GreenPepper Blog

We're Settling For Silver

By Erin Howard, GreenPepper

 There were a few quotes that caught my eye lately, all relating to the United States and its commitment to the environment versus Europe’s. For example:

New York Times, March 2, 2010, Square Feet Column, Seeing the Investor Value in Being Green: “‘We come at things from a bit of a European perspective, and Europe is far ahead of the United States in the environmental movement,’ Mr. Bronfman said.”

New York Times, March 9, 2010, Solar Industry Learns Lessons in Spanish Sun: “’The U.S. is really behind Europe on this, and if we wait until solar is cost-competitive on its own, we may miss the boat and an opportunity to shape the market.’”

I shouldn’t be shocked. It’s a well-known fact that the U.S. lags behind Europe in terms of the environment. It’s a fact I’ve seen with my own eyes, having lived in Germany in the early 1990s, where recycling, turning your car off at long stoplights and using recycled paper were already common place. But seeing it in print over and over again? It’s a little like getting punched in the gut.

What I don’t get is: WHY is this acceptable? Why is it that a country who strives to be number one in every other aspect, seems fine to lag behind when it comes to environmental protection and policy? On the list of our goals for the country’s future, when exactly was it decided that we wouldn’t even try to win Gold on this one – that we’d happily accept Silver?

Being second best isn’t an image our country is comfortable with, and it certainly shouldn’t be. Our country should be leading the charge in creating a more sustainable tomorrow, as it leads in so many other ways. It’s not just a matter of coming in first, but of keeping our planet viable for many more Gold medals to come.

Hollywood’s Golden Night Goes Green (Sort of)

Sunday night will undoubtedly be a night to remember. With the red carpet, black tuxedos, teary-eyed acceptance speeches, and oh yes, that iconic gold statue all present and accounted for, one might ask, where is the green? Or should I say, where does the green movement fit in? Two years ago, the Academy Awards made a splash in the eyes of greenies, designing the telecast to be carbon-neutral and environmentally friendly for the first time ever. Apparently, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Prius just wasn’t cutting it anymore for the Hollywood scene.

Producer Laura Ziskin led the Academy’s first-ever green movement with help of the nonprofit Bonneville Environmental Foundation to offset the estimated 250,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions that are associated with the event and affairs that lead up to it (i.e. the Oscar telecast, the Governor’s Ball, the Road to the Oscars Pre-Show, and the Red Carpet Event).The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) also got in on the act by helping to redesign the green rooms (no pun intended), equipping them with environmental fixtures, recycling bins, and even providing the ballots themselves, which were crafted from recycled paper products.

Flash forward two years and what do we have? Eco-Oscar swag bags. Rice Works®, the rice crisps chip snack (which claims to be naturally healthy), will be among the marginally green products tucked away in the ultra-classy, designer-done, swag bags set up for celebrities, fashionistas, and celebutantes to pick and probe over.

While the non-profit Global Green also tried to provide a soap box for celebrities to preach their green movements from this year by sponsoring a pre-show green event, one must ask, is Hollywood really going green? Or is this just another example of ‘green washing’? I have a feeling that Roger Ebert won’t be giving this year’s ‘Oscar green movement’ two thumbs up.

Although accusations of green washing, which is defined by the Sustainability Dictionary, as "any form of marketing or public relations that links a corporate, political, religious or nonprofit organization to a positive association with environmental issues for an unsustainable product, service, or practice,” may be a bit harsh, I’m still calling a bluff on the Global Green and Academy Awards preaching a green movement.

While The Oscars and Global Green have made noble attempts at converting celebrities into eco-conscious citizens, I am still plagued by the question of how you convert an event into an eco-friendly experience without losing entertainment value? I agree that recycle systems and natural snacks are a step in the direction, but I’m still left feeling that Hollywood’s green movement is lacking the push it needs make a permanent change -- especially at the Kodak Theatre. Let’s see the place lit up by solar panels or run off of generators fueled by biomass before we tip our hats to Hollywood. If The Academy really wanted to erase their carbon footprint, they could start by forbidding gas guzzling limousines and provide alternative forms of transportation. While I’m not holding my breath, I guess we’ll have to wait and see who turns up wearing the same dress as last year to determine what celebrity really believes in the green movement.

ENERGY STAR Rating Encourages Mediocrity

By Mari Abe, GreenPepper

As seen in a recent Washington Post article, there is a wide variance in the performance of ENERGY STAR rated products. Simply put, the rating works on a pass-fail system. Because the rating only has one set of standards and one label to hand out, high-performance products are jumbled with mid to low performance products. According to the article, government data shows that in 2008, 79 percent of all the televisions sold in the United States carried the ENERGY STAR logo. This leaves the average consumer at a gross disadvantage when shopping for appliances, TV’s and more. How can the very best products shine when you can’t distinguish it from an average one?

While I applaud the Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for doing its part to ensure that all products are energy-efficient, perhaps it can take a cue from the MBDC Cradle-to-Cradle rating where products are rated as Platinum, Gold or Silver based on a certain set of criteria such as materials chemistry, efficient use of water, recyclability at end of life and more. Contrary to ENERGY STAR, Cradle-to-Cradle is set-up like an A-F grading scale. This allows consumers to make informed and educated purchasing decisions. Furthermore, it lets companies like office furniture manufacturer Steelcase*, shoot for the best certification possible without feeling the pressure cheat or take shortcuts to achieve one. Because while an entry-level task chair may only qualify for Silver, their high-end ergonomic chair is considered Platinum.

In the simple ENERGY STAR rating system, companies like Whirlpool*, who have always gone above and beyond to bring energy-efficient products to the end consumer loses out to newer manufacturers who barely make the cut. More importantly, it hinders innovation and slows down the rate at which better energy-efficient products are brought to market. After all, we all know that a college student taking a class pass-fail, rarely shows up for class.

*For full disclosure, these companies are Peppercom clients.

Changing the World in 60 Minutes

By Heather Rosenthal, GreenPepper

With the countdown to Earth Day 2010 officially on, the World Wildlife Fund is bringing the energy crisis front and center. On Saturday, March 27, 2010, at 8:30 p.m., the WWF is asking residents of cities around the world to participate in Earth Hour. From New Zealand to Hawaii, lights will be turned off for one hour in homes, office buildings, iconic landmarks, government buildings and retail establishments across the world in an effort to bring energy conservation to the forefront.

We do hope that everyone at Peppercom and elsewhere will take just one hour of your day to take part in shutting off your lights for the planet. In addition to the 656 cities, towns and municipalities in 80 countries across every continent, there are select monuments and parks turning off the lights as well, like the Empire State Building in New York (we can’t wait to see that one)!

As we are all responsible for our future, sign up for Earth Hour and try to recruit as many people as possible.

For Information on city and state involvement, please visit here.