GreenPepper Blog

When Buying Green Isn’t Green

By Beth Starkin, GreenPepper

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Go Green Expo here in NYC.  It was a beautiful, sunny weekend, and I was excited at the opportunity to learn more about what eco-minded companies in the area are doing, and what products and services are available to me, the “green” consumer.  What I found was really nothing more than a glorified flea market.  Peddlers were pushing their wares, from biodegradable diapers to solar-powered turtle lamps (really??) to organic baby clothes to cruelty-free acne treatments.  It was overwhelming and an outstanding display of the excessiveness that is the antithesis of the green movement.

Don’t get me wrong, there were some great products and ideas on display at the event, and I even picked up a onesie and bib for my friend who’s about to have a baby any day now.  But giant flat-panel TV’s pulsing out product benefits and thousands of samples in plastic containers don’t quite strike me as the height of the green movement.  I was struck most when I walked past a man who was selling all natural totes for just one dollar.  When I pointed out the free tote I had already acquired from someone at some point during the day, his response was – “Well, that’s not natural fabric.”  So, what, I should just toss that puppy in the landfill because it’s not made of all natural products?  How is that green in the least?

I’m all for making conscious purchases and buying green when a purchase needs to be made.  But we all need to be carefully about mindlessly buying stuff just because someone says it’s green.  If you don’t really need it, it’s pretty likely that so-called green purchase is just going to be one more thing taking up space in a landfill pretty soon.

A New Reason to Hate Spam

By Ann Barlow, GreenPepper

I know you thought there were already enough reasons to loath spam. Anything that clogs up your email that much, increases potential exposure to malware and causes one to actually blush on occasion after opening a seemingly innocuous email ought to produce enough antipathy on its own. Although, full disclosure, we've gotten some that we've had a lot of fun with. I never thought of myself as being in need of a tugboat or of anti-pirate protection on the high seas, but you never know.

Anyway, here’s one more reason.  A new study suggests that spam is taking up huge amounts of energy -- mostly on the users' side in carrying and/or wading through the junk. The study says the power consumed is enough to power more than two million homes annually. Yikes.

There's still plenty of debate on climate change, energy sources and renewables investments, but I don't think you need to be on the side of the angels to support yet another reason for going after spammers. Builders, contractors and energy conservation solutions providers, don't hate me, but maybe a small percentage of the stimulus package earmarked for energy conservation should be steered in this direction instead.

Empire State Building Takes Green to New Heights

By Beth Starkin, GreenPepper

Today, buildings are a primary cause of greenhouse gas emissions, not something that’s often discussed, though many buildings and architects have been quietly retrofitting older structures and building new construction with energy efficiency in mind. However, the announcement this week that the Empire State Building will be undergoing its own green retrofit is bringing new attention to the issue. When you see numbers like, the retrofit will cut energy use 38 percent, saving $4.4 million dollars and 105,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year, you start to get an idea of just how much energy is being consumed by commercial office buildings.

It’s refreshing to see such a high-profile building taking the lead on going green. In taking on this project, the Empire State Building will become the poster child for older buildings undergoing massive change to meet newer standards.

Just as refreshing, is that the owners are not shying away from discussing the business implications of this move. With the green retrofit, the owners expect to be able to increase rents and attract larger corporate tenants. In their estimation, the retrofit will pay for itself in three years, and see even greater payback after that, proving you can make green by going green.

Let’s hope the example set here pushes other building owners who may be focused on the downside of going green see the upside, both in terms of savings and reputation. It would do us all a world of good.

How Does Her Garden Grow?

By Sandy Pfaff, GreenPepper

If Michelle Obama does nothing else in the next (hopefully) 8 years, she will have forever endeared herself to the food world with the ground-breaking of the new White House garden two weeks ago.  Long-time foodies like Alice Waters and Michael Pollan cheered, and rightly so.  With her vision for a sustainable future  – and her shoveling -  we just experienced one of the greatest and timely breakthroughs in the drive for a healthier planet.  I applaud her inspiration and follow through to build the first garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt.  There is no telling what positive changes this will create for consumers and the food industry alike.

And while the estimated expense of $200 for a myriad of seeds and soil seems too good to be true, the message is clear – we can all benefit from building a garden, no matter how big or small.  It’s healthy for us and the planet, affordable during a tough economy, and it is a great way to engage kids who are the greatest champions for the environment, and are also at the center of the obesity crisis.  What better time and place to get them involved in this exciting movement.

Michelle Obama’s wish was to make the White House the “People’s House” and it will be wonderful to see how the “people’s garden” grows.  And she showed that there are many simple steps we can all take to bring organic, fresh produce into our own homes with just a little effort and some dirt under our fingernails.  With spring in the air, and Earth Day just around the corner, my garden is under way with new tomato plants, eggplant and zucchini, fresh herbs and even hopefully a few bees buzzing.  It’s also buzzing with the promise of a healthier and sustainable future.

As Michael Pollan says, “eat food – not too much, mostly plants.”  Wise advice, indeed.