GreenPepper Blog

Returning America back to its glory

By Eric Schlau, GreenPepper

Let’s face it: planet Earth and its inhabitants are at stake. The BP oil spill, a trash vortex in the Pacific that spans an area the size of Texas—unimaginable environmental calamities, yet somehow we keep on surprising ourselves how far we can take it. Yes, the Bush administration may have had it right: M-A-R-S, that’s right, the colonization of outer space.

But I’m not one for black holes, or a fan of investing time, energy, and resources into dead-end projects. So we must come up with alternative solutions. And it begins with weaning ourselves off fossil fuels and developing new energy initiatives.

As PR and marketing professionals, we play a controversial role in these efforts. Our industry is seen as a villain due to its role in creating unsustainable levels of consumerism and demand, but also as a potential savior because of its informational power and ability to bring about social change.

To understand where we’re headed, or where we want to be for that matter, let us examine our brief history—specifically, the mid-20^th century, right after WWII.

The United States had put an end to tyranny by defeating the Axis alliance, rebuilt Europe with the Marshall Plan, and held more than half of the world’s foreign direct investments. Needless to say, business was a booming. And as for the returning war veterans, well…they were tending to their wives—hence the term baby boomers.

President Eisenhower then implemented the interstate highway system, which formed the backbone of the American economy for many years to come. Following this about 20 years later during the 1970s, the military in collaboration with universities and academia created a demand for the microchip, which of course formed the Silicon Valley and again spurred enormous amounts of wealth leading up to present day.

The renewable energy industry should be seen as the next great industrial revolution in the post-modern world. We must unlearn and break old habits—something that’s hard to do. And if it’s not done correctly, it could make for even more disastrous results.

We all know too well from experience, people’s perceptions of a company, country, or of each other change over time.

Green-Conscious Diners, Beware of Lights!

By Mari Abe, GreenPepper

Nowadays, locally sourced vegetables or fish, organic chicken and grass-fed beef are commonplace in restaurants trying to appeal to a new generation of green-conscious diners. But if restaurateurs are going to walk the talk, they must account for their footprints both in the kitchen and in the dining room. According to an article  in today's New York Times, restaurants all over the world (except Miami where modern is cool) are reverting back to energy-guzzling, exposed-filament bulbs to attain a certain aesthetic - a warm glow that flatters the plate and the crowd.

While design has come a long way in promoting green in commercial and residential buildings, there seems to be a gap when it comes to restaurants. As an avid diner who believes eating out can be an experience on par with a theatrical performance given the right food, ambience and service, I can most certainly vouch for the importance of décor and lighting. However, if a restaurant touts an organic menu, but uses inefficient light bulbs, it dampens the whole experience. Moreover, not only are the light-bulbs inefficient, they also create a lot of heat, requiring air conditioners to work harder to keep the place cool. And that most certainly will translate to a higher bill (at restaurants, food costs are typically only 28-35% of the check).

So the next time you sit down at a fancy restaurant with a sustainable menu, check the light bulbs. If you see the exposed-filament bulbs, take a pass and find a place that uses good old candles instead. It's just as romantic and better for the environment.

BP, Aquarium for the Pacific Partnership Could Prove Detrimental

By Ann Barlow, GreenPepper

The environmental impact from the Gulf oil spill has just taken a whole new direction. Unlike the danger to marine life, this one isn’t so direct or destructive – but over time its effect could nonetheless be highly damaging.

It seems that, like many companies and conservation/environmental nonprofits or NGOs these days, BP and the Aquarium for the Pacific have formed a partnership that would benefit both, thanks to a $1 million contribution from the former to the latter. BP would demonstrate its commitment to the preservation of marine life, and the aquarium could build on its programs.

As always, timing is everything, and this week, the aquarium is scheduled to unveil its new BP Sea Otter Habitat, with BP as a featured guest. Ah, AWKWARD, as my teenage daughter would say. Nonetheless, the aquarium has been very gracious about BP. And hey, maybe the otters can make room for some Gulf transplants just as Californians did with some displaced New Orleans residents following Katrina.

I doubt other nonprofits or NGOs would be quite so forgiving as the aquarium has been. Their mission is to conserve what we have and fix what we’re destroying. It’s only been in recent years that companies and NGOs have warily come together to solve problems, recognizing that they could achieve their respective goals more quickly and effectively if they partnered rather than battled. But it’s an uneasy alliance, particularly on the part of the NGOs, which fear the loss of their reputation and supporter base if they ‘sell out’ to greenwashing corporations.

There are precious few corporations that have achieved anything approaching perfection on the environmental front, but many NGOs have in good faith come to appreciate the genuine efforts some companies are making, and have forged alliances to undertake very important projects. My fear is that NGOs will in fact be criticized for these partnerships following the BP disaster and as a result will return to the old days of us vs. them.

If that happens, it will be another tragic loss to the environment at the hands of BP.

Green Diesel Not So Smart For Autos

By Beth Starkin, GreenPepper

When I think of doing wrong by the environment, it’s typically in terms of non-sustainable practices, greenwashing and the like. But this interesting article  from the Irish Times has turned those ideas on their head a bit.

Turns out, some unsavory folks have been swapping in low-sulfur green diesel for traditional diesel and calling it the real thing. My first thought was, well, that’s not so bad. It’s a clever, albeit ethically questionable, way to get green diesel into more wide-spread use. Or, not so much, as this diesel is not actually meant for use in cars, but rather tractors.

This is damaging, not just to the cars it’s being put in, but to the overall adoption of green diesel fuels. There is now a contingent of auto owners who have had a very bad experience with green diesel fuel, in the form of a ruined motor.  My guess, is that many of these folks now become outspoken advocates against the adoption of greener fuels, lumping all options in with the ones that have caused them so much stress, taking the movement one step backwards.

While any long-term impacts of this are tough to say, and in all likelihood, rather minimal, it does make our jobs trying to advocate for these advances in clean energy that much more difficult. And it adds a new layer to the ever-growing list of activities that are having a negative impact on our environment. I can only hope stories like this remain the exception, rather than the norm.

Traveling? BYOB

By Trish Taylor, GreenPepper

Whenever I travel to a hotel I feel bad for those little bars of soap that get used for just a day or two. I’ve even been to hotels where the hotel staff replaced used soap with a brand new wrapped soap each day. What happens to those bars of soap? I’m guessing they go into the trash. My grandma used to collect her whittled-down bars of soap and once a year boil them making one big, multi-colored, multi-scented soap. I always loved that new, recycled bar of soap.

Then of course there are the bottles the hotels give you. You have the shampoos, conditioners, shower gels and lotions. If I use any of them I take them home and use them until I can recycle the bottle. But even more often, I try to use tiny bottles I refill at home. Again, what happens when someone uses just a small portion of a bottle? Does the hotel staff refill? They likely throw them in the trash.

As I pondered a hotel stay a few weeks ago I thought why don’t they have a soap dispenser at the sink and refillable dispensers in the shower like gyms? Nah, people will steal the dispenser and fill gunk in the shower dispensers. But finally I stayed in a hotel this week that had shower dispensers. It is possible!

The Hotel Carlton in San Francisco was the first hotel in the U.S. to become a LEED EB O&M Gold hotel (not sure what all that means, but it sounds wonderful) and they’re ENERGY STAR certified.  And the key, they have shower dispensers. They can improve on the soap dispenser at the sink, but at least the packaging was biodegradable and small enough that it wasn’t going to last too long.

Next time you travel, besides hanging your towel to reuse at your next shower (another trick from the other grandma), be sure to pack your own bottles. BYOB is still cool after college.

Drill, Baby, Drill Has Its Consequences

Guest Post By Steve Cody, author of RepMan Blog

Sarah Palin, John McCain and their Tea Party/Measuring Up brethren have been chanting 'Drill, baby, drill'  for some time now.

Wrapping themselves in the American flag, pro-drill Republicans say it's critical we plumb the oil reserves lying off the U.S. shoreline. To do otherwise, they argue, is to keep us held hostage by the Middle East oil cartel. But, at what price?

The horrific BP oil rig spill in the Gulf of Mexico is just the latest example of what will happen if we continue to recklessly drill, baby, drill. Five billion barrels of oil are pouring daily into the Gulf's waters and slowly, but surely, making their way towards shore. The carnage to wildlife and pristine shorelines may be catastrophic (and, New Orleans may once again bear the brunt of the damage). Making matters even worse, BP can't figure out how to cap the sunken oil rig's three separate leaks.

Republicans paint domestic drilling opponents as unpatriotic tree huggers. Maybe so, but the more companies such as BP are given free reign to drill into America's continental shelf, the more we'll see environmental disasters like the one unfolding in the Gulf.

It's time for even more significant investments in alternative energy sources such as nuclear, wind and solar. Nobody wants to be held hostage by the oil cartel, but right wing hawks like Ms. Palin need to wise up. Otherwise, her multiple children and grandchildren will not only be able to see Russia from their front porch, they'll be able to walk across an oil-caked Bering Sea to get there.

Guest Post By Steve Cody, author of RepMan Blog

Sarah Palin, John McCain and their Tea Party/Measuring Up brethren have been chanting 'Drill, baby, drill'  for some time now.

Wrapping themselves in the American flag, pro-drill Republicans say it's critical we plumb the oil reserves lying off the U.S. shoreline. To do otherwise, they argue, is to keep us held hostage by the Middle East oil cartel. But, at what price?

The horrific BP oil rig spill in the Gulf of Mexico is just the latest example of what will happen if we continue to recklessly drill, baby, drill. Five billion barrels of oil are pouring daily into the Gulf's waters and slowly, but surely, making their way towards shore. The carnage to wildlife and pristine shorelines may be catastrophic (and, New Orleans may once again bear the brunt of the damage). Making matters even worse, BP can't figure out how to cap the sunken oil rig's three separate leaks.

Republicans paint domestic drilling opponents as unpatriotic tree huggers. Maybe so, but the more companies such as BP are given free reign to drill into America's continental shelf, the more we'll see environmental disasters like the one unfolding in the Gulf.

It's time for even more significant investments in alternative energy sources such as nuclear, wind and solar. Nobody wants to be held hostage by the oil cartel, but right wing hawks like Ms. Palin need to wise up. Otherwise, her multiple children and grandchildren will not only be able to see Russia from their front porch, they'll be able to walk across an oil-caked Bering Sea to get there.

Earth Day: Overdone and Overrated

By Beth Starkin, GreenPepper

Yup, I’m gonna do it.  I’m joining the legions of people blogging about how annoying Earth Day has become.  It pains me a little to do it, since it’s a holiday that comes from the right place.  But what it’s become is a day for folks to call just about anything and everything “green” regardless of value, and push it out to the public.

Over my years in PR, I’ve obtained subscriptions to an insane number of e-newsletters.  Some directly related to clients’ industries, like Cars21, The Scientist or PharmaVoice.  Others general business and tech, like Forbes and the Washington Post Tech Newsletter.  And some, just for fun, like DailyCandy, Green Guide to Go and Vital Juice.  And somehow, I’ve ended up on the advertising email lists of just about every company ever known to man.  And yesterday, the one thing they all had in common was they were pushing something green at me.

Whether it’s “healthy, organic vodka” (um…it’s still vodka, how healthy can it be…), so called sustainable furniture, made from ecologically harvested rubberwood, and then shipped 8,000 miles from Indonesia, or an airline telling me to commit to making one green change in honor of Earth Day (how about I fly less??), everyone is pushing a so-called green agenda that’s really not.  Quite frankly, it’s tiresome, confusing, and I think ultimately damaging to the movement towards sustainability.

I feel it myself.  And I hear it in the voices of the reporters I speak with who are being pitched thousands of Earth Day stories that aren’t.  And I see it in the eyes glazed over look in people who are trying to figure out the real from the fake in the overwhelming Earth Day push.  And when people get overwhelmed, they oftentimes turn away, which is the last thing the green movement can afford.

If you have a truly sustainable product, by all means, tell people about it.  Shout it from the rooftop everyday, not just Earth Day.  I’ll even help you.  But don’t try fitting a square peg into a round hole just to take advantage of what was once a good thing.

Happy Earth Day!

By Erin Howard, GreenPepper

This morning, while commuting on the PATH to work, Ivoverheard the following conversation:

Man 1: “Hey man its earth day, recycle today. Do something good for the earth.”

Man 2: “Oh really? Today? Yeah, I recycle.”

Man 1: “Yeah. A lot of people they recycle at home but not at work.”

Man 2: “Yeah, at home we recycle.”

Man 1: “Yeah at my home we recycle, but at work they just throw everything into one place. By law they don't have to recycle.  So they just don't want the hassle.”

The conversation left the wheels in my head spinning: was recycling a law? Was it not a law? How did I not know for sure? While we recycle at Peppercom, and we did at my last company as well, I realized I didn’t actually know the state’s laws for businesses. Could this man be right?

Turns out he – and his company – are wrong. This helpful handbook put out by the New York City Department of Sanitation titled “Recycling: It’s Not a Choice, It’s the Law” lays out what’s expected of businesses loud and clear, with pictures to illustrate, instructions on how to recycle, signs to post, and guides on how to avoid getting fined by following the law.

What is interesting, however, is that offices only need (by law) to recycle the following items: corrugated cardboard; office paper; magazines, catalogs and phone books; newspapers; and textiles (if over 10% of your waste stream.) No mention of aluminum cans, bottles or other waste that frequently fills up trash cans and is easily separated out.

For Earth Day, the Greenpepper team has a call to each of you that’s twofold:

1. Make sure your office is following the law. Find your recycling cans; make sure they’re being used properly.

2. Ask your company to go above and beyond. Offer to take the lead in contacting your trash collection provider to see if they will take separated cans/bottles. Chances are, they will. Add a new, clearly-labeled can to a common area and encourage your co-workers to recycle their cans, bottles and aluminum. We – and your mother earth – will congratulate your efforts.

What is your office doing to observe Earth Day? Let us know!

Greening Your Wardrobe

By Mari Abe, GreenPepper

Like many women who live in New York, I consider shopping to be a weekend ritual – just like brunch. On a recent trip to H&M, I noticed the increasing number of “organic” t-shirts and tank tops on the racks. Sure, I’d seen organic cotton at stores like J. Crew, Gap and Anthropologie, but seeing it at a clothing retailer known for fashion-on-the-cheap was a bit of a surprise.

Cotton covers 2.5% of the world's cultivated land yet uses 16% of the world's insecticides, more than any other single major crop. According to the Organic Trade Association (OTA), organic cotton is grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment.  Organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse agriculture.

While buying organic used to be for the privileged who could afford it, the increasing consumer demand for green products, regardless of income bracket, has made it more accessible to all. Seeing that people were buying organic from the pricier chains, H&M is following suit demonstrating the impact of collective buying power from green-conscience consumers who are voting with their checkbooks.

Today, organic cotton fiber is used in a bevy of products from personal care products like cotton pads and ear swabs to home furnishings like towels and sheets to clothing and even stationery and note cards. While the clothing industry – as with most other industries – has a long way to go to green its processes, I applaud manufacturers for offering organic options. While it may not make an immediate impact, it’s certainly gotten one shopaholic thinking green for her wardrobe.

Eat your vegetables; the environment will thank you

By Leah Hardesty, GreenPepper

It was reported on Wednesday that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a resolution declaring Monday as “Veg Day” within city boundaries.  I am an equal lover of meat and vegetables, but as a San Franciscan I wonder why such a resolution is needed.

The Supes believe the resolution will “encourage restaurants, grocery stores and schools to offer a great variety of plant-based options to improve the health of San Francisco residents and visitors, and to increase awareness of the impact a Green Diet would be on our planet."

The latter part of that statement had me thinking. Does eating meat increase your carbon footprint? Let’s evaluate, shall we?

A few other U.S. cities have adopted similar practices following remarks by Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, who suggested that omitting meat from your diet for even one day would allow individuals to do their part to address climate change, since livestock is a large source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Apparently, cattle farming is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gases, and the production of cattle to feed and clothe humans stresses ecosystems around the world, according to a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). While sheep, chickens, pigs and goats contribute to the adverse impact, the world’s 1.5 billion cattle are cited as the greatest negative impact on climate change and species extinction. Cattle farms have been assessed as one of the top three environmental problems in the world on a local to global scale.

 Whoa. Who knew my yummy, saucy In-N-Out burger, served “animal style,” was leaving such a heavy carbon footprint? How does this happen?

Cattle emit a large volume of methane, 95% of it through eructation or burping. Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, having a warming effect 23 to 50 times greater than CO2. And there are other issues too: land use, disposing of manure/byproducts and overgrazing.

While research is underway to find solutions for these problems, in the meantime, we should all do our part to help minimize our carbon footprint and impact on climate change by dedicating at least one day a week to veggie-packed meals. And our bodies will thank us also.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has good intentions with this new resolution, not only in promoting good health, but also in reducing global warming. Congratulations Supes, you have at least one city dweller on board with “Veg Day,” and next time I’m at the In-N-Out drive thru, I’ll stick with fries only.