Green Business Awareness

Amidst a multi-national and international global economy, there is something to be said for buying from a business within a modest proximity of your operation.   Transportation costs are a hidden cost that is offset by reduced wages in another area, but what is the real impact of buying from low wage countries?  We are presently in a recession, and that recession has been made worse by rampant unemployment that has not been seen since the Great Depression.  A little common sense appreciation of our economic woes should bring us back to an old concept that deserves to be resurrected.  That concept is “Buy American.”

This is not easy, because every store and many of the most available products come from China, India, Mexico, and Taiwan.  We have, quite frankly, exported a lot of our manufacturing to countries who are more than happy to do the work and send it back to us.  Therefore, we have become more of a service and business nation that has less and less exportable goods, except for farm products and minerals.  It remains to be seen if what we still have to export will sustain us as we continue to become more of a debtor nation year after ignorant year.

With the rise of a new and Greener theme of Green Supply Chain, the government and business should realize that transporting goods across the globe and over thousands of miles is contrary to the environmental good.  Every mile of transportation requires energy, and the great majority of that energy comes from fossil fuels.  Simply stated, all that transportation adds millions of tons of carbon dioxide to the air.  Therefore, saving money by importing and transporting goods could be causing more carbon dioxide than if we made these items locally.

The other tragedy is that imported goods have left us without the diversity of employment that we used to enjoy.  When the financial sector failed, we lacked the stability to sustain our economy because the financial sector was such a huge portion of all our national economy.   Banking, the stock market, and real estate should not be our dominant businesses.  Diversity is a stabilizing factor for any economy.  Money is no good to any nation that lacks the basic commodities necessary for life.  Without the staples needed for daily life, inflation is the only expectation that people can expect because money is meaningless without some commodity that it can purchase.  Therefore, simple economics tells us that we must encourage the industries that produce products and employ people.

The many-fold benefits that we get back are the lowering of transportation costs, less CO2 emissions, and we will see more jobs that will drive the economy and pay taxes to reduce our national debt (hopefully).   Buying locally, has an unfortunate bypass value.  If you can’t find it locally, there is the expected allowance to buy it from “wherever.”   In the drive to reduce the global climate change issue of carbon dioxide emissions, we need to encourage and incentivize new businesses to produce things in America.

Now, let me add that there will be those suffering from the “Not in my back yard” (NiMBY) syndrome.  They do not want to despoil there community with manufacturing companies.  But wait a minute.  If this is a global issue, why is it okay to send these nasty programs to Mexico, India, China, or South America?  Instead of solving the problem and making it work right, is it okay to make these things outside of the U.S. and buy them back once they have been sanitized?

I support “Buy America,” and as hard as it is, I make the effort to find something that I can purchase that is made in the U.S.  The current status is a trend that is hard to reverse and will cost us more to accomplish than we might like.  But, there are some things that are just the right thing to do.  We cannot be purists about this matter, but we should be better than we have been.  Buy American and start the turning of the tide because the market is determined by the buyers, not the sellers.  If we create a demand, business will respond.  It may be with an American car.  And yes, I have bought a foreign car in my life, but that is something that I regret as I see American auto workers struggling with unemployment.  We have all bought the cheaper and more innovative products from other countries, but this is a habit that can be changes simply by looking a little hard at the tag and for the American option.

I believe that a Green world also means a Green America.  That Green America puts a preference and emphasis on buying locally, and buying American.  This concept is echoed by the EPA in their “Environmentally Preferred Purchasing” that asks that we buy from companies that promote Green principles.  Unfortunately, we can no longer tell which company is Green and which one is a Green pretender.  There is no standard, no auditing, and no certification of 98% of all businesses in our country.  Without a standard, Greenwashing and Green hype has flourished, and as the American consumer figures this out, their disappointment will be profound.  The sheer fact that more than 96% of all Green products on the shelves are Greenwashed, according to TerraPass, is shocking and stupid.  Isn’t it time that we got honest about environmental commitments?

The Green Business League is the largest certification program for Green businesses offering a an audited and certified Green business certification.  With more than 250 Certified Green Consultants nationwide, the Green Business League is a leader in what has been a poorly led effort.  Going Green as a business has often fallen prey to niche promotion, “Easy Green” websites offering their logo for a fee, and businesses who prefer the price of Greenwashing over Green certification.  Find a Certified Green Consultant in your community who will assist any business in a well-constructed process of Green business certification through the adoption of Green Practices.  The business need not own the building, as required by LEED, because Green Practices deal with the operation and how to run a Green program.

Has the combined power of a major recession, indications of global cooling, and the resignation of Van Jones sent a signal that the Green bubble has now burst?  It could be argued that our world will wobble a bit, but will return to a homeostasis that allows the hard-working people of the world to regain a sense of normalcy and reprieve.  Every issue has a kind of zenith that it hits that is followed by a more moderated cycle.  Just look at the charts of Wall Street and the Dow Jones average.  It seems that many huge issues have their trends and episodes of crisis and calm.

If there is any truth to the argument of declining environmental concern, it is both unfortunate and misleading.  Few people can read Thomas Friedman’s book, “Hot, Flat, and Crowded” and come away unconvinced.  The recession has produced a tight-fisted approach to spending by many companies, and that has frankly hurt the environmental cause.  Businesses, especially small to medium sized businesses, realized that surviving a recession meant holding onto every dime was the order of the day.  Therefore, Greening a business was deferred or turned into token Green efforts.

As the recession gives way to a better economy, the believe that we can start the return to business as usual brings along an artificial belief that the environmental issues will likewise pass in importance.  It will not!  Certain factors are already at work that will not pass like an ugly storm through the night.  World population is a constant issues with no reprieve in sight.  Our growing world population is compounded by an emerging multi-national middle class that demands more goods and resources.  So, regardless of your believe about climate change, the environmental will continue to impact our lives in major ways.

Walmart is a leader in environmental commitment.  Some believe that Walmart’s environmental is a smart marketing effort to defer the employee pay issues of the recent past.  Nonetheless, Walmart has found a winning issue here and set a tone that others must follow or be left in the dust.  Michael Dell of Dell computers has taken a similar tact hiring a bevy of Green advisers to move his company into a zero impact company over the next ten years.

T Boone Pickens has just mothballed $2 million of his hyped wind mills, but that was the result of miscalculation rather than environmental trend.  The car industry is now committed to building more sustainable cars, and school age children are being ardently taught to be serious environmentalists.  There is no possible way that environmental causes can be continually deferred into the future.  The time is now and the tipping point is happening in our generation.

The right response is to step up to the issue, and the recovering economy should provide new opportunity for moving forward with Green improvements.  Adding even more opportunity to the Greening process is the Green Business League’s program of Green Practices that provides a readily-accessible standard for any business to earn a nationally recognize Green business certification.

Every business can do the right thing and contribute to the larger solution of environmentalism.  The Green practices allows any company to accumulate points toward a Green business certification.  Since the environmental crisis is a universal problem, it requires universal participation.  While not everyone can own a LEED certified building, it is true that anyone can install Green practices and contribute to a massive, worldwide improvement campaign.  If you need help with installing Green practices in your business, contact a Certified Green Consultant from the Green Business League. Those wishing to roll up their sleeves and act as the Green Officer for their company should attend one the regionally offered Green Officer Training events.

It is one thing to put various pieces of the Green puzzle together, but how do you know when it achieves a level of accomplishment?  Not all good ideas are Green, and there are often neglected areas regardless of good intentions.   The truth is that the Greening process can be complex and difficult.   In many cases, environmental improvement takes on a kind of hit and miss development as well-intentioned people do their best to address complicated mega-issues.  This could be no truer than the numerous and varied challenges found at a college campus.

Brevard Community College is the first college in Florida to achieve Green certification as a reputably Green campus.  The Green Business League has certified the first Green campus in Florida as Brevard Community College scored an impressive 311 points to earn a platinum level certification.  This comes as a result of numerous improvements in the campus operation and a commitment that went well beyond a token effort.

Certified Green Consultant, Bob Jones, has worked with the college to install and validate the Green practices of Brevard Community College.  The fact is that these changes did not happen overnight.  They are put in place through planning and commitment to the environmental cause.  The fact that Brevard Community college has scored so high on this evaluation is a testimony to a diligent effort and a willingness to change where necessary.

We are presently in a period where Green is ill-defined, poorly-implemented, and by self-appointment.  Under this criteria, anyone installing a few CFL bulbs can claim to be as environmentally committed as another firm that has make extensive efforts to become a leader in the cause.  Eventually, the market will be filled with self-proclaimed Green organizations making all claims valueless.  Certification means that there is a standard of comparison, a third party review, and a criteria for certification.  Without diminishing any environmental effort, those claiming to be authentically Green should be certified by a reputable independent agency, like the Green Business League.

Brevard Community College aptly deserves the designation as Florida’s first Green campus although it is sure that other campuses are striving to achieve similar environmental goals.  The Greening of the campus does not stop at this notable accomplishment, however.  With the assistance of Green consultant, Bob Jones, we are sure that there is more that will be done from this environmentally-committed institution.

Mr Jones encourages other businesses in the area to step up to an authentically Green standard as well.  A Green Business League certification prevents claims of Greenwashing because there is an honest assessment and audit of the Green merits of any business or organization.

Does it seem that we are suffering from Green overload as more and more environmental balls are being tossed our way?   Going Green can feel like a game of Green bombardment with ideas that are tossed your way from dozens of angles.  The feeling is not rare since there are hundreds of big and thousands of smaller Green ideas that really deserve our attention.  In the face of an emerging and complicated subject, it helps to have some straight-forward advice.  As someone heavily engaged in the overwhelming duties of your work and life, most of us are not ready for yet another wave of responsibility and pressing deadlines

Knowing where to start allows us to get into the game and gradually make progress.  While environmentalism is a substantial subject, knowing where to start and how to make basic progress is immensely helpful.   So, let’s start with a definition about the meaning of Green.   As a little research will show, the best definition of Green is “Health Impact.”  No matter what else we do to make the world better, it seems like a false start to neglect the health issues of those that are within the reach of our influence.

If Green is primarily about health, then what part seems universal to all of us?  No one controls what you eat, what you drink, or how often you exercise; but can we not control what we breathe?   This universal connection does provide a common area for universal participation.  Even the EPA has stated that Americans spend 90% of their time indoors, and the indoor air is 500-600% worse than the outside air.  That is why I propose that the obvious starting point for Going Green is the indoor air quality.

While many will think that Greening their business requires a major overhaul of the building, the fact is that Going Green may require a series of improved Green practices and changes in everyday options.  Cleaning products often emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs).  Furniture made from plywood or particleboard may give off formaldehyde gas.  The addition of live green plants will remove some bad elements from the air while adding much needed oxygen that will improve employee productivity.  These are examples of low cost ways to improve any facility that will help improve the company’s environmental program.

Sustainable issues create yet another level of issues that are not primarily health related, but deals with how a company manages its use of resources or adds to the waste disposal system.  However, this is the next level of environmentalism rather than the entry point for a Green business program.

The EPA also points out that businesses in America are losing $60 billion a year in lost productivity due to bad indoor air quality.  These are invisible and passive costs that should be considered for any company.  You will not find them on the ledger of accounts or in the annual report.  They are as much a part of the cost of operation as the aging of the equipment.   Therefore, making Green improvements will always improve company operation and will also show up as a more profitable company at year’s end.

Like other complex subjects, taking a company Green is not an amatuer-level commitment.  The task requires a trained and professional approach that comes only from a Certified Green Consultant.  Not only do these Green consultants know what Green is and how it is done, they also are capable of an independent assessment and certification of any kind of business.  Certified Green Consultants work with the Green Business League to provide the best Green business certification in the country.

Years ago, businesses brought in efficiency experts for a very good reason.  Every profitable company realized that there was waste and redundancy in the system.  Certain tasks were poorly done or involved unnecessary tasks.  The cumulative effect was that a company running inefficiently was not as profitable nor as competitive as a highly efficient operation.

We have all heard of Jack Welch’s commitment to keeping the top 10% of workers and firing the bottom 10%.  It all came down to creating a company that understood that the critical issue of any business is to produce a quality product or service and to create a profit each month.  In this time of economic downturn, there is an urgent need to reevaluate the operation and keep the company profitable or face failure and bankruptcy.

Well, there is a new version of efficiency experts, and they have surprisingly come from an area sometimes considered anti-business.  Regardless of the misconception early in the evolution, the Green consultant has come on the scene as the well-informed environmental adviser.   Everyone knows that there is an immediate need for greater and sweeping environmental changes to the business model, but serious commitment to the project are usually hindered by the cost, interruption, and extra work required to become a truly Green business.

As the environmental program has matured, the Green mandate has discovered that there are more benefits than first considered.  Going Green is also about EFFICIENCIES meaning that concepts like source reduction, sustainability planning, Green Supply Chain, and energy management will actually make a company more efficient consumers and will reduce costs and trim labor costs.   The paperless systems suggested will speed up office operations and reduce costs more than anyone had suspected.  In all, it is possible to see thousands and tens of thousands of dollars saved for nearly any company.  Such savings makes a company more profitable and better able to survive an economically rough cycle.

Going Green, strengthening business, and reducing costs is not something to leave up to amateurs.  Like the efficiency experts once so eagerly employed, the new generation of efficiency experts are Certified Green Consultants.  Do not trust this project to the same committee that plans the company picnic.  By all means, do not turn to Internet websites promising to sell you their logo for a few hundred dollars and a shallow self-assessment form.

The Green Business League and Green Business League International is able to serve your business with the kind of professionalism that it deserves.  In the end, your company will be Greener, leaner, and more profitable.  There seems to be no loser in the Green transition when it is done right.

I have heard from a growing number of people from numerous business types about the establishment of a Green Committee.  What the overall response has been is a kind of underlying “Help me!”  That is because most of the people on these committees are well-meaning and under-informed people who are commissioned with the task of providing guidance or direction for the corporate Greening process.  No insult intended, but environmental progress requires more than the same committee type that plans the office picnic.

I strongly suggest that every Green committee needs the assistance of someone with training and a clear plan for success.  Adding one person to this team could make a huge difference, and that person should be a Certified Green Consultant.  Rather than starting as a near-zero point, the Certified Green Consultant knows how to formulate a Green program that everyone will appreciate.

Knowing where to start  and how to stage the progress of the company’s Greening effort is very empowering for your Green committee.  The committee allows input from the company side that will provide the customized approach to environmental projects.

The other important consideration is “Cost and Savings” incurred or realized by this program.  This is where the Certified Green Consultant shines.   Going Green will improve the workplace, reduce sick time and increase productivity, but did you know that a good Greening program will develop efficiencies that most people miss?  We are not talking of a few dollars that can be realized, but thousands and tens of thousands of dollars that this program will save in company expenditures.

One idea alone from the Green Consultant will guarantee to reduce your electric bill by 20%, and there are many more cost saving ideas that will speed up office productivity and reduce operational costs.  Most people still labor under the belief that Going Green will cost the company in time and money.  This is no longer true.  Going Green has an ROI that can produce immediate and long-term savings that no business should neglect.

In the absence of a committee, I suggest that a key person be appointed who has the ear and measured authority to move the company into a progressive Greening program.  This person should use the resources of the Certified Green Consultant as well.  To be honest, the information download and constant innovations in the environmental sector take more time than the appointed person has readily available.  While installing Green ideas and managing programs currently in place, looking into what is next still requires some teamsmanship.  Adding the Green Consultant as an outsourced Green adviser is a very intelligent thing to do.

As we emerge from the environmental infancy cycle into an age of informed environmental participant, the value of having a trained and knowledgeable professional is not only smart, but part of a well-run business.   If your company is too small for a Green officer or Green committee, do yourself a favor and bring a Certified Green Consultant along side of your business.  The help that you will receive is worth many times more than you will pay for the service.   Every company WILL GO GREEN.  That is honestly a foregone conclusion.  However, the process can be done in a sloppy and awkward manner that ill-serves all involved, or it can be done professionally so that the process improves the company at every level and saves a ton of money and improves profitability.

Environmental transition is simply not a minor consideration to be handed off to a committee where it will twist in the wind or come back with a less-than-efficient set of solutions.   This is something that deserves the same value that you put on your marketing program because it will affect the future of your business.

We live in an era that may be called the “Wild West of Green.”   There is no common law in this territory, and everyone is trying to claim prime ground while shooting at others who are doing the same.  It is, quite frankly, still early in the Green cycle which presents challenges and opportunities for everyone.   What is needed, therefore, is the establishment of measures and standards that define what Green is and how it can be verified.  Small mindedness and niche interests (like carbon credits or solar power) should not become the sole criteria for Green business.

To state the issue in broad terms, the environmental problem is a “Universal Problem that needs a Universal Solution.”  Currently, we find a wide variety of environmental options that appeal to a narrow area, meaning that only a few are able to participate.  If a company offers a product, such as a cleaning solution, it can be evaluated and certified as Green or environmentally-friendly.  If a business owns their building, it can be graded for construction material and design for certification.  What about all the other businesses that do not offer a product or own the building?  Less than 10% of businesses own their building, and even fewer have a product that could be appropriately called Green.

Of course, a business may conduct an energy audit to reduce energy use.  It may also hire someone to do a carbon footprint calculation that will provide the foundation for the purchase of carbon offset credits.  A company may also hire a sustainability specialist to conduct a sustainability assessment and assist in the Green Supply Chain review.  To assist in reducing the electric usage, a firm may be hired to install solar or wind power units.   Whatever the interest, any company should make sure to hire a Green certified janitorial service.  While the list of possible Green solutions can become onerous, there are still more options that might be necessary to operate a Green business.

What if these services could be coordinated, measured, and certified so that a Green business certification could be more than a clandestine effort in self-promotion?  The Green Business League offers what may be the best comprehensive guidance, assessment, and certification program in the country.  Each and every Green improvement has a point value that is certified by a professional Green Consultant.  Better yet, the process of Going Green is orchestrated to allow a business to address all segments of the environmental issues in a easy-to-accomplish fashion.  Instead of a haphazard approach to environmental compliance, there must be a broad scope and standardized process that can be applied to any kind of business.

Green Practices are the universal applications that allows anyone and everyone to participate in the environmental.  While giving credit for Green products, and Green buildings, the intelligent approach is to assign points to every reasonable Green Practice that can accumulate toward a certification award.  Why not open the door to anyone willing to step up and put forth an effort?   Green practices apply to households, schools, office buildings, governmental buildings, manufacturing and any kind of industry.  Why not give credit to those using home offices as a very Green idea or for the inclusion of VOC eating plants in the workplace?  There are hundreds of Green practices that may be adopted allowing a unique range of options for any home or business to apply.

The Green Business League uses a 100 point system regardless of how the points are accumulated.  Any program that can include sufficient activities that build the 100 points can be certified.  Homes and residences are certified through the Green Homes League.  Any good idea can be misapplied and abused, so the fact that the awarding of points and certification can only be given through a Certified Green Consultant is very important.  Right now, there are clandestine websites offering greenwashed certification where the payment of the fee is the sole criteria other than a pledge or self-assessment form.  Any authentically Green program will do more than collect a fee and hand out their logo without verification of the activities.

The good news is that most homes and businesses already have a variety of Green practices in place but get no credit for them.   There will be the tendency to take the self-directed approach to Green and subsequently claim that the business has Gone Green, but you have to ask yourself, “What happens when everyone does the same?”   When every business has “something Green” and claim to be Green, what is the difference?  This is called the “Green Equalization factor.  It is at this point that the businesses that have verified and certified their Green practices will stand out like the moon against the stars.

In summary, as this generation moves out of the infancy of environmental concern to a generation of environmentally aware consumers, it will not pay to be a Green pretender.  To be authentically Green, it is time to install Green practices and become certified by a reputable organization like the Green Business League.

I’d like to correct a common misconception although I do not imagine that these comments will actually have far reaching impact.  The well-entrenched concerns for global warming have designated greenhouse gases as the culprit for this global phenomenon.  In particular, the anthropogenic contribution of Carbon Dioxide (co2) to the atmosphere due to the use of fossil fuels must be reduced according to the Kyoto Protocol.  At the start, it should be stated that the issues of global warming are not a debated issue.  Neither is the impact of greenhouse gases under question.  This world has seen more than a few global warming and cooling events, and there will be more to come.  Also, the greenhouse effect is the fundamental reason that we have a habitable planet that retains a proper amount of heat in our atmosphere. 

It is the imbalance of the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere that is of concern right now, and the debate that rages is whether mankind can make the difference in how it operates.  That is not the debate of this article.  The point of this offering is the questions of the application of “Green” when it comes to a “Carbon Neutral” status of a business.  Is is fair or correct to apply the term Green to a carbon neutral business?  Well, it all depends on how the terms are defined. 

If Green means “anything environmental” no matter how extended the connect, then it is probably allowed to call a carbon neutral company Green.  If Green is best defined as the “health impact” of what we do, then Green is misapplied to carbon neutral applications.  I subscribe to Green as meaning health impact, but I also believe that sustainable issues are what should be a Blue issue.  Pollution is a Red issue, and Conservation is a Yellow designation.

Given these definitions, carbon-neutral is a pollution issue and obviously a sustainability issue.  In the proper sense, being carbon neutral does not make a company Green.   Frankly, the “carbon neutral” designation deserves to stand in its own right as a positive environmental contribution.  It need not be relabeled as Green.  It compliments the Blue sustainable issues, the Red pollution concerns, and even the Yellow conservation issues since we are concerned about the atmosphere (a natural resource).

Buying carbon credits to offset the calculated CO2 output is both somewhat trendy and helpful.  These carbon credits are ostensibly a method of funding the capital needs of environmental projects like windmills, solar installation, hydro power, methane energy production, and reforestation.  All worthy causes as long as the underlying cause it legitimate and verified.  The carbon neutral status shows a consciousness of the CO@ problem and a willingness to make a contribution to the better solutions that are yet to make it to the profitable status.

So, there is no criticism on our part concerning the carbon neutral status or the need to be better environmental citizens.  The reduction of our dependency on oil is yet another problem that needs our collective support.  The mislabeling of everything environmental demonstrates the unfortunate lack of definition in this cause.  The fact is that there are four great areas that compose the environmental topic, and each deserve our attention.  The blurring of these subjects leave the public in disarray and confusion as to what needs to be done and the associated impact on the greater environmental challenge.

A Certified Green Consultant can assist your business in its pursuit of an environmentally-friendly status.  There are many things that a company may do to become a Green company, and carbon credits are a helpful part of the larger project.  Many companies now proudly display their Certified Green Business status having earned 100 points in the Green Business League program.   Several points are added for being carbon neutral, but there is more than can and should be done.  Working with a Certified Green Consultant makes this complex and involved process simply.  Never accept a one-sided solution as the full solution.  The Green Business League is the best Green business certification in the industry.

This Fourth of July, we played host to our developing family as our three sons now have families of their own (or nearly so).  It is a far different world that many of us knew twenty or more years ago.  We saw a period of prosperity that seemed to have no end, and there were fewer worries in those days.  Now, we are hopefully emerging from a recession of serious depths, and emerging into a generation that runs on a different set of rules.

I have concluded that in the hectic and developing world of my past, the emphasis on “Convenience” was very important.  We were busily building a progressive economy, transitioning to a rapid-paced society, and emerging from a rural mentality.  The world sped up, and we had to speed up with it.   Microwave ovens replaced traditional one, because they were so darn convenient.  Everything was disposable because there was always a newer, better version of whatever it was waiting to be bought at the store.  We lived in a throw way society that cast off anything “out of style” to buy whatever was in style regardless of whether the former item was still in good shape.

Disposable diaper compared to the smelly diaper pail was just the best invention ever.  Then, of course, we had the invasion of the drive-through restaurants that gave us food within seconds of ordering.  How good was that?  As life sped up, everything we encountered was always about convenience, and price didn’t matter nearly so much as expediency.

Today, I saw an add for Green diapers, which gave cause to these thoughts, and where we find ourselves today.   It’s true.  There are Green diapers that you can flush, compost, or toss away knowing that they will break down into something that will compliment the earth.  It is decidedly a new, and Green day that is now rising on the horizon as we seem to increase in our Green appetite.

We are starting to think about responsible Green Practices rather than simple convenience.  Tossing trash on the ground is more than a misdemeanor violation, it is a symbol of environmental disrespect.  Dragging home dozens of plastic bags from the store is what studies tell retailers that we want, but energy concerns now tell us that the oil used in plastic bags and plastic bottles could literally end our oil crisis.

I believe that we are ready for the change, but I really hope it is because we have matured rather than being herded like cattle by governments and agencies.   Every where I turn, I see companies and families “Changing the Way they do business,” and I am impressed that we can enter this Greener world as committed earth citizens ready for the task.   I am not for big government, unlimited reign for politically-bent solutions, and resolved that only governments can solve this problem.   We got ourselves into this mess, and we can get ourselves out, if given the chance.

The Green Business League promotes a program of Green Practices, and this is also the mission of hundreds of Certified Green Consultants who work diligently to help businesses and families certify their Green status.  It is no longer enough to claim to be Green.  There is a dire need to measure up to a standard set by a independent source like the Green Business League.

In a Greener world that we now face, I feel a sadness that convenience pressed such a heavy hand on our lives.  We are not weak that we needed extremes of convenience items, but it was part of life in America as well as nearly every country in the world.  McDonald is everywhere, you know!  We are in a time of “Reality Check” to realign our thoughts, our priorities, and our practices.   Make Green Practices something that will become a constant part of your daily habit.

Finally, I like the new era that we face, although we will all chaff a little at what is required of us.  We have learned to be more frugal, more willing to use up what we have before we throw it out, and to share what we have with others.  I anxiously hope that the lessons learned are lessons of the heart as well as life lessons.  Some endure challenge to return to normal, while others endure challenges to get better.

I describe the early stages of environmentalism as a kind of “Rockfield of Green Ideas.”  Everyone generally wandered about picking up good ideas like rocks, and tended to think that whatever they had in hand was the primary issue of environmentalism.  The various issues might be carbon neutral, solar and wind power, sustainability, polar bears, or the rain forest.  There was frankly no criteria to what was generally termed Green.  It seemed that all issues and concerns were all lumped into one Green description.  This analysis was the genesis of my journey to find out the meaning of Green that has a meaning that is suitable for everyone, and then how to define the journey that lies before us.

Here is a question that is very simple, yet profound.  It is “What is the definition of Green?”  I did some research and even asked a few people who had a fair knowledge on the subject.  To my disappointment, there was no clear definition to be found.  Mostly, it was the belief that Green was something we did to help the environment.  It took some Internet research to dig out the answer, but here it is.  Green is best defined as primarily about the “Health Impact” of whatever we do.   In fact, when the Green issue is fully understood, the closer we are to the issue (proximity) the greater our duty to address the health issues around us.  It is a kind of “Brighten the corner where you are” that frankly means that the solution is something that we all must share as part of our collective journey.

My gift is to assemble information and make a difficult subject simple.  So, regardless of others who like scoffing more than sense, I invested into making sense of the environmental rockfield of ideas.  It soon became apparent that there were four broad categories of environmental concern:

1. Health and Safety (Green),
2. Sustainability to Manage Resources (Blue),
3. Pollution Issues (Red), and
4. Conservation to protect wildlife and wildlands (Yellow).

Each deserved more clarity than the mashing of terms to fit some one’s personal agenda.  So, we have to incorporate all these ideas into one confluent process that brings us to a fair treatment of the environmental demands of our day.

Defining Green, therefore, requires that the basics are made clear.  So, water conservation, energy management, reforestation, and hybrid cars are not actually a Green (health and Safety) issue.  They are a Blue (sustainability) issue and deserve to be properly addressed under that topic.  Why confuse people any worse then they already are by calling everything with an environmental twinge “Green”?  it seems that we are trapped in a cycle of environmental baby talk because, we haven’t learned to call each item by its correct name.

Each of these four corners of environmental concern are a complete and profound area of information and worrisome issue on their own.  And, each of these issues deserves to be treated with intelligent answers for the critical issues that they represent.  Pollution is an urgent issue that calls us to react with defined and smart solutions, but these issues are only tangential to the other three areas … not a solution in and of itself.  The same is true of energy concerns that contribute to the global warming issues.  They are yet another environmental issue that demands that we allot time, resources, and efforts to solve our energy issues.  These are again, Blue or sustainable issues.  While the four corners of environmentalism are complimentary and tied to the whole environmentalism issue, they need to be addressed in an orderly way.

Once we have a working definition of Green, the second logical question that presents itself is “Where do we start the Greening process?”   There seems to be no pre-defined path we can take, nor are there milestones that tell us that we are making progress.   In this rockfield of Green Ideas, it is usual to simply wander about picking up rocks of well-intended Green issues until our arms are full.  No one seems to care that is seems like a futile effort in such an immense project.  We are all “Doing our Best,” even if it is disorganized and random.

The Green Business League believes that the starting point is something common to all of us, and that is the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), which is under the Green category of health-related.  So, we have a starting point of universal concern and application by defining Green and the common connect with air quality.  Once we have a common starting point for our journey, let’s turn these good idea rocks into a path that will take everyone progressively to a Environmentally-Friendly future.  To help, the Green Business League has made milestones at the achievement of 100 points in accumulated Green Practices.

Finally, let me also explain along this road are Green rocks, Blue rocks, Red rocks, and Yellow rocks.  They all count for points in the system, and they takes us eventually to the Emerald City (Oz metaphor) where everything seems to work in harmony with the rest of society.  Industry is not the enemy of mankind, and mankind is not the enemy of the world at large.  Though mythical in its Utopian perfection, there should be at least a better world for us all, rather than the Orwellian future of total control of man or the cataclysmic predictions of worldwide disaster due to mankind’s provocation of innocent nature.

To guide you along the way, it certainly helps to have a knowledgeable guide who puts your company on the road to a Green certification process.  It beats the random approach that others seem to try because they believe that this is a project that can be done by amateurs and committees that lack training or a defined plan.