Amazon Green

How America is Going Green

Purchases of green products on Amazon “map” right onto the regional stereotypes you might expect – with a few surprises.

It can be difficult to wade through all the competing claims and find some hard data on the larger environmental movement in the United States.  But if cross-category purchases of green products from the nation’s largest online retailer have anything to say about it, then Amazon may be capable of providing that larger picture of how America is going green.
 
Researchers from Amazon have tried to do just that, by measuring the purchases over the last year of various segments of green products (Water Conservation, Energy Savings, Garden-To-Table, etc.) across geographical coordinates and labeling each zone as “hot” or “cold” based on its deviation from the national average.  The results give a broad sense of the growing trend of green buying in this country, and some interesting trivia to boot.  And of course, a cool-looking map, which shows how each US region is going green in its own way.
 
We first looked at Water Conservation purchases, based on Watersense products, books on Water Conservation, and Rain Barrels. New Mexico and Arizona are the top states for water conservation purchases, with Montana coming in a close third. Rain Barrel sales are picking up across the country from Roanoke, VA to Northern California. Yet rainy Seattle, known for its all around "green-ness", drops well below the national average for purchase of rain barrels. Finally, people in Santa Cruz are truly “going" green, with the most purchases of Green Toilets in the nation.
 
To find leaders in Energy Savings, we looked at renewable energy products (wind generators and solar panels), power conservation and energy management products, and green electronics (ENERGY STAR, EPEAT certified, and LED bulbs).  Florida, Nevada, and California are the top three states for energy savings purchases compared to the national average. Daytona Beach, FL residents take advantage of their sunny climate, with the most purchases of solar panels. But Lacrosse, WI is keen on learning more about energy savings: they top the nation in books on Energy Efficiency.
 
Next we looked at the Garden-to-Table, which includes gardening products (from seeds to fertilizer to moisture monitors), books on gardening and organic cooking, and composting products. Amazon’s Home & Garden team has seen increased demand for organic seeds and fertilizer, composting products, and indoor germination products across the board. Grand Junction, CO buys over three times the national average of composting products, and Eureka, CA is the place for green thumbs, over indexing in purchases of gardening products. The Midwest has a bit of growing to do – they lag behind the rest of the nation in Garden-to-table purchases.
 
Many parents are choosing greener options from organic cotton clothing to toys made from renewable resources. When analyzing trends in Green Parenting – purchases of Green Baby and Toys products – Vermont, Massachusetts and Washington represent the top states of “greener parents.” Nationwide, the Northeast purchases more green for their little ones than the West.
 
Based on purchases of environmental books, Vermont, Montana, and Washington, DC residents top our list of Most Well-Read Environmentalists. On a local level, Missoula, Montana residents just might be way more environmentally knowledgeable than the rest of us, with well over five times the national average of environmental book purchases.
 
On a national level, it’s really no surprise that California, New Hampshire, and Vermont residents purchase the greenest products (excluding books) across categories, compared to the national average.
 
The regionality of Amazon’s maps is evidence against the tendency to think of the Internet as an enabler of irresponsible, far-flung purchases.  Yes, the Internet does make it possible for people to buy extravagant things from exotic places.  But it also makes it easier for people to find things they need to live greener lives at home. And that's what Amazon's customers are doing, wherever their home happens to be.

The following visualizations were generated to depict actual sales data from the last year of green purchases. Each area of the map is expressed in terms of the national average for each catagory, normalized by Amazon units shipped. Learn more about going green at Amazon.com/EarthDay.

 

Open Thread: How Will You Make Your Holidays Green?

Following up on last week's "Green Gift Monday," Margaret Southern of The Nature Conservancy asks you to share what you are doing to make your holidays greener.

The holiday season is often thought of as a season of excess, but it doesn’t have to be. There are many ways to make your holiday season a little “greener”: choosing LED over traditional decorative lights, wrapping gifts with recycled paper or choosing more planet-friendly gifts. Will you be doing anything different this year to make it a green holiday season? See what supporters of The Nature Conservancy are doing, and share your own ideas!

 

The Nature Conservancy: Green Gift Monday

By Margaret Southern for The Nature Conservancy

Who doesn’t love shopping online?  There are no crowds, no lines and no sore feet at the end of the day. More and more, consumers are skipping traditional Black Friday sales and heading to their computers the first Monday after Thanksgiving. Last year on Cyber Monday consumers spent nearly $890 million dollars online.

One of the other advantages of shopping online is that it gives you more time to think about each purchase – and I don’t mean just considering what color sweater would look best on Aunt Diane.  Now is the time to think about responsible, meaningful and eco-friendly holiday gifts.  That's the idea behind Green Gift Monday.

Visit the Green Gift Monday hub page for green gift ideas from like-minded nonprofits and eco-conscious retail partners, like Amazon.com.  On the Amazon Green gift guide, you’ll find everything from bamboo cutting boards and compost pails for your favorite chef to organic cotton plush toys for the newest addition in the family.

So, go ahead, join the Green Gift Monday revolution and give your loved ones the gift of green this holiday season.  

 

Thanks to Margaret and The Nature Conservancy for this post!

-Amazon Green

Bright Ideas for Lighting from ENERGY STAR

With less hours of daylight come more hours of lights on in your home. It's the perfect time to think about energy-efficient lighting – and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR program can help you make the right choice for lighting – from indoor to outdoor, decorative to utility. EPA also qualifies the latest in technologies, such as LED lighting. Below are some bright ideas for lighting.

ENERGY STAR Holiday Lights: This holiday, if you’re in the market for decorative lighting, celebrate with ENERGY STAR qualified decorative light strings for indoor or outdoor use. ENERGY STAR light strings use 70% less energy than incandescent light strings. Add up all those light strings and you’ll see the difference – literally and figuratively.

Change Out Five Lights: Walk throughout your home and see if and where you still have incandescent bulbs. If you do, now is the time to replace them with ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs, particularly in high-use areas of the home – the kitchen, the living room (both table and floor lamps), the bathroom, and outdoors. By replacing your 5 most frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with ENERGY STAR lighting, you can save $70 each year.

Porchlight Priority: Your porch light is one of the best places to start when you’re looking for ways to save energy with lighting. During the winter season, we all know that porchlights are on longer. With ENERGY STAR qualified porchlights – or even replacing the bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified one – you will save energy. Plus, you won’t need to replace the bulb as often. We all know that makes life easier.

Consider LEDs and Save: LEDs, or “light-emitting diodes,” are cutting-edge lighting technologies that allow for dynamic lighting while using a lot less energy than incandescents – at least 75% less. And they last at least 15 times longer. LEDs are particularly ideal for work spaces, like your kitchen counter or a piece of artwork. With over 800 ENERGY STAR qualified LED light fixtures available, from recessed lights and desk lamps to under cabinet and pendant fixtures, now is the time to consider LEDs. ENERGY STAR qualified LED bulbs are also available. For more information, visit www.energystar.gov/led

Not just about the Bulbs: People might forget that the ENERGY STAR label is not just for bulbs. You’ll also find it on lighting fixtures, for example, table and floor lamps, ceiling and wall-mounted fixtures, utility lights, outdoor lights, and even ceiling fans. Plus today's fixtures come in every decorative style and light quality you need for your home, along with good light quality ranging from warmer colors to cooler tones, depending on your preference.

Look for Lumens not Watts: For generations, incandescent light bulbs have been sold by “wattages” (like 45 watts, 60 watts, etc). The “wattage” is the amount of energy used by the bulb – but it does not tell you how bright the bulb is. What we should do is look for “lumens,” which tell you the amount of light the bulb actually puts out. To get started, note that a typical 60 watt incandescent emits 840 lumens. Then look for the lumen range you want and pick the bulb that uses the least watts, like a 13 watt CFL. Now you’re saving energy!

Turn out those Lights: And above all, don’t forget to turn out the lights when you leave the room. It’s an easy thing to do but not always to remember.

Thanks to ENERGY STAR and the EPA for these helpful tips. Be sure to check out ENERGY-STAR qualified holiday lights in our Green Home Store.

-Amazon Green

Reduce Standby Power & Conserve Energy with Belkin

Halloween might be over, but you might find that vampires are lurking in your electric bill and taking a bite out of your wallet. This month, our friends from Belkin give us the scoop on vampire power (a.k.a. standby power) and share tips for reducing your energy bills. 

Standby power facts:

 40 Number of devices of drawing constant power in a typical home*

20% Average amount of home energy use consumed by standby power**

$100 dollars each household spends per year powering unused devices***

What is vampire power?

 Many people don’t realize that just because you power a device off doesn’t mean it’s no longer using electricity. Vampire power (also called standby power, phantom load or leaking electricity) is a term that refers to the power being used by electronics that are “turned off” but are still in “standby mode” which means they are still plugged in and silently sucking power and electricity. 

Examples of vampire power:

DVD players, stereos, televisions and kitchen appliances are all devices that kick into standby mode instead of powering completely off when not in use. For example, in order for any device to receive a signal from a remote control it must be at least in standby mode—otherwise the device would not be able to pick up the remote signal. This is why electronics that operate via remote control are most often never completely turned off.

What can you do to conserve?

1. Unplug: The easiest way to reduce standby power is to unplug devices when you aren’t using them. Whether you unplug the toaster right after you make your toast or follow a pattern similar to the way you turn off lights before you leave the house—you can save power by quickly unplugging devices like toasters and phone chargers that you won’t need to use if you’re not home.
2. Energy saving surge protectors: A surge protector is a good idea to protect all your connected electronic equipment from power surges or lightning strikes. Today, there are several manufacturers that make surge protectors that either have a remote control on/off power switch or automatically turn off so peripheral equipment that doesn’t need to be on if you’re not using it, will be shut completely off. 
3. Use a timer:  Many people already use timers to turn lights on and off when they are on holiday, but they are also a great way to shut off power to devices after a set time without needing to remember to unplug anything.  
4. Cords v cordless: Cordless devices are great for convenience but keeping the chargers plugged in and buying disposable batteries can be very wasteful. You may want to look at rechargeable batteries (with chargers that you can unplug after the batteries are charged) or consider switching to products with cords. 
5. Energy saving phone chargers:  For items that you don’t need to use all the time, like a mobile phone charger, an energy saving charger that will shut off after a timed period or after your phone is fully charged is a great way to avoid waste—or you can simply unplug your charger every time you disconnect your phone.

We'd like to thank Belkin for this post! Be sure to check out Belkin's Conserve Products on Amazon.com.

-Amazon Green

 

*Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

**Source: U.S. Department of Energy

***Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Is Your Energy Bill Scary? Slaying Energy Vampires Can Save Americans Millions  Press Release date: 10/27/2008

Resources to learn more:

 US Department of Energy

EnergySavers - Save Energy at Home

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Energy Star Program

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Buying Greener Electronics with EPEAT

Sarah O'Brien of EPEAT shares the results of EPEAT's 2009 environmental benefits reporting.

My job is to help business purchasers and consumers use the EPEAT  “green IT” ratings system to select more environmentally sustainable electronic products.  They’ve been doing so in growing numbers around the world since EPEAT’s launch in 2006 – and last year the trend continued, with more business purchasers and individual consumers using EPEAT to choose greener, more sustainable products. 

More manufacturers are participating as well.  EPEAT started 2009 with 30 manufacturers registering 975 products, and ended the year with 37 manufacturers registering more than 1400 products in the US and many more internationally. Currently (September 2010), more than 50 manufacturers register more than 2500 unique products in the 41 countries EPEAT covers.

That progress is great, but it’s the results, in terms of the environmental improvement motivated by that purchasing, that matters.  So I was thrilled to finish calculating the environmental benefits related to EPEAT purchasing in 2009 for our annual benefits reporting[1]:

EPEAT registered notebooks, desktops, and monitors purchased worldwide in 2009 will, over their life, compared to the purchase of products not meeting system criteria:

• Reduce use of toxic materials, including mercury, by 1537 metric tons, equivalent to the weight of nearly 800,000 bricks
• Eliminate use of enough mercury to fill 372,000 average household fever thermometers
• Eliminate over 29,000 met­ric tons of solid waste, equivalent to more than 14,500 U.S. households’ annual solid waste generation
• Reduce hazardous waste disposal by 72,000 metric tons

In addition, because EPEAT requires registered products to meet the latest ENERGY STAR® specifications, these products will consume less energy throughout their useful life than nonqualified products, resulting in:

• Savings of over 10 billion kWh of electricity — enough to power 900,000 U.S. homes for a year  
• Reduction of over 2 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions — equivalent to taking nearly 1.4 million U.S. passenger cars off the road for a year
• Avoidance of 44 million metric tons of air emissions (including greenhouse gas emissions) and over 93,000 metric tons of water pollutant emissions

As a nonprofit organization, EPEAT’s mission is to advance environmental improvement, so all our marketing activities around EPEAT are aimed at creating change for the better. This level of benefits confirms EPEAT ‘s effectiveness at channeling purchaser demand toward products with reduced impact on the planet. 

By choosing EPEAT rated products (preferably those rated at the Silver or Gold which demonstrate really major improvements in product design and delivery) , consumers can reward manufacturers for the vitally important work of creating and supporting greener products. We’re grateful to Amazon for making EPEAT information available, and encourage you to use it to send a clear message to manufacturers of support for greener product choices when you buy your next IT equipment!

To learn more, you can download the Executive Summary of the 2009 Environmental Benefits report at www.epeat.net/docs/EPEATEBReport2009ExecSumm.pdf , find out much more about EPEAT at www.epeat.net , or view a recent  online discussion forum on green electronics set up by The World radio show at http://www.world-science.org/forum/green-electronics-epeat-united-pepper/  .  

EPEAT’s approach to environmental assessment — rating based on public standards, tiered rankings that encourage competition and continuous improvement, ongoing independent verification, and easy access to a single registry to compare and select among qualified products — continues to engage dozens of manufacturers of all sizes and differing nationalities, and thousands of purchasers worldwide in the process of creating and rewarding more sustainable products.  We hope you’ll participate and keep the momentum going!

 

We'd like to congratulate EPEAT on their accomplishments and thank Sarah O'Brien for this post! Check out Amazon's Green Electronics Store for more EPEAT qualified products.

-Amazon Green

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[1] Because EPEAT’s underlying standard (IEEE 1680.1) was designed to reduce duplicative effort, some of EPEAT’s environmental criteria align with other requirements, such as ENERGY STAR® specifications and the EU’s RoHS regulations. Thus not all the changes in product design and delivery that qualify products for EPEAT registration result from EPEAT alone. However, each EPEAT registered product purchased results in environmental impact benefits specific to the products purchased – those are the benefits measured in this annual report.

Green Your Dorm Room with ENERGY STAR®

While outfitting your college dorm room this fall, remember to look for environmentally-friendly products. An easy way to find products that you can trust as good for the environment is to look for the ENERGY STAR.  Products that carry the ENERGY STAR label meet strict energy-efficiency requirements set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), so they use less energy and help fight climate change. From lighting, to laptops and printers for your schoolwork, to mini-refrigerators for your study breaks, ENERGY STAR products make it easy for you to make a difference. Here are a few tips to help you shop “green” for back to school:

ENERGY STAR Lighting
If a table lamp is part of your dorm decor, make sure that it’s ENERGY STAR qualified.  ENERGY STAR qualified lamps use less energy mainly because they integrate compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) which use 75% less energy than regular incandescent light bulbs. In fact, a 13-watt ENERGY STAR CFL produces the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent light bulb and, when the lights in your dorm room go out, be sure to replace them with CFLs, as well. Not only do CFLs save energy, they also last up to 10 times longer than incandescent light bulbs—or about 6 years—which means you may never have to replace them.
 
ENERGY STAR Computers
A high-performing computer is a must for school.  With ENERGY STAR, you’ll know you’re getting a computer that is good for the environment and comparable in performance. Whether you choose a desktop or laptop, a computer that has earned the ENERGY STAR uses up to 65% less energy and can still satisfy all your school demands.  
 
ENERGY STAR Printers and Multi-Function Devices
Complement your computer with ENERGY STAR qualified printers or multi-function devices. These products not only help you get that project done on time and without hassles, but also help you make a difference for the environment. If all imaging equipment—printers, faxes, scanners, etc.—sold in the United States met ENERGY STAR requirements, annual savings would grow to nearly 4 million metrics tons of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to emissions from more than 700,000 cars. Here’s another tip: Save even more energy AND paper by setting your printer to print double-sided.
 
ENERGY STAR Mini Fridges
How cool is it to keep your food and drinks in an ENERGY STAR, energy-saving mini fridge? You get easy access to the “energy” you need while using less of it in the process. ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators use 20% less energy than non-ENERGY STAR refrigerators so you can enjoy your break knowing you are doing something good.
 
ENERGY STAR Electronics
No dorm room is complete without an ENERGY STAR qualified entertainment system, right?  With all that work, everyone needs some time to decompress and with ENERGY STAR qualified TVs, DVDs, Blu-Ray Players, and speakers, you can really relax—not only from your work, but also knowing that your electronics are using less energy, even when they are off. That's because ENERGY STAR specifications for TVs, and other electronics, are more efficient both when the TV’s off (in standby mode), and when the TV’s on (in active mode). But you will never miss that extra power since even the latest and greatest in TV technology can earn the ENERGY STAR. What you will notice is how good you feel helping the environment. If each TV, DVD, and home theater system purchased in the U.S. this year had earned the ENERGY STAR, we would prevent more than 6 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to the emissions from 570,000 cars!
 
Other Green, Energy-Saving Tips for College:

• Power Down: Make sure that you enable the power management features on your computer and monitor so they go to sleep (switch to a low power mode) when you are not using them. Here’s another tip: Help the environment even more by setting your printer to print double-sided and cutting paper waste in half!  You’ll also save money on paper.
• Unplug It: Did you know that your chargers are still drawing energy from the electrical outlet even when you don’t have your laptop, cell phone or game system plugged in? To avoid wasting energy, remember to unplug your chargers after your electronics are all charged up.
• Turn off the lights when you leave your dorm room: Need we say more?
• Myth—keeping your electronics on is better for them: Keeping your electronics on all the time only wastes energy and causes more pollution, it doesn’t protect your equipment. It’s infinitely better—both for your equipment and for the environment—to turn your equipment off, especially your computer and printer, etc., when you are not going to use it for a while, like at night. Plugging everything into a power strip makes this easier.
• Fill ‘er up and save: Did you know that running full loads of laundry instead of partial loads can save up to 3,400 gallons of water a year? It also saves energy since you run fewer loads.
• Shared savings: We all know that collectively our individual changes make a big difference. Share your savings story and get your friends to share theirs and see how it all adds up.

You, too, can Change the World: Join EPA and Amazon.com in the fight against climate change by taking the ENERGY STAR Pledge and sharing it with a friend. Together, we can all make a difference.

Thanks to the EPA and Energy Star for this post!

-Amazon Green Scene

 

August Frustration-Free Spotlight: Belkin Conserve Products

Belkin Conserve products can help you to do your part by making it easier to reduce your energy consumption.

The Belkin Conserve Valet Energy Saving USB Charging Station charges up to four devices at once and shuts off automatically when not in use. It addresses the energy waste that results from idle chargers, which still draw power when they are left plugged into the wall--whether or not a device is attached. The Conserve Valet draws zero power when not in use, so you can keep your devices ready to go without wasting energy.

The Belkin Conserve Insight Energy Cost Monitor helps you measure the true impact of your energy use on  your utility bill - and the environment. Find out how much energy your devices really use--including watts, the cost of operation, and the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions--with the Belkin Conserve Insight Energy Cost Monitor. At a glance you can see exactly how much electricity is used by devices like computers, televisions, kitchen appliances and more. The monitor also shows the carbon dioxide emissions produced as a byproduct of your electricity usage. With this monitor, you get a clear idea of the true impact to your wallet--and the environment. 

The Belkin Conserve Switch AV Surge Protector with Remote lets you control power to your whole entertainment system with a single click. The wireless remote switch makes it easy to shut off power--including standby power--to up to eight devices at once, such as your TV, DVD player, gaming console, and more. Two Always-On Outlets stay on for devices that need continuous power, like your DVR or cable/satellite box. Place the remote on a desk or shelf, or use the included wall mount.

These Belkin Conserve items ship in Frustration-Free Packaging. Frustration-Free Packages are easy-to-open and comes without excess packaging materials such as hard plastic "clamshell" casings, plastic bindings, and wire ties. They are exactly the same as a traditionally packaged products--we've just streamlined the packaging to be opened without the use of a box cutter or knife and will protect your product just as well as traditional packaging during shipping. Products with Frustration-Free Packaging can frequently be shipped in their own boxes, without the need for an additional shipping box. Learn more.

~Amazon Green Scene

Celebrate Your Personal Energy Independence

With 4th of July celebrations upon us—as well as the summer heat—no one wants their energy bills to rise with the temperature. Now is the time to think about how to manage your home energy use effectively, practically, AND economically. So, to coincide with our nation celebrating its independence, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR® program is bringing you cooling tips for every budget, as well as some tips for travel if you’re getting away—small steps that can help make a big difference in saving energy, money, and fighting climate change.

Share these helpful tips with your friends and family. Click here to view the 4th of July greeting and send it with a personalized message to whomever you want!

Cooling Tips for Every Budget
Staying cool this summer doesn’t have to mean cranking up the AC and spending a lot of money. A typical household spends almost 20 percent of its utility bill on cooling. EPA’s ENERGY STAR program has some low- to no-cost energy-saving tips to beat the heat and save money, too.

No-Cost:

• Program your thermostat to work around your family’s summer schedule—set it a few degrees higher when no one is home, so your cooling system isn’t cooling an empty house. With proper use, programmable thermostats can save you about $180 every year in energy costs.
• Check your HVAC system’s air filter every month. If the filter looks dirty, change it, but change the filter at least every 3 months. A dirty filter will slow air flow and make the system work harder to keep you cool—wasting energy.
• Run your ceiling fan to create a cool breeze. If you raise your thermostat by only two degrees and use your ceiling fan, you can lower cooling costs by up to 14 percent. Remember that ceiling fans cool you, not the room, so when you leave the room make sure to turn off the fan.
• Close the curtains and shades before you leave your home, to keep the sun’s rays from overheating the interior of your home. If you can, move container trees and plants in front of sun-exposed windows to act as shade.

Low-Cost:

• Remember to have your HVAC system serviced annually to ensure it’s running at optimum efficiency for money and energy savings.
• Swap out incandescent bulbs with more energy-efficient lighting choices—ENERGY STAR qualified lighting not only uses less energy, it also produces about 75 percent less heat than incandescent lighting, so cooling bills will be reduced, too.
• Seal your ducts. As much as 20 percent of the air moving through your home’s duct system is lost due to leaks and poor connections. Seal duct work using mastic sealant or metal tape and insulate all the ducts that you can access (such as those in attics, crawlspaces, unfinished basements, and garages).
• Make sure that connections at vents and registers are well-sealed where they meet your floors, walls, and ceilings. These are common locations to find leaks and disconnected ductwork.

Medium- to Higher-Cost:

• When buying a room AC unit, look for one that has earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR. If every room air conditioner in the U.S. were ENERGY STAR qualified, they would prevent 900 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions annually—equivalent to the emissions from 80,000 cars.
• Add insulation to your attic to keep cool air in—if every American household did so, we’d collectively save more than $1.8 billion in yearly energy costs.
• Hire a contractor to seal and insulate the interior ductwork in your home (the ducts you can’t reach yourself). For help on choosing the right contractor, go to www.energystar.gov/homeimprovement.
• If your central AC unit is more than 12 years old, replacing it with a model that has earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR could cut your cooling costs by 30 percent.

For more information about keeping cool and comfortable while saving money this season, visit www.energystar.gov/heatcool.

Summer Travel Trips
As you get ready to travel—even if it’s a short trip, like 4th of July weekend—don’t forget to take these few easy steps at home before you leave:

• Turn up your thermostat to 85 degrees (unless you’re leaving pets at home, of course). Experts agree that the energy saved from turning your thermostat up in the summer while you’re away is greater than the energy used to cool your house back down after you return.
• Close window blinds and shades to block out the sun’s heat. It’s amazing how much indoor heat simply comes from the heat of the sun though the windows. Most ENERGY STAR qualified windows reduce the “heat gain” into your home more than typical windows do, without reducing the visible light. You get the light you need without the uncomfortable heat.
• Aside from those one or two lights that you may want to leave on for safety, make sure everything else is turned off—all lights, ceiling fans, the alarm on your radio, and other small appliances.
• Perhaps the best thing you can do to save energy this summer is to choose hotels that have earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR label. These hotels listed use at least 35 percent less energy and emit at least 35 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than other hotels—making a stay with them a carbon-saving experience. For more tips on bringing your green on the road, visit EPA’s press release.

Take the ENERGY STAR Pledge

Take the ENERGY STAR Pledge to save energy, money, and help fight climate change. Even by celebrating your personal energy independence, you'll be joining others in making a difference together.

Thanks to ENERGY STAR and the EPA for this post.

~Amazon Green Scene

 

The Seventh Generation

We live in an endlessly interconnected world but every day all too many of us don't consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations yet alone the next six, five, four, three, two, or even one. Historians will write about ours as the generation of great unconsciousness. How despite all the warning signs and red flags waving violently in front of our eyes, we failed to see the writing on the wall.

Remaining hopeful in the face of our willful inaction is a daily challenge. Hope lives in the certainty that there is always the possibility that we might still be able to stop the huge momentum that is propelling us ever faster toward our plunge over the cliff. Hope lives in knowing we can if we choose to.

In the midst of the recent violent turmoil in Greece, journalist Tom Friedman observed a piece of graffiti left by a 10-year-old child, who wrote on a wall, "In what kind of a world will I grow up?"

We are responsible for the answer to that question and for whether or not she'll want to bring children of her own into the world she inherits from us.

Soon I'll deliver another speech. I was asked to be hopeful. I promise to try. I'll focus almost entirely on a one issue: We must move from "Siloed Interests" to a "Shared Purpose." What I mean by that is that we can no longer afford to advocate for "our" issue rather than "the" issue. We must stop organizing ourselves into categories that separate those who fight for global climate change, human rights, health care, environmental justice, or any of the countless other challenges we face.

There is now only one issue: redesigning the systems that govern our societies to ensure they are sustainable, just, and promote well-being for all the world's living things.

Jeffrey Hollender is the co-author of the recently published book, The Responsibility Revolution, The Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Seventh Generation. Hollender also shares his insights at The Inspired Protagonist, a leading blog on corporate responsibility.