Expert Q&As

Global security company Lockheed Martin is stepping a little lighter these days—in regards to its carbon footprint, that is. The company is capitalizing on its expansive reach to reduce energy consumption, implement green initiatives, and ultimately improve the quality of life for its employees, clients, and communities. We caught up with Dr. David Constable, Vice President of Energy, Environment, Safety & Health to learn more about the company's efforts.

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Robin Baron, a native New Yorker, has been in the design industry for 20 years. She began her career as a fashion designer and understands that, like fashion, a home should be a reflection of the client and profoundly affects the way they feel. Her design firm, Robin Baron Design, is located in New York City and offers design services ranging from individual projects like color and paint selection to comprehensive design services that meet any needs. Robin and her team at Robin Baron Design recently completed GREENleaders Certified Sustainability Training and are new members of the Sustainable Furnishings Council. They have been committed to environmentally safe design and are excited to now partner with a larger community of like-minded design and home furnishings companies.

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Bronx teacher Stephen Ritz is not only passionate about the environment—he is passionate about educating his South Bronx, New York City students about sustainability in hopes that they will share his passion. So far, Ritz has succeeded—his Green Teen Program at Walton High School in the South Bronx was met with tremendous student approval and support. Now, Ritz has another sustainable education program in the works—the development of Hunts Point High School for Sustainable Community Initiatives in the Bronx.

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As president and founder of Natural Currents, Roger Bason has directed 14 significant tidal- and technology-related projects over the past six years. He has also served as president of the Institute for a Sustainable Future, with operations in Hawaii. Bason completed oceanographic survey work with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in the Galapagos Islands in 1970 and again for tidal and hydro power site assessments for E3, Inc. in 2002, in both the Galapagos Islands and the upper Amazon River. Bason teaches tidal power courses at Columbia University and field study classes at SUNY Maritime College for site-specific data collection in New York Harbor. MetroGreenBusiness.com reached him as he was enroute to the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

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While his company designs with sustainability in mind, Kenneth Gruskin, principal and founder of the design firm the Gruskin Group in Springfield, New Jersey, felt he could do even more for the environment. The Gruskin Group just participated in early February for its second year planting trees through the American Forests Releaf Campaign in order to offset its carbon emissions. Gruskin shares with MGB some other green practices the company follows and why it’s important to care for the environment.

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Laura Michalchyshyn is president and general manager of PlanetGreen, a TV channel that reaches over 57 million cable subscribers with original programming focused on environmental sustainability. Before taking the helm at PlanetGreen, Michalchyshyn was executive vice president and general manager of the Sundance Channel, where she was responsible for the day-to-day operations. At Sundance she helped develop The Green, the channel's environmental content block, which launched in 2007. Michalchyshyn has received numerous awards, including the 2008 Peabody Award and The Daily Green's 2009 Heart of Green Award, and has been named to the Cable World Top 100 Women's Power list. This is a condensed and edited version of the interview, which took place in February 2010.

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The Green Office Challenge is a friendly competition between property managers and tenant companies to see who can reduce their own waste, energy, and water use the most. The first challenge took place over the past year in Chicago, where 14 property management companies, 45 buildings and 160 companies participated. Amy Malick is the program manager for the Green Office Challenge, which will soon expand to other cities around the country.

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As president of G-Squared Group, Joanna Black leads client engagements and serves as the Chief Sustainability Consultant for the firm. She draws from an extensive background of environmental, entrepreneurial and marketing credentials. As her commitment to sustainability developed, she went on to launch four start-up businesses during her career—two retail businesses and two service-based businesses. We spoke with Black about G-Squared Group service offerings and the company's new sustainable events planning service.

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