From the rain forests of south-east Alaska to the deciduous
forests of the Mid-Atlantic region, across the Nation, all are challenged to
identify and enable use of eco-sustainable products and/or services.
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: providing 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 then, 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, some of it is also per personal share of their societies'
infrastructure. The first part can be influenced directly. On the other hand,
the second part although equally critical to living within the means of one
planet, 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 was
recommended as a ‘product of CARE’ 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, “Use of Radius tools is the opportunity to avoid
blisters, sore wrists, and frustrating experiences which occur when using low
quality tools which can 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™- 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 decided to 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 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.
“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."
Big
Ass Fans residential line of fans – Available in different sizes in
smooth and textured finishes, Haiku fans pair with the smart home tech you know
and love, like the Amazon Alexa, Nest Learning Thermostat™ and ecobee3
thermostat. Available on indoor models only, Haiku L fan(s) are paired with a
Haiku Wi-Fi Module to enable integrations. For details, visit web site https://www.haikuhome.com/ceiling-fans.
About Program Founder the Wright Scoop - In 2012, a program – Plants
of CARE, which spotlights a plant for its ability to inspire people to
CARE – have a perspective of conservation, advocacy, recovery and
eco-efficiency - was launched. To further emphasize eco-sustainable commitment,
in January of 2014 a program – Product and/or Services of CARE was
also launched. Product/Services of Care and/or Plants of CARE program
nominations are solicited and accepted. To participate, provide a description
that identifies the nominated plant/product/service - its origin, picture,
eco-sustainable characteristics, and specifically why this
plant/product/service should be included in the program; and, if possible,
provide plant/product/service material that can be tested.
Recognized by Landscape Architect magazine as an Industry
‘mover and shaker’, The Wright Scoop – Sylvia Hoehns Wright issued a challenge
to move America’s landscape from eco-weak to eco-chic. Wright has blog for
Build Green TV and provided speeches and workshops for national and
international conferences such as the All Cities Congressional City Conference
held in DC and PLANET’s Green Industry Conference held at Louisville, Kentucky.
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™-, 2017
DuPont™ Tyvek® Water-Resistive Barriers LP
Smartside, a wood based siding, 2018 Big Ass Fans residential line of fan
Side Bar: Product Details - Grow Green (planet & profit)
Market Share with CARE
ISBN9781329308824, Copyright Sylvia Hoehns Wright (Standard
Copyright License), Edition first edition, PublisherLuLu.com, Published July
2015, Language English
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