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This Month's
Hot Link
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Bottled Water Disaster
An amazing and eye-opening viewpoint on the cost of bottled water.
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Green Star Staff
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Kim Kovol
Executive Director
Jeanne Carlson
Program Director
Lilly Capell
Air Quality Program Assistant
Miguel Ramos
Air Quality Intern
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A Message from Green Star's
New Executive Director
Dear Green Star Members, Supporters, and Awardees,
 Thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself to you. My name is Kim Kovol and I am the new Executive Director of Green Star. I hail originally from San Diego, California, and first came to Alaska in 1996. My husband Brian, a Biologist and Project Manager, and our three children, all enjoy skiing, hiking, football, and hockey (Go Aces! We'll take the Kelly Cup in 2010!). My background includes extensive for-profit and non-profit business management, with my most recent time as the CEO for United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County. Prior to this, I was the exiting Vice President of Urban Operations for Boys & Girls Clubs of Alaska.
I am passionate about business and enjoy a good challenge on a daily basis. I speak plainly, live energetically, and by design or default, ensure that there is "Never a Dull Moment." Living in Santa Barbara, a prolific "green" city, has been a life changing experience -- altering not only the way my family lives, but how I approach business management, marketing, customer service and communication. There are basic and creative cost-saving measures that truly make a difference in YOUR bottom line and in the pockets of YOUR staff, not to mention, YOUR customers.
Green Star IS a good business, and we face the challenge like other non-profits of maintaining a sustainable future, all the while delivering solid customer care to our members, and educating other businesses about the positive aspects of becoming a Green Star Member. Membership benefits are critical and there is a large pool of potential business services that we must focus on, develop, and communicate. Don't be surprised if you get a phone call from me very soon!
I will honor Green Star's past, nurture the present, and forge ahead to the future, leading and developing Green Star as a premiere non-profit agency in Alaska, providing unique and proven services that SAVE BUSINESSES MONEY - after all, it's Good for Business, Good for the Community, and Good for the Environment. |
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Shining Stars
Congratulations to our most recent Green Star Award certified organizations
- Kayak Adventures Worldwide
- Sound Eco Adventures
Welcome to our newest Green Star members
- ERM (Environmental Resources Management)
- UMIAQ
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Anchorage Biked To Work
...even in the rain!
Despite the pouring rain on May 15, almost 2,000 riders took the plunge and rode to work. The riders enjoyed coffee and treats on the trails from the Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage. More than 500 riders from at least ten Green Star member teams registered to bicycle to work. Just under 200 teams signed up.
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) alone counted 142 riders and had more than 150 riders show up at its after-work pizza party for Anchorage Bike to Work participants.
Check out all the stats, along with a full list of participating teams, at www.muni.org/biketowork.
Keep On Riding
Even though Bike to Work Day is now a memory, many organizations are continuing to ride all summer long. Both ANTHC an d the VA will be hosting a monthly Bike to Work Friday. Keep the momentum going by making "bike to work" a weekly or monthly event and remember biking to work is a way to be more active, reduce traffic congestion, and improve air quality around town.
Thank you to everyone who biked to work and who filled out the survey about their ride! |
Making Your Business Bicycle Friendly
The League of American Bicyclists has developed guidelines to assist with making your business a Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB). A BFB is a corporation, organization, association, or nonprofit that actively promotes bicycling for transportation, recreation, exercise, and sport. A BFB practices social responsibility by weaving bicycling into the business culture and gives employees the opportunity to be active stewards of their personal and environmental health through bicycling.
The Bicycle Friendly Business program evaluates applicants' efforts to promote bicycling in four primary areas: encouragement, education, engineering, and evaluation.
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Member Moment:
ASRC Energy Services Regulatory & Technical Services
Typically, we highlight member businesses that have achieved Green Star Award certified status. This month, we'd like to recognize an organization that has not achieved certification status yet but offers a fantastic example of how to get there. ASRC Energy Services Regulatory and Technical Services is an enrollee that is going the extra mile.
A strong Green Star committee has been tackling various action items to address elements of the ten Standards. The team leader provided these updates to the staff to keep staff inspired through the process. Read through for some great ideas for internal education and incentives. We look forward to highlight AES RTS as a Green Star award-certified organization soon!
Read more...
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Battery Recycling Alert
What you Need to Know Before Recycling
A recent advisory from the U.S. Department of Transportation to all battery recyclers and battery collection points has placed packaging requirements on batteries collected for recycling. Due to several recent fires caused by improperly packaged waste batteries, it is now necessary for all batteries to be packaged individually. This means that each battery needs to be placed in a plastic baggie or its terminals need to be fully taped using electrical tape or a similar type of tape.
At Total Reclaim, a local recycler of batteries, this means that everything on the recycler's battery price list is still the same pricing; however, Total Reclaim will only accept batteries that already have the terminals taped. The only exception is if a customer wants to pay a $65/hour labor rate on top of the recycling fee so that Total Reclaim can properly package the batteries.
Visit the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration for details.
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Member Benefits Continue To Grow
...Thanks to Partner Businesses
When you are weighing the many benefits of becoming a Green Star member business, don't forgot about our member discounts. Besides helping you to identify ways to save energy, reduce costs, and promote your "green" business practices, Green Star also offers discounts to all members through its partner businesses. You can take advantage of savings on products and services that will help you achieve and maintain the Green Star Standards.
Visit www.greenstarinc.org/memberbenefits.php for a list of benefits. Below are profiles and coupons from two of our member partners.
Green Alaska Solutions
Deborah O'Leary started Green Alaska Solutions™ last year to offer earth-friendly alternatives to paper, plastic, and Styrofoam take-away containers. Green Alaska Solutions™ provides biodegradable and compostable disposable products to food service establishments and the general public. The products, which include a full line of hot and cold cups, plates, utensils, bags, to-go containers, and other disposable accessories, are made from renewable raw plant materials such as sugarcane, corn, and other plants and vegetables. Read more...
YourCleanEnergy LLC
Green Star members are now eligible for a 10% discount on commercial energy audits with YourCleanEnergy LLC. If you are feeling the impacts of rising natural gas and electricity costs on your business in South-central Alaska, now is the time for Green Star members to have a professional energy audit completed to realize savings from energy efficiency. From now thru December 31, 2009, you can receive a 10% discount on a commercial energy audit performed by YourCleanEnergy LLC of Anchorage. During the audit, your electricity and heating records will be reviewed and detailed documentation of your electrical demands, heating loads and equipment, and building envelope will be evaluated. Read more...
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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 enews@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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