Creating Demand

Have you ever heard someone say, "I won't provide (insert product or service here) because no one will buy it"? When I ask people about demand for green products, or green building, this is a common response. But have you ever asked yourself why they've come to that conclusion? It's all about demand!

If you conduct a survey and ask potential customers if they prefer A or B, they will choose one or the other even if what they really want is C. So, when someone tells me that no one will buy C, I'm always tempted to ask, "How do you know?"

Case in point...I was at our favorite restaurant to pick up dinner one evening. This wonderful mom and pop restaurant usually puts their take out (and leftovers) in styrofoam containers. This particular visit they switched the containers to a paper product. I noted with the owner that they had different boxes...he quickly responded that the boxes were only temporary. My response was of disappointment, so he asked "why?" I looked at the box, and looked at him, and said, "These are recyclable. The styrofoam is not." Well, what do you know, the other customer there for take out and the waitress both spoke up in agreement. The restaurant owner was surprised at the sudden influx of demand right there in front of him. He looked me in the eye and said, "I'll check into it. I promise."

I was inspired by his response, and it drove home the idea that we can all create demand by speaking up. How are these shop owners, restaurants, car dealers, developers, grocery stores...supposed to know that there IS a market out there if they don't ask? It is up to each of us to let them know there is demand for these products. If you don't speak up, then who will?

Don't ever forget that for a majority of the world (and especially for business owners), if a venture is not profitable it will have a limited lifespan. As much as they would like to make the environmental decision, business owners are responsible to their employees and/or shareholders. If there is no market, it makes the leap of faith more challenging and difficult to justify or defend.

Conduct an experiment and see where it gets you. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone - Let people know you are interested in buying green products or services. You might just be surprised at the response, and power of creating demand. But be sure to reward responsive businesses by BUYING THE PRODUCTS!
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle...the lawn...

There are lots of good reasons to reduce the amount of grass in your yard. The water savings alone should be a good motivator for most. Reducing the amount of time you spend mowing and maintaining a lush, green law is another. It requires a good amount of chemicals, money, and energy in keeping out the less desirable plants that naturally crop up.

So, we've been trying to figure out different ways to improve the look of the grass in our yard. To be exact, it's mostly crab grass, but let's not split hairs. I've watched my dad battle grass my entire life, and it just makes me tired! We've been making strides at buying mulch and reducing grass while doing some good old fashioned landscaping. It's fun to watch the yard change and enjoy the rewards of a little hard work.

Last week, we took the plunge and decided to go the nuclear route. We raked up all the weeds, loaded it into the back of the truck, and hauled it off to the yard waste facility. It was quite a site to see our entire "lawn" fit in the back of a truck...and our yard down to the soil with a few sprigs of grass that actually survived all the weeds...

For a nominal fee, we unloaded our "lawn" in a big pile of tree and brush debris. It will then be picked up and run through a grinder and recycled and reused to make mulch - a system that helps pay for itself because (inexpensive) mulch is in high demand in our area. Who knew that our waste could help someone else's yard?

Our solution to our first failed attempt to grow grass in the front yard is to reduce the overall amount so we can focus on healthy grass in a smaller area. Second, we're switching to warm season grass that requires less water, and hopefully fewer chemicals. Third, we're also focusing on native plants that thrive in this climate, require less watering, and help protect the ecosystem that is quickly deteriorating in a growing city.

Instead of continuing to battle with the natural environment, we're taking a different tact that will use the strengths of the natural world to improve the look of our yard. Not perfect, but we'll still have some grass to keep that curb appeal while drastically reducing the amount of time, money, and chemicals we put into the yard. I like to think of it as an incremental improvement that takes into account an environmental approach to help us in our decision making. In my opinion, that's what it's all about.
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Walking the Walk

After 12 years and 220,000 miles, my old reliable Maxima finally died. Funeral arrangements for the beloved Max were held at a WUNC auction where $550 was raised for Max's favorite non-profit.

So, that left me with the task of figuring out what car I wanted next. I couldn't bring myself to do any serious consideration before Max died. I felt like a traitor. He was going to last me another year, for sure! My big motivator was having to drive around in the temporary vehicle - a 1991 red Ford F150. No, not a rental car, but a family truck kept for moving, yard work, what have you. While this was fun conversation, it really drove home to realities. 1st, I can't be driving around in a gas hog AND be marketing myself as a sustainability consultant. 2nd, this thing is a GAS HOG! With prices at the low-low price of $4.00 per gallon, I can't afford the gas to get me where I need to go when the truck gets maybe 10 miles/gallon...SO. I started looking around at cars. Guess what? There aren't many sales to be had on high mpg cars these days. So, instead of looking for a used car I went for a new one. I was considering the usual suspects - a Prius (tough to find), a Civic or Accord hybrid, or a Corolla or Camry Hybrid. What I found is there wasn't a drastic difference in gas mileage between a Civic and Corolla (both ~35mpg), or between the Civic hybrid vs. traditional engine.

But then came the carbon footprint calculator, and my decision was all but made for me. The Prius has less CO2 emissions, uses fewer petroleum during the lifetime of the vehicle, has lower annual fuel costs, AND is a mid-size car vs. a compact car. There are all kinds of interesting facts on this website around fuel efficiency. It really helped me make my decision.

When I talk with folks about how to integrate sustainability into their decisions, it doesn't always have to be about saving the planet. It's okay for it to be about fuel efficiency or saving money. We calcualted I would save $150/month on fuel by purchasing the Prius. That helped me justify the financial side of buying a new car. But I can also take comfort in the fact that I've reduced my vehicle's carbon emissions by 1/2, have reduced my use of fuel, and am promoting hybrid technology. I call that a win-win.
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