Sustainable Living Consultant

They say blonds have more fun, but as a green living consultant, I'd have to argue, greenies do!  Greenies?  What's a greenie?  Greenies are those living a sustainable lifestyle or living green.  As described in our sustainability consulting practice, living green or sustainable living is a primary focus on eco awareness with actions towards reducing ones carbon footprint, managing waste, and embracing sustainability concepts in decision making.  You may ask: So what's fun about living a sustainable lifestyle?
 
Well, for one, greenies excel at eco math; greenies demonstrate exemplary qualities of kindness, generosity and willingness; and, they have a discerning eye for saving green.    The fun is the approach to life.  It's an innovative lifestyle: one that dictates awareness for new and efficient ways of doing things.  It's discovery of eco awareness in its many facets.  It's sharing.  It's connecting.  That is fun!
 
If you think about it, everything we do every day has an impact on our planet.  As a green living consultant, I know not everyone was raised with eco awareness, so why do it?  Speaking from experience in our sustainability consulting, some of the general answers received include:
 

• Families go green for their children
• It saves money
• Living with eco awareness protects the planet for future generations
• Because it's the right thing to do
• Participation in neighborhood or community eco awareness
• It feels good
• Living a sustainable lifestyle is healthier-investing in your body is less toxins and less illness
• It's an opportunity to reconnect with local community
• It's easy to go green now: more options and alternatives available

 
You don't have to be a fanatic to live green.  In fact, if you think about your life now, there are probably many eco actions that you are already taking.  A sustainable lifestyle is not an all or nothing approach.  Creating your own sustainable lifestyle is where the fun is.  Uniquely expressing yourself through sustainability concepts applied in your life, the way you like it and making a difference- is fun. 

How do you connect with nature?   Does it matter?  Actually it does.  According to Richard Ryan, professor of psychology at the University of Rochester, paying attention to the natural world not only makes you feel better, it makes you behave better. 
 
As a green living consultant, it's interesting to note that while the salubrious effects of nature are well documented, from increasing happiness and physical health to lowering stress, this study shows that the benefits extend to a person's values and actions.  Exposure to natural as opposed to man-made environments leads people to value community and close relationships. 
 
For those living a sustainable lifestyle, the message is meaningful.   Lead author Netta Weinstein says the take home message from the research is clear: "We are influenced by our environment in ways that we are not aware of," she says. Because of the hidden benefits of connecting with nature, people should take advantage of opportunities to get away from built environments and, when inside, they should surround themselves with plants, natural objects, and images of the natural world. "The more you appreciate nature, the more you can benefit," she says.
 
The question I ask as a sustainable living consultant is: How do you connect with nature? What do you appreciate about it?  Eco awareness is an attitude; while it's easiest to appreciate our natural environment in scenic settings, even city dwellers can appreciate the natural world.  Perhaps it's the cardinal that chirps outside your window or the wind that caresses your face as you bike commute.  Or, maybe it’s the budding leaves on the trees as spring approaches. 
 
Connect with nature, invite eco awareness to your thoughts and enjoy feeling better and connecting with all that is. 

Did you know, each year, 180 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged in the U.S. with approximately 65% of American households participating in Valentine’s Day by buying  gifts such as chocolates, a plush toy, flowers, or jewelry?  It's well known that Valentine's Day is a commercial event, but conversely, it's also an opportunity to share the green love. 
 
Share the green love?  Kindness, generosity, and willingness are 3 essential qualities of sustainable living and incidentally, aren't they the very qualities of love expressed on Valentine's Day?
 
•    Kindness in living green is not only being kind to our planet, but kind to each other.  Compassion for where each of us is in relation to the green path.
 
•    Generosity in green living is not only sharing eco awareness and eco resources, but also going above and beyond to inspire, promote, and encourage others on the green path.
 
•    Willingness in green living is demonstrating your values through eco action and generating results.
 
A sustainable lifestyle or green living is an attitude.  It's an attitude of appreciation.  Sure, it reflects sustainability concepts of efficiency, organics, waste management, and buying local.  But, at its essence, sustainability reflects a mindset of wholeness and appreciation for natural resources, communities, and the gifts our planet gives to us. 
 
How to express love to your sweetie while taking eco action this Valentine's Day?  By making purchasing choices with eco awareness in mind.  Learn to shop green  and express your love eco style.   Not only will your sweetie feel the green love, but the planet will too.        

There's math, new math, and now eco math.  What is eco math?  Super easy! 
 
Eco math = the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
 
Each day we are presented with opportunities to expand eco awareness and make informed choices.    By making changes that are inspiring and manageable relative our current lives, the process of incorporating sustainability becomes much easier. 
 
The question is, how good are you at eco math?  It's all about taking as many eco actions you can in a day, every day, of every week, of every month multiplied by the number of people you inspire with eco awareness.   Cumulatively, all the actions add up and contribute positively to addressing the complex issues our world faces today. 
 
Not sure what an eco action is? Start by familiarizing yourself with the different areas of life that you can embrace sustainability concepts.  Next, take action on the ideas that are most appealing to you.  Keep at it; take on more as you learn.  Inspire others. 
 
Resources to get you started: 

• Green Your Routine: 7 Different Days of Green
• Living Green in 2010: How to Get Started
• Orientation to Sustainable Living

 
Eco math is just a fun way of looking at the different ways we as individuals can address the environmental concerns of carbon, water, and energy on a smaller scale: our lives.  To be good at eco math, remember, every eco action adds up.  Your eco actions matter.  Together, we can all make positive change.   

Imagine someone doing something nice for you right now.  A sincere compliment or holding the elevator for you.  It's a good feeling, isn't it?  Kindness has the ability to change us, and our emotions, immediately. 
 
The pursuit of a sustainable lifestyle goes beyond just ‘greening’ your life.  Personal sustainability is a mindset change that shifts the personal value drivers in daily activities.  As a professional and sustainability consultant, I see how kindness, generosity and willingness are intrinsically linked to a sustainable lifestyle or green living.  While we are here on this planet, at this precise time in history, many of us want to make a difference in the way we treat our environment.  Many of us want to make a significant contribution to the role business takes in shaping our economy, society, and environment.
 

• Kindness in living green is not only being kind to our planet, but kind to each other.  Compassion for where each of us is in relation to the green path.

 

• Generosity in green living is not only sharing eco awareness and eco resources, but also going above and beyond to inspire, promote, and encourage others on the green path.

 

• Willingness in green living is demonstrating your values through eco action and generating results. 

 
Throughout our lifetime, there comes a time when we as individuals sit down and lay out a path for personal development.  We day dream about all the things that we want in our life and the things we want to achieve.  Living values of kindness, generosity, and willingness paves the way for a brighter future for us all. 

The Internet is rich with so many blogs and websites offering eco actions and informational how to's to address environmental and social concerns of pollution, climate change, carbon management and so forth.  But as a sustainability consultant working with the principals of The Natural Step, it appears that those eco actions could be more impactful if steered toward a collective brighter future for our world. 
 
A central step in business sustainability is using backcasting to create a clear vision of success in the future.  As a sustainable living consultant, this principal is easily applied to living a sustainable lifestyle.  Basically, backcasting means creating a clear vision of success in the future, and then using that understanding of success to determine the actions that need to be taken from today to get there.  Another way of expressing it is “beginning with the end in mind.”
 
As Einstein said, Imagination is everything.  It is the preview of coming attractions.  Masterfully use your imagination to power your dreams of living a greener lifestyle.  I joke in our eco friendly training classes that it's like trying on clothes before you buy them.  By imagining how you want to live greener and the ways in which you can do so, you can try on ideas to see which ones fit and inspire you to action. 
 
The keys to successful exploration?  It's all about fun.  Think a thought, see how it feels, if it's exciting, stay with it and explore it some more.  Before you know it, you will be well on your way to living a more sustainable lifestyle.  Wondrous thoughts to get you going:
 

• I wonder how much money I can save with new habits of energy efficiency at home this month?
• I wonder how much water I can save this month compared to last month? Or even, last year?
• I wonder how many days a week I can take public transportation? 
• I wonder what it would be like to commute  to work by bike in the spring?  I wonder which route I will take, which clothes I will wear, what the springtime flowers will look like?
• I wonder how many friends I can get in on my eco actions (organics, recycling, waste management) and take it to the next level - whatever that might be.
• I wonder how many new friends I might make by volunteering my time in a community project.
• I wonder what would happen at work if I decided to act on my thoughts about green.  I wonder how many others at work think the same as I do.  I wonder what sustainability programs we can lead together?

 
By imagining with our senses, it creates an image and an associated feeling.  Does that feeling inspire you towards that eco action?  I wonder how you can use that feeling right now to take steps towards your best future?

There used to be a time when it seemed only big business could change the world.  It appeared that the voice of one was crowded out by the power, might and noise of larger organizations and governments.  Fortunately, the world of the internet and specifically, social media has created pathways for a single voice to be heard globally.  Powerful stuff. 
 
As a sustainability consultant, I often declare: Small eco actions add up!  The responsible eco action each of us takes MAKES a difference.  Social media, namely Twitter, has been a prime example of this.  With aspirations of accelerating eco awareness, eco resources, the how's and why's of sustainable living and sustainable business practices, I created a twitter account and started tweeting. 
 
My single voice was welcomed by many.  The twitterverse of green, sustainability, CSR is rich in knowledge and resource sharing.   By publishing information, promoting others, asking questions and gathering feedback, I joined a collective conversation generated on ways to improve environmental, social, and conscious business issues.  United by others sharing similar interest, a single voice is expanded through the very principles that sustainability embraces: community, inclusiveness, transparency, and authentic communication. 
 
Within our sustainability consulting practice, we share personal sustainability can be uniquely expressed.  Personal sustainability action or the pursuit of a sustainable lifestyle goes beyond simply ‘greening’ your life.  It is a mindset change that shifts the personal value drivers in daily activities.   Our professional consulting practice encourages individuals just getting started or those well on their way to continuously expand personal eco awareness to discover  what sustainability means to them.
 
Some want to make a difference. Change the world. Have an impact.  Create large scale changes.  Your single voice can be heard and amplified by others. 
 
Twitter is a wonderful online community and what I value most is the generosity of information shared, the community, and the inspiration of others. Individually, and collectively, we are making a difference.   Join us!  

With oil, natural gas, and energy receiving most of the popular press, the often forgotten resource that presents the greatest challenge to local communities is the availability of fresh water.  Unlike energy constraints, water cannot be economically brought in from neighboring areas in tankers, on trucks, or even in transmission pipelines.  With all the advances in technology, communities still rely on the access and availability of a local water  supply. 
 
Because water supply and demand are so tightly linked at a local level, communities are becoming increasingly aware of their water supply and actively managing demand.  The post, The Water/Energy Link, addresses how water and energy are intrinsically related; energy is needed to transport and deliver water while generating power requires massive quantities of water. There are opportunities to conserve both resources simultaneously.  In fact, the U.S. EPA has quantified the water/ energy savings opportunity: equating 1 gallon of water to approximately 4 watt hours of power.
 
What eco actions can we take to preserve water?  Our eco friendly training classes addresses the question with some eco actions to take.  Why?  Because habits with eco awareness lead to sustainable living and a healthier environment.
 

• Going native:  According to the US Green Building Council, using native and adaptive plants can reduce landscaping watering costs by 50% to 100% depending on the region. Native and adaptive plants also require less fertilizers and pesticides, further reducing their maintenance costs.  Not sure what plants are native to your area? Plant Native provides lists of native plants by region. 
• Capturing Rainwater:  Rainwater collection systems collect water runoff from roofs or paved surfaces. This water is then filtered and stored for irrigation.  Harvest rainwater, not only conserves water, but also greatly reduces storm water runoff.  Filtered rainwater can also be used to flush toilets and urinals

 
Water Wise Personal Habits: the sustainability concept of water reduction can be applied to your daily personal habits.  Within our professional consulting practice, we often remind others that every little action adds up.  Which of these eco actions can you start taking today?

• Wash Hands Efficiently: Turn off the water while you soap your hands, and rinse briefly.
• Brush Teeth Wisely: Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and save 4 gallons a minute. That’s 200 gallons a week for a family of four.
• Use Less Water for Dishes: Scrape your dishes clean to reduce rinsing. Run the dishwasher only when it’s full.
• Take Hall Full Baths:  Try bathing in a tub that’s only half full to save water and the energy used to heat it.
• Shorten Your Showers:  Shorter showers save both energy and water—keeping your shower under 5 minutes can save up to 1,000 gallons a month.
• Stop Leaks:  turn off water faucets tightly so they don’t drip and repair leaks.
• Wash Clothes Wisely: Make sure your clothes are truly dirty before putting them into the hamper. Wash clothes only when you have a full load, and use cold water whenever possible.

Providing abundant clean water requires efforts from all angles, and individual water cycle management is a big part. The ability to effectively manage our water resources is essential for personal and global sustainability.

Christmas is definitely a time for joy!  Excitement and anticipation fills the air!  With the holiday spirit in full swing, many "eco curious" clients have expressed confusion as to what it means to live green during the holidays.  As described in our sustainability consulting practice, living green or sustainable living is a primary focus on eco awareness with actions towards reducing ones carbon footprint, managing waste, and embracing sustainability concepts in decision making.
 
A quick and easy way to connect the dots between good intentions around eco awareness to taking strong eco action is to break it down to a personal level.  In doing so, it's easier to connect the dots between an eco action and the associated environmental benefit.  Here are some quick do's and don'ts for your holiday festivities. 
 
Christmas Holiday Do's: (click on the links for specific how to instructions)

• Travel responsibly. 
• Go paperless.
• Trim waste.
• Improve indoor air quality for family and guests.
• Leave organic cookies and milk for Santa.  He might leave you extra presents.

 
Christmas Holiday Don’ts:

• Give mindlessly.  Select gifts with eco awareness.
• Throw away gift wrappings, boxes, ribbons, and cards.  Sort and recycle the material.
• Throw out your Christmas tree.  Recycle your Christmas tree by contacting your local recycling office to find out how and where to recycle it.
• Leave your lights on.  Reduce the number of lights on your tree as well as those decorating your home.
• Be stingy.  Christmas is the spirit that keeps on giving.

Maybe it's a Texas thing, but I've heard of people decorating their entire home, Christmas tree, gifts, and parties in a single theme.  Some all silver with tensile everywhere and yes, I've even seen cowboy boots and Texas flair as the central theme.
 
With the holiday spirit in full swing, many "eco curious" clients have expressed confusion as to what it means to live green during the holidays.  As described in our sustainability consulting practice, living green or sustainable living is a primary focus on eco awareness with actions towards reducing ones carbon footprint, managing waste, and embracing sustainability concepts in decision making.
 
Holidays are can be a great kick off or focal point for going green.    As a green living consultant, I think of it as a softened approach to assist clients to ease the transition from "eco curious” to "eco living". It's a graceful way of learning that a sustainable lifestyle is not an all or nothing approach.  And yet, each eco action you take on behalf of the environment does make a difference.
 
As a sustainability consultant, I can't resist making the connection of being kind to others during this time to also being kind to our planet.    The holiday spirit is contagious.  It uplifts others and offers a means to be generous in ways we are not during the year.
 
With that in mind, explore ways to include sustainability concepts into your holiday celebrations.  Here are a few tips to get you started.  Happy Eco Holidays!
 

• Ways to go paperless this holiday season
• Trim Waste this holiday season 
• Holiday travel guide
• Creating new family traditions

As our world leaders gather in Copenhagen this week to discuss climate change and reduced carbon emissions, the general conversation has primarily been focused on the commitments and eco actions of our world leaders.
 
No doubt, leadership is required, but as a sustainability consultant, I find myself reflecting upon an earlier post, "Be the Change: Promoting a Sustainable Lifestyle".  Mahatma Gandhi said “Be the change you want to see in the world."  To me, this means not only asking our world leaders to commit to eco action but also to each of us to personally commit to eco awareness in our daily lives.  
 
Promoting sustainable living and "being the change" can take all forms and shapes.  In our sustainability consulting, we addresses eco awareness and the integration of sustainability concepts into daily living by asking clients to consider the questions, "Is there an eco friendly alternative to this purchase?" Or, "Is there a more environmentally friendly manner in which I can do x (whatever it is that you are doing)?"
 
The internet as well as our very own sustainability blog is filled with countless ideas, how to information and suggestions on how to take action.  Ultimately, behind every action is: Choice.  We each have a choice.  Each of us has our role to play.  Do we consistently approach the areas of our life with environmental consciousness?  We ask for accountability in the restructuring of our businesses, financial systems, our leaders, but are we holding ourselves accountable? 
 
Personal sustainability can be uniquely expressed.  What may work for me, may not work for you.  However, just as it's our leaders’ responsibilities to work through the issues and the details around these complex issues, so is it our own personal responsibility to make the conscious choice and commitment to take action and be accountable for it. 
 
When others see you living a sustainable lifestyle and they observe you as thriving, happy, and living your values, it inspires them to make similar efforts for themselves.  As professional consultant in the world of sustainability, I share with you a favorite quote with hopes that for the duration of the Copenhagen summit, you find the value in eco awareness for yourself.
 
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

When the holiday season arrives, so do the holiday guests.  This holiday seasons more and more people are expanding eco awareness in their holiday season in an entirely different way. That's because more people are going green this holiday season, choosing to make their holiday as eco-friendly as possible.  
 
As described in our sustainability consulting practice, going green or sustainable living is a primary focus on eco awareness with actions towards reducing ones carbon footprint and embracing sustainability concepts in decision making.   This holiday season, spark the season with holiday cheer by greeting your guest with eco awareness.  Try these tips for sprinkling a little green into your holiday preparations:
 
Clean Green:   Conventional cleaning supplies may contain ingredients that are toxic or hazardous. By replacing them with eco-friendly products, you're providing improved indoor air quality, as well as using products aligned with sustainability concepts.  Try some of these from the list we suggest to clients in our personal consulting practice.

• Seventh Generation is an industry leader renowned for its nontoxic cleaning products.
• Mrs. Meyers also offers nontoxic cleaners and all of the company's cleaning supplies are biodegradable and incorporate natural essential oils to provide a pleasant cleaning experience. 
• Ecover makes its biodegradable, nontoxic cleaners from plant based ingredients and is powered by green energy in the making of its products.

 
Go Organic: Welcome your green guest with organic veggies in the kitchen, organic linens in the bedroom, and towels in the bathroom.   Try your local farmer's market for your veggies.  As for your linens, with eco awareness on the rise, there are plenty of sites, stores, and local shops to select organic linens.  Ideas include,  GoodFibers. They offer bamboo bath towels and bamboo kitchen towels that are eco-friendly and luxurious natural products.  Two favorite sites for organic bedding and organic mattresses are Lifekind and Janice's.  
 
Take eco action: Share your sustainable lifestyle habits by encouraging guests to turn off lights, TV’s, games, and computers to reduce energy consumption.  Place recycling bins in a visible location.  Take shorter showers and find ways to engage your guests in your eco friendly living habits.
 
Decorate with plants: improve air quality and create warm, festive settings with lively decoration.  Remember to give gifts made by local artisans, fair trade companies and/ or from recycled materials.
 
 
By sharing your sustainable lifestyle habits with your guests, you demonstrate that you don't have to be a fanatic to live green.  Living your values in a way that works for you creates space for your guests to explore those values for themselves. 

Are you lost in a sea of green?  Without a guide book to navigate the way, the growth in public eco awareness has been largely through personal experience and situational application.  While general concepts can be used to describe the broad topic of living green, many of our clients approach us with confusion as to where to start in living a sustainable lifestyle.   
 
Sustainable living refers to a lifestyle and set of choices that minimizes a person's environmental impact.  Why is living a sustainable lifestyle appealing?  A sustainable lifestyle is chosen for a host of reasons.  Some clients are inspired to protect natural resources while others are called to ensure healthier living.  There are those that embrace a sustainable lifestyle because it makes sense financially.  Regardless of the source of inspiration, many of our clients have found success in our eco friendly consulting to get them started in the direction of living green.
 
As a green living consultant, I approach living green using an inspirational mindset.  First, follow that path that is most inspiring to you.  What gets you going? Excited? Wanting to take that eco action?  Then, momentum grows with eco awareness in the areas that interest you.  Remember, daily habits and those we do regularly have the most impact and add up. 
 
Here are 10 tips to get you started in living a sustainable lifestyle:

1. Organics: visit your local farmer's market for organic fruits and veggies and use organic personal care and clothing from natural fibers.
2. Recycling: recycle everything! Paper, materials, home items, and more!
3. Energy efficiency: purchase energy efficient appliances.  Buy and use renewable or wind energy and monitor your use of energy.
4. Water: get to know what is in your water and use it efficiently.
5. Indoor air quality: use chemical free cleaners, live plants, sustainable fabrics and paint in your home. Your indoor air quality will improve and you'll support sustainable businesses producing green products.
6. Green your home: Reduce your use of paper and eliminate junk mail.
7. Innovate and inspire your employer and coworkers and green your work.
8. Green your travel.
9. Make every day choices matter.
10. Explore which alternative transportation option is interesting to you. 

If any of these areas inspire you, take eco action today.  Need help in figuring out your eco inspiration?  Let us know: we're here to help. 

Our professional consulting practice considers traditional marketing activities as resource intensive and waste producing.  A small business resource available to replace traditional marketing efforts is leveraging the power of social media.  Social media is an improved marketing alternative that eliminates the use of paper, ink, transportation, and distribution - all associated with traditional marketing: trade shows, direct mail, and print ads.   Our professional consulting views it as a viable business strategy for businesses integrating eco awareness in the building of a sustainable business.  
 
Why?  Because social media is an opportunity for your business to engage in conversation by publishing information, promoting others, asking questions and gathering feedback.  Engaging in community is embracing the sustainability concept of stakeholder engagement.  Engaging stakeholders is not only a means of building sustainable business, but it is also a powerful way to master clear communication of the environmental business initiatives your company is pursuing. 
 
Take for example, Taiga Company's twitter stream.  Taiga Company's Twitter stream focuses on the following:
 

• News, jobs, and information for green issues;
• Sustainable living, business sustainability and best practices;
• Energy issues,
• Topics ranging from politics, health, philanthropy and economy. 
• Resources and "how to" help to adopt sustainability concepts

 
The stream is suited for those interested in sustainable living, business sustainability programs, and spreading eco awareness with the intention of sparking eco action in others.  In addition, it is one form of stakeholder engagement utilized to listen to, respond, engage, and communicate with others important to our business.
 
Within our business sustainability consulting, we view social media as an improved marketing alternative and a viable business strategy for businesses integrating eco awareness in the building of a sustainable business.   We invite you to join the conversation, follow us on Twitter or become a fan on facebook.  We look forward to hearing from you.     

What exactly is "living green"?  As described in our sustainability consulting practice, living green or sustainable living is a primary focus on eco awareness with actions towards reducing ones carbon footprint, managing waste, and embracing sustainability concepts in decision making.  But, did you know that sustainable living can improve your health? 
 
Living a sustainable lifestyle and improving your heath is easier than you think.  Here are favorite eco actions our clients have taken in their personal sustainability programs that have helped them to live green and improve their health. 
 
Improve Indoor Air Quality:
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans spend up to 90% of their time indoors.   Improved indoor air quality can directly contribute to good health, improved productivity and ability to sustain living a sustainable lifestyle.  Solutions recommended in our eco friendly training to improve indoor air quality include:

• Open your windows.
• Clean with natural, non toxic cleaners.
• More plants! Living, green and flowering plants can remove several toxic chemicals from the air in building interiors.  
• Use non toxin pest control.
• Paint with low VOC paints.

 
Go Organic:
What's organic?  Products labeled “100% Organic” and carrying the “USDA Organic” seal are just that – they contain all organically produced ingredients.  As a green living consultant, I explain that organic refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed.  It includes a system of production, processing, distribution and sales that assures consumers that the products maintain the organic integrity that begins on the farm.  Try these ideas for living green and improving health:

• Eat organic foods.  Organic foods have more nutrients and less pesticide residue. 
• Use organic skincare.
• Sleep on an organic mattress.
• Enjoy organic fabrics for linens, towels, and clothing. 

 
As a green living consultant, I encourage further exploration.  Consider learning what is in your water, bike commuting and reconnecting with nature as other eco actions to take to live green and improve your health. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as many as 36.4 million potential “trick-or-treaters” go door-to-door on Halloween canvassing among the approximate 106 million occupied housing units in search of treats. 
 
From the perspective of a sustainable living consultant, those numbers represent enormous opportunities for expanding eco awareness.    Consider the environmental impact of traditional Halloween celebrations as in, transportation, costumes, and candy.  Transforming one traditional behavior with an environmentally conscious eco action can make a positive impact on the environment. 
 
Within our personal sustainability programs, we offer resources and tools to do just that.  Substitute a traditional action with that of an eco action.  Green Halloween is a resource we suggest as a one stop shop for everything green for Halloween.
 
 
Green Halloween  is a non-profit, grassroots community initiative to create healthier and more Earth-friendly holidays, starting with Halloween.  Green Halloween offers tips to expand eco awareness for parents, kids, and communities. 
 

• Green Halloween costume ideas
• Games and Activities for Kids
• Décor and Accessories with sustainability concepts including recycled material and fair trade

 
As a sustainability consultant, I love this site for its creativity, innovation, and intention to reach to children and communities in advancing sustainability in our world.   I encourage you to spend some time on this site and see what is there for you.  There's even a fun interactive game, The Haunted Hybrid.
 
Halloween is a fun time for adults and children; why not integrate sustainability concepts into your Halloween celebration and spark a little eco magic into your festivities!

If you think about it, everything we do every day has an impact on our planet.  Not everyone was raised with eco awareness, so why and when does it start becoming important?  Speaking from experience as a sustainable living consultant, I've learned that some families go green for their children or because it saves money.  Living a sustainable lifestyle may be influenced by one's stage in life or generated out of recent eco awareness made mainstream. 
 
However, oftentimes in training sessions within our business sustainability programs, we're asked common questions concerning lifestyle choices and the resulting environmental impacts of those choices.  For instance:
 

• Why should I care about Global Warming?
• My lifestyle really isn't adding to the problem...is it?
• Does my entire lifestyle have to change to live sustainably?
• It cost too much and it's hard.
• What exactly is "living green"?

 
As described in our sustainability consulting practice, sustainable living is a primary focus on eco awareness with actions towards reducing ones carbon footprint and embracing sustainability concepts in decision making.
 
Our personal sustainability programs answer the above questions and offer guidelines for those just getting started in living a sustainable lifestyle.  
 

• It's okay to focus eco action in particular areas of interest or inspiration and address less interesting areas of eco awareness later.
• A sustainable lifestyle is not an all or nothing approach.  It isn't a cookie cutter solution that applies uniformly to everyone. 
• Each eco action you take on behalf of the environment does make a difference.
• Aim to incorporate sustainable actions that easily fit into your current lifestyle.
• There are shades to green living.  There will always be room for improvement.

If you have a vague sense of which eco actions to take for the environment, but don’t know how to get started, let us know.  Many of our clients contact us for help in translating eco awareness into day to day choices and decisions that support the environment.   Or, visit the Taiga Company resource page, Oxygen, for answers and information on common topics, issues, and questions regarding business sustainability and living a sustainable lifestyle.

When others see you living a sustainable lifestyle, and see that you are enjoying it, it inspires them to make similar efforts for themselves.  And that- is making a difference.   

The pursuit of a sustainable lifestyle may seem second nature to those already embracing eco awareness and applying sustainability concepts in their daily life; however, for some, making daily alternative choices can often be a challenge.  As a green living consultant, many of the individuals we speak with share some common anxieties about how to begin and maintain a ‘greener’ lifestyle.  We encourage our clients and peers to view sustainability as a continuous process of incremental improvement.

A primary aspect of pursuing a sustainable lifestyle is the recognition that every action is part of a larger whole and even the smallest change can make a difference.  In our personal consulting, we find it useful to start with a bit of encouragement regarding sustainable living, by addressing sustainable living as a life-long goal that continuously raises one’s personal eco awareness and places you on a path of personal development.

•    To increase social and eco awareness.
•    To develop new knowledge and skills.
•    To take control of one’s personal impacts.
•    To improve personal health.

In a recent post, Finding the ‘You’ in Your Personal Sustainability Plan, we discuss how an effective long-term personal sustainability plan involves more than implementing mainstream sustainability concepts into daily living.  Personal sustainability can be an experiment with sustainability concepts to identify the practices that add specific value to your own life.

At Taiga Company, we feel sustainable living should be a natural and fun way of life.  Our green living consultants encourage clients to identify and focus on sustainability concepts that spark enthusiasm that generate forward momentum. 

This weekend, Oct 3rd, IMBA will celebrate its sixth annual International Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day.  The International Mountain Bicycling Association is a non-profit educational association whose mission is to create, enhance and preserve great trail experiences for mountain bikers worldwide.  
 
As expressed in our eco friendly consulting, cycling is a zero emissions form of transportation, is considered a great stress release, enjoyable exercise, and is a component of a sustainable lifestyle.   Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day is a great opportunity to pass your passion for pedaling on to kids as well as an excuse to get outside and enjoy nature.
 
Connecting with nature is a source of inspiration for eco action and living a sustainable lifestyle.  The Take a Kid Mountain Biking event offers the opportunity for children to explore nature.  In nature, kids and families get a chance to move at life’s natural pace, where time disappears, no one is bored, and exploration turns into fun adventure.   
 
As a sustainable living consultant, I view nature adventures as a chance for kids to see, hear, smell and touch things all at the same time, getting them to observe, and ask questions.  The richness in the outdoors is stimulating and helps to connect eco action taken at home to the natural resources those actions are aimed to protect and preserve.
 
Research suggests that the most important thing for kids to make a habit of an active life is being introduced to their activities by a parent.  So why not get involved this weekend?  You can find an event in your area on the Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day Worldwide Map.
 
For parents setting an example of living a sustainable lifestyle and commuting by bike to work, following are resources to help you get started. 
 

• 10 Reasons to Bike Commute to Work: Get inspired to bike commute to work!
• Green Resources for Bike to Work Week: offers green gear suggestions and information on sustainable organizations that promote cycling for fun, fitness and transportation, and advocacy for a more bicycle-friendly America.
• Cycling Inspirations for a Sustainable Lifestyle: a look at organizations expanding eco awareness via cycling and contributing to an environmentally sustainable world.
• Live Green! Ride a Bike! Explores the benefits of riding a bike in green living.

 
Cycling as part of a sustainable lifestyle is a rewarding personal adventure.  As a green living consultant and cycling enthusiast, I can't encourage you enough to explore the cycling adventure for yourself.  Enjoy your ride! 

Looking to freshen-up a living space? Moving into a new office?  Whatever the reason for picking up the brush, those living a sustainable lifestyle will be looking to eco friendly options to maintain or improve indoor air quality.    
 
As explained in our eco friendly training, traditional paints are associated with off-gassing.  Off-gassing is the process by which chemicals in paint (and other products, including carpeting, flooring, and insulation) evaporate into the air.  These chemicals are known as volatile organic compounds or VOCs.  VOCs have been attributed to headaches; eyes, nose, throat irritation; and damage to the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. 
 
As a result of growing eco awareness and consumer demand, today, all the major manufacturers offer at least one low-VOC product.   As a green living consultant, I've personally used low-VOC paints and have experienced the benefits.
 

• Contribute to improved indoor air quality.
• Durable.
• Cost effective.
• Perform equally as well as traditional counterparts.
• Low impact on the environment.

 
The US Environmental Protection Agency governs requirements for paints labeled as low-VOC.   An important distinction to note: the EPA rules for low-VOC apply only to the tint base.  Keep in mind, when you pick a color and your paint is tinted, the store will add pigment to your paint. This pigment contains VOC.  A good rule of thumb is the lighter the color- the less pigment.  Deeper colors such as reds and browns especially use a significant amount on pigment.
 
Although there are several environmentally friendly paint options available, following are suggestions made in our sustainable living consulting practice.

•  GreenPlanetPaints
• Milk Paint
• BioShield Paint
• Visions Recycling Paints
• Freshaire Choice
• Mythic Paint
• AFM Safecoat
• Ecos Organic Paints
• Benjamin Moore Natura line
• Sherwin Williams Harmony line
• Devoe Paint
• Duron Paints and Wallcoverings (Genesis Odor-Free products)
• ICI Dulux Paints
• Kelly Moore

 
If in doubt about your paint selection, you can take further eco action to determine if your paint selection is green by visiting one of the following sites.
 

• GreenSeal
• GreenGuard Environmental Institute 
• GreenWise
• Master Painters Institute

 
Your paint job won't be complete without embracing a few more sustainability concepts. 
Remember to reduce waste by purchasing only what you need.  Many of the websites offer online calculator tools to help you estimate your needs.   Also, decorate your newly painted room with plants to further help improve indoor air quality.