This Is Green was founded August 2006.
"We saw that there was as a missing link between green products and the consumer, and also because we increasingly realized that we are using alot of really bad & unhealthy products from building materials to cars, toys, furniture & body care products.
Our goal is to provide current information the green technologies and products that are available so you can make informed choices.
The Planet is in Peril
In the past three decades, one-third of the planet’s natural resources base have been consumed. In the United States, we have less than 4% of our original forests left. Forty percent of waterways in the US have become undrinkable. The U.S.has 5% of the world’s population but consumes 30% of the world’s resources and creates 30% of the world’s waste. For every one garbage can of waste you put out on the curb, 70 garbage cans of waste were made upstream to make the junk in that one garbage can you put out on the curb.
In the U.S. our national happiness peaked sometime in the 1950s. (this is related to GNP)
There’s a real sense of urgency.
What Happened?
The Industrial revolution changed the speed of production, and we saw no limit to our natural resources. We're starting to feel the hangover from this process. The plantets eco-systems are fragile, and our natural resources are finite. We need to adapt.
How can we change?
Three things needs to work together for us to move towards a sustainable development;
1. Political Courage (that leads to legislation)
2. Technological solutions
3. Individual responsibility
These work as integral parts, each contributing to each other.
Individual resonsibility
Today, one, if not the, greatest power you have as an individual, is to bring your value to the checkout counter. Whenever you buy something, you are making a statement. What this means, is that to exercise this power, we as consumers need to be aware of the materials and life cycle of the things we buy.
EPA has not acted to banning a single substance since 1989 when it banned 90 % of the use of asbestos (a known carcinogen). It was challenged by the industry, and a federal court vacated the ban saying that the agency had ”not met the requirements for proof of harm balanced against the benefits of asbestos”. More than thirty million pounds is still used every year as insulation in an array of products, including brake shoes and industrial tiles. We can do better.
It is up to you, to make sure you don’t buy products that is bad for your health and bad for the environment.
What should I consider?
In terms of individual responsibility, and responsible products, there are many shades of green, and its hard to know how and what to choose.
There are 5 major categories we consider when we review products at This Is Green.com We call them eco-actions, and our minimum requirement is that a product fulfills at least one of these.
They are: Save Energy, Low Toxicity , Reduce/Recycle/Reuce, Reduce CO2 (greehouse gas emissions) & Save Water.
