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What does Green mean and where does it come from?
The term "green" gets its roots from the political term
"Green Politics" which comes from the political organization
"Green Party", whose principals, among other things,
includes "ecological wisdom". "Greens", as they are called,
believe essentially that humans are disrupting the
environment.
Here is their official stated value: "Human
societies must operate with the understanding that we are
part of nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain
an ecological balance and live within the ecological and
resource limits of our communities and our planet. We
support a sustainable society which utilizes resources in
such a way that future generations will benefit and not
suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we
must practice agriculture which replenishes the soil; move
to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that
respect the integrity of natural systems."
So there you have it...the birth of "live green".
So partly from this,
strategies have been developed related to programs,
guidelines, laws, and
more for consumers and businesses that are designed to help achieve these goals.
Recycling itself dates back over 100 years, but it has been
only in the last 20 years with the advent of the "Green
Movement" spurred on by organizations like the Green Party,
that "turning green" has come to the forefront of our lives.
So Live Green Howard County!
Our goal here is to attempt to inform and educate what the
"green" or "environmentally friendly" movement is about and
how it affects individuals and businesses. We will also
provide tips and information to help consumers and
businesses utilize various "green" initiatives that will
help the environment. We will try to explain it in easy to
understand terms that will assist you in your "live green"
everyday life.
Our goal is two-fold:
1) to help consumers and businesses gain knowledge about how
to consume less and recycle more.
2) to promote "green" related events, educational material,
and educate consumers on environmental friendly products and
services here in Howard County, Maryland. |
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The most common applications for achieving these goals...the 3 R's
Recycle what you use: Most cities or
counties should have a recycling program, whether
it’s paper, aluminum, plastic, or glass. Recycling
turns materials that would otherwise become waste
into valuable resources. Recycling is the
reprocessing of materials into new products.
Recycling generally prevents the waste of
potentially useful materials, reduces the
consumption of raw materials and reduces energy
usage, and hence greenhouse gas emissions, compared
to virgin production. Recycling is a key concept of
modern waste management and is the third component
of the waste hierarchy.
Reduce what you use: Waste
prevention means consuming and throwing away less.
Simple enough.
Reuse what you use: Reusing items
-- by repairing them, donating them to charity and
community groups, or selling them -- also reduces
waste. Reusing products, when possible, is even
better than recycling because the item does not need
to be reprocessed before it can be used again. |
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Here's are real life example:
If you throw your jeans away, you
increase the amount of garbage that
ends up in the landfills. However,
if you decide to donate them you are
REDUCING
the amount of garbage that ends up
in our landfills. And, shoppers at
Goodwill can extend the life cycle
of the jeans by purchasing them,
thus REUSING
the items. Even if the jeans aren't
purchased at our store we have a
RECYCLING
program where those jeans can be
recycled into new items or sent to
other countries for process. Think
about it—not only are you helping
the environment you are helping
people in your community by donating
to Goodwill.
The possibilities are endless. In
everything we do all day long, there
are ways to recycle, reduce, and
reuse. How many can you think of?
Better yet, how many can you do each
day? |
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| So what is going on in Howard
County to "do our part" for the
environment? Here are just a few
links to County Government
initatives. |
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