policy
Women Business Owners Lead the Way
How could I resist re-posting an article with this title? I received the below information from Steven Jones-D’Agostino, who is one of the Energy Freedom Fighters and has been a great supporter of D2E. Thanks Steve!
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Women business owners are at the forefront of leading America toward energy conservation and clean energy. In fact, a majority cite moving to clean energy as our most important energy policy goal, according to a similar survey of 455 women business owners also commissioned by WIPP and WCEE.
On both of these measures, women business owners are even more committed to clean energy than the general female population. They strongly believe wind and solar energy should have an important role in addressing our country’s electricity needs. They are also more aware of nuclear energy’s clean-air benefits—that it is not a cause of global warming and releases no air pollution—than women as a whole, and they are more supportive of nuclear energy than the general female population. Other significant findings are:
- 77 percent of female business owners have cut their electricity use at their businesses in the past few years, and 98 percent have done the same at home.
- Nearly 8 in 10 (79 percent) have made their businesses more environmentally friendly.
- 87 percent favor federal tax incentives – including 52 percent who strongly favor them – to encourage companies to become more energy-efficient and use more clean energy.
Survey Methodology
Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, the international public-opinion research and consulting firm, conducted a national telephone survey of 801 women 18 years or older, and a national web survey of 455 women business owners. The surveys were conducted between May 4 and 18, 2009. The margin of error for women 18 years and older is plus or minus 3.5 percent. The survey was commissioned by Women Impacting Public Policy in collaboration with Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment, and was underwritten through an educational grant by Entergy Nuclear.
Resources for Women
Women can learn more about how electricity impacts their world and their planet by downloading a brochure, Women and Clean Power: Electricity Matters, at www.wipp.org.
About WIPP
Women Impacting Public Policy is a non-profit national bipartisan group with more than half-a-million members. WIPP is the collective voice in Washington, DC, for 48 national women and small business organizations. WIPP advocates for and on behalf of women and minorities in business in the legislative processes of our nation, creating economic opportunities and building bridges and alliances to other small business organizations. WIPP’s policy agenda, the Economic Blueprint, the Women Business Owners’ Platform for Growth, is found on the WIPP Web site. Visit www.wipp.org.
About WCEE
The Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment is a non-partisan policy-neutral organization that focuses on women, energy, and the environment. WCEE’s mission is to provide consistently high-quality, non-partisan and policy-neutral forums for dialogue on cutting-edge energy and environmental issues, and to foster the personal and professional growth and leadership abilities of its members. Visit www.wcee.org.
Available to comment on the survey and findings:
- Barbara Kasoff, President, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP)
- Sharla B. Artz, President, Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE)
For more information or to receive more survey results, please contact:
Kathryn Morris, The Huntington Group, 845-635-9828/914-204-6412, Kathryn.Morris@thehuntgrp.com
Kira Gordon, The Huntington Group 646-243-4920. Kira.Gordon@thehuntgrp.com
Appliances: Energy Saving and Earth Saving
- Washer/Dryer combo for urban living.
Last week I traveled to NYC to attend the LIVE World Summit – Leadership, Innovation & Vision for the Earth. This was a great gathering of people that want to learn more about how they can make the world a better place. Topics covered everything from health issues, to the ocean, to branding and finance.
My friend Evan generously let me crash at his apartment – so of course I had to take a photo of his super cool and energy efficient washer/dryer combo. Also note the bamboo wood used for the cabinetry in his bathroom. What a cool guy! I never thought I would be inspired by a bachelor pad, but between the countertops made from recycled materials and the bamboo floors, this was one cool place to hang out. Remember the coffin in St. Elmo’s Fire? I think an eco-friendly bachelor pad is the chick magnet of now.
Anyway, back to the conference. One of the topics that was new to me was about refrigeration units. A woman from Greenpeace talked about how detrimental refrigerators are to the environment. And after reading more about it, I can’t believe I was not already aware of this. Considering how much I read up on these topics, it just goes to show you that there is always something to learn.
GreenFreeze is Greenpeace’s campaign to transform the refrigeration and cooling industries by eliminating the use of F-gases, the chemicals used to cool refrigerators, homes, cars, and food in stores and vending machines. F-gases are responsible for 17% of the world’s global warming pollution. CFCs such as Freon, which you’ve probably heard of, have been banned. However, the HFCs that were presented as the “environmental alternative” to CFCs by chemical companies have had a similarly grave impact on the environment — which is why we need to eliminate them now.
And though it was upsetting to learn how long it took for the US to accept the new technology, it was heart warming to hear that Ben & Jerry’s, a D2E exhibitor, played an integral role in getting this technology to the US. Apparently, common sense does not always prevail in Washington. Lobbyists for the big manufacturers held up the process, so caring and responsible business owners like Ben & Jerry, and community organizers like Greenpeace had to rally together to make it happen. See a more detailed report from Treehugger (9/30/08):
Greenpeace researchers in Germany first developed the precursor to the climate-friendly freezer in the early 1990s when it became clear that HFCs, which the chemical industry had marketed as a safe alternative to ozone depleting clouroflourocarbons (CFCs), were accelerating global warming.
The technology showed, contrary to industry claims, it was possible to use effective refrigerants that protected the ozone layer and the climate. In fact, the cooling units turned out to be more efficient than those using HFCs.
Greenpeace made the technology available to industry free of charge, and it is now used by leading manufacturers such as Haier, Whirlpool, LG, Bosch, Panasonic and Samsung and can be found in over 300 million refrigerators worldwide.
However, the HFC-free refrigerators weren’t allowed in the United States until this year when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allowed Ben & Jerry’s to run a test trial of 2,000 Greenfreeze-equipped freezer units at shops across the country.
I never thought I would feel warm and fuzzy inside while eating ice cream, but this Ben & Jerry’s sure tastes good!
Taking Action
In my busy life, trying to run a business while keeping my husband, my dog and myself happy, I find it hard to be an activist. I am so active trying to make a living while enjoying my own life, the thought of getting politically involved is daunting. But I try to stay aware and be active when I can. I read the Globe every day (okay, I scan it and read the articles that interest me) and I read the Boston Business Journal each week (this one I actually read from cover to cover). I read the NY Times on the weekends, I subscribe to a few blogs and I get the David Suzuki and 350 newsletters.
Through these news outlets, I have become ’sort of’ active and I have become aware of others that are much more active. My ’sort of’ activeness began with No Impact Man when he made it easy to send a letter to his congressman and now I am getting involved with 1 Sky.
My business is all about promoting sustainable businesses and educating people about how to live a more sustainable life in our urban environment, so I am lucky in that my job is involved in the effort to help make our economy and our lives more sustainable.
This morning the Globe published a piece titled “Breaking a town from the center”, written by Bill McKibben and Sue Halpern about how their little town in Vermont unified to keep their post office from closing down. This is a great story about how individuals can help make a difference. It is also an insight into how the commercial parts of our towns and cities are so important to our communities.
On my end, I am going to sign up with 1 Sky and see what I can do while my congressional representatives are home for the summer. I’m sure they’d love to hear from me during their summer vacation!
Policy and Pits
Betty just came into the office talking about Genetically Modified Food and how our government will not pass a law that forces companies to label food that has been genetically modified. Great – now I have something else to think about.
Tip for fellow environmentalists, localvores, social thinkers, activists, and health nuts: Be careful about how you use your energy. Not everyone can take on all of the earth’s problems, so be smart about how you educate others. Inch by inch, life’s a sinch. Yard by yard, life is hard. We want everyone to drink the organic kool-aid, but we can’t force it down their throats.
Policy.
I have always known that it is important to stay up-to-date on the dealings of our politicians. (I am talking about law-making, not love-child making.) That is something that every American learns in school. We are a democracy, and that means that each person has a say in how this country is run, well, sort of. We can all vote and we can organize ourselves to promote change. I do believe this. I do vote. But it is hard to keep up with politics when you are running your own life. That is why we vote in representatives that we trust, well, sort of. Because we are too busy to know everything.
In our exploration to learn how we as individuals can live more sustainable lives, I have come to learn that it is really important to have a grip on what your representatives are doing about the issues you care about. I know we all learned this in the first grade, but I am finally understanding that lesson. So it took 30 years, I’m a late bloomer.
So I was pleased to read the article in the Globe this morning about Governor Patrick’s new energy bill; The Green Communities Act. In an effort to help spread the word, we are talking with the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships about having a panel on policy at Down:2:Earth next April. I am personally excited about having the opportunity to hear our own politicians talk about their work, and the ability to ask them questions.
Pits.
And now on to the pits. I have known since I was a teenager that I should not wear antiperspirant. My parents made it clear that we are supposed to sweat, and that we should not block our pores. I have learned as an adult that there is an issue with the Aluminum ingredient in antiperspirant products. From what I have read on the internet, it is controversial. But logic tells me that my Mom is right. We are supposed to sweat – so learn how to live with it.
I am currently weaning myself off of antiperspirant and trying out various types of deodorants, in an effort to not offend my co-workers. I will keep you posted on this most important subject, and I am going to investigate the issue further to see what more I can learn.
Stay tuned for more policy and pits!
Policy and Art are alive in Boston
While reading the Globe this morning, in my effort to be more informed of our policy makers, I was again heartened to read not only about progress in our local government and non profit sector, but also I read about some great art. So this Monday morning I am feeling all warm and fuzzy about living in a city and state that is taking action and growing culturally. In this morning’s Globe I found two articles I’d like to pass on. One about Green Collar Jobs and one about a local heavy metal artist, Skunk who makes robotic sculptures out of old bicycle parts.
In regards to the green collar jobs, our job panel from this past year’s show was a direct response to Van Jones’ call for action. We at down:2:earth are trying to use our show as a forum for discussion and a resource center. So we brought together some young people working in the green sector with Galen Nelson from the City of Boston to talk about opportunities and to inspire people. We were surprised to see how many people over 20 years old attended the workshop, and that taught us that we should expand our job related event this year. D2E can’t be the answer for every sustainable issue, but we offer a great opportunity for people to talk and learn. So please let us know if there is an issue that you want to be covered. We are working on our programming for the April 2009 show, and we want to hear your thoughts.
On Social Justice from today’s article:
“We’re going to need to see a lot more of this stuff on a much larger scale than we have before,” says Penn Loh, executive director of Roxbury’s Alternatives for Community & Environment, an organization focused on eradicating environmental racism that is also a member of Community Labor United. “This could be as big as the New Deal and the restructuring of the economy after the stock market crash and the Great Depression. We’re at a turning point in human history.”
On Skunk:
We love Skunk.
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