Every week, we're amazed by the number of smart contests, campaigns and other initiatives that organizations around the world bring to our attention. These roundup posts are a way for us to shout out the best of what's crossed our desks. -- The WC Editorial Team

FT Climate Change Challenge
The Financial Times and Forum for the Future have teamed up to search the globe for the most innovative new solution to the effects of climate change. That standout innovation could be a new technology, system or service, novel organization or business model. One winner will receive a $75,000 prize to help turn his or her idea into reality. Entries will be accepted from now until January 30, 2009, and the winner will be announced in April 2009.

Time to Lead
On December 11, 2008, European political leaders will decide what their response to global warming is going to be. Last year, they agreed to a 30 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Now, with the downturn in the economy, that deal is under threat and time is running out. As a result, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund through the coordination of the Climate Action Network (CAN) formed the campaign Time to Lead. The movement urges European citizens and organizations to act by contacting local legislators and issuing support of the 30 percent reduction in Europe’s own carbon emissions by 2020.

Transportation For America
We need a bold agenda to fix our roads and bridges; build high speed trains; invest in public transit, infrastructure for biking and walking, and green innovation. Through this initiative, Transportation for America -- an impressive coalition of diverse interests -- invites concerned citizens to join them in calling on President-elect Barack Obama to commit to building a 21st Century transportation system. Their letter asks Obama to lead us in building complete streets; repairing our highways, bridges and transit systems; and pushing ahead with ready-to-go rail projects ... and to commit to that plan within his first 100 days in office. (Obama recently responded to the campaign's earlier call for an agenda: read his letter here.)




Take Back My TV
With only three months to go until the U.S. digital TV conversion, the Electronics TakeBack Coalition (ETBC) released its new TV Recycling Report Card, grading the major TV manufacturers on their efforts to establish national programs to take back and recycle their old TVs. ETBC estimates that tens of millions of old-style TVs, each of which includes 4-8 pounds of toxic metals, will be disposed in the near future. They could end up in our landfills, or be dumped overseas in developing countries, as profiled in a recent 60 Minutes report. The EPA estimates that there are 99 million unused TVs in storage in the U.S.

I thought you might find this recycling initiative our firm is running with Papa Johns Pizza interesting. This is the first door to door recycling campaign ever launched!

Posted by: Brandon Greenhaw on November 21, 2008 9:18 AM

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