Editor’s Note: This post is written by Andrew Winston, a globally recognized expert on how businesses can profit from thinking green and the co-author of the best-seller Green to Gold.

For the past few years, the business world has been swept up in a green wave—a rising tide of interest and concern about environmental issues. The Great Recession has not stopped the pressure pushing this wave. Environmental crises such as climate change and water shortages continue to evolve. Mega-forces such as technology-driven transparency and the rise of the consumer in India and China—which will force the price of oil and other resources up over time—continue to advance. Closer to home, key stakeholders are demanding more of companies than ever, especially corporate customers greening their supply chains. For business, going green is ultimately unavoidable. Read the rest of this entry >>

This week is National Homelessness and Hunger Awareness Week. As TakePart’s Danny Jensen wrote back in July, the number of homeless families has been steadily increasing in the U.S. this year. Today, approximately 700,000 people in the U.S. are homeless. And as we discussed here on TakePart in June, something as unpredictable as an injury or illness can bring a person to homelessness.

Beth’s Story, which we released in conjunction with the release of The Soloist, is a case in point.

Everybody has a story. Here is Beth’s.

Beth’s Story from TakePart on Vimeo.

Editor’s note: This guest post was written by The NewHouse, a student-run advertising agency from Syracuse University in New York.

To our fellow college students,

As the leaders of tomorrow, we must find ways to influence the leaders of today. The United Nations Climate Change Conference will determine the fate of our planet, the future landscape of our lives. We as a generation cannot afford to take a passive stance. We must proactively demand the right decisions from our leaders, demonstrate how small acts can accumulate to produce monumental changes, and ensure we are ahead of the race when the baton is passed. We must lead today’s leaders so our future will witness more hopeful days.

We at The NewHouse, a student-run advertising agency from Syracuse University, put our mark on Hopenhagen by bringing the global campaign to a local level. Our agency aimed to educate the college student on COP15 and inspire the SU community to pledge a message of hope on the online petition. To launch our efforts on campus, on Nov. 11 we took note of a flash mob event in Copenhagen and mimicked the demonstration in our own Quad. Social media vehicles garnered over 1,000 impressions of our buzz-generating message, and the event, coined “11/11. 12:07”, gathered students, faculty, and local media to watch as volunteers sunbathed on a brisk New York day. The point of this flash mob was to demonstrate the growing impact of global warming—a point we successfully conveyed to the Syracuse University community.

Read the rest of this entry >>

The People Speak is a new documentary film premiering on HISTORY December 13th 8/7c. The film highlights the lives and experiences of ordinary Americans who spoke up for social change throughout history with dramatic performances from their letters, songs, diaries and speeches. Produced by Chris Moore, Matt Damon, Anthony Arnove and Howard Zinn, the film is based on Zinn’s books A People’s History of the United States and Voices of A People’s History. Featured artists include Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Kerry Washington, Marisa Tomei, Danny Glover, Bruce Springsteen, and John Legend.

THE PEOPLE SPEAK COLLEGE TOUR is bringing the film’s producers and cast members to eight universities across the country for live readings, clip screenings, and in-depth discussion! The college tour begins tonight at Boston University. We will be featuring blogs and videos from students on each campus right here. So be sure to check back in with us!

Watch the trailer!

October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and as you might have noticed, TakePart has had it on the brain. There was Giula’s post Fight Breast Cancer, Take Photos and October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Then there was Megan’s post on self-exams, Feel Your Boobies, Save Your Life. And, on a more somber (though hopeful) note, Ciara’s post, Breast Cancer Struggle a Financial Nightmare.

Well, we’ve also been thinking about it back at the lab. Today TakePart launched a new page on breast cancer where you can get your questions about breast cancer answered, hear stories from survivors, and learn what you can do to help.  Check it out–the life you save may be your own.

On October 15, the 2009 Alliance of Youth Movement Summit will bring together individuals, government officials, academics entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders from over 15 countries including Columbia, India, Saudi Arabia, and UK to discuss best practices and ways to use social media and technology to further grassroots movements and causes. The majority of the speakers are youth activists and leaders, or nonprofit/technology experts, making for an awesome international dialogue.

Speakers include Carlos Pascual (United States Ambassador to Mexico), Jason Liebman (CEO, Howcast), Jack Dorsey (Founder, Twitter) Jared Cohen (U.S. Department of State), Steve Grove (Head of News and Politics at YouTube) and both executive directors, creative directors, writers and marketing managers for organizations including Full Court Peace, Invisible Children, Genocide Intervention Network, Stand, Witness, Blue State Digital and Sri Lanka Unites.

The conference will be livestreaming and Alliance of Youth Movements is looking for bloggers to help spread the word and partner in providing coverage to their communities. Key speakers at the AYM Summit will answer questions from online submissions during their speeches and panels, and via the widget below, anyone can submit a question then tune in to see it answered by watching the live stream from Mexico City.

Beginning 8:15am on October 15th through 3:30pm on October 16th you can watch the Live Stream of the 2009 AYM Summit.

Dolphins’ best friend (and our favorite oceans hero) celebrates his birthday today! Give Ric O’Barry a birthday hello by fulfilling his greatest wish: to finally shut down the cove in Taiji.

Here’s how:
-Sign the petition on Causes, and share it with 5 friends
-Support his organization, SaveJapanDolphins.org

Like what we do here?  Join us!

TakePart is looking to bring on interns who are interested in writing and editing for the web.  It’s mandatory that you are passionate about leveraging the power of media to create social change. Knowledge of the film industry, blogosphere and social networks a plus.

Full Description:

Participant Media, the leading provider of entertainment that inspires and compels social change, is looking for blog interns for the TakePart.com website. Participant’s film releases include The Soloist, The Visitor, Darfur Now, The Kite Runner, Charlie Wilson’s War, Good Night and Good Luck, Syriana, and Academy Award®-winning An Inconvenient Truth. Participant’s website, TakePart.com, also tackles socially relevant issues and strives to find creative ways to educate and inform.

This is a great opportunity to learn more about new media and sharpen your online research and writing skills. Students must receive school credit and be able to work a minimum of 16 hours per week. Interested students should send an email to Careers at Participant Media and copy Megan Bedard. In your email, please include a resume and cover letter.

URGENT ACTION NEEDED: Broome, Australia is holding a meeting tomorrow to consider reversing its decision to sever sister city ties with Taiji.  If they do, the slaughter will likely continue.  Tell them to stand strong! Please send a message here.