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March 14, 2012 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF Share | Sign up | Archive | Advertise Setting the Example  Calif. Marine base aims to go net-zero The Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, Calif., has reduced energy use from fossil fuels to 48% of its consumption, surpassing the Department of Defense's goal of 50% by 2020. "We are attacking energy conservation from every aspect," said Randy Monohan, the station's utilities and energy manager. "We are using solar-power generation, [reclaimed] water and the power from the landfill. We have pinpointed the locations of massive energy consumption and gone through to fix each problem individually." DVIDS (3/12)       "Poticrete" sidewalk is designated as first "Greenroad" The University of Washington's Greenroads Foundation named a road in Bellingham, Wash., its first "Greenroad." The street is made from "poticrete" -- a mixture of crushed porcelain toilets and recycled concrete. The "Greenroad" designation recognizes that the road was built in a way that was environmentally conscious and eco-friendly. KCPQ-TV (Seattle) (3/12), LiveScience.com (3/12)       Creating Accountability  How "me-tooism" is making firms more accountable Integrated reporting, which views CSR and environmental impacts as an integral part of operations, will gradually come to replace conventional sustainability reporting, says Harvard Business School's Robert Eccles. First-movers will get a big PR boost, encouraging rivals to jump on the bandwagon, Eccles predicts. "If Pepsi produced an integrated report, and it got a lot of accolades, Coca-Cola would say, 'Well, geez, I guess I'd better do it, and I wish I'd done it first,'" he says. MIT Sloan Management Review (free content) (3/2012)       Green Marketing  Packaging-makers should start talking about sustainability Plastic-packaging manufacturers should do more to accurately communicate their products' environmental impact, says Dennis Salazar, president and co-founder of Salazar Packaging. "There is no doubt some plastic packaging manufacturers have taken advantage of consumer ignorance to imply a level of greenness to a product that simply does not hold up under closer scrutiny," Salazar said. "In many cases, however, the greatest sin is the sin of omission." PlasticsToday.com (3/13)       Featured Content    LinkedIn Co-founder Reid Hoffman's Best Advice Courtney Rubin 5 Ways Small Businesses Can Improve Their Online Presence Vivian Giang Is Your Big Idea Too Far Ahead of Its Time? Anita Campbell The Responsible Leader  How employees can build bridges between companies and nonprofits Companies need to look beyond philanthropy and start getting their workers directly involved in the operations of partner nonprofits, writes EarthShare CEO Kal Stein. That can involve "fundraising, volunteerism, education and strategy," Stein writes. "[E]mployee engagement around sustainability should be part and parcel of every effective corporate social responsibility plan," he adds. CSRwire Talkback blog (3/12)       Powering Tomorrow  Siemens technology aims to turn wind power into hydrogen gas Siemens is developing technology that will convert wind-generated power into storable hydrogen gas, giving wind farm operators a potential revenue stream during periods of low demand. The electrolyzer is in the testing phase, said Michael Weinhold, chief technology officer of Siemens' energy divisions. "We are currently testing the technology with customers, and it's at the brink of being commercially viable," Weinhold said. Bloomberg (3/13)       Engage. Innovate. Discuss.  Are you listening to society or just shareholders? Listening and learning from your customers and the broader community is just as important as taking cues from investors, says Aron Cramer, CEO of Business for Social Responsibility, in this Big Think video. Valuing consumers that way starts with building the right workforce culture. "Only focusing on what Wall Street says and what Wall Street thinks is important for the next quarter won't get it done," he says. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (3/13)       Editor's Note  Connect with us on Twitter Follow SB_GreenBiz on Twitter for more sustainability news from SmartBrief on Sustainability's lead editor, James daSilva. Join the conversation.       SmartQuote  Many, if not most, sustainability reports are more window dressing than substance." --Robert Eccles, Harvard Business School professor, as quoted in MIT's Sloan Management Review       SmartBrief delivers need-to-know news in over 100 targeted email newsletters to over 3 million readers. All our industry briefings are FREE and open to everyone—sign up today! 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