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Erik's Blog
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Super Bowl XLII Goes Green
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This Super Bowl Sunday 2008 marks the second year that the game is operating with 100% of its energy from renewable sources. The Super Bowl will bring an estimated 150,000 people to Arizona and with all that activity the event’s carbon footprint will be 500 tons of carbon. The NFL will hope to offset around 30% of those global warming carbon emissions at the eco friendly Super Bowl XLII between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. SPR Earthwise Energy will supply the game with energy using flowing water, sun, wind, and geo thermal technologies. Outside of the game the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, SRP, the US Forest Service, and the White Mountain Apache tribe will plant thousands of trees that will reforest 42 acres of land burnt in the Rodeo Chediski fire. Left over food that is not purchased and consumed will be donated to local shelters in Phoenix, estimates puts that donation around 65,000 pounds of food. The NFL also plans to recycle nearly 700 tons of garbage and transport officials and players with flex fuel vehicles. So this Super Bowl XLII Sunday marks the games official greening and I hope the eco awareness is spread to every game on every Sunday this coming NFL season.
P.S. Patriots 38; Giants 24
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The First Eco-Friendly Holiday
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For many Americans this will mark the first holiday season after the emergence of the "green" movement. So how do you know if what gifts you're buying are eco friendly? Well, for starters the best you can do is to log onto the internet, preferably thegreenoption.com, and let the ecommerce stores do the research for you. As for out at the mall, most retailers and manufacturers have caught on to the new eco friendly minded consumer. So be sure that what someone is labeling to be good for the environment really is. Look for certified gifts like Organic, Cradle to Cradle, & Energy Star to name a few. So when going holiday gift shopping remember to think a little more about the "green" rather than ending up in the "red".
After another round of recalls for America's top toy producers over lead paint, you would hope that corporate America would get the idea that profits over the safety of people and the environment just aren't worth it. Plus let's say you take the lead paint out of those products; is it safe then? What other materials in that toy are off gassing chemicals that are harmful to everything in the life span of that product? Does the green revolution get another shot in the arm from corporate America's seemingly endless pursuit of profit at any cost? So the more eco friendly toys bought this year, the clearer the message. Go green with your holiday gift shopping this year, for your health and the environment.
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Allstate Insurance Goes “Green”
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It was encouraging to see that Allstate Insurance Company announced on November 12, 2007 the launch of a new eco-friendly insurance option, Allstate Green. Tom Wilson, Allstate president and CEO thanks the market research of Allstate policyholders for the green option now available through the program. Two test markets offer the green enrollment now in Colorado and Ohio. It will formally roll out nationally in 2008. For the policyholders, when applying for the green option insurance, a $30 donation will go to Carbonfund.org, a non-profit with interest in reforestation and wind energy. Policyholders with Allstate Green also save 2% on premiums. Allstate Agency owners that offset the carbon footprint of their office will get signage identifying them as “green” agents. As for the headquarters in Northbrook, IL, they are offsetting annual energy usage and business miles traveled by employees. Allstate headquarters is also making $200 million in eco-friendly investments over the next three years in solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal energy. Hopefully, their new investments pay well, so that the next time a hurricane hits another major U.S. city the company has enough money to throw around, even to their policyholders, not just their shareholders. Go green, even with Allstate!
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