Max Gladwell

A SXSW panel discussion about the nexus of social media and green living.

If you only see only one panel at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive conference, then see New Media in the Marketing Mix for Nonprofits and Activists with Beth Kanter on Sunday at 4:30 pm CT. But if you see two panels, be sure to check out Using the New Digital Social Media to Accelerate Sustainability with yours truly, Monday at 3:30 pm CT. We’ll be joining Jon Lebkowsky, Emily Gertz, and John McElhenney in this timely discussion:

“Sustainability requires doing more with less, constantly learning how to get more out of every pound of material and watt of energy. The creation and communication of this knowledge occurs in social networks of relationships, empowered by social media. Join us for a discussion and exploration of how social media are being used to accelerate our transition to a global sustainable culture.”

If our tagline is any indication, this is a pretty familiar topic. In August of last year, we wrote about the Ten Ways that Social Media and Sustainability Align in which we discussed the shared DNA between these two mega trends. Given the economic crisis that has overcome the world since then, the nexus of social media and green living is becoming more and more relevant every day. Sustainability has become a broadly relevant term as we consider the return, if there ever was one, to a sustainable economy with sustainable economic progress. Much of this has to do with green energy, green jobs, and technological innovation.

We’ve observed over the past year that the Web 2.0 community has been inching toward the realization that social media is about more than just amassing friends, throwing sheep, and building influence for its own sake. At last year’s Web 2.0 Expo, Tim O’Reilly set the tone in his keynote address when he said, “There is this amazing confluence of technology and opportunity at a time where we really can change the world. And there are some big problems that need to be solved.” This year’s Web 2.0 Expo, which takes place March 31 – April 3 in San Francisco, will explicitly focus on sustainability through a theme of “The Power of Less.”

We do some of our best work when we’re constrained: by budgets, by headcount, by technology, by the economy. These are the times when bureaucracy and waste die by necessity. What’s left are ideas, and the muscle to make them real. 2009 will be a tough year in many ways, but now more than ever, the core concepts of Web 2.0 provide an advantage. Lightweight tools, user interfaces, and development models will help streamline productivity and focus resources; new business models will emerge out of the environment of change.

The technologies driving social media are at the heart of today’s change movement. From electing Barack Obama President to his appointment of Van Jones as Special Advisor for Green Jobs and the countless small gains being made across the social web, we have a greater say in how government and business operates. If sustainability is the end, then social media will be a means.

If there are any specific topics you’d like for us to discuss on the panel, feel free to suggest those in the comments. The Twitter hashtag for our panel is #SMFS (social media for sustainability). Please RSVP for the Facebook Event and feel free to friend us.

We’re also going to attend Social Media for Social Good on Monday, 11:30 am – 2:00 pm CT.

After our panel we’ll head to Happy Hour for Anyone Who Gives a Damn from 5:30 – 8:00 pm CT.

Then we’ll head to the Convio Nonprofit Technology Bash from 8:00 – 9:30 pm CT.

Which will spill over into the Mashable Party from 9:30 pm CT until…

Hope to see you all there. Feel free to DM or @ us: http://www.twitter.com/maxgladwell. We’ll keep you updated on our whereabouts via Brightkite, as well. Feel free to friend us if you’re into Brightkiting.

We’ll also be representing Zumbox, the first all-digital postal mail system. If you’re interested in (a) how your business or nonprofit can benefit from using this free paperless mail service, (b) how you can develop applications using the Zumbox API, or (c) media coverage of Mail 2.0, then don’t hesitate to reach out via Twitter or meet up with us at one of the events. Look for Max Gladwell founder Rob Reed.

Related Posts

• Max Gladwell Founder Joins Zumbox, the Paperless Postal System
• Can Social Media Change Global Consciousness?
• On the Distinction Between Sustainable Systems and Green Tips
• Ten Ways that Social Media and Sustainability Align
• Cluetrain 2.0 at SXSW – Can You Help?