Holiday Shopping Procrastinators Could Help Save the World

CI's 'Season's Greenings' attack offers different online anniversary gifts.

Washington, D.C. (Vocus/PRWEB ) December 21, 2007 -- Take affection those who accept yet to complete - or even alpha -- their anniversary arcade for accompany and admired ones. By authoritative an online donation at conservation.org/holidaygift, those analytic for an innovative, and last-minute, allowance advantage can accomplish a tax-deductible donation in account of someone, which will go to assure basic biodiversity above our planet.

Olive Ridley turtle authoritative its way to the sea.

Recipients will accept a admirable alone e-card on the specific date the donor selects. Each e-card includes active adumbration and a description of the different ecology abundance that the allowance will advice protect. Gift-givers may aswell baddest to book out a allowance agenda to supplement the e-card or to present in lieu of an online notification, such as a stocking stuffer.

The ability are accessible in a array of budgetary increments, alignment from $20 to $100,000 and advice break the some of a lot of acute ecology issues on the planet. Gift-givers may baddest from 14 altered online allowance options, including:

-   Gifts to save endangered breed such as the Tiger starting at $20.
-   A allowance of alone $50 to barrier altitude change by attention forests in Madagascar.
-   A $500 donation to aegis the endangered Mountain Gorilla, which faced a above setback this summer if six adults were collapsed in the Congo, abrogation two drop babies.
-   A allowance for those who accept everything. A high-end allowance from $10,000 to $100,000 to forward a aggregation of CI scientists to appraise and advice save the a lot of biologically affluent areas of the Earth.

Conservation International appear a analysis endure ages which begin that a majority (53%) of Americans would adopt to accept blooming ability this anniversary division compared to a acceptable allowance of according value. Two in 5 (43%) Americans aswell said that they plan on giving blooming ability during the holidays.

SURVEY FINDINGS:

Americans Ready to Give and Get Green

-   One-third (33%) of Americans would rather absorb money on a anniversary allowance that is environmentally friendly, compared to a acceptable allowance like a camera (33%) or watch (22%).
-   Clothing fabricated from amoebic cotton, a donation in their name to assure an endangered breed or forest, and amoebic claimed affliction articles were a allotment of the a lot of accepted blooming gifts.
-   Almost bisected (49%) of Americans say they do not accede that they are acquainted of blooming ability options they could accord this year.
-   Women are added absorbed in accepting blooming ability than men (62% vs. 53%).

Survey Methodology

The analysis was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation via telephone. One thousand American adults 18 years or earlier were surveyed from September 28-October 1, 2007. The allowance of absurdity is +/-3%. The abounding analysis after-effects are accessible aloft request.

Recognition as Responsible Charity

More than 85 percent of CI's costs go anon to attention programs and alone 4 percent to fundraising, earning CI an "A" ability appraisement from the American Institute of Philanthropy for 10 years running. CI has aswell accustomed a 4-star appraisement from Charity Navigator, America's better absolute analyzer of charities.

*Photos to Accompany Story Can Be Found Here:
http://images.conservation.org/admin/packaging/viewtransmit_ext.aspx?messageId=101988&userName=mmaher&session=3f394265c351fe8ed7d891820783c10a

Media Contacts:
Marshall Maher, Conservation International
703-341-2623
www.conservation.org

Jessica Mendelowitz, Ketchum
646-935-4173

TheGreenOffice.com Challenges Workplaces to Extend Green Practices above Earth Day

TheGreenOffice.com, the aboriginal online banker to action a abounding alternative of appointment articles focused on sustainability, was founded in 2005 with a mission to accomplish abode greening simple and amount effective. While Earth Day 2008 brings ecology issues to the forefront, there is still a lot of abashing about what it takes to go green. TheGreenOffice.com recommends that businesses codify a year-round blooming purchasing action and challenges added retailers to do added than artlessly banknote in on the blooming artefact trend.

San Francisco, CA -- Earth Day has acquired added bulge in 2008 than in antecedent years. Across the country, humans are compassionate the allowances and the call of creating added acceptable homes and workplaces. TheGreenOffice.com, the aboriginal online banker to action a complete alternative of appointment articles focused on sustainability, was founded in 2005 with a mission to accomplish abode greening simple and amount effective

"The growing acquaintance about Earth Day is absolutely a footfall in the appropriate direction, and we are actual encouraged to see boilerplate retailers all-embracing blooming products," says Alex Szabo, architect and CEO of TheGreenOffice.com. "Now the claiming is to accomplish blooming articles and practices allotment of business as accepted every day of the year."

The growing acquaintance about Earth Day is absolutely a footfall in the appropriate direction, and we are actual encouraged to see boilerplate retailers all-embracing blooming products Now the claiming is to accomplish blooming articles and practices allotment of business as accepted every day of the year. There are a lot of simple means to acutely abate your cardboard acceptance in the office, such as press on both abandon of a sheet, application added margins, and administration abstracts and addendum electronically rather than with hardcopies We claiming added retailers to do added than just banknote in on chump appeal for blooming articles on Earth Day. Earth day is not a holiday, it's a time to reflect on how we amusement our planet and communities. It's about authoritative abiding changes that will access our wellness today and in the future. While Earth Day brings ecology issues to the forefront, there is still a lot of abashing about what it takes to go green. TheGreenOffice.com recommends that businesses codify a blooming purchasing action alternating with ability conservation, carbon mitigation, and anniversary sustainability reporting.

TheGreenOffice.com offers a advanced alternative of articles ranked by 'greenness' through its avant-garde GreenScreen™ method. The aggregation provides applied tips for businesses on greening their offices and acceptable carbon-neutral, as able-bodied as adorning webinars (online seminars) to advice consumers accept circuitous ecology issues and crop simple, but able action.

"There are a lot of simple means to acutely abate your cardboard acceptance in the office, such as press on both abandon of a sheet, application added margins, and administration abstracts and addendum electronically rather than with hardcopies," says Szabo.

In accession to its blooming articles and services, TheGreenOffice.com practices sustainability in its own appointment through a blooming purchasing policy, a aught decay initiative, a charge to carbon neutrality through advancing onsite reductions and offsetting, and anniversary reporting.

Szabo wants to see added businesses accomplish the aforementioned commitments as TheGreenOffice.com. "We claiming added retailers to do added than just banknote in on chump appeal for blooming articles on Earth Day. Earth day is not a holiday, it's a time to reflect on how we amusement our planet and communities. It's about authoritative abiding changes that will access our wellness today and in the future."

ABOUT THEGREENOFFICE.COM:
Founded in 2005, TheGreenOffice.com is the aboriginal online banker to action a abounding alternative of appointment articles focused on blooming alternatives and sustainability. The San Francisco-based company's mission is to accomplish abode greening simple and amount effective.    TheGreenOffice.com is a certified affiliate of the San Francisco Bay Area Green Business Program, a founding affiliate of B Corporation, a Co-op America Green Business, and a actor in a amount of added authoritative and non-profit sustainability programs. TheGreenOffice.com has accustomed ample media advantage including Newsweek, CNN/Money, the New York Post, and Air America. For added information, amuse appointment www.thegreenoffice.com or alarm 800.909.9750.

Business Recycling Offers a Way for Small Businesses to Go Green

Take-back programs and eco affable solutions, accent by Business.gov, advance baby businesses appear blooming efficiencies.

Washington, DC -- Business.gov launched a alternation of eco-friendly accoutrement to advice baby businesses accede with ecology regulations, and use ecology problems as catalysts to advance innovate articles and services. Business recycling, accomplished through take-back programs and featured as allotment of Business.gov's blooming release, is one of the abounding means that baby businesses can appulse their basal band as able-bodied as the environment.

Recycling and take-back programs, a anatomy of business recycling, accord companies the adventitious to become eco friendly. This is such a accepted affair for business owners that we capital to accommodate businesses with the assets they charge to apprentice more. The barrage of our blooming website is the absolute appointment to accomplish this. "Recycling and take-back programs, a anatomy of business recycling, accord companies the adventitious to become eco friendly. This is such a accepted affair for business owners that we capital to accommodate businesses with the assets they charge to apprentice more. The barrage of our blooming website is the absolute appointment to accomplish this." says Nancy Sternberg, affairs administrator for the Business Gateway Initiative, a affiliation of 21 federal agencies committed to allowance the nation's baby businesses with their operations.

Take-back programs, a anatomy of business recycling, accord manufacturers the concrete albatross for accepting articles or packaging at the end of their advantageous lives. Many manufacturers accept these programs. For a account of products, manufacturers and added information, appointment take-back programs on www.business.gov.

In affiliation with Earth Day, Business.gov launched a host of green-friendly accoutrement for baby businesses including blooming tips, a new seek accoutrement for ecology regulations, and appearance on how to save money and the environment. This aswell includes new assets for blooming vendors, blooming artefact procurement, and eco-friendly resources.

By accouterment accoutrement and the latest authoritative advice at a accompaniment and bounded level, as able-bodied as key acumen on recycling, blooming articles and programs, and ecology management, Business.gov offers businesses a admired toolkit to advice them save money while traveling green.

The website aswell includes tips and abundant advice on new assets for blooming vendors, blooming artefact procurement, and authoritative ecology claims.

About Business.gov
Business.gov is the official business hotlink to the U.S. Government. Business.gov is managed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in a partnership with 21 added federal agencies. This partnership, accepted as Business Gateway, serves as an incubator of technologies advised to advance the accumulation of casework and advice to the nation's baby business community. Originally launched in 2004, Business.gov provides a individual acceptance point to government casework and advice to advice the nation's businesses with their operations.

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.

U.S. Green Building Council Launches Nationwide Green Schools Effort

"Fifty for Fifty" Initiative to Engage State Legislators in Every State to Develop Green Schools Caucuses

Washington, DC (Vocus/PRWEB ) September 4, 2008 -- Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) kicked off its "Fifty for Fifty" action alive with accompaniment assembly in all 50 states to advance blooming academy buildings. The Council's ambition is for every accompaniment assembly in the nation to accept its own assembly or alive accumulation of assembly advancing blooming schools for kids. Inspired by the successes of the Congressional Green Schools Caucus, the action will body on boundless accord in USGBC's LEED for schools program, which has over 1,000 blooming schools registered above the U.S.

For acceptance and families above the country, added blooming schools ultimately beggarly added able educational facilities, cogent operating costs savings, a bigger environment, and convalescent communities The caucuses will add the cogent weight of their choir to this alarmingly important effort. If we're acknowledged at creating blooming schools for every child, no amount his or her bread-and-butter bracket, we'll accession a bearing of smart, healthier, aggressive kids. At an accident captivated this afternoon in Washington, DC at the National Press Club, the "Fifty for Fifty" Initiative provides accompaniment legislators with:
 

Up-to-date advice and developments in blooming architecture including trends, cost-benefit studies and incentives offered by localities to advanced and advance blooming architecture Networking opportunities with agreeing legislators above the country Opportunities for partnerships with experts in their communities, from architects to engineers to contractors Opportunities to present best practices and successes in bounded and civic forums
State legislators ablution the action will include:
 
The Honorable Karen May, Illinois The Honorable Mary Brandenburg, Florida The Honorable Patricia Haddad, Massachusetts The Honorable Kenneth Plum, Virginia The Honorable Mimi Stewart, New Mexico The Honorable Jeremy Kalin, Minnesota"For acceptance and families above the country, added green schools ultimately beggarly added able educational facilities, cogent operating costs savings, a bigger environment, and convalescent communities," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, USGBC. "The caucuses will add the cogent weight of their choir to this alarmingly important effort. If we're acknowledged at creating blooming schools for every child, no amount his or her bread-and-butter bracket, we'll accession a bearing of smart, healthier, aggressive kids."

"Green academy barrio and a acknowledging class about their economic, ecology and civic allowances will adapt our acceptance of today to abide in tomorrow's ability accountable world. Energy attention will be a allotment of circadian activity in the future. It's not abundant to acquaint acceptance that fact. We charge to accord them assorted opportunities to apprentice how to be added environmentally acquainted and why it affairs so much," said the Honorable Kenneth Plum, Virginia.

As the academy year begins, about 1,000 academy barrio - from Tacoma, Wash., to Tallahassee, Fla., - will accept met or are gluttonous LEED blooming academy certification, with applications growing at a amount of added than one per day. The absolute amount of aboveboard anxiety of LEED certified and registered academy amplitude will beat 100 actor aboveboard anxiety as the academy year gets underway, according to new abstracts appear by USGBC.

For added information, appointment www.buildgreenschools.org.

About the U.S. Green Building Council:
The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit associates alignment whose eyes is a acceptable complete ambiance aural a generation. Its associates includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and added nonprofit organizations. Since USGBC's founding in 1993, the Council has developed to added than 17,000 affiliate companies and organizations, a absolute ancestors of LEED® blooming architecture acceptance systems, an all-embracing educational offering, the industry's accepted Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a arrangement of 78 bounded chapters, affiliates and acclimation groups. For added information, appointment www.usgbc.org.

Green Cleaning For Dummies® Directs Homeowners to Organic, Non-toxic, Sustainable Resources

This simple adviser provides acceptable and advantageous solutions for every allowance in the house--from the kitchen and bath to the laundry allowance and garage.

Hoboken, NJ -- Adapting blooming charwoman solutions is one simple way for an alone to advice the ambiance while abbreviation baneful chemicals and balance decay in the home. For those analytic for a simple guide, Green Cleaning For Dummies® (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; 978-0-470-39106-8; $16.99) provides acceptable and advantageous solutions for every allowance in the house--from the kitchen and bath to the laundry allowance and garage.

Green Cleaning FD

This book presents blooming charwoman in its appropriately absolute ablaze - an action that costs annihilation or next to nothing, reduces activity consumption, makes your home a convalescent place, requires no adorned gadgets, and reaffirms that traveling blooming is not about cede or accomplishing without, but rather a anniversary of ethics that accompany about a meaningful, fulfilling, and blithesome above of life. more than a publishing phenomenon, but a assurance of the times As columnist Elizabeth B. Goldsmith, PhD, states in the introduction, "This book presents blooming charwoman in its appropriately absolute ablaze - an action that costs annihilation or next to nothing, reduces activity consumption, makes your home a convalescent place, requires no adorned gadgets, and reaffirms that traveling blooming is not about cede or accomplishing without, but rather a anniversary of ethics that accompany about a meaningful, fulfilling, and blithesome above of life."

With Green Cleaning For Dummies, readers will apprentice how to:

-Save money and the ambiance with accustomed charwoman methods
-Assemble a blooming charwoman toolbox
-Make baby accomplish to conserve activity (replacing ablaze bulbs, adjusting the thermostat, and others)
-Improve the ability of accessories
-Create bootleg cleaners
-Utilize blooming organizations and programs

The accessible "Cheat Sheet," a tear-out amid in the foreground of all For Dummies® books, includes a blueprint of acceptable substitutes for accepted charwoman practices, as able-bodied as tips for extenuative water. The consistently accepted "Part of Tens" explains 'Ten (Or So) Ways Your Grandparents Got It Right' and 'Ten Steps--Beyond Clean--to Green Your Home and Your Life,' such as abbreviation your home's activity output, attention fuel, and arresting responsibly. An Appendix lists assets for attention (Energy Star, etc.), blooming artefact certifications (GREENGUARD), home assurance (Health House), amoebic and acceptable aliment (Slow Food, 100-Mile Diet), careful arcade (Coop America), and more.

About the Authors:
Elizabeth B. Goldsmith, PhD, is a Family Resource Management assistant at Florida State University and Fulbright Scholar with ability in plan and family, chump economics, and advantageous calm environments. For added than a decade, she wrote "House Calls," a approved cavalcade in her hometown newspaper.
Betsy Sheldon is a lifestyles columnist and editor with a affection for sustainability issues. She writes "Green Watch," a approved cavalcade for Indianapolis Monthly Home magazine.

Green Cleaning For Dummies®
By Elizabeth B. Goldsmith, PhD with Betsy Sheldon
ISBN: 978-0-470-39106-8 / $16.99 U.S. / November 2008

For added means to greening your life, analysis out:
Green Living For Dummies® 978-0-470-22742-8
Solar Power Your Home For Dummies®, 978-0-470-17569-9

To see all For Dummies titles, appointment www.dummies.com

About For Dummies®
With abreast accepted name recognition, added than 200 actor copies printed, and over 1000 topics, For Dummies is the world's bestselling advertence series. With loyal barter about the globe, For Dummies enriches people's lives by authoritative ability accessible in a fun and simple way. Described by the New York Times as "more than a publishing phenomenon, but a assurance of the times," For Dummies amount every area of the bookstore, accoutrement aggregate from bloom to history, music to math, sports to self-help, technology to travel, and more. The For Dummies casting has broadcast into new articles and categories with an all-encompassing accountant artefact line, including exercise and amusement DVDs, assay kits, business software, charwoman products, automotive kits, ability kits, and apparel. For added information, appointment Dummies.com. For Dummies is a branded banner of Wiley.