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I first heard about Green Edge Collaborative this summer at an event called the Evolver town meeting, held in the gorgeous courtyard of the St. Marks church. About a dozen tables were abuzz with local green businesses, nonprofits and other environmental projects, and Green Edge Collaborative was among them.
Two months later I started volunteering as social media advisor, and I’m excited to be part of the Green Edge community. In the time I’ve been here, we've launched a Twitter account and have discovered a rich conversation about the values that Green Edge stands for - sustainable living, community building, and making a green impact.
Sure, everyone’s been talking about Twitter, the 140-character megaphone made popular by Ashton Kutcher, Kanye West, and other big names. But what’s going on in the green scene? Twitter’s an active source of information and opinion for all things green.
I invite you to join the conversation and follow us at @greenedgenyc. And while you're at it, why not learn more about your green-interests on Twitter?
Searching with a Green Agenda
So how do you narrow down all those tweets? First, try searcing by hashtags people use to denote their Tweet's area of interest. Popular hashtags for keeping it green include #eco, #ecomonday, #green, #sustainable, #profood, #climatechange and more.
Second, follow people who are experts in your green-concerns, or even passionate laymen who make sure their followers are as up-to-date about green issues as they are. Here's are some of our favorites:
Are you a serious locavore?
Twitter hosts a great community of passionate foodies who share news and views about eating local. Follow @jambutter @meredithmo @marionnestle for local food news and politics. @JustFood, @sSustnblFlatbush and @thebklynkitchen share info about local events, and @skeeternyc is a local filmmaker who focuses on food; learn more about what's happening in your community by following her tweets and watching her videos.
Not local enough? @bkfarmyards and @sharingbackyard talk about urban farming in yes, your backyard.
Farmers have made a huge impact on Twitter, using the service to make a real difference. @FarmerHaley, @JPlovesCOTTON and others have used the hashtag #moo to raise awareness about the plight of dairy farmers in the US, who have been hit especially hard by the economic crisis.
With the Copenhagen climate conference coming up, it’s an issue that a lot of people are talking – and twittering – about. Well-known environmentalist Bill McKibben has started an organization and a Twitter account at @350, named after the ideal level of carbon in the atmosphere. Follow @tcktcktck for more info about Climate Week in New York, and leading up to the Copenhagen climate conference in December. Stay tuned to @WWF_Climate and @ClimateChallenge for ongoing information about the science, policy and grassroots of climate change.
Get Active
If you want to know what you can do to make a difference, get green tips from @livegreenerlife, @wow_green and @OrganicLife. To get even more involved, @idealistnyc, @treehugger, @oppgreen and @alldaybuffet often share info on projects, jobs, conferences, events and other ways that you can use your energy for the good of the planet.
In celebration of our recently completed Solar Powered Film series, you can find out more about some of our filmmakers at @aseachange and @chrispaine of "Who Killed The Electric Car?". Other recent green documentaries are also on Twitter, including @noimpactman, @crudethemovie and @thefuelfilm. To find out more about green film, follow @futureweather, who are greening the filmmaking process.
And of course, for all news Green Edge, updates about events, and links to great other tweeters, follow us @greenedgenyc.
About the Author
Anita brings five years of non-profit communications experience to the Green Edge Collaborative. She has worked with WITNESS, UNESCO, The Jed Foundation and other organizations to promote causes through online communications, film, and social media. Along with contributing to Huffington Post, PopMatters, and other news and culture websites, she writes her own gardening and green living blog at soilicious.wordpress.com
Do you know want to know more about the Green Edge NYC Coordinators? Meet them out on our website!