My challenge in writing this newsletter is not an uncommon one for me - too many exciting topics, not enough attention span. If I don't like reading long newsletters, how can I expect you to? So I decided to pick my top three "OMG you have to share and write about these things right away" for this issue.
On cleaning, toxins and what's under your sink - several issues ago I wrote about the Environmental Working Group's release of their 2012 Guide to Healthy Cleaning. This is sooooooo flippin' important people - we have ALL got to clean up our toxins in the home act. EWG published a guide rating over 2000 products and has made it available, for free - of course. Here is a link to the life-saving guide.
Well, lo and behold, within HOURS after it was published, EWG started hearing from manufacturers who said they had added new ingredient information to their products labels, changed the ingredients or both. EWG was also asked to remove the original C, D or F score off the website. They chose not to. Once again, and in the interest of attention spans, I URGE you to read why.
What does this tell you? Our voices are being heard, we can make a difference and we have to keep pumping up the volume. Our lives depend on it!
On Fracking - Let it suffice to say I have been taking some flack (frack?) from certain sectors about my strong words on most fracking practices. What is great about all of it is that I am growing and learning. I am encouraged by growing pressure to impose higher standards for fracking. Instead of writing five long paragraphs, I invite you to click on this link and decide what you think about this hot topic.
What do I love about it? The article suggests 5 ways to clean up fracking's chemical act. Here's one short excerpt on what I am talking about and I hope it whets your appetite enough to click through.
Oil and gas producers have made sizeable strides in disclosing many of the chemicals. But three major questions remain substantially unaddressed:
- First, and most importantly, do producers have systems in place to evaluate whether they are using more toxic chemicals than necessary?
- Second, what are producers doing to encourage their suppliers to provide safer alternatives?
- Third, what tools can suppliers use to develop and market safer alternatives?
And I would be remiss if I did not include this short impactful paragraph that should set off some bells and whistles in your head.
"The oil and gas industry understandably downplays the hazards from fracturing chemicals. It stresses they are a very small percentage of the fluids going down the bore hole - approximately 1 percent or less- and these chemicals are commonly found in household products. This rationale ignores scale and life cycle." I repeat - this rationale ignores SCALE and LIFE CYCLE.
Does this seem like too much to ask? I think not. Here's to safer, cleaner, fewer.
On Doing - Part I: On Thursday, September 27th, the day after you receive this newsletter, we will be releasing a short YouTube video called The Silent Killer. It's about PLASTIC BAGS because they are, indeed, the silent killer. We are hosting a launch party to thank the wonderful team of people from Bookmans Entertainment Exchange (http://bookmans.com/) for making this video possible. What's the "on doing" connection? We are asking you to do something - help us spread the word about the video. Why might you ask? Because we CAN imagine a world without plastic bags. We can imagine them not growing on trees, trashing our landscape, maiming wildlife, killing fish, and polluting our oceans. And we can do it all ourselves so we are asking for you to help and to get involved. Want a little motivation? Just remember that three hundred eighty billion (number of plastic bags consumed in the USA each year) is a big number. That's 380,000,000,000. We've got work to do.
We are going to give you a SNEAK preview before the official launch - because you are loyal tribal members. Let the sharing begin!
On doing - Part II: On October 8th, we are launching our THIRD annual Arizona's Greenest Workplace Challenge. Our last two challenges were VERY successful and celebrated two outstanding businesses - Golden Eagle Distributors in year one and TriSports.com in year two. Why do we do this? For lots of reasons but here are two:
- Because we believe it is so important to put the spotlight on what businesses are doing to become more sustainable in their everyday operations.
- By highlighting what companies are doing to lower their carbon footprint, we hope it will inspire other businesses to join them to move in a direction that is beneficial to their employees, to their community and ultimately to the planet. The past two winners have gone the distance to create work environments that follow the "reduce, reuse, recycle" philosophy in every conceivable way.
Here's what the CEO of TriSports.com has to say about why they entered and why you should consider entering your business or nominating a green or going green business.
Here's the doing part: submit your business; contact a business you know is committed to going greener; submit another person's business; spread the word about our contest via your own social media networks; and VOTE for the People's Choice Award. Why? Because what you think matters to us - all day long and twice on Sunday. Go to mrsgreensworld.com on October 8 for details.
