Working with a powerful team of Ei Pioneers and Ei Industry Experts, Ei evolved into a respected national non-profit known for introducing sustainable best practices within a range of industries.
Beginning with the Zero Waste Zones (ZWZ), Ei initiatives epitomized the following mantra:
Ei is a creator, an incubator.
Ei determines what could be done that is not being done and gets it done.
Ei brings the possible out of impossible.
Ei identifies pioneers and creates heroes.
Background
Ei was formed as the home for the ZWZ, which were launched in 2009 by the Green Foodservice Alliance (GFA) within the Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA). Over the years, Ei's work evolved well beyond zero-waste initiatives.
The following is a recap of Ei's evolution:
The following is a recap of Ei's evolution:
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| ZWZ Chair Laura Turner Seydel speaking @ the ZWZ Two-Year Anniversary press conference. |
National Restaurant Association (NRA) catapulting Ei into a major metamorphosis. The Zero Waste in ACTION Blog article, The NRA Acquires ZWZ, announces the monumental acquisition.
2013: Year of Transitions | Introductions - as Ei flowed within the metamorphosis stage, the three-platforms approach emerged. The IMPACT Blog, Ei Emerges Strong from Metamorphosis, introduced the three platforms: Product Stewardship, Recycling Refinement (RR) and Water Use | Toxicity. The IMPACT Magazine article, Another Year, Another Annual Ei Partner Meeting, recaps the formation of the new pilots and initiatives within the three platforms.
2014: Year of Foundations | Evolution - in 2014 the platforms were grounded with initiative launches and supporting taglines. The IMPACT Blog article, Ei 2014: A Year of Evolution, provides a summary of the platform foundations.
2015: Year of ACTION - in 2015 Ei lived up to its tagline: Sustainability in ACTION! The IMPACT Magazine article, Ei 2015: A Year of ACTION, summarizes the empowering year.
2016: Year of Recognition - in 2016 Ei's important work was recognized in published industry-case studies and Ei-hosted national conference panels. In addition, the Ei Magazines' following significantly increased and Ei was recognized as a respected journalist. The IMPACT Magazine article, Ei 2016: A Year of RECOGNITION, gives an in-depth overview of accomplishments, completions, and recognition.
2017: Year of Shifting Gears - in 2017 Ei announced Soil Health, regenerating the foundation of life, was a prime focus, replacing the prominent RR work. In addition, Ei Leadership experienced a changing of the guard and Ei welcomed new Strategic Allies. The IMPACT Magazine article, Happy 8th Birthday, Ei!, recaps the exciting year as Ei segued from the Era of RR to the Era of Regeneration.
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| Ei Founder Holly Elmore speaks @ the 2018 WorldChefs Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
2019: Year of Empowerment - in 2019, Ei started off the year celebrating the ZWZ ten-year anniversary. In the spring, Ei announced the Three-Step Straw Initiative (TSSI). Introductory TSSI meetings intertwined within work related to microplastics and nanoplastics in the soils, healthy-food school programs, and college-student mentoring. Additionally, the Ei site relaunched with updated design and navigation. The IMPACT Magazine article, Ei 2019: Year of Empowerment, recaps the empowering year.
The Ei Team is comprised of Industry Experts and Industry Pioneers. Experts educate, advise and support the Pioneers; the Pioneers craft new standard-operating practices within their operations that make good business and environmental sense. Once tested and proven effective, the Pioneers share the evolved practices with their industry colleagues. Ei’s work is complete and the Team moves into a new industry frontier.
The Ei Team is comprised of Industry Experts and Industry Pioneers. Experts educate, advise and support the Pioneers; the Pioneers craft new standard-operating practices within their operations that make good business and environmental sense. Once tested and proven effective, the Pioneers share the evolved practices with their industry colleagues. Ei’s work is complete and the Team moves into a new industry frontier.
A Decade of Impact
The Year of Celebration opened with Ei's ten-year anniversary!
As a ten-year anniversary celebration, Ei published a three-article series, A Decade of Impact, that chronicles the plethora of achievements, awards, and successes from inception through 2020.
A Decade of Impact: History & Background
Events within the GFA Producers Task Force were in partnership with Georgia Organics, the American Culinary Federation, Atlanta Chapter (ACF ATL), and the Georgia Department of Agriculture (Ga Dept of Ag.) In 2008, the GFA was instrumental in the successful launch of the Georgia Grown program. With the local, sustainable food movement in its infancy, The Chefs' Tours & Dinner Series was novel, a forerunner, and an excellent tribute to farmers & chefs.
Tours, whether Ei Partner Tours or Ei Industry Tours, were integral to establishing the foundation for emerging industry practices. The Annual Ei Partner Meetings brought together partners from across North America for a powerful day filled with education, updates, camaraderie along with great food and wine.
As a welcome to the Ei Era of Regeneration, the Ei site relaunched with a refreshed design featuring Ei Founder Holly Elmore's photography images. An updated navigation reflects the current focus areas: Soil Health | Regenerative Agriculture, Water Use | Toxicity, and Product Stewardship platforms.
On May 15, 2020, a press release announced the Nat Geo Photo Ark added the 10,000th image to the impressive collection of species portraits from animals in human care around the globe. Each portrait is captured on a white or black background, and published images are the same dimension; thus, a tiny mouse is literally the same size as an elephant in the Photo Ark.
REFUGE is an evolutionary call-to-action for the collective community to preserve and restore the Earth's fragile ecosystems. The Earth will only tolerate a certain quota of human devastation; once the quota is reached the Earth will simply heal herself, most likely to the detriment of the human species.
Determined to take her photography-technical skills to new levels, Holly learned to layout photo books using the Adobe Lightroom book module. Blueberry Snippet Story: from blossoms to fruit documents neighborhood blueberries on the journey from sweet blossoms to food for urban wildlife. Beyond photos, the book includes the history of blueberry farming in the U.S. as well as other interesting blueberry facts.
From Plastics: a double-edged sword:
During the 2020 COVID19-global-pandemic quarantines, citizens witnessed an immediate impact of reduced human activity via clearer skies, orchestras of bird songs, and the roaming of wild animals in urban and rural parks. The experiences were a glimpse of how quickly the natural-world rhythm resumes when human activity subsides.
Activities within Ei’s Nature Prevails platform are in partnership with the Regenerative Working Group (RWG.)
Simply, a carbon sink is an area of land where plants drawdown more carbon via photosynthesis – the process plants use to convert carbon dioxide and sunlight into sugars for energy – from the atmosphere than is released from the soil into the atmosphere.
Regenerative landscape and grounds maintenance practices are “cide-free” with no pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides used. By mimicking natural systems, healthy foliage grows without the use of toxic chemicals commonly used in grounds maintenance; these toxins run off into local streams and water systems. Thus, local water systems benefit.
In 2019, Ei announced the Three-Step Straw Initiative (TSSI) in partnership with Ei Strategic Ally One More Generation | One Less Straw. Beyond plastic-straw usage reduction, the TSSI addresses the straw content and end-of-life destination; the TSSI aligns with the Ei Era of Regeneration Soil Health and Water Use | Toxicity platforms.
The first article, A Decade of Impact: History & Background, chronicles the profound work accomplished during the Green Foodservice Alliance (GFA) reign (2008 - 2009) that laid a powerful foundation for Ei's 2010 formation. The GFA was founded in 2008 within the Georgia Restaurant Association umbrella.
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Dept of Ag Commissioner Tommy Irwin, Chef Michael Deihl, Governor Sonny Perdue, Deputy Commissioner Terry Coleman @ luncheon |
GFA Green Task Force initiatives were in partnership with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources - Sustainability Division and the Environmental Protection Agency Region 4. Additionally, the GFA worked closely with the Georgia Recycling Coalition and Atlanta Recycles.
In Feb 2009, the ZWZ were launched with critical acclaim & featured in a home-page CNN story as well as a New York Times front-page article.
The Ei FB album, A Decade of Impact: history & background, gives a pictorial recount of the empowering GFA work and events that built a solid foundation for Ei's formation.
A Decade of Impact: Era of Recycling Refinement
The second article, A Decade of Impact: Era of Recycling Refinement, chronicles Ei's groundbreaking work in zero-waste arenas & beyond from inception through June 2017.
During the Era of RR, the Ei Team served as a leader in pioneering frontiers with a myriad of completed projects | programs.
In addition to the home of the ZWZ, Ei launched the empowering Sustainable Food Court Initiative (SFCI)) with prominent pilots at the Atlanta Airport (busiest airport in the world), Georgia Dome (then home to the Atlanta Falcons), and Concord Mills (a Simon Properties mall). With a stated focus on post-consumer food waste, the SFCI was a pioneer in addressing compostable food & beverage packaging and consumer source-separated disposal of food waste.
Additionally, Ei launched the first shopping mall plastic-film recycling pilot at the SFCI - Concord Mills in partnership with Simon Property Group, then the largest commercial-property owner in the nation.
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| Ei Partners ready to tour the Novelis aluminum recycling plant during the 2014 Atlanta Partner Tours. |
In June 2017 Ei announced the Era of RR was Mission
Accomplished. Ei endeavors considered complete via a sale, term expiration, or simply mission accomplished are thoroughly documented in the 46-page Mission Accomplished website section.
The Ei FB album, A Decade of Impact: Era of Recycling Refinement, gives a pictorial recount of the activities documented in the corresponding article.
A Decade of Impact: Era of Regeneration
The final article, A Decade of Impact: Era of Regeneration, chronicles Ei's important work from June 2017 through current efforts.
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| Refreshed Ei website home page |
In the Era of Regeneration, Ei embarked on numerous Farm Tours as well as hosted the profound Ei Exploration of Fungi, Soil Health, and World Hunger in partnership with Ei Strategic Ally Feed & Seed. Ei Connections continued as one of Ei's valuable industry contributions.
Building off of the Era of RR's foundation, Ei segued from national to global impact via speaking engagements, contributions to prominent scoping papers, co-hosting international events, and attending global gatherings as respected media. Additionally Ei's status as a respected environmental journalist expanded to include photojournalism.
The Ei-Hosted panel, Compost's Empowering Role in Sustainable Soils, was the most popular break-out session at the 2018 U.S. Composting Council Conference hosted in Atlanta.
Beyond documenting Ei's important work, the Ei Magazines evolved to publishing in-depth research articles documenting the pathways traveled to current scenarios. Two of the research articles include: Plastics: a double-edged sword and A Hydroponic-Agriculture Renaissance.
The Ei FB album, A Decade of Impact: Era of Regeneration, gives a pictorial recount of the activities documented in this article.
Ei Magazine Milestone
On November 25, 2020, the Regeneration in ACTION (RiA) Magazine surpassed the 475,000 pageviews milestone! The coveted 500,000 pageviews achievement is mere months away!
Launched in 2009 as the ZWZ Blog, the original premise was to document the ZWZ successes and later the RR and SFCI accomplishments. When the ZWZ were sold to the NRA in 2012, the ZWZ Blog evolved into the Zero Waste in ACTION (ZWA) Blog.
The June 2018 RiA Magazine article, New Era, New Name: Regeneration in ACTION!, announced the ZWA Blog evolved into the RiA Magazine. Additionally, the article stated the Ei tagline segued from Sustainability in ACTION to Regeneration in ACTION.
Over the past decade, the RiA Magazine, along with sister Ei magazine, The IMPACT, evolved from valuable industry-media resources to respected environmental journalism as well as photojournalism. The RiA Magazine article, Ei: invigorated impact and influence, celebrates the impressive milestone as well as the evolution to respected journalism.
Below is a quick magazine-stats overview:
The IMPACT Magazine
- 184,000 pageviews
- 137 published articles
- Average 1,340 pageviews per article
- Most popular article: Ei New Mission Statement (12/12) 3,080 views
RiA Magazine:
- 479,600 pageviews
- 389 published articles
- Average 1,230 pageviews per article
- Most popular article, Reduce First, Donate Second, Compost Third (02/11) 16,800 views
Environmental Journalism
Since 2016, Ei was included on environmental press-media lists with regular invitations for interviews and advance-book copies. In fall 2020, Ei received interview invitations from two prominent environmental and conservation photographers. Ei Founder Holly Elmore was honored to research, interview, and write articles featuring her heroes. Back in the 2014 - 2016 timeframe, Holly took on-line photography classes from the photographers and holds them in high esteem
The articles catapulted Holly from documentation of Ei's important work into respected mainstream-environmental media.
The Photo Ark: a gift from the heart
Currently, the Photo Ark boasts 11,230 formal portraits. In addition to the portrait gallery, a comprehensive nearly 40,000-photo Photo Ark Gallery, including in-the-field images, is available for viewing. An excellent search function accompanies the gallery.
Renowned Nat Geo photographer Joel Sartore created the Photo Ark as a vehicle to showcase the Earth's tremendous biodiversity within the Animal Kingdom along with the mass extinction in process.
The RiA Magazine article, Photo Ark: a gift from the heart, chronicles the Photo Ark's history and gives accolades to Joel Sartore for his tremendous commitment to endangered species.
An Evolutionary Call-to-ACTION
REFUGE, America's Wildest Places, Exploring the National Wildlife Refuge System (REFUGE,) published on October 27, 2020 as an extraordinary coffee-table book; photography is by renowned photographer, author, educator, and filmmaker Ian Shive. As with Ian's prior books, films, and other mediums, REFUGE is a masterpiece and serves as a portal to explore our planet's intrinsic beauty.
REFUGE is a glimpse into the magnificence and sacred nature of the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS), one of the largest protected land and water networks in the world. The NWRS encompasses land and water ecosystems coast-to-coast within the continental United States (U.S.) as well as the Hawaiian Islands, Alaska, and U.S. territories.
Ian's profound commitment as a conservationist and educator are destined to make a tremendous impact with his past, current, and future timeless masterpieces. Ian's evolution from stills to motion to cinema to on-air persona expands his audience, reach, and potential influence.
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| Photo credit: James Shive |
The RiA Magazine article, An Evolutionary Call-to-ACTION, is an in-depth chronicle of Ian's adventures culminating in the profound book along with overviews of his amazing short films.
FUN: read the article to learn how a 1976 in-concert photo of "The Boss" Bruce Springsteen and the "Big Man" Clarence Clemons flows within the article!!!!
Ei Books
In late 2017, Holly expanded her journalism to photojournalism with a series of articles published in nationally distributed Southern Farm & Garden (SF&G). The articles showcased Ei's important work as well as Ei Strategic Ally accomplishments. Article images were courtesy of Holly Elmore Images (HEI.)
In late 2017, Holly expanded her journalism to photojournalism with a series of articles published in nationally distributed Southern Farm & Garden (SF&G). The articles showcased Ei's important work as well as Ei Strategic Ally accomplishments. Article images were courtesy of Holly Elmore Images (HEI.)
Additionally, the SF&G articles were published as Ei Digital Books available for view as page-turning-pdf documents on the Issuu platform.
Photo Book
Images are destined to support article copy related to edible landscape practices.
Article Book
Using her new design skills, Holly's Fingertip Press published the first Ei Article Book: From Macro to Micro to Nanoplastics, an excerpt from the RiA article, Plastics: a double-edged sword.
From Plastics: a double-edged sword:
The seemingly magical gift of plastic came with a double-edged sword filled with the potential to destroy life as it is currently known on Earth.In less than seventy years, humans managed to infiltrate the Earth with micro and nanoplastics from discarded single-use and durable products in literally every nook and cranny, ranging from the arctic snow caps to the depths of the oceans and everywhere in between.It is time to shift perspectives from human-focused to life-focused and let the Earth show us how to heal the damage inflicted. Answers will come to those who live and take action from the heart.
Additionally, the Nanoplastics article includes the following new sections:
- Plastics at the beach - showcases how readily available durable and single-use plastic items are common place during beach enjoyment.
- Beyond litter, cigarette butts are plastic pollution - explains how cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate, a plastic.
- Ei Exploration of Fungi, Soil Health, & World Hunger - gives an overview of the empowering October 2018 exploration.
- COVID-19 plastic pollution - explains how the recent pandemic resulted in a new surge in plastic pollution.
Soft cover, magazine-style books are available for purchase at $11.99 each plus delivery; volume-purchase discounts are given. Additionally, a pdf version of the book is available for $8.99. Here is the link to purchase the book: https://bit.ly/3bl2Zxs.
A portion of the book proceeds is donated to Ei.
The Fingertip Press is a division of Holly Elmore Enterprises and the nomenclature for Holly's published articles, documents, and other written communication. Photos in the Nanoplastics book are courtesy of Holly Elmore Images.
Bigger than Us Podcast
On May 29, the Nexus Bigger than US-podcast interview with Holly aired with the below profound promotion by Nexus:
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Holly Elmore uses her extensive business skills to make a difference through Elemental Impact (Ei), now in its 10th year of Regeneration in Action.Tune into episode 66 of #TheBTUPod to hear:👉 How Holly and the Ei team are helping the corporate community find simple solutions to replace environmentally harmful practices with those that rejuvenate soil and water and reduce waste.👉 The diverse career endeavors that helped Holly direct her energy toward sustainable missions, and how those missions have evolved.👉 Her intuitive advice to help you determine when to sideline your current project so that you can make the most progress.👉 What it means to be in the flow.And more!Listen and subscribe: https://bit.ly/2MaOh01
Additionally, the podcast-promotion graphic included one of Holly's favorite quotes over the past decade:
In order for humanity and life as we know it to survive and thrive on planet earth, we must - absolutely MUST - get our water and soil microbial communities back into a healthy, balanced state.
The podcast interview was a perfect precursor for the Nature Prevails-platform announcement.
Nature Prevails
In September 2020, Ei announced the Nature Prevails platform to complement the Soil Health and Water Use | Toxicity platforms. Within the Nature Prevails premise, the Earth heals herself and nurtures renewed life forms, no matter the calamity caused by humans, natural disasters, or extraterrestrial activities.
In September 2020, Ei announced the Nature Prevails platform to complement the Soil Health and Water Use | Toxicity platforms. Within the Nature Prevails premise, the Earth heals herself and nurtures renewed life forms, no matter the calamity caused by humans, natural disasters, or extraterrestrial activities.
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An elder tree thrives within a building in Old Havana photo credit: Holly Elmore Images |
With a commitment to align work with Nature, Ei defined The Principles of Nature with three broad categories:
- Diversity
- Dynamic Balance & Nutrition Systems
- Necessity of Cover & Ability to Roam
The RiA Magazine article, Nature Prevails, a new Elemental Impact platform, announces the platform and explains how Ei accomplishments during the Era of RR support Nature Prevails premises.
Regenerative Working Group
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The opening slide in the RWG intro PPT photo credit: Holly Elmore Images |
On April 6, 2020, Holly hosted the inaugural RWG call to announce the initiative formation. With approximately thirty prominent land-economics professionals on the call, it was a milestone day!
The RiA Magazine article, Global Thought Leaders Embrace Regenerative Land Economics, launches the initiative and announces the prominent RWG Executive Team:
- Holly Elmore, RWG Chair (Ei Founder)
- Bernadette Austin, RWG Focus Area Lead (Acting Director of the Center for Regional Change at the University of California at Davis)
- Brad Bass, RWG Advisor & Industry Expert (30-year veteran at Environment and Climate Change Canada as well as a Status Professor at the University of Toronto (UT))
- Ronald Thomas, FAICP, RWG Adviser & Industry Expert (Ron Thomas & Co. President)
Many of the Ei Advisors are enthusiastic to serve as RWG Advisors in their respective areas of expertise. The RWG Executive Team members joined the Ei Advisory Council (AC); the IMPACT Magazine article, Ei Welcomes New Advisors, welcomes the new AC members and features their respective bios and headshots.
RWG Vision: to explore challenges related to stated focus areas from a holistic approach where the community, environment, and local economies benefit from commentary, discussions, and proposed projects.
RWG Tagline:
Global thought leaders supporting complete and equitable communities.
RWG Focus Areas:
Infrastructure – explores the built environment including a city’s water & sewer systems, water treatment plants, public utilities, as well as corporate, government, and educational districts | campuses. Additionally, focus is on the availability of and access to affordable housing within a community.
The FA slide in the RWG intro PPTphoto credit: Holly Elmore Images- Environmental Resources – explores the impact of existing and proposed projects and infrastructure within urban and rural communities on energy sources, soil health, local greenways, open spaces, waterways, and resident access.
- Social Equity – explores ways to promote complete communities that include equitable access to housing, transportation and transit, education, employment, human services such as healthcare and safety, and other amenities such as parks. These complete communities balance land uses focused on people, (such as commercial and residential land uses), with natural and working land uses such as open space, waterways, farms, and ranches.
Beginning the week of May 25, Jahin Khan, a UT research student within Brad’s COBWEB platform, crafted an introductory RWG PPT presentation. Additionally, Jahin researched and prepared thorough documentation on the health impact of algal blooms in oceans as well as fresh water, glyphosate usage in commercial agriculture and landscape maintenance, and genetically modified agricultural products.
Jahin’s current research relates to the detrimental human impact on natural ecosystems, how human-created environments are also governed by the Principles of Nature, and the impact of soil erosion and septic systems on water pollution. In addition, Jahin works closely with Holly on the RWG Action Plan development.
Ridhi Gopalakrishnan joined the UT-affiliated research team as a summer intern to study Urban Carbon Sinks and the impact of glyphosate on the soil ecosystem.
Urban Carbon Sinks
A regenerative solution to the diminishing oxygen-supply crisis
A regenerative solution to the diminishing oxygen-supply crisis
In the 2017 RiA Magazine article, Beyond Sustainability: Regenerative Solutions, Ei coined the term Urban Carbon Sinks.
Carbon Sinks
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Vibrant forests are natural carbon sinks. Big Cypress Preserve in the Everglades photo credit: Holly Elmore Images |
The oceans are technically carbon sinks as they currently absorb more atmospheric carbon than is released. Current excess carbon in the oceans causes ocean acidification that kills plankton at alarming rates. As marine plant life (phytoplankton, kelp, and algal plankton) photosynthesis generates the vast majority of atmospheric oxygen, the Earth is heading towards an oxygen-deficiency crisis.
By re-establishing abundant land-based carbon sinks, the carbon cycles may return to balance via atmospheric carbon returning to the soils. Once a threshold of lowered atmospheric carbon is reached, the oceans will release their stored excess carbon into the atmosphere. Thus, ocean acidification will reverse and marine plant life may revive back into healthy oxygen-producing states.
Regenerative Agriculture | Grounds Maintenance
As well documented in the earlier referenced article, Beyond Sustainability: Regenerative Solutions, regenerative agriculture is a viable solution for restoring weakened soil ecosystems and drawing significant carbon from the atmosphere back into the soil. Thus, regenerative agriculture creates carbon sinks.
Within the article, Ei announces intentions to create urban carbon sinks via integrating regenerative landscape and grounds maintenance practices on corporate complexes, college | university campuses, highway medians | shoulders, airport land surrounding runways, parks, and other available urban lands. Collectively, the regenerative landscaped areas are destined to serve as urban carbon sinks and aid in restoring the carbon-cycle balance.
Benefits Beyond Carbon Drawdown
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Public parks are perfect venues for urban carbon sinks photo credit: Holly Elmore Images |
As “cides” are fatal to many pollinators, the local insect population benefits as well as their predators. Thus, the local urban-wildlife system benefits.
Inherent within regenerative landscape practices is the use of native foliage that evolved to thrive within the local climate and soil conditions. Healthy soil retains more rainwater and native plants are often able to sustain on rainwater.; there is potential for a significant reduction in irrigation water used. Thus, a reduction in the facility’s landscape costs and a benefit to the community as a hole.
The local population benefits from available public parks and other greenways free from toxic chemicals.
Urban Carbon Sink Pilot
Utilizing Ei’s extensive corporate network and prominent AC, the Urban Carbon Sink Pilot (UCSP) will recruit corporate, local government, and university participants enthusiastic to reduce their carbon footprint by overhauling their landscape and grounds maintenance practices. Ei Advisors will educate on regenerative practices and support in the implementation. With strong documentation of challenges, successes, and lessons learned, Ei will craft an Urban Carbon Sink template for replication.
Carbon drawdown will be tracked via measuring the organic matter (carbon) in the soil. Prior to UCSP implementation, soil tests will establish the pilot’s baseline; future soil tests at specified intervals will document carbon-drawdown success.
The Ei UCSP proposal was a finalist in the 2020 Ray C. Anderson $100,000 NextGen Grant. Due to the pandemic conditions, Ei chose to not submit a final proposal. The UCSP Team is enthusiastic to submit a proposal in the 2021 NextGen Grant RFP (request for proposals.)
COVID-19 Pandemic
In early March, the World Health Organization proclaimed COVID-19 was a global pandemic; life as we knew it on our Earth ceased to exist as governments ordered or requested their citizens to quarantine.
Though some work moved into a holding due to pandemic conditions, Ei flourished during the quarantine time and ushered in new endeavors. As previously featured, the Nature Prevails platform, along with the RWG and Urban Carbon Sinks, was announced, Ei Books were published, and Ei evolved into respected mainstream environmental media.
Three-Step Straw Initiative
The following details the TSSI steps:
• Step 1- REDUCE straw usage
• Step 2 – SHIFT to paper straws
• Step 3 – COMPOST used straws
Significant TSSI strides were achieved in 2019 and early 2020. Yet, with the COVID19 pandemic’s devastating impact on the global hospitality community, the TSSI is in a holding pattern for an unspecified time period.
Mentorship
When the RCE Atlanta launched their mentorship program in September 2020, Ei immediately joined with Holly serving as a mentor. Spelman sophomore Destinee Whitaker chose Holly as her mentor. The below recommendation submitted by Holly for a scholarship application sums up the empowering mentorship:
In September 2020 Destinee selected me as her RCE Atlanta Mentor within the recently launched mentorship program. Since connecting, Destinee and I schedule virtual meetings every two to three weeks. It is my honor to serve as Destinee's mentor.Destinee is an impressive young lady who is driven to make a difference in the world her generation inherits from previous generations. I appreciate how Destinee listens and comprehends my advice. In subsequent calls, it is evident that Destinee took appropriate action related to the advice.Based on her raw intelligence, passion, and commitments, Destinee is destined to take leadership roles in environmental, social inequality, and/or human-health deprivation issues that plague our national and global communities, whether corporate, government or private.It is important for Elders, as I am, to dedicate the time to share our experience and expertise with rising stars such as Destinee. Financial support via scholarships is integral to support women of color and other minorities as they prepare for their future leadership roles.I give Destinee a highest recommendation for this scholarship application.
Additionally, mentorship is integrated within the Ei research internships previously mentioned.
2021: Year of Revelations
With the Ei Year of Celebration complete, 2021 is staged for the Year of Revelations!
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About Elemental Impact:
Elemental Impact (Ei) is a 501(c)3 non-profit founded in 2010 as the home to the Zero Waste Zones, the forerunner in the nation for the commercial collection of food waste for compost. In June 2017, Ei announced the Era of Recycling Refinement was Mission Accomplished and entered the Era of Regeneration. Current focus areas include Nature Prevails, Soil Health | Regenerative Agriculture, and Water Use | Toxicity.
MISSION:
To work with industry leaders to create best regenerative operating practices where the entire value-chain benefits, including corporate bottom lines, communities, and the environment. Through education and collaboration, establish best practices as standard practices.
Ei’s tagline – Regeneration in ACTION – is the foundation for Ei endeavors.
The following mantra is at the core of Ei work:
Ei is a creator, an incubator.
Ei determines what could be done that is not being done and gets it done.
Ei brings the possible out of impossible.
Ei identifies pioneers and creates heroes.
For additional information, contact Holly Elmore at 404-261-4690 | holly@elementalimpact.org
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