8/8/2011

Green Certifications are blooming like the flowers!  We will be taking the next couple of weeks to mention the green certifications, especially for products, that we find the most useful and accurate.  The second is Green Seal Certification.

Green Seal is a non-profit organization that uses science-based programs to help consumers, purchasers and companies to make more informed decisions on material purchases, creating a more sustainable world by promoting a sustainable economy.  Green Seal was formed in 1989 when there were no other environmental certification programs in the US.  Green Seal's reputation has been built on their environmental leadership, adherence to scientific testing and consistency.  Green Seal's material standards are referenced in many other green building programs, including LEED.  Green Seal has developed many standards for green products and services such as household cleaning products, paints and coatings, construction mateirals and equipment,  printing and writing paper and institutional cleaning products.  Find Green Seal-compliant products and services by using their searchable data base on the Green Seal website.

7/25/2011

Green Certifications are blooming like the flowers!  We will be taking the next couple of weeks to mention the green certifications, especially for products, that we find the most useful and accurate.  The first is the GreenGuard Certification.

The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) was founded in 2001 with the mission of improving human health and quality of life by enhancing indoor air quality and reducing people’s exposure to chemicals and other pollutants. In keeping with that mission, GEI certifies products and materials for low chemical emissions and provides a free resource for choosing healthier products and materials for indoor environments.  GreenGuard is referenced in many green building certification programs like LEED, and it is a valuable third party testing organization to consult when determining the best materials to use.  We routinely use GreenGuard as our source of information for low-emitting furniture.  For more information, visit the GreenGuard Website.

6/14/2011

It's Spring and time for us all to get outside and enjoy nature, including the amazing variety of birds.  There is an awesome app for users of iPhone, iPad or Droid systems for the Audubon Field Guide to North American Birds.  For those of you interested in birds and their habitats, we wanted to pass along this information:  This beautiful full color Guide includes sorting functions by bird, wing shapes, location, song calls or patterns, shape, size, nesting type, habitat and many other parameters.  The song sounds have been gathered by the best audio field naturalists... an added feature that a paper-based guide cannot match.  The guide includes over 770 species, and includes range maps for summer and winter.  A portion of the sales goes to support the National Audubon Society.  For more information on this guide and many other naturalist guides for mobile devices visit www.audubonguides.com.