CT Green Scene

Successful Connecticut Business Man Shares his Insights on Sustainable Business

by Heather Burns

In honor of Earth Day, I spoke with one of Connecticut's most inspirational sustainable business owners I know.  Bruce Crowle, Co-Owner with his wife Joanne, of Atria Inc. shares some insight on the good, the difficult, and the rewarding elements of operating a sustainable business.

How do you personally define sustainability?
The word Sustainable is an adjective meaning ‘to maintain at a certain rate or level’.  Today’s green initiatives are focusing on maintaining our planets environment at its present level for all future generations.  We can only hope it’s not too late to actually reverse some of the consequences we have helped to create.  To be sustainable we first have to accept that every positive action we take will help improve the environment, or at the very least, not hurt it.   

What was the impetus/reason for pursuing more sustainable business practices?
I think it’s important that you personally believe ‘baby steps’ are required and cumulatively those steps will have a positive impact.  Our staff has embraced Atria’s sustainable position with open arms and with conviction.  They’ve helped create our policy and practices and are always looking for any way to help reduce, reuse and recycle. I’d say several of those choices played an important role in developing and putting into practice Atria’s sustainable policy. 

I did experience some early inspiration back in 1973 while undertaking my senior thesis project.  That involved studying oxygen levels of a cluster of small ponds in North Carolina over a 6 month period of time.  The thesis concluded that when fertilizer was applied to improve surrounding grass or crops it had a measurable impact down stream (increased algae and corresponding decrease of oxygen).  From this I learned that the balance within all ecosystems is fragile and that man has the greatest influence on the environment.  That’s when I first really started to care how I impacted my immediate environment.

Most of Atria’s veteran staff had horticultural background before they joined us.  I believe horticulturist’s have a predisposition for sustainable practices.  It’s not hard to convince us that we all need to do our part to help improve the environment.

I’d say that Atria has practiced and preached sustainability because we are in the business of providing plants for interior environments and we’ve known that their presence helps reduce volatile organic compounds (VOC’s).  These gases are introduced into the space by the furniture, paint, carpeting and cleaning solutions and are the cause of poor indoor air quality. 

What value has sustainable principles and practices brought your company?
The most value we get out of our company concern for the environment is our group pride in taking a leadership position.  Atria was the very first company in the country to earn Platinum status in the Green Earth – Green Plants® Certification Program,  the accreditation program for interior plantscape businesses.  Our sustainable practices and efforts helped develop sound standards for environmentally-safe practices within our industry. 

What were some of the challenges or barriers you face?
Initially, there were financial challenges.  In order to implement some of the changes we knew we had to make an investment.  When we first moved into our present facility the warehouse was lit with old and inefficient Mercury Halide lamps.  At that time the state of Connecticut and CL&P had a great energy program where they offered to help offset the cost of installing high efficiency lighting.  Atria took advantage of this offer and retrofitted every light in our 13,000 sq/ft facility.  That investment paid for itself in less than 4 years and we are still reaping a return on it

Another challenge was time management.  Many of the policies we put in place, such as composting all of our old plant material, takes longer than simply tossing them into the trash.  Each plant is taken out of their plastic grow pot, brought to the compost pile on our property, and the pots put in the recycle bin.  We also have a comprehensive recycling program that includes recycling and re-using packaging and composting all organic materials related to our products, as well as employee led efforts to collect and recycle office materials.     

Our industry has always believed and communicated the fact that our products, which include interior tropical plants, live flowers, green walls and green roofs, all benefit the environment in a very positive way.  In the last twenty plus years universities and college researchers have documented the many critical benefits of including well designed and professionally maintained interior plants in the office, shopping malls and homes.  Those benefits include the absorption of noise pollution, increased HVAC efficiency (cost reduction), improving healthy humidity levels and most importantly reducing employee stress at work.  

Where do you see your industry in five years?
Looking ahead, I believe that the inclusion of plants, green walls and roofs will be the norm for new construction projects and LEED certification credits will include plants.  Cities will use live roofs to cut down on pollution, green walls and large atriums will be more prevalent in hospitals, universities and in corporate settings.  This has been the case for many years in places like South America, Europe and Asia, and in some cities here in the U.S. as well.   

Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them

by Heather Burns

About ten years ago, I sold everything I owned and set off around the world with only a one-way plane ticket and what would fit into a backpack. I was young, naive and full of hope about what the world had to offer. I bounced around from Athens to Malaysia to Laos to Cambodia, and finally settled on a 21-square kilometer island. There, I completed Dive Master training and got a job working at a local dive shop.

I logged nearly 300 dives in the saphire waters of the Gulf of Thailand and knew where every grouper and clown fish colony hung out. I also noticed when the coral began to turn white nearly overnight and the fish I'd come to love, disappeared. Little did I know, the dramatic decline in the ecosystems I adored was part of a much larger issue.

Ten years and a few eco-awakenings later, I'm still full of hope - as my belief that the power of the human spirit, when applied collectively and collaboratively, can heal the world - but it will take commitment and action. That's why what activist and actor Ted Danson has to say in his new book, Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them, (released March 15, 2011) is top on my reading list.

 

 

Book Trailer: 'Oceana' by Ted Danson from Oceana on Vimeo.

A Green Woman

by Eileen Weber

Have you heard of Victoria Everman? If you haven’t, you need to look her up. She’s done everything from writing to modeling to photography to hosting her own web site about the environment. She’s even gotten into green weddings, which is very fitting as she and her fiancé are soon to be married. And she manages to juggle all that while practicing yoga in her spare time.

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, Founder and Editor of Sustainablog, a site providing information about the environment, the economy, business and politics since the summer of 2003, said Everman is an incredibly creative person with cool and different ideas. “For somebody involved in fashion and modeling to be this down to earth, you don’t really expect to see that,” he said.

McIntire-Strasburg has known Everman for over two years. They worked together when she was a writer for Green Options Media, a conglomerate of green blogs launched in February 2007. He said she did a lot of fashion articles and took the lead on the site’s crafting blog.

“She’s not afraid of digging in and finding the great stories. I’m impressed with how well she promotes green living. She puts her ideas out there and makes them user-friendly.”

Emily Dodge, Founder of SustainabiliTee, an environmentally-friendly online clothing store, said Everman was easy to work with as a fashion model. Dodge originally met her through her web site, Victoria-E, when she bought ad space. They developed a professional relationship when Dodge did a photo shoot. Everman was one of the models.

“For her age she's very mature and very thoughtful. She has good advice and is actually willing to share it,” said Dodge. “I think she does wonderfully at letting people know what alternatives are out there, and to explore the "green" realm of every aspect of life. She activates people and gives them good information via her written work.”

Glenn Croston: A Blueprint for Business Success

by Tracey Finch

Some of the most successful businesses today grew out of the Great Depression. That's right. Fortune magazine is one, and there are many more. For where there's a meltdown, there is space for innovation and determination to grab a foot hold and climb out of the rubble.

So go ahead, put your thinking cap on and grab a copy of "75 Green Businesses You Can Start to Make Money and Make a Difference," by Glenn Croston, Ph.D.

It outlines opportunities, describes current and projected market need, what you need to know to get started, what kind of capital is required, and some of the special challenges you can expect along the way.

Glenn was kind enough to spend some time with CT GreenScene to give us some insight into where he thinks things in the green business arena are heading.

GS: What specific industry is leading the way in the green revolution?

GC: Renewable energy is poised to make a bigger impact than ever on the economy and the health of the planet.  Solar, wind, and other forms of renewable energy have a number of factors that will support their continued rapid growth, even in the face of the current economic turmoil.  Providing cost effective clean energy will help our national security, fight climate change, create jobs, and get our economy back on track. 

GS: What are your favorite big name companies with bold initiatives?

GC: Green leaders like Gary Hirshberg at Stoneyfield Farms and Ray Anderson at Interface have shown that they can grow a successful business while still doing the right thing for the planet.  They have been taking the lead and providing it can be done, which is pretty bold. 

The many car makers poised to transform our automotive industry are bold players.  If the big automakers like GM can't do it, it will leave the opportunity open to small companies like Aptera.  When the auto industry emerges from its current trials with a new variety of electric cars and plug-ins coming to market, it may look very different than it does today. 

GS: What's a promising green product or service?

The New York Times Covers Fairfield County GreenDrinks

An important omission has been made from this article in The New York Times--Remy Chevalier, whose name is not mentioned, has been instrumental in the creation and growth of Fairfield County GreenDrinks, particularly concerning the funky and fun event last month at Pirate.

The omission was unintentional, and not performed by the writer and photographer who covered the story.

Environmentalists

Hi. Buy You a Drink? Save the Planet?

By WENDY CARLSON
Published: January 20, 2008

NY TIMES - CT SECTION

Norwalk

IT was a typical pub scene at the Pirate Night Club and Restaurant in Norwalk on a recent evening, except that the banter around the bar was about bamboo, not baseball, and the drinks were green in the organic sense.

“The environment is on a lot of people’s minds,” said Heather Burns-DeMelo, 37, the founder of Fairfield County Green Drinks, a social networking group of eco-minded professionals, which held its fourth monthly meeting here on a recent Wednesday evening.

On this occasion, the mixer drew about 100 people, uniting a wide range of environmentalists, including business executives, members of the Green Party, carpenters, chefs, makeup artists, architects, fashion designers and schoolteachers.

Ms. Burns-DeMelo, the editor of the Hartford-based AllGreen Magazine and the Web site CTGreenScene.typepad.com, said she learned about Green Drinks International when she was working as a freelance writer covering environmental issues.

Well, Why Not?

How does a Connecticut goat farmer go from tending his herd to a lobbyist, new legislation creator, and biodiesel producer? One Connecticut man began by asking why not?

Christos Glynos and his partner, George Linardos, Sr. began the planning phase to build a biodiesel production facility on Mr. Glynos farm nearly four years ago. After the arduous task of locating a company willing and able to design and build such a unique project, they applied for a permit only to have Bethlehem, Connecticut, building officials turn them down.

"Anytime you want to start something new or foreign to people, road blocks pop up all over the place and people all around you say, You can't do that! I just looked at them and kept asking, "Why not?" Most of the time the people in government agencies admitted they didn't know why, so I set up round table discussions to make them tell me exactly what they needed me to do to make it happen," Glynos said.

That laundry list--changing legislation, rewritting building codes, creating tax incentives for schools who use biodiesel in their buses, and finding the funding for research and development and educational programs about alternative energy options--would chase many people off and back into a cushy job in corporate America.

But they had a dream and believed in an opportunity. "When we started thinking about BioPur, gasoline was $1.25 a gallon. People looked at me and said, Why would you bother, gas is only 1.25? I told them I didn't think it would stay that way and besides, we were too dependent on foreign oil."

So he and his partner set off to overcome every obstacle that appeared in their path and today, they're producing 400,000 gallons of locally manufactured biofuel with plans to double that amount in the next year.

Green-E Profile of a CT Riverman

What is the name of your organization and what is its mission? The Farmington River Watershed Association was established as a 501©3 non-profit conservation organization in 1953 with a mission of protecting the Farmington River and its watershed forever through implementing research, education, and advocacy programs.

What is your day-to-day role in the organization? Every day I am involved with directing programs, making public presentations, responding to questions about the watershed, developing ideas for new programs on emerging environmental issues, serving as a liaison with our Board of Directors, working with other local and statewide groups trying to make a difference, and raising funds to support our activities.

What prompted you to become eco-conscious? I grew up in Pittsfield, MA near the Housatonic River.  As a kid, I went to the Pleasant Valley (Audubon) Wildlife Sanctuary day camp in Lenox and learned about pond, river, and meadow ecology.  In High School, I started hearing and learning about PCB’s and other environmental contaminants that were added to the River by a local business, and my AP Biology teacher inspired me to think about a career in science.  After graduating from the University of Michigan with a History degree, I went to work for Congressman Silvio O. Conte in Washington, DC serving as his legislative aide handling elderly, environmental, health, and women’s issues.  With Conte, environmental issues quickly became my favorite and I worked with a team of people to write legislation that created the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge along the Connecticut River.  When Conte passed away in 1991, I went to work for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, then got a Master’s degree in environmental science at U.C. Berkeley, and I haven’t looked back since.  I have been FRWA’s Executive Director since January, 2003.

What do you see as the most pressing environmental issue in Connecticut? Why?

Many environmental issues are connected but I would say that one of the prime drivers of environmental problems is sprawl (a.k.a. unwise land use).  This leads to a bevy of problems:  an increase in impervious/paved surfaces which leads to more stormwater run-off pollution and flooding as well as less groundwater/aquifer recharge; an increase in commute times which are connected to increased consumption of fossil fuels and a worsening of global warming and air pollution; and the loss of key habitats and species due to fragmentation by roads and poorly planned developments.

Race for the Earth--A Global and Local Challenge

It's no coincidence that James Whelan heads up a Ridgefield, Connecticut-based environmental organization called RACE. In 1999, a heightened sense of eco-consciousness propelled him to buy an electric car, even though the price was high and several Connecticut car dealerships refused to fill his order. Who would have guessed that his penchant for a nifty, guilt-free electric car would foreshadow a full time commitment to the environment nearly ten years later? 

Whelan says, "Global warming and climate change are upon us and virtually all scientists agree that human activity is a primary cause. Global temperatures and sea levels are rising.  Storms are increasing in frequency and intensity, causing both floods and drought.  Carbon emissions and other pollution are fouling the air we breathe, the water we drink, and endangering food stocks.  These events are also damaging human health and driving many species to extinction." But it's not all doom and gloom for this Ridgefield resident, nor for other members of the Action Committee.

"Ridgefield Action Committee for the Environment was founded on the premise that “a few thoughtful, committed people can change the world”. In that spirit of Margaret Mead, we raise awareness about how to notice and change our ways and coordinate and communicate the actions of town government, schools, library, faith communities, business, and civic groups. By doing this, we hope to encourage these organizations to take on specific environmental works and to share their experience with others," Whelan says.

 

When asked how other Connecticut residents can change their corner of world Whalen replies, "If there is a local task force, contact them to see how to help.  Become a member of the executive team; volunteer to help out at events; or add your list to the e-mail distribution list to stay in the loop. If your town doesn't have a local task force, think about starting one. You can also call up your representative in Hartford and voice your opinion on an upcoming bill. Whatever you do, there is always interest and you meet wonderful people while doing something good for your community and the world."

Profile of a Late Bloomer

Welcome to our first Green-E profile. The Green-E profiles are intended to give you an inside view of the people behind green movement in Connecticut. Learn which issues Green-E's are passionate about, what led them to where they are now, and what motivates them to get up every morning and do what they do...beyond paying the bills! If you're a Green-E and would like to have your profile included, Contact Us.

What is the name of your organization and what is its mission? The mission of CT Green Scene is to bring environmentally conscious or curious people from all corners of the state together by providing news, events, and education related to air quality, arts, business, citizen action, CO2 sequestration, ecology, energy, family, food, gardening, government, green building, house and home, investing and finance, low impact land development (LID), profiles, reduce-reuse-recycle, schools, tips to b-greener, transportation, urban planning, and volunteer opportunities.

What is your day-to-day role in the organization? Jack-of-all-trades. For me, CT Green Scene is a labor of love. I consider myself a late bloomer and it took me longer than most to find what I want to do with my life. My parents raised me to believe that satisfaction in life comes from making our corner of the world a better place, but for a long time I didn’t know how to do that. In fact, I wasn’t even sure which corner was mine! So now that I’ve found it, I suppose I have to work harder than most to make up for all the years I bummed around the beaches of Southeast Asia.