April 2010 eMail Update



Earth Day Celebrations - Mpower Business style


Mpower Businesses have pledged, just like you, to take action to reduce their carbon footprints year round. Here are a few examples of how the business world celebrated the 40th anniversary of Earth Day:

Applied Tech partnered with Urban Land Interests to collect electronic waste from ULI's clients for a discounted rate. All electronic waste was then recycled by File 13 E-Waste Solutions.

Capitol Insurance Companies - Mpower ChaMpion Class 2009, hosted a "Green Week" for employees. Events included a water conservation lunch and learn, aluminum water bottle give away, and an athletic shoe & cell phone recycling drive. To promote participation in the recycling drives, employees who brought in shoes or a cell phone to be recycled were allowed to wear jeans and gym shoes for the week.  Those that did not have anything to donate from those categories could make a monetary donation.  All proceeds will go to the Sierra Club. 

Community Midwives saw hundreds of light bulbs - energy-efficient, of course - go off in people's heads as they passed by or visited their home birth booth at the Isthmus Green Day Expo.

designCraft Advertising - Mpower ChaMpion Class of 2009, observed Earth day by having employees ride their bikes to work.  They then toured Home Savings Bank's LEED Silver certified building on East Washington and a quarter of their workforce - well, one employee;) - participated in the Tenney Park Trash Pick up, too.

Edgewood College held 4 major activities. Thanks to a grant from the DNR, Edgewood College faculty, staff, and students planted nearly 1000 native trees and shrubs. The Plastic Bag Drive allowed employees to exchange their plastic bags for a free reusable one. Faculty, staff, and students brought in confidential papers for shredding, and recycled the remains and received free bike tune-ups from Williamson Bike Works.

Mental Health Center of Dane County - Mpower ChaMpion Class of 2010,  hosted a lunch time celebration for employees with an educational and inspirational presentation from Dane County Clean Air Coalition. Find out how DCCAC can help you reduce your carbon emissions and make our air healthy. Post presentation entertainment featured employee musical talent and local food.

Planet Bike's employees participated in the Wisconsin Bike Summit - a day where bicycle advocates from around the state descended on the state capitol to speak with our elected officials about the environmental, health, and economic benefits of bicycling.

Union Cab - Mpower ChaMpion Class of 2010, bought a Prius to add to their fleet. Keep your eye out for the yellow Prius in the near future.

Just what are you thinking: Energy and Behavior


The UW Energy Institute is putting on an exciting panel discussion about what behavioral science has to say about our energy use. The Panel will feature Hunt Allcott: Assistant Professor of Economics, New York University (on leave at MIT) & Annika Todd: Postdoctoral Scholar, Precourt Energy Efficiency Center, Stanford University.

Topics of discussion will include:
  • Does knowing my neighbor’s energy use influence mine?
  • Life cycle costs
  • Alternatives to cash
The Panel will be held in Room 1266 in Granger Hall THIS Thursday, April 29th, from 3:30 - 5:00. For more information visit http://www.energy.wisc.edu/?p=2414.

If you attend, feel free to share what you find most interesting about the panel for next months newsletter. Please email your reactions form the panel to info@mpoweringmadison.com. 

Green Economic Development in Wisconsin: The Business Case for the Triple Bottom Line


Learn from your peers. See what other business innovators and eco-entrepreneurs are doing to maintain economic viability, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility within their industries. The focus of this one-day conference will be highlighting case studies from local businesses within Southeastern Wisconsin

Tuesday May 18th
Olympia Conference Center
Oconomowoc, WI

For more information or to register visit http://www.townandcountryrcd.org/.
Register by THIS FRIDAY, April 30th to receive early bird pricing.

Donate your used Bikes


THIS Thursday, April 29th
222 W. Washington Street
12 - 1pm

In celebration of Earth Day, DreamBikes and the Fiore Companies are hosting a bike donation event. DreamBikes will have a van set up in front of the building, and accepts used bikes in any condition.

DreamBikes partners with The Boys and Girls Club of Dane County to help teens prepare themselves for the professional world. The teens learn how to clean, repair, and sell used bikes to members of the community. For information on DreamBikes or to donate another time, visit http://dream-bikes.org.