GREEN AMERICAN GREENAMERICA.ORG in COOPERATION the Big Picture: Green America's Mission Is to Harness Economic Power for a Just and Sustainable Society

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 ISSUE 95

LIVE BETTER. SAVE MORE. INVEST WISELY. GREEN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AMERICAN INSIDE

4 GMO Inside You want to eat organic, buy what you need targets green and Fair Trade, and support renewable chobani energy. But you worry that green can be yogurt expensive. Is it possible to...

REAL GREEN LIVING 6 Go Green Fracking: the situation is getting on a Budget? worse Page 12 REAL GREEN INVESTING

8 the Fossil-free divestment movement expands

10 LEAD FOUND IN LIPSTICK SHOWS NEED FOR REFORM DID YOU KNOW? Growing your own salad mix can save you $17.55 for every square foot you plant. Tips for organic 4 Eco actions on a budget, 10 Across green america p. 16 23 GREEN BUSINESS NEWS 24 LETTERS & advice Photo by zoryanchik / shutterstock Invest as if our planet depends on it

Fossil Fuel Free Balanced Fund

You should carefully consider the Funds’ investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. To obtain a Prospectus that contains this and other information about the Funds, please visit www.greencentury.com, email [email protected], or call 1-800-93-GREEN. Please read the Prospectus carefully before investing. Stocks will fluctuate in response to factors that may affect a single company, industry, sector, or the market as a whole and may perform worse than the market. Bonds are subject to risks including interest rate, credit, and inflation. The Green Century Funds are distributed by UMB Distribution Services, LLC. 3/13

2 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 GREEN AMERICAN GREENAMERICA.ORG IN COOPERATION The Big Picture: Green America's mission is to harness economic power for a just and sustainable society. We work for a world where all people have enough, where all communities are healthy and safe, and where the abundance of Living Green Costs Less the Earth is preserved for all the generations to come. Our programs grow the green economy, stop corporate abuse, tackle climate change, Dear Green Americans: build fair trading systems, support local communities, and help families and s it possible to go green on a budget? businesses go green. We define “green” to mean social and economic justice, community and environmental health—people and the planet. Absolutely! We’ve packed this issue with Istrategic tips and advice—from our staff as A publication of Green America (formerly Co-op America) well as Green America members—on the biggest budget areas outside of mortgages or rent: cloth- Publications Better Paper project dIRECTOR ing, food, energy, and transportation. Division Director Dennis Greenia Frank Locantore EDITOR-in-chief Tracy Fernandez Rysavy Better Paper project coordinator For the biggest savings, use the most strategic associate editor Martha van Gelder Allison Stewart tool of all, what we call “category” or “big- pic- Senior Writer Sarah Tarver-Wahlquist DIRECTOR, Social Investing & ALISA ture” holistic thinking: Look at each category of eDITORIAL FELLOWS Krisna Bharvani, policy Fran Teplitz GRAVITZ Sierra Schellenberg green consumer mobilization your budget and find the savings there so you can Design direction Tracy Loeffelholz Dunn & Technology illustrator Jem Sullivan online & technology director then afford the green choices in that category. For PUBLISHER Denise Hamler Hans Bauman example, when it comes to clothes, if you buy many pieces secondhand, Special Projects & Adv ertising MANAGER IT/systems Administrator Pat Keyes Rob Hanson Senior Information systems analyst or get them for free at swaps, you can afford a beautiful organic cotton Additional advertising Dennis Greenia Bernadette Morales Gaskin or hemp suit. (And that suit might not actually cost any more than a online & special projects Editor Web specialist Shireen Karimi conventional suit of comparable quality—a good suit is an investment, Andrew Korfhage online systems developer Jeff Koppe Executive Team Web development intern Fern Sawitree why not make it green?) president/ceo Alisa Gravitz Development PROGRAMS What I find when I talk to our members around the country, is that Executive director Larry Giammo chief development Officer Brad Dawson Executive assistant Martha van Gelder major gifts Officer Christy Schwengel people who choose to go green and use this holistic thinking for their en- GREEN BUSINESS NETWORK™ development COORDINATor Katie Gatlin tire set of living choices actually spend less, at every income level, thanks DIRECTOR Denise Hamler foundation Fundraiser Matt Grason director of standards & Certification development intern Laurie Wilmot to their green-living decisions. Alix Davidson membership marketing PROGRAMS People choosing to live green are more likely to save money overall, communications and marketing manager director of membership marketing Misha Deborah Clive Dana Christianson because: membership and marketing coordinator membership marketing COORDINATor • They’re committed to elegant simplicity—using fewer resources, Nicolas Biber Beth Porter senior researcher Tish Kashani membership marketing Fellow which means buying less, wasting less, saving more. certification interns Samantha Hoillet, Bridget Callahan • They’ve made a major commitment to energy efficiency (p. 17). Ashley Johnson organizational systems national green pages fellows Takiya chief business officer Russ Gaskin They’ve often reduced their energy bills by a third or half. (That pays for Louers, Annie Milewski Director of Finance & a lot of organic food!) online communications and marketing Assistant Director of Administration interns Ricci Conway, Cynthia Henthorn Nora Marsh • They’re open to buying clothes and other items at yard sales, thrift corporate responsibility senior ACCOUNTant & benefits manager stores, and the burgeoning second-time-around online sites (p. 14). programs Linda Carpenter DIVISION & climate solutions DIRECTOR aCCOUNTs Receivable Specialist & • They drive less, walk and bike more, and own fewer cars (p. 22). Todd Larsen Data entry Deanna Tilden • They share, swap, and build community—getting more of what they campaigns director Elizabeth O’Connell accounting intern Fangting Wang campaigns intern Corinne Molz Member services coordinator need without spending cash (p. 18). clean energy victory bonds Nicolas Biber • They make their own (p. 22), grow their own (p.16), and eat less outreach fellow Matt Jennings donor & volunteer administrative clean energy victory bonds assistant Takiya Louers, Valerie Pejoro meat (p. 16). intern Yasmin Hussain ATTORNEY Lara Pearson • They avoid dry cleaning, saving an average of $600-$1,000 a year GMO campaign coordinator (p. 14). Shireen Karimi founder/president emeritus GMO campaign research Fellow Paul Freundlich • They are less likely to go to big box stores—where items may cost Ryan Beville less, but the lower quality means replacing items more often. Worse, these stores are designed to convince people to buy, so families often Board of DIRECTORs Georgie Benardete, Bernard Brennan, Dana Christianson, Paul Freundlich, Alisa Gravitz, Denise Hamler, Eric Henry, leave having purchased two to three times more than they intended Andrew Korfhage, Krista Kurth, Julie Lineberger, Deborah Momsen-Hudson when they walked in the door. Green American magazine (ISSN: 0885-9930) is free with Green America Individual Membership (starting at $20/year) or Green Business Network The money people save through these choices makes it possible for them to Membership (starting at $130/year). pay more for green choices that might cost more—like organic food—but are For address changes or individual membership information, call healthier, higher quality, safer, and better for people and the planet. 800/58-GREEN or e-mail [email protected]. For Green Business Network information, call 202/872-5316 or e-mail [email protected]. Best of all, our members report that this holistic thinking brings them For article reprints, call 202/872-5307 or e-mail [email protected]. healthier, happier lives with more connections to family, friends, and Green America, 1612 K St. NW, #600, Washington, DC 20006 800/58-GREEN fax 202/331-8166 community. GreenAmerica.org Here’s to living well and spending less,

Facebook.com/GreenAmerica Twitter.com/GreenAmerica

Copyright 2013. Printed on 100% de-inked recycled fiber, elemental chlorine-free. Alisa Gravitz, President/CEO m Designates an approved member of Green America’s Green Business Network® 3 ECO ACTIONS the social Justice and environmental issues of our time

BetterPaper.org + BreakUpWithYourMegaBank.org CleanEnergyVictoryBonds.org + ClimateAction.org FairTradeAction.org + GMOInside.org RaisetheBarHershey.org GMO Inside Targets Chobani Yogurt For “Real” and “Natural” Claims

“The animal feed sector is one of the main consumers of GMO crops in the world. Reducing demand for GMO feed will have major impacts in converting cropland away from GMO farming,” says O’Connell. Cows living on industrial farms eat GMO feed two to three times a day, every day. This silage may consist of GMO corn, soy, alfalfa, cotton seed, and/or sugar beets, plus synthetic vitamins that are often also derived from GMO crops. In fact, 98 percent of genetically modified soy and 49 percent of genetically modified corn is used to feed livestock and poultry. Animals, like humans, are deeply im- pacted by the quality of their diets. A study published in the June issue of the Journal of Organic Systems showed that pigs fed an entirely GMO diet suffered from severe stomach inflammation when compared to pigs given non-GMO feed. Additionally, while the dairy industry has claimed that GM particles are broken down Green America’s GMO Inside campaign is targeting Chobani in the digestive tracts of the animals that eat Greek yogurt for its use of conventional milk, which generally them, these particles have shown up in the comes from cows fed genetically modified feed. organs and milk of animals fed GMOs, the same meat and milk that humans then eat. GMO Inside is asking Green Americans he Green America-led GMO Inside consumer, it can be very difficult to know to sign a petition to Chobani requesting the Tcoalition has launched a campaign against which products are affected by GMOs,” says company use milk from cows who have Chobani yogurt. Often found in the natural GMO Inside campaign director Elizabeth not been fed GMOs, and to take action on foods section of grocery stores across the O’Connell. “Chobani has an opportunity to Facebook. nation, Chobani is America’s top Greek be a leader among meat and dairy companies “Chobani is known to monitor its yogurt brand. The company prides itself on by listening to its customers and ensuring its Facebook page for discussion on this topic, adding no GMO ingredients to its yogurt. cows are given non-GMO food.” and we know it is extremely sensitive to However, given that it relies on conventional It’s impossible for consumers to know consumer feedback about GMOs,” says milk as a main ingredient, the company likely which meat and dairy products are derived O’Connell. uses milk from cows eating a diet full of ge- from GMO-fed livestock, says O’Connell, Sign the Chobani petition at GMOInside. netically modified organisms (GMOs)—and unless the product is certified organic or org/take-action, and join our Facebook GMO Inside is demanding that it switch to has gone through the Non-GMO Project’s action campaigns by liking our page, verified GMO-free milk sources. certification for non-GMO feed, recently ap- Facebook.com/GMOInside. Comment on “Demand for non-GMO foods is grow- proved by the US Department of Agriculture Chobani’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/ ing every day, but for even the most careful as a credible label. Chobani.

4 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 GREEN AMERICAN GREENAMERICA.ORG Green Power

Photo by Paul Dunn The continuing mass death of honeybees “poses a serious threat” to several commercial US crops, according to the US EPA.

reviewed journal Plos One also points to the fungicides pyraclostrobin and chlorothalonil Europe Bans Pesticide Linked as potential causes. In America, the US Food and Drug to Mass Bee Deaths; Administration (FDA) and Environmental US Lags Behind Protection Agency (EPA) acknowledged in a joint report released in May that neonic- In April, the European Union (EU) approved otinoids “continue to be an area of research a two-year ban on three neonicotinoid pesti- and concern” when it comes to bee deaths. cides, citing a January study by the European The report also cites parasites and disease, Food Safety Authority that blames these pesti- genetics, and poor nutrition as probable cides for dramatic declines in global honeybee causes, in addition to pesticide use. populations. The number of honeybee colonies in the Fifteen of the 27 EU member states voted US has plummeted from 3 million in 1990 to in support of the ban, despite what the Lon- 2.5 million in 2013, according to the report. don Independent called “fierce lobbying by the In 1947, there were 6 million colonies. chemical industry” against it. While the vote A solar lamp created by Barefoot Power The continuing mass bee deaths “pose lights schoolwork for a Ugandan child wasn’t considered decisive since it wasn’t a a serious threat” to several commercial “qualified majority” under EU rules, authority US crops, including California’s $4 billion Barefoot Power Proprietary Limited, to move ahead with the ban rested with almond industry, notes the report. “We are an Oikocredit project partner, Tonio Borg, the European Commission’s top one poor weather event or high winter bee manufactures solar lamps that health official. Borg chose to do so. loss away from a pollination disaster,” says provide safe and affordable lighting “I pledge to do my utmost to ensure that report co-author Dr. Jeff Pettis. for off-the-grid, rural communities our bees, which are so vital to our ecosys- Despite these numbers, the EPA recently tem and contribute over €22 billion annually so children can study after sunset approved the use of sulfoxaflor, a fourth- and do better in school. to European agriculture, are protected,” generation neonicotinoid manufactured by Borg told the Independent. Dow Chemical, despite also classifying it as The new rules, set to take effect in De- “very highly toxic” to bees, according to the Invest in Oikocredit today cember, will prevent Bayer’s imidacloprid and Organic Consumers Association m (OCA). clothianidin and Syngenta’s thiamethoxam and help power her path. And 94 percent of GMO corn seeds are Minimum investment: $250 from being used on crops for two years, un- coated with neonicotinoids to ward off less scientific evidence proving the pesticides pests, says the Pesticide Action Network. Annual Interest: 2% are safe for bees comes to light before then. In July, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) The landmark move has been hailed by drafted a bill, the Save America’s Pollina- Learn more: supporters of the Precautionary Principle, tors Act of 2013, that would force the EPA 202.728.4143 which states that if a substance is thought to to suspend registration of and “carefully cause harm, the burden of proof rests on [email protected] evaluate” the threat posed by neonicotinoid www.oikocreditusa.org industry to prove that it is safe. pesticides to pollinating insects. Scientists worldwide are scrambling to figure out what’s behind the ongoing mass Visit bit.ly/17zruPZ to sign an OCA Investments not available in petition asking the EPA to ban sulfoxaflor. AL, AZ, AR, CO, GA, IN, NE, deaths of bees, a phenomenon known as NH, OK, PA, PR, TX, WA, WI Colony Collapse Disorder. Neonicotinoid Ask your Congressional representatives to pesticides are thought to be one cause, al- co-sponsor the Save America’s Pollinators though a recent study published in the peer- Act. Find contact info at House.gov. m Designates an approved member of Green America’s Green Business Network® 5

REAL GREEN living

release natural gas held in rock formations Fracking: The Situation deep within the earth. It requires drilling into those formations and blasting open fissures in the rock with is Getting Worse injections of chemically treated water and sand—up to 4 million gallons of water and 60,000 gallons of chemicals per well, according to Scientific American. As much as 75 percent of this poisoned water returns to the surface, often mixed with radioactive minerals and salt from underground, and must then be disposed of somehow. Sometimes, this wastewater gets recycled back into the local water supply. In July, for example, the nonprofit Clean Wa- ter Action announced its intention to file a citizen lawsuit against the Waste Water Treatment Corporation for dumping contaminated wastewater from natural-gas drillers into the Allegheny River. In Gasland 2, out now on HBO and screening in select cities, an Australian Other times, gas companies will choose farmer stands in front of the well that he once used to irrigate his crops. The well simply to store the wastewater. This con- became contaminated with methane after fracking operations started nearby. tainment solution often fails, resulting in leaks and spills as it did this summer for XTO Energy, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil. tephanie and Chris Hallowich used what? Take action A Pennsylvania Department of the Envi- to live on a ten-acre farm in Mount against natural gas fracking. ronment inspector noticed an open valve SPleasant, PA, before the natural-gas on an XTO storage tank releasing fracking fracking boom forced them out. why? This method of pollutants into the Susquehanna River Ba- As they began building their dream natural gas extraction is sin. The company agreed to pay a penalty home in 2007, the gas-drilling company linked to severe drinking of $100,000 and to commit $200 million Range Resources began building, too: water contamination and toward improving its storage capabilities. four natural-gas wells, gas compres- illness nationwide. Finally, a gas company will sometimes sor stations, and a wastewater storage re-inject its wastewater back into the wow! Let others know pond—right next door. that natural gas isn’t a earth, which can trigger earthquakes by The family filed suit against Range Re- climate solution, and help lubricating fault lines. Geologists have sources, alleging that their well water had turn the tide towards already linked earthquakes in Ohio, Texas, been polluted by the fracking operations, boosting renewable and Oklahoma to fracking activities. And and their children suffered from burn- energy solutions. a new study published in Science this sum- ing eyes and sore throats when gas was mer showed how high underground fluid released into the air. The Hallowiches pressure at fracking sites renders them spent a small fortune on bottled water, vulnerable to seismic triggers from other fearing their well water was no longer fit order for Stephanie, Chris, and their two quakes occurring elsewhere on the globe. for cooking, drinking, or bathing. children (ages ten and seven at the time) Addressing the threat of well-water “We need to get the children out of from ever speaking “in any fashion what- and groundwater contamination posed by there for their health and safety,” Stepha- soever” about “fracking activities.” fracking-related injections, which were nie Hallowich told the court during pro- What’s so bad about “fracking activi- specifically exempted by the Bush admin- ceedings, which is why the family agreed ties” that a gas-drilling company would istrations 2005 Energy Act from compli- to a settlement in 2011. demand a court-imposed silence on ance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, Details of the settlement were sealed children who grew up next door? Mario Salazar, a veteran engineer with the until an open-records request by the Pitts- The answer: Plenty. EPA’s underground injection program, put burgh Post Gazette revealed in August 2013 it bluntly to Scientific American in 2012: “In that as a condition for paying damages to The Trouble with Fracking 10 to 100 years, we are going to find out the Hallowich family, Range Resources Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a that most of our groundwater is polluted,” demanded—and received—a lifetime gag relatively recent technology designed to he said. “A lot of people are going to get

6 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 GREEN AMERICAN GREENAMERICA.ORG sick, and a lot of people may die.” Spread the Word Stop the Insanity In 2010, the Endocrine Disruption Through images like a man lighting his tap Take the following steps to reduce the Exchange published Natural Gas Operations water on fire, Josh Fox’s documentary need for natural gas fracking: from a Public Health Perspective, a paper that Gasland drew attention to the environmental Sign the Petition summarized the health effects linked and health dangers of fracking. Fox recently to 353 fracking chemicals. The authors released a sequel, Gasland 2, which, he says, Sign Moveon.org’s petition asking found that more than 75 percent of these “[focuses] on another level of contamination President Obama and the EPA to reopen chemicals can affect the skin and eyes; due to fracking: The contamination of our investigations into fracking-related water nearly 50 percent cause immune, cardio- democracy through the intense influence of oil contamination: bit.ly/13Kn05l. vascular, and nervous system disruption; and gas corporations on our political system.” Reduce Your Energy Use and 25 percent can cause cancer. Nearly 71 percent of the worst chemicals—like Gasland 2 is now showing on HBO, and Find ways to cut your energy use in half on formaldehyde, kerosene, methanol, and you can download a free discussion guide p. 17 and at greenamerica.org/go/efficiency. petroleum distillate—can cause a variety at gaslandthemovie.com. Make watching Get Green Power of ill effects, including cancer. the film a community event, and spread the If your state allows electric power In fact, the dangers posed by water con- word about the dangers of this increasingly competition, you can find a renewable tamination from fracking are so huge that common type of natural gas extraction. electricity provider via the Energy medical experts, meeting at a 2012 confer- Department’s Green Power Network: ence of the Mid-Atlantic Center for Chil- apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying. dren’s Health and the Environment, called Texas, and Pennsylvania. for a federal moratorium on the practice. Just this summer, the EPA abruptly Green America members in Delaware, halted its investigation into groundwater Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Government Inaction—and Worse contamination in a Wyoming gas field, DC can have a portion of their utility bills But is a moratorium really likely handing the project over to the state of donated to Green America when you anytime soon? If anything, recent federal Wyoming—where continuation of the in- switch to 100 percent wind power from action on fracking has leaned toward vestigation will be funded by EnCana, the Ethical Electric m : 800/218-3617, support of the gas-drilling industry. drilling company that may have contami- greenam.org/14a3wqd. nated the field in the first place. Just before the August congressional Those in DC, Maryland, and Pennsylvania recess, the House Natural Resources Com- can choose solar and wind energy through mittee voted to block new rules proposed Lower Demand for Natural Gas Clean Currents m , winner of a 2012 by the Interior Department for frack- Natural gas does not equal renewable People & Planet Award: cleancurrents.com. ing activities on public and tribal lands. energy; at the 2011 rate of consumption, The proposed rules, circulated last May, the US Energy Information Administra- Go Solar would have required companies to dis- tion (EIA) estimates that the US sits on DSIRE, the Database for State Incentives close their fracking chemicals, and would 92 years’ worth of natural gas, at most. for Renewables & Efficiency details the tax have regulated wastewater management. Though it is often touted as plentiful, incentives in your state: dsireusa.org. Even worse, in July, Republican House gas is a finite, non-renewable resource, Lease Solar leaders introduced HR 2728, the so-called and though it is often touted as cheap, it “Protecting States’ Rights to Promote demands enormous environmental and You can lease a solar system, often without American Energy Security Act,” which health costs to extract. increasing your current utility rates: would ban the federal government from According to the EIA, in 1987, 47.7 • CentroSolar, 877/348-2555, regulating fracking activity in any way. million households relied on natural gas. centrosolaramerica.com. The Act would leave matter to the states, In 2011, nearly 66 million residences con- where regulation is currently inconsistent, sumed natural gas, a 30 percent increase. • Citizenré, 877/660-0131, citizenre.com. ineffective, and sometimes nonexistent. Over that same period, industrial use of • Solar City, 888/765-2489, solarcity.com. natural gas for electricity declined. Perhaps worst of all, industry and • Solar Universe, 925/455-4700, While much of this gas has replaced financial pressures have shut down several solaruniverse.com. ongoing EPA investigations into water the burning of coal—with its own lengthy contamination caused by fracking. A July list of environmental problems—residen- • Sun Edison, 888/786-3347, sunedison.com. report from ProPublica.com cited private tial electricity still drives much of the in- • Sun Power, 800/786-7693, conversations with EPA officials acknowl- crease in natural-gas demand. Help lower us.sunpowercorp.com. edging that the drilling industry’s influ- demand for natural gas by increasing your • Sun Run, 855/478-6786, sunrunhome.com. ence on Capitol Hill has compromised the home’s energy efficiency and switching to agency’s ability to oversee fracking inves- renewable energy sources. • Sungevity m .Visit sungevity.org/ tigations in gas-rich states like Wyoming, —Andrew Korfhage green-america/ for a $500 discount. m Designates an approved member of Green America’s Green Business Network® 7

REAL GREEN INVESTING

mitted toward divestment is edging toward $1 billion—and those are just the groups that have already made the leap. Leaders in 20 US cities—from tiny Bayfield, WI (pop. 800), to Seattle and Portland—have pledged to work toward divesting their cities’ holdings from fossil fuel companies through the Mayors’ Innovation Project, a collaboration of government leaders and policy experts working for sustainability.

Damaging Big Oil’s Reputation Divestment campaigns are underway at over 300 colleges and universities and more than 100 religious institutions. Perhaps the most vocal criticism the The Fossil-Free Divestment campaigners are receiving is that divesting could not possibly make a dent in the wallets of the fossil fuel companies. Movement Expands 350.org’s Jamie Henn even agrees: “Get- ting your thousand dollars out of Exxon ack in January, the Green American won’t bankrupt them.” But the divest- interviewed Bill McKibben about what? Divest from ment movement can succeed even if fossil Bfossil fuel divestment, a movement fossil fuel stocks, and ask fuel companies lose no money, he says. his organization, 350.org, had just started your mutual funds and Ophir Bruck, a senior at University of to grow. Since then, the number of people retirement/pension funds California-Berkeley, concurs. Bruck is and institutions divesting from the top to do the same. one of the leaders of the campaign to get 200 fossil fuel companies has “spread like both Berkeley and the entire University wildfire” across the nation and the world, why? Evidence is of California system to divest from fossil says 350.org’s Jamie Henn. mounting that divesting fuel companies. With somewhere around from fossil fuels doesn’t In fact, in a speech on climate change at $7 billion in its endowment fund, the UC mean a negative impact on Georgetown University this June, Presi- system has the largest endowment of any your investments. dent Barack Obama uttered a word heard public education institution. ’round the world for environmental activ- wow! Join a worldwide “Right from the get-go, the campaign ists: “Convince those in power to reduce movement to pressure acknowledged that it’s not out to cripple our carbon pollution,” he said. “Push your the fossil fuel industry to the industry financially,” Bruck says. own communities to adopt smarter prac- take meaningful action to “They have too much money, and they’re tices. Invest. Divest. Remind folks there’s combat the climate crisis. too big for that. It’s more about target- no contradiction between a sound environ- ing their reputation.” ment and strong economic growth.” The movement is about putting pres- In short, the president of a country that They’ve encouraged a growing number sure not only on fossil fuel companies, has subsidized fossil fuels to the tune of of colleges, universities, and other insti- but on politicians and others with influ- $14 billion a year told everyone listening tutions to pull the top 200 oil, gas, and ence, says Bruck. The more damage the that they should take their money back coal stocks out of their portfolios. fossil-free movement can do to the fossil from those same companies. The White If you haven’t joined the fossil fuel fuel industry’s image, the more likely House refused to give any elaboration divestment movement, the time is now. politicians will be to move against them or additional backing to the comment, to curb the damage they’re doing. according to the New York Times. But a $1 Billion Divested and Growing “The divestment campaign helps shape command to “divest” coming from the To date, six universities and colleges the politics around energy issues—as we President is an undeniable shot across the have divested from fossil fuels. In addi- see in the President’s call to divest—so bow of the fossil fuel industry. tion, 11 religious institutions, including our national focus can be trained on And activists across the country the national United Church of Christ, clean-energy development and large-scale haven’t just been waiting for the White have jumped on board. Between those carbon reduction,” says Fran Teplitz, House to take more definitive action. institutions, the amount of money com- Green America’s policy director.

8 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 GREEN AMERICAN GREENAMERICA.ORG Will It Hurt an Investment Portfolio? is easier to divest than a pension fund, 5 Steps to The second major criticism of di- because it will often have fewer fiduciary vestment is that it’s against an inves- ties and responsibilities, according to Going Fossil-Free tor’s self-interest—that divesting from James Irwin at the Mayors’ Innovation 1. Vote Your Proxies fossil fuels will result in poor portfolio Project. But, he notes, divestment is • If you still hold fossil fuel stocks, vote performance. Indeed, fossil fuel com- viable for both types of funds. your proxy ballots each year in favor of panies control a significant portion of For individuals who want to divest social and environmental resolutions. Find the economy, so why would an investor from fossil fuels, a number of socially re- Green America’s Climate and Energy ignore that part of the market? sponsible investing institutions now offer Proxy Chart, updated each proxy season, In actuality, a number of prominent fossil-fuel-company-free vehicles (see box). financial institutions including Chatham Green America board member Krista at greenamerica.org/go/SRIproxycharts. House and Duetsche Bank have released re- Kurth has already taken action. “I am 2. Make a Plan to Divest ports showing the fossil fuel industry is not concerned about the world that we are • Be sure to make a plan to divest from a glowing investment. The reports warn of creating for my unborn grandchildren fossil fuels, to keep your portfolio healthy. a time in the near future when oil demand and their generation and want to do Visit greenamerica.org/fossilfree for a list of drops as people, companies, and govern- what I can to leave a world in which socially responsible financial planners and ments seek to lower carbon emissions. they can thrive,” she says. “I knew how asset management firms who can help. S&P Capital IQ, an investment re- effective the divestment movement in search firm, found that for total returns, South Africa was, so I divested my per- 3. Call Your Mutual Fund Companies endowments would have been better off sonal assets from fossil fuels. Now I am Ask them to divest from fossil fuel divesting a decade ago, as reported by getting my friends and family to divest.” companies. In the meantime, consider the Associated Press. An example $1 bil- As you say “no” to fossil fuels, consid- investing in the following fossil-free funds. lion endowment with fossil fuel compa- er saying “yes” to investing in companies • Access Capital Community Investment nies would have grown to $2.14 billion, that benefit the climate. Fund m , http://bit.ly/19GraTi. while the same fund without fossil fuel For example, the Global Environmental companies would have grown an addi- Markets Fund operated by Pax Worldm • CRA Qualified Investment Fund m , tional $119 million, the report stated. has seen its asset growth double every 980/365-8555, crafund.com. two years since 2008—all without the use • Green Century m , Balanced Fund, We Can, and We Must of fossil fuels. The fund not only excludes 800/934-7336, greencentury.com. Some holdout institutions that are every major fossil fuel company, but it resisting divestment say that doing so is also seeks to invest in companies that • Pax World m , Global Environmental just too difficult. are mostly about solving environmental Markets Fund, 800/767-1729, In May, San Francisco State Univer- issues, including low-carbon companies, paxworld.com. sity became the first public university to says Julie Gorte, Pax World’s senior vice • Portfolio 21m , 877/351-4115, commit to divesting, proving that it can president for sustainable investing. portfolio21.com. be done. The group in charge of the ef- “In order to do anything [of conse- 4. Talk to Your Employer fort is expected to give an impact report quence], you have to do it very thor- next spring. oughly,” Gorte says. “Divestment is one Ask your employer to offer fossil-fuel- Norway’s Storebrand, a pension fund piece. Investment is the other half.” company-free options in your workplace and financial services company that —Weston Morrow retirement plan. Give your employer our holds more than $30 billion in assets, guide to SRI in employee retirement plan recently excluded 13 coal and six oil options, available at greenamerica.org/go/ sands companies from its investments Investing SRIretirement. “to reduce Storebrand’s exposure to fos- for a Sustainable • In addition, the Social(k) m retirement sil fuels and to secure long-term, stable platform offers socially responsible returns for our clients,” says Christine Future! retirement plans, including fossil-free Tørklep Meisingset, Storebrand’s head options, 866/929-2525, socialk.com. of sustainable investments. “Exposure 5. Support Clean Energy to fossil fuels is one of the main sustain- Victory Bonds ability challenges facing business, so for us it is a logical and necessary step to Visit cleanenergyvictorybonds.org to adjust our investments accordingly.” First Affirmative Financial Network, LLC is an independent pledge to support Green America’s plan to Registered Investment Advisor (SEC File #801-56587). For cities, the complexity of divest- create US savings bonds that bolster clean ment depends on the type of fund being www.firstaffirmative.com energy investment, allowing all Americans targeted. A general fund, for instance, to invest in clean energy for as little as $25. m Designates an approved member of Green America’s Green Business Network® 9 ACROSS GREEN AMERICA News from our programs and members

GreenAmerica.org

To sign our petition asking Gap and Walmart to sign the Accord on Building and Fire Safety in Bangladesh, visit greenamerica.org/go/ bangladesh. Lead in Lipstick Underscores Need for Toxin Reform Back in 2007, our allies at the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested lipstick commonly sold in the US and found lead, a neurotoxicant, in Dior, L’Oreal, and CoverGirl brands. A May study from the University of California-Berkeley shows that the problem hasn’t gone away—the researchers tested 32 brands of lipstick Photo from the International Labor Rights Forum commonly sold in the US and found lead in Despite the Rana Plaza factory building collapse in Bangladesh, which 24 of them. While the lead levels were un- killed more than 1,250 people, 15 US clothing companies still refuse der the accepted daily levels of exposure to sign an accord guaranteeing basic protections for the workers in the for adults, no level of exposure to lead is country who make their products. considered safe for children, who may play with a parents’ makeup or may even wear lipstick for a performance. The researchers also found that 68 percent of the lipsticks exceeded the accept- 15 US Companies Won’t Protect Several European brands, including Aldi, able daily levels for chromium, a suspected Benetton, H&M, and Inditex, have signed carcinogen, and 22 percent exceeded rec- Bangladeshi Workers on, while only two US retailers—Phillips- ommended levels for manganese, linked to Van Heusen Corp. and Abercrombie & In the wake of the Rana Plaza factory nervous system damage. Fitch—have signed. “This study highlights the need to building collapse that killed more than 1,250 Prominent US companies refusing to people in April—mainly clothing factory remove dangerous chemicals from body sign the agreement include Walmart, Gap, care products that individuals and families employees—Green America and allies have Macy’s, Sears/Kmart, JC Penney, VF Corp. been demanding that clothing companies use every day,” says Fran Teplitz, Green (The North Face), Target, Kohl’s, Cato America’s policy director. “It’s completely doing business in Bangladesh take steps to Fashions, Carters, Nordstrom, American protect workers. Specifically, we’ve asked unacceptable that personal care products Eagle Outfitters, The Children’s Place, Foot that we apply directly to our bodies are them to sign on to the Accord on Fire Locker, and Forever 21. Most say they plan and Building Safety in Bangladesh, a legally among the least regulated products on the to develop their own standards for workers market. Companies should be responsible binding agreement that prioritizes worker in Bangladesh. safety through independent inspections and for ensuring their products are safe.” “The record for corporate voluntary Green America is calling on Congress to worker hazard training in collaboration with social compliance programs has been local unions. While nearly 30 prominent pass the Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care dismal, and this year more so than ever,” Act of 2013, which would do much to clothing companies have signed on to the writes Bjorn Claeson of the International agreement, 15 companies have refused. reform America’s lax chemical safety stan- Labor Rights Forum (ILRF). “In the last dards related to personal care products. The fourth floor of the Rana Plaza build- eight months, more than 1,500 workers in ing housed several garment factories that The problem dates back to 1976, when Bangladesh and Pakistan have suffocated, the Toxic Substances Control Act went made clothes mainly for US corporations, burned, and been crushed to death making including Walmart, Dress Barn, and The into effect. It gave the federal government the most ordinary consumer good: clothing. the right to track the nearly 85,000 chemi- Children’s Place. The majority of the victims Every worker who died made clothing for killed in the collapse were clothing workers, cals in use in this country—and little else. export, sold mostly by well-known brands Under this law, the EPA, which oversees who had been ordered back into the build- and retailers.” Green America and ILRF ing to sew despite police warnings that the the use of individual chemicals in the US, continue to pressure Gap and Walmart to cannot take action to protect the public building was unsafe. sign onto the Accord.

10 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 GREEN AMERICAN GREENAMERICA.ORG ing the reach and power of our popular be able to bring together even more green Green Festival program. With our longtime leaders—from local sustainability experts partner Global Exchange m , we’ve joined to green business entrepreneurs to major forces with Messe Stuttgart/Germany, the companies making deep commitments to producer of Europe’s largest consumer social and environmental innovation— shows on sustainability, green products, to help people find green products, and Fair Trade. services, and solutions for their homes For the last 13 years, Green Festival has and communities.” pioneered these “parties with a purpose,” To plan a trip to a Green Festival near you, showcasing exhibitors representing the visit greenfestivals.org. greenest of the green economy in diverse VisionCapital ColorLogo Ad 3/29/06 9:29 PM Page 1 sectors including food, fashion, lifestyle, mobility, finance, energy, body care, health, Photo by Coffee&Milk / istock travel, and more. The events also feature Researchers at the University of inspiring speakers like Democracy Now! California-Berkeley found lead, a potent radio host Amy Goodman, hiphop mogul neurotoxicant, in 24 of the 32 prominent Russell Simmons, and Rocky Mountain US brands they tested. No level of lead Institute founder Amory Lovins, as well as exposure is considered safe for children. hands-on DIY workshops; green films and kids’ activities; live music; and local, organic, YOUR YOUR from a potentially harmful chemical until vegetarian food courts. after it’s been introduced to the market Green Festivals are the only events in MONEY VALUES and after it’s been found to cause “serious North America that screen exhibitors harm”—which is exceedingly difficult for their commitments to sustainability, BIG GAP IN BETWEEN? to prove. ecological balance, and social justice. Green YOU CAN BRIDGE THE GAP While the Environmental Protection Festival also walks its talk by recycling, reus- Agency (EPA) regulates individual chemi- ing, or composting 98 percent of all waste with cals, it’s the US Food and Drug Admin- generated on-site, and continues to raise ▲▲▲▲▲▲ Individualized Portfolios istration (FDA) that oversees body care the bar for green event production with Customized Social Criteria products like deodorant, soap, shaving carbon offsets, onsite water refill stations, cream, makeup, and more. The agency public transportation, bike valets, and green High Positive Social Impact does not review ingredient lists on body hotel promotions. Competitive Financial Returns care items. Therefore, the chemicals used On July 31, 2013, the parties signed an Personalized Service in the majority of the products we’re agreement to cooperate in the production Low Fixed Fees slathering on our bodies daily have never of Green Festivals across the United States, including New York City; Chicago; Wash- David Kim, President, a founder of been independently tested for safety. Working Assets, in SRI since 1983. Introduced by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D- ington, DC; Los Angeles; and San Francisco. IL) and former Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), This partnership will allow Green Festivals 1.800.366.8700 the bill would allow the FDA to establish to reach more Americans with green-living www.visioncapitalinvestment.com oversight of cosmetics manufacturing, in- education and green consumer products. cluding maintenance of a list of ingredients With Messe Stuttgart joining this alli- VISION CAPITAL prohibited from being used in cosmetics. It ance, Green Festival gains an international INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT would also give the FDA the authority to perspective and benefits from the extensive Socially Responsible Investing pull from the market any products that fail experience in consumer and trade show to meet the safety standard. production of its new German partner. Green America has been gathering Messe Stuttgart puts on its own Green- signatures to present to Congressional Festival-type show in Germany, which Representatives in support of the Safe attracts over 80,000 people each year and Cosmetics and Personal Care Act of 2013. includes halls devoted to Slow Food, Fair As the Green American went to press, we’d Trade, energy efficiency, and all-electric just passed 20,000 signatures. vehicles. The company is a European Union leader on sustainability practices, including Visit greenamerica.org/takeaction to sign our its ownership of a solar-powered conven- petition to Congress in support of the Safe tion center that conforms to the highest Cosmetics and Personal Care Act of 2013. standards of energy efficiency and sustainable buildings. Messe Stuttgart is owned in equal parts Green Festivals® Broaden by the city of Stuttgart and the federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.

Their Reach TIF R IE E D “This new alliance is a dream team for C V E N Green America is pleased to announce a the green economy,” says Green America G A new partnership geared toward expand- president and CEO Alisa Gravitz. “We’ll m Designates an approved member of Green America’s Green Business Network® 11 Green American Feature

his is a tale of two T-shirts, one from the popular mall store Forever 21, and one from Green Green on America Green Business Net- Twork® member Blue Canoe m . The shirts are both blue and made of 100 percent cotton. They both have cap sleeves, slight a Budget tapering at the waist, and come in sizes XS-L. But that’s where the similarity ends. The Forever 21 shirt costs $8.80. The Outside of shelter, Blue Canoe shirt, $45.95. Which to choose? “No contest,” says just about any Americans spend most of their budget-conscious shopper in America. budget on clothing, food, “The Forever 21 shirt, hands down.” Even for those who understand that energy, and transportation. there’s more to both shirts than meets the Here are our best tips eye, the price difference raises the question that many people have asked us over the for buying green without years: If there’s a premium on green goods, breaking the bank. how can one buy green when on a budget?

Taking Responsibility—or Not It’s true that people may pay a premium for green goods and services, but it’s not because green companies are trying to earn a larger profit. The fact is, no matter how successful a green business becomes and how much of a cost advantage that company offers due to economies of scale, it’ll never match the low, low pric- es of a conventional corporation like For- ever 21 for one simple reason: Truly green businesses pay for external social and environmental costs that corporations are content to ignore—and foist on the communities in which they do business. To illustrate, let’s return to our two T-shirts. The Forever 21 shirt likely has ties to sweatshop labor. In 2001, the company moved most of its manufacturing to Asia after a lawsuit was filed that year alleging sweatshop conditions in its US factories. And in 2012, Forever 21 was one of several being investigated by the US Department of Labor (DOL) for wage and overtime violations in its remaining US facilities in Los Angeles. In March of this year, the DOL issued a subpoena demanding that Forever 21 release records of its US workers’ wages, work hours, and working conditions, after the company spent months refusing to comply with a DOL request stemming from the 2012 investigation. Forever 21 has also been linked to over- seas sweatshops by worker advocates, and

12 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 GREEN AMERICAN GREENAMERICA.ORG A TALE OF TWO SHIRTS 5 Ways to Budget for Green

1. Focus on each spending category. Thinking about your budget in each of your spending categories can help you figure out how to afford green items. Consider your clothing budget: If you get most of your clothes by swapping The Forever 21 shirt is tied to The Blue Canoe shirt is made or buying secondhand, you’ll have sweatshop labor and chemical- of organic cotton by workers in money left over in that budget to intensive cotton farming. California. purchase some classic, high-quality it has refused to sign on to the Accord for ton, and forgoing cheaper chemical dyes pieces of eco-friendly clothing. If Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, in favor of eco-friendly alternatives. recycled paper costs more, try even after the horrific Rana Plaza building And often, the quality of a green item cutting your paper use by a third collapse last April (see p. 10). is just better than a cheap, sweatshop- (double-sided copies, anyone?) to Forever 21 has refused to join retailers made product. Cost-conscious manufac- make up for the price difference. like Gap and even Walmart in committing turers can make their product cheaper, 2. Buy used whenever possible. to not buy cotton from Uzbekistan, where for example, by requiring longer stitch Frequenting yard sales and thrift child labor in cotton fields is rampant. lengths, which saves time and money. shops, as well as scouring Craigslist. And the Forever 21 shirt has a profound But then, says Dunlap, the seams have no org and your local Freecycle.org negative impact on the environment. That stretch and will easily come apart. listserv, can help you get used items shirt is made from conventional cotton, “From the beginning, we’ve heard cheap—and you’ll save resources. the farming of which is responsible for 25 from our customers how long our cloth- percent of the world’s pesticide use. The ing lasts,” says Dunlap. “They’ll say 3. Trade for what you need. blue color likely came from conventional things like, ‘I’m still wearing the same From simple exchanges with friends clothing dyes, which often contain toxic pants I bought from you five years ago!’ to city-wide swap events, trading for heavy metals like chrome, copper, and We like to hear that. We don’t think of what you need can help you stay in zinc. And it’s now the industry standard our clothing as disposable.” budget while building community. to apply finishes to clothing to make it stain-, wrinkle-, and fire-resistant, includ- Great, But It’s Still Expensive 4. Give it away sometimes. ing formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. For struggling families, buying every- Don’t be afraid to be generous with thing they need from the green economy your time, talent, and excess goods. Green for the Planet and You can present a challenge. We’ve compiled Giving freely to others—without While it may be a similar color and our best tips to help you go green within expecting anything in return—can shape as its Forever 21 counterpart, the your budget, focusing on the product cat- foster a spirit of “paying it forward” Blue Canoe shirt stands in stark contrast egories people spend the most on—cloth- in your community, where everyone when you look at which is better for ing, food, and transport—and where a shift helps each other get what they need workers, communities, and the Earth. to green can have the biggest impact. without having to even open wallets. The Blue Canoe shirt was made with As you mind your budget, remember 5. Need less. Carefully consider 100 percent organic cotton, meaning no that green isn’t always more expensive, every purchase you make. Do you synthetic pesticides were used to grow the and sometimes it’s just better. An energy- really need this item? Is it something cotton. The shirt gets its deep blue color efficient home feels cozier during the you definitely cannot swap or barter from low-impact dyes, says founder and winter and saves money on your monthly for, or buy used? Is it worth the life- owner Laurie Dunlap. And like every piece bill. Communities designed around green energy you put into working for the of Blue Canoe clothing, the shirt was knit transportation are often walkable, vibrant money that you’ll use to buy it? in Los Angeles and sewn in San Francisco places where small businesses thrive. If the answer to any of these by workers making a living wage. Organic foods promote better health and questions is “no,” back away from the In short, Blue Canoe’s production fewer doctor bills than processed foods, item. You’ll save precious resources in costs are higher than Forever 21’s, be- and they’re not coated with pesticides. addition to saving money. cause it absorbs extra costs like paying The green life is the good life, and it its workers well instead of exploiting can be a wholesome, affordable life, too. them, paying a premium for organic cot- —Tracy Fernandez Rysavy, editor-in-chief m Designates an approved member of Green America’s Green Business Network® 13 In 2011, the average American spent $1,700, or 3.6% of his/her budget, on clothing. Put that money toward green clothing choices, and sweatshops would be a thing of the past.

“I save much money on our clothing budget by shopping at thrift stores, or their upscale cousin, consignment shops. It’s a fun and thrifty green hobby.” than money ... If you have more time —Denise Dantis, St. Paul, MN swap clothing. Swap online via sites like swapstyle.com and rehashclothes.com. For tips on holding an in-person swap, see our article “Finding New Life for Old Clothes,” at greenamerica.org/go/oldclothes. Use the money you save to buy WHERE TO FIND eco-friendly clothing staples. SECONDHAND DEALS trade used kid’s clothes at snazzyswap.com and babyswap.net. take a sewing class and learn how to repair and repurpose worn clothing items and outdated secondhand store finds. If you can’t find a local teacher, Craftsy.com offers lessons online. Find or start a Swap-o-rama-rama event in your community (swaporamarama.org). At these events, you donate at least one unwanted clothing item and take whatever you like from the pile of others’ castoffs. Then, visit the sewing experts who are on hand to help you repair and redesign your finds right on the spot (Hint: These events are often part of our Green Festivals®.) reinvigorate your wardrobe: Invite a fashion-savvy friend over to help you put together more than one outfit for each piece in your closet. If you have more money than time ... look for high-quality green pieces that won’t go out of style, like a hemp “little black dress” or organic cotton khaki trousers. buy from artists on etsy.com who have upcycled used or vintage The parents among our Green America staff clothing into unique new items. members get the majority of their growing try online used clothing shops like LikeTwice.com or children’s clothing from secondhand stores, Thredup.com. garage sales, and the occasional Freecycle find. Need maternity wear? Green America member Sarita Coren These back-to-school outfits (shirts and jeans) recommends getting used items on MineforNine.com. came from online clothing resale boutique Thredup.com for under $15 each. The brand If you’re broke and busy ... names of these gently used clothes include Justice, Gap, and Ralph Lauren, and the condition look for a local “once upon a child” or other consignment ranged from “new with tags” to “tiny flaw” (which shop where you can pick up used children’s clothing and resell we have yet to find). high-quality items your kids have outgrown. sign up for your local freecycle.org listserv, and watch for In addition to used children’s clothing, Thredup free clothing offers in your size or a family members’. also sells secondhand juniors’ and women’s buy clothes that don’t need dry cleaning. The average dry clothing. cleaning customer spends $600-$1000 a year on dry cleaning, according to Yahoo! Voices.

14 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 GREEN AMERICAN GREENAMERICA.ORG “Buying used clothes helps me stay within my budget, while giving me leftover cash for any new, eco-friendly clothing I need.” —Green America editorial fellow Krisna Bharvani The Challenge: Nifty But Thrifty

We asked our summer editorial fellows, Krisna Bharvani and Sierra Schellenberg, to find an office casual outfit that they would wear, as cheaply as possible. The rules were that they could spend no more than $50; they had to assemble a complete outfit, including shoes and one accessory; and they needed to get their items from a combination of online and local resources. Here’s how they did.

Sierra got her beaded necklace Krisna bought her cotton print at a clothing swap with friends. dress from Beacon’s Closet, a New “I also walked away with York City vintage clothing store that Total Sierra paid: $18.95 a really nice vase, and my has an online and brick-and-mortar Estimated retail value: $158 friend walked away with my shop (beaconscloset.com). Savings: $139 old sweater and one of my Cost: $9.47 + $5 shipping. “It was bracelets,” she says. 50% off.” Cost: $0. Retail: $39.99 for a similar dress Retail: $8 from Forever 21 at Urban Outfitters

The intertwined circle pendant comes from No Relation Vintage, a “salvaged goods” shop in NYC. Cost: $5 Retail: $34 at Nordstrom

Her wool/acrylic dress is from LikeTwice.com, an Her “fun-sized” leather online used clothing store. cross-body bag came from Cost: $13.95 + the Beacon’s Closet brick- $5 shipping. and-mortar store. Retail: $84.95 Cost: $7.97. at Ann Taylor! Retail: $18 for its doppelganger at Target.

Her leather shoes are Total Krisna paid: $49 a hand-me-down from Krisna “instantly spotted” Estimated retail value: $162 a family member. these patent leather Tahari Savings: $113 Cost: $0. flats at an outdoor flea Retail: $65 from market. Clarks Cost: $22 Retail: $69.95 at DSW

photos by Martha van Gelder

m Designates an approved member of Green America’s Green Business Network® 15 In 2011, the average American spent $6,458, or 15.3% of his/her budget, on food. Put that money toward organics, and watch world pesticide usage plummet.

If you have more time than money ... Organic gardening expert Patti Moreno’s new book, reduce your processed food and restaurant purchases: Gardening by Cuisine, can help you save money by Processed food is often more expensive and less healthy than growing near-foolproof, compatible gardens based on whole foods. Use the money you save by avoiding processed the type of food your family loves, from the Asian Stir-Fry food and expensive restaurant food to buy more organic items. Garden to the Mediterranean Vegetable Garden. Grow your own food: It’s not only fun, but it can save money, cut pesticides, and reduce carbon emissions compared to store-bought vegetables. Can some of your produce for the winter months; our article, “Think Globally, Can Locally” can help: greenamerica.org/go/canning. Cost-Conscious Gardening volunteer at a local food co-op: Many allow members to volunteer a few times a month in exchange for a discount. Top ten most cost-effective plants to save money arrange a csa workshare: If you belong to a Community Sup- on your grocery bill. ported Agriculture (CSA) arrangement with a local farmer, Cilantro: You’ll grow about $21.20 worth of ask the farmer if you can exchange some work hours for a cilantro per square foot. discount on your weekly share of produce. Arugula-Roquette: $20.92/sq. ft. Green Salad Mix: $17.55/sq. ft. If you have more money than time ... Chives: $16.40/sq. ft. Dill: $16.40/sq. ft. join a csa: You can save up to 40 percent on in-season and or- Lettuce: $16.20/sq. ft. ganic (or close-to-it) produce over buying it from the grocery store by joining a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Cherry Tomatoes: $15.57/sq. ft. arrangement, according to DailyFinance.com. Find a sustain- Turnips: $9.90/sq. ft. able CSA at localharvest.org and eatwellguide.org. Tomato, Large: $9.50/sq. ft. consider an organic delivery service: You’ll save time and Winter Squash: $8.40/sq. ft. gas money, and since the service delivers groceries to many households in one trip, you’ll save on climate emissions, too. Source: TheCheapVegetableGardener.com

If you’re broke and busy ... buy organic wisely. Use our “Organic or Conventional?” wallet card (next page) to focus your organic grocery purchases Green American Amanda Vrany says, “You’ll save a ton of on the types of produce most likely to be contaminated by money by packing your own lunch and snacks for road trips.” pesticides or genetically modified. Forego bottled water: Say goodbye to wasteful, single-use Eat less meat: (Better yet, go vegetarian or vegan.) Author John bottled water and save $1,400 a year. Robbins notes that eating a plant-based diet typically costs 25 Buy in bulk and on sale: Green American Mark Landers buys percent less than a meat-eater’s diet. organic food by the case, which gets him a ten percent dis- Avoid fast food: While it might seem inexpensive, the impact count at his local store. And member Victoria A. buys organic of fast food on your health—and future health-care costs—can produce like blueberries whenever its on sale and freezes it in be catastrophic due to its high content of salt, sugar, and fat. single-serving portions for quick thawing later.

16 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 GREEN AMERICAN GREENAMERICA.ORG “ORGANIC OR CONVENTIONAL?” THE WALLET CARD

REVISED! Includes GMO research Energy costs consume one-fifth of budgets in most US homes. safe to buy non-organic (least contaminated by pesticides after washing) But simple efficiency measures can help you cut your energy 1. Asparagus 13. Honeydew bill in half. Use the savings to get the green items you need. 2. Avocado Melon 3. Blackberries 14. Kiwi simple gadget changed Roger van Gelder’s life—and his en- 4. Broccoli 15. Mangoes ergy bill. After ordering a portable watt meter to measure how 5. Cabbage 16. Onions much energy his fridge was using, he started plugging it into 6. Cantaloupe 17. Pineapple A different appliances around his Bainbridge Island, WA, home. (domestic) 18. Radishes “I found that a lot of the things that I didn’t think used much elec- 7. Cauliflower 19. Sweet Peas tricity actually added up. A lot,” he says. 8. Cilantro 20. Sweet Potatoes In fact, many of his appliances continued to drain energy even when 9. Eggplant 21. Tea they were turned off—a phenomenon known as “vampire power leaks.” 10. Garlic 22. Tomatoes The Lawrence Berkeley National Lab estimates that five to ten percent of 11. Ginger 23. Watermelon US home electricity use powers devices that are off or on standby mode. 12. Grapefruit Using the watt meter ($25-$45), van Gelder targeted his home’s biggest power drains. For example, he found that his microwave was one of the biggest offenders, so he unplugged it. OK to buy non-organic “Now, I just plug it in when I want to use it,” he says. “[Unplugging (especially if you can remove and don’t it] made the clock on it not work, but oh, well.” consume the peel) From there, he decided to challenge himself to see how low he could 24. Bananas 28. Green Onions make his energy bill go with cheap fixes. He wound up with a short list 25. Cantaloupe 29. Lemons of must-have gadgets for anyone looking to lower his/her energy bill: (Imported) 30. Limes programmable thermostat ($50-$150): Heating and cooling are the big- 26. Grapefruit 31. Pumpkins gest energy users in most US homes. A programmable thermostat saves 27. Grapes 32. Tangerines energy by automatically turning itself down while you’re sleeping or out. (Domestic) 33. Winter Squash stick of incense ($1): Both van Gelder and Green American Sandy Chan recommend a simple method for inspecting your home for ener- Always buy organic gy-sucking air leaks: Light a stick of incense on a windy day, and hold (most contaminated and/or genetically modified) it around window frames, doors, and areas where plumbing and wir- 34. Almonds 49. Lettuce ing go through walls. How much the smoke drifts horizontally away 35. Apples 50. Nectarines from the incense reveals how serious a leak is. 36. Basil 51. Oranges Vacuum cleaner hose attachment ($0-$7): Use it to clean your refrigerator coils once a year to keep the fridge running efficiently. The re- 37. Bell Peppers 52. Papaya frigerator is usually the appliance that uses the most energy in a home. 38. Peaches 53. Peanuts To combat vampire leaks, plug several ap- 39. Blueberries 54. Pears Smart PowerStrip ($46-$50): pliances into a power strip and switch the strip off when you’re not 40. Carrots 55. Pecans using them. A smart powerstrip senses when your appliances are on 41. Celery 56. Plums standby mode and will stop sending power to that outlet for you. 42. Cherries 57. Potatoes After his efficiency “experiment,” as well as taking advantage of lo- 43. Corn 58. Raspberries cal incentives from his utility (find yours at dsireusa.org), van Gelder 44. Cucumbers 59. Rice says his energy bill went from $30-50 to $5 per month. 45. Grapes 60. Soy Find more efficiency tips at greenamerica.org/go/efficiencyfirst. (Imported) 61. Spinach —Martha van Gelder 46. Green Beans 62. Strawberries 47. Hot Peppers 63. Summer SOLAR TIP! The more energy you save through efficiency measures, the fewer solar 48. Kale/Collard Squash panels you’d need if you decided to install solar. Green America members can save Greens 64. Zucchini $500 off a solar home system from Sungevitym , which will donate an extra $500 to our Sources: GMOInside.org, EWG.org, To Buy or Not to Buy Climate Action programs: sungevity.org/green-america. Organic, by Cindy Burke (DeCapo Press, 2007) m Designates an approved member of Green America’s Green Business Network® 17 hat if you could get what you need for free and make some really great friends in the process? That’s the concept behind what even the mainstream media Whas started to call “the sharing economy”—where people come together to pool time, talent, and treasure so everyone involved can get what they need. All around the world, people are sharing their extra time and stuff, saving resources and building community in the process. Want to join in the sharing fun? Try one or more of these great ideas. ... 10 Ways to Join the

1 Hold a permablitz

The brainchild of permaculturist Dan Palmer, permablitzes have become all the rage in Melbourne, Australia. During these old- fashioned “barn-raising” type events, strangers come together to turn someone’s yard into an edible garden—in one day. To get their yard permablitzed, people join the Melbourne Permablitz Collective and agree to work on at least two other blitzes. Volunteer permaculturists will then design a garden plan specifically for their yard, which follows permaculture guidelines in that it mimics a natural ecosystem, requiring no artificial inputs. The whole group helps plan and promote the blitz, which as a rule includes permaculture design and gardening workshops, and the host provides food and drinks. 1 “Permablitzes are a lot of fun for both hosts and volun- teers,” says Permablitz Melbourne’s Samantha Allemann. “Hosts receive free labor from keen volunteer blitzers, which allows for a lot of manual work to get done in a short space of time. The volunteer blitzers have the opportunity to learn new skills related to permaculture and sustainable living, eat delicious food, get some exercise, and meet new people.” Visit permablitz.net for advice on starting your own. 4 5 2 make your home a pop-up restaurant

Make a little extra cash by turning your home into a tempo- 3 Share a yard rary restaurant. Gusta.com allows amateur and pro chefs in 98 cities worldwide to post home-cooked meals they’re plan- Have a yard but no time to garden? Visit hyperlocavore.ning. ning to prepare on the site; then, diners looking for a unique com or wepatch.org to loan out a section of your yard to dining experience sign up for the meal. Each chef sets his/ a gardenless gardener, who will use it to grow produce to her own price—usually comparable to the average restaurant share between the two of you. It also works the other way meal—and serves the food at home. around, so you can also use the sites if you’re the one look- Green Business Network® director Alix Davidson regularly ing for a little patch of earth to tend. posts dinners—her specialty is vegetarian Indian food—on EatFeastly.com, which operates similar to Gusta and is still in 4 bond with booklovers beta-testing. She’s also dined at other Feastly homes, partak- ing in Korean bibimbap and “the best Thai food I’ve ever eaten.” Hold a bookswap with fellow bibliophiles—your local “I’m energized by Feastly—I get a reason to advance my library might be willing to assist with making it a cooking skills and a little extra cash, as well as the chance to community event. You can also swap with others online eat some amazing food and meet interesting people,” she says. at paperbackswap.com or bookmooch.com.

18 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 GREEN AMERICAN GREENAMERICA.ORG BUT WAIT, THERE’S More! The Green American archives have more in-depth stories on how to join the sharing economy. Visit greenamerica.org/DIYcoops for articles on: • How to start a lunch or dinner cooperative • How to start a neighborhood home repair team • How to share child, elder, or pet care • How to swap and share books • How to start a carpool or share a car • How to start a bike share program • How to join with others to go solar • How to start a free store Sharing Economy

7 HONEY DO SHARE

i f you’re not afraid of bees and have a safe little corner of your yard where a hive could thrive, you can offer it up to local beekeepers in exchange for free local honey. Look up your area “beekeeper’s guild” via your favorite search engine. 2 8 Share your timE Local currency systems like Time Dollars (greenamerica.org/ go/timedollars) allow you to formally trade your time and ex- pertise with others in your community. People might trade Spanish lessons for the opportunity to learn to knit, for example, or babysitting hours for personal training sessions. But if you don’t have a formal local currency, don’t despair. You can still trade your talent for someone else’s at ourgoods.org, barterquest.com, brightneighbor.com, and streetbank.com.

9 a home away from homE

Planning to travel? Find homeowners willing to share or loan 6 out their house or apartment in more than 33,000 cities in 192 countries for cheaper than you can get a hotel room at Airbnb.com. If you aren’t traveling but could use some extra cash, you can apply at Airbnb.com to rent out your home as an instant hotel or bed and breakfast. 5 Need a ride? If you’re willing to work on your trip, GrowFood.org, HelpX.net, and WWOOF.org can help you find short-term Getaround.com is a growing network of people willing to work on an organic farm worldwide in exchange for room rent out their cars while they’re traveling or extra vehicles and board. that are sitting idle in a garage. GetAround provides GPS tracking of your vehicle, insurance, regular inspections and 10 maintenance, and post-rental cleaning. Currently available 10 share your knowledge in San Francisco, Portland, Chicago, Austin, and San Diego, Start a “free school” in your community, where members GetAround plans to expand to other cities in the near future. teach regular, free classes on their knowledge and skill areas, from ballroom dancing to astronomy to gardening. Find a 6 Get free fruit step-by-step guide on how to start one at shareable.net/blog/ how-to-start-a-free-school. People who grow fruit in their yards often find that their trees runneth over. Find people willing to share their fruity bounty Top left photo by Samantha Allemann; bottom left photo by Tracy Loeffelholz Dunn; all other photos at neighborhoodfruit.com. from istock (Luchezar, Kupicoo, and Lenorlux).

m Designates an approved member of Green America’s Green Business Network® 19

e-Edition Exclusive

Green(washed) 7Things You Should Never Buy Again

2 Conventional Granola Bars 3 What do they cost? $4 – $6 for a 1 box of 18 to 24 bars. “Green” or “Ethical” What’s wrong with them? Conventional wisdom says that granola Bottled Water Biodegradable bars are a quick and healthy way to Bags start your day, but most of them What does it cost? $1.75 – $4.50 are filled with sugar, carbohydrates, What’s wrong with it? Bottled and genetically modified organisms What does it cost? $5 – $20 water sends approximately two million (GMOs), with little of the beneficial tons of plastic to landfills each year. What’s wrong with them? protein and fiber they like to tout Even if all the plastic was recycled, it Unless you know these bags are on their labels. Some have artificial still represents a huge carbon footprint, ending up in a compost bin, they’re flavors and preservatives. Nature especially when you consider how far not doing the planet or your wallet Valley Crunchy Granola Bars (owned much of this water must be trucked any good. There’s a good chance by General Mills), for example, contain before it reaches its destination. they’ll end up in a landfill where soy protein, soy flour, canola oil, sugar, they will fail to decompose due to high-fructose corn syrup, brown sugar Plus, plastic downcycles, meaning that the anaerobic state of compacted syrup, and soy lecithin, all of which are you can recycle it once or twice, and trash. highly likely to contain GMOs. then it becomes an unusable mess— which ends up as waste in landfills or Buy this instead: Reusable Buy this instead: Certified organic the ocean. bags made of cotton or with high energy bars with high protein and recycled plastic content are a great low sugar content. Foods bearing the Buy this instead: Tap water ($0). choice ($10 – $20). Also, remember certified organic label cannot contain If you’re concerned about your local to reuse the many plastic bags that GMOs. A handful of organic nuts water quality, consider buying a water may package your food ($0). makes a healthy snack, as well. filter ($30 and up).

20 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 GREEN AMERICAN GREENAMERICA.ORG

4 Cell Phone Radiation Screen 6 What does it cost? $17 – $30 What’s wrong with it? Greenwashed Manufacturers of these screens claim they mitigate the harmful effects Cleaning Products of cell phone radiation, but their What does it cost? 22 oz. for $5 effectiveness is highly suspect and not at all regulated. What’s wrong with it? Many of these greenwashed products claim LOOK! IT’S Buy this instead: Use a plug-in to be “nontoxic”—a term that is SO GREEN headset ($5 – $30), or put your cell unregulated on product labels and is on speaker phone and hold it at least basically meaningless—yet include two inches away from your body toxins in their ingredient list. SORT OF ($0) to minimize radiation exposure. Even a Bluetooth headset will help. Buy this instead: Truly green cleaners certified by Green REALLY America’s Green Business Network®. Dr. Bronner’s Magic HEALTH-ISH 5 Soaps m (16 oz. for $10.50), for -ISH example, are not only certified Fair Trade and organic but are almost Recyclable Plastic also nontoxic. Their concentrated formula means that once you NICE dilute their soaps, you’ll be getting Products the same amount of cleaning for What do they cost? $3 – $20 a comparable amount of money. SOME PLANET Another option is to make your What’s wrong with them? own cleaning products (see p. 24). “Recyclable” plastic sound green, but this phrase is a classic example of greenwashing. Just because plastic 7 is recyclable doesn’t mean there will be facilities available for you to recycle it in your state. It also does Ethanol Fuel not mean thtat the item contains any recycled content. In addition, What does it cost? New cars that to problems with GM cross- as noted in #3, plastic downcycles, can run on E85 are of comparable cost contamination and Monsanto’s hold rather than recycles, into waste to new gasoline-powered vehicles. on American seeds. that invariably ends up in landfills or the ocean. What’s wrong it? Ethanol, which Buy this instead: Biodiesel made is mainly produced from corn in the from waste products such as used Buy this instead: Replace plastics United States, takes a vast amount of cooking oil is a more environmentally with reusable glass or metal fossil fuels to grow and should not friendly alternative. Kits for containers such as a stainless steel be considered green. In addition, the converting used cooking oil into water bottle ($12 – $40). mostly genetically modified corn that biodiesel run from $1,000 to $2,000. the fuel is made from contributes

Use our National Green Pages® (free at greenpages.org) to find products and services that are certified green by Green America. m Designates an approved member of Green America’s Green Business Network® 21 In 2011, the average American spent $8,293, or 16.9% of his/her budgets, on transportation. Choosing green transportation would do much to curb the climate crisis.

If you have more time than money ...

Sell your car(s): Use the tips below to save money on your transportation budget so you can afford taxis and rentals Photo from carfreedays.com when you absolutely need a vehicle. Carfreedays.com bloggers Tim (pictured) and Anne use their XtraCycle-fitted bikes to haul everything walk/bike wherever you can: Walking and biking save money from groceries to Christmas trees to their kids. by lowering fuel and vehicle maintenance costs, and you’ll get exercise, too. We put this one under “more time than money,” but if you live in a congested city, walking and biking may you to look up on your transit system’s website or app how even save time over driving. Saddlebags, baskets, or a bike long the wait for your bus/train will be; it’s perfect for figur- hauler attachment from Xtracycle.com m can turn your bike ing out if your bus is on schedule without leaving your home/ into a major cargo hauler, making your car almost obsolete. office. The other common feature is online trip-planning soft- ware that allows you to input your origin and destination, If you have more money than time ... and it will automatically calculate the fastest itinerary for you. (Google Maps is often able to do this about as well as the Get a hybrid or plug-in hybrid: With an average mileage of 40+ mpg transit systems’ own websites.)” with a standard hybrid, you’ll save on fuel and lower your cli- carpool: If you’d like to share a ride for a one-time event (like mate footprint over a conventional car. Drive 1,200 miles per a concert) or regularly (commuting to work), hook up with in- month in a car that averages 18 miles per gallon, and you’ll terested carpoolers at zimride.com or erideshare.com. Craigs spend $233 per month (at $3.50 per gallon). Drive a Toyota list.org also has a carpool section for people in your local area Prius that averages 50 mpg, and you’ll spend $84 per month— looking to share a ride. Carpooltoschool.com offers “carpool, a savings of $149 per month or $1,788 per year. You’ll do even walkpool, and bikepool matching” for local communities. better with plug-in hybrids, which use 40-60 percent less gas join a carsharing program: Find local car-sharing pro- than conventional cars, according to fueleconomy.gov. grams—where you sign up for the ability to “check out” Plus, studies show that hybrids have a higher resale value a car from a pool of vehicles only when you need it—at than standard cars, and you may get a discount for owning carsharing.net. Zipcar.com and EnterpriseCarShare.com offer one from your insurance company. car-sharing in major US cities and college campuses. Green America member Carmen Druke says, “I have driven a high-mileage hybrid car since 1999. It cost a couple thousand more than a pure gasoline car, but I have saved thousands of GET DAILY green deals dollars over the life of the car.” You’re probably familiar with online “daily deal” sites Find out more in Green America’s article “The Money-Sav- like Groupon and Living Social. Did you know on ing Perks of a Hybrid Car”: greenamerica.org/go/hybridcar. Green America’s GreenDeals.org, you can get daily deals on goods and services offered by deep-green If you’re broke and busy ... businesses? Recent deals include discounts on organic cotton baby clothing (Luv You More Organicsm ), a Public transportation is a great trust in public transport. “ stay at a green B&B (Inn Serendipitym , and online way to go green on a budget. It’s also easier than most peo- yoga classes (MyYogaOnline.comm ). ple realize,” says Green America member Eric McKenzie. He points to two newer features that many communities now Sign up at GreenDeals.org have as the reason: “One is GPS location trackers that allow

22 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 GREEN AMERICAN GREENAMERICA.ORG GREEN BUSINESS NEWS

The latest from Our Green Business Network®

GreenBusinessNetwork.org + Find green companies in our National Green Pages®: greenpages.org

Green Businesses Support Washington State GMO Labeling Bill Companies like Monsanto, General Mills, and PepsiCo spent millions to defeat last year’s GMO (genetically modified organisms) labeling bill in California earlier this year—and they’re at it again in Washington state. But some of the country’s greenest businesses have gone in the opposite direction, spending their cash in support of labeling GMOs. In Washington, anti-GMO advocates are gathering support for Initiative 522, a GMO labeling measure that will go to vote this November. Organizers have gathered over 353,000 signatures in support of I-522—the second highest number of signatures on a Go Fair Trade on Halloween ballot initiative in state history. “It’s a really exciting time, as more and with Equal Exchange more Americans want information on what they’re eating and feeding their families,” says Elizabeth Larter, communications director for his Halloween, families across the US will says Elizabeth O’Connell, Green America the Yes on I-522 campaign. Topen their doors to millions of trick- campaigns director. Green businesses are leading the labeling or-treaters—making it a perfect occasion In contrast, 100% of Equal Exchange’s effort with donations and activism. Dr. Bron- to spread the word about Fair Trade. Equal products are fairly traded. The Fair Trade ner’s Magic Soaps m , a major donor to the Exchange m ’s Fair Trade Your Halloween Kits system includes independent monitoring and California GMO labeling effort, is the single can help you do just that. technical assistance to ensure fair wages and largest donor to the Yes on I-522 campaign, Each kit includes organic, Fair Trade choc- healthy working conditions for workers, as having given $700,000 so far. Other Green olate and information cards that draw atten- well as the absence of child labor. Business Network members that have do- tion to the thousands of children enslaved Each kit costs $24 and comes with 150 in- nated include the Organic Consumer on West African cocoa farms. The company formation cards and 150 pieces of Fair Trade Assoc.m , Annie’s Inc.m , Clif Bar m , is asking households to hand them out to chocolate. Last year, Equal Exchange sold out Nutiva m , Mary’s Gone Crackers m , Eden trick-or-treaters so they can experience the of its 700 educational trick-or-treating kits, Foods m , Straus Family Creamery m , Equal goodness that is Fair Trade for themselves. reaching an estimated 100,000 households. Exchange m , Stonyfield Farms m , Traditional “It’s a fun, social, not too ‘in-your-face’ “We’ve found that American children are Medicinals m , and Essential Living Foods m . way for people to raise awareness of the often deeply concerned that their counter- And in direct opposition to its parent [social and environmental] issues around parts in West Africa are enslaved to make company, Unilever—which belongs to the chocolate during a time when people are the candy they enjoy,” says O’Connell. “Hal- Grocery Manufacturers Assoc., a trade consuming chocolate,” says Gary Goodman loween is the perfect moment for people to association that has given over $472,500 to of Equal Exchange, which sells Fair Trade examine the impact that their dollars have on defeat I-522—Ben & Jerry’s is throwing its coffee, tea, chocolate and more. practices in the cocoa industry.” support behind the measure. The ice cream West African cocoa farms rely heavily on Contact: To get a Fair Trade Halloween kit, visit company plans to be GMO-free by 2014. child labor and supply the majority of cocoa shop.equalexchange.coop. Equal Exchange also “Business support shows that you can be purchased by industry giants like Hershey. offers bite-sized Fair Trade chocolates, as does supportive of labeling GE foods and not have “Child slavery is rampant in West Africa, it harm your business—unlike what the op- Divine Chocolate m (divinechocolate.com), Coco and we’ve seen very little meaningful action position might claim,” says Larter. Zen m (stores.homestead.com/CocoZen), Alter from the major chocolate companies around Eco m (shop.alterecofoods.com), and Mama Contact: Yes on I-522, 206/351-3323, taking responsibility for their supply chains,” Ganache m (mama-ganache.com). yeson522.com. m Designates an approved member of Green America’s Green Business Network® 23

LETTERS & ADVICE DIY for Fun and Frugality

When we started researching henever someone asks me how they can make going this “Green on a Budget” issue of the Green American, we Wgreen more affordable, I try to convince them that asked our members to share getting what you need from the green economy doesn’t al- their favorite tips for making ways mean paying more. My DIY habit is a prime example. the green lifestyle affordable. I enjoy making my own cleaning and personal care products. Here are a few of our favorite I mean, I really enjoy it, to the point where I consider growing responses. ... herbs and making cleaners and body care products out of them TRACY an actual hobby. They smell fantastic, they work great, and FERNANDEZ they save me money, too. Thanks to my herbalist friend Deb RYSAVY The Green Life is Doubek—author of “Herbs for the Health of It” in the April/ the Good Life May issue of the Green American—I’ve learned to make my own herbal organic soap, lip balm, lotion, and more. Instead of pay- For more on free stores, For me, making the change to see our article, “A Store green was a process. Getting ing $30 or more for an upscale facial moisturizer, I have a lovely Where Everything is Free,” over the shell-shock of the price lavender one I made for about $10 a jar. There are plenty of sim- greenamerica.org/go/freestore. was one thing. What helped me ple recipes for DIY body care online, including at the Mountain overcome it were two things: 1) Rose Herbs m website (mountainroseherbs.com). Or you can realizing that I was investing in find local classes the same way I found Deb, by looking up your About Your Fridge my health, and not illness, and 2) area chapter of the Herb Society of America (herbsociety.org). things just tasted much better, Last year, I started making laundry soap from a recipe I found Three years ago, I replaced my and I felt much better. at diynatural.com/homemade-laundry-detergent-soap. Made still functional 1982 refrigerator with a new Energy Star model. When something I have breaks from washing soda, borax, and a bar of soap—it costs at least My electricity use immedi- down or wears out, I research a 1/4 less than conventional detergent, and it works just as well. greener substitute. Even though ately dropped by more than 100 How do I know? My daughter Maggie proved as much by kilowatt-hours/month, offsetting it may be more expensive, testing it against Tide and soap nuts for a science fair experi- you’re looking for something that the new refrigerator’s purchase ment. She found that her homemade detergent got out ink, will last for the long term. price in about four years. grass, juice, and dirt stains just as well as Tide and better than Also, I’ve pared down what Allen Muchnick I’ve used over the years. Before the soap nuts. (And Maggie took first place in her grade!) Arlington, VA you buy, think of how often Not everyone may share my idea of fun, but there are quick- Tracy: Refrigerator efficiency you’re going to use something. er ways to embrace the DIY spirit. For example, several of has improved dramatically since Can you instead borrow an item our members have recommended cleaning with baking soda 1993, when higher standards from a friend or share it? and white vinegar, a fast and effective way to save money on took effect, so any refrigerator Victoria A. household cleaners. Find more tips in our article, “10 Simple built before then is going to Albuquerque, NM Ways to Clean Green”: greenamerica.org/go/greencleaners. be an energy guzzler. Glad you —Tracy Fernandez Rysavy, editor-in-chief replaced yours, Allen! Think About Your Health, Too will eventually be significantly good, healthy, organic food. A Final Word higher. Unfortunately, people Angela Christman Buy only what you NEED, and My family has been eating or- don’t always make the connec- Catonsville, MD make sure all those things (or ganic for a number of years. One tion between our diets and our at least 90 percent) are green, of the most important things to health care. clean, Fair Trade! convey is that NOT eating or- Second, we have found “Fresh Try a Free Store ganic is not necessarily a money Loreto P. Ansaldo Paper” to be an amazing help at Book a room at a local library saver. The issue is that the extra New York, NY keeping organic food fresh (buy it and have a “Free Store,” which cost of not eating organic shows at fenugreen.com). For example, is a community gathering for up in different places, such as put a piece of Fresh Paper in a a free exchange of items. I’ve Thanks from the editors health care costs. For example, container of organic strawber- been doing this for almost a year The Green America editors send junk food is cheaper than organic ries, and they’ll last twice as long now, and people love it! our thanks to Linda Riebel, who veggies and fruit, but if someone as they did without it. Reducing Kim Loftness graciously allowed us to use eats the former much of the spoilage makes it much easier to Seattle, WA her time vs. money structure time, his/her health care bills spend a little bit more money on Tracy: Love the idea, Kim! for our pieces on food, clothing, and transportation in this issue. Please send your letters to: Editors, Green America, 1612 K St. NW, Ste. 600, Check out Linda’s book, The Washington, DC 20006. Or e-mail [email protected]. Letters used Green Foodprint: Food Choices in this column may be edited for length and clarity. for Healthy People and a Healthy Interact with our editors and staff at our blog: blog.greenamerica.org Planet (greenfoodprint.com).

24 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 GREEN AMERICAN GREENAMERICA.ORG Join Team Green America! MAKE THE HEALTHY, Green America is forming a team of riders for SUSTAINABLE CHOICE: Climate Ride, to promote our Clean Energy Victory Bonds legislation and fund our GladRags 100% cotton pantyliners, innovative climate protection programs. day pads, and night pads. NYC-DC 10% OFF EXPIRES: 7/31/13 CODE: GA4513

www.gladrags.com

Products From Wright Choice Promotions Enhance Your Company’s Green Reputation FREE IS 602-795-7300 Register today at

GOODClimate Ride • NYC-DC | 5 Days | 300 miles • Sept. 21 – 25th, 2013 wrightchoicepromotions.com For more information, contact Russ Gaskin at 202-872-5331Earth-friendly or [email protected] promotional products

Fossil Free Portfolios. Learn more at socialk.com Renew Green a new way to enjoy your membership The greenest and most effective way to support Green America and get new tools to green your life. Renew online: www.GreenAmerica.org/go/rejoin LearnPic turHowed: Comfort Kumeah P hottoo: Olivier A sseGolin Non-GMO!

Information to ensure a safe, healthy, and sustainable food supply Volume 11, Issue 7 • July/August 2011 GM crops decimating monarch butterflies habitat Page 6 is the only publication that keeps you up-to-date on the genetically modified food threat and the growing non-GMO food trend

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS ISSUE n Consumer rights victory as US ends opposition to GM labeling guidelines Page 8 See why non-GMO is the fastest growing natural food category “Organic ready” corn aims to prevent GMO contamination Page 10 Is USDA trying to get out of regulating GM crops? Page 12 FREE UN calls for sustainable agriculture Page 20 n Learn which foods contain GMOs and how to avoid them with your n Know which companies are producing verified non-GMO foods subscription Receive n a free Access non-GMO seed sources for your garden THE NON-GMO sample “I would highly recommend The Organic & Non-GMO Report.” issue Nell Newman, co-founder, Newman’s Own Organics, Aptos, CA SOURCEBOOK Call 1-800-854-0586 or visit www.non-gmoreport.com

m Designates an approved member of Green America’s Green Business Network® 23

WIN 365 DAYS OF DIVINE CHOCOLATE Discover the world of Divine where chocolate is cherished by everyone – including the farmers who grow the cocoa and own the company. Enter our competition to win a year of Divine chocolate treats at www.divinechocolate.com/365days. Divine Chocolate USA DivineChocUSA

m Designates an approved member of Green America’s Green Business Network® 25 are you a green american? Click this ad, fill out the form and commit a small amount each month to make big things happen at Green America.

* Get a free t-shirt when you make a monthly pledge to support our powerful programs.

* Organic cotton, sweat-free t-shirt. Just submit this form in the attached postage-paid envelope.

Go fossil-fuel-free with our new portfolio SUSTAINABILITY INDEx

RTIFIE E D C

V E G A N Find out more at investwithyourvalues.com

Going green has its rewards. Get some good Car-ma and save 30% when you join America’s only Eco-friendly Auto Club with nationwide service for Cars and Bicycles.

Serious about the environment? How about your auto club?

If you belong to AAA you’ll find them described on the web as “a lobbyist for more roads”, “more pollution”, and “more gas guzzling.” Did you know that your name—and hard GO TO JOIN! at www.betterworldclub.com and get 30% OFF* earned dollars—are being used this way? your first year Eco-friendly Auto Club membership. Just use code GRNV1230 when you sign up. We’re America’s only Auto Club advocating for your environmental agenda. We give you the 24/7 nationwide services you expect from an Auto Club including auto insurance, travel discounts, maps, plus discounts for drivers of hybrids and other alternative fuel vehicles. We also carbon offset—and MORE! Advocacy | Insurance | Travel Services | 1.866.238.1137

Car-Ma is a registered trademark of Better World Club. *Offer expires February 28, 2014.