About the Green Design Group Advisory Board on Green Initiatives
"Each and every one of us can make changes in the way we live our lives and become part of the solution [to climate change]"
- Al Gore, 45th Vice President of the United States, 'An Inconvenient Truth' (2006)
The Green Design Group is an advisory board to the Green Brook, NJ Township Committee on green initiatives which are economically and environmentally sound.
In October, 2007, approximately two hundred people attended the town's first GrEEn Day (Environmental Education Showcase). In addition, 54 residents took the Energy Star pledge to Change a Light, Change the World. For Green Brook, this is a cost savings of $13,874 and 216,361 lbs of green house gas emissions prevented. It is not too late to make our goal of 100 pledges! Please log onto the ENERGY STAR website to take the on-line pledge at www.energystar.gov/changealight. Access the organization labeled Green Brook's Green Design Group.
*Energy Star recently unveiled two new services, Energy Star @Home and Home Advisor. Be sure to check out these programs as well on the Energy Star website.
An easy way to help out the environment and local schools is by participating in the Staples Recycling for Education program. We are partnering with Staples to collect empty ink cartridges and the company will donate $3 per cartridge to our schools. So, keep those ink cartridges out of the garbage and look for collection boxes in schools, town hall and around town. More information to come home in backpacks.
With warm weather fast approaching, many of you are thinking ahead to lawn maintenance. First, make your opinion count by purchasing non-toxic lawn care products. Please remember that all the products you choose to place on your lawn will end up in the water table. Second, make sure that your lawn sprinklers' rain sensor is working properly. Not only will you save your lawn from over-watering but you will save money by reducing your water bill. The most efficient time to water your lawn (if it's not raining) is early in the morning or early evening.