Green Innovations

Green New Orleans: Part 1

2011-10-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

I've been blogging for over a year now and have yet to post about the place where I started Green Innovations, New Orleans, LA. It's been a long time since Hurricane Katrina and the City is pretty much rebuilt. In my opinion, the City is better than it was before Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans is now known as one of the best places for young entrepreneurs. In light of this good news, I'd like to feature a few businesses that help make New Orleans a place not only for the young business risk takers but, for green friendly folks trying to create a green industry in the Big Easy.So far, the media focus has been on New Orleans Green Light District. The local newspaper, The Times-Picayune, wrote an article, Going Green on Magazine, last year.

The Green Light District is a group of businesses located in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans with the purpose of promoting an eco-conscious lifestyle, educating our clientele and community about sustainable options and fostering the development of green businesses.

The group of green businesses include:

Spruce Eco-Studio

I live really close to New Orleans Green Light District and plan on shopping at each of these stores. It not only means a lot to the rebuilding of the City but, it's the eco-friendly thing to do. Visit their sites on the internet or shop at their stores on Magazine to show your support.

Feel free to comment here to let us know what you think.

Green Blogging

2011-09-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

I know. I know. It's been forever since I've made a blog entry. Well, before I make the promise of picking up where I left off last year, I thought I should give proper praise to those Green Bloggers that did not fall off the face of the earth and continued informing their readers how they can be sustainable and help protect the planet.

First thing's first, in my search to complete this blog post, I ran across a site that actually catalogs and keeps abreast of all Green Bloggers around the world. Best Green Blogs is a directory of green and sustainable themed blogs. Now, I didn't find my blog listed but, that may be due to the fact that I haven't posted in over a year. Let's see if this post makes some cyber waves that send my site to Best Green Blogs list of earthy sites.

One site that I need to mention is RepurposingNOLA. Repurposing NOLA is a New Orleans based eco-fashion company that takes local materials and creates fabulous and spectacular garments. This organization is featured in magazines like Country Living. In the April 2011 issue, Country Living showcased the Weekender Bag.

Check it out:

Another site you guys should check out is done by my friends at Strategic Sustainability Consulting (SSC). SSC helps organizations go green, set up sustainability plans, educates and trains sustainability champions, and certifies Green Auditors. Now, you may notice on the link I've provided you, that my name is listed under Louisiana. Yep, that's right, I'm now certified as a SSC Green Auditor. Training and studying for the certification was one of the reasons I hadn't been blogging. I really wanted to become a certified Green Auditor so that I can assist small to mid-size business green up their operations and work place practices. SSC has captured my story within their blog. If you're interested, check it out here.

So, if your business is in Louisiana or Mississippi or maybe even southeast Texas, and you are interested in learning more about getting a green audit, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Edible School Yard - New Orleans

2010-04-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

Green Innovations, in collaboration with Eschelon Productions, is proud to announce our partnership with the Edible Schoolyard - New Orleans. The Edible Schoolyard program teaches the kids of New Orleans how to cultivate a garden and cook the foods that they grow. The program is in conjunction with two public charter schools in New Orleans, Samuel J. Green and Arthur Ashe.

As you may already know, Green Innovations and Eschelon Productions will be hosting New Orleans Earth Day 2010 Celebration at Cafe Rose Nicaud (623 Frenchmen St NOLA 70116) on 9 April 2010, from 6pm - 9pm. With the lack of any Earth Day recognition in the City this year Green Innovations and Eschelon Production felt the need to provide the City with an event that could be continued annually. We will have live jazz music by New Orleans' own, Troy Sawyer and his trio. We will also have organic drinks, organic finger foods, and earth day items (promotional and sales; tee shirts, seed paper products, etc.). We will also hold a raffle that will award the winner a bag of Eco-friendly goodies.

Entrance to the event is FREE. We will take donations at the door which will afford patrons entertainment, food, drinks, and promo items. Green Innovations and Troy Sawyer (Eschelon Productions, LLC) have already received promising feedback on this event. We have been on-air with WBOK 1230am discussing and promoting this event on their environmental talk-show, E-Talk. The folks at E-Talk are very interested and, in fact, have committed to be at the event, informing folks about the show and providing WBOK items. We also have interest from the Vietnamese Americans Young Leadership Association (VAYLA) and they will have a presence at the event as well.

So, you may wonder how this all ties into Edible School Yard NOLA? As previously mentioned, we will be taking donations at this event. The donations will supplement Green Innovations and Eschelon Productions efforts in putting this event on. However, we will be recognizing the green initiatives of Edible Schoolyard by offering 10% of our Earth Day 2010 Celebration proceeds to Edible School Yard NOLA. Edible School Yard NOLA is a noble program that is not only beneficial education-wise to the children of New Orleans but, it also supports eco-friendly lifestyles and environmental responsibility.

If you are not able to make it to the event but, would like to make a donation, you can do so here: Earth Day 2010 Celebration Donations. The event promises to be exceptional and one that New Orleans will want to continue to have as a staple amongst its other great festivals. We hope to see you there.

Green Radio: Interview with WBOK 1230am

2010-03-08T15:48:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday was a very special day for me and Green Innovations. If you have been following us on Facebook you would have known that Green Innovations was invited to be a guest on WBOK 1230am's "E-Talk" show.

E-Talk is WBOK's Environmental Awareness show. Listeners from the community and across the airwaves learn about various environmental issues that exist within the City of New Orleans and globally. E-Talk is hosted by Mr. Chad Smith.

I was introduced to Chad Smith via one of my personal long time friends. I really didn't know what to expect because my friend simply said, "You guys need to be linked up". So, my friend passed my number to Chad and we began texting each other to see when a convenient time would be for both of us to meet each other. Now, at the time, I also didn't realize Chad was the host of E-Talk. One thing led to another. Suggested meeting times and dates didn't work out. So, I suggested that Chad and I meet on Saturday, 6 March 2010. Chad texted me back and said, "Do you have a recycling company you would like to promote? I have a radio show on Saturday from 2pm to 4pm". I was floored. Not because I have a bustling recycling company because I don't. But, I was excited about the opportunity to talk about Green Innovations. So, I explained to him what Green Innovations was and accepted the invitation.

One thing about accepting....Chad didn't really tell me how long I would be on the show talking. I didn't ask until 2 days prior. I asked and said, "How long would I be on air". Chad responded, "15 to 20 minutes if thats okay". I texted back, "Cool. I didn't think I had 2 hours of conversation...LOL". Prior to the show, Chad, my wife, and I met and had further discussion on E-Talk and Green Innovations. There were a lot of parallels between the show and what we are doing. Chad made us feel real comfortable and turned out to be a really cool dude. Needless to say, it worked out great. Hopefully, this was the 1st of many visits to WBOK 1230am.

One of the best opportunities I had was to inform the listeners of how and where Green Innovations is using social networking. Green Innovations is currently in the following locations on the internet:

1. Facebook
2. Twitter
3. Blogspot
4. MySpace
5. BlogCatalog
6. NetworkedBlogs

If you have the time, check out E-Talk every Saturday from 2pm - 4pm Central time on WBOK 1230am.

Green Info: Sites on the Internet

2010-03-06T16:33:00.000-08:00

I consolidated my websites to tiny URL's. Here's a list of the locations Green Innovations is on the web:

Twitter.com: http://adf.ly/1PlC

Blogcatalog.com: http://adf.ly/1PlB

NetworkedBlogs: http://adf.ly/1PlA

Blogspot: http://adf.ly/1Pl8

Facebook: http://adf.ly/1Pl9

Green Tip: Green Weekend

2010-02-26T12:01:00.000-08:00

What are you going to be doing this weekend? Whatever it may be, consider "going green" in the process of knocking out your weekend to-do-list, going shopping, or running your errands.

Here are a few sites that I've come across to make your weekend Green, whether you're grocery shopping, shopping for clothes, working up an appetite while you're running errands, or need to green way of completing your DIY project.

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Local Farmer’s Markets

http://www.localharvest.org/

The best organic food is what's grown closest to you. Use our website to find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.

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Eco Fashion

http://www.ecofashionworld.com/

• an alphabetical list of Brands and Designers.
• a Store list (at the moment, only online stores are listed but we are working on a comprehensive city guide of eco fashion stores!)
• the Finder: your ultimate tool to find the brands that make the clothes you need. Evening gown? Maternity or baby clothes? Swimwear? Something for your man? Let the Finder sort it for you!
• an Eco-Criteria search: vegetarian, organic, fair-trade, recycled and more, find out the many ways that designers are greening your closet.

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Local Healthy Eating Option

http://www.eatwellguide.org/

The Eat Well Guide® is a free online directory for anyone in search of fresh, locally grown and sustainably produced food in the United States and Canada.

Eat Well’s thousands of listings include family farms, restaurants, farmers' markets, grocery stores, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, U-pick orchards and more. Users can search by location, keyword, category or product to find good food, download customized guides, or plan a trip with the innovative mapping tool, Eat Well Everywhere.

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Green DIY Projects

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/simple-diy-projects.html

There are so many little things you can do around the house that are quick and easy to accomplish, and eco-friendly as well. Whether you're looking for ways to improve your home and garden, or ideas for keeping the kids occupied and yourself looking great, we've got plenty of ideas for you.

Green Events: Baton Rouge & New Orleans Earth Day Festivals

2010-02-21T18:34:00.000-08:00

Green Innovations is in the process of becoming a vendor for the upcoming Earth Day Festivals in Baton Rouge, LA and New Orleans, LA.

Since Green Innovations, LLC is only 2 months old, I don't have much $$$ to invest in the events but, I'd like to participate, network, and see what these festivals are all about. In a short period of time, I've been able to get interest from musicians and the New Orleans local curb-side recycling company to partner with Green Innovations at the booths. My idea is that I'd have live music for a period of time at the booth and also have recycling bins to collect any recyclables from festival goers.

Green Innovations will also have it's logo finalized and will sell tee-shirts, hats, etc. I don't think this is a big money generating effort but, I think it'd be important to become part of the green scene in south LA.

This year, Earth Day is April 11, 2010.

The Baton Rouge Earth Day Fes

tival is the official "Louisiana Earth Day Festival". This year will be the 21st year LA has done an Earth Day Festival in Baton Rouge. Since I'm from Baton Rouge, I really want to participate in this one.

The New Orleans Earth Day Festival is in it's 2nd year. So, I think this is a great chance to become a staple at the event and make a name for Green Innovations in the local New Orleans green scene.

...more to follow. Wish me luck!

Green DIY: You Can Save Home Energy Cost with Solar Panels

2010-02-02T15:55:00.000-08:00

Did you know that you can save money on solar panel installation cost by simply installing the panels yourself?

Look at what I found:

Solar Panel Installation

Green Celebrity: Green African-American Activitist

2010-02-01T15:56:00.000-08:00

It's Black History Month and "we" are going green!

These African-American celebrities are just some of the many celebrities that are focusing on one of the most important aspects of life, our environment.

I wanted to make sure that I started of Black History Month with pointing out people in the limelight that are channeling their energy on greening our earth.

TheRoot.com has a post that points out just a few of our African-American celebrities that are going green:

Jada Pinkett Smith's view on caged pets
Halle Berry can "go green" while pregnant
Common is a healthy hip hop artist
Morgan Freeman isn't blowing smoke with his views on alternative fuels
Wycleaf Jean on Haiti's sustainable future
Mario Van Peebles on his people going green
Desmond Tutu on clean energy
Kerry Washington is all about cute lil' green things we all can do
Carmelo Anthony is an athlete against wild animal trading
Will.I.Am is a conscious rapper, rapping about environmental consciousness in "Take Our Planet Back"

Who knew these celebrities are speaking up for what is right!?!? I'm impressed!

Green Tip: Actions You Can Take Today

2010-01-27T13:41:00.001-08:00

The concept that got me interested in creating this blog was the idea of going green in the workplace. I've had a privilege of working on a project at my job that addressed greening our organization. Now, I'm not talking about purchasing "green" stuff. This project addressed how each and every employee could support greening the workplace. For example, we came up with ideas like turning off lights and using natural light, powering down computers when you are not using them, printing on both sides of when you print documents.

Since being involved with the project, I wondered if there were any other organizations that addressed greening the workplace. I have yet to see a lot of information out there regarding this topic but, I did come across a book The Green Workplace written by Leigh Stringer, Vice President of HOK. This book is full of great tips, facts, and information on how to get green buy-in within your job, encouraging green behavior, when to do it, how to do it, etc., etc. Ms. Stringer also has a blog where she continues her discussion. http://www.thegreenworkplace.com/

Through the entire book, the one page that stuck in my brain was page 99 which addressed "Actions You Can Take Today". Here is what she listed:

Measure your own carbon and water footprint.

Using the results, pick three things in your own life you can do to reduce your carbon or water footprint and take action.

Reward yourself for green behavior. Buy a new bicycle with that money you saved on your electric bill.

Profile yourself and your team. Is your group full of Green Bottom Liners or Green Couch Potatoes? Is your group reflective of the culture of the organization? If so, what are the major cultural hurdles you expect to face?

What green strategies can your organization take on today and implement in weeks, not months?

How will you measure success? Is it a reduction in carbon footprint, a reduction of energy use, or a percentage engagement of a population?

Read a green blog, magazine, or book that interest you, or take a class if you learn better that way. Environmental issues are complex and require some education to fully comprehend. If you are trying to convince others to change, you'll need some ammunition.

I really enjoyed reading her book. If you have a chance, I recommend you read it and take action today.

Green Fact: Wal-Mart Builds Biggest Solar Array

2010-01-20T21:08:00.000-08:00

The Wal-Mart closest to my house is literally 2 blocks away from me. I can walk to the Wal-Mart and usually do when my shopping is minimized to a few items. It's actually a rather nice stroll. The River Garden developers have pretty much reached 100% construction completion of the phase 2 apartment buildings which makes for a pleasant environment every time I decide to take that walk.

I'm a checklist kind of guy. I write down what I think I need to get and try my hardest to stick to the list when I'm in the store. My relationship with Wal-Mart is amicable. I pick things from the store that I'd like and then take them to my house and , in turn, I pay Wal-Mart to do so. However, I've never really considered the entirety of Wal-Mart as whole, beyond buying "stuff", until I read this article.

On 19 Jan 2010, Wal-Mart reported on their website that their Aguascalientes, Mexico location constructed a 1 Million Megawatt (MW) Solar Array on the roof of the store. This array will provide 20% of the energy consumed by Bodega Aurrera, Aguascalientes. The installed solar array covers 2,173.5 square meters (23,395.3 square feet). 23,000 square feet is about a half acre. Impressive for a solar farm.

Another thing Wal-Mart boast with this project is that is will eliminate 140 tons of CO2 by operating the panels.

Stories like these really speak to how large corporations can take a leadership role in reducing our carbon footprint.

Green Tip: No More Junk Mail

2010-01-18T08:19:00.000-08:00

Are you annoyed by all of the junk mail in your mailbox when you get home? It drives me crazy.

There are several ways you can stop junk mail from reaching your home. Some methods make you pay a fee, some simply tell you to provide your address, and other ask you to dial into an 800-number.

Here are some ways I stopped getting junk mail in my mailbox:

GreenDimes can get you started. They’ll even plant a tree for you!
Get rid of credit card solicitations in the US, by phoning 1-888-5 OPT OUT (or 1-888-567-8688).
Call individual catalog companies and ask them to remove you from their mailing lists.
Avoid placing your address on surveys, raffles, and product warranty cards. If you do write your address or phone number, write alongside it something like, "Please do not sell or distribute my information, nor add to mailing lists." It's generally not necessary to send in warranty cards or "register" a warranty for the warranty to be valid, regardless of what the card may imply.
Or try the Stop the Junk Mail Kit from the Consumer Research Institute. This kit comes with pre-addressed postcards for you to send to companies that send you those annoying catalogs, wasteful postcards, and unnecessary brochures.

Green Martin Luther King

2010-01-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

With MLK Day coming up, I wanted to focus on how going green could be tied to the holiday. In my search I came across a very compelling article about an organization (Green For All) from Oakland, CA that focuses on green community involvement and green investments in our economy.

The article that led me to Green For All was from 2008 but, I still felt a connection to it as I read it earlier today. Katie Halper is a writer for the Huffington Post. In her article, Green For All (For Martin Luther King): The New Color Of The Civil Rights Movement, she states,

"Perhaps nobody understood the interconnectedness of multiple movements more than Martin Luther King, who not only fought for civil rights in the United States, but for economic justice, peace and human rights around the world. It was, after all, at a rally for sanitation workers that Martin Luther King would be killed."

Katie goes on to talk about Green For All and what they do. I went to their site and am glad to see such an organization in existence.

Green For All is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans through a clean energy economy. We work in collaboration with the business, government, labor, and grassroots communities to create and implement programs that increase quality jobs and opportunities in green industry – all while holding the most vulnerable people at the center of our agenda. What an honorable charge.

As we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, lets not forget that social justice coincides with environmental justice.

Green Innovations YouSayToo Location

2010-01-16T19:00:00.000-08:00

We are excited to tell you we are partnered with YouSayToo. Please vist the link below:

http://www.yousaytoo.com/grninnov

Green Tip: Green Tailgating

2010-01-16T09:38:00.000-08:00

Whether you are rooting for the Saints, Cardinals, Cowboys, Viking, Chargers, Ravens, Colts, or Jets, you can green up your tailgating activities...believe it or not. Tailgating is a way of life for most football fans, especially Saints fans. Here are some Green Tailgating tips for you to consider as the playoffs continue:

Green your BBQ

I like charcoal as much as the next man but, propane is much cleaner. However, I've found "All Natural Briquettes Charcoal" on http://www.blogger.com/www.greenlinkcharcoal.com as a eco-friendly alternative to propane.

Eat Healthier

Veggie food, Boca burgers, trail mix....doesn't sound that appetizing to most people. If going vegetarian isn't your thing you can always support local produce vendors, eat seasonal foods, and patron your neighborhood farmer's markets.

Organic Ale

Now, this is my cup of tea...or in this case, mug of beer! Orgainic beer is turning into a legitimate segment of the beer market. Wolaver's is the largest distributer of organic beer. http://www.blogger.com/www.ottercreekbrewing.com. Seek out Organic Ale for your tailgating party. Whole Foods is another great source.

Dine without Disposables

This may be the easiest of my green tailgating tips to incorporate. Try not to use styrofoam! Seek out recyclable items such as those provided by http://www.greenpartykits.com/

Green Entertainment

Bicycle-powered television:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JL8ZFC?ie=UTF8&tag=lighterfootstep-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000JL8ZFC

Unlikely!

But, crank operated radio:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JL8ZFC?ie=UTF8&tag=lighterfootstep-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000JL8ZFC

Probable!

I hope these Green Tailgating Tips help. I'd be interested in which ones you implement this weekend....

Why Go Green?

2010-01-14T15:58:00.000-08:00

Do you know why it's important to go green? With all of the information out regarding green initiatives, technologies, practices, and concepts, it's easy to get caught up with the hype and not understand the true reasons to go green. I'm sure some of you have suffered from a green burn out and may even tune out green messages due to their ubiquity.

Don't get overwhelmed. It's simple to go green. Here are 10 Reasons to Go Green:

Nature Recycles Everything. So Should People.
Water is not a renewable resource.
Greener goods are more humane.
Clean, renewable power is already available to everyone.
Making stuff takes lots (and lots and lots) of energy.
Real food is fuel for the body -- and the planet.
The average woman absorbs more than 4 pounds of cosmetics during her lifetime. Guys, you’re not off the hook.
Better transportation means less global warming.
Your clothing choices impact more than just your appearance.
There's nothing corny 'bout peace, love, and understanding.

The bottomline is that everything we do on a day-to-day basis effects our environment. Good or Bad. The good news is that you have the power to control most of your choices.

Other than the 10 Reasons to Go Green that I've listed, what other reasons can you think of?

Green Tip: Meeting Agendas, Handouts, etc., etc.

2010-01-13T16:04:00.000-08:00

Where handouts for a meeting are necessary, email them to attendees to reduce the likelihood of excess printouts.

You can reduce your paper consumption tremendously by doing this tip. If you are going to project the agenda and/or handouts in your presentation to the attendees, there really isn't a need to provide hard copies, is there?

“Green Fashion Goes Mainstream” Slideshow | Fast Company

2010-01-13T10:18:00.001-08:00

“Green Fashion Goes Mainstream” Slideshow | Fast Company

Posted using ShareThis

The Average US Worker Uses How Many Sheets of Paper?http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_pieces_of_paper_does_the_average_office_worker_use_in_one_year

2010-01-12T18:07:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the average U.S office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper a year? The average American uses approximately one 100-foot-tall Douglas fir tree in paper and wood products per year.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_pieces_of_paper_does_the_average_office_worker_use_in_one_year

DIY Herbal Remedies for Cold and Flu

2010-01-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year. Green Innovations wants to make sure you're prepared to take care of those stuffy, sneezy, coughing days winter brings. Check out the link and tell us what you think.

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/herbal-remedies-cold-flu.html?smid=FBPLG-FBS-ART

Obama to Spend Billions to Create Green Jobs: How You Can Get Yours

2010-01-12T08:08:00.000-08:00

Get Yourself One of Obama's Green Job

Network, Network, Network; Rethink Your Skillset; Improve Your Skillset

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/work-connect/obama-millions-green-jobs.html?smid=FBPLG-FBS-ART

Green America: Newsroom

2010-01-11T18:33:00.000-08:00

Green America: Newsroom