Green Resources

As climate change issues and socially responsible practices become more mainstream, and increasing amount of content is flooding onto the web (including this blog). As with everything in life, there simply isn't enough time to check out everything. I thought I would let you know some of the best resources I have come across, and then readers could add anything they feel I have missed they they particularly like. Of course there are many different categories and topics, but for now I will try and focus on general informational resources.

Recently I came across Green Maven, which is a search tool for green solutions across the web. It seems to follow a wide spectrum of sites and organizations that have a green focus, and has a fairly comprehensive directory. Most of the feeds are a consolidation of various other sites, which can save time if you want to stay up to speed.

Squidoo has a green Blogosphere that has tons of information on everything from news, energy saving tips, and of course personal thoughts on a wide array of issues. Also, I read today on TechCruch that GigaOm has just started a clean tech blog called Earth2Tech. This site definitely shows promise, and I am excited to see what sort of content they can deliver. My other personal favorites include and , which have lots of great current information.

For a 'sassier shade of green', Ideal Bite offers lots of tips on how to make your life more green. Another fun green living site is FiveLimes. They seem to have a diverse green listing, and some interesting articles as well.

For lots of great info on the science of climate change, check out the David Suzuki Foundation site. This site has lots of great info for everyone, especially in the blog, but there is a particular focus on Canadian issues.

Green Buildings - The answer to a healthier life.

The overall condition of health in society has never been so poor as the present. People continue to rely on an increasing dosages of prescription medication and health aids. Typically when most people think of health issues in society they think of average adults, but issues with children are in a state of disrepair as well. Conditions such as asthma now affect 1 in 20 people and rising, and now more then 18% of children are overweight. Some blame television, other blame the parents. Personally, I can't help but think of the impact that a persons everyday indoor environment has on an individuals health.

North Americans spend more more then 90% of their time indoors, so if an indoor environment is unhealthy it makes sense that anyone inside will be adversely affected. It is exciting then that so many buildings are entering the market that are considered 'green'. The benefits of green buildings are huge for all stakeholders affected by a new development. Developers realized long-term savings and increased marketability. Consumers realize healthier living conditions with more light, higher air quality, and reduced energy bills. Communities are presented with new business opportunities, greater access to green space, and lower waste buildings. Studies have also shown that society at large benefits from reduced sick days, greater productivity, increased retention rates, reduced stress on health care systems, and many other valuable intangibles.

These benefits have been proven by a great mound of research, and green buildings are now recognized as an available alternative. The necessary step now is to create market awareness so that consumers realize that green certified buildings such as LEED exist. It always seems to come down to personal education, and this is no exception. This education may come from developers, real estate agents, or governments. In the end, consumers need to learn about the benefits that green buildings can provide and support sustainable developments. Without strong consumer demand, the building industry won't be in a rush to take new risks and try something new.

Green buildings make sense, and the technology exists now to make them equally priced on the market to traditional alternatives. Home owners save money, increase their health, and help save the environment by reducing their footprint. People always ask me how they can make a difference in their day to day actions without sacrificing their standard of living. This seems like a great solution.

Solar makes sense, so why the hesitation?

Lots of companies are now producing solar technology that is very affordable for every day consumers. Photovoltaics have come a long way since their creation, and are now more efficient then ever. They are increasingly more accessible at major retailers, and some companies will even come to your house and install them for free. So why doesn't everyone have one of these on their roof?

There is no question that having solar installed in your home is a smart thing to do. It is saves you money on your energy bill, and its better for the environment because it makes use of a renewable resource. Some provinces and states in North America even allow you to sell the additional capacity created by solar panels back to the utility and make money from solar. From a business perspective, it can even make your company more desirable to work at. Google installed solar this year and estimates that the investment will pay off for itself from the new talent it attracts alone!

Is there just a lack of awareness about the benefits of using solar? What are the major barriers to getting everyone to change their existing behaviour and make the change. Personally, I think it's a no brainer.

Is Walmart going green?

Is Walmart finally opening its eyes about the advantages of embracing sustainable practices, or is it just a bunch of greenwash? The company has released a sustainability site at http://walmartstores.com/microsite/walmart_sustainability.html
That might be a start, but it is most certainly not enough. The only message corporations listen to is the voice of consumers, and until that voice demands more environmentally friendly solutions to its needs, nothing will change.

As Einstein said "To continually do the same thing and expect different results is the definition of insanity".

Getting Walmart to evolve its purchasing power to favourably chose sustainable products would have a huge impact. But the only way that is going to happen is if consumers demand that Walmart does so.


The following was written by Walmart CEO Lee Scott.

"In a company known more for driving bargains than driving hybrids, I'm frequently asked about the impetus behind the global environmental sustainability programme we launched full-steam at Wal-Mart last year. Like most good stories, this one has evolved over time, involving a bit of personal discovery, organisational enthusiasm and the constant unfurling of the vision before us.

We began talking about the environment among ourselves and with NGOs about 18 months ago. Truthfully, I didn't see how much a retailer could do about the environment beyond recycling and thermostat control, and we had already been doing both. Moreover, Wal-Mart is already known for zealous efficiency: we waste very little in our quest to keep costs down for our customers.

Fortunately, it didn't take long for me to open my eyes to the enormous impact that our company can have on the environment. And it didn't take much longer for my interest in the environment to grow into a full-blown passion. Environmental sustainability may well be the most important initiative we undertake at Wal-Mart this decade, maybe even this century. It will have huge impacts on the way things are made, farmed, packaged, transported, displayed and sold worldwide.

The environmental advantages come straight from our size. As the world's largest retailer, we're in thousands of communities around the USA and 15 other countries. We buy products from more than 60,000 suppliers in 70 countries. We sell anywhere from 35,000 to 100,000 product lines in each of our 6,000-plus stores and clubs. We have 1.7 million associates serving more than 138 million customers every week.

Our size and scale means that even one small proenvironment change in our policies or our customers' habits has exponential impacts all over the world. Consider this: by reducing the size of the cardboard packaging on just one line of our own-brand toys last summer, we saved more than 5,000 trees and 1,300 barrels of oil that would have gone into making the packaging. We also reduced the amount of fuel needed to transport those products to our stores. We use millions of kilos of plastics in shrink-wrap that, until recently, we threw away. Recycling all our plastics at all our US stores (which we'll be doing this year) will keep this plastic out of landfills. Increasing the fuel efficiency of our 7,000-truck fleet will keep tons of greenhouse gases out of the air by saving millions of litres of fuel.

We've built environmental 'laboratory' stores in Texas and Colorado, using recycled asphalt, recycled oil for heating, wind and solar power, all innovations we will incorporate into future stores. We've committed to purchasing all our wildcaught fresh and frozen fish for the US market from Marine Stewardship Council-certified sources.

We're buying seven million kilos of organic cotton from Turkey and India, and additional supplies from China, Texas and elsewhere. This policy will keep millions of kilos of chemicals out of the environment. What's more, we will make these organic products more affordable for consumers all around the world, thanks to our large-volume buying and distribution efficiencies. This means that families on a budget will be able to dress their children in organic cotton, and feed them organic vegetables and formula - all at a Wal-Mart price.

These are just a few examples of what's already under way. We are focused on three top-line goals: to be supplied with 100% renewable energy, to create zero waste, and to sell products that sustain our resources and our environment. Those are ambitious goals, but we never think small at our company."

Small Business Owners Willing To Pay More for "Green" Products

The latest Wells Fargo/Gallup survey shows that small business owners are becoming increasingly environmentally savvy, and want to help reduce greenhouse effects. This is encouraging news, and I think a lot of this has to do with people becoming more educated about the long-term payoffs that sustainable products can provide. Initial price premiums are paid back to consumers in shorter periods of time, so even from a financial perspective, switching to more environmentally friendly products makes sense.

-full article-

San Francisco — June 11, 2007

It may be more expensive "being green" but small business owners are willing to go the extra mile, even if it costs more, to show their customers they care about the environment. The latest survey results from the Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index reveal that two-thirds of small business owners surveyed say they would be willing to pay more for goods and services to run their businesses if they knew they were environmentally-friendly. "Environmental actions I take today with my business will help ensure that our company can continue to grow and thrive in the future," said Harlan Lee, president and CEO of Virginia-based Harlan Lee & Associates - a consulting company specializing in socially conscious, "green conferencing" techniques. "Combining business practices with a responsibility for the environment is the right thing to do. If every small business owner could share best practices and take simple steps to incorporate environmental activities, together, we could make a very large impact on the success of our businesses, our customers, and ultimately our environment." Even though a large number of small business owners say they're willing to pay more for environmentally-friendly goods and services, many have concerns that their customers may be reluctant to share the added costs. Fewer than half (43 percent) of all small business owners surveyed believe their customers would be willing to pay more for environmentally-friendly goods and services, while one in every two (49 percent) did not think their customers would be willing to pay more. Small business owners were also asked whether they favored or opposed specific environmental proposals. Seventy-eight percent favored spending government money to develop alternate sources of fuel for automobiles. Other favored proposals include spending more government money on developing solar and wind power (76 percent) and setting higher emissions and pollution standards for business and industry (75 percent). "Forty-seven percent of small business owners surveyed said they are already taking steps to show customers they are environmentally-friendly," said Rebecca Macieira-Kaufmann, executive vice president and head of Wells Fargo's small business segment. "It's encouraging to see this vital segment of the economy weave the environment into their everyday business practices."