“Save the trees… save the world!”

By Melinda Toussaint

From a young age we were all taught to not be wasteful; to not waste paper, water, and food. We heard this from our parents, our teachers, and even our friends. Little did we know that we grew up learning one of the most valuable lessons before it was cool to “be green”. This lesson is even more crucial to live by today.

Trees are the most important natural resource we have, supplying us with oxygen while eliminating CO2 levels from the atmosphere. According to a study “Helping Companies Reduce Greenhouse Gases” by James DeRosa, Director of Research and Development for Global Warming Initiatives, Inc., there are one billion people worldwide that attend work in an office environment everyday.

We are all guilty of tossing paper out before both sides are used, rewriting a letter/note more than once, and/or printing an article before we knew we needed it for long term use. One ream of paper equals five pounds. The average world office employee uses around 7 reams of copy paper each year. This fact has set the world’s average paper consumption at 123 pounds of paper per person each year.

This average is causing one billion trees to be cut down each year to satisfy the world’s paper demand. Global Warming Initiatives is only expecting this number to grow in future years causing more harm to the environment.
Besides the aesthetically pleasing benefit of trees, they impact the Earth in some major ways:

- Trees remove 100 to 120 billion tons of carbon each year from man-made sources like (cars, trains, planes, etc)
- Trees moderate climate, improve air quality, conserve water and also harbor wildlife
- Trees cut down energy costs- air conditioning and heating costs are lower in shaded areas. The less energy used by consumers the less CO2 emissions in the atmosphere

According to DeRosa’s article, one tree cut down can produce 173 reams of paper. A total of 7 million reams of paper is equivalent to 12 pounds of CO2 being released into the atmosphere.

What many people forget is that not only is cutting a tree down harmful to the environment but the process by which it goes through to become paper is harmful as well. All 12 steps of the process- from logs to chips to pulp to paper- all emits heavy levels of CO2 into the air by using large amounts of electricity and chemicals. (6.5 pounds of CO2 emitted per ream during the industrial process). It’s evident that the pulp and paper industry is very harmful to the environment:

-represents 10 percent of all global CO2 emissions
- uses more than 23.5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year
- 74 million metric tons of CO2 to produce paper each year
-uses more water than any other industry

The pulp and paper industry needs to be cut down, not the trees! Many programs online, like Adobe Reader, are doing their part to reduce the statistic that 28 percent of paper consumption is used by printing articles alone. Their use of Green PDF documents is a direct solution to the heavy paper consumption world wide. Green PDFs are electronically circulated articles that are not allowed to be printed.

Each ream of paper not printed due to Green PDFs equals 18.5 pounds less of CO2 in the atmosphere. In America right now, 173 reams of paper are used every five seconds. THAT’S ONE TREE USED EVERY FIVE SECONDS!

DeRosa explains that “if all 700 million Adobe Readers users decided not to print an article ten pages long each year, there would be 3 environmental effects:

1) less waste due to 14 million reams of copy not used
2) 80,000 trees wouldn’t be cut down annually
3) 118,000 less tons of CO2 in atmosphere.”

Right now each ream of paper costs $5.00 for your company. If the world could reduce printing by just 10 percent it would save over 100 million trees, and 100 million metric tons of CO2 in the atmosphere, and $3.5 billion.
This is what you can do to help:

1) Use both sides of paper: don’t buy new notebooks for classes or work until the first ones are used up!
2) Read articles by way of Green PDFs: don’t print articles you don’t need, save them and refer back when you need to.
3) Encourage: your company, friends, and family to make important documents into Green PDFs
4) Save paper at every chance: reuse newspaper, magazines, wrapping paper, etc.
5) Use the internet to your advantage: send Evites, Ecards, and Emails. Download map, directions, and recipes right to your cell phone (that’s what you’re paying for!)

For more information or to check out the article yourself: visit www.greenpdf.com or www.gwi-nc.org.

Growing Green

By Melinda Toussaint


Spring is a time for a rebirth. People start to bring out the swim suit, rock the flip flop, and find any excuse to be outdoors. It also means leaves start to come back, flowers are blooming, and the grass becomes green again. But how green will it be? Now is the time to rethink our lawn care as well.

According to the Idiot’s Guide to Green Living, there are 27.6 million areas of turf grass in the United States, 21 million of which are household lawns. Thus the lawn care and gardening industry generates nearly $40 billion for the economy… an area of which can afford to grow a little greener.

The World Group for the Evergreen Foundation suggests that 93 percent of homeowners value their green space and 90 percent actually believe that their lawn increases the value of their property. This is why we as homeowners should be helping our lawns like they help us.

James Beard, a Ph. D. expert on turf and chief scientist at International Sports Turf Institute claims that the ecosystem benefits from a good lawn in many ways:
- lawns help cool hot air through evaporation
- grass produces oxygen and keeps dust and pollutants out of the air
- lawns and plants help control erosion, keeping soil from ending up as dust or in bodies of water
- trees, shrubs, and bushes are also great sound insulators, helping to keep traffic and street noise out of your living space

Thus Americans need to take care of their lawns, not just in upkeep, but in green, eco-responsible ways. Here are 7 ways you can help green your lawn for this Spring:

1) Instant Change:
- Stop using commercial pesticides that in some cases are leading to cancer, birth defects, reproductive complications, or problems in nervous systems for lab animals, or worse if it gets into our water supply.
- Cut your lawns before weeds go to seed therefore preventing them from spreading (cutting down use for pesticides altogether)

2) Disposing of Pesticides/Chemicals:
- Contact local waste management facilities to inquire about hazardous waste collection programs in your area to get rid of your pesticides or other chemicals on hand
- Call 1-800-CLEANUP (1-800-253-2687)

3) Soil Analyzing:
- Have your soil analyzed to test nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus levels
- It will help let you know what your lawn and soil lacks
- Find out what plants will most benefit your individual lawn and plant them

4) Grass:
- Choose grass seed that’s specifically beneficial to your region and doesn’t require much watering
-Buy seeds that are disease free and certified from a lawn center
- Add clover seed to your lawn- it resists drought, is green and flowers for a great look

5) Watering:
- Water early in the day so lawn has a chance to dry before night time
- Watering right before the hottest time of day discourages fungus from developing
- Don’t water too much – that’s wasteful

6) Mowing:
- Keep blade sharp (blunt blades are unhealthy to grass)
- Leave mower blade high- never cut below 3 or 4 inches- this will dry out your lawn
- Use lawn clippings in a compost bin or leave them where they land- they provide necessary nutrients for the soil

7) Planting an Organic Garden:
- Check out www.kitchengardeners.org
- Home food production is declining
- Average distance traveled for ingredients used is between 1,000-2,500 miles- 17 times more fossil fuels used than two decades ago
- Organically grown produce is proven tastier
- Check out www.organicgardening.com
- Learn about “companion planting” that will help your garden thrive
- Learn how to build a better composting bin as well as other tricks

No matter how you decide to take care of your lawn… remember that little green steps along the way make a big difference. The greener our grass grows, the safer we are, and the healthier the planet becomes. Spring forward and start growing green!

Say “I Do” to Green

By Melinda Toussaint


When it comes to planning your future most people are planning trips, working to land a promotion, and trying to have a family; while others are incorporating living green into their plans. Some people are even considering green lifestyles within their relationships and now is the time to do that. With this years’ wedding season coming up – an industry that rakes in $125 billion/year in the U.S. alone- more and more people are finding ways to make “their special day” green!

Invitations, etc: When planning your wedding the first thing you must do is “set the date”. With this comes an endless amount of paper being used. Between save the date cards, invitations, wedding announcements, menus, programs, place cards and not to mention all the thank you cards, countless pieces of paper are thrown away. To eliminate paper waste you have two options:
1) use recycled paper for all of the above and recycle what you can afterwards – go to www.invitesite.com to use tree-free paper or www.earthlyaffair.com for 100% post consumer paper and FSC Certified Cotton Paper and
2) send out Ecards/ Evites. Visit www.weddingwindow.com to test out a wedding webpage for you to create that will provide your guests will all the necessary information and you can even download a keepsake CD afterwards.

The Dress: With the date set the next important step, as any bride knows, is to pick out the dress. I hear brides saying all the time, “once you find the dress its all down hill from there.” (Meaning everything else is a piece of cake to decide on) For the most part though, a wedding gown can be the biggest expense in your wedding budget, that’s why you should make it the greenest! Check out sites like www.getconscious.com for hemp/organic gowns or www.perfectbridal.com for gowns that range from only $500-$1500 as well as items for the rest of the wedding party.

Flowers: Now that the gown is picked out, flowers seem to come next. Most couples’s mistake is that they choose flowers based on color or their dream, instead of the flowers that are in season. Thus, couples spend money on shipping flowers internationally for the big day which is the opposite of green. Consider ordering organic flowers from www.organicbouquets.com or buying them locally to cut down on transportation costs. Then reuse the flowers throughout the night. Take the flowers used at the ceremony and dress up your reception with them, and finally take leftover bouquets to a local hospital or senior citizen home to brighten someone else’s life.

Centerpieces: Speaking of the reception, there are many ways you can keep the table centerpieces spectacular but also make them green.
1) Choose recycled glass vases and glassware
2) use small bushes or plants that guests can take home to plant in their yard
3) use fruit for a touch of color that can be donated afterwards to a local shelter. Check out sites like www.vivaterra.com which feature beautiful candlescapes out of old fruit scraps as well as other eco-chic décor items.

Favors: You may also decide to keep the wedding favors green too. A great way to share something with each guest and stay green is to speak with the National Arbor Day Foundation (www.arborday.org) who help you give trees as a wedding favor. They will deliver the trees and the guests can take them home to plant in their yards. Looking back on it years later they will remember that tree is a gift from you and it will remind them of your wedding day. Or you can simply go to I Do Foundation Favors for Charity (www.idofoundation.org) and make a donation to the charity of your choice on behalf of all of your guests. Now your big day has become a day of giving love and giving back!

Extras: The above ideas are only just the start of planning a green wedding. Some other places to try:
- Green jewelry – www.taraluna.com
- Custom/recycled gold wedding rings- www.greenkarat.com
- Recycled glasses made from car windshields- www.uncommongoods.com
- Eco-friendly gift wrap bags (suggest to your guests)- www.luckycrow.com
- Organic champagne & eco-friendly gift baskets- www.ecoexpress.com
- Organic wedding night fashions- www.faeriesdance.com

No matter how you choose to keep your wedding dream green, remember one rule of thumb… purchase items that can be recycled or reused on the “big day” or afterwards. You will not only save money but you will help save the environment and that is something to feel wonderful about on your honeymoon.

Green is Growing

By Melinda Toussaint

“It’s a tough economy right now.” Everywhere you look people are concerned because money doesn’t grow on trees. But with the advancements of greener technologies you can be confident that green employment opportunities will open up.

According to an article titled, “Green Jobs: Toward Decent Work in a Sustainable, Low-carbon World” produced by United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) there are many areas in which green practices are increasing opportunities/products and therefore jobs and expenses. These include:

1.Energy Supply:

• - Integrated gasification/carbon sequestration
• - Co-generation (combined heat and power)
• - Renewables (wind, solar, biofuels, geothermal, small-scale hydro); fuel cells

2. Transportation

• -More fuel-efficient vehicles
• -Hybrid-electric, electric, and fuel-cell vehicles
• - Car Sharing
• - Public Transit
• - Non-motorized transport and changes in land use policies/patterns

3. Manufacturing:

• -Pollution control
• -Energy and materials efficiency
• -Clean production techniques (toxics avoidance)

4. Buildings:

• -Lighting, energy-efficient appliances/office equipment
• -Solar heating/cooling, solar panels
• -Retrofitting
• -Green buildings (energy-efficient windows, insulation, building materials)
• -Passive-solar houses, zero-emissions buildings

5. Materials Management

• -Recycling
• -Extended producer responsibility/product take-back
• -De-materialization
• -Durability and repair ability of products

6. Retail:

• -Promotion of efficient products/eco-labels
• -Store locations closer to residential areas
• -Minimization of shipping distances
• -New service economy (selling services, not products)

7. Agriculture:

• -Soil conservation
• -Water efficiency
• -Organic growing materials
• -Reducing farm-to-market distance

8. Forestry:

• -Reforestation projects
• -Agro forestry
• -Sustainable forestry management and certification schemes
• -Halting deforestation

This means that we have potential growing industries providing us with employment beyond the economy presently. We are working in a fear of loss world but it can all change with job security presented in these growing green fields. In order to keep up with the world’s growing interests all job industries need to stay ahead of the green game to survive, thus more jobs.

These are only a few areas increasing employment. Green jobs are spanning many other aspects such as research and development and professional fields like engineering and architecture. Opportunities are also rising in everything from blue-collar areas (plumbing and electrical wiring) to government offices (standard setting, rule making, permitting, monitoring/enforcement, and/or support programs) to science and academia, civil society organizations (advocacy group, community organizations).

This article only proves that possibilities are out there and plans for a greener future are already set in motion. All you have to do is take action yourself by strongly pursuing a career in one of these areas or mold another career path to greener ways. Your future and career is what you make it. Help the world and you by making it green.

You can download the entire UNEP article here.

Save Gas by Car-sharing!

By Melinda Toussaint

With the combination of the tough economy and environmental pressures many people are learning to give up luxuries they’ve grown accustomed to; ie: venti vanilla lattes, spending an afternoon parousing a shopping mall, or a long hot bath. Now we are making bitter coffee, shopping online, and taking two minute luke warm showers.

It’s no wonder that with inconsistent gas prices, the inconvenience of carpooling, and the possiblitiy of missing the bus, a couple major companies are presenting us with an alternative: car-sharing. Hertz Corporation’s new service Connect is a car-sharing service provided to citizens in which they pay a monthly membership fee or an hourly rate. Members pick up cars at one of the numerous locations in specific cities and off they go. Connect was launched last December in response to international Zipcar’s success.

Zipcar pioneered their car-sharing business in Europe and have had success stateside as well by offering 5,500 cars to approximately 250,000 members in the U.S. as well as London. Hertz Corp.’s Connect, currently has 100 cars in two American and two European locations with plans to expand to 40 other states/countries after it’s launch in Boston, Mass. Car-sharing lessens harmful emissions, reduces congestion, and more energy efficient than owning your own car. Zipcar believes that every car they offer takes 15 to 20 percent personally owned off the road and they also believe that growing success means that approximately 10 percent of the population to adapt to car-sharing.

Scott Griffith, Zipcar’s Chief Executive, said “It’s not about individual sales but about building a brand around understanding the urban lifestyle, being attentive to the needs and desires of members, and building relationships”. Thus Hertz Corp. plans to reshape the corporate culture to broaden the global reach of their new Connect service.

Over the next few months Hertz Corp. will be working hard to introduce Connect to the world by this Spring. Soon we as a community will be able to share cars with cities and citizens around the country because Hertz and Zipcar are amongst many companies expanding to this new found consumer need. Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s WeCar has provided car-sharing for companies, government agencies, and colleges that wanted cars for their workers and students. UHaul also launched their UCar Share last year a program that is currently available in Portland, Maine, Berkeley, Cal., Madison, Wis., and Portland, Ore.

Both with Zipcar and Hertz’s Connect it seems you can share a car for around $9 per hour or a monthly membership of $50. A huge plus however is that both companies pay for your fuel and insurance while you share a car! Go online now and check out these companies and see if it’s right for you. The more members these companies acquire, the more possibility of expanding to every major city in the country.

Going green isn’t just sharing clothes, recycling plastic, and turning off the lights when you leave, it is a conscious choice to go the extra mile and cut out the luxuries that are the most harmful to the environment as well as to our wallets. Car-sharing is only an alternative if it can work with your lifestyle. Visit www.connectbyhertz.com and www.zipcar.com to check out rates and more environmentally benefits.

Car-sharing companies have plans to take over the car market, especially amongst college students that can’t afford their own vehicle but are too young to rent one. If you do decide to turn yourself over to the car-sharing industry you can save yourself almost $500 per year! Think of all the other green movements you can support with that money.... or you can just support yourself during these troubled times. Either way car-sharing can go a long way, if you let it!