Lisa Kauffman Tharp was the first person to inspire me to look at new materials when I specify products and take more responsibility with toxic materials. She is doing her job being green with her sphere of influence by bringing what she knows to Active Rain and sharing it with paint, flooring, and much more.
As an interior designer/home stager, I think I have a chance to do a bit more for the environment than the average person when I specify product, or do I?
What about the grocery store clerk? Can a green store clerk bring awareness to the management to offer more organic fruits and vegetables? Does the store manager know how many greenies there are? Wouldn't it be great if our local store had a green section? Shouldn't we ask?
Can the green gardener use safe chemicals? How about the pest control people...can they make a difference? If those pellets they sprinkle around can kill underground ants...what else? When I inject poison into the ground to kill gophers...am I killing my family? Shouldn't we ask?
When you go to the hairdresser and the smell knocks you over when you walk in...what is that chemical doing going down the drain? Can we ask them to be green? Is there such a place?
Who decided what flavor of paste goes on the back of stamps and envelopes? What is that stuff anyway? Is it bad for our environment? We lick it anyway, don't we? Shouldn't we ask?
Junk mail...are those advertisers wiping out our forests?
When you go to buy are car, are you asking to see the greenest model they have?
School teachers...are they green? Shouldn't we ask? And if not, should we offer some suggestions and help implement them such as; instead of volunteering for cup cakes and donuts for the party, bring organic snacks and explain why?
Should we ask our sphere of influence "Are you green? What are you doing to be green? If you don't know will you please find out for me so I can continue doing business with you? I can go on and on.
Ask yourself this: Who am I going to talk to today and what am I going to talk about. Is there an opportunity for me to bring green into the conversation?
If one city block of residents talked green to their sphere of influence for one week, the whole neighborhood would change. If one real estate office made it their goal to talk green for one week, a whole community could change.
It all started for me with Lisa Kauffman Tharp and your neighborhood could say the same about you. Greening your sphere of influence is an MLM worth investing in and you are at the top.
Namaste
In a related matter. What is the deal with the glue that manufacturers are using for their food packaging? It must be the same stuff that NASA uses to glue the tiles on the space shuttle. It will not come apart no matter what you do. What are elderly people like myself supposed to do-hire someone to open our packages? You wind up tearing the packaging just to get at the product. This stuff can't be good for us.
I think you deserve a green cookie from Maureen. Maybe she has some left over from Saint Patrick's Day.
James - what is with this OLD image you are projecting...try Celebrex and you will be dancing through the meadows in no time.
Have you bought a CD or video game lately? They have 2 pounds of plastic and paper covering a 1 inch by 2 inch game chip. I will not leave a store until they have cut it off and they have a very tough time doing it. Whose idea was that. BTW...be sure you make them recycle the plastic...otherwise you see them just toss it in the can.
Me being green!
Sheron,
As Realtors, we owe it to our customers. How about green closing gifts? Pack of 5 or 10 CFL bulbs, grocery bags with your logo (like public tv)....
Gary - yes! I did write a post about bringing a decorative box before a stager begins...filled with CFL light bulbs to use and then place the refrigerator magnets and notes into it for safe keeping and easy access. I just found these really cool recycling bags too. Thanks for your input
While I think that it is a wonderful thing to go green and pass it on, in my heart of hearts I think that this is an overwhelming task for all to follow
Phyllis Pafumi
It sure is Phyllis! Adding one thing a month is what I have set myself up for and posting about it helps. Thanks for listening and like I have said before...I am just a celery green...
GREEN YOUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE...
I can see that on the bumpers of cars (fuel efficient cars?) across the nation!
Sheron, Many times things that sound really good have unintended consequences. Many times it takes more energy to recycle than to produce it from scratch. Electric cars sound good until you look at what's involved in producing the electricity. Banning DDT might sound good but it could result in millions of people dying due to malaria. Banning cars might sound good until you learn that horse manure in city streets caused many outbreaks of disease. Even the nice sounding CFL light bulbs are now being looked at as a big source for mercury pollution.
I just try to live in a conservative manner and try to not waste stuff.
Tim, I guess we have just scratched the surface of being responsible and conscious with our lives. It was fun while it lasted though, wasn't it! Hopefully, with enough effort and brains, we will find a way as the American Indians had.
George, thank your daughter for me, will you? Tell her the world appreciates her efforts.
JaneAnne - you are my inspiration. Have you shared via an AR post as to what you do around your house and in your sphere of influence that we may have overlooked or don't know about? Thanks!
Joan, thanks but I have so far to go...can't believe I missed the grocery sacks...
Dena - wowie...thank you so much! Any thoughts provoked that you are ready to share?
Sheron, have been staging a "green" builder's condo this week and learning a lot about green furnishings, how cold air patterns move around windows...sooo much to learn. I'll write about the process soon. Life is busy right now, which is good. Thank you for keeping us thinking green and each doing our share...every little bit helps.
Hi Sheron - Happy earth day! Although I think you and I have different views (particularly about Al Gore) lol., I admire your green efforts. Seriously have you ever considered running for a political office, even at a local level? It sounds like you are a very committed person to your beliefs and you would probably do a great job as some sort of environmental political activist.
Anyway as for me, I finally got a few of those energy saving light bulbs. It's just a small thing, however, it's a start.
So, although I question the validity of global warming, happy earth day, and keep it green!
Maureen - we all have started with the light bulbs and that is great news.
If you lived in CA you wouldn't doubt global warming. Just 5 short years ago I wore a coat and gloves to to drive my little girl to school in the morning, just shivering...wiping frost off the windows. This year I have not worn a coat at all, nor gloves, and my dogs have been shedding since February. Hmmm
Sue - I am so interested in learning what you are learning. Things the average person would never know.