of Fair Trade Certified coffee in the world. See photo illustrating fair trade coffee growing under the shade canopy, courtesy of Fair Trade USA.Check back for more information about the principles of Fair Trade.
Sources:
Nicholls, A. & Opal, C. (2005), Fair Trade. Market-driven Ethical
Consumption, Sage Publications, London
Becchetti, L. & Huybrechts, B. (2007), “The Dynamics of Fair Trade as
It is wonderful to see the interest in Fair Trade expand so rapidly. Not only coffee but many ingredients both for food and personal care, as well.
Just watching the launch of Fair Trade Certified flowers and now wine makes my heart sing.
Thank you for the great blog!
Ashley M.
November 21, 2008 4pm EST
It truly warms my heart to hear this wonderful information. Not only is it great to hear that developing countries are now given a fighting chance at success, but what really is a plus for me is hearing that these farmers can now offer their children an education. What better way to build your community foundation. Marie, hats off to you for the compelling blog. Good work and thank you
Follow the progress of change within the green economy and find out what others are saying about sustainable companies and financial growth. Share the companies you support.
Good job Marie
It is wonderful to see the interest in Fair Trade expand so rapidly. Not only coffee but many ingredients both for food and personal care, as well.
Just watching the launch of Fair Trade Certified flowers and now wine makes my heart sing.
Thank you for the great blog!
It truly warms my heart to hear this wonderful information. Not only is it great to hear that developing countries are now given a fighting chance at success, but what really is a plus for me is hearing that these farmers can now offer their children an education. What better way to build your community foundation. Marie, hats off to you for the compelling blog. Good work and thank you