Writings from Force 5 Basecamp

08/08/23

Did you hear about Apple’s headquarters that runs on 100% renewable energy? Did you know about Ben and Jerry’s efforts to improve the treatment of dairy cows and their focus on ethically sourced ingredients, or their campaign to get young people to register to vote? Are you aware of Nike’s “People, Planet, Play” initiatives that focus on diversity and inclusion,

03/15/23

In connection with our Sustainable 4 Life initiative, we feature Otho Farrow, founder of Metropolis Greens, an urban vertical farm located in South Bend and connected to South Bend Community School Corporation’s Navarre Middle School. We’re excited to see how this model could help the next generation make sustainable, local farming a reality!

02/08/23

“It’s not about what you did. It’s about what you’re going to do next.” That’s Mike Keen’s approach to #sustainability. As a former Professor of Sociology and Sustainability Studies and now President of Thrive Michiana, Mike has been leading people to live more sustainably and embrace the triple bottom line of 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒕, 𝑷𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆, 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒊𝒕. In this episode of #Sustainable4Life, Mike

01/25/23

The city of the future is a sustainable one. That’s what Evie Bauman, South Bend’s Director of Sustainability, believes and leads her team to bring about. Today, she shares her vision for what the city could be. What does it look like to … Reduce emissions with electric vehicles, biking, and more Move to cleaner and more distributed energy, like

12/28/22

In today’s #sustainable4life episode, we welcome Paul Steury ( @paulsteury ), an environmental educator, activist, politician, and community builder. He has invested his time, energy, and passion over the years into making his home of #goshen #indiana more #sustainable. He has challenged leaders to think about how what we do today will affect the world 200 years from now. He’s also helped

11/30/22

In today’s edition of Sustainable 4 Life, we welcome Pat Regan from Crossroads Solar. Pat has a unique business model where he hires formerly incarcerated individuals to give them a chance to rebuild their careers. He’s building both a more sustainable and more equitable future. Pat is a wealth of knowledge about #sustainability, #solar, and #climatechange. In this video, he

08/11/22

What’s your connection to the Earth? For Sara Stewart and Unity Gardens Inc. planting, caring for, and harvesting fresh food has the power to connect us to the planet and one another.In today’s episode of #Sustainable4Life, Sara shares why the community experience of gardening is so powerful and how it builds individuals and society. Unity Gardens reconnects people to the Earth in nourishing ways.

07/18/22

Continuing our series on Sustainability 4 Life, we welcome Aaron Perri, Executive Director of South Bend Venues, Parks, and Arts, to share all the careful thought that went into the details of Howard Park. Howard Park is the nation’s first LEED Version 4 Gold facility, a prestigious honor that marks how much it’s doing to protect the environment. Join Aaron

06/21/22

As I shared in our last video, Circularity is creating something with the end in mind. Waste not. Want not. Today, let’s dig a little deeper by discovering WHY you—yes, singular you—might make the effort to become more circular. Because … Circularity Is Not an Easy Thing It takes changing your habits, like Deciding you will pack your sandwich in

06/14/22

It’s no fad. Sustainable marketing is here to stay, and big businesses are starting to take notice. With recent studies showing that 79% of consumers change their purchase preferences based on a company’s “social responsibility, inclusiveness, and environmental impact,” the opportunity is vast. But what is sustainable marketing? Let’s start by taking a look at what we mean by sustainability.

06/01/22

I attended Circularity 2022 last week just outside of Atlanta, it was an incredible experience. First a definition of Circularity – Circularity is a simple concept. It means that a product is created with its own end-of-life taken into account. In a circular economy, once the user is finished with the product, it goes back into the supply chain instead of

05/24/22

On Earth Day this year, the Force 5 team worked together to walk along the St. Joseph River near our building picking up trash along the walkway. We found all sorts of things—including face masks, a piece of a car bumper, and even a ladder. However, nothing was more prevalent than single-use plastic. From wrappers to straws to grocery store