Whether by lowering your thermostat or unplugging seldom-used appliances, chances are you’ve recently attempted to scale back on energy use.

In fact, you may be one of the consumers who have bought more than 1.5 billion Energy Star-qualifying products since the label was introduced in 1992. Last year, one in three people reported using the label as part of a purchase decision, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. If they’d bought an Energy Star-qualified commercial dishwasher, they might be saving an estimated $200 per year, according to the Department of Energy. Those that took home an Energy Star refrigerator can look forward to a 15% less expensive monthly electricity bill.

Other ways of saving energy include fixing a leaky faucet and checking your insulation levels. But the most comprehensive way might be to figure out exactly how much damage you’re inflicting so you’ll know how much to cut back.

Author Alexandra Shimo-Barry knows how. In her new book, The Environment Equation, Shimo-Barry, a national reporter for Maclean’s in Canada, teaches readers how to quickly calculate their carbon footprints, or the amount of greenhouse gases in units of carbon dioxide, they’re producing by using the following formula:

A.) Multiply your monthly electricity bill by 105

B.) Multiply your monthly gas bill by 105

C.) Multiply your monthly oil bill by 113

(if you don’t use either B or C, enter 0.)

D.) Multiply total yearly mileage by .79

E.) Multiply the number of flights–4 hours or less–by 1,100

F.) Multiply the number of flights–4 hours or more–by 4,400

G.) Do you recycle newspaper? If no, add 184. If yes, add 0.

H.) Do you recycle aluminum and tin? If no, add 166. If yes, add 0.

A+B+C+D+E+F+G+H = your carbon footprint. A number below 6,000 (reflected in pounds per year) is excellent. Over 22,000? Not so great. Good is anywhere from 6,000 to 15,999, while 16,000 to 22,000 is average.

If your number is higher than you would like, there’s good news–there are hundreds of ways you can shrink your carbon footprint, and many of them aren’t as sacrificial as you might expect.

That’s because Shimo-Barry says that lack of will, not austere alternatives, is the No. 1 barrier blocking would-be waste-reducers.

“There’s still inertia when it comes to making small changes,” she says. “But Americans emit 20 tons of carbon dioxide per year. Even if we cut that by a ton–which isn’t difficult–it would make a huge difference.”

Simple Steps
Eating locally grown food is one of the easiest ways to reduce your footprint. Whether you begin visiting the farmer’s market every Saturday to pick up local fruits and vegetables or, if you are able, dining at restaurants serving regional fare, eating locally allows you to eat well without funding the emissions used to import food from other countries and regions.

Jason Karas, founder of Cambridge, Mass.-based Carbonrally.com–a gaming Web site that challenges users to reduce personal emissions through online competitions–says that drinking locally microbrewed beer is another way to shrink your footprint, for much the same reasons as eating regional food.

“It’s also a great way to support local entrepreneurs,” says Karas.

Buying second-hand is another luxurious choice. For many, vintage shopping has become as chic as getting on the list for the newest pair of Christian Louboutins. Buying vintage clothing and accessories is more than looking sharp: These practices will reduce your carbon footprint by eliminating the energy it takes to produce something new. What’s more, you might get that Hermes Birkin for $2,000 instead of $8,000. Those not so used to buying second-hand should read “Shopping Tips for Vintage Clothing Collectors.”

How are you cutting back on energy use? Weigh in. Add your thoughts in the Reader Comments section below.

Sustainable wood furnishings are another smart lifestyle alternative. Before you redecorate your home by raiding the Conran Shop, consider buying pieces from eco-friendly shops like Vivavi and Environment Furniture. Both offer stylish, modern goods–like a mid-century-styled credenza or a curvy bamboo rocking chair–that are Forest Stewardship Council-certified, which means they’ve met 57 earth-friendly criteria established by the organization. These include minimal pesticide use, protection of local wildlife and unionization for loggers.

In the market for a second home? A penthouse on Central Park South might not sound like the most efficient way to cut carbon, but city living is often friendlier to the environment. That’s because many urbanites rely on public transportation. And even a two-floor penthouse in the Trump Tower uses far less energy than a sprawling seven-bedroom mansion. What’s more, when water, sewage and electricity are shared, less copper–which is found in plumbing and electrical systems and is one of the largest contributors to landfills–is needed.

All evidence that living grandly can do the earth well, as long as you know where to cut back.

Lauren Sherman

http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/2008/04/15/green-carbon-living-forbeslife-cx_ls_0415carbon.html

By now, everybody knows the pitfalls of using disposable plastic bags. Happily, that means manufacturers are dreaming up better-looking (and much more environmentally friendly) alternatives for toting groceries, toys and books. Here’s a sampling:

Made from 100 percent recycled materials, the Great A&P Tea Co.’s bags feature imagery depicting seashells, fruit and animals. And they’re easy on the wallet, too: costing 99 cents at Long Island Pathmark, Waldbaum’s and A&P grocery stores. (Pictured at left.)

Dubbed the new “it bag” by Teen Vogue, this Earth-friendly Baggu tote will help reduce your carbon footprint. Available in a variety of colors and made from sturdy ripstop fabric that will carry up to 25 pounds. Sold for $8 each or $22 for a pack of three at baggubag.com. (Pictured  below)

Lightweight and waterproof, the Envirosax bag comes in a variety of unusual designs and colors, each sized just right for toting vacation souvenirs or beach gear. Costs $8.50 each or $37.95 for a pack of five at envirosax.com.

In Asia, they were used as rice and feed bags for transporting various goods. In New York, recycled totes by Gecko Traders can carry your groceries, beach gear or anything else. These durable bags are made by a fully certified Fair Trade Co-op in Cambodia. Plus, no two bags look exactly alike. The recycled totes have even been vetted by Treehugger.com, a blog dedicated to green living. They cost $35.95 at reusablebags.com (Pictured at left.)Made with 100 percent organic cotton and water-based inks, the oversize Beleaf tote can fashionably carry you through a weekend’s worth of errands but withstand the weight of bulky grocery items, too. It’s $36 at beleaf.com.

Read more about eco-friendly decorating, green celebrities and ways to reduce your carbon footprint on Newsday’s section on “green living,” newsday.com/green.

http://weblogs.newsday.com/features/home/cheap_thrills_blog/2008/04/green_shopping_the_best_of_the.html

DUBLIN — There is something missing from this otherwise typical bustling cityscape. There are taxis and buses. There are hip bars and pollution. Every other person is talking into a cellphone. But there are no plastic shopping bags, the ubiquitous symbol of urban life.

In 2002, Ireland passed a tax on plastic bags; customers who want them must now pay 33 cents per bag at the register. There was an advertising awareness campaign. And then something happened that was bigger than the sum of these parts.

Within weeks, plastic bag use dropped 94 percent. Within a year, nearly everyone had bought reusable cloth bags, keeping them in offices and in the backs of cars. Plastic bags were not outlawed, but carrying them became socially unacceptable — on a par with wearing a fur coat or not cleaning up after one’s dog.

“When my roommate brings one in the flat it annoys the hell out of me,” said Edel Egan, a photographer, carrying groceries last week in a red backpack.

Drowning in a sea of plastic bags, countries from China to Australia, cities from San Francisco to New York have in the past year adopted a flurry of laws and regulations to address the problem, so far with mixed success. The New York City Council, for example, in the face of stiff resistance from business interests, passed a measure requiring only that stores that hand out plastic bags take them back for recycling.

But in the parking lot of a Superquinn Market, Ireland’s largest grocery chain, it is clear that the country is well into the post-plastic-bag era. “I used to get half a dozen with every shop. Now I’d never ever buy one,” said Cathal McKeown, 40, a civil servant carrying two large black cloth bags bearing the bright green Superquinn motto. “If I forgot these, I’d just take the cart of groceries and put them loose in the boot of the car, rather than buy a bag.”

Gerry McCartney, 50, a data processor, has also switched to cloth. “The tax is not so much, but it completely changed a very bad habit,” he said. “Now you never see plastic.”

In January almost 42 billion plastic bags were used worldwide, according to reusablebags.com; the figure increases by more than half a million bags every minute. A vast majority are not reused, ending up as waste — in landfills or as litter. Because plastic bags are light and compressible, they constitute only 2 percent of landfill, but since most are not biodegradable, they will remain there.

In a few countries, including Germany, grocers have long charged a nominal fee for plastic bags, and cloth carrier bags are common. But they are the exception.

In the past few months, several countries have announced plans to eliminate the bags. Bangladesh and some African nations have sought to ban them because they clog fragile sewerage systems, creating a health hazard. Starting this summer, China will prohibit sellers from handing out free plastic shopping bags, but the price they should charge is not specified, and there is little capacity for enforcement. Australia says it wants to end free plastic bags by the end of the year, but has not decided how.

Efforts to tax plastic bags have failed in many places because of heated opposition from manufacturers as well as from merchants, who have said a tax would be bad for business. In Britain, Los Angeles and San Francisco, proposed taxes failed to gain political approval, though San Francisco passed a ban last year. Some countries, like Italy, have settled for voluntary participation.

But there were no plastic bag makers in Ireland (most bags here came from China), and a forceful environment minister gave reluctant shopkeepers little wiggle room, making it illegal for them to pay for the bags on behalf of customers. The government collects the tax, which finances environmental enforcement and cleanup programs.

Furthermore, the environment minister told shopkeepers that if they changed from plastic to paper, he would tax those bags, too.

While paper bags, which degrade, are in some ways better for the environment, studies suggest that more greenhouse gases are released in their manufacture and transportation than in the production of plastic bags.

Today, Ireland’s retailers are great promoters of taxing the bags. “I spent many months arguing against this tax with the minister; I thought customers wouldn’t accept it,” said Senator Feargal Quinn, founder of the Superquinn chain. “But I have become a big, big enthusiast.”

Mr. Quinn is also president of EuroCommerce, a group representing six million European retailers. In that capacity, he has encouraged a plastic bag tax in other countries. But members are not buying it. “They say: ‘Oh, no, no. It wouldn’t work. It wouldn’t be acceptable in our country,’ ” Mr. Quinn said.

As nations fail to act decisively, some environmentally conscious chains have moved in with their own policies. Whole Foods Market announced in January that its stores would no longer offer disposable plastic bags, using recycled paper or cloth instead, and many chains are starting to charge customers for plastic bags.

But such ad hoc efforts are unlikely to have the impact of a national tax. Mr. Quinn said that when his Superquinn stores tried a decade ago to charge 1 cent for plastic bags, customers rebelled. He found himself standing at the cash register buying bags for customers with change from his own pocket to prevent them from going elsewhere.

After five years of the plastic bag tax, Ireland has changed the image of cloth bags, a feat advocates hope to achieve in the United States. Vincent Cobb, the president of reusablebags.com, who founded the company four years ago to promote the issue, said: “Using cloth bags has been seen as an extreme act of a crazed environmentalist. We want it to be seen as something a smart, progressive person would carry.”

Some things worked to Ireland’s advantage. Almost all markets are part of chains that are highly computerized, with cash registers that already collect a national sales tax, so adding the bag tax involved a minimum of reprogramming, and there was little room for evasion.

The country also has a young, flexible population that has proved to be a good testing ground for innovation, from cellphone services to nonsmoking laws. Despite these favorable conditions, Ireland still ended up raising the bag tax 50 percent, after officials noted that consumption was rising slightly.

Ireland has moved on with the tax concept, proposing similar taxes on customers for A.T.M. receipts and chewing gum. (The sidewalks of Dublin are dotted with old wads.) The gum tax has been avoided for the time being because the chewing gum giant Wrigley agreed to create a public cleanup fund as an alternative. This year, the government plans to ban conventional light bulbs, making only low-energy, long-life fluorescent bulbs available.

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/02/world/europe/02bags.html?_r=3&hp=&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Flowers, chocolates and diamonds will top many people’s shopping lists as Valentine’s Day approaches. Unfortunately, the items most associated with romance are also marred by environmental and social justice concerns.

As the green movement gains momentum, and support from Hollywood heavy hitters such as Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio, consumers are becoming increasingly aware that the items they purchase might be obtained in ways harmful to the Earth and its inhabitants, according to experts in the diamond and flower industries. Frontline workers in Latin American countries, key suppliers of chocolate and flowers, and Africa, where the majority of diamonds originate, are most affected, dealing with hazardous working conditions and unlivable wages.

With diamonds, demand for conflict-free stones spiked after the 2006 movie “Blood Diamond,” which addressed the link between diamonds and political unrest and violence in Sierra Leone.

“People were shocked that for such a beautiful gemstone the history behind it could be so tragic,” said Beth Gerstein, co-founder of Brilliant Earth, a San Francisco-based company specializing in conflict-free diamonds. “More and more people are starting to ask questions about where products are coming from and demand a more socially and environmentally friendly product.”

The trend is rippling through the flower industry as well.

“People are getting more concerned about the broader implications of what they buy. I want to make sure my purchasing decisions don’t hurt someone else in another part of the world,” said Amy Stewart of Eureka, Calif., author of “Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful.”

There are ways to make Feb. 14 special for your loved one and still be environmentally and socially responsible. Here are some tips to consider.

Chocolates

Organic and fair-trade chocolate still has all the calories of regular chocolate, but at least it helps alleviate some of the guilt. Wild Oats-Whole Foods in Vancouver offers a variety of organic and fair-trade chocolate bars in several flavors. The store carries Alter Eco, a fair-trade label; Equal Exchange, organic and fair-trade chocolates; and Seeds of Change, an organic line. The bars range from $3.69 to $4.59.

Equal Exchange also offers a variety of organic, fair-trade certified chocolate through its Web site, equalexchange.com. Options include Organic Milk Chocolate with Ground Hazelnuts, Organic Mint Chocolate and Organic Very Dark Chocolate. A 3½-ounce bar costs $3.95, plus shipping, and a case of 12 bars is $40.50. The minimum order is $25.

Dagoba, an Ashland, Ore.-based company, also offers organic and fair-trade chocolate bars and syrup, hot chocolate mix and chocolate-covered ­coffee beans. Products can be ordered online at ­dagobachocolate.com.

Based out of Seattle, Theo Chocolate offers fair-trade, organic and vegan chocolate bars through its Web site, theochocolate.com.

The Uncommon Gift in Camas sells Moonstruck Chocolate Co.’s organic dark chocolate bar for $3.95. The regular bars are $3, but the extra 95 cents is worth it to some eco-conscious customers, said The Uncommon Gift co-owner Carrie Schulstad.

Flowers

Surprise that someone special with a bouquet not tainted by pesticides or imported from thousands of miles away. Many area florists buy from local growers whenever possible to support their community, know more about the products they’re selling and save on the fossil fuels and other non-renewable natural resources required to ship merchandise long distances.

Garside Florist Inc. in Vancouver gets its roses from Peterkort Roses in Portland, and buys tulips from Holland America Bulb Farms Inc. in Woodland.

Although most of Garside’s flowers come from Colombia and other Latin American countries, many of these farms are VeriFlora-certified for sustainable practices. Esmeralda Farms is one such operation, and supplies many of Garside’s carnations, poms and daisies.

For Valentine’s Day Wild Oats-Whole Foods will be offering organic roses from Biogarden.

To send blooms to a long-distance­ love, check out ­organicbouquet.com. The site sells certified organic and VeriFlora lilies, irises, roses and other flowers.

Diamonds

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but not if they come at others’ expense. Industry-wide, most jewelry manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers are aware of conflict diamonds and try through the Kimberley Process to maintain a pipeline of conflict-free jewelry, said Erik Runyan, owner of Runyan’s Jewelers in Vancouver.

Runyan’s has written guarantees from its vendors stating that their diamonds, to the best of their knowledge, are conflict-free. Most of Runyan’s diamonds are mined in South Africa and cut in Belgium, but Runyan’s also sells some Canadian diamonds.

Because it’s hard to track the origin of diamonds from mine to jewelry store, buying Canadian gems is the best way to assure an ethically sourced stone, Gerstein said.

All the diamonds Brilliant Earth sells come from Canada. Brilliant Earth also designs sapphire pieces using stones from small, family owned mines in Australia and Malawi. The yellow and white gold and platinum settings Brilliant Earth creates are recycled metals.

Other gift ideas

Give the gift of philanthropy. CharityChoice gift cards allow the recipient to choose a cause to support from among more than 100 charities. Charities range from the Sierra Club to the American Red Cross to Special Olympics International Inc. Electronic cards start at $5 and are tax-deductible for the purchaser of the card. For more information or to buy a card for your sweetheart, see ccgiftcards.org.

There also are many fair-trade gifts available locally and online created by artisans worldwide.

The Emancipation Network sells handicrafts made by survivors of human trafficking and slavery. The organization’s store, Made By Survivors, provides jobs for women and helps them become entrepreneurs. Products are available online at madebysurvivors.com and include beaded bracelets from Nepal ($10), batik scarves from India ($30) and handwoven cotton napkins from Thailand ($20 for a set of four).

Wild Oats-Whole Foods carries World of Good products, a line of fair-trade jewelry and women’s accessories handcrafted in Colombia and other South American countries. Prices range from about $15 for a bracelet to $40 for a purse.

Vancouver-based Organic Products Trading Co. develops and imports organic and fair-trade coffees from around the world. Its Café Feminino line is fair-trade, organic and shade-grown. Roasters have agreed to donate a portion of the proceeds to either local women’s shelters or the Café Feminino Foundation. The beans are available locally at Trader Joe’s and Café Sip-n-Play.

If your paramour enjoys a romantic dinner brimming with fresh, locally grown ingredients, try a gift certificate to Roots Restaurant & Bar in Camas or 360° Pizzeria in east Vancouver near the Camas border. These restaurants, both owned by Brad Root, feature produce and meat from Northwest farms.

Or visit Seres, a new, upscale Chinese restaurant in east Vancouver. Seres emphasizes organic, local ingredients and boasts an energy-efficient kitchen and menus made from recycled paper.

For an elegant and educational experience heavy on local fare, get a group of four or five couples together and sign up for a demonstration dinner at Applewood Northwest Cuisine and Catering in the Cascade Park neighborhood. The dinners are offered Tuesday nights at 6 p.m. They last about two and a half hours and include four courses and wine. Meals are prepared step by step, and recipes are provided. The cost is $75 per person.

For an inexpensive but poignant gift, try a love letter. The Paper Lantern in Camas sells cards made from recycled materials, so you can save a tree and give your honey a note to treasure. And though perhaps not as romantic as an actual card, virtual cards are environmentally friendly. Sites such as greetings.yahoo.com and 123greetings.com allow people to personalize and e-mail electronic cards.

Did you know?

Fair-trade certification means that farms receive a reasonable price for their products, and that employees on those farms work in safe conditions. Forced child labor is not tolerated. With fair-trade goods, importers work directly with farmers whenever possible. Farmers and workers also receive a premium to invest in community development projects. Harmful agrochemicals and genetically modified organisms are eschewed in favor of environmentally sustainable farming methods. Fair-trade certification is available for coffee, tea, herbs, cocoa, chocolate, fresh fruit, sugar, rice and vanilla. Look for the Fair Trade Certified logo on products.

VeriFlora certification signifies that flowers and potted plants were produced in an environmentally and socially conscious manner. Look for the VeriFlora logo, or ask your florist if the wholesaler he or she uses works with VeriFlora-certified growers.

Kimberley Process certification regulates trade in rough diamonds. It aims to keep conflict or “blood” diamonds out of the retail market. Conflict stones, those that help fund civil wars, have been particularly devastating to central and western Africa. When shopping for diamonds, inquire about retailers’ policies on conflict diamonds. Ask to see a System of Warranties statement, a written guarantee that the diamonds come from legitimate sources and are, to the retailer’s and supplier’s best knowledge, conflict-free.

Products certified organic meet U.S. Department of Agriculture standards. Organic farmers emphasize the use of renewable resources, as well as water and soil conservation. Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic farming emphasizes biologically based pest management, as opposed to pesticides. In addition to the farms, companies that handle or process organic food on its way to restaurants and grocery stores must be certified organic. Any product labeled organic must be certified by a nationally accredited agency.

Sources: transfairusa.org; veriflora.org; kimberleyprocess.com; diamondfacts.org; ams.usda.gov/nop; David Granatstein, Washington State University sustainable agriculture specialist.

Mary Ann Albright

http://www.columbian.com/lifeHome/lifeHomeNews/2008/02/02062008_A-love-thats-sustainable.cfm

Sustainable and Naturally Healthy Designs Available to Residents of the Community

Green Builders, Inc., the leading large-scale community developer of green, sustainable homes in the Austin, Texas area, has opened its first green merchandised model home in Georgetown Village to illustrate how consumers do not have to give up their stylized decor by going green. Working with Count & Castle Designs, an Austin-based residential and commercial interior design firm, Green Builders appointed the interior decor of its new model home with eco-friendly furniture and home accessories from well known marquee retailers including IKEA, Natural LEE Furniture, Loft and Austin Furniture Consignment to showcase how consumers across the country can take advantage of reducing, reusing, reclaiming and recycling when it comes to every one of their furniture needs. This announcement, made on the heels of Green Builders’ ENERGY STAR(R) accreditation on its homes, once again solidifies Green Builders’ place as the top developer in bringing affordable, green and healthier lifestyles to the masses.

The model home also showcases the ways in which Green Builders is sharing the message of green being easy for consumers to understand and incorporate into their own lives. From the home’s cabinets to countertops, paint and furniture, and bath towels and accent accessories, Green Builders makes sure that every piece it offers in its homes comes from sources that support local and world-wide economic and social growth and maintain a level of environmental consciousness.

“We constantly strive to create an all-inclusive healthy and natural lifestyle with our green homes and communities, and offering environmentally sound furnishings is the next progressive step for our residents,” touts Clark Wilson, CEO and President of Green Builders, Inc. “By using both local and national manufacturers we’ve quickly become a resource to find a variety of styled furnishings and accessories to decorate their homes.”

The participating furniture sources are committed to reducing impact on the environment and helping consumers cultivate organically rich lifestyles through the purchase of sustainable and socially responsible products. In addition, Natural LEE donates one tree to American Forests for every piece of furniture sold, Loft offers furniture and case goods made from renewable FSC certified forests, and IKEA uses fewer raw materials generating less waste and discharge in manufacturing as well as wood which is recyclable, biodegradable, and renewable.

“There are so many options to decorate a home, but only a limited number of affordably-priced resources are currently available highlighting sustainable and eco-friendly furnishings and designs,” explains Jennifer Burggraaf, licensed interior designer and principal of Count & Castle Designs. “It’s a real pleasure to partner with Green Builders to help elevate the company and their model home as a resource for consumers to find the look and feel they want in their home while incorporating a safe and sustainable way of life.”

Green Builders’ energy efficient and green, sustainable homes are priced from the $200,000s to $700,000s and available throughout the Austin area.

About Green Builders, Inc.

Green Builders, Inc., a subsidiary of Wilson Holdings, Inc (WIH) combines the equal necessities of progress and preservation by building homes that tread lightly on the earth. Our success is measured by continued robust sales in a growing number of sustainable communities, which we believe to be vital to a sustainable planet. With respect for the world’s resources and for the needs of our clients, we create healthy, beautiful, long-lasting homes that people, and the earth, can afford. To learn more visit, http://www.greenbuildersinc.com

About Wilson Holdings, Inc. and Wilson Family Communities, Inc.

Wilson Holdings, Inc. is the parent company and sole stockholder of Wilson Family Communities, Inc. dba Green Builders, Inc., an Austin, Texas-based homebuilding and development company that acquires, develops, manages and markets residential communities in the Central Texas region. To learn more about Wilson Holdings, Inc., please visit the company’s web site at http://www.wilsonholdings.net

Safe Harbor Statement

Some of the statements in this press release are “forward-looking statements,” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that these statements do not relate strictly to historical or current matters. Rather, forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities, trends or results. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause our actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in forward-looking statements. These factors include those described under the caption “Risk Factors” included in the 10K-SB filed December 31, 2007 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements made in this press release are made as of the date hereof, and the risk that actual results will differ materially from expectations expressed in this press release will increase with the passage of time. The Company makes no commitment, and disclaims any duty, to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect future events or changes in our expectations.

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/LAM03528012008-1.htm

This week: Make sure you understand the concept of “going green.”

Do we, as a community, understand the concept of “going green”? From a political viewpoint, “green” advocates activities that support or promote environmental protection; from a product or service viewpoint, “made/provided with little environmental harm” — goods or services produced in an environmentally and ecologically friendly way, e.g. by using renewable resources — is the popular saying. But do we truly understand these definitions or are we simply experiencing a “green washing,” smoke and mirrors advertisement?

Regionally, I can barely pick up a newspaper, magazine or other form of media without seeing the word green. I’m challenged by local TV stations to “go green.” In other forms of media, I see “green” advertisements ranging from food to cosmetics, landscape to building, clothing to home furnishings and am even enticed to host “green” weddings.

Still, when I recently visited family in Maryland, I noticed a difference – the lack of the use of the word green. Nevertheless, if I compare the state of Maryland’s versus Virginia’s effort to clean up the Bay, we are by far the losers. So, what is the difference?

“Sustainability,” says Ed Snodgrass of Knoll Farms (www.greenroofplants.com) in Street, Md., “means we don’t take more out of the Earth than we are able to put back.”

Recognized nationally as the 2007 Green Roof Man of the Year, Snodgrass, a committed conservationist, has put most of his property into an agricultural preservation trust. He also supplies plants for more than one million square feet of green roofs in 20 states and the District of Columbia.

Regionally, through working with Greater Richmond area professionals such as Matthew Carr, the Eastern Regional Manager for American Hydrotech Inc. and member of the board of directors for the James River Green Building Council, Snodgrass influenced the development of local commercial sites such as SunTrust Bank’s mid-Atlantic headquarters facility located in the downtown area of Richmond and Union Bankshares Corp. located in Caroline County.

Obviously, he has influenced commercial “greening,” but are there other differences?

If you look behind the visibility of Snodgrass’s commercial commitment, you see that it extends far beyond a business focus. Snodgrass applies his philosophy of “Don’t take more out of the Earth than we able to put back” to all facets of his life. To Snodgrass, “green” is a lifestyle choice.  

Dissimilar to Snodgrass, the average U.S. citizen has a total ecological footprint of about 25 acres, meaning that if everyone consumed similar to the average American, it would require several additional Earths to support their lifestyles? Recently, I also heard that the United States makes up approximately 5 percent of the world’s population, produce between 40 percent to 50 percent of the world’s trash and recycle as little as 27 percent of our goods

So, while it can be difficult to measure the precise degree to which consumption choices affect immediate and extended eco-systems, there are eco-footprint tools, web conservation sites such as www.conservation.org/ecofootprint or www.earthday.net/footprint/index.asp that will determine  your individual impact. And, more importantly, using such a tool not only identifies an individual’s status, but where and how you presently fall short related to “green” lifestyle choices as well.

Numerous greenin’ consumer aides exist such as the “dummy” or “everything” book series, but I believe it is a better choice to start by measuring your eco-footprint. Neither participating in nor reviewing an online survey of eco-lifestyle choices is a cumbersome or time consuming process and the process recognizes facets of your lifestyle that affect “green.”

During a recent “Today Show,” I listened while Matt Lauer questioned the benefits of “green vacations.” I heard him describe “back to nature” vacations located in rural or exotic places and likewise questioned the impact of these sites in relation to the resources required to access the designations. An essential element of a green product or service is not simply the product itself, but the units of energy used to produce as well as transport (access) it.

As you apply the definition of green to your lifestyle, make your goal avoiding the experience of “green washed” products or services. Solicit help through Web sites such as www.gogreen.com/choices/getstarted/5.html and make choices that not only protect the environment, but as Snodgrass advocates, focus on the maximum use of reclaimed, recycled and recyclable materials as well.

Related to “greening” your lifestyle choices, are you aware of what is and is not working? To share your comments, ideas or strategies, contact me at syhwright@msn.com and leave a comment below. Together, let’s create a series of column topics that assist the greening of our community: move the Greater Richmond Area from eco-weak to eco-chic, creating a legacy of healthy green.

Eco-Weak to Eco-Chic appears every other Tuesday on Richmond.com.

http://www.richmond.com/science-technology/23328

Sylvia Wright

Gardening, fashion meet in chic collision

Whether you hear it being called eco couture, eco fashion, agricouture, ground-up fashion or just plain earth-friendly clothing, the hot trend is threads that tread lightly.

They might be recycled, grown from organic plants or even materials you’d never dreamed would be comfortable clothing alternatives, but the world of fashion and the world of the gardener are joining hands to prove that sustainability is more than just smart. It also is chic.

At the 2007 New York Fashion Week, 28 fashion designers with household names like Oscar de la Renta, Diane von Furstenberg and Halston, and up-and-comers like Derek Lam and Heatherette, dazzled the runway with eco-friendly fashions in partnership with Earthpledge.org. The designers pulled out full lines from sportswear to evening gowns using materials like organic cotton and wool, hempsilk, corn and bamboo fibers. There was even recycled polyester. Models flaunted haute couture dresses made of bamboo or corn with sequins made from recycled soda cans, all in the name of being “green.”

Local eco couture designer Loni Hosking, owner of Ecoboutiquo, explains why fashion following the pulse of our landscape is a natural progression.

“Green is in. People are seeking ‘green’ as a way of life,” she says. “Trends are always the heartbeat behind fashion. The trend is to appear like you care for the environment and to appear in step with the trend. It is a good thing because in the process of seeking this trend, the planet is getting viewed from a fresh and new perspective — one that is long overdue.”

According to Earthpledge.org, 25 percent of agricultural pesticides are used on cotton. This can cause water pollution, illnesses to farm workers and harm to plants and animals that inhabit the same space, according to Web site. Those aren’t really concerns we think about when buying a sweater for Uncle Joe on our Christmas list, but maybe they should be.

“We are waking up from a long, wasteful sleep, and Americans have to be the trend setters for the planet,” Hoskings said. “It is our way of life that is affecting the earth, the weather, the waste. People do care about what is happening, and they are seeking ways to feel better about the choices they make. We, the shopkeepers, need to make that easier for the consumers to make a purchase that is good for the planet.”

Ecoboutiquo is one such earth-conscious shop; it was born from Hosking’s desire to eliminate waste by using resources more wisely — plus her appetite to have a really “cool” job. She was concerned with the excessive waste, global textile saturation and sweat shop clothing conditions.

“Something regarded as trash or unusable I magically transform into art,” she said. “I began by thrift store shopping, at first which was motivated by economics to start with, then the ability to score something completely out-of-the-ordinary and unexpected. The thrift stores have really become my art supply shop.”

The alternative fabric sources are a fascinating aspect of eco shopping. Take bamboo, for instance. It is an extremely fast-growing plant, as durable as any fiber you’ll find and when translated into fashion, quite comfortable. Hemp has been on the radar for a while for many of the same reasons; it grows quickly, is highly resilient and strong, it is good for the soil, and renewable.

Maybe in the end the reasons to care are as simple as why every time I lug my trash to the recycling center, no matter what time of day, there is always a plethora of concerned Lawrence residents hoping that jar of pasta sauce will live to see another day. By reducing, reusing, rewearing, recycling, conserving and caring, we are not just another consumer that throws out that ridiculous Santa sweater along with the cans and bottles consumed on any given day. Instead we think, “Who can use this next?”

Eco fashion might take a little effort to find, but it is slowly entering the mainstream. With earth-friendly threads, we don’t have to sacrifice style for a clear conscience.

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/dec/20/sustainable_style/By Jennifer Oldridge

— Jennifer Oldridge, a Kansas University graduate, is an avid gardener who previously operated a landscaping business.

IF YOU’RE DREAMING of a white Christmas you’re in the minority this year. “Green” is the preference for 71% of consumers, who say they plan to buy eco-friendly or energy-efficient products when possible this holiday season, according to a survey by price-comparison search engine PriceGrabber.com. Beyond a desire to save the planet, these consumers are motivated in part by escalating fuel prices, which are projected to increase U.S. household heating costs by an average of 10%, according to the Energy Information Administration.

But those same skyrocketing energy costs that increase the appeal of, say, a 15%-more-efficient Energy Star furnace, are also making it tough to stomach the premium price tags such eco-friendly goods often carry. Why shell out $65 for Levi’s jeans made with organic cotton, for example, when the brand’s conventional versions start at $48?

With careful shopping and a few energy-saving measures, you can go green this winter without busting your holiday budget. Consider these simple switches for common seasonal expenses:

Christmas Trees

Some 32.8 million Americans buy real trees each holiday season, according to the National Christmas Tree Association, a grower’s group. If you’re among them, celebrate the fact that a real tree is the more eco-friendly choice. “It’s a lot more environmentally sound than a fake one, which is made from petroleum,” says Deborah Gangloff, executive director of conservation group, American Forests. Real trees also offset greenhouse gas emissions during the decade or so they grow on farms, and as a crop, new trees are planted to replace each harvested. If the use of pesticides bothers you, you can even find an organic-farmed tree.

Once the needles start littering the carpet and it’s time to dispose of your tree, find a local recycling program through your county or city environmental department. Jefferson Parish, La., sinks bundles of donated trees to protect marshland from erosion, while Cook County, Ill., uses them as a nesting habitat for herons and egrets. Plenty of areas also mulch the trees for use in local parks.

Real trees can be economical, too. A six-foot Blue Spruce is just $20 at the Bees, Fleas and Trees farm in Litchfield, Conn., or $15 at Juneau’s Christmas Trees & Reindeer Farm in Foster City, Mich. Meanwhile, a lifelike 6-foot-5-inch artificial version from specialist Balsam Hill goes for $259. Sure, a good-quality artificial tree will last for years, but once thrown out, they won’t biodegrade in the landfill, says Gangloff. (Click here for tips on which type of tree you should buy.)

Fireplace

Use your fireplace incorrectly, and you might as well be burning logs of greenbacks. “Fireplaces tend to draw more warm air out of the room than they provide,” says Jennifer Thorne Amann, a senior associate with the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. “It all gets sucked out the chimney.” To avoid watching your energy bills go up in smoke, turn down the heat when you set the blaze. Close off the room if possible to limit heat loss in the rest of the house. And remember to close the damper once the fire goes out. Otherwise, you’ll be losing your pricey heated air around the clock.

Gift Wrap

Americans accumulate 25% more garbage between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day than they do during the rest of the year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Filling up the trash cans are the boxes, wrapping paper, ribbons, tissue paper, cards and envelopes that are all too familiar during the holidays. Reducing your expense and waste is possible, though — even if you’re not willing to resort to the standard advice of saving every scrap of wrapping paper for next year, says Constance Richards, author of “Creative Giftwraps.” “Using things that don’t need to be thrown out is the ideal,” she says. Gift bags are the obvious choice; especially if you’ve saved ones gifted to you in previous years. Bought new, you’ll need to weigh the cost-effectiveness: Will the items you stuff in a $1 bag use up at least one-third of a $3 wrapping paper roll? Lessen the hit with a trip to the dollar store, where gift bags are often two or three for a buck.

A more earth-friendly option is to forgo wrapping paper altogether and use part of the gift itself as wrapping. Stash DVDs in a big decorative bowl, for example, or place assorted beauty products in a traveling case. Or, just wrap with items that you would have thrown out anyway, advises Richards. Newspaper is the classic no-frills wrapping choice, but she also likes maps and glossy magazine pages, which are a little more offbeat and eye-catching.

Holiday Lights

Deck the halls with strings of LED lights instead of the standard incandescent bulbs, and you could cut the holiday light portion of your electric bill by a whopping 90%. One 300-bulb string of LED lights will cost of just 47 cents for the whole season, assuming you have them lit five hours a day for 45 days, according to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. In comparison, lighting the same length string of incandescent bulbs would cost $4.92. You will pay slightly more in upfront costs, however. At specialty retailer 1000Bulbs.com, a 70-light string of multicolored mini LED lights is $14.31, while a 100-count string of the incandescent version is $9.04. But because LED bulbs last up to 100,000 hours and are much hardier than their incandescent counterparts, you’ll spend less cash — and time — over the long run replacing or repairing defunct strings, says Ronnie Kweller, a spokeswoman for the Alliance to Save Energy.

To help cover the upfront cost of LED lights, look for rebates through your local utility company. The Maine Public Utilities Commission offers consumers a $1.50 coupon per string of LED lights, while Anaheim Public Utilities in California offers $10 and $20 gift cards for Starbucks, Borders or Home Depot, based on the number of bulbs you buy.

Presents

If you’re on the hunt for eco-friendly presents, try specialty search engines Shop Green with Price Grabber and The Find Green. Both scour the web for the lowest prices on green items. Preset categories can help narrow your choices or offer eco-friendly options you might not have thought of, like organic lipstick ($20 for Cargo’s Plant Love line) and wine ($14.95 for Frey Vineyards 2005 organic pinot noir).

Turkey

Looking for one holiday splurge? Try an organic turkey, advises Kristi Weidemann, a spokeswoman for Consumer Reports’ Greener Choices. Poultry is one of the organic foods that offers the most value for your buck, according to the Environmental Working Group. The birds are raised without the aid of antibiotics or growth hormones, and consume feed that was itself grown without pesticides or other chemicals. But it’s not without a heftier price tag. At Safeway, for example, the store-brand conventional frozen turkey goes for $1.19 per pound, while its organic counterpart costs $2.69 per pound. For a 16-pound bird, that’s an extra $24. To cut your costs, stick with a USDA-certified organic bird. Labels that indicate free-range, certified humane or heritage breed — although desirable — add to the cost. (Click here for more tips on buying organic foods.)

By Kelli B. Grant

http://www.smartmoney.com/dealoftheday/index.cfm?story=20071128

Massive Expansion of Flagship Floral Brand OrganicBouquet.com

SAN FRANCISCO, CA–(Marketwire - November 13, 2007) - Organic Style Limited today announced the launch of www.OrganicStyle.com — a ground-breaking eco-luxury online shopping destination that will serve the rapidly growing market in the U.S. for organic and sustainable products.

The initial roll out of OrganicStyle.com will include Gourmet Organic gift baskets, Gifts for Gardeners and Nature Lovers, Organic cotton Bed and Bath products, Eco-chic designer Apparel, gifts for the Eco-Savvy Pet and a wide selection of earth friendly flowers through the company’s flagship brand OrganicBouquet.com.

This venture is the brainchild of eco-entrepreneur Gerald Prolman, founder and CEO of OrganicBouquet.com, who is widely credited for creating the U.S. market for organic and eco-friendly flowers, a rapidly growing segment of the $20 billion U.S. market for fresh cut flowers and plants.

Prolman, who has been featured in Fortune Small Business, Entrepreneur Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, ABC, CNBC, Fox, and the “Today Show,” will serve as the CEO of Organic Style Limited. The Company plans to replicate operations in the UK during early 2008.

Adrian Bellamy serves as Chairman of the Board of Organic Style Limited. Bellamy also holds positions as chairman of the Body Shop (a division of L’Oreal), chairman of Reckitt Benckiser PLC, and is a director on the boards of the Gap and Williams-Sonoma.

Organic Style, a popular magazine published from 2001-2005, became a leading resource for sustainable living. Prolman purchased the dormant brand from Rodale Inc (publishers of Prevention magazine and “An Inconvenient Truth”) earlier this year and plans to re-launch an on-line version of the magazine in early 2008.

“OrganicStyle.com offers unique and stylish responsibly-produced products for customers who care about the people who produced the goods and how the earth was treated in the process,” said Prolman.

Previously, Prolman founded Made In Nature, the nation’s first nationally distributed brand of organic produce, which he sold to Dole Food Company in 1994, spurring major financial investment in the then-fledging organic sector.

The U.S. marketplace for goods and services focused on health, the environment and sustainable living is estimated at nearly $230 billion in annual sales including 63 million people, or approximately 30 percent of adults, according to research by the Pennsylvania-based Natural Marketing Institute.

About Organic Style Limited: Organic Style Limited is a new eco-lifestyle shopping destination for people seeking high quality products that uphold the well-being of the planet and humankind. Organic Style Limited expands upon their flagship brand, OrganicBouquet.com, America’s pioneer of organic and eco-flowers.

http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=792275

By ADRIA VASIL

Q Do you have suggestions on how to build a movement that advocates buying green/local/ fair trade during the holidays?

A Let me preface this with a note to all the Santa-haters of the world: please don’t lob sharp objects at me for bringing up a Christmas-related question one week after Halloween. This is exactly when all the gaudy garlands and silver bells start popping up en masse in the malls. If you want to counter the marketers who’d sell us reindeer poop if they could, you have to start early.

Begin by checking out your competition. You might learn a thing or two from, say, the clever former Adbuster editor and Mennonites behind the Buy Nothing Christmas campaign. I mean, jeez, the site sells absolutely nothing, but it’s got a Buy Nothing Catalogue, a script to a Buy Nothing Musical and catchy Buy Nothing carols (including my fave, Consumer Wonderland; www.buynothingchristmas.org.)

Not that you need to pen a whole play, but a little Eaton Centre carolling of your own with a local theme could go over well. You know, like “Dashing through the malls / On a maxed-out credit card / Is way less fun / Than a local craft fair / Where kids don’t make the toys. Hey!”

Even some good old-fashioned flyering in high-traffic shopping zones (where mall security can’t get you) could snag some attention. Just make sure you print on recycled paper.

There’s no denying a great deal of green activism happens in the virtual world. A how-to-green-your-Xmas website could reach a lot of eyeballs without your ever having to leave your living room.

You can link to earth-friendly independent shops that sell the kind of goods you’d like to see people buy (like www.grassrootsstore.com, www.organiclifestyle.ca and www.ecotoytown.com; look for lots of other green prezzie sources in the NOW gift guides November 22, 29 and December 6).

And don’t forget to post info about your movement in online forums on general-interest green websites (like www.grist.org) and mainstream sites (like www.canadianliving.com).

Your concept could spread like a California wildfire if you start hobnobbing through social networking sites like Facebook. Set up your Dreaming Of A Green Xmas facebook group or whatnot, keep the page fresh and watch it grow. (Note: This is not an opportunity to nag me about joining Facebook. My long-term goal involves more time away from my laptop, not less!)

And don’t just blog on Facebook. Join green communities on sites like Livejournal.com and start blogging there, too. Actually, my Web-savvy colleagues insist you should cross-post your blog on as many blog sites as you can to get the word out.

But before you do any of this, you need to flesh out exactly what you’re going to say when someone comes to you for tips on having an eco-friendly, fairly traded, local holiday.

I always tell people to make their own gifts. And, no, you don’t have to be a crafty Martha Stewart Living subcriber to actualize this one. Of course, you can go learn how to make your own candles, sew a scarf or bake some cookies (www.diynetwork.com has lots of good crafty ideas, by the way), but you can also give out your time with a homemade coupon for a free guitar lesson, a babysitting session or a home-cooked meal.

Easier still, send people to one of the millions of craft shows in church basements and community centres over the next month, where they’ll connect with all kinds of amazing local artisans, instead of to cookie-cutter chain stores pushing junk.

Give them links to ecards (like www.care2.com) so no trees have to suffer for our season’s greetings. Post tips on making your own wrapping paper with magazines or old fabric scraps.

Invite people to toss in their own two cents and tell their stories of holiday greening. Soon enough, you might just have enough momentum to give Rudolph a run for his money.

http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2007-11-08/goods_ecoholic.php