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OUR MISSION
Working For Green is a video-based web community dedicated to everyday Americans who've found innovative ways to save money, find sustainable work and protect our natural resources. We're about inspiring and motivating people with personal success stories and actionable information to help individuals around the country improve their financial situation and environment through small sustainable changes.
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How can someone's passion for biking, coffee and sustainability lead to a successful career? Well, a coffee roasting company that uses bicycles for deliveries seems to be a sure-fire one. Meet Joel Domreis, the brain and calves behind Courier Coffee Roasters in Portland, Oregon. Joel's coffee roasting company delivers to local restaurants, businesses and residents within biking distance of his downtown office. Ride along as Joel navigates the streets.
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Happy Hollow may be one of those places that kids look forward to attending! This one-of-a-kind kindergarten, preschool and school age academic daycare in Beaverton, Oregon brings kids closer to nature by keeping them active in the Center's food garden, teaching them composting, and even using natural materials as art supplies. The Center's mission is to provide a healthy indoor and outdoor environment where children can develop positive environmental ethics.
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"Big results. Small footprint." That's the motto of Portland's Green Microgym. When founder and work-out enthusiast Adam Boesel decided to build a gym for Portland-area residents, he knew that going green would greatly benefit his clients and staff, while bringing about substantial savings that would help keep membership fees low. Well, Adam sure didn't cut any corners. When we say "green", we're talking about a very dark shade of green-- think emerald! Adam opted for eco-friendly options in all areas of the gym, so clients can feel relaxed knowing that everything from the soaps to the marmoleum flooring is free of harmful toxins.
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Residents living in and around the Chicago area have struck gold thanks to the Chicago Botanic Garden and the City's Community College system! Not only do these residents have access to a valuable certificate program in sustainable agriculture, but grocers and community members also benefit from the fresh & organic produce that's grown by the hard-working but inspired students in this program. No doubt this is a green program that's truly golden!
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Thanks to the land-use and sustainability concepts that went into designing Santa Fe County's Oshara Village, residents in this eco-friendly community probably say the words "home sweet home" in more areas than just the inside of their home. Oshara residents Bob and Beth Detwiler are enthusiastic about their community not only because they have reduced their home energy usage by 30-40% or because they have reduced their dependence on automobiles, but because they have adopted a lifestyle that fulfills their personal needs in a very sustainable fashion.
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What's gooey, green and also clean? Recent high school graduate Xander Pertusine says it may be ethanol, or it may be algae oil...or maybe even both! Whether you're a construction worker looking to gain green building skills or, you're someone who's interested in shifting careers towards our nation's emerging green economy, then the Sustainable Technologies Center (STC) at Santa Fe Community College may be the right place for you!
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The founders of the Jackass Acres K-9 Korral opted to build a dog park in a way that could stretch their donated funds as far as possible. Luckily, they knew that by going "green" they would not only save money up front, but would also reduce the maintenance costs associated with traditional dog parks. In addition to solar powered electricity, reused artificial turf and dog-waste composting, one of the nation's first green dog parks has set the stage for a new model of parks that this New River community and their canine companions can enjoy.
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The fashionable Hannah Hartnell has green in mind with nearly every decision she makes, including her special occasions dress designing studio in Santa Monica, CA. Hannah is benefitting both her clients and the environment by using or reusing only nontoxic materials, designing multi-purpose dresses, and giving back to the community by supporting local environmental groups. Take a tour of the Hartnell Studios awarded the 2008 Sustainable Quality Awards by the City of Santa Monica!
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Can boot campers be jolly & green? Thanks to the vision and commitment of the Chicago Botanic Garden and the Cook County's Sheriff's Department, the answer is an emphatic "yes!" This unique agricultural program gives its participants the opportunity to build healthy and productive lives. It's a win-win program for everyone involved.
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Meet Juan Beltran, a former Iraq war veteran who became a quadriplegic while on a mission. Despite his injury, Juan is not bitter. In fact, he is thankful that his time in Iraq taught him a life-changing lesson that he now hopes to share with others: The U.S. is addicted to oil and we need to kick the habit for the betterment of our country's future. So Juan decided to build a sustainable home that is not only financially rewarding but which has also allowed his family to be self-sufficient. Visit the Beltrans at their eco-friendly farm in Chino, California and see how they are making sustainability the key.
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The Human Society is truly the cat's pajamas now that it's built the nation's first LEED certified shelter in Silicon Valley. The sustainable and uber-humane shelter provides orphaned animals with a social and non-toxic environment that allows them to play by day and rest by night. Seems prospective human families are also really taking to the center because there's been an increase in pet adoption rates. Take a tour with Susan to see what makes this shelter so unique, to see how you can green your local shelter or to get some ideas on how you can green your adopted pet's pad!
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The Sacred Heart Medical Center was built around the concept of evidence-based design, an approach that places importance on the environment in which healing is taking place. By constructing the hospital with eco-friendly materials and by embracing the surrounding natural environment, Sacred Heart encompasses a holistic approach to healing that benefits patients, their loved ones, as well as the medical community.
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In light of the BP Gulf Coast oil catastrophe, we feel that it's a great time for our readers to meet a family who's successfuly decreased their oil footprint and even established an eco-friendly business in the process: Pasadena's very own Megan and Marshall Dostal. Marshall has been brewing bio-diesel for his Mercedes sedan for a few years now - with a little help from local Pasadena eateries. Then one day Marshall realized something amazing: that glycerin, a byproduct of bio-fuel production, could be reused and turned into glycerin products, including soap, lotion...even candles!
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Germs be gone...and take those toxic chemicals with you! If you're in the New York Tri-State area, then Pure Environment Maintenance Cleaning may be doing just that at a business, school or restaurant near you. Pure founder Ilene Shaw uses only eco-friendly, Green Seal certified cleaning products that offer the same bang for the buck, but without the harmful toxins.
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What's better than a cow that supplies fresh, wholesome milk? Well, how about one that also provides a clean and renewable source of energy? As owners of the Vermont-based Pleasant Valley Farm, Mark and Amanda St. Pierre are supplying one of the oldest sources of energy ever used by humans - sludge.
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Action heroes may one day be based on solar energy technicians like Luke Spangenburg. Thanks to the Santa Fe Community College's Solar Energy Certificate program, Luke will be scaling walls and climbing onto rooftops to bring clean, renewable energy to American homes and businesses everywhere. He is already well on his way to gaining the skills required to join this rapidly expanding green job sector. In 2009, the solar industry supported 17,000 new jobs in the United States. Now that's a lot of heroes!
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What do solar panels, hot water, free pizza and video games have in common? Well, you'll find out as you take our tour of the World's Largest Laundromat, located in the heart of Berwyn, Illinois. Owner Tom Benson's recipe for creating this eco-friendly and money-saving store begins with the laundromat's 36 rooftop solar panels, supplying energy to run all washers and dryers around the clock...even on cloudy days! But this is just the start.
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"Green is the new blonde" according to Green with Envy, an organic hair studio located in Scottsdale, Arizona. If that's the case, then perhaps greens do have more fun! Due to a lack of government regulation, personal care products sold in the U.S. continue to use toxic and harmful ingredients. Luckily, Green with Envy was created to provide a safe, healthy environment for clients and stylists alike-- designed to reduce the salon's ecological footprint altogether.
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In the heart of Chicago, Helen and Michael Cameron's Uncommon Ground restaurants may very well be two of the city's most exciting eco-landmarks. No stone was left unturned in this couple's pursuit of creating eco-friendly eateries that serve only seasonal and locally produced foods in settings specially designed to have minimal ecological footprints. Every choice was made with health, community and sustainability in mind - from the furniture built using felled trees to partnering with tree planting and educational outreach projects.
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The highly acclaimed movie, Avatar, delivers the message "save what you know is worth saving", a phrase which defines the vision behind the newly remodeled California Academy of Sciences, located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The innovative minds that drove the remodeling of this natural history museum wanted to create a unique teaching environment - one that promotes the importance of saving biodiversity and our natural environment. But they didn't stop there...
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Airstreams is an alternative energy development company currently located in six states, and is expanding to the worldwide market. Follow Susan as she meets some hard working Americans who had recently lost their jobs and have found refuge at one of Airstream's job training centers.
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The California Conservation Corps was created in 1976, dubbed as the "original green jobs corps" in the United States. Every year, this government program hires 3,300 men and women, ages 18-25, and provides job-skills training programs and environmental stewardship for California's native environments.
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