As we plan for our holiday shopping and parties, let's remember the local businesses that provide the products and services we value. I would like to especially recognize the many green-certified businesses doing their part to protect the environment and, in every way, helping to save the world. In fact, green businesses are at the fore of the community's efforts to address climate change.
There are at least 186 certified green businesses in Santa Cruz County. The Monterey Bay Green Business Program assists and promotes businesses and government agencies that volunteer to operate in a more environmentally responsible way. To be certified "green," participants must meet program standards for conserving resources, preventing pollution and minimizing waste. Successful businesses are awarded a green business certificate [and window stickers] and are included on websites [ www.montereybaygreenbusiness.org ] and in ads encouraging the public to patronize the business. Green businesses are reassessed every three years to maintain their certification.
The Green Business Program is now consulting with local businesses to help them reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and save money. Santa Cruz was instrumental in both developing a new climate mitigation section for the Green Business Program and designing a system to quantify a business' reduction efforts. This info will help certified green businesses prioritize actions
In addition, PGamp;E provides energy-efficiency upgrade subsidies to local businesses. These upgrades have had a cumulative reduction of hundreds of thousands of kilowatt-hours of electricity and more than 3,000 tons of CO2 annually in the city of Santa Cruz alone. With each new business certified [the application is available on the Green Business website] these environmental benefits grow.
In addition to protecting the environment, green businesses are working to increase the quality of life by creating more livable and people-friendly business districts and enabling more people to work and shop locally. This last week marked the Santa Cruz Shop Local Week that challenged people to actively choose locally owned businesses.
There are many advantages to thinking green during the holiday shopping season and many things we as individuals can do to support local business' efforts to be climate friendly. The positive impacts of shopping local are surprisingly large. Many shoppers are choosing to spend the day in one local shopping district rather than driving from place to place. This not only reduces carbon emissions from driving but also supports the businesses.
If one in 10 families in Santa Cruz County chose to skip one holiday trip over the hill this season and instead shop locally, we as greenhouse gas emissions by more than 135 tons. If we all commit to doing a portion of our holiday shopping by foot and bike, and bringing our own reusable shopping bags, we will take several more steps toward reducing our carbon footprint. Such steps will make our holiday errands more enjoyable and keep the roads less conjested for others. As many have pointed out, by making this conscious decision to support our local shops we will innevitably have a more relaxed and pleasant holiday season while also helping the climate.
Ross Clark is climate action coordinator for the city of Santa Cruz. He's also director of the Central Coast Wetlands Group. Contact him at features@santacruzsentinel.com .
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