Sustainability washing?
I was at a recent board meeting with the Alliance for Environmental Sustainability (AES), where I am a board member, and a discussion was started about sustainability. We all know that green washing is and has been occuring for some time now. Being that the word green pertains to choices one makes to live a sustainable life, we started talking about sustainability. I would consider myself a sustainable builder, not a green builder. Being sustainable, is a way of life, and each person's idea or definition of sustainability is different. I make sure that I am paying attention to people's sustainable wants and needs and plugging in green products to help us reach our sustainable goal.
During that discussion at the AES, I brought this up, we have to be careful of sustainability washing. It is happening in the commercial field, and it is just a matter of time before we will have to be concerned about it in the residential market. I personally feel that picking out a green washer is easy. Most times, they do not know as much as the person they are trying to sell. I think that since each person has their own sustainable makeup, that it will be tough to pull one over on them. Be careful thou, if a builder starts using the terms 'sustainable builder', you will will need to know if they are or not. Here are a few tips: Watch what they drive, listen to what they say and see how it fits in to your views, see if they ask you questions about your lifestyle, and so on.
I will be speaking in Whitehall Michigan on June 25th (the night before the energy fair) about living a sustainable life and how a sustainable home and renewable energy are keys in that lifestyle. I will also be speaking at the Energy Fair on Saturday June 27th, check your program guides to see when.
This year at the Energy Fair, I will be working with the GLREA to make sure the fair runs efficiently. I will be in a number of different booths from time to time talking with people, but most of the time I will be in the fair office, or out making rounds on a golf cart. If you see me, stop me and say hi. Many have asked if I have anything to do with the home this year on the tour, and I do not, I was not able to take part in the project due to our schedule at that time. It is a nice house, and worth having a look at, especially since it was designed by Team Hybrid's Eric Hughes of Image Design. I am not sure who the builder is, but I would imagine that the builder would have a booth at the Energy Fair and you could look them up there.
See you all at the Michigan Energy Fair!
During that discussion at the AES, I brought this up, we have to be careful of sustainability washing. It is happening in the commercial field, and it is just a matter of time before we will have to be concerned about it in the residential market. I personally feel that picking out a green washer is easy. Most times, they do not know as much as the person they are trying to sell. I think that since each person has their own sustainable makeup, that it will be tough to pull one over on them. Be careful thou, if a builder starts using the terms 'sustainable builder', you will will need to know if they are or not. Here are a few tips: Watch what they drive, listen to what they say and see how it fits in to your views, see if they ask you questions about your lifestyle, and so on.
I will be speaking in Whitehall Michigan on June 25th (the night before the energy fair) about living a sustainable life and how a sustainable home and renewable energy are keys in that lifestyle. I will also be speaking at the Energy Fair on Saturday June 27th, check your program guides to see when.
This year at the Energy Fair, I will be working with the GLREA to make sure the fair runs efficiently. I will be in a number of different booths from time to time talking with people, but most of the time I will be in the fair office, or out making rounds on a golf cart. If you see me, stop me and say hi. Many have asked if I have anything to do with the home this year on the tour, and I do not, I was not able to take part in the project due to our schedule at that time. It is a nice house, and worth having a look at, especially since it was designed by Team Hybrid's Eric Hughes of Image Design. I am not sure who the builder is, but I would imagine that the builder would have a booth at the Energy Fair and you could look them up there.
See you all at the Michigan Energy Fair!
Tags: adam, bearup, building, energy, fair, homes, hybrid, michigan, sustainable, team
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Salon Verve Organic Salon & Retailer on
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I wish I knew about you 3 years ago when we started building our house! Thanks for clearing things up! I'd love to be there on June 27th. I love seeing so many business leaning the sustainable way. Good to know who the honestly sustainable ones are too.
We go through the same thing every day with the beauty business. All the big name beauty companies are coming out with "organic" versions of their beauty products, but when you look at the ingredients, they are usually the same synthetic, petroleum derived and toxic ingredients with one "organic" essential oil at the bottom of the list. We've been calling them "posers" but I like "green washed" better.
Good to know you!
Mackenzee
Front Desk Coordinator
Salon Verve
