 If you are like many who have seen the various commercials, products and services marketed as “Green”, you have probably wondered: “What does “Green” really mean?” With the differing labels, certifications and marketing ploys it is hard to know how and where to start. Greengroup.com is here to help. The first step to Going Green is to understand that the underlying concept is to understand that is it about our connection to the environment.
As globalization is making the world smaller and more connected, the actions of other countries around the world are impacting the global environment. It is imperative that everyone is aware that we are global citizens that have impact upon other countries, oceans, lakes and rivers. When much of our resources are scattered throughout the world, we need to be conscious about how we are impacting the environment with our demands. Going Green can be the first step to seeing how positive changes can affect our ecosystem and potentially foster better relationships with individuals around the world.
PURPOSE
The main goal to Going Green is to take the time to think about how your actions and purchases will impact our planet. A few years ago a young filmmaker had a question that led him to Going Green. He started to think about what really happened each time he flipped the switch to turn on his lights in his home. His journey led him to learn how his electricity was brought to his home, produced and how it impacted the environment every time he flipped the switch to turn on his lights. This amazing journey led him to discover the destruction and impact that is mountain top coal removal in the Appalachians. He has since documented his journey in an award-winning documentary named “Kilowatt Ours” so that he could share his knowledge with others. From his simple thought and question about how his actions impacted the environment, he took the initiative to lower his energy consumption by changing his light bulbs to compact fluorescents, buy Energy Star rated appliances and seal all his leaky air ducts. He now not only feels better about the energy that he is conserving, but his energy bills have also significantly become lower.
IT’S EASY
Simple actions can be the first steps to Going Green. If you feel overwhelmed and do not know where to start, start by keeping a diary of actions and purchases that you make in a typical week. Also write down where you spend the most time during your day such as your home, office, vehicle, school or work. After the week is documented, take the time to go through and determine where you spend the most time. If you spend the most time at the office, start by greening your workplace. Simple actions such as not using disposable coffee cups, unplugging your power strip at night, using eco-friendly cleaning supplies and maybe even altering your work week to working four ten hour workdays instead of five eight hour workdays to save on transportation and fuel. If you find that you are making daily trips to the grocery store for fresh produce, you might want to think about joining a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) to have fresh produce provided for you by area farmers instead of produce shipped from other countries to your grocery store. You might also want to think about learning how to grow some of your own produce. For more ideas about specific steps to Going Green, please check out our Green Guide 101.
STAY INFORMED
Conscious consumerism is also a great place to start when Going Green. The majority of goods purchased today are bought without thought given as to how their production or transportation has affected the environment. When you purchase goods at the market you are promoting the production of more of those particular goods. If you purchase products that are made in areas that are not local, you have told the manufacturer that you do not mind the massive amount of fuel spent to bring the product from overseas, the carbon that the transportation vehicle has emitted into our atmosphere, or the significant amount of packaging that is needed to secure the shipment to market. Michael Shuman, author of “Small Mart - How Local Businesses are Beating Global Competition” explains within his book that not only do small businesses stimulate the local economy by buying local supplies and services, but they adapt to higher environmental and labor regulations and participate within the community for many years if not many generations. Buying locally made goods is not only good for your local economy, but it is also a better sustainable practice to participate in.
Going Green means making the conscious choice to value the connectedness that we have through our actions to the environment. By understanding our daily actions and taking steps to make positive impact on our planet, we become better global citizens and Earth stewards.
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