Wanna know what a green campus looks like? Turn to Arizona State University. The largest university in the U.S. is making their campuses eco-friendliness a top priority.
ASU is a university with a plan committed to run it’s facilities as green as possible. The master plan is to become carbon neutral by 2025. Carbon neutrality, or a “net zero carbon footprint,” means achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount of renewable energy or offsetting by planting trees that in turn could help prevent future greenhouse gas emissions.

ASU plans to obtain LEED Silver certification or better for all future buildings. Additionally, they will purchase renewable energy credits, reduce solid waste, and recycle.  Public transportation will be provided for all staff, students, and visitors. Only ENERGY STAR appliances will be purchased. Finally, they are pushing to educate their 67,000 students about reducing their impact to carry on in their lives and businesses.

ASU’s school of Sustainability offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees. This program was started in 2007 (sadly just 2 years after I left ASU) and was the first of it’s kind. The School of Sustainability takes a transdisciplinary approach in its curriculum, addressing a broad spectrum of global challenges, including: energy, materials, and technology; water quality and scarcity; international development; ecosystems; social transformations; food and food systems; and policy and governance.

Melisa Camp, M.Ed.
Realtor ®, GREEN
CEO, Go Green Investments, LLC
Arizona’s Residential Green Building Advocate for USGBC
Young Professionals Network Chair, Phoenix Assoc. of Realtors

www.greenphoenixproperty.com

Green fashion is clothing and accessories with a conscious. Here are some ways to green your wardrobe:

• Vintage/ Second-hand- Instead of throwing clothing away, donate it or trade it in for cash. There are many great second hand shops like: My Sister’s Closet, Buffalo Exchange, Consign Mint, Salvation Army, & Goodwill to name a few.

According to the Daily Green, 98% of clothing is dumped just because we want something new or we’ve outgrown our duds, and we’re too lazy to pass them along to someone else who can use them. Yikes!

• Recycled- Clothing can be repurposed or used to make new clothing.

• Organic fabrics- Made from natural fibers that have been grown without any pesticides and other toxic materials, preserving the health of humans and the environment.

• Vegan- Meaning no leather, fur, or tissue from animals were used to make it.

• Fair Trade- An organized movement that promotes standards for international labor (such as reasonable work hours, no child labor, the right to unionize, a fair living wage), environmentalism, and social policy in areas related to production of goods. Fair Trade focuses on exports from developing countries to developed countries. Some Fair Trade certification organizations include: FLO www.fairtrade.net, IFAT www.ifat.org, TransFair (Canada and US) www.transfairusa.org and www.transfair.ca.

Melisa Camp, M.Ed.
Realtor ®, GREEN
CEO, Go Green Investments, LLC
Arizona’s Residential Green Building Advocate for USGBC
Young Professionals Network Chair, Phoenix Assoc. of Realtors

www.greenphoenixproperty.com

Almost 8 out of 10 plastic water bottles will end up in a landfill. Recycling a single plastic bottle can conserve enough energy to light a 60-watt light bulb for up to six hours. According to Earth 911.

Newsflash: Water bottles leak harmful chemicals into the contents, especially with reuse. When you reuse plastic water bottles and especially if you freeze them, chemicals like Bisphenol (BPA) are entering into the water. While it is still widely believed the water is safe for consumption, there are currently many studies being conducted to determine the validity of the claim. Same for heating food in plastic containers. Glass is much safer when reheating anything.

Here are some tips to minimize your carbon footprint and avoid toxic chemicals:

• Get an aluminum reusable water bottle.

• Drink tap water. “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standards for tap water are more stringent than the Food and Drug Administration’s standards for bottled water, you’ll be drinking water that is just as safe as, or safer than, bottled.” – Treehugger

• Still not convinced tap water is safe? Try a water filtration system or Brita pitcher.

• If you have to use a plastic water bottle, be sure not to reuse it to drink from, though you may be able to reuse for other fun purposes and please recycle it- even if it means taking it home with you to recycle and not trash.

Melisa Camp, M.Ed.
Realtor ®, GREEN
CEO, Go Green Investments, LLC
Arizona’s Residential Green Building Advocate for USGBC
Young Professionals Network Chair, Phoenix Assoc. of Realtors

www.greenphoenixproperty.com

Yesterday I attended the Green Phoenix Chamber’s monthly meeting where two speakers talked about eco-friendly printing. I know what you are thinking. No, it is not more expensive, and yes you should put some time into researching your printer.  Your company can take corporate responsibility to the next level and rest assured both you and your printer are doing your part to conduct business sustainably just by asking a few questions.

• Seek eco-friendly waterless printing. Not only do you save water, but you can print more efficiently, have a higher quality print, use less paper, and reduce the VOC’s by 75%, according to Ric Gatty from Gordon Graphics. He also explained with this method you can actually gain visual benefits like reduced dot gain, more consistent color, capture finer details, and maintain a clearer picture.
• Make sure the paper you are printing on is recycled or FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper. More than 70% of paper available is FSC certified, according to presenter Carrie Leary, of Schuster Print Marketing.
• Use soy-based ink, not oil-based.
• Make sure the printer uses dry toner which requires less energy to recycle and is also biodegradable.
• Karen Baranski of Victor Envelope also suggests EarthFirst PLA film that’s used in the envelope and packaging industries. Check out www.earthfirstpla.com. Its a biodegradable material made from plants/corn.

Be sure to check out my interview with Ric Gatty explaining why you should make sure your printing is green. He was kind enough to comment while I put him on the spot!

–
Melisa Camp, M.Ed.
Realtor ®, GREEN
CEO, Go Green Investments, LLC
Arizona’s LEED for Homes Advocate
Young Professionals Network Chair, Phoenix Assoc. of Realtors

www.greenphoenixproperty.com

I have been a Green Mama almost a year now! Today I wanted to share some of the things I’ve learned about raising an eco-friendly family.

• The food you choose to feed your family is so important. My son eats almost all organic and we try to too. Pesticides, hormones, and engineering food is no good for children (or anyone). Shop the McClendan’s organic farmer’s market. We like Happy Baby and Earth’s Best’s line of snacks and food and try to feed the baby colorful fruits and veggies every meal. A good book is Super Baby Food.

• Nursing is the best way to go if possible. An April study at Harvard actually estimated if everyone who could nurse did for 6 mo., we could save $13 Billion is health care annually. Not only do children who have been nursed have less risk of SIDS, asthma, and infections, but Moms who nurse also have lower risk of ovarian and breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, & diabetes.

• Choose an eco-friendly diaper. I started with cloth diapers for the first 4 mo., but had too many leakage problems. I used Bum Genius and Happy Heiny’s. Many green mamas I know are successful with them though. Now we use Nature BabyCare diapers which are chlorine-free, bleach-free, and biodegrade in 3 weeks. Typically diapers take over a lifetime to degrade.

• When choosing toys and furniture look watch out for off-gassing. Make sure your child’s furniture does not have a formaldehyde finish as it will off-gas over time. Even mattresses and carpet can off-gas. We received a gift in the mail that I could actually smell the finish off-gassing as soon as I took it out of the packaging. I let it off-gas in the garage for 2 mo before bringing it in the house. Check out the Daily Green’s tips for a Green nursery.

• Finally, I know organic clothing, bedding, and other textiles are more expensive, but if you can afford a few things here and there it’s good. I splurged on an organic cotton mattress pad because I knew he’d spend 11 hours on it each night.

–
Melisa Camp, M.Ed.
Realtor ®, GREEN
CEO, Go Green Investments, LLC
Arizona’s LEED for Homes Advocate
Young Professionals Network Chair, Phoenix Assoc. of Realtors

www.greenphoenixproperty.com

Pools and spas are a huge energy user with the pump running and heater going a lot of the day. Saving water, reducing energy use, and saving money are all things to consider when thinking about making your pool or spa system energy efficient.

• Invest in a solar pool heater and/or solar hot water heater. The units for pools go for $3,000 to $5,000 and you can use your pool year-round. They also will match a roof color if you desire or the HOA requires.
• Try an efficient filter that will last at least 5 times longer than an inefficient one.
• Consider a chemical free pool and toss the chlorine.
• Get the right pump. According to GreenYour.com, “Pumps now come in two-speed, four-speed, and variable-speed models, so you can turn the speed down for regular daily use saving a lot of energy, and use higher settings for more thorough, less frequent cleanings. A two-speed model is good for most backyard pools. New energy-efficient pumps also move the water more efficiently for further savings. Since pumps circulate the water to keep it clean, the better they work, the less a filter has to work. A 0.75 horsepower or smaller pump is sufficient for most pools, and it uses a good deal less energy.”

Remember to seek out rebates for efficiency with your State government, utility company, manufacturer, and store for maximum savings.

This summer be sure to watch your kids around water. We have to get a catch-a-kid net or fence for our pool. If you have info on either please send my way. Brendan is one year next month!

–
Melisa Camp, M.Ed.
Realtor ®, GREEN
Arizona’s LEED for Homes Advocate
Young Professionals Network Chair, Phoenix Assoc. of Realtors

www.greenphoenixproperty.com

It is that time of year again. Whether you are having one or going to one, graduation parties are probably on your agenda this month. Here a few tips to keep your graduation green.

• Send an evite instead of a invitation.
• If you are set on announcements check into printing on recycled paper with a soy-based ink.
• Skip the wrapping paper (and gift they probably don’t need) and give your grad a card with money or a savings bond to spend on something they will use.
• Wear your cousin, neighbors, or friend’s cap and gown. (I have ASU and University of Phoenix in case anyone wants to use mine.)
• Use non-disposable dishes, silverware and napkins. If you have to get disposable, make sure they are 100% biodegradable.
• Have a recycling bin for guests along with garbage.
• Buy food and drinks in bulk to save on packaging waste.
• Try to buy organic and locally produced food to serve.

Congratulations to all graduates who will celebrate higher education this month. Never stop learning and be sure to share your knowledge with the world! Now go out and do good!

–
Melisa Camp, M.Ed.
Realtor ®, GREEN
Arizona’s LEED for Homes Advocate
Young Professionals Network Chair, Phoenix Assoc. of Realtors

www.greenphoenixproperty.com

If you consume alcoholic beverages, try organic beer or wine. They’re better for your health and the planet, and they taste good too.

As a wine enthusiast I have noticed organic choices popping up many places and thought it was worth exploring. Stores like Target, Total Wine, Costco, and your Mom & Pop liquor store are now carrying some organic alcohol. I have found that most are reasonably priced too. Total Wine even sponsors organic wine tastings.

What to look for:

• Certified USDA organic- ensures the beer or wine is produced using at least 95% organic ingredients.
• For wine, no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides are used in the vineyards and no sulfites added.
• Locally produced- the less distance it has to travel, the better for greenhouse gas emissions.
• If you are throwing a big party get a keg, pony-keg, or liter bottles of wine to cut down on the garbage.

Read more about organic beer at National Geographic and eco-friendly wine at Food & Wine.

Some wines I would suggest are: Releaf Organic Cabernet, Sterling Organic wines, Granite Creek organic wines (local to AZ).

Bottoms up!

–
Melisa Camp, M.Ed.
Realtor ®, GREEN
Arizona’s LEED for Homes Advocate
Young Professionals Network Chair, Phoenix Assoc. of Realtors

www.greenphoenixproperty.com

Refrigerators are the single largest user of power in the home and lately, it seems like every store is advertising appliance sales and rebates.  If you are thinking about upgrading outdated appliances there are some things you should consider.

• Not all Energy Star rated appliances are created equal. Be sure to read the yellow tags that specify how just how efficient the appliance is.

• Do your research. Check Consumer Reports for best buys and reviews. They are a trusted unbiased source and wealth of information. You can get them free at the library. I use the 2009 or 2010 Best Buys Book.

• Take advantage of all of the rebates once you find a brand and/or model that will be a good fit. There are State, Federal, Store, Manufacturers (BOSCH has a rebate finder), and Utility Company rebates available. Use them all to save big.

SRP has many different rebates available. http://www.srpnet.com/energy/powerwise/savewithsrp/EfficientAppliances.aspx

Home depot and Lowes have 10% off EnergyStar appliances now. Sears has 30% off EnergyStar (ends tomorrow) and will help you to find and apply for all available rebates.

• Don’t forget to see if your local store or utility company has a recycling program for your old appliances- sometimes they will even pay for them and remove them for free. (I have attached a flyer for an event coming up that will recycle anything with a plug.)  APS and SRP have refrigerator recycling programs too.

Cash for Clunkers varies by state some states have closed, Arizona started April 12 and will give $75 until money runs out. Find your State here: http://blogs.consumerreports.org/home/cash-for-clunkers-for-appliances/index.html?INTKEY=I95BEE0.

–
Melisa Camp, M.Ed.
Realtor ®, GREEN
Arizona’s LEED for Homes Advocate
Young Professionals Network Chair, Phoenix Assoc. of Realtors