We’ve all heard Kermit the Frog sing, “It's not easy bein' green”, and this rings true for many of us, but it can be good on your wallet. Being green can mean many things, but mostly putting forth a conscious effort to change how you behave in your patterns of recycling, reusing, purchasing and exploring which companies you do business with. So how do we nudge society to create the necessary awareness for change so our resources will last as long as we do?
The answer seems easy. It starts with a single unit, a single individual. Whether it’s recycling a battery, purchasing an energy and water saving washer or a creating a green building, one person initiates the thought and behavior that creates the change. Such efforts on the part of Columbus residents have turned our old pop bottles into benches and picnic tables at the Barnett Recreation Center. Knowing that our recycling efforts are creating renewable products that we can see and touch is indeed inspiring. But don’t get too inspired. While reading The Columbus Dispatch this Sunday, I noted that Columbus is among the worst in the nation at recycling. Our residents recycle 5% of their trash, while a surprising 75% of our waste products are eligible for recycling. I say let's get off the park bench and see what else is in the trash can. While the Baker-Blanquera family was in Seattle this past summer for my brother and sister in law’s wedding, we were impressed by the recycling efforts of the city, where recycling is mandatory. I noted that after one week in Seattle, that nearly all of our trash was recycled and just a small portion was actually being “trashed”. Certainly, this takes a much greater effort on consumer’s parts. Mandatory programs like this certainly move us all in a new direction and make it easier than programs like those in Columbus where residents actually have to pay to recycle. It seems like we just might have this backwards. Are we penalizing the wrong people?
We have all seen advertisements on appliances that save water, save electricity and save us money. It’s hard for any of us to refute the benefits of these when the time comes to replace a worn out clunker that just can’t be fixed. More and more companies are creating options to fit the cultural shift and our consumer choices will continue to grow. With companies jumping on the green bandwagon, many consumers now have to become more concerned about “green sheen” or “greenwashing”, which is a marketing attempt on a company's part to mislead consumers about the environmental benefits of a product or service. If you are concerned about greenwashing, you can look for an appliance with an “energy star” rating, and that will tell you that it has the certification of the government’s Energy Star program, designed to help us all save money and protect the environment. http://www.energystar.gov/
When it comes to other products or services, though, how can consumers read through the claims about the benefits of energy savings and environmental perks and know how to make the right choices? Third party testing agencies are crucial fulcrums in the balancing act between consumers and consumer marketing because they have no real stake in the outcome of the sale. Third party certification is a scientific process where a product, process or service is reviewed by a reputable and unbiased third party to verify that a set of criteria, claims or standards are being met. Organizations such as Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) and Green Seal, which are both non-profit organizations, are doing a lot to dedicate themselves to safeguarding the environment and transforming the marketplace by promoting the manufacture, purchase, and use of environmentally responsible products and services. You can check out their websites for more information on program certifications. http://www.greenguard.org/ and http://www.greenseal.org/
While there are third party certification agencies out there for certain types of products and services, as a consumer, you can also look to agencies like Consumer Reports. They have expanded their website to contain a green section. http://www.consumerreports.org/ This agency compiles both test data and consumer opinions and satisfaction information, so, technically, it does not pass the unbiased test. In 2005, Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, launched a group called Greener Choices to create better choices for a greener planet. Their website is loaded with helpful information to assist you in making green choices, recycling old household products and being more informed on industry related information. http://www.greenerchoices.org/
Even buildings themselves can now be certified as green. The U.S. Green Building Council, a non-profit community, provides a certification program to ensure buildings are healthier, more comfortable, safer, and more durable. They have a certification process called LEED, which ensures that homes are green buildings. http://www.usgbc.org/
Last Sunday’s Columbus Dispatch had several articles on the subject. For greater learning, you can check them out.
Green City? http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/insight/stories/2008/04/20/greencity_20.ART_ART_04-20-08_G1_5J9UU2H.html?sid=101
Trucking you’re your trash has its price http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/04/20/TRASH_COSTS.ART_ART_04-20-08_B1_F09VR93.html?sid=101
Going green will allow you to save extra green http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/home_garden/stories/2008/04/20/how_green.ART_ART_04-20-08_H2_0D9UTI5.html?sid=101
City’s green efforts have a way to go http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/04/20/greencity_6.ART0_ART_04-20-08_A1_9T9VR0R.html?sid=101
If you find that you want to learn more about being green, you can wait for others to initiate programs that will cause you to change (such as Upper Arlington's trash program which now charges for each bag of trash you leave at the curb). Or, you can take the initiative for your own learning, by reading some of the links in this newsletter and then taking some steps to modify even a few of your own behaviors. Remember, it starts with one.
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