Eco Sustainable Product/Services –
Historically, earth-friendly is defined in terms of reduce,
reuse and recycle; nevertheless, products and/or services which reflect a
perspective of CARE - conservation, accountability, recovery and eco-efficiency
- take this definition a step further. For, eco-sustainable products and/or
services are not simply a result of lifestyle choices but reflect how we feel
about the environment. While keeping it simple (as in simple living) is the
name of the game, there is a more important underlying factor – a commitment to
ultimate greening: provide for present-day lifestyles without sacrificing
future eco systems.
So, the question is 'How much land area does it take to support your lifestyle?' Take
a quiz to find out your Ecological Footprint, discover your biggest areas of
resource consumption, and learn what you can do to tread more lightly on the
earth. While some of each person's
Ecological Footprint is dependent upon individual choices they make in their
own life, some of it is also their per person share of their societies'
infrastructure. The first part can be influenced directly. On the other hand, the
second part is equally critical to living within the means of one planet, but
must be influenced through more indirect action such as political engagement,
green technology and innovation, and other work toward large-scale social
change. To identify your eco impact, participate in an activity such as ecological
footprint, www.footprintnetwork.org.
GoodGuide Identified as Product/Service of CARE -
If eco-healthy urban suburban communities are to exist, we
must become people who CARE – have a perspective of conservation, advocacy,
recovery and eco-efficiency; and in fact, tools such as the GoodGuide - www.goodguide.com enable such a commitment.
GoodGuide provides issue-specific ratings so that consumers can evaluate and
compare products based solely on their health, environmental and/or social
performance. To ensure a rating system is transparent, consumers can view the
complete set of indicators used to derive product or company ratings. Health
impact is assessed by combining negative metrics (such as whether the product
contains toxic ingredients of concern or ingredients that have low nutritional
value) with available positive metrics (such as whether the product has been
certified as safe or healthy by a credible third-party). To rate a product on
environmental performance, GoodGuide currently uses company environmental
records as a surrogate for product-level environmental impacts. And, to rate
product social performance, GoodGuide uses company social records as a
surrogate for product-level social impacts. Specifically, they assess social
performance by examining
• how a company is governed
• consumer attributes such as product quality, safety and
customer satisfaction
• societal attributes such as community engagement,
philanthropic activities, and involvement with oppressive regimes)
• workplace attributes such as diversity, employee benefits
and labor rights.
As consumer demand for ‘green products’ moves forward, so
will implementation of sector specific ‘greening certifications’. Nevertheless,
because GoodGuide is a fore-runner and appears to be accepted as well as
measures all forms of consumer products, its measurement criteria should become
a guideline for most product or service consumption. So, this service is
recommended to ‘jump start’ consumer commitment to becoming a person who CAREs.
Since implementation of the Product/Services of CARE program
in January of 2014, additional products/services are recommended:
Radius Garden™
Identified as Product/Service of CARE -
Radius Garden™ as founder Bruce Baker says, “The opportunity
to avoid blisters, sore wrists, and frustrating experiences with low quality
tools which break in a single season. At Radius Garden™ we ignore tradition and
nonsense, re-thinking every aspect of every tool we make so you can have a
better, more comfortable gardening experience. OSHA says 3/4 of all cumulative
stress injuries are to the wrist and hand. Many, if not most, of these injuries
can be prevented by better tool design. We believe that truly advanced
ergonomic design ignores tradition and uses the most current research into
human factors and tool usage. Our Patented, Natural Radius Grip™, maximizes
your power and comfort while minimizing hand and wrist stress.”
The American Beauties™ –
American Beauties LLC, a partnership between Prides Corner
Farms located Lebanon CT, and North Creek Nurseries located Landenberg PA, is a
team of experts dedicated to identifying plants which guarantee landscapes that
provide food and habitat for a variety of desirable critters. Launched in the
spring 2006 in the Northeastern USA, plans are underway to make this program
available in other parts of the country. Look for informative and easy-to-shop
American Beauties displays at your independent garden centers. Purchasing an
American Beauties plant will bring life to your garden and also helps a great
cause. Every American Beauties plant sold benefits the National Wildlife
Federation (NWF), their work to create better home landscape environments for
you and the colorful garden critters you love. For additional details, visit
the American Beauties web site, www.abnativeplants.com.
WayCoolTools.com
–
WayCoolTools.com is a family owned and operated online
garden tool catalog company located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Central
Virginia. Founded by Charles and Janet, Charles has served as an organic
gardening apprentice, worked at George Washington's Mt. Vernon Estate, has
assisted in agricultural research and managed large estates, and is dedicated
to providing WayCoolTools to gardeners and farmers. Janet has worked in garden
centers and nurseries, consult as a professional gardener, and volunteered in
public gardens. Her specialty is identifying neat plants, homestead
technologies, and way cool garden tools. Janet facilitates local online co-ops
and an online seed swap and garden forum, the Piedmont Garden Swap. For details
or to acquire 'way cool' products and tools, visit web site www.waycooltools.com .
Sunset Western Garden Collection™ is the first plant collection
designed specifically for the Western gardener. Introduced in spring 2012, Sunset®
magazine and Plant Development Services collaborated to bring superior plant
introductions to retail garden centers throughout California, Oregon, and
Washington. Partnerships with local growers allow the ability to customize the
collection to best meet the climatic differences of diverse gardening regions. As
a result, Wright recognizes Sunset Western Garden Collection™ as
a ‘product/service of CARE’ for its expanded services to multiple regions in
order to enable identification of products with eco sustainable characteristics
that connect people to the living green that surrounds them. For details, link
to Sunset Western Garden web site http://www.sunsetwesterngardencollection.com/
.
DuPont™ Tyvek® Water-Resistive Barriers
While Tyvek® water-resistive barriers should be installed
according to manufacturer’s instructions it more than meets industry standards
and applicable codes. In fact, in high exposure installations, enhanced
drainage and water management can be provided by using DuPont™ Tyvek®
DrainWrap™ by installing a drainage mesh over the water-resistive barrier or by
creating rain screen cladding with a larger airspace behind the siding using
furring strips. If furring is installed over DuPont™ Tyvek® water-resistive
barrier to create a rain screen, the primary fastener spacing can exceed 18”.
“Using a mineral wool insulation,” says Nea May Poole of Poole & Poole Architecture, LLC “an old-fashioned and more expensive type of insulation made from stone, not foam, we also chose an exterior siding similar to fiber cement, only it is made from wood; so, it made sense to go a step further and use a ‘house wrap’.” For details of the Poole family barn restoration project, visit web site www.barnatwalnuthill.com and/or facebook group ‘the barn at Walnut Hill’ https://www.facebook.com/groups/1068830769911250/ .
DuPont™ Tyvek® Water-Resistive Barriers
“Using a mineral wool insulation,” says Nea May Poole of Poole & Poole Architecture, LLC “an old-fashioned and more expensive type of insulation made from stone, not foam, we also chose an exterior siding similar to fiber cement, only it is made from wood; so, it made sense to go a step further and use a ‘house wrap’.” For details of the Poole family barn restoration project, visit web site www.barnatwalnuthill.com and/or facebook group ‘the barn at Walnut Hill’ https://www.facebook.com/groups/1068830769911250/ .
LP Smartside, a wood based siding –
Available in different sizes in smooth and textured
finishes, LP SmartSide is identified to enhance the curb appeal of new and
remodeled homes. Plus, it’s the perfect complement to homes finished in other
exteriors such as stucco, stone and brick. Available in long lengths for fewer
seams and a beautiful appearance, its rich cedar grain texture or smooth finish
is treated with our SmartGuard® a process which resists termites and decay. For
details, visit web site www.lpsmartside.com.
“We are using LP
Smartside, a wood based siding.” says Nea May Poole of Poole & Poole
Architecture, LLC “The beige color in construction photos is a primer, not the
final color. We intend to match the original color. We chose LP SmartSide
because it is an engineered wood siding known to resist damage from impacts
better than fiber cement and vinyl siding."
Recognized by Landscape Architect magazine as an Industry
‘mover and shaker’, The Wright Scoop – Sylvia Hoehns Wright has issued a
challenge to move America’s landscape from eco-weak to eco-chic.
For details of
her eco emphasis on ‘place’, review Eco-legacy – a millennium woman’s heritage,
'product', review Grow Green Market Share with CARE, and plants, link to Landscape
Gardening with CARE video https://youtu.be/ENPhCg9QQNc or visit Sylvia’s book store,
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/syhwright.
For other details, visit web site www.TheWrightScoop.com .
Side Bar: Recommended Products and/or Services of CARE: 2014 -
January, GoodGuide - www.goodguide.com, 2014 – April, Radius Garden –
www.radiusgarden.com, 2015 – August, American Beauties™ - www.abnativeplants.com, 2015 – December, WayCoolTools.com, 2016 February Sunset
Western Garden Collection™-
Side Bar: Product Details - Grow Green (planet & profit)
Market Share with CARE
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