What does it mean to be Green?

Hi everyone!

My name is Christy Millweard and today is my first blog post for GoGreen573. I have been trying to decide all day what it is that I want to talk about...there are just so many options surrounding this topic! But I figured since its the first week, we will start with the basics: what is green?

I think a lot of people have their own personal idea of what "green" means, but after doing a little research I came across some more concrete ideas.
First of all, "green" decisions tend to be things that have a minimal negative impact on the environment. They maybe don't add as much to your "carbon footprint." This term is something else that might need to be explained...a carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere due to our actions. So, if we make a "green" decision, it will not emit as much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. When we decide to "go green," this usually means we are buying things that utilize the planet's natural resources and cause little harm to the earth's environment.

One of the aspects of the "green" world is the sector of businesses and companies that are green. That alone can mean a variety of things. To some companies that may mean they are using solar energy, organic materials, or recycled goods. Maybe they are investing in renewable energy research, reducing their energy consumption, or slashing their carbon dioxide emissions. Many times individuals decide not to go green because they think it costs more to buy certain goods. Well, sometimes it does, but in the example of green companies, in their case, it might be more cost effective because going green can help save their bottom line by reducing energy and utility costs. Going green is not only a good PR move for most companies, but can actually help their profit as well.
I even found something called "green pages," which is like the yellow pages, but different because it is a directory of only green companies and businesses. People can search this database just like the yellow pages to find a business near them that is green, or sells green items.

Our GoGreen573 project is going to cover a variety of things within the green industry, but I know one thing we will be sure to focus on is going green in the business world of Columbia, Missouri. Contact us on Twitter @GoGreen573 if you have any suggestions or ideas we should look into!

-Christy Millweard

And So It Begins

Our forces have teamed up...and the Go Green 573 project is officially off the ground.

The project - in connection with triplepundit.com - will highlight green ventures throughout Columbia, Missouri (and beyond, potentially). Originally, our group (Christy Millweard, Mike Solakian, Chelsea Moosa, Emily Rau and me, Beth Ford) planned on creating a multimedia web project around green businesses. This concept eventually gave way to a new plan: profiling not only green businesses, but green non-profit organizations and green efforts around Mid-Missouri. People who see the project can learn about green businesses and maybe offer their patronage; organizations and efforts can offer ways for Mid-Missourians to get involved with the green scene.

We want to show entities, people, and places that are making the effort to live in environmentally-conscious ways. We want this project to be interactive, meaningful, and foster communication with the community. Finally, we want to come out on the other side of this project alive. We'll see how that one goes.

So, we're starting now. And we're hoping for plenty of community feedback as the project rolls along. Can't wait to show Mid-Missouri why it's not easy being green, but it sure is cool.

-Beth