“What one thing do you think that countries, companies or individuals must do to make the world a better place in 2008?” That is the question YouTube is asking its community of videographers and voyeurs to answer and rate. The highest ranked videos will be screened January 23-27 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Attending global leaders will have an opportunity to given their own YouTube responses.

I don’t think this project will garner the same kind of success as YouTube’s “You Choose ‘08″ has for the U.S. presidential election process, but I am interested in tracking it nonetheless. Unfortunately, no video posts are up yet, so I’ll be checking in throughout the voting time frame (January 1-21) and thereafter for the Davos attendees’ viewpoints. Will I be seeing your answer up there?

With even the Times Square New Year’s Eve ball going green, I know quite a few forward-thinking folks will devise eco-resolutions for 2008. As I also look forward to a year filled with green intentions, in keeping with the spirit of this site, I have triple bottom lined promises to keep.

My 2008 Triple Bottom Line: Improve my financial situation, using eco-savvy and socially conscious strategies.

• Go beyond, or change entirely, my job duties so I can increase my income and influence my company to work toward a triple bottom line.
• Limit restaurant, take-out, and grocery food decisions to options that reduce my overall carbon footprint and are socially responsible.
• Improve my home environment, by encouraging my roommates to switch to cleaner energy alternatives, reducing my junk mail intake, and making more sustainable (and overall fewer) purchases.

So, any thoughts on what you might do? There’s a good chance you might not be reading this on New Year’s Eve, but don’t fret! You can create some intentions right now that will take you throughout the rest of the year.

Though I had witnessed New York eco-fashionistas at ungodly hours snaking around the Whole Foods on Bowery, I decided Anya Hindmarch’s bag was not for me. Fortunately, I stumbled across the perfect paper-versus-plastic-bag-alternative, Envirosax, at Flight 001. Rocking the female lifestyle means I end up swapping my handbag daily to match my itinerary. With Envirosax, you can choose a multi-pack of five to roll down from the sack’s two-grocery-bag size to a small pouch, great for fitting into several handbags or coat pockets.

Aside from fitting into an international movement to discourage the use of plastic bags, the bag’s benefits include being waterproof, strong, and portable. Envirosax extends beyond a commitment to producing an eco-friendly product to ensuring fair labor conditions and supporting sustainability education in its business model–a true triple bottom line company.

I have decreased my plastic bag contribution to landfills, since I snagged my set. My only complaint is that it sometimes unravels out of its pouch-like mode. Dealing with this annoyance gave me another portable, and nearly free, idea based on the Envirosax product.

1. Take a canvas tote (I’ve been getting these free as promos from events)
2. Roll it from left to right (or right to left, for the lefties) into a strip
3. Roll that strip from bottom to top
4. Secure with a large safety pin

When you need to use the tote, just unhook and unravel, attaching the safety pin to the inside of the sack.

Did you try this or the Envirosax? If so, lemme know.

Recently, I was tapped to join the newly formed New York City Venture Philanthropy Fund. NYC-VPF is a giving circle whose members’ pooled funds and professional expertise are granted in support of social entrepreneurial projects within the five boroughs.

My role so far, as part of the Donor/Membership Development Sub-committee, has been to begin planning the organization’s launch party (which actually we have divided into a “soft” and “hard” launch). With a background in advertising, I naturally engaged in a critical discussion on branding with two guidance board members.

In discussing what we wanted to convey through a logo and tagline, it became apparent we would need to choose something short and accessible since the group’s name isn’t exactly that. The irony is NYC-VPF embodies democratic philanthropy, and is probably one of the most accessible philanthropic vehicles out there.

In NYC-VPF, anyone can become a member for $365 a year; members are able to vote on grant recipients; and grantees receive support to undertake innovative approaches to solving persistent social problems. While the level to join is low and the concept is exciting and relate-able for most, the language “venture philanthropy” can be a bit alienating for those not familiar.

When we broke NYC-VPF down into its most basic essence, we determined it was about “small money, big change.” The “small money” contrasts with notions of “big money” and “old money,” characterizing traditional philanthropic entities such as foundations. The “big change” refers to the impact of a large community pooling individual “small money” and professional skills to support results-oriented social entrepreneurial problem-solving. We think it works; what do you think?

Nothing makes for a snappier and more fun summary of 2007, than the “Best of…” and “Worst of…” lists bloggers and journalists love to post. What particularly intrigued me this year was how my inbox found two polar opposite lists, published within a day of each other, that agreed on one very special nominee: British Petrolem (or “Beyond Petroleum” if you bought into BP’s forceful advertising).

BP was among the top five best “Greenwashers of the Year” and the “Five Worst CEOs of 2007″ by the liberal leaning Treehugger and conservative slanted Free Enterpriser (via Townhall.com), respectively. Who says liberals and conservatives can’t agree on anything?

BP’s criticism, from both green and business blogs, proves that embracing corporate social responsibility and going green cannot rely on glossy PR and slick ad campaigns. Stakeholders do not easily forget a recent record of human rights abuse and environmental and safety disasters. And stockholders will only support CSR initiatives that do not lose sight of profit. Corporations can receive acclaim from both sides–if they incorporate triple bottom line objectives into their operations first and let the good press follow.

Some people have writer’s block; I think I may have blogger’s block. I’ve been working on return on good for nearly a couple of months now. I first engaged in the name game and host search, then began tinkering with layouts and widgets, and am still awaiting a brand-savvy logo. I have been ready to blog, from a technical perspective, for a few weeks now. I just haven’t been ready to go balls to the wall on content, though my mind has been reeling with the possibilities.

My trepidation must be the baggage attached to my desire to become digitally transparent. Thoughts and habits can be so deeply personal, that the sharing of them becomes a gift. Such giving can be daunting because you don’t know how the recipients will react. I know I have benefited greatly from the gifts of experiences and insights of others, people who worked up the courage to open up their perspectives to complete strangers. I feel it is my turn to give what I can. Knowing that doesn’t make the process any less intimidating, however, so I hope you will be patient with me as I learn to express my voice with you.

Let’s think of this time, from now until I officially “launch,” as the speakeasy period, a soft opening of sorts. Only a few people will be able to knock on my domain door and be led in during these first vulnerable kink-solving weeks. While I have you here, tell me what you think.