Back in October we blogged about Brian Sheehan, Charleston’s new sustainability director. The community was, and still is, excited to have someone focused on greening up our fair city. Well, Brian and his team have been hard at work, and are about to unleash the Charleston Business Challenge! The Green Business Challenge will help local [...]

Happy New Year everyone! We thought we’d kick off 2010 with a few new additions to the Go Green Charleston Local Guide. Thanks for helping us keep the directory curated with top-notch local green options. With over 150 entries and new categories, we’re excited to see the local scene grow by leaps and bounds. Here [...]

For the last few years, the Charleston Green Committee has been working hard to keep the city focused on sustainability. Earlier this year, the Committee finalized the Charleston Green Plan (download), a comprehensive set of studies, ideas, and recommendations to improve the city’s sustainability. On Tuesday, December 15th, the Plan goes in front of the [...]

Today is National Philanthropy Day, so I thought this would be a great chance to call attention to the amazing green nonprofits that serve our local community. Whether you give your time, energy, or money to these organizations, you’re helping to keep our local community sustainable, clean, green, and efficient. Please take the time today [...]

This Saturday, October 24, is the International Day of Climate Action – a chance for communities around the world to unite behind a cause that affects us all. 350.org is facilitating over 3700 community actions in 163 countries. These actions will feature photographs of the number 350 taken in iconic locations. Why 350? Scientists say [...]

On Monday, Brian Sheehan began work as Charleston’s first ever director of sustainability – the only new city position funded this year. Brian has tons of eco-experience, and most recently worked on sustainability initiatives for the city of Portland, Oregon (they are doing awesome things!) SC Biz Magazine says, The sustainability director will create long- [...]

Spring is usually the busy season for green events, but this September looks to be giving it a run for the money. There are 5 events just this week, including a Green Drinks Gathering, Green Business Networking Event, and fundraiser for Lowcountry Earth Force. This sustainable tour de force culminates with the Green Drinks Neighborhood [...]

Recycling only takes a little knowledge, a little time, and a little motivation. If you see a neighbor throwing away materials that can be recycled, don’t be afraid to help them out. They may be missing the recyclable materials list, confused about their recycling pickup day, or unaware how important this basic civic activity really [...]

Not only has it been a while since we’ve updated the blog (sorry, you know, summer…3 kids…2 jobs…eek!), but we have quite a backlog in local businesses/organizations to add to the Local Guide. We’ve also done some housekeeping, moving the majority of the listings to the Local Guide page. With over 150 entries and new [...]

Did you participate in Carrotmob Charleston last April? If not, here’s your chance to get a feel for the project and what it was able to accomplish. Carrotmob was organized by Green Drinks Charleston and Carolina’s Eco-Unit, and helped raise $1600 to help the Queen Street Grocery green up their building. Carrotmob is a great [...]

The Sustainability Institute has been hosting Charleston Water Week to help encourage local residents to conserve this precious resource. And since we want to help the cause, we’re featuring different water-related nonprofits that serve our local community. The Coastal Conservation League, who is celebrating their 20 year anniversary, is working hard every day to preserve [...]

The Sustainability Institute is sponsoring Charleston Water Week to increase awareness around the conservation of our most precious resource – H2O. We want to help the cause, so each day this week we are featuring a different water-related nonprofit serving our local community. Charleston Waterkeeper was founded in September 2008 to preserve and protect the [...]

Zoe and I had the absolute pleasure of volunteering a few hours of our time for Fields to Families. I was introduced to this non-profit through two of Chad’s coworkers, who are on the board, and I instantly wanted to help. After looking at my schedule and capabilities, I decided helping at a booth at [...]

Buying locally is a big part of living sustainably – both for us AND our community. Lowcountry Local First is asking local residents to take the 10% Shift Pledge and start buying more from local businesses. The goal is for local businesses, organizations, and families to shift an additional 10% of their annual spending to [...]

Wow, did we really leave that poll up for 4 months? When the year is new, you never know what people are going to do. We asked you what your priorities were for 2009, and the results were interesting. At first, supporting the local economy had a strong lead, but in the end, 43% of [...]

I just wanted to wish all of you the happiest of Earth Days. We’ve been so inspired by you, this community, and the momentum our area is creating for sustainability. I truly believe that the work we’re all are doing is laying the foundation for a future we can be proud of. Earth Day is [...]

Cheers to Green Drinks Charleston and Carolina’s Eco-Unit for bringing Carrotmob Charleston to the Queen Street Grocery last Saturday. Over 400 shoppers showed up and spent $4870 (breaking the old Saturday record of $1400). Not only does this show the power of focused community action, but Queen Street Grocery will be spending around $1600 on [...]

Wow, Earth Day 2009 is fast approaching (April 22 – also our 2nd anniversary!), and with it comes many chances to celebrate with our green community. Here’s a quick set of links to help make your Earth Day plans: April 18 – Charleston County Earth Day Festival April 18 – Green Village Tour Run April [...]

If you’ve ever wanted to directly support the green initiatives of a local business, now’s your chance! This Saturday, April 11th, Carrotmob Charleston will be in action at Queen Street Grocery (map | street view). We often talk about “voting with our dollars” when it comes to green purchasing, but it’s often difficult to see [...]

A few times a year I travel to far off cities and speak with nonprofits about how social media can help their cause. While on the road, I always keep my green eyes peeled for interesting, innovative, and clever sustainability ideas. When I visit places like San Francisco, Portland, Vancouver, and Montreal, I always notice [...]