The Environmentalist 12 Days of Christmas

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Twelve trees a-planted
Eleven CFL’s shining
Ten Fair-Trade chocolates
Nine PV panels lighting
Eight manatees a-swimming
Seven acres protecting
Six chimps a-swinging
Five No Conflict Diamonds Read the rest of this entry »

Pepsi or Coke? Levi’s or Gap? Mac or PC?

Our consumer choices make a difference for the climate. Choosing a Big Mac over a Whopper, or picking a Dell over an Apple may help to slow climate change, suggests a new consumer guide. That’s because McDonald’s and Dell made the “good list” (though not the “great list”) of companies that are taking actions to address climate change. Burger King and Apple received failing scores and are at the bottom of their industries.

Want to know which corporations are greening up and which are just greenwashing? Climate Counts has devised a way to tell. They’ve compiled a free pocket guide listing 56 major corporations according to how serious they are about solving climate change.

If you want to stop climate change and still get those hot new jeans and sleek new laptop, you can, simply by choosing the better of two products. The free pocket guide from Climate Counts can help. Carry it with you and use it as a quick go-to list for everyday shopping decisions. Every dollar we spend is a vote for or against our environmental values and the companies that support them.

How Much of a Difference Can I Make As a Consumer?

“Anyone who thinks they are too small to make a difference has never been in bed with a mosquito.” –Climate Counts

Consider ozone holes. As consumers, once we decided that ozone holes were an important issue to address, we started to make shopping decisions based on this environmental value. It didn’t take long for industry to react by eliminating ozone-depleting CFC’s from their products. An issue as threatening and global as the formation ozone holes in our atmosphere is on its way to being resolved, and we have small changes in our shopping habits to thank! (That and the environmentalists who sparked the change.)

What is the Climate Counts Pocket Guide Based On?

Working in partnership with Green Order, Climate Counts assembled a test that gives companies scores ranging from 0 to 100. To get these scores, the guide uses 22 criteria to measure four important benchmarks. First, they assess how accurate a company is in reporting its climate footprint. Next, they test how much the company has done to reduce its global warming pollution. Third, does the company support legislation that aims at addressing climate change, or does it try to block this legislation? Finally, the criteria reflect how clearly and openly companies share their climate protection efforts with the public.

What Do You Mean Apple’s Bad? I Just Bought an i-Phone!!

If a company receives a poor or failing score, it simply means that they have a lot of work to do in taking responsibility for their impact on the climate. For these companies there is hope, but they need consumers to give them a little guidance.

In my case, I bought a MacBook last year, so it was a big disappointment to learn that Apple’s not doing much of anything to take responsibility for its impact on the climate. I like my Mac, but in light of this report, PC’s are looking a whole lot sleeker. I’ll write to Apple to let them know my views.

If you already made a big purchase from a company that you want to see improve, write or call and (politely) let them know that you like their product, but that you would like to see them take steps to measure and reduce their climate footprint. Remember to be kind to the service representative who assists you: they might also be able to tell you what positive environmental steps the company is taking. If they don’t know about climate footprints or ways that the company could improve its environmental responsibility, consider suggesting a few of your ideas.

You can also tailor your investments to reflect your environmental values. Investing in companies that are taking action to become environmentally sustainable is another excellent and effective way to make real change in the world.

Photo Source: Climate Counts (www.climatecounts.org)

It arrived last Monday: text messaging and anytime minutes behind a shiny silver faceplate. After a couple years of living cell phone-free, I finally found a company that makes me feel good about owning one. It’s consumer activism made sweet and easy.

Earth Tones is a phone and Internet company that donates 100% of its profits to environmental causes. That’s because it’s run by the environmental organizations it funds. If you’re not satisfied with choosing between AT&T and AT&T, but you still want the shiny silver faceplate with anytime minutes, then consider Earth Tones. In addition to cell phones, Earth Tones also provides long distance home phone, dial-up, and portable high-speed Internet services.

Their website may not have 3D animated effects, and my new phone can’t play itunes or brew my morning tea, but the phone was free, the plan’s inexpensive, and my satisfaction is solid green. (For those who are interested, many morning-tea-brewing-type phones are also available, like the Razr V3; you can even use your new iPhone.)

Which environmental non-profits does Earth Tones fund? Here’s a roll call:

• The State Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs)
  
• The National Environmental Law Center
  
• The Green Life
  Campaign to Save the Environment
  
• Toxics Action Center
• ecopledge.com
• Recycling Action Campaign (promoting recycling in Massachusetts)
• Free The Planet!

Earth Tones still works through AT&T’s Cingular phone network, but for the same monthly rate your money can fund environmental initiatives. Here’s some more good news: if you currently own a phone that works with AT&T or if you have been yearning to get your hands on an iphone, you can use either with Earth Tones’ service.

Fewer cell phones these days contain toxic materials such as cadmium and lead, as an article from Inter Press Service discusses. However, your old phone may still contain these toxins; it is important to dispose of it safely. With proper cell phone disposal, you can prevent screen and battery chemicals from leeching into landfills (see this article from Cell Phones Etc.), raise funds for charity, and even earn a tax deduction. If you’re changing cell phones or getting rid of an old one, make sure it doesn’t end up in the trash. Visit earth911.org or recyclemycellphone.org, or donate your phone through your current wireless provider at the web addresses listed in this article on About.com.

Resources:

Also, see the following Tip ‘o the Day articles about environmental responsibility and cell phones, written by my fellow bloggers on Green Options:

Tip o’ the Day: Keep Going and Going and Going to Recycle Your Batteries by Rebecca Carter.
Tip o’ the Day: Unplug that Cell Phone Charger by Amy Stodghill.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tammer/21241151/

If you steer clear of Styrofoam, crave non-disposable cutlery, and believe that beer in plastic cups is a discredit to your pursuit of fizzy-cool hoppiness, never fear. Become a garbage-free gourmand, and even improve your city with a daily dose of activism.

Why avoid disposables? Try getting an Italian to enjoy his espresso from the ridged lip of a Styrofoam cup and he’ll tell you all about the importance of real cups and dishes for enjoying the experience of food and drink. And then, of course, there’s the environmental impact. Take the plastic spoon: sure, no one adores washing dishes, but is it really harder to wash a spoon than it is to locate and drill oil reservoirs, refine crude oil, extract the chemical feedstock used to make plastic, and mould plastic into thousands of tiny, single-use utensils that are then shipped to a landfill where they must then be managed for hundreds of years while they sit without decomposing?

Now there’s trash (like biodegradable paper food trays) and then there’s Trash (with a capital T, like plastic or Styrofoam containers). Opting for the better of the two is a good start.

Ditching the Capital T

Try wrapping your veggie-dog in a napkin or getting your Chinese delivery from restaurants that offer those handy little paper boxes instead of polystyrene (or Styrofoam) containers. Where there’s a will there’s a way and finding alternative containers is a fun way to express your eco-creativity. But that’s just the start.

Do one better by using your own containers for take-out or leftovers from your favorite restaurant. It’s like the restaurant equivalent of cloth shopping bags to the grocery store. Our local Mexican restaurant has come to know and love us for getting burritos to go in bread-baking tin. They get a giggle and we get great food without the waste. It’s a win-win situation, and the bread tin also makes a great conversation piece at the restaurant. Make sure to be friendly when you ask to use your own container; activism with a smile is always the most effective.

Want to go all the way in eliminating that capital T? Here’s the good news: increasingly, a number of large cities are passing legislation that bans the use of Styrofoam containers in restaurants. Many other cities are considering similar action. Legislation like this is important because Styrofoam is not recyclable in most places and does not quickly decompose so sits in landfills. The more Styrofoam we prevent, the fewer open spaces will need to be converted to landfills to hold this Trash (with a capital T). And not all of trash ends up at the dump: quite a lot finds its way into ocean ecosystems as well. Here’s a visual. Chemicals in styrene products are also harmful to human health because they attack the central nervous system.

You can encourage your city to pass a similar ban on Styrofoam by contacting your city council. Also, talk to restaurants and stores that use plastic cutlery or bags about biodegradable plastics. If you already live in one of those forward-thinking cities with a ban on Styrofoam, you can help restaurants by letting them know how much you appreciate them following this eco-friendly policy. Supporting restaurants and companies that are doing things right flexes your power as a consumer to make a difference. You can also help the city by letting them know if you come across a restaurant using Styrofoam.

How is everyday activism effective?

Some of the most heroic deeds of activism come in the most commonplace shapes and sizes. Confronting the way we do things each day makes such a big difference because the changes we make are multiplied over time: just two fewer disposable items used each day turns into over 50,000 items during a lifetime. When we regularly make decisions that take into consideration the wellbeing of the environment and other people (such as walking or bicycling to the store or supporting local or Fair Trade farmers), our friends and family take notice. Leading by example is a sure way to inspire those around us to take action as well.

And congratulate yourself on the changes you make, no matter how small. When it comes to doing what’s right, there is no effort too small.

Photo Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7527513@N04/545957211/

Remember that big bully back in the fifth grade? Sure, we all wished he’d just go away. His early growth spurt meant wedgie sandwiches all around for the little guys. But what if, whenever he did something right, he was congratulated instead of being frowned at or ignored?  Today, the big kids of Corporate America are starting to do things right and it’s important to give them a pat on the back to let them know that they are going in the right direction.

It wasn’t long ago that all we saw was Wal-Mart wedgie-ing mom and pop, McDonalds flunking Health 101, and General Electric hanging out with the Military Industrial Complex kids. When these mega corporations start greening their grades and brushing up on their social responsibility manners, we all grumble suspiciously that they’re just doing it for attention. But with so much positive change happening in the business world, it may be time that we start to show the big guys a little love.

If a company does something that impresses you, then write or call to tell them so. And remember to play nice; being polite and respectful to the person you speak or write to is absolutely key in encouraging the company’s green growth. By sharing how excited you are about the company’s green business practices, you encourage further green development while making the customer service representative you speak with or write to feel good about his or her job and perhaps excited as well about helping to green the company. You’ll stand out in their minds and you could even completely make their day. After all, chances are that he or she is already an advocate for positive change. So make the most of your communications.

Just how green, you ask, is big business becoming? Take a look for yourself. You can visit the websites of your most (or least) favorite corporation and see what they’re doing to make good. When you find something you like, find the “contact” link on the website and shoot them a quick note: “psssst! Thanks for your commitment to or involvement in…!” You might be happily surprised by what you learn.

Did you know, for instance, that Starbucks is the biggest U.S. importer of Fair Trade certified coffee or that it pays its corporate employees to bicycle to work? How about that General Electric is positioning to take the lead in renewable energy? McDonald’s buys beef from ranches inspected by animal behaviorist, Temple Grandin, and plans to convert all of its U.K. delivery trucks to run on biodiesel made from its own cooking oil. Waste Management Inc., the tycoons of trash, are converting waste to energy—enough to power 600,000 homes a day—in addition to their recycling services. Already, thanks to utility companies, many of us can buy clean energy from our existing energy suppliers. Even Wal-Mart is taking steps toward solar and already funds the conservation of one acre of wildlife habitat for every acre occupied by a store. Also, get a look at the Chevy Volt hybrid plug-in or the Lotus Zap-X Crossover electric vehicle.

We’re not saying that you have to become bosom buddies with Mr. Big from Corporate America. Certainly, there are an overwhelming number of improvements we all need to make before our global society is a sustainable one. Just kind of put your arm around him and let him know you think he’s cool when he makes environmentally and socially responsible decisions.

For a roll call of who’s doing good, take a look at a list of the world’s top 100 most sustainable corporations at Global100.org. To sort these companies by business values, see this page from Business Week. And, for a shortlist of the exceptionally green, visit EnvironmentalLeader.com. Those with an interest in Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) can also look for greener pastures at sites like AltEnergyStocks.com or InsideGreenTech.com, or by searching the portfolio holdings of SRI funds.

But it’s not just the big guys who are making a difference in the world today. Keep your eyes peeled as well for just what smaller businesses are doing to make positive change. For example, check out Strauss Family Creamery, a local dairy that provides organic milk in glass bottles, which it cleans and reuses. They even run their farm with 100% renewable energy that they generate with their own cow power: no, not cows on a treadmill, but methane gas from the cow pies that they store and turn into electricity. And you might be interested to know about Earth Tones, a cell phone co-op company that donates 100% of its profits to environmental non-profits.

So, whether it’s the big kid who’s trying to make good or the little guy with a heart of gold, write to or call the companies you see doing the right thing and let them know they are doing a good job. You will brighten someone’s day and help encourage the world to become a little bit greener.

Photo Sources: http://www.flickr.com/photos/clintmclean/158995528/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/cjbj/76107112/.