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The Schiff Report

Generation Y Perspective and Analysis.

Research Identifies Gen. Y's Favorite 'Green Brands'August 4

What do Aveda, Ikea and American Apparel have in common? They are all part of Generation Y's top 15 "green brands," according to recent research from Outlaw Consulting. Full results and analysis are available online.

Here are the brands that made the top 5:

1) Whole Foods
2) Trader Joes
3) Toyota
4) Honda
5) Google

Gen. Y Hungry for Clean Energy, Opinion Piece SaysAugust 4

Interesting op-ed published in the San Francisco Chronicle about energy policy in the U.S. and how millennials can take charge when it comes to clean energy.

The Generation Y authors write:
Our generation is ready. As two members of the millennial generation and leaders in the youth energy and climate movement, we have seen a hunger for an inspirational vision and purpose for our nation. We simply need our government to embrace this moment and provide the leadership and resources necessary to confront the American energy challenge.

The writers are affiliated with the Breakthrough Generation, a project that aims to encourage government leaders to invest in a clean energy future.

Luke Russert To Cover Youth Issues For NBCJuly 31

Tim Russert's son has a new job. According to TV Decoder:

Before his father’s unexpected death in June, Mr. Russert already had extensive media experience. For two years he has co-hosted an XM radio show with the political pundit James Carville. Two weeks after his father died, he appeared on “Larry King Live” and discussed the dramatic rise in the number of young people who are showing interest in this year’s election.

“The availability of the Internet has allowed kids to be very engaged in the political process and also be very educated,” he said on CNN. “I myself am a religious reader of political Web sites, as are a lot of my friends.”

Russert's first assignment will be at the Democratic National Convention.

Many Twentysomethings Not Focused on Financial IndependenceJuly 29

A thoughtful piece from 25-year-old Melody Serafino, recently published in Newsweek. Serafino writes that she is surrounded by few peers who work towards financial independence. Here's an excerpt:

The stakes are higher in a city, which is why many young people feel the need to compete with each other. But when parental handouts are not only offered but expected, what is Generation Y learning about living on its own?

It is disturbing when "adults" don't have their own credit cards linked to their own accounts for fear of overspending. A friend confessed to me that she didn't need to build credit. If the need for a loan ever arises, she told me, she can go to her parents or—as she secretly hopes—a husband who will take care of it.

Generation Y College Students Use Cell Phone Technology To Fight TuberculosisJune 18

From AP/Yahoo! News:

Researchers at MIT believe they've discovered a new weapon in the battle against tuberculosis: Free cell phone minutes.

For years, doctors have struggled to get some TB patients to take all their medication, which generally involves a six-month regimen of multiple drugs.

Now a student-led group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed a way to use cell phones to let patients test themselves. And if the tests show patients are following doctor's orders, they get rewarded with free minutes.

"We're piggybacking on one of the bigger rollouts of infrastucture out there, which is wireless technology and telecom technology," said Jose Gomez-Marquez, one of the project's leaders.

The system works like this: Patients test their urine using a strip that reveals a numeric code if it detects TB medicine. They then text message the code to their health care provider and get credit toward incentives such as free minutes.

The in-home tests also eliminate the need for health care workers to make several patient-monitoring visits a week, a routine that is often impractical in remote places, Gomez-Marquez said.

Mobile phones are good tools for the project because they are common in the developing world, where it's