jorgefusaro.com » Green Ideas

A Sustainable Home Made From a Shipping Container

Jorge Fusaro — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 19:14:13 +0000

I am a big fan of ideas that push the envelope and promote all things sustainable. The container home in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is one of those innovative ideas that make me smile. This project is an initiative from Verde es Bueno (Green is Good) and Marca Futuro: Home and Digital Office, creating and showcasing prototypes of how we will live and work in the future, blending technology and comfort with innovative design.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB5V2P3UwWM

The mind behind this is Maximo Sanguinetti, also the Founder and CEO of Think Positive Ideas. Maximo is an outstanding leader and innovator, with a superb track record in agencies such as Young & Rubicam and J. Walter Thompson. I had the opportunity to work closely and learn much from Maximo while working at JWT- Puerto Rico in 2002-03. As VP of Client Relations, Maximo was a catalyst of creativity and optimism in an agency undergoing change management and redefining its organizational culture.

The container home was built from a 12-year old shipping container that had been out of use for quite some time. Awards poured in and the press loved it. What is not to love about this green idea?

I’d make 7-10 of these and turn them into a seasonal movable hotel!

Reducing annual consumption of plastic bags

Jorge Fusaro — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:01:20 +0000

Did You know…?

* The average American uses between 300 and 700 plastic bags per year. If everyone in the United States tied their annual consumption of plastic bags together in a giant chain, the chain would reach around the Earth 760 times!

* The world’s largest landfill can be found floating between Hawaii and San Francisco. Wind and sea currents carry marine debris from all over the world to what is now known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This “landfill” is estimated to be twice the size of Texas and thousands of pounds of our discarded trash, mostly plastics. Each year hundreds of thousands of sea birds and marine life die from digested plastics mistaken for food. –LA Times

* Windblown plastic bags are so prevalent in South Africa that a cottage industry has sprung up harvesting up to 30,000 plastic bags a month to weave into hats and handbags. – BBC

via Take Action to Stop the Single-Use Bag Habit.

Creative and Low-cost Holiday Gifts

Jorge Fusaro — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:38:45 +0000

The Holiday Season has arrived, but this year it is causing panic. The economy is shaky and most of us simply don’t have the same financial resources as in years past. Many Americans have lost their jobs, depleted their retirement savings, or fallen victim to the housing crisis.

This recession is also a wake-up call. People are re-evaluating their spending habits and lavish lifestyles. Do we really need to have that $3 latte every day? Or dine out every day of the week? Buy a new clothing item every week? Men and women spend billions of dollars every year in items they will never use. Instead, this money could have been invested wisely.

Don’t let the economy rob you of the joy of this Holiday season. Instead, look at the positive side. I would like to promote a new gift this year: your time. Yes, give your time and spend it with the people you love the most. During the Holiday Season, families come together and get to catch up with those they haven’t seen for a while. Together, explore the true meaning of Christmas. Sit down with your children and teach them more about your family traditions. You may also choose to discuss the value of money, the difference between saving and spending, or the fact there are millions of children around the world who receive nothing during this time.

Giving and receiving gifts is really exciting. Don’t let the economic downturn keep you from giving. Think of ways you can create affordable gifts. I created a short list of 15 ideas you can use or get inspiration from, as you gear up this season. Some of these gifts may require a little extra thought and time, but they will be treasured and remember forever!

15 ideas for Creative and Low-Cost Holiday Gifts:

Write a song or a poem. Frame, Sing, or Read it. Encourage your children to do a family show.
Make a Quote Book. Add some pictures or other artwork.
Burn CDs for friends and family with their favorite music. Or introduce them to artists you think they will also find enjoyable.
Make a Journal for 2009. Fill it with inspiring quotes, photos, or sketches.
Make some Coupons. i.e. free car wash, computer repair, homemade dinner, picnic date, Lord of the Rings movie day, etc.
Bake something like a pie, home-made cookies, or some other dessert you are good at! Wrap it up and you are good to go! Include your recipe too!
Make a Recipe Book. Mix your own family recipes with those from magazines, newspapers, grandma’s, or the web.
Make a Brunch at home. Be the Chef and the Server and pamper your guests!
Make a homemade card. Have your child be the artist and scribble on the cover.
Give a family portrait or another nice photo. Frame it. Wrap it.
Give a White Elephant! Re-gift a gift you once received, but don’t use or enjoy much. Wrap it up and give it to someone who will really enjoy it!
Create a Scrapbook.
Buy a magazine subscription for someone. That person will remember you every issue.
Give the gift of volunteering. Pick a non-profit or cause you believe in and give your time.
Surprise your family or friends with a Christmas Carol at their home. That’s a gift in itself!

Think about your creative talents and wrap them up! There is nothing more meaningful than receiving a gift made for you specifically. Give something that has meaning and communicates that you have put thought into the gift.

With the economy shutting stores all over the world, keep in mind ALL stores open (and surviving the economic crisis) WANT your money. Keep a sound perspective when shopping this Holiday Season and resist the urge to pull out the plastic and buy that gift (for you or others) that you really cannot afford right now. It is not a good time to run up credit card debt.

There is more to the Holiday Season than giving and receiving gifts. It should not be about money. Make it a far more special holiday for you and your loved ones.

My best wishes to all this Holiday Season!