$7.13 Trillion Invested in Green Economy

Last week on Earth Day, we heard some impressive news from our friends at Ethical Markets. According to Ethical Markets' Green Transition Scoreboard, $7.13 trillion has been invested in a green economy.

The Green Transition Scoreboard tracks investments in Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, Life Systems, Green Construction and Corporate Green R&D with the following totals as of 2016:

In a press release announcing these figures and the 2016 GTS report, "Ending Externalities: full-Spectrum Accounting Clarifies Transition Management", Hazel Henderson, founder of Ethical Markets, futurist, evolutionary economist and author - including of The Power of Yin (Cosimo Books) is quoted as follows:

“The upward trend in investments since 2007 aligns with our recommendation to invest at least 10% of institutional portfolios directly in companies driving the global Green Transition,” says Henderson. Updating strategic asset allocation models serves both as opportunities and as risk mitigation. Excluding government investments to the extent possible, the $7.13 trillion in private investments and commitments as of 2015 puts private investors on track to reach $10 trillion in green sector investments by 2020."

This is great news for the green economy and for the future of a healthy and sustainable planet.

Happy Earth Day From Cosimo!

With spring officially here, the trees growing greener, the flowers starting to bloom, and the weather starting to warm up, it is once again time for Earth Day!

The purpose of Earth Day is to bring awareness to the environmental issues that continue to have an impact on the health of our Earth.  Climate change, sustainability,  living green, waste production, and water shortages are all things to think about tomorrow, April 22.

Visit the Earth Day website for more information on how you can get involved, donate, spread the word, or find a group of local Earth Day lovers at an event near you.

In celebration, we at Cosimo would like to highlight all of our Earth related books.

Civilization and the Transformation of Power by Jim Garrison

"Civilization And The Transformation Of Power is an absorbing, provocative, scintillating account of the interiors of western history. Jim Garrison is one of the great visionaries of our time, and his account not only traces the rise of western culture, it points beyond it to a more integral, gracious, compassionate world, drawing on the best of East and West, feminine and masculine, to paint a picture of a more caring tomorrow."                                                                                             --Ken Wilbur, author of "A Brief History Of Everything"

Earth Fever: Living Consciously with Climate Change by Judy McAllister, Erik Van Praag, and Jan Paul van Soest

The human species is in a rather precarious situation. Poverty, the energy and financial crises, and above all the challenge of climate change mean that our civilization has come to a dangerous edge. Our safety nets-on both collective and individual levels-have been removed. Can we create a future that allows for a dignified society and a peaceful world? With a change of consciousness and a new spirituality, we may.

WATER: The Blood of the Earth - Exploring Sustainable Water Management for the New Millennium by Allerd Stikker

"In this book Allerd describes his convincing views on desalination solutions for local and urban clean water shortages as well as his deeply felt findings on the spiritual meanings of water, all assembled on a 20 years' journey on which I was lucky to travel along."                                                                                                               -- Leonor Lindner

 

The Tierra Solution: Resolving Climate Change Through Monetary Transformation by Frans C. Verhagen

As climate change continues to threaten the earth and as the global financial crisis lingers, governments and communities need to take charge of their own and global monetary systems. Sustainability sociologist Frans Verhagen proposes a solution-the Tierra Solution-to repair the present global monetary, financial, and economic systems that enrich the few, impoverish the many, and imperil the planet. Verhagen calls for transformational changes in order to advance climate-resilient economic development.

Fanack Water Files: Water Challenges and Solutions in Jordan with a Special Report on the Red Sea-Dead Sea Project

As Earth Day brings awareness to the environmental issues facing us all, so does the Fanack

organization bring us awareness about one of the biggest environmental issues being faced in the Middle East: the scarcity of water. "Fanack Water Files: Water Challenges and Solutions in Jordan, with a Special Report on the Red Sea-Dead Sea Project" is the first publication of the Fanack Water Files. It deals in depth with the water situation in Jordan, a critical country in the region bordering Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Israel. For more information about Fanack and water, see also here. 

For more books by these authors, or to expand your knowledge of all things Earth related, visit our website. Have a happy Earth Day!

April Series of the Month: Shakespeare Lexicon

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

April 23, 2016 marks the 400 anniversary of the death of the famous poet, playwright, and actor, William Shakespeare. The whole world is celebrating Shakespeare and his work this April through performances, exhibitions, and conferences all month long. Cosimo is joining in by highlighting Shakespeare Lexicon by Alexander Schmidt as our Series of the Month.

Still often used today, German schoolmaster and philologist Alexander Schmidt's Shakespeare Lexicon is the source for elucidating the sometimes cryptic language of Shakespeare and tracking down quotations. Volume 1 covers A through L, from "a: the first letter of the alphabet" to "Lysimachus," a proper name. Volume 2 covers M through Z, from "Mab: the queen of the fairies" to "Zounds: an oath contracted from God's wounds," and features numerous appendices and supplements on grammar and usage.

Every word from every play and poem is cataloged, referenced, and defined in this exhaustive two-volume work, the result of arduous research and stalwart dedication. Serious scholars and zealous fans will find the Lexicon the ultimate guide to reading and decoding the Bard.

To find great Shakespeare activities near you, check out shakespeare400.org.

Cosimo offers this Classic series by individual volume at various online bookstores or as a full set in paperback.

The paperback retail list price: $59.98, but now: our price: $49.99 (you save $9.99 or a 20 percent discount)

The hardcover retail list price: $109.98, but now: our price: $89.99 (you save $19.99 or a 18 percent discount)

April Classic of the Month: The Enchanted April

In celebration of spring, we at Cosimo are happy to announce The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim as our Classic of the Month.

Driven to action by the dreariness of their lives in London, two not-quite friends, in the hopes of finding renewal, plan to rent a medieval Italian castle for a month. They are joined by two other women, a socialite and a dowager, each also seeking a remedy for their dissatisfactions. As the quartet eventually (though not necessarily gracefully) settles in together, they share the beauty and joy of their springtime palace, and each becomes reacquainted with the self they had forgotten. Whether or not the enchantment can carry into their lives and loves in the "real" world is the question. The basis for the 1992 film, of the same name, with Miranda Richardson and Alfred Molina, this is a classic to cherish.

About the Author
British novelist Elizabeth von Arnim (1866-1941) wrote numerous books, including Elizabeth and Her German Garden and The Solitary Summer.

Cosimo is proud to present this title in paperback. Happy spring!

April Book of the Month: Water: The Blood of the Earth

In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, we at Cosimo are happy to announce that "Water: The Blood of the Earth - Exploring Sustainable Water Management for the New Millennium" by Allerd Stikker is our April Book of the Month.

In praise of our Book of the Month:

"Allerd Stikker has always reminded me of Alexis de Tocqueville, who would have chosen to study the problem surrounding water rather than the American democracy. He has the same insatiable curiosity, the same energy, same passion, same ease in mixing analysis with intuition, the capacity to draw together different cultures, the same capacity to listen and to dialogue with those who reason from different starting blocks. "Water, the Blood of the Earth is the outcome of reflection and action of a cosmopolitan who has remained loyal to his native land, mixing some European thinking of the Age of Enlightenment with some futuristic viewpoints." - Charles Louis de Maudhuy, advisor to the chairman, Veolia Water

"Lack of access to clean and sufficient water in many parts of the world, especially in Asia and Africa, will be a major issue in the coming decades. This book presents an overall view on the diversity of problems and solutions, based on the author's involvement in water-related projects. Over the course of the years I have followed some of these projects with interest; they inspire us to take concrete actions." - Antony Burgmans, former Chairman of Unilever

"In this book Allerd describes his convincing views on desalination solutions for local and urban clean water shortages as well as his deeply felt findings on the spiritual meanings of water, all assembled on a 20 years' journey on which I was lucky to travel along." - Leonor Lindner, former Board Member Friesland Bank.

About the Author

Allerd Stikker is a retired Dutch industrialist with an engineering degree from Delft Technical University and a postgraduate degree in theology from Leeds University. He is chairman and founder of the Ecological Management Foundation, a nonprofit organization focusing on the ecological dimension in business strategy. 

"Water: The Blood of the Earth - Exploring Sustainable Water Management for the New Millennium"  Cosimo is proud to present this title in both paperback and eBook editions.

April Organization of the Month: EcoHealth Alliance

Cosimo, as a member of  1% for the Planet, is proud to support nonprofits committed to a healthy planet. One of those organizations is EcoHealth Alliance, and we are happy to announce that, in honor of Earth Day,  EcoHealth Alliance is our Organization of the Month for April!

EcoHealth Alliance is a global, nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation, wildlife protection, and the control and prevention of disease. Using research, education, training, policy initiatives, and global partnerships, EcoHealth Alliance fights the effects of damaged ecosystems and human-wildlife interaction. Headquartered in New York, the organization works in more than 20 countries worldwide.

Upcoming Event

Beyond the Horizon, an Evening to Benefit EcoHealth Alliance

Thursday, April 14 2016

Gustavino's
409 East 59th Street
New York City

Festive Attire Requested

For more information about the event, the organization, or to buy tickets, please visit EcoHealth Alliance's website.

About 1% for the Planet
1% for the Planet's mission is to build, support and activate an alliance of businesses financially committed to creating a healthy planet.