Jim Kuiken, President & CEO

August 11, 2009

Dear GenGreen Business Members,

We are proud to recognize some of our newest certified members below, as well as have the opportunity to share why there are three levels of certification and what these three levels mean.

FEATURED GOLD LEVEL BUSINESSES:

Verdant Strategies, Inc. – B2B – Vienna, VA

Hibiscus Naturals – Bath and Body – Pasadena, CA

Knickernappies – Baby and Kids – Springfield, OR

 myEARTH360.com – Retail/Consumer – North Barrington, IL

Gold Level GenGreen Certification
These companies scored above 75% on their certification tests and are the highest level of approval available within GenGreen, these companies have proven themselves exemplary environmental stewards in their various business activities.

Silver Level GenGreen Certification
These companies scored between 50-74% and are showing a tremendous amount of effort with their sustainability initiatives. These companies should be held in high regard for the steps they are taking. 

 Bronze Level GenGreen Certification
These companies scored between 25-49% and have begun to make some solid changes to better serve the environment in their respective fields. While still maintaining areas that can be improved upon, these companies have gone above and beyond many companies by making the environment a priority when it comes to doing business and should be supported for doing so. Every little bit makes a difference.

Do you think that very many people are interested in living a “Green” life, even if it means paying considerably more for things than people who don’t care?

I first became interested in sustainable living by reading Mother Earth News. Reading that magazine makes one realize that there are a lot of people interested in energy efficiency, sustainable living and being green. What I am really wondering is: Is a large segment of our population concerned and interested enough to move beyond recycling and reusable grocery bags and willing to pay extra for the ability to use non fossil fuel based energies or is the only way to make this happen is with government mandates and incentives?

Jim’s response:

Michael, no and no.

A large segment of the public will never pay extra for the ability to use non-fossil fuel based engines (and a staggering plethora of other “green” options that are or are becoming available), and no, the only way to make this happen is NOT government mandates and incentives. Either way, the general public has to pay more. More in costs, or more in taxes (and government interference/oversight/control)…both bad.

The way to move forward is to forget the politics and stop alienating one segment or the other – and to work with the rapidly developing technology to offer market based services and products that have equal or similar characteristics, reliability and cost effectiveness as the traditional products or services. Start with what we have, and the market demand will (as it always does once a market demand has developed) be its own incentive to further develop technologies, products and services to answer that demand. It’s happening now, with new standards (LEED, EPEAT, Green Seal, Energy Star, Green Label Plus, GRA, etc., etc.) which all started out as internal industry standards, and are fast becoming national standards. Products such as corn based polymers in place of plastics, biodiesel from biomass instead of food crops, cost effective home solar and wind alternatives selling back to the grid, etc. It is coming, and if we keep the excitement and drive, this will continue to self-propagate with viable market alternatives that DON’T cost more and are NOT mandated or regulated by the government (the most inefficient method of incurring change). Keep up your good work, de-politicize the efforts and public perception, and this (viable green alternatives) will come to full bloom. It makes good market sense.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s taking place. Highlights include:

• Efficiency improvements to the building’s exterior envelope and windows. The tower has 16,000 single-pane windows. Sustainability plans for the building call for a window replacement and glazing program. Strategies to achieve a thermal break of the curtain wall are also being investigated. These upgrades would achieve savings of up to 50 percent of heating energy.
• Mechanical systems upgrades in the form of new gas boilers that utilize fuel cell technologies, which generate electricity, heating and cooling at as much as 90 percent efficiency. Mechanical upgrades also will include new high-efficiency chillers and upgrades to the distribution system.
• The tower’s 104 high speed elevators and 15 escalators that will be modernized with the latest technology to achieve 40 percent reduction in their energy consumption.
• Water savings that will be realized with conservation initiatives through upgrades to restroom fixtures, condensation recovery systems and water efficient landscaping,which will reduce water usage by 40 percent and save 24 million gallons of water each year.

Those against the current bill maintain it will hurt consumers and hinder business. Advocates say it will boost a growing “green economy” that could mean new technologies, investment opportunities, and jobs.

Last Friday’s edition of All Things Considered has a sound encapsulation.

Stonyfield Farm President and CEO Gary Hirshberg explains how his company is able to embrace green biz principles and perform well.

Writer Michael Butler offers interesting interpretations of the forecast, urging balance:

It’s also important to note that advanced battery-centric solutions may not be able to deliver on their full promise and potential. So, we also need to look beyond batteries, to a combination of available and efficient next-generation energy storage technologies that can help us reach our commercial and environmental goals.

At Verdant, we’re hoping to shift that thinking a bit. Get organizations from storefront startups to major corporations to government agencies to change the way they work. For us, “going green” doesn’t just mean energy efficiency and renewable resources. It means lower utility bills, tax credits, and a wider profit margin.

That’s the kind of growth we really want to sustain.