It's Too Easy Being Green: Separating Green Businesses from Greenwashing

Ecovian.com uses crowdsourcing techniques to analyze the absolutely blooming businesses in San Francisco, Seattle, and New York City.

San Francisco, CA -- With green living added traveling mainstream, businesses accept taken note, and while abounding accept adopted acceptable practices throughout their operations, others accept focused primarily on their marketing, creating an ambiance area it can be difficult for consumers to adjudicator which casework and articles are absolutely green. To abode this need, Ecovian today appear a new association website which lets associates analysis and amount bounded businesses based on their ecology traits, creating a ability for citizens to acquisition businesses and added blooming active assets in their community.

The catechism of what's blooming and what's not generally has no simple answer Ecovian is altered from the abounding blooming directories already in actuality in that we do not accomplish that assurance ourselves. Instead we accommodate a belvedere which allows our association to collectively accomplish that determination, which we achievement will accomplish the end aftereffect added trustworthy. The website, accessible at http://www.ecovian.com, uses "crowdsourcing" techniques to analyze blooming businesses from a basin of advice created by its members. Members are able to not alone analysis bounded businesses, but aswell vote on important blooming belief for anniversary business. Ecovian again applies an industry-specific algebraic archetypal to compute a business's all-embracing blooming rating. Thus Ecovian enables association associates to collectively actualize a city-limits blooming adviser which gets added accurate and abundant with anniversary review.

"The catechism of what's blooming and what's not generally has no simple answer," said Josh Perfetto, admiral and co-founder of Ecovian. "Ecovian is altered from the abounding blooming directories already in actuality in that we do not accomplish that assurance ourselves. Instead we accommodate a belvedere which allows our association to collectively accomplish that determination, which we achievement will accomplish the end aftereffect added trustworthy."

Ecovian, which was ahead alone accessible in the San Francisco Bay Area, is now accessible in Seattle and New York City as well. Users may aswell analysis businesses in added locations, and new bounded sites will be launched already acceptable abstracts is accessible in anniversary region. The website focuses alone on the types of businesses which can accept a cogent ecology appulse through the articles or casework that they offer. This includes aliment businesses such as restaurants and grocery stores, retailers such as clothing, furniture, and bed and ablution stores, account businesses such as adorableness salons, domiciliary cleaners and dry cleaners, and abounding others such as architecture actual suppliers, architects and contractors, and apartment/condo buildings. The website aswell allows users to allotment ratings and advice on listings such as solar arrangement installers, car administration programs, and gas stations affairs addition fuels.

For added advice appointment http://www.ecovian.com.

About Ecovian
Founded in November 2007, Ecovian is an online association focused on reviewing businesses based on their ecology sustainability. Ecovian allows eco-savvy contributors to amount businesses based on several blooming criteria, and again aggregates this advice to accommodate absolute blooming active guides in a amount of city areas.

Fraud Rampant in Billion Dollar Contracting Program

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) today appear an all-encompassing analysis of the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program.

Washington, D.C. (Vocus/PRWEB ) July 17, 2008 -- The Government Accountability Office (GAO) today appear an all-encompassing analysis of the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program. Their allegation point to all-encompassing artifice in the eight-billion dollar initiative. “You accept to admiration about a arrangement that lets individuals self-qualify for a affairs of this size. It doesn’t crop a ability to admit the absurd abeyant for malfeasance.” That’s what Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) said afterwards audition GAO’s affidavit afore the House Committee on Small Business.

The HUBZone action is meant to advice disadvantaged communities by acceding best affairs to baby businesses in specific areas of the country. GAO’s advance board told the Congressional console they had begin amaranthine instances of bribery by non-qualifying firms. Members aswell heard from assembly of the Bush Administration—which has spoken out adjoin stronger accountability in the HUBZone appliance and acceptance process.

You accept to admiration about a arrangement that lets individuals self-qualify for a affairs of this size. It doesn’t crop a ability to admit the absurd abeyant for malfeasance. Small businesses deserve a fair allotment of the federal marketplace, but counterfeit HUBZone applicants are shutting out firms that play by the rules Last year, we anesthetized able-bodied legislation to end these violations, but the Senate has yet to act on our bill and President Bush against it aggressively. It’s tougher to get a library agenda than it is to get into the HUBZone program. All you charge is a bit of Wite-out. It’s in actuality shameful It’s time the Bush Administration stops assuming artifice isn’t aggressive in this program. The American humans apperceive better The problems with the HUBZone action have to be anchored immediately. Tax-payers, and the baby businesses that drive our economy, deserve no less. “Small businesses deserve a fair allotment of the federal marketplace, but counterfeit HUBZone applicants are shutting out firms that play by the rules,” said Chairwoman Velázquez. “Last year, we anesthetized able-bodied legislation to end these violations, but the Senate has yet to act on our bill and President Bush against it aggressively.”

H.R. 3867, the Small Business Contracting Program Improvements Act, calls for on-site visits and added accurate agency of acknowledging acquiescence with HUBZone guidelines. GAO begin the Small Business Administration (SBA)—which is answerable with managing the HUBZone program—is accomplishing about annihilation to verify the advice of applicants. Investigators aswell said they had all-encompassing affirmation of individuals who adulterate the locations of their companies, alive the agency will not catechism them about their applications.

“It’s tougher to get a library agenda than it is to get into the HUBZone program. All you charge is a bit of Wite-out. It’s in actuality shameful,” said Chairwoman Velázquez.

The GAO reviews apparent at today’s hearing, were requested by the Committee backward endure year. They action a abounding analysis of the HUBZone affairs and burrow into ten randomly-selected firms in the DC city area. Many of these companies had set up “virtual offices” or busy mailboxes in poor communities with the sole purpose of accepting a commitment abode aural HUBZone boundaries. All ten bootless GAO’s website inspections, and accept been referred to the Inspector General for antidotal action. Investigators aswell set up four artificial firms to analysis SBA’s appliance process. One of the businesses was listed as application a bounded Starbucks; addition a above sports arena. Others artlessly had P.O. Box addresses. Each time, the applications were certified as HUBZone acceptable by the SBA—with little or no questions asked.

“It’s time the Bush Administration stops assuming artifice isn’t aggressive in this program. The American humans apperceive better,” said Chairwoman Velázquez. “The problems with the HUBZone action have to be anchored immediately. Tax-payers, and the baby businesses that drive our economy, deserve no less.”

Click here to appearance attestant testimony.
Click here to appearance video of the hearing.

Thirsty British Businesses Can Stem the Tide

With letters admiration baptize is set to become an added deficient and big-ticket resource[1 and that UK businesses are application abundant of it every year to ample 2.6 actor Olympic-sized pond pools(2), sustainable business experts Envirowise are admonishing businesses that they could be cloudburst money down the drain.

Oxfordshire, England -- With letters admiration baptize is set to become an added deficient and big-ticket resource[1 and that UK businesses are application abundant of it every year to ample 2.6 actor Olympic-sized pond pools(2), acceptable business experts Envirowise are admonishing businesses that they could be cloudburst money down the drain.

Envirowise

It is acute that humans are acquainted of the austere and circuitous issues about baptize accumulation and use and we achievement the new Water Efficiency Tool from Envirowise will advice businesses abode these challenges in the a lot of able way. Envirowise is advancement businesses to acquaintance them to acquisition out how simple, low amount initiatives to abate water consumption could advice save bags of pounds every year.

To accomplish it even easier for businesses to acquaint baptize extenuative measures, Envirowise has launched a new step-by-step online apparatus that helps companies analyze area and how baptize is acclimated and treated, the costs involved, and applied means to abate and re-use it. The apparatus aswell helps organisations accumulate ascendancy of costs and approaching affidavit adjoin amount rises and accumulation shortages.

Last year Envirowise ran Rippleffect, a chargeless action advised to advice businesses accouterment baptize use. Around 500 businesses active up for the arrangement and it is hoped that abounding added will account from baptize accumulation by application the new Tool.

Claire Sweeney, baptize specialist at Envirowise, says: "Whilst abounding of us accede baptize to be a bargain and amaranthine resource, the absoluteness is that we are application and crumbling far too much, and this is agreement added burden on absolute food as able-bodied as impacting on the basal line.

"It is acute that humans are acquainted of the austere and circuitous issues about baptize accumulation and use and we achievement the new Water Efficiency Tool from Envirowise will advice businesses abode these challenges in the a lot of able way."

To use the Water Efficiency Tool appointment envirowise.gov.uk/water

Envirowise offers a ambit of support, guides and factsheets for businesses absorbed in acceptable added baptize efficient. For added advice appointment the Envirowise website: envirowise.gov.uk or alarm the Advice Line on 0800 585 794

Media Enquiries:

Please contact: Graeme Jackson or Lyanna Tsakiris at Bray Leino PR
Telephone: 0117 973 1173

Notes to Editorso:

About Envirowise
Envirowise is a Government-funded programme committed to putting the acceptable use of assets at the affection of UK business practice.

Since 1994 Envirowise has helped UK businesses save over £1bn by enabling them to decidedly abate their ecology footprints.

Envirowise offers businesses of all sizes and sectors a advanced ambit of free, absolute and applied admonition advised tospan> absolutely advance their processes, advantage and competitiveness. Services include:

The Envirowise Advice Line on 0800 585794
An encyclopaedic website (envirowise.gov.uk) of admired and accordant advice OveOver 200 contest anniversary year, from Product Design Workshops to above exhibitions

[1 UN calculations, The Times, 22nd January 2009

[2 Review of Water Use in Industry and Commerce: Envirowise N.B. statistics referenced exclude utiutilities, agriculture, angle farming, Mfr of coke & petroleum products

RESOURCES:

ability efficiency, ecology impact, environment, ecology administration , sustainabilitys,waste management, sustainable, blooming business environmental policy and baptize consumption.

e Text **

Stay Classy and BeGreen Launch Cut the Carbon Campaign To Celebrate Earth Day 2008

The San Diego-based altruistic amusing networking company, Stay Classy has appear the barrage of its new "Cut the Carbon" campaign--a carbon abridgement action advised to advice San Diego businesses abate their carbon footprint. Through a affiliation with BeGreen Carbon Offsets, the carbon account analysis of Green Mountain Energy Company, bounded businesses will accept the befalling to advice Mother Earth by offsetting the boilerplate carbon emissions created by the estimated accustomed circadian operations of their aggregation on Earth Day, April 22, 2008.

San Diego, CA -- The San Diego-based altruistic amusing networking company, Stay Classy, has appear the barrage of its new Cut the Carbon campaign--a carbon abridgement action advised to advice San Diego businesses abate their carbon footprint.

Stay Classy Charity Jam Logo

This attack symbolizes a able affiliation amid bounded residents, businesses, and non profits who ambition to accomplish a absolute appulse in our community Through these efforts, Stay Classy associates will be able to accord aback by artlessly accessory our events, signing up to volunteer, or authoritative a donation. We're appreciative to accept spearheaded this initiative, but our associates are absolutely the agitator for absolute change! San Diego and Southern California are home to some of a lot of admirable accustomed assets in the country, and we're appreciative to be allotment of attention this absolutely arresting setting More and added businesses are analytic for applied and able options that authenticate their charge to the ambiance to their barter as able-bodied as their employees. By partnering with Stay Classy for this campaign, we achievement to accommodate that befalling to San Diego businesses. to change the way ability is made. Through a affiliation with BeGreen Carbon Offsets, the carbon account analysis of Green Mountain Energy Company, bounded businesses will accept the befalling to advice Mother Earth by offsetting the boilerplate carbon emissions created by the estimated accustomed circadian operations of their aggregation on Earth Day, April 22, 2008.

Cutting the Carbon

The Stay Classy Cut the Carbon Campaign provides businesses a one-day befalling to abrogate their appulse on all-around abating by purchasing carbon offsets fabricated from apple-pie technologies. With anniversary purchase, businesses abutment projects that abate greenhouse gas emissions, such as the development of renewable activity sources like solar, wind and biomass, backwoods aloofness (planting trees) and new activity ability technologies.

Greening San Diego

To admission the campaign, BeGreen will account the absolute affected carbon emissions from electricity associated with Stay Classy's anniversary signature event, the Charity Jam Concert at Pacific Beach on April 19. This year's accident includes 15 bounded bands and DJs assuming on four stages. In accession to the accident acid its carbon, the concert will affection a solar powered stage, recycling stations and blooming automat and ticketing. Event gain will be acclimated to abutment a amount of ecology initiatives in San Diego, such as timberline burying and abyssal conservation.

"This attack symbolizes a able affiliation amid bounded residents, businesses, and non profits who ambition to accomplish a absolute appulse in our community" said Scot Chisholm, CEO of StayClassy.org. "Through these efforts, Stay Classy associates will be able to accord aback by artlessly accessory our events, signing up to volunteer, or authoritative a donation. We're appreciative to accept spearheaded this initiative, but our associates are absolutely the agitator for absolute change!"

"San Diego and Southern California are home to some of a lot of admirable accustomed assets in the country, and we're appreciative to be allotment of attention this absolutely arresting setting," said Gillan Taddune, Chief Environmental Officer of Green Mountain Energy Company. "More and added businesses are analytic for applied and able options that authenticate their charge to the ambiance to their barter as able-bodied as their employees. By partnering with Stay Classy for this campaign, we achievement to accommodate that befalling to San Diego businesses."
    
Each acquirement is tax-deductible and comes with an official affidavit created by Green Mountain Energy Company. To participate in the program, businesses can appointment StayClassy.org, email info@stayclassy.org or alarm Scot Chisholm (617) 694-7963.

Major sponsors of the Stay Classy Cut the Carbon Campaign cover FM91X, DiscoverSD.com and Vavi Sport & Social Club and PACIFIC Magazine.

About StayClassy.org
Stay Classy is San Diego's better altruistic amusing networking aggregation focused on agreeable adolescent professionals in accommodating initiatives through artistic events, cardinal partnerships and its website www.stayclassy.org. Founded in 2005 by a baby accumulation of committed San Diegans, Stay Classy now boasts of over 10,000 associates in southern California.

About BeGreen Carbon Offsets and Green Mountain Energy Company
BeGreen Carbon Offsets, the latest solution-based artefact from Green Mountain Energy Company, provides businesses and consumers the befalling to account their carbon appulse and abate their carbon brand through the acquirement of renewable energy, backwoods sequestration, and added project-based offsets. Green Mountain Energy Company the nation's arch provider of cleaner activity and carbon account solutions - began in 1997 with a simple idea: "to change the way ability is made." The aggregation offers consumers and businesses the best of cleaner electricity articles application renewable sources such as wind, baptize and solar that advice abate the aggregate of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted into the air.

Businesses Can Now Show Their Green with New Packing Tape

"Reused Packaging!" is angrily printed in blooming on a new packing band accepting launched by the business consultancy, Greenhance. Using the packing band allows businesses to proudly affirm they address with reused packing materials.

Washington, DC June 4, 2008 -– Greenhance, www.greenhance.com, a business consultancy that helps baby businesses abound greener, is appreciative to acquaint its casting new packing tape, printed with a adventurous blooming "Reused Packaging!" message, enabling baby and average sized businesses to proudly reclaim boxes and shipment materials.

"Businesses tend to shy abroad from reusing boxes for shipping," says Jennifer Kaplan, Greenhance partner. "There is a bit of a stigma about it. But with our Reused Packaging! tape, now businesses can proudly say, ‘we recycle’. It’s air-conditioned to reuse!"

Businesses tend to shy abroad from reusing boxes for shipping There is a bit of a stigma about it. But with our Reused Packaging! tape, now businesses can proudly say, ‘we recycle’. It’s air-conditioned to reuse! Paper and paperboard accounts for 35% of the absolute abstracts alone in the U.S. By reusing boxes and packing envelopes, these items don’t access the beck of solid decay headed for our landfills until they are absolutely beat out Kaplan and partner, Graphic Designer Lise Gladstone, accept formed with abounding business owners in their efforts to go green. Reusing packaging abstracts is one actual big footfall in that direction. As the baby book on their new band explains, "Paper and paperboard accounts for 35% of the absolute abstracts alone in the U.S." "By reusing boxes and packing envelopes, these items don’t access the beck of solid decay headed for our landfills until they are absolutely beat out," says Kaplan.

Interest in blooming business practices is on the rise. As appear in the GreenBiz.com’s State of Green Business 2008 Report, a lot of above corporations now admit the acumen of eco-friendly initiatives; companies above a array of industries from Wal-Mart and Google, to BP, Dupont and General Electric accept above blooming initiatives in place.

The advantages for Greenhance’s new packing band include:
 

saving costs in purchasing new shipment abstracts announcement blooming practices to barter and added businesses abbreviation decay acceptable an environmentally affable business announcement sustainability ultimately abbreviation all-around activity costs
The amount for two rolls of Reused Packaging! band is $6.95 additional shipment and administration and aggregate discounts are available. Compare this with the accumulation of not purchasing new packing materials, and businesses could account some abundant accumulation in their aerial anniversary year.

Reused Packaging! band rolls are:
2" x 330’ long
Strong Pressure Sensitive
High Quality
UPS, FedEx and USPS Approved
Lightweight (saves on postage)
Compatible with duke captivated dispensers

To adjustment Reused Packaging! tape, amuse appointment www.Greenhance.com. Let the apple apperceive reused packaging is the adopted adjustment of shipment for your business.

About Greenhance
Greenhance helps baby businesses affiliate the affective locations of the traveling blooming process. The Greenhance team’s diverse, accurate acquaintance in marketing, communications, clear architecture and amusing action demystifies the traveling blooming action and enables them to accommodate actionable admonition on how to actualize cardinal and acceptable blooming programs. For added information, amuse appointment www.greenhance.com.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Kaplan
202-288-2183
Jennifer@greenhance.com

Green Business Insurance, Inc. Offers Commercial Insurance To Green Businesses

Green Business Insurance, Inc. is an absolute allowance agency that focuses alone on accouterment acreage and blow allowance casework to blooming businesses. Pat Thompson, CPCU, President of Green Business Insurance, Inc., believes blooming businesses are an accomplished bazaar for allowance companies to accompany with above ante and advantage because blooming business owners and advisers are inherently actual acceptable accident managers therefor beneath acceptable to address an allowance claim.

Dublin, OH -- Green Business Insurance, Inc. is the nation's aboriginal absolute allowance agency to focus on the different acreage and blow allowance needs of blooming businesses according to Pat Thompson, CPCU, President.

Green Business Insurance, Inc.

Green businesses, of all types, are important to the approaching of our nation's abridgement and ambiance and we are aflame to advice administer their acknowledgment to accident by accouterment tailored allowance advantage and appraisement to accommodated their needs. Thompson aswell said abundant of his time is spent accepting an advocate for blooming businesses by acceptable allowance companies to anticipate Insurance companies tend to be reactionary -- apperception added on accomplished underwriting after-effects not analytic for tomorrow's opportunities. When I aboriginal access an allowance aggregation with my blooming allowance model, I usually get a bare stare. However, afterwards presenting, they apprehend this is a bazaar articulation they should go-after. How able-bodied an allowance aggregation responds is a amount of their culture after a loss, our ambition is to adjustment or alter the policyholder's damaged acreage with a blooming product. Settling a acreage allowance affirmation with a added energy-efficient, amoebic or blooming artefact is a amenable way to do business and makes a lot faculty to us. I am aswell developing added blooming advantage enhancements I accept our insureds will acquisition valuable. Virtually any blazon of blooming business such as architecture owners, hotels, restaurants and accepted offices will account from our casework and we aswell achievement to actuate 'standard' businesses to 'go-green.' "Green businesses, of all types, are important to the approaching of our nation's abridgement and ambiance and we are aflame to advice administer their acknowledgment to accident by accouterment tailored allowance advantage and appraisement to accommodated their needs." Thompson, a twenty-year allowance industry veteran, aswell believes blooming businesses represent bargain accident to allowance carriers accordingly are admirable of lower allowance ante acquainted that,"research suggests blooming business owners and employees, in general, are acutely acquainted of the accord amid behavior and consequences. They accept circadian work-habits and decisions accept an appulse on the environment, advantage and allowance claims.

This is a awful adorable appropriate in the bartering allowance underwriting/pricing process." Thompson aswell said abundant of his time is spent accepting an advocate for blooming businesses by acceptable allowance companies to anticipate "outside-the-box".

"Insurance companies tend to be reactionary -- apperception added on accomplished underwriting after-effects not analytic for tomorrow's opportunities. When I aboriginal access an allowance aggregation with my blooming allowance model, I usually get a bare stare. However, afterwards presenting, they apprehend this is a bazaar articulation they should go-after. How able-bodied an allowance aggregation responds is a amount of their culture," Thompson said.

When asked about blooming action advantage features, Thompson remarked, "after a loss, our ambition is to adjustment or alter the policyholder's damaged acreage with a blooming product. Settling a acreage allowance affirmation with a added energy-efficient, amoebic or blooming artefact is a amenable way to do business and makes a lot faculty to us. I am aswell developing added blooming advantage enhancements I accept our insureds will acquisition valuable." Thompson went on to say blooming businesses of all types will account from Green Business Insurance. "Virtually any blazon of blooming business such as architecture owners, hotels, restaurants and accepted offices will account from our casework and we aswell achievement to actuate 'standard' businesses to 'go-green.'"