Some of the most overused and misunderstood buzz phrases in today's lexicon are; "Going Green", "Sustainability" and "Reducing Your Carbon Footprint".  What do these phrases mean?  Well surely they must be more than topics trending on twitter or clever ice breakers at one's next dinner party.  The truth is you can ask ten different people what it means to "Go Green" and except for Kermit the Frog, you are going to get ten different answers.  The reason is that Going Green simply means different things to different people.

To some, Going Green means living a sustainable life style which could include; recycling, growing a vegetable garden, taking public transportation or biking to work, buying recycled goods of materials produced locally and a host of other things.  This shade of green is all about treading lightly on the earth and "Doing What You Can Do".  It's about making a series of relatively small life style changes which, when taken together by groups of like minded individuals, can help the planet.

To some companies, Going Green can mean "Making Green".  There continues to be a growing market for green goods and services.  Products made from a high percentage of recycled materials and which can be recycled again at the end of their useful life are very popular.  It has been proven that some consumers are willing to pay a little more for environmentally friendly products.  There are many responsible companies who have realized they can have both a strong social conscience and a strong bottom line.

To federal, state and local governments, sustainability is a public duty. Over the last decade, the federal government has enacted laws focused on reducing the impact from and the use of fossil fuels. At the state and local levels, part of the focus has been on reducing stress on landfills and public water supplies. Cutting across state lines, nationally standardized energy construction codes are mandating better insulated buildings with higher efficiency lighting and mechanical (HVAC) systems. One "literally green" government initiative was enacted in New York City by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg who planted over one million trees during his three terms as mayor.