Raise the Green Bar is an annual event hosted by MADE SAFE and Good Housekeeping. It was created to help consumers, companies and industries create more sustainable products and practices. With keynotes, panel discussions, fireside chats and Q&A sessions, the summit focuses on guiding manufacturers, marketers, product managers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders to maximize their brands’ sustainability efforts.
If you missed the event or would like to relive your favorite moments from the day, all the talks were recorded! Use our summary list below to help you locate specific panels. Scroll down to the video player, tap the expand/full screen icon and fast forward to whichever panel you want to watch. You can also read Good Housekeeping’s full recap of the event.
EVENT RECAP
KEYNOTE KICKOFF
Featured Speaker:
Bill McKibben – Environmentalist, Author, & Journalist
Bill McKibben kicked off the day with a sobering message addressing the current state of the climate crisis. While there truly are significant urgent challenges facing this issue, he offers a spot of hope through two encouraging things that are helping to combat the problems we are facing. He touches on the vital importance of movements and the role they are playing in shifting governments, corporations, and organizations towards true climate action. His number one call to action: Join the climate movement.
TREND REPORT
Featured Speakers:
Jane Francisco – Editor in Chief, Good Housekeeping and Director, Hearst Lifestyle Group
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, Ph.D. – Chief Scientist at the Nature Conservancy and Political Science Endowed Professor of Public Policy and Public Law, Texas Tech University
Joining us straight from Glasgow as an attendee of the COP 26 convention addressing climate change, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe shares the latest on how countries are working together to combat the climate issue. She names ways that countries are vying to cut emissions such as reducing and harnessing methane waste, and nature-based solutions such as responsible, regenerative agriculture for carbon sequestration. Climate, Dr. Hayhoe says, is an issue that every human being can care about, stressing that “climate change can only be fixed when we are all a part of the solution.”
CIRCULAR BEAUTY FOR CONSCIOUS CONSUMPTION
Featured Speakers:
April Franzino – Beauty Director, Woman’s Day, Prevention, and Good Housekeeping
Gigi Ganatra Duff – VP Public Relations & Corporate Affairs, Nordstrom
Lindsay Dahl – SVP, Social Mission, Beautycounter
Shannon Goldberg – Chief Zero Waste Officer, Izzy Beauty
Learn from companies at the forefront of the sustainable beauty movement on how to elevate sustainability in the beauty industry. The panel discusses key environmental issues facing the beauty industry and how they each respectively are addressing these problems through innovations in packaging, sourcing better materials, and more. They encourage both consumers and companies to make a difference by supporting sustainability measures such as responsible sourcing and supply chain transparency. Dahl reminds us that achieving sustainability goals feels big, but we must start somewhere because “starting small is better than not starting at all.”
DEFINING SUSTAINABLE FASHION IN A COMPLEX INDUSTRY
Featured Speakers:
Lexie Sachs – Textiles Director, Good Housekeeping Institute
Dr. Tasha Lewis, Ph.D. – Associate Professor of Fiber Science & Apparel Design, Cornell University
Sonia Singh – Director of Design, Hass
Sam Blumenthal – Director of Consumer Communications, thredUP
Experts in the field of sustainable fashion come together to define and discuss eco-efforts within the fashion industry. The speakers highlight the importance of things like buying less, choosing natural and/or recyclable fibers, and human rights within the fashion industry. Listen for tips on how to have a more sustainable wardrobe, and ideas on how to responsibly part with clothes that are ready for a new home.
FOOD FIX: SOLUTIONS FOR A BROKEN SYSTEM
Featured Speakers:
Nicole Papantoniou – Deputy Director, Good Housekeeping Institute
Jack Algiere – Farm Director, Stone Barns Center
Frances Moore Lappé – Author and Co-founder of Small Planet Institute
Robyn O’Brien – Author, Investment Professional, Social Entrepreneur, and Food Systems Advocate
Tune in to hear this panel discuss problems with the current food system and solutions that can help make a big difference. With increasing numbers of consumers caring about the food they eat and how their food is produced, the panelists discuss practical steps that people can take to get back to their roots – literally. Panelists also shine a light on some of the roadblocks inhibiting the movement towards more decentralized, environmentally-sound food production.
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING’S 2021 SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION AWARDS PRESENTATION
Featured Speaker:
Dr. Birnur Aral, Ph.D. – Director, Health, Beauty & Environmental Sciences, Good Housekeeping Institute
Join Dr. Aral in celebrating Good Housekeeping’s top picks for this year’s 2021 Sustainable Innovation Awards.
MINDFULNESS WITH THE URBAN MONK
Featured Speaker:
Dr. Pedram Shojai – Director of the Urban Monk Academy, Best-Selling Author, Producer, and Host of “The Urban Monk” Podcast
Midway through the event, Pedram Shojai leads attendees in a moment of mindfulness to recenter the day in the midst of hard-hitting discussions. He reminds participants to express and react from a centered state. Our best reactions to these existential problems come “when we’re calm, collected, focused, gathered, and coming from a part of our brain and our hearts where we’re thinking clearly.”
COUNT DOWN: HOW THE MODERN WORLD IS IMPERILING THE HUMAN RACE AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT
Featured Speakers:
Sarah Smith – Editor-in-Chief, Prevention
Dr. Shanna Swan – Environmental and Reproductive Epidemiologist and Professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, ICAHN School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Stacey Colino – Award-Winning Writer
An urgent call regarding the rapidly growing fertility problem facing humans today. Dr. Swan shares the results of her research on declining fertility (especially in males). Although population growth has been a hot topic in years past, Dr. Swan shares the future reality unfolding before us of non-elective, widescale population decline. She cites both the growing number of couples unable to achieve pregnancy without reproductive assistance and the fact that half as many children are being born today worldwide as there were in 1960. The speakers dive into the environmental and lifestyle factors driving this precarious problem, highlighting a slew of endocrine-disrupting chemicals commonly found in the home. While it is nearly impossible to avoid 100% of problematic chemicals in the environment, Stacey and Shanna share some practical tips and resources for reducing exposures wherever possible.
THE STATE OF PFAS (PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL) POLLUTION
Featured Speaker:
Mike Schade – Campaign Director for Mind the Store
Mike presents the problems of PFAS pollution in the United States today. PFAS are particularly problematic as they do not readily break down in the environment, therefore becoming pervasive in the environment – and in the human body. These chemicals, found in wide-ranging consumer goods such as raingear to industrial products such as firefighting foam, are linked to a myriad of health and environmental problems. Mike shares the work and advocacy being done through his organization, including a number of exciting victories! What’s the future for this critical public health and sustainability issue? He calls on legislators and companies to step up and fight for change through the phaseout of PFAS formulations.
FIRESIDE CHAT
Featured Speakers:
Tiffany Blackstone – Executive Director, Oprah Daily
Amanda Hearst – Philanthropist, Co-Founder of Maison de Mode and Well/Beings Charity
Alysia Reiner – Actress, Producer, Activist
Amanda, Alysia, and Tiffany discuss issues of sustainability in the fashion realm and the environmental implications associated with the industry. They share ways that they make better decisions as consumers—advocating for things like buying from better companies and borrowing instead of buying.
FIRESIDE CHAT
Featured Speakers:
Lori Bergamotto – Style Director, Good Housekeeping
Nikki Reed – Actress, Entrepreneur, Founder of Bayou With Love
Nikki Reed shares the inspiration and heart behind her sustainable jewelry line, including topics like using recycled gold and the importance of sourcing earth-conscious stones and gems. The two dive into practical ways to incorporate sustainability into day-to-day life. Nikki shares that it’s also crucial to have grace when leveling up our sustainability as no one is perfect all of the time. She advises that we need to acknowledge our shortcomings and aim better for the future.
ONE GREEN THING
Featured Speaker:
Heather White – Author, Environmental Lawyer, Nonprofit Consultant, and Founder of OneGreenThing
Closing out the day, Heather ties it all together with an inspiring call to action. She discusses the palpable mental health implications of eco-anxiety, particularly for younger generations. No one person can solve the climate crisis, she explains, but together we can make an impact. Heather inspires people to utilize their own unique abilities to be a part of the solution by doing one green thing every day. She encourages everyone to think about the legacy that they are leaving for future generations.