Saving, investing, and donating wisely – The Green way

When it comes to saving or investing your money, you can make it work for

both you and the environment by choosing where you bank. An increasing

number of financial institutions offer savings accounts or entire suites of

investment services that support green, sustainable, and socially responsible

programs, often in your own community. Even better, some financial institutions offer these accounts but also conduct their day-to-day operations in a socially and environmentally responsible way.

The kinds of financial programs that these institutions offer may include

using the money in savings and investment accounts to leverage low-interest

loans to help local businesses improve their energy efficiency or to build

alternative energy infrastructure such as solar or wind power. Programs also

may help nonprofit organizations set up work or self-employment training

programs or affordable housing initiatives.

When it comes to long-term investments such as mutual funds or the stock

market, you can go green there too by opting for an ethical or green fund that invests in companies that meet various environmental or social criteria or by investing directly in the companies themselves. Some green-minded investment accounts ask you to accept a lower interest rate on your savings in exchange for these positive effects, but for others, you have the opportunity for just as much of a return as you would get if your money were in conventional accounts or investments.

Of course, you also can put your money where it provides an investment for

charitable organizations instead of yourself. There’s a vast array of causes

out there that you can support, so it pays to do your research before you

part with your money in order to make sure that it will be used wisely.

Venturing Out into the World

The greenest thing you can possibly do when it comes to traveling and transportation is simply not to go — vacation locally instead of halfway around the world, for example, or work from home instead of commuting. That’s not always possible, practical, or even desirable, however, so this section looks at ways to get on the road while minimizing your impact on the environment, particularly your greenhouse gas emissions. From using public transportation for your commute to opting for greener vehicles and ecologically friendly holidays, it’s all here.

Getting around

Transportation, particularly passenger vehicles and planes, emit a tremendous

amount of carbon and other pollutants into the atmosphere, where they

contribute to climate change and a range of health problems (see Chapter 2).

Although researchers have found ways to improve fuel efficiency, power vehicles with organically based fuels instead of petroleum-based fuels, and use different technology to power the vehicle, much of this work is still at an

early stage of adoption.

As a consumer, you can make a difference by reducing the amount that you

fly or drive. Vacation locally, for example, or work from home one day a week

if possible. When you have to travel, choose more-sustainable methods of

transportation, including local bus, rapid transit, and train services. These

methods of transportation still emit pollutants, but because they carry more

people at one time, their emissions per person are much lower than if the

passengers were all in their own cars.

Traveling mindfully

Before you book your next vacation, consider where you want to go in the

world and why, and think about whether you can achieve the same effect

closer to home (to cut down on your greenhouse gas emissions) or in a more

ecologically friendly way (like by taking the train instead of flying).

There are still good, valid reasons to travel widely, though — including that it

can broaden your horizons and facilitate better understanding between cultures.

So consider taking fewer long-distance vacations and making them last

longer in order to get the best possible investment from the greenhouse gas

emissions that your travel is responsible for. Consider the location to which

you’re traveling, too; keep in mind that you’ll be a guest in that country, and try to follow the people’s standards for dress and behavior to avoid giving offense.

To take your vacation deeper into environmental or social responsibility, consider an ecotourism trip that provides insight into the local ecosystem

(including fauna and flora) or a volunteer vacation in which you spend part

or much of your time on a project that helps either the local people or the

environment.

You can help to compensate for the greenhouse gas emissions that your

travel produces by considering ways to become carbon neutral — this means

that you reduce your carbon emissions as much as possible and balance the

remaining carbon emissions by offsetting them with processes that consume

carbon. Carbon offsetting refers to paying for or participating in programs that reduce the carbon in the atmosphere. Many of those programs involve planting trees; others, however, fund research into alternative or cleaner conventional technologies.

Planting trees or other vegetation is the most common carbon offsetting measure; when plants grow, they take in carbon dioxide, removing it from the atmosphere.

It’s essential to reduce the amount of carbon emissions that you produce, but

it’s not always easy. You may not be able to control whether your local power

plant runs on coal or solar energy, for example (although you can certainly

advocate for solar energy and make your home as energy efficient as possible).

That’s why carbon offsetting has become so popular recently.

Carbon offsetting isn’t the silver bullet answer to the problem of carbon emissions because it often doesn’t address the underlying problem. Tree planting, for example, only deals with the existing carbon; it doesn’t reduce the production of it, which is where the real emphasis needs to be. However, purchasing offsets helps if you’re careful about the programs you support.

Building a Green Society

You can have a powerful effect on the people and systems around you by

encouraging a greener society. Some of this influence simply comes from leading by example (perhaps by taking your lunch to work in reusable instead of disposable containers), but you also can go further by advocating for positive, constructive changes at work, in your local community, and even around the world.

Being environmentally sound at work

All the measures you put in place at home — energy-efficient appliances and

equipment, water-saving and energy conservation devices and strategies,

recycling and reusing programs — can translate very effectively to the workplace.

Many employers already take action to improve their environmental

and social responsibilities. You can encourage this wherever it’s happening

and ask for change where it’s not. Chapter 16 offers strategies to help you.

Many businesses that don’t embrace green practices simply for their environmental benefits will go green if it saves them money. If you explain how the company can reduce energy, paper, and transportation expenses by employing green tips and techniques, you may achieve the goal you’re aiming for.

Setting up community projects that work

Look around your community and you’re likely to find plenty of ways to get

involved with improving both environmental and social concerns. From

cleaning up riverbanks to redesigning neighborhoods, the list of projects is

virtually endless. If there’s something missing, though, seize the opportunity

to gather support in the community and set up a project to fill the gap. Find

Your First Step toward Contributing:

Evaluating Your Shade of Green

Take this fun little quiz to find out how green you already are and what you

can do to green up your life.

1. When the supermarket clerk asks "paper or plastic?" you

A. Go for plastic.

B. Go for paper.

C. Say "neither" because you brought your own bags.

2. When you start your car on chilly winter days, you

A. Idle for ten minutes to let the engine warm up.

B. Idle for less than a minute to let the engine warm up.

C. Do neither because you’re taking the bus.

3. When you use your dishwasher, you

A. Run a cycle when you need the items that are dirty.

B. Run full loads through all the cycles, including "dry."

C. Run only full loads and use the "air dry" setting.

4. When you just have to get away from your everyday life, you

A. Hop on a plane for a tropical getaway.

B. Jump in the car and drive to the closest national park.

C. Volunteer for a local community home-building project.

5. For your waste reduction efforts, you

A. Recycle air when you breathe.

B. Recycle newspapers weekly.

C. Recycle everything possible and compost organics.

How did you do?

Mostly As? Yikes! Your shade of green is verging on olive, as in drab. The good

news? There’s plenty that you can do right away to boost the green factor.

Check out Chapter 18 for fast and easy tips that you can follow right now.

Mostly Bs? You’re like a lime-colored spring leaf, budding out with plenty of

promise, but it’s up to you to turn that promise into green reality. Go to

Chapter 19, where you find strategies to deepen your shade of green.

Mostly Cs? Consider yourself an emerald gem — and keep shining! Dip into

this book wherever your fancy takes you, whether it’s remodeling your home

or considering a greener vehicle you can read on my site.