Do women vote for women... period?

John McCain is potentially committing political suicide with his VP pick in Sarah Palin. Or is he? McCain and his campaign advisors clearly feel that by putting a female -- any female-- on the ticket, he may bridge the gap and win over some disgruntled Clinton voters.

While Sarah is clearly charming and confident and may appeal to the conservative base with her strong pro-life position, she is no Hillary Clinton. In fact, Sarah and Hillary could not be further apart in their bios (or lack thereof in Palin's case).

While most of us women are thrilled to see a woman on the ticket in this election the presumption that Clinton voters will just 'come on over based on gender is mildly insulting. This clear misunderstanding on the part of political advisors to get in the minds of women is not uncommon. Women are not simply advocating women in positions of authority but more importantly getting the right person in the position to get the right job done. This means voting on the issues and by party ideology first, gender second.

Having said all that, in this case, I could be entirely wrong. Who will win this race is anyone's guess. Perhaps Palin will move the needle. Maybe women are so disgruntled that they will take this platform to make a point with their vote. One thing is for sure, I now have a reason to tune into the Republican convention.

It's Not Easy Being Green.

Aw, Kermit. If only we had known how right you were.

I've always been an advocate for the idea that small changes can make a big difference. I do not, however, appreciate it when the responsibility for a huge political and economic problem is passed along to the 'little guy'.

The influx of green products, and now the looming carbon tax, focus responsibility on the consumer to make better choices. That's all well and good, but Big Business needs to take their responsibility to make better, sustainable products more seriously- what need would we have for a carbon tax if there were more viable fuel alternatives, for example?

There certainly are viable alternatives to the way products are made and organizations operate - it's just easier for them to stick with the status quo. Change means work and, in my humble opinion, corporations are often much better at managing work than actually doing any.

Case in point, firms are able to sustain themselves quite well solely by doing it for them. IDEO, a design and innovation firm, published a joint report with Business for Social Responsibility, a nonprofit business association, entitled Aligned for Sustainable Design: An A-B-C-D Approach to Making Better Products this last week. The A-B-C-D framework serves as a guide for companies to Assess, Bridge, Create and Diffuse sustainable capabilities in their organizations. Perhaps breaking things down in Sesame simplicity such as this may make it obvious enough for Big Business to finally get the point.

The success of the Green category shows that people are more than happy to buy better. It's not their fault that things aren't made better, though time and again they are made to pay for it, literally and figuratively. Green would be a lot easier if the powers that be would stop selling it to us and actually buy into it themselves.

Creative campaigns find new ways to “go green”

Over the past few months, green initiatives have given birth to some very interesting campaigns and programs. The latest from Al Gore’s “non-profit, non-partisan effort,” Alliance for Climate Protection, brings political rivals Reverend Al Sharpton and Pat Robertson together for an unconventional public service message. The video, available at wecansolveit.org, features the unlikely pair urging viewers to work together in helping our planet.

The Green is Universal website from NBC Universal features programs and tips, as well as an extensive “Green Glossary” of related terms. The site provides a portal to its other company websites, including NBC. The network’s television prime time schedule has also adapted to the growing movement. Shows such as The Bionic Woman and Scrubs have tailored their storylines to promote green living.

Another notable program closer to home is Green Enterprise Toronto, a site dedicated to helping businesses and consumers “become greener” and “think locally.” Its site offers a directory of Toronto-based, environmentally-friendly businesses - featuring everything from health spas, landscapers, restaurants, and specialty stores geared to women.

Aside from local activism and consumer awareness, the green movement has motivated people to look at almost every aspect of their life and health from a different perspective. An article on CanadianLiving.com offers tips on “how to have a green baby”, including preparing organic diets, how to avoid everyday toxins, and making your own baby food.