Drink Green, Eat Green

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Green living can be incorporated into so many areas of everyday living—even in the selection of alcoholic beverages.  With a little research, it is possible to find several green spirits that are produced in an eco-friendly manner and with a commitment to educate workers in organic production techniques.   Also, many of these spirit makers participate in renewable energy programs, such as the use of windmills for electricity, to produce their products.  A few to mention include Square One Vodka, VeeV Acai Spirit and Papagayo White Rum.  The first, Square One Vodka is produced in Idaho using distilled water from Treton Mountains, a Rocky Mountain range.  Because it is made from chemical-free organic products and distilled water, this vodka requires a shorter-than-normal fermentation period.  The final product has a fresh and distinct taste, along with a very smooth finish.  The second company, VeeV Acai Spirit produces its product, which is 60 proof alcohol from winter wheat grain and antioxidant-rich acai berries harvested in Brazil.  The VeeV Company is strongly committed to protecting the environment.  The majority of its employees drive hybrid vehicles and all product packaging is recyclable.  The third product, Papagayo Rum, has the distinction of being the world’s first organic rum.  It is single estate (only produced in one estate in Paraguay).  The founder’s objective is to help sugarcane farmers by paying them livable wages and educating them in organic farming techniques. 

The addition of organic vegetables and fruits to cocktail recipes gives spirits delectable flavors while promoting green living.  Popular organically grown vegetables and fruits that complement organic spirits include cucumbers, cilantro, basil, blackberries and thyme, just to name a few.  An internet search for organic cocktails and ingredients yields many entertaining and appetizing concoctions that is sure to enhance summertime barbecues and dinners, making it a pleasure to eat green, drink green, live green, be green.

Benefits of Building Green

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Lately, more people have been doing their part of going green by constructing “green buildings”. The beautiful part of these green buildings is that they do more than save energy. In addition to saving energy, green buildings are also known to increase one’s productivity in the workplace and one’s reputation. Meaning, having a green building saves you money, while being more productive AND doing your part for the environment.

Recently, buildings such as King and King Architects in downtown Syracuse or Welch Allyn Global Headquarters in Skaneatlas Falls represent the trend in new green buildings to save energy. These buildings have encountered the aforementioned benefits, and according to Rick Fedrizzi, U.S. Green Building Council, “buildings that minimize the use of resources and reduce waste by using more daylight and improving air quality translate into higher productivity.”

Which leads us to this question, is it just businesses that can build and benefit from building green? Answer is, no. You, yourself can plan to restructure and remodel your home in order to save energy and increase productivity. One simple way you can do this is by installing solar panels. Solar panels will save you money AND help save the environment.

For more on possible housing improvements, see our A Possible Future of Green article.

How About TVs?

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Dishwashers and refrigerators, washers and dryers… no big deal when it comes to finding environmentally friendly, certified products, right?  Not quite.  How about smaller electronics?  How about TVs? 

Just recently I was shopping around for a 50-55″ television set, and I was sure I would be able to pick out a great quality, great priced TV.  I was extremely surprised at how, even at larger sizes, televisions which are certified as “eco-friendly” are virtually impossible to come by.  I visited several brick and mortar stores and countless websites, and was surprised that there really aren’t any certified green TVs.  Yet.

I was able to stumble across an article, which I have to assume is somewhat breaking news, about South Korea’s major appliance manufacturers’ recent achievements in green certification.  Samsung and LG brand giants both have been able to produce Smart, 3D TV units that have actually been dubbed, by several European organizations, as having energy efficiency and low carbon emissions. 

Well, bravo!  Although it seems only a small step in a long line of strides to come, it is positive progress nonetheless.  Soon, I hope, it becomes industry standard to produce TV sets that are certified as eco-friendly on a worldwide scale.  (That will at least make my shopping selection a tad bit easier!)

Environmentally Faster

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This entry is intended to be more observational and less of a commentary on current events.

I recently moved back to the Washington DC area after graduating from Fordham University. After experiencing the Bronx and all of NYC as a whole, I can honestly say that the traffic is nothing compared to what people in DC deal with every single day. After driving to my new job several times, I became fed up and started taking public transportation despite it taking the same amount of time. The only difference is that you avoid sitting in standstill traffic.

The reality is that that unlike NYC’s commuter train, there is no real advantage to using DC Metro public transportation as a commuter. Most people who work in DC live in the suburbs, however the public transportation system for the demographic is terribly inefficient. One example is the MARC train that is equivalent to NYC’s Metro North. The MARC train does not make getting to Union Station (downtown DC) a transportation priority for DC commuters like Metro North makes Grand Central Station a priority for NY commuters. DC commuters would be better off taking an appropriately scheduled Amtrak train despite it not necessarily being cost effective. The MARC train does exist as more of a Maryland, DC transportation initiative that shuttles residents between the two cities.

From an Eco-friendly perspective, this creates a problem. An efficient and effective public transportation system helps reduce vehicle emissions and overall energy consumption by removing the amount of cars on the road. People in the DC metro area still do not have enough reason to turn to public transportation as it is just as timely and cost effective as driving.

Here is an excerpt from Forbes Magazine from 2008 when DC ranked 7th among the worst cities for commuters:

No. 7: Washington, D.C.
Because most of the workers in Washington D.C. are commuting from the Virginia or Maryland suburbs, it can take an exceedingly long time to make it downtown. Here, 15% of commuters take over an hour to get to work, the second highest rate in the country. Drivers spend 60 hours a year stuck in traffic, and only 26% of commuters get to work in under 20 minutes– the worst rate in the country. The only thing saving D.C. from a worse ranking is its efficiency ranking for carpooling, public transportation and walking, the country’s second best. (stats since then have remained relatively the same)

I want to point point out that the public transportation within the city is great! As the observation above mentions, it is one of the best. Commuters who live outside the city limits however, are nit experiencing the same situation. For everyone’s sanity and for the environment, there needs to be a more effective solution for commuters surrounding our Nations’s Capital. City planners need to look at models such as NYC and Chicago and develop a better a better public transportation for everyone outside the city limits.

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Go Green with Hummingbird Garden

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One of the most enjoyable parts of summer is getting to shed the heavy winter clothing and to spend time outside soaking up the sun.  The warm months also provides greater opportunities to relax outdoors, enjoying daytime and evening picnics and dinners.  One downside to outdoor summer fun is the invasion of mosquitoes, fleas, no-see-ums and other pesky bugs.  There is an expectation that this past unseasonably warm winter will result in an exceptionally brutal insect infestation this summer.  Many communities have instituted mosquito programs to try to keep these infestations to a minimum because these bugs are disease carriers.  Besides the discomfort of itching, allergic reactions and unsightly sores, mosquitoes can carry diseases that affect humans, such as malaria and West Nile virus, and they also can cause dog heartworms and encephalitis in other animals.

Although pesticide spraying is mandated in many communities for public health reasons, each of us can adopt green incentives to reduce the mosquito population in our neighborhoods.  Green gardening goes a long way here.  Planting a hummingbird garden is one way to help control the mosquito population because hummingbirds eat mosquitoes.  Some of the plants that attract hummingbirds include bee balm, columbine, butterfly bushes, lantana, Catawba rhododendrons and many other red plants.  A hummingbird garden can be as small as a patio garden or hanging plants or as large as landscaped community gardens.  Any home or community can achieve beauty with a purpose.

Mosquitoes and other bugs are a natural part of summer, but if we live green, be green, we can reduce the impact of this problem.

Sustainability in Ontario

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According to a recent survey conducted by Research House, Eighty-nine percent of Ontarians feel that their communities would benefit environmentally and economically by incorporating green alternatives. The survey, which was conducted in April of this year, sought to obtain consumer insights into creating more sustainable communities.

Ontarians felt that in order to make greener communities, development should be promoted through local governments. More specifically, “Ninety-six percent of respondents felt municipalities could do more to ensure shared community spaces such as parks and recreation centers incorporate environmentally friendly products.” This statistic is encouraging as the green movement has seemed to move to top-of-mind-awareness in the global community. Being green is not an ambitious goal anymore, rather a reality that has set in for many individuals and companies around the world.  Andrew Horsman, Executive Director of the Ontario Tire Stewardship reiterated this sentiment claiming, “Factoring environmental sustainability…isn’t just a trend. It’s a necessary, everyday consideration that extends beyond World Environment Day, to preserve our environment, health, and livelihoods of future generations.” The amazing reach of the green movement has invited more people, year after year, to not only think green, but to live green as well. As exemplified by the survey described, citizens are not only aware of the concept of sustainability, but also wish to implement programs to see these ideas through. To see more of the survey please check out the link below.

http://sustainablebusinessforum.com/derekwong/58656/ontarians-want-more-sustainable-communities

Live green, Travel green

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Vacation trips often are the highlight of the summer.  Now more than ever, summer travel can be green.  With a little research, it is possible to find great travel destinations with Eco-friendly amenities.

One such destination is the Hilton New York.  Located in Manhattan, the Hilton New York is Manhattan’s largest hotel.  It boasts 1,981 rooms plus common areas.  It has a 16,000 square feet green roof system that is planted with vegetation from upstate New York.  This remarkable system serves several purposes.  The foliage absorbs airborne pollutants which prevent the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.  Secondly, it deflects solar radiation, thereby reducing the amount of energy needed to cool the air.  The incorporation of this roof top garden has resulted in a significant decrease in the high temperatures in Manhattan from dense cityscapes and lack of vegetation.

The New York Hilton also uses an Eco-friendly natural gas to produce electricity and hot water.  This system is expected to produce more than half of the hotel’s required electrical power, thereby reducing its carbon footprint by more than 30 percent.  Additionally, visitors to all Hilton hotels, including the Hilton New York, benefit from LightStay, which is the chain’s worldwide system for improving its sustainability program.  There is a constant analysis of all functions at Hilton hotels, including but not limited to housekeeping, waste management and use of paper products, to measure their impact on the environment and to make changes necessary to improve the ecosystem, all without cost to the customers.  All eco-conscious visitors are encouraged to participate in the Global Soap Project which encourages everyone to donate discarded soap to be reprocessed and given to needy people all over the world.

The Hilton New York has set the benchmark for providing excellent service to its visitors while at the same time maintaining green standards and promoting sustainability and introducing customers to programs and efforts to help the green movement.  This hotel truly allows you to vacation green, live green and be green.

Do The Worldwide WALL STREET’s Have a Heart?

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Well, the answer to the above question remains to be seen, with time.  For now, however, it does appear as though the Stock Exchanges from around the world do, as many are active members of the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative.  One of the world’s best sustainability ideas, as labeled by Forbes, this initiative aims to provide a forum wherein international regulators, exchanges and investors can openly deliberate on issues of sustainability.

Formed in 2009, the SSE Initiative is co-organized by four United Nations organizations: the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the UN Global Compact, the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative, and the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment.  According to a Reuters article, the SSE will be holding a Global Dialogue on Monday, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, prior to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), scheduled for June 20-22. 

This is incredibly good news, and a great sign that these international powerhouses are actually taking sustainability seriously, going so far as to make it a priority.  The dialogue is reportedly focusing on the transparency of the industry, through official sustainability reports, among other topics.  Let’s hope that the movement not only continues, but that its thriving momentum carries forward to realizable changes in global corporate environments.