Environment, Organics, Fair Trade & Recycling at Big Green Purse

Rebuild Sustainably After Natural Disasters Strike

If there's any silver lining in the dark weather clouds hanging over most of the country right now, it's in the opportunity they're creating to transform our cities and towns into the energy-saving, water-saving, safe and healthy communities they should be.

  Greensburg, Kansas provides a perfect example of how a town sheared down to the very ground it was built on has become a model of sustainability, not just for the U.S., but for the entire world.

At 9:45 pm on May 4, 2007, an EF5 tornado whipped through rural Greensburg, essentially destroying the entire town. (Photo at right from the GreensburgGreentown.org website; see more amazing photos on the blog of professional photographer Galen Buller.)

Within days, the community decided to rebuild their homes and businesses sustainably. Yes, they wanted to get their lives back on track. But they also wanted to create a "model green town" for the future. They formed a non-profit organization called Greensburg GreenTown, with an ambitious and inspiring vision (taken directly from their website, GreensburgGreentown.org):

Vision

Greensburg GreenTown exists to:

• Make it easier for residents to ascribe to and adhere to green practices, and to make green living appealing to people.
• Engage as many residents as possible in the enthusiastic pursuit of making Greensburg a model green community.
• Establish incentives in order to maximize the participation of businesses and residents in rebuilding Greensburg as a model green community.
• Bring in resources and support from around the country to make the dreams of Greensburg as a model green community a reality.
• Make it easier for builders, building supply companies, and local businesses to do business as green as possible.
• Work to spur economic development with a green emphasis.
• Serve the residents in an unbiased consumer advocate capacity, striving to get them the best value for their money as they rebuild their homes and businesses.

The impact that vision had on rebuilding led to substantial environmental gains for the community. When homes were rebuilt, they included:

* 400 dual-flush, low-flow toilets and dozens of water-saving sinks, estimated to now be saving up to 2,500,000 gallons of water per year over the pre-storm toilets

* 260 low-flowshowerheads, saving the average family of three up to 2,700 gallons of water per year

* 300 sets of microfiber kitchen and bath cloths, saving every family that uses them money they might otherwise spend on paper towels (TADGreen, which donated the cloths, estimates that if each household in the U.S. replaced one roll of paper towels with an E-cloth, we could save 544,000 trees annually).

Residents also received instructions on how to use non-toxic products to clean their homes; reusable shopping bags to minimize use of disposable plastic bags; and subscriptions to Mother Earth News for regular information on topics like organic gardening and solar energy systems.

Meanwhile, a reclaimed lumber project was launched. Instead of dumping fallen trees in a landfill, the wood was salvaged so it could be used for furniture and trim. And thanks to energy efficiency improvements made when homes were rebuilt, the average Greensburg home now uses 41% less energy than a standard code home.

 On the business side, the town launched the Chain of Eco-Homes Project, a series of demonstration homes that feature a variety of building techniques, sizes, prices and energy-efficiency features. The Eco-Homes Project is intended to be the cornerstone of a new eco-tourism industry in Greensburg, where one of the first homes completed is also serving as an eco bed-and-breakfast for people who come to see and learn from these innovative Kansans.

Greensburg still has work to do to completely realize the inspiring vision it laid out when it created its Greentown idea. But it won't be alone.  According to the non-profit Worldwatch Institute, in 2012, there were 905 natural catastrophes worldwide, 93 percent of which were related to tornados, hurricanes, floods, drought and other natural disasters. Here in the U.S. Hurricane Sandy and the devastation it caused in New York and New Jersey received much of the publicity, but the drought in the Midwest and floods in many other parts of the country have also left a wake of destruction that needs to be cleaned up and reclaimed.

 And there's more. As recently as last month, two massive tornadoes of equal power to the one that flattened Greensburg tore through Oklahoma. The first destroyed the city of Moore, a suburb of Oklahoma City; rebuilding it is estimated to cost $2 billion. The second ravaged an area 20 miles from Moore, with damage estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

All of these communities can learn from Greensburg, and they should. While it can be hard for a home owner, local government, or business to feel they can afford to make sustainability upgrades to their existing homes and buildings, it only makes sense to do so when they're rebuilding from scratch.

It also makes sense to do so as more and more scientific research links severe weather events to climate change. "Climate change" describes the alterations to climate and weather patterns that are occurring due to the build-up of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other gases in the atmosphere. CO2 comes from burning fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. The only way to reduce CO2 build-up is to cut back on our use of fossil fuels. Greensburg, Kansas is showing us how to do that. Tornadoes, hurricanes and other extreme weather events are showing us that we must.

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Insulate Now to Reduce High Air Conditioning Costs

Most people don't think about insulating their homes until the fall. With winter looming, consumers know that higher heating costs will hit them right where it hurts - in their pocket books.

But guess what? As climate change increases, it is becoming more expensive to cool your home in the summer than heat it in the winter. Here's a copy of my 2012 electricity bill, which shows how much electricity I use month to month and compares 2012 overall to 2011. (I have an electric heat pump for both heating and cooling). I use almost twice as much energy to cool my home in July and August than to heat it in November and December!

All of which is to say that, as we face another blistering summer, now is a smart time to think about insulating your home to keep hot air out and cooled air in.

The Mark Group, a company based in the United Kingdom but with offices in Philadelphia, Delaware, and New Jersey, is sponsoring this post to let you know what energy-saving options you can take advantage of right now. They include:

In My Element at Element Hotel in NYC

If you're looking for an eco-friendly hotel for business travel or vacation, put the Element chain at the top of your list.

I recently was offered the chance to spend three nights at the Element Times Square West in New York City in exchange for providing my unvarnished feedback on the hotel's environmental attributes. Many hotels "talk the talk" when it comes to being green; did Element actually "walk the walk?" Here's what I found out.

LOCATION

The Element chain is relatively new; though it's part of the Starwood Hotels & Resorts family, there are only 10 Elements in the U.S. and a few abroad (though more are on the drawing board). The upside is that you can earn Starwood points if you stay there. The downside is that you won't yet be able to find an Element everywhere you travel.

EcoCentric Mom Box Review: Ooh, Aah, and Yum

Every Ecocentric Mom Box comes packed with a selection of interesting, useful and tasty treats that help me make healthier, more eco-friendly choices when I shop. Here's the lowdown on what's in this month's box:

FOOD FIRST

Kallari Organic Chocolate Bar - I've written before why it's so important for chocolate to be produced organically. And when you shift your spending to organic chocolate, you encourage more conventional manufacturers to become more organic, too. Your purse power aside, Kallari chocolates make the shift worthwhile just because they taste so good. The 70% cacao bar included in this month's Ecocentric Mom Box was smooth, creamy and very flavorful. Plus, I love the fact that Kallari is produced via a cooperative of 850 indigenous Kichwa families in the Ecuadorian Amazon basin. The cooperative shares 100% of their profits among 21 rainforest communities to "maintain our way of life in one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth." Try a bar!

What Makes EPIC So "Epic"? Great Animation, Green Message

Tiny, champion Leaf Men. Evil, creepy "Boggans." A talking snail and a comical slug. A handsome rogue who can ride a sparrow faster than anyone around. A teenage girl who tries to run away but learns to ride a hummingbird instead. And a big magical forest that will die unless the Leaf Men, the runaway and the slimy things prevail.

 PLUS animation so vibrant and lively you'll feel like you're defending the forest, too -  rather than watching it unfold in 3-D.

That's EPIC in a nutshell, a fantastic eco-blockbuster opening Memorial Day weekend. Thanks to Team ENERGY STAR, I was invited to attend the movie's star-studded "green carpet" premiere in New York City - along with several of the celebrities who voiced the movie's characters. Team ENERGY STAR hopes EPIC raises awareness about the importance of protecting the planet and stopping climate change, especially among kids.

Do Your Kids Think Saving Energy Is Important? Enter Contest by May 31.

Team ENERGY STAR, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's program to help kids and families understand why saving energy is important, has launched a contest to encourage kids to tell us in their own worlds why energy efficiency makes a difference.

To enter, all kids need to do is share their stories on the Team ENERGY STAR web page. The "story" can be told in words, pictures, video, slides, animation, drawings...the sky's (almost) the limit! The deadline for entering is May 31.

EPA and ENERGY STAR will recognize those who tell the best, most inspiring stories with a variety of energy-efficient electronic prizes from LG, including:

·      Smart phones

·      Feature phones

·      27 inch LED televisions

·      Computer monitors

·      MP3 Docking Stations

 PLUS: YOUR CHILD'S NAME IN LIGHTS

Winners’ names and photos will be broadcast on LG’s billboard in New York's Times Square in conjunction with a Twitter Party on June 7, #TeamENERGYSTAR.

Go to the Team ENERGY STAR website now to get more details and encourage your kids to share their story! (http://www.energystar.gov/team)

Saving Energy is Easy & Fun With the Help of Team ENERGY STAR

  What does it take to get kids to save energy? Even if it’s just a simple reminder to turn off the lights, that message can get old after awhile – which is why the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is inviting kids and families to join Team ENERGY STAR. Team ENERGY STAR makes saving energy fun for kids while giving parents free resources they can use to explain why energy efficiency needs to be a priority at home. The program is particularly unique because it empowers kids to help protect the climate and our air through easy-to-implement, money-saving actions.

 It also provides them an outlet for sharing their passion for preserving our environment. This year ENERGY STAR has partnered with the parents group PTO Today and LG Electronics to share Team ENERGY STAR with kids across the country. PTO Today has even brought in the heroic characters from a new summer animated eco feature film, EPIC, which is sure to excite kids of all ages. The movie, voiced by Amanda Seyfried, Beyonce Knowles, Colin Ferrel, and other celebrities you'll recognize, features a young girl who finds herself transported to a beautiful natural world, a world she needs to protect. 

Mother's Day: Shopping Spree or Shopping Shift?

Mother's Day has become a gigantic shopping event. Next to Christmas and Valentine's Day, consumers spend more money for Mother's Day than they do for any other holiday in the year. This year, according to the National Retail Federation's annual Mother's Day survey, Americans will spend $20.7 billion! That amounts to an average of almost $170 per mom, an 11% increase over last year.

 As a mom myself, I love the attention I get on Mother's Day. Who wouldn't want to be surrounded by family, showered with love, and coddled with breakfast in bed, a luxurious morning just reading the paper, and no rushing around to do chores?

But as the founder of Big Green Purse, where I advocate using consumer clout to change the world, I consider Mother's Day a tremendous opportunity - not to buy a lot of stuff, but to take a stand against excessive consumerism and in favor of the products and services that offer the greatest environmental benefit.

DOES YOUR MOM REALLY NEED MORE STUFF?

One of the most powerful and eco ways to use your money is to keep it in your purse or pocket! Most people have enough "stuff" - in fact, many of us are so overwhelmed by clutter that it adds to the stress of managing our households when we get more things we have to find a place for.

Years ago, when our two children were still toddlers, we established a "no gifts on Mother's Day" rule (we do the same thing on Father's Day). I truly appreciate my kids' desire to treat me special on Mother's Day, but for me that means that we have brunch or dinner together, maybe go for a hike or have some other family outing, and tell funny stories about my most memorable/ridiculous "mom moments." When my son and daughter were in elementary and middle school, Mother's Day was also a "no bickering" day. There was no better gift than the 24 conflict-free hours they gave me that one day of the year!

Is Glade Air Freshener Bad for Babies?

"Cleaning product companies aren’t required to disclose the ingredients they use in their products, and what they’re keeping secret from you could be hazardous to your health," reports Women's Voices for the Earth (WVE), the respected non-profit research group that investigates toxic chemicals in the common household cleansers we use.

  In their "Dirty Secrets" study, WVE commissioned an independent laboratory to test twenty popular cleaning products for hidden toxic chemicals from five top companies: Clorox, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, SC Johnson and Son, and Sunshine Makers (Simple Green). WVE found reproductive toxins, carcinogens, hormone disruptors, and allergens -- none of which were listed on the product label. 

"Consumers deserve to know what chemicals they are being exposed to, so that they can easily avoid products that may cause allergic reactions or serious long-term health impacts like cancer, birth defects, or pregnancy complications," WVE declares - and I agree. That's why I support WVE's effort to get Congress to pass new federal legislation that requires cleaning product manufacturers to disclose all the ingredients they use in their products directly on the product label.

I also support WVE's effort to persuade companies like Glade to list ALL ingredients in their product on their label. You may think Glade helps clear the air. According to WVE's research, here's actually what Glade is putting into the air:

Toxic Chemicals Found in Glade (according to WVE research)

Join Team ENERGY STAR & Get Ready for This Summer's Eco Block-Buster

 Team ENERGY STAR is on a simple but extremely important mission: encourage kids and families to save energy at home. How? By empowering them to protect the climate and reduce air pollution through easy-to-implement, money-saving actions.

    Team ENERGY STAR works in large part because it makes saving energy easy and fun. Check out www.energystar.gov/team and you’ll see what I mean. Kids and their parents can download interactive materials, including a comprehensive Action Kit and the ENERGY STAR Home Check-Up list. Kids are also encouraged to share their energy-saving stories on energystar.gov/team. If they do, they’ll become eligible to win all kinds of great energy-saving electronics that reinforce the message that saving energy can change the world.

CHANGE THE WORLD? REALLY?

Yes! In fact, that “change the world” part is important. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in 2012 alone, consumers and businesses, with the help of ENERGY STAR, reduced utility bills by $24 billion and prevented 242 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Talk about impact! 

IT'S FUN, TOO. 

Now for the fun part. This summer, EPA is teaming up with PTO Today (a national nonprofit that helps independent parent-teacher organizations) to reach more kids than ever before. PTO Today is working with the makers of the new eco-animated film EPIC, and bringing in the heroic characters of the film to make Team ENERGY STAR more fun than ever.

The film stars Steven Tyler, Colin Ferrell, Beyonce Knowles and Amanda Seyfried, a line-up that will surely excite the whole family. By joining the team kids will get the chance to earn cool prizes courtesy of PTO Today, LG Electronics USA and 20^th Century Fox. The first 200 families to submit an energy-saving story will receive 2 tickets each to see EPIC, courtesy of Fox. Kids will also get the chance to earn some great prizes from LG Electronics USA and maybe even see their name in lights in Times Square. All the kids have to do issig up at energystar.gov/team and click on “Submit your energy-saving success story.’ Bloggers who blog about this could end up at the New York City red carpet premiere of EPIC.

ABOUT THE MOVIE