Good Morning America segment outlines common triggers for the home and simple preventative measures for families with children who are interested in eco-healthy design. (Sept. 2009)
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Deindustrialization to rejuvenation
Wednesday August 25, 2010 Strolling down North Street in downtown Pittsfield it is not difficult to miss the newly renovated Berkshire Museum, Colonial Theatre, Beacon Cinema and various restaurants.
Read more on Berkshire Eagle
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Some Cool Products I Recommend
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Many businesses are now embracing the green initiative for preservation of the environment. Everywhere you look, you will see retail stores selling organic foods, clothing, and bath products. Aside from saving the planet, going green also allows your business to project a positive image to the public including your customer base.
One way to introduce your brandâs eco-friendly identity is through promotion. You can reach out to customers by promoting your business in various media channels like television, radio, and print. However, promoting your eco-friendly business on TV or radio can be very expensive. Luckily promotional tools like posters can be reproduced much more affordably. Poster prints are also very versatile, making them the ideal all-purpose materials for your marketing needs.
â¢Â   Special Events: Announce your companyâs Earth Day art gallery using attractive print posters. Posters are great promotional tools to use for announcing special events, because these prints can carry enough information about your event. These prints are also effective in grabbing peopleâs attention with their big size and captivating images.
â¢Â   Advertising: Increase your companyâs visibility and product marketability through poster advertising. Let your customers know that your new line of organic perfume is now available in your store by putting your posters in high-traffic areas. Create a compelling poster advertisement to increase your sales and build your brand.
â¢Â   Public Service Announcement: Use your posters as a venue for spreading the eco-friendly message your company supports. The ability of posters to communicate messages to as many people as possible allows you to strengthen your advocacy. Doing so helps your business gain more support from the public and heightens awareness about eco-friendly living.
Complement your eco-friendly business by entrusting your poster prints in the hands of an online poster printing company that shares the same value like yours. Doing so allows you to promote your business in the most eco-friendly way.
With a bachelors degree in Communication Arts and a former school writer in College, Girlie Nuqui had totally found her passion as a web content writer in a printing company. And she dreams of only one thing, world peace.
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Environmentally responsible business practice is now an ingrained part of corporate office life across the UK. Office recycling, energy-saving measures and supply chain monitoring are all part of this process as is, increasingly, the issue of green commuting - encouraging the workforce to travel to and from the workplace in as eco-friendly a way as possible.
Many of the larger corporates have the resource and infrastructure to set out incentive schemes and work up green transport strategies for their employees. For example, back in 2005, Pfizer earmarked more than £800,000 a year to encourage its 1000 employees at its Walton Oaks site to opt for a green commute. When planning permission was granted for the site in Tadworth, Surrey, the company agreed to a transport plan setting out stringent green transport goals, including single occupancy vehicle, public transport and car-sharing targets.
But for those businesses at the other end of the spectrum, whose resources won't stretch that far, the notion of trying to manage a sustainable strategy over an activity that takes place beyond the office boundaries can often be a bridge too far.
Solutions in the serviced officer sector
Recently, however, this has begun to change, as some of the UK's top-end serviced office providers are turning their attention to the issue. By adopting eco-friendly office procedures and providing an infrastructure which allows for a greener approach to running a business, the serviced office provider enables its occupiers to automatically slot into an existing sustainable culture, rather than having to start their own from scratch. And as part of this, provision for adopting a green commuting strategy is part and parcel.
For example, to support the growing trend of cycling to work, Argyll business centres, a leading operator of executive office suites around London's West End and City, provides "spa-standard" showers, body products and towels for their occupiers, as well as parking for bicycles.
Green cars -104 g/km carbon output vs 243g/km for a traditional London taxi
It has also formed a relationship with Climatecars, the ultimate eco-friendly car service (for when a bicycle really can't do the job), which runs a fleet of Toyota Priuses all using state-of-the-art hybrid technology for maximum fuel efficiency and minimum carbon output. Run in the same way as a taxi service, each Climatecar is fitted with a bicycle rack (for those moments when the bicycle needs transporting, too), while inside the car, the client can enjoy a range of Condé Nast magazines for reading material, and a bottle of Belu Mineral Water, from the first water company that does not contribute to climate change.
Where there's a will, there's a way
Speaking about the demand for environmentally-friendly services, Emily Taylor, Marketing Director of Argyll business centres said, "we have seen an increase in demand for cycle parking and our high quality shower facilities as more and more Londoners take to their bikes."
British Commuters
• 25 million people commute to and from work in the UK
• Nationally, just 14% of commuters travel to work by bus or train
• Nationally, 11% of commuters walk
• London has the second highest percentage of commuters who cycle to work - at 5% (behind Yorks & Humber with 6%), and the lowest use of the car
• London commuters face the highest average daily commute in the UK, of 86 minutes (DfT Regional Transport Statistics: 2006)
So, while there is still some way to go in achieving a truly green commuting model, it seems now that the will is there: according to a recent Prudential Car Insurance survey, while 57% of drivers see car use as a necessary evil, 20% of urban drivers experience what they term as "green guilt". At the same time, a recent Barclaycard survey showed that the proportion of us driving to work fell from 92% in 2003/4 to 75% in 2005. It is therefore up to everyone in business - whether occupiers or office providers, to work together to tackle this significant issue - and the executive serviced office providers propose to be at the vanguard of it.
The Executive Offices Group provides fully serviced offices and meeting space, video conferencing and virtual office facilities in prime locations across London and the UK.
For more Details visit: http://www.executiveoffices.co.uk/
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In a world where one individual can own up to fifty pairs of shoes, the footwear industry has begun to see the need to adopt eco-friendly practices. Shoe manufacturers are improving their production methods to reduce the size of the carbon footprint they leave behind. However, recognizing that green assembly is not enough, the industry has incorporated recycled and biodegradable materials into their production of eco-friendly footwear.
Eco-Friendly Shoe Manufacturing
In the late 19th century when factories sprung up in the United States, domestic footwear manufacturing boomed. Due to inexpensive overseas production practices in recent years, shoe manufacturers have largely vacated the U.S. However, the creation of green footwear is bringing some of that business back home.
Less Energy, More Profit
Shoe manufacturers can actually save money by going green! The following production practices are becoming more and more popular in manufacturing because of their ability to cut costs:
- Wind energy
- Solar energy
- Waste-to-energy conversion
- Energy conserving machinery
Environmentally Friendly Materials
The use of green textiles and post-consumer materials within eco-friendly footwear manufacturing has already made a significant impact on reducing the negative effects of the industry on the Earth. Around since the late 1800's, St. Louis based Daniel Green Company is one American shoemaker keeping pace with the green times. Their women's Callie and Kenzie slippers are made from 100% recycled wool, more eco-friendly styles are expected soon, energy use and material waste have been reduced in their manufacturing processes.
Green Textiles:
- Recycled Wool
- Recycled Polyester
- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
- Organic Cotton
- Bamboo
- Hemp
Recycled Textiles
Making a shoe entirely out of recycled materials is nothing new. In 2008, Nike released its Trash Talk, the brand's first-ever basketball sneaker made entirely from manufacturing waste.
Because the average textile mill consumes about 35 million kilowatts of electricity per hour, it is easy to see the benefit of reusing the materials that were initially produced. Some green footwear manufacturers have bypassed textiles entirely, using plastic bottles or old tires as main components in producing their footwear.
Other Eco-Friendly Practices in the Footwear Industry:
Streamlining Processes, Green Packaging, and Overstock Donations
Functioning as a successful shoe company can take a toll on the environment simply, but today manufacturers have choices and economic success does not have to come at the expense of the planet.
Eco-friendly footwear companies are applying the green initiative to all aspects of their business by implementing sustainable corporate policies and green packaging methods. Boxes are being made out of recycled materials and catalogs are being printed on post-consumer paper with soy ink. More and more companies are choosing to eliminate waste by donating overstock and outdated shoes to organizations round the world.
View the entire new article at http://www.danielgreen.com/productcart/pc/Eco-Friendly-Footwear.asp
Katie Pelikan is the Director of Marketing for the long established Daniel Green Company and a big fan of shoes that both look good and feel good. Founded in 1881, the company is known for quality slippers and casual footwear made with the finest workmanship and materials. More information and the online store can be found at www.danielgreen.com and the author can be contacted at kpelikan@elanpolo.com.
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LONE TREE, CO-Well-known Lone Tree family dentist, Dr. Angela Osborn, has recently built a new dental office in Lone Tree, Colorado. Dr. Osborn decided to apply sustainable building practices to the construction of her new office, a decision that emerged from the practice's overall concern for the environment, the desire to produce renewable energy and the aim to avoid any future escalation of costs of power.
The sustainable practices being used by this Lone Tree and Highlands Ranch family dentist include solar panels, fluorescent light bulbs, reciprocal parking agreement, storm water design, quantity and quality control and recyclables. Additionally, Dr. Osborn's new office was designed with the newest innovations in dental technology, including computerized treatment rooms; paperless health history forms; laser decay detectors; a high-performing practice website; and digital x-rays which reduce radiation exposure as much as 90% compared to traditional x-rays.
Dr. Osborn also understands the importance of community involvement here in Lone Tree, and has been a member of the Lone Tree Chamber for numerous years. Dr. Osborn and her team of dental professionals feel a sense of pride and personal satisfaction in sharing in the achievement of the goals of the chamber and its members in making Lone Tree a better place to live and do business. More so, Dr. Osborn's role as a Lone Tree chamber member has also allowed her and her dental team the opportunity to create healthy, beautiful smiles for many of the chamber members, while building lasting friendships with many of these loyal patients.
"Our practice strives to provide exceptional dental care based on the patient's individual treatment needs, not what an insurance company dictates. By attending ongoing training each year, our team is able to provide our patients with the latest in dental technology and procedures," said Dr. Osborn. "We as a team receive great pride in knowing that we have gained the knowledge necessary to provide the very best for our patients in an eco-friendly atmosphere."
To celebrate the opening of her new environmentally friendly office, Dr. Osborn is now offering complimentary teeth whitening for new patients; more information is available by calling.
About Dr. Angela Osborn: Leading Lone Tree and Highlands Ranch cosmetic dentist, Dr. Osborn and her professional team bring over 20 combined years of dental experience and are strong believers in the importance of continuing education courses. Additionally, Dr. Osborn is a member of the American Dental Association, Colorado Dental Association, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and MDDS. In addition to her numerous professional memberships, Dr. Osborn, a recognized Lone Tree Invisalign dentist is also a preferred Invisalign provider. Additional services offered include, veneers, crowns, contouring, bonding and implants.
For more information, please visit the official website. Contact details are at the bottom of this press release.
Media Contact:
Dr. Angela M. Osborn, DDS
angela@osborndds.com
9105 Kimmer Drive
Lone Tree, CO 80124
303.799.9993
http://www.lonetreedentist.com
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With the threat of global warming looming large, more and more people are switching over to energy-efficient appliances and environmentally-friendly products. Offices are large consumers of furniture and in keeping with the green revolution it is important that office furniture should be eco-friendly. The primary concerns to be considered when choosing eco-friendly office furniture are the choice of wood and the chemicals involved in the manufacture of the furniture.
Hard wood has traditionally been the material of choice for office furniture. However, with increasing pressure to save precious natural rainforest resources, the new trend is to manufacture furniture only from woods obtained in an environmentally friendly manner. Most furniture makers are now committed to sourcing their wood only from lumber companies that are known to indulge in sustainable forestry practices.
When buying office furniture, look for those that have been certified by recognized authorities such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). These certifications guarantee that the wood has been sourced from well-managed forests that meet the principles of environmental conservation including maintenance of ecosystems, conservation of biological diversity and establishment of long-term management practices.
Recycled materials are also beginning to find favor in the office. Office chairs are now available that are being constructed of material that is made from recycled soda bottles.
It is equally important that office furniture should also meet indoor environmental pollution standards. Certain finishes, glues and stains create emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC's) that are largely responsible for indoor air pollution. Eco-friendly office furniture includes powder-based finishing coats that require less energy to manufacture, create less waste and are VOC- free. Greenguard, a non-profit organization evaluates the effects of various products on the indoor air quality. Opting for furniture with a Greenguard certification ensures that only low-emission materials that are non-polluting are used in the product.
Business owners have recognized the importance of buying eco-friendly office furniture. With furniture-makers acknowledging the need to comply with the ever-increasing demand, eco-friendly office furniture is now easily available in a wide range of designs and eco-friendly materials.
Get executive office furniture at http://www.officereality.co.uk/
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An eco friendly office is not a trend but rather an excellent way to preserve the environment. You can save on your heating and cooling bills, paper costs and recycle all while helping to do your part in saving the environment. Even though companies are on the rise for their "green" instincts as if it were a trend, they are still helping to do their part. There are many ways to help recreate your office with green ideas. These ideas will also help your business to save a few dollars as well.
Paper Recycling
The easiest way to start the transition to an eco friendly office is with paper. If your office uses a lot of paper, choose to purchase recycled post consumer waste paper which has already been used previously and can be used again. By using this type of paper, no more trees will have to continue to be cut down. Also, papers that have been made out of unknown fibres should not be used as these papers may not be recyclable. Also a company can cut down on their paper usage by using email.
Energy Saving Computers
Companies who do not fully shut down their computers, continue to waste energy and spend more money. Even if the monitor is left on, you will be wasting energy. At your work station make sure everything is shut down. Also, be sure to shut down the printers or place them on standby. Screen savers actually use more energy than sleep mode, so if you will be away, set your computer to hibernate. If your company is looking into buying new computers, go with laptops as they save much more energy than desktop computers.
Photocopiers
Many offices use photocopiers which use large amounts of energy and use paper. Make sure to photocopy documents using the smallest size possible and print on both sides of the paper to save paper and ink. The ink used should also be refillable with reusable ink cartridges.
Other Options
Changing your light bulbs to energy saving ones can make a huge difference in your energy bill. Also, using the appropriate types of shading in your office building will help to let in the sun to warm the office space or keep out drafts keeping the office space warm. These shading systems will then make quite a difference on your company's next heating bill. Before you even lease an office space, always make sure that there is sufficient window coverings and heating and cooling in your building.
Arriving at Work
These are just a few options that companies have in order to create a more eco friendly office. Employees can also do their part by riding a bike or walking to work. Employees that live farther away can create a carpool. These options will keep the Earth healthy and they will also save everyone a little extra cash which can go a long way in these tough economic times. Ask your employers what more you can all do to work in an eco friendly work environment.
Ralph Garofano in an expert in finding office space and regularly provides tips on securing the best commercial real estateindustrial real estate, shops and serviced office space for sale or for lease.
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William McDonough, founder of design firm William McDonough + Partners and author of Cradle to Cradle, discusses environmentally friendly design. The Energy Seminar meets weekly during the academic year. For a list of upcoming talks, visit the events page at the Woods Institute for the Environment website. Stanford University: www.stanford.edu Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford: woods.stanford.edu William McDonough www.mcdonoughpartners.com Stanford University Channel on YouTube: www.youtube.com
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