Earth Day 2009: Going Green with Social Networking

(previously posted on consumermixx.com by adrienne hall)

In honor of Earth Day, this post is dedicated to the social networking sites that are helping consumers examine their carbon footprints and start making healthy earth choices.

1. 1. JustMeans (www.justmeans.com)

This site encourages uses (individuals and corporations) to engage in stories about their own social responsibility. Their mission is to:

is to provide best in class services that help companies communicate and implement their socially responsible efforts Online.

Essentially, companies and individuals come together to share their social and environmental strategies that are apart of their overall company initiatives. Users can make a profile, share stories, make friends, etc. There is also a job board and editorials on all things socially conscious.

2. 2. Make Me Sustainable (www.makemesustainable.com)

Make Me Sustainable is a fairly new social networking site that is still in the beta phase. Their mission is very holistic and general, making it able to include every type of consumer in their services:

We live in a period of profound environmental crisis, but it is not too late to change the course. The future of our planet hinges on the choices we make everyday. Make Me Sustainable is unique in our capacity to provide individuals and businesses with the tools necessary to identify and accomplish sustainable goals. We will help you track your energy consumption and environmental impact, allowing you to see the effects of strategies as simple as changing a light bulb. As a community we can realize an environmentally responsible and economically rewarding future. Together, we can change the course.

Their idea that we are all community are are responsible for each other and the world is very refreshing. If you don’t like making a new id for signing up, you can use your Facebook login, similar to OpenID. The site will help consumers “understand and reduce your environmental impact, and save money” while doing it. Users will have a profile, allowing them to keep track of their and their friend’s overall consumption. It’s a fun way to get started with making some eco-friendly changes in your life.

3. 3. Care2 (www.care2.com)

Care2 is one of the oldest and largest “green communities” online. It was started back in 1998 and has continued to connect consumers who are making an effort to live healthy, green lives and making a difference in the world.

Care2 provides powerful tools to make a difference in your life, community, country and world. It’s driven by passionate people (just like you) who want to restore the world’s balance.

There are individuals and groups represented on the site. Users setup a profile and begin interacting with the other users in the community immediately. Care2’s mission is to help people make the world a better place by connecting them with the individuals, organizations and responsible businesses making an impact. Groups are formed based on similar activist issues shared by the users. It is definitely a good place to start gathering information on your green cause and making a collective impact with those who share the same passion.

These 3 social networking sites are not the only ones out there. Take a look at the Mashable article and see several more. It is well worth the read and maybe you’ll fine a few site and/or services that interest you. If you are a student like me, then you’re probably looking for very simple ways you can start living a greener life. MacLife has an article that provides tips for saving energy with your computer. (This is great for me since I’m on it close to 10 hours a day). Microsoft also has some ideas for you. This is also a nice article written by another blogger that provides tips for green student living.

Go ahead, start doing something today that will make a difference in your life and our world.
Happy Earth Day!

Sources and Sites of Interest:

Mashable’s Green Guide for Social Networking

MacLife article: Green(er) Apples

MacLife article: Calculate Your Carbon Footprint

Green Student U
Green Student U: Going Green in Your Dorm Room