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Visit Our Sponsor List
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This Month's
Hot Link
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GoodGuide
View environmental ratings for thousands of consumer products, plus download an iphone app version. It's a beta site so provide suggestions and feedback.
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Green Star Staff
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Kim Kovol
Executive Director
Lilly Capell
Technical Assistance
Coordinator
Megan Pool
Membership
Coordinator
Jeanne Carlson
Outreach
Contractor
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SHINING STARS
Welcome to our latest enrollees. These organizations are beginning the award certification process.
Alaska Humanities Forum
Hampton Inn - Anchorage
Midnight Sun Brewing Co.
Thank you to our latest Green Star Sponsor.
Arctic Wire Rope and Supply has donated at the Silver level ($2,500 - $4,999).
Thank you to our newest Member Discount provider.
Klebs Mechanical
is now offering 5% off all ENERGY STAR equipment and installation. Equipment
purchased in the Anchorage, Eagle River and Girdwood areas must be installed by
Klebs Mechanical, per warranty agreement.
Green Star's web site has a new look! Visit us at www.greenstarinc.org today to access helpful resources for your workplace, including recycling information, energy efficiency tips and calculators and specific assistance for several industry sectors. The site is still under construction so let us know what's missing.
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EVENTS & REMINDERS
Outdoor Timer Giveaway for your Engine Block Heater Saturday, January 9, 10am - 2pm, at the University Mall main entrance. See article below for more information about block heater timers.
Converting Fluorescent Tube Fixtures to LED Lighting.On Saturday, January 9, Alaska Center For Appropriate Technology presents two workshops -- one at 2pm and a second one at 7pm -- at the conference room of the Agate Inn in Wasilla. LED lighting is the most energy efficient lighting available. Learn how to convert T-8, T-10 or T-12 four-foot fluorescent fixtures to LED. Bring your fixture to convert. Wire and connectors provided. LED bulbs available for purchase during workshop. COST: $10 for ACAT member; $20 for non-members (membership available at www.acat.org). RSVP Required - please contact Harvey Bowers at Harvey@agateinn.comChristmas Tree Recycling. Drop off trees until January 15 at all Carrs stores in Anchorage, Eagle River, and Palmer, as well as the Mat-Su Borough Central Landfill. Trees should be
free of all decorations. NO wreaths and please don't leave plastic bags or tree
stands. Trees are turned into wood
chips and distributed to local nonprofits and parks to beautify gardens and
trails. Anchorage Boy Scout Troop 268
will pick up trees (in Anchorage only) for a small donation. Call
868-8899. For additional information about the program, contact ALPAR at 644-7968.
Cascadia Region Green Building Council's "Living Future" is coming to Seattle on May 5-7, 2010. Group rates are available for firms wanting to send multiple employees. Click Here for more info about conference content and pricing. Last year the conference sold out!Don't Forget to Renew and Recertify.
If you are a Green Star member but did not receive renewal information
via email within the last month, please let us know at
megan@greenstarinc.org or 278-7839. Member Benefits.
If you are a member of Green Star and would like to provide a product
or service at a discount to other Green Star members as part of our
member benefits program, please contact Megan at megan@greenstarinc.org
or 278-7839 to learn more. It's a great way to get highlight your
organization!Electronics Recycling. Is your workplace interested in hosting an electronics recycling event for its employees? Looking for a way to give back to your employees? Green Star and Total Reclaim are teaming up to bring electronics recycling to your business and employees. For these special business-sponsored events, Total Reclaim will reduce its rates from $0.35/lb to$0.20/lb. Total Reclaimwill schedule a truck and crew at your business in the morning until 1pm, allowing employees to recycle electronics before work and through the lunch hour. |
MEMBERSHIP CORNER
Happy New
Year! We look forward to working with each and every one of you in 2010 as we work toward our goal of creating an environmentally sustainable and
economically viable community.
Membership
Dues
Membership
dues invoicing is being done via email in order to reduce paper consumption and
lower our overhead costs. A huge thank
you to the members who have already paid their 2010 membership dues!!! If you have received your 2010 membership
dues invoice and have not yet paid, we encourage you to remit payment by
January 31.
You can make your payments online or make a
credit card payment over the phone. If you have not received anything via email
from us, chances are we have been trying to get a hold of you. Please contact
Megan at 278-7839 or megan@greenstarinc.org.
2010
Recertification
We recently sent out 2010 Recertification forms via email as well. If you received a
recertification form, we encourage you to complete and return the form by
January 31. To remain a current Award-certified organization we require that you recertify every
two years. This means that if you received your Green Star Award before 2009, it
is time to recertify. The process is quick and easy. If you are an Award-certified organization, let us know if you
have not received an email from us addressing recertification. Email
megan@greenstarinc.org.
Member
Discounts
Thank you to
those businesses who offered discounts on products and services to Green Star members
in 2009: Total Reclaim, Inc., Shaklee Inc./Alaska Wellness Solutions, Green
Alaska Solutions, Waxie Sanitary Supply, People Mover, Corporate Express, ABM
(American Building Maintenance), Brown's Electric Supply Co., and Your Clean Energy
LLC.
In 2010, we
plan to expand our member discounts program. If your business is interested in providing a discount to other Green
Star members, email megan@greenstarinc.org.
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PICK.CLICK.GIVE. TO GREEN STAR
 For a second year, Green Star is participating in the Pick.Click.Give. program. This is a way for all Alaskans to donate to a nonprofit organization of their choice through the PFD application system.
See the video.
Last year was the first year for the Pick.Click.Give. campaign. More than 5,100 Alaskans gave $545,000 through their Permanent Fund Dividend. Organizations received totals ranging from $25 to $30,000.
Green Star received $500 to help the organization assist in creating a more sustainable community through more efficient workplaces.
By giving through Pick.Click.Give., you join other Alaskans to become an important force in bettering our communities and our state. For those of you who already support Green Star, we appreciate your gifts and hope you will use this option to make an additional donation.
When you go online to file for your 2010 PFD, you will see an option to
"Pick.Click.Give." Earlier technical difficulties have been resolved and users should have no trouble with the system. Just follow the instructions to make a new donation, or
an additional gift. At the same time, please take the extra step you will see after you make your donation to provide your contact information
to us. We want to acknowledge and recognize your generous support, and this is the only way we will know it is you making the gift.
You can find more information about the program, including frequently asked questions at Pick.Click.Give.
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GET AN OUTDOOR TIMER FOR YOUR ENGINE BLOCK HEATER
Do you park your car or truck outdoors at night? For those Anchorage residents who
already have an engine block heater installed in their vehicle, Green Star is giving away
free programmable outdoor timers (approx. $15 value). Tell your
friends and neighbors!
OUTDOOR TIMER GIVEAWAY: Saturday January 9th
10am - 2pm, University Mall - Main Entrance
*anyone interested in volunteering at this event should contact Lilly at 278-7859 or lilly@greenstarinc.org by Friday afternoon*
Studies show that using an engine block heater whenever it's
20ºF or colder for two to three hours prior to starting your personal or
business vehicle can cut carbon monoxide emissions by an average of 60%.
In addition, using a programmable timer to switch on your
vehicle's block heater will cut electricity costs to about 20 cents per
plug-in, while allowing you to start up with a warm engine.
Remember, the benefits of plugging in are many, including:
· Saving gas
· Reducing engine wear
· Increasing vehicle reliability
· Decreasing carbon monoxide and other pollutant emissions
· Defrosting windows more quickly while idling less
For questions about the timer giveaway,
please call Green Star at 278-7859 or email lilly@greenstarinc.org.
The timers are purchased with Federal Highway funds to
reduce cold-start emissions. These funds are administered by the Anchorage
Department of Health and Human Services.
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CREATING A GREEN CORPORATE CULTURE
 An innovative
approach to "greening" your business is through employee evaluations and performance reviews. After
all, your employees are your business. Before
hiring a new employee, consider measuring his or her commitment to "saving
green" (your bottom line!). Does this person's philosophy mirror that of the
organization? Will his or her ideas and
practices enhance both the organization's economic and environmental
sustainability?
Employees understand
the expectation to perform through leadership, initiative, creativity,
timeliness and delegation, just to name a few.
Consider adding green performance measurements within each of the
evaluation criteria you currently have, including your staff's job description.
For example, insert performance questions about staff environmental
stewardship, learning opportunities, or training.
Monitor your
employee's use of paper products or your company's supply orders to evaluate
cost savings. Encourage employees to use
"Eco-Font" for their computer-generated documents and emails, which will reduce
the use of toner/ink by 50% with each printed item. Employee efficiencies do lead to
organizational efficiency.
Offer staff
incentives with green job performance tasks or goals that can be measured and
celebrated with fellow employees.
Consider electronic employee self-evaluations. And, ask for feedback on what you, the
business leader, can do to support your staff in the company's green
initiatives. Be prepared to discuss
ideas, seek out proactive solutions, and offer alternatives when liabilities
exceed the return on investment.
When employees
understand green expectations as part of their daily tasks, money-saving
practices begin to add up quickly.
Businesses save time (not wasted), supplies/inventory (reused,
repurposed, recycled), and money (the ultimate green!). In an increasingly
competitive environment, with customers and clients demanding more from
businesses (competitive prices, higher level of customer service, and increased
environmental stewardship of their community and neighborhoods), companies
cannot afford to not look at creative green solutions to improve their bottom
line, reduce employee turnover, and retain customers at a consistent level.
For more information, contact kim@greenstarinc.org.
Look for Green Star's
environmental perspective in Alaska Business Monthly's "Alaska 2010 Outlook" in
the January 2010 issue.
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USGS ALASKA SCIENCE CENTER EARNS NATIONAL AWARD
The USGS Alaska Science Center was one of ten
recipients nationwide of the 2009 Department of the Interior Environmental
Achievement Award. USGS was honored at an award ceremony in Washington D.C. on
December 1, 2009, and congratulated by the Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.
USGS was recognized for its partnership with public and private
institutions to form Anchorage's first "Green District," (the U-Med Green District) pledging to share best
practices to create a more sustainable city. The participants share a
commitment to lead the way for sustainability in the areas of recycling and
waste reduction, transportation, energy efficiency, and toxics reduction.
While
the Alaska Science Center had independently implemented an Environmental Management System
internally and addressed issues such as recycling and energy efficiency, as a
group, the U-Med Green District institutions have established task forces in each focus
area, sharing knowledge and exploring district-wide strategies for
sustainability. The USGS also received its Green Star Award certification in October 2009.
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Access past issues of E-News, sorted by topic or date. Please send comments, questions, or suggestions for future E-News topics to us at jeanne@greenstarinc.org. Forward this newsletter freely. Send us any email addresses you wish us to add to our mailing list. Thank you!
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