April, 07 2010, 09:58am EDT
10 Ways to SHIFT $300 Billion for the Planet
For Earth Day, Green America Urges Americans to Take 'the Green Economy Challenge'
WASHINGTON
Green America today called on all Americans to
take "The Green Economy Challenge" to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of
Earth Day.
The Green Economy Challenge asks all
American households to shift 10 percent of their current spending to
green purchases. American households spend approximately $3 trillion per
year on expenditures that could easily be greened. If Americans
directed just one tenth of these expenditures to purchasing from a green
or local business, it would steer $300 billion towards more sustainable
consumption.
"Going green saves money, creates
jobs, and supports local communities. Green is the new red, white and
blue," said Green America Executive Director Alisa Gravitz. "One
thing all Americans can do to help the environment on Earth Day and
everyday is to direct their money towards greener purchases."
Gravitz said: "By 'green' we mean
products that are good for both people and the planet. Shifting
purchases to green is often surprisingly easy to do, and what may also
surprise people is that buying green often saves money, which is on the
minds of so many households during the recession. Going green saves
money, creates jobs, and supports local communities."
10 TIPS FOR GOING GREEN
1. Borrow, Trade or Buy Used:
The greenest thing consumers can do is to not buy new things at all.
You can find books, cds and movies (including the latest bestsellers)
for free at the local library. People across the country are setting up
clothing swaps to give away old clothes and get "new" ones in return.
Online services like Craigslist, Freecycle and Ebay make it easy to find
quality used goods locally and nationally, including first-rate used
furniture that is often higher quality than new. Green America has more
resources available at: https://www.greenamericatoday.org/programs/
shopunshop/unshopping/getandgive.cfm
2. Grow Your Own Food:
When you plant your own garden you can ensure that your food is organic
and healthy, and since there is no transportation involved, there are no
climate change emissions. You'll also save money and you can spend
time with family in the garden. A recent National Gardening Association
study found that the average family spends $70 a year on maintaining a
vegetable garden, and grows about $600 worth of produce. When you sit
down to eat your harvest, pour some delicious Fair Trade or organic wine
or beer to go along with it. When you do shop for food, look for local,
organic and Fair Trade CertifiedTM products. If you can't find them,
ask your supermarket to stock them. Green America has more resources
available at
https://www.greenamericatoday.org/programs/
climate/facts/food.cfm
3. Green Your Energy at Home:
Start with energy efficiency: using less energy is the best way to
green your power consumption - and enjoy big savings. There are many
simple actions you can take.
- Switch your incandescent
lightbulbs to energy-saving compact fluorescents (CFLs) or LEDs: both
save energy and money. If each home in America replaced one bulb with an
Energy Star CFL, it would save enough energy to light 3 million homes
for a year and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from
800,000 cars. Also, make sure to turn off lights you are not using. - Air dry your clothes
instead of using a dryer: it's better for the planet and your clothes. https://www.greenamericatoday.org/pubs/
realgreen/articles/dryer.cfm - Unplug toasters,
televisions and small appliances that draw electricity even when they're
turned off, or use a smart power strip to fully cut electricity to
appliances you turn off. - Get a home energy audit to
find ways to use energy more efficiently and save money. - Once you've reduced your
energy usage, green the energy you use by adding solar power or wind
power to your home. Federal and state tax rebates make it affordable to
add green power to your home, and in many places, you can sell power
back to the utility.
Green America has more resources available
at: https://www.greenamericatoday.org/pdf/CAQ75.pdf
4. Give Your Car a Break:
If only 1 percent of car owners in the US did not drive for one day a
week, we would save an estimated 42 million gallons of gas per year and
keep 840 million pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere. Less driving
means savings on gas, and less wear and tear - and you can qualify for
lower auto insurance rates. Instead of driving to do errands, consider
walking or riding a bike, both of which are great exercise. Green
America has more resources available at:
https://www.greenamericatoday.org/pubs/greenamerican/
articles/Fall2009/worksheet.cfm
5. Buy Used, Organic, or
Sweat-free Clothes: Many clothes are made from cotton treated
with pesticides, dyed in harsh chemicals, and then assembled in
sweatshops. Cotton accounts for more than 10 percent of the world's
pesticide use and nearly 25 percent of the world's insecticide use.
Instead of buying clothes at the mall, you can buy stylish clothes at
thrift and resale shops, and purchase new clothes that are
sweatshop-free, organic, and/or Fair Trade. Plus, if you buy natural
fibers, you can save on dry cleaning. The typical dry cleaning bill for a
dress or suit is three times more than the cost of the garment - and
you avoid exposure to toxic dry cleaning chemicals. Green America has
more resources available at:
https://www.greenamericatoday.org/pubs/
realgreen/articles/nosweatshops.cfm
6. Buy Organic and Fair Trade
Personal Care Products: Make-up and body care products have
been linked to allergic reactions, birth defects, and even cancer. In
addition, many products contain oils and extracts that are harvested and
produced in a way that harms the environment and exploits workers.
Look for organic and Fair Trade body care products instead. Green
America has more resources available at:
https://www.greenamericatoday.org/pubs/
realgreen/articles/cosmetics.cfm
7. Buy Green Home Products: Household
cleaners, paints and stains, furniture, carpets, and many other items
contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which have been linked to
cancer, endocrine disruption, and eye irritants. Instead, make your own
cleaners from safe, household ingredients or purchase green cleaning
products. You can also purchase no-VOC carpets, paints and stains, and
furniture. Green America has more resources available at: https://www.greenamericatoday.org/pubs/greenamerican/
articles/spring2008/HealYourHome.cfm
8. Support Local Green Businesses:
Spending money at locally owned businesses keeps more money in your
community, with some research demonstrating over three times as much
money staying in the community, and a growing number of local businesses
are going green. Instead of chains, eat out at locally-owned
restaurants (a growing number of which are sourcing local and organic
meats and produce). Purchase foods, books, clothes and furnishings at
locally-owned stores and co-ops. Support local musicians and artists at
locally owned performance spaces in your town. Green America can help
you find local green businesses at www.greenpages.org,
which has a zipcode search.
9. With the Money You Save, Invest
in a Greener Future: A growing number of Americans are
investing for their future; while doing so, they can also invest in a
better future for the planet. You can invest in socially responsible
mutual funds that earn competitive returns and promote corporate
responsibility. You can also put your savings into community
development banks and credit unions that invest in jobs, housing and
social services in local communities. Green America has more resources
available at: https://www.greenamericatoday.org/socialinvesting/
10. Turn to Green America's National
Green PagesTM to get started. Start greening your
purchases everyday by using the National Green PagesTM (www.greenpages.org), the largest
listing of business in the US screened for their social and
environmental responsibility. The National Green PagesTM has
thousands of green products and services, including:
- Seeds and organic gardening
supplies - Organic and Fair Trade
chocolates, coffee, rice and spices - Energy-saving lightbulbs
and smart power strips - Sustainably produced
clothes drying racks - Energy audit firms
- Solar and wind power sales
and installations - Bicycles and electric
bicycles - Green roadside assistance
for bicycles and cars - Organic, sweatfree, and
Fair Trade clothes for women, men and kids - Organic and Fair Trade body
care products - Green cleaners
- Green paints and stains
- Sustainably-produced
furniture and carpets - Green restaurants and
coffee shops - Local zip code finder -
find green businesses near you - Socially responsible mutual
funds - Community development banks
and credit unions - Socially responsible
financial planners.
BACKGROUND: MONEY US HOUSEHOLDS
COULD DIRECT TO GREEN
Green America determined how much money
Americans households could direct to green spending by first using US
Department of Labor statistics from 2009 to determine how much the
average US household spends on various purchases. Green America then
determined which of these purchases could be wholly or partly "greened"
in the short term (in the long term all purchases can be greened), as
detailed in the chart below:
Item | Amount | Percentage | Easily Greened? |
Food at Home | $3,465 | 7% | Yes |
Food Away From Home | $2,668 | 5.40% | Yes |
Alcoholic beverage | $457 | 0.90% | Yes |
Insurance | $5,027 | 10.80% | No |
Education | $945 | 1.90% | Yes |
Apparel | $1,881 | 3.80% | Yes |
Personal Care | $588 | 1.20% | Yes |
Healthcare | $2,853 | 5.70% | No |
Miscellaneous | $808 | 1.60% | Yes |
Household Furnishings | $1,797 | 3.60% | Yes |
Housekeeping supplies | $639 | 1.30% | Yes |
Household operations | $984 | 2% | Yes |
Utilities, fuels, public services | $3,477 | 7% | Yes |
Shelter | $10,023 | 20.20% | No |
Tobacco | $323 | 0.70% | No |
Transportation | $8,758 | 17.60% | Some |
Reading | $118 | 0.20% | Yes |
Cash Contributions | $1,821 | 3.70% | Yes |
Entertainment | $2,698 | 5.40% | Yes |
Total | $49,330 | 100% |
Green America determined that the amount
of expenditures available to be easily greened for the average household
is $25,324, representing 51 percent of total expenditures. If, on
average, the average American household "greened" ten percent of the
expenditures that can easily be greened, it would account for $2,532.37
per household.
The US Census estimates that there are
114,825,428 households in the US. Therefore the entire amount spent by
all American households is nearly $3 trillion that could easily be
"greened," and if 10 percent of that were greened, it would represent
$300 billion. By shifting to green products and services, many locally
produced, American's will not only be creating a greener world, but also
creating more jobs and keeping more money in their local communities.
Green America is a not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1982 and known until January 1, 2009 as "Co-op America." Green America's mission is to harness economic power--the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace--to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.
LATEST NEWS
Sanders, Booker, and Welch Unveil Ban on Junk Food Ads Targeting Kids
"We cannot continue to allow large corporations in the food and beverage industry to put their profits over the health and wellbeing of our children," said Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Apr 19, 2024
A trio of U.S. senators on Friday introduced what's being billed as first-of-its-kind legislation sponsors say will "take on the greed of the food and beverage industry and address the growing diabetes and obesity epidemics" with a federal ban on junk food ads targeting children.
The Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act—introduced by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.)—would also require warning labels "on sugar-sweetened foods and beverages; foods and beverages containing non-sugar sweeteners; ultra-processed foods; and foods high in nutrients of concern, such as added sugar, saturated fat, or sodium."
"Let's be clear: The twin crises of type 2 diabetes and obesity in America are being fueled by the food and beverage industry that, for decades, has been making massive profits by enticing children to consume unhealthy products purposely designed to be overeaten," Sanders—who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee—said in a statement. "We cannot continue to allow large corporations in the food and beverage industry to put their profits over the health and wellbeing of our children."
"Nearly 30 years ago, Congress had the courage to take on the tobacco industry, whose products killed more than 400,000 Americans every year," Sanders added. "Now is the time for Congress to act with the same sense of urgency to combat these diabetes and obesity epidemics. That means banning junk food ads targeted to kids and putting strong warning labels on food and beverages with unacceptably high levels of sugar, salt, and saturated fat."
Booker said that "the future of our nation depends on a continued investment in the health and wellbeing of our children," adding that "more and more of our children are developing diabetes and obesity primarily because a handful of corporate food giants push addictive, ultra-processed foods to drive up their profits."
"By banning junk food advertising to children, implementing front-of-package warning labels, and funding research on the dangers of ultra-processed foods, we can rein in the predatory behavior of big food companies and ensure a healthier future for generations to come," he added.
As the senators noted:
Today, more than 35 million Americans are struggling with type 2 diabetes—90% of whom are overweight or obese. These crises go hand-in-hand and children are severely impacted. Today, 1 out of 5 five kids are living with obesity. A serious illness unto itself, diabetes is also a contributing factor to heart disease, stroke, amputations, blindness, and kidney failure. Unless the U.S. dramatically changes course, these numbers will continue to grow exponentially.
The impact on the economy is enormous: Last year, the total cost of diabetes exceeded $400 billion, approximately 10% of overall U.S. healthcare expenditures.
Meanwhile, the U.S. food and beverage industry spends about $14 billion annually on marketing unhealthy products, with $2 billion of that spent on advertising these products to children.
"Our food environment has become dominated by ultra-processed foods that have more in common with a cigarette than a fruit or vegetable," said Ashley Gearhardt, director of the Food and Addiction Science & Treatment Lab at the University of Michigan. "Many ultra-processed foods are hyperpalatable and trigger the core signs of addiction, like intense cravings and a loss of control over intake."
"The American public is not adequately warned about the risks associated with these products and children are a key marketing demographic for ultra-processed foods with unhealthy nutrient profiles," Gearhardt added. "The Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act is a courageous step towards promoting the physical and mental health of American children."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Complaints of Pregnant Patients Denied Emergency Care Surged After Dobbs
"MAGA abortion bans deny women lifesaving care," one critic said in response to reporting on patient stories.
Apr 19, 2024
New reporting from The Associated Press that complaints of pregnant patients turned away from emergency departments "spiked" after the reversal of Roe v. Wade sparked fresh condemnation of efforts to restrict abortion rights on Friday.
Since the right-wing U.S. Supreme Court ended nearly half a century of nationwide abortion rights with Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in June 2022, over 20 states have enacted new restrictions on reproductive healthcare, creating a culture of confusion and fear at many medical facilities.
Early last year, the AP submitted a public records request for 2022 complaints filed under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), a federal law that requires hospitals and emergency departments that accept Medicare to provide screenings to patients who request them and prohibits refusing to treat individuals with an emergency medical condition.
"This is the reality that extreme Republicans call 'pro-life.'"
"One year after submitting the request, the federal government agreed to release only some complaints and investigative documents filed across just 19 states," the AP's Amanda Seitz reported. "The names of patients, doctors, and medical staff were redacted from the documents."
"One woman miscarried in the lobby restroom of a Texas emergency room as front desk staff refused to admit her," the journalist detailed. "Another woman learned that her fetus had no heartbeat at a Florida hospital, the day after a security guard turned her away from the facility. And in North Carolina, a woman gave birth in a car after an emergency room couldn't offer an ultrasound. The baby later died."
According to Seitz:
Emergency rooms are subject to hefty fines when they turn away patients, fail to stabilize them, or transfer them to another hospital for treatment. Violations can also put hospitals' Medicare funding at risk.
But it's unclear what fines might be imposed on more than a dozen hospitals that the Biden administration says failed to properly treat pregnant patients in 2022.
It can take years for fines to be levied in these cases. The Health and Human Services agency, which enforces the law, declined to share if the hospitals have been referred to the agency's Office of Inspector General for penalties.
Responding to the reporting on social media, journalist Jane Mayer declared, "This is barbaric."
Texas Poor People's Campaign said that women in the state "are being left to die in ER waiting rooms. We cannot let this policy violence against women continue. Please join us as we mobilize voters for the '24 election."
Going into November, abortion has been a key issue at the state and federal level. Supporters of reproductive freedom are working to advance various ballot measures while Democratic President Joe Biden's campaign has highlighted his support for abortion rights and the presumptive Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, has bragged about his role in reversing Roe—he appointed three of the six justices behind the majority opinion.
"MAGA abortion bans deny women lifesaving care," stressed Alex Wall, senior vice president for digital advocacy at the Center for American Progress. Citing examples from Texas and Florida in the AP report, he reiterated, "MAGA Republicans did this."
Congresswoman Becca Balint (D-Vt.) said that "this is the reality that extreme Republicans call 'pro-life'—pregnant women being turned away at hospitals and emergency centers. Absolutely disgraceful. No woman should ever be denied emergency care."
Slate's Mark Joseph Stern, who covers U.S. legal battles, noted that this "devastating and timely story" from Seitz comes "just days before the Supreme Court considers whether emergency rooms can legally force patients to the brink of death before terminating a failing pregnancy."
The high court is set to hear arguments in that case Wednesday. The Biden administration is challenging Idaho's near-total ban on abortion, which "would make it a criminal offense for doctors to comply with EMTALA's requirement to provide stabilizing treatment, even where a doctor determines that abortion is the medical treatment necessary to prevent a patient from suffering severe health risks or even death," as the U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit explains.
The Justice Department is seeking a judgment that Idaho's law is invalid under the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution and "is preempted by federal law to the extent that it conflicts with EMTALA."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Progressives Oppose Israel Funding Advanced by US House
"Congress is shamefully choosing a failed approach of fueling genocide rather than saving Palestinian and Israeli lives," said Rep. Cori Bush.
Apr 19, 2024
Progressive lawmakers on Friday dissented as the Republican-controlled U.S. House advanced legislation to provide more military funding to Israel as well as Ukraine and Taiwan, with Rep. Cori Bush condemning a committee's refusal to consider an amendment aimed at securing a permanent cease-fire in Gaza.
The legislation passed a procedural hurdle in a vote of 316-94, placing votes for the separate aid packages and a bill calling for more humanitarian assistance to Gaza on the legislative agenda for Saturday.
Bush (D-Mo.) joined progressives including Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in opposing the legislation, with centrist Democratic Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina also voting with the left-wing faction.
The Missouri Democrat condemned the House Rules Committee's refusal to consider an amendment she submitted along with Tlaib, which called for a lasting cease-fire, a release of all hostages in Israel and Palestine, and "diplomacy to secure self-determination for both Palestinians and Israelis."
"Congress is shamefully choosing a failed approach of fueling genocide rather than saving Palestinian and Israeli lives, releasing the hostages and others arbitrarily detained, and prioritizing peace in the region," said Bush.
The funding package includes $26.4 billion for Israel, purportedly to support "its effort to defend itself against Iran and its proxies" following Iran's retaliatory drone attack on Israel this week—to which Israeli forces responded with a limited attack on Friday.
The new military aid was passed on top of more than 100 weapons transfers the Biden administration has made to Israel since October 7. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, two of the transfers were reviewed by Congress and totaled about $250 million.
"Our country spends billions of tax dollars to maintain this apartheid state and support the continued ethnic cleansing of Palestinians," said Tlaib, the only Palestinian American member of Congress, in a statement on Thursday.
Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) said she was "encouraged" that Democrats in Congress were able to secure more humanitarian aid for Gaza, where dozens of people have starved to death as Israel has blocked nearly the vast majority of aid shipments since October, but said the provisions do not "come close to meeting the desperate needs of the people in Gaza," particularly considering the United States' suspension of funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
"Americans will remember this moment," said Balint. "The United States must be firm in demanding a course correction from the Netanyahu government. Without a strong message against more offensive aid, the United States risks signaling support for an expanded offensive in Rafah, for an escalation with Iran, and for continued disregard for Palestinian life."
Omar called the funding package part of the U.S. government's "thinly veiled attempts to escalate an already very dangerous situation."
"What is needed most of all is a sober approach to de-escalation and conflict prevention," said the congresswoman. "Congress should be focused on efforts to de-escalate tensions—not inflame them."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular