One Click, 20 Green Innovations, 80 Links

A few months back, I got the chance to write an article and host a webchat for the U.S. Department of State, for its eJournal project (a magazine that is designed to introduce different topics to an international audience -- this particular issue was about "green business").

During the course of this project, I got to talk to people from all the major environmental NGOs, and came away very impressed at the spirit of collaboration that is being forged between what are in many cases former rivals.

For instance, I had a great conversation with Suzanne Apple, World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) vice president and managing director for business and industry.

She's been around long enough to compare the two eras, and says that -- as might be expected -- cooperation simply is a far better and more efficient use of resources than antagonism.

"I think one of the things we realized is the power of the marketplace," Apple observes. "For example, if we can get the buyer community to agree to follow responsible purchasing guidelines for forestry products, we can have a greater impact than if we were out in the forests trying to stop illegal logging."

In that spirit, here's a great link from Environmental Defense showcasing 20 innovative green business practices.

And here's the "green toolbox" of similar links that we've been putting together here in the Manufacturing 101 section of IW.com to make your job -- increasing efficiency and decreasing cost, which is the main thrust of this "green business movement" anyway -- easier for you to get done.