27 October 2010
Stop Plastic Pollution: Just REFUSE
Help our friends at Ecover find
the Green “30 under 30”
winner by voting for who YOU
think has made a difference in
protecting our planet!
Checkout these Ecover Products:
Dishwashing
Laundry
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SCGH Related Reading:
Green Cleaning Supplies
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Click Here to Sign the REFUSE Pledge
Time To Bag the Bags
By Jennifer Schwab
We’ve all seen images of birds and fish, with plas-
tic grocery bags in mouth. Disturbing indeed, and
don’t think this is propaganda from PETA. Plastic
bags are entering our food chain through oceans,
rivers and the stomachs of wildlife. The toxins
they carry are nearly impossible to eliminate as
we don’t really know how if ever they break down
naturally… Click here to follow article
Green Your Caffeine
By Jennifer Schwab, Director of Sustainability, SCGH
Can you believe that every day, citizens of our planet down 2.5 billion cups of coffee? And that in
America alone, more than 450 million servings of “joe” are quaffed daily?
By any measure that’s a lot of caffeine. And as we are prone to do at SCGH, think about the stunning
amounts of waste those Herculean numbers create. All those coffee filters and grounds, and all those
paper cups, enough yearly to circle the globe 55 times when placed end to end!
Thus “Green Your Caffeine” is here, inspired by a story from our sister publication, Sierra
Magazine. Thankfully, there are several things you can do to have less impact on the ecosystem while
still getting your morning fix of java. Here they are:
Jennifer Schwab on
Good Morning America 10/21/10
First, use a French coffee press instead of a traditional
coffee pot. The coffee press does not require a paper
filter, as it has a built in metal filtration system. It is very
simple to use, you don’t need to be trying out for Iron
Chef to pour in the ground coffee and hot water, then
slowly squeeze the plunger and presto! A cup of coffee
that can taste even better than a filtered cup, minus the
yucky coffee grinds and stained paper filter – which
usually go directly to the
landfill. In this issue:
Article Continues on Page 2... CEP Fuel Cell Savings
Calculator PG 2
GreenCheck™ PG 4
GreenCheck™ Providers
PG 5
27 October 2010

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Started

Green Your Caffeine continued...

Second, buy the right kinds of coffee. There are several labeling systems that tell you what you are buying is indeed envi-
ronmentally friendly. “USDA Organic” assures you that no pesticides or chemicals were used to grow the beans. “Fair
Trade Certified” means that the farmers and workers who grow the coffee were treated humanely and paid a fair day’s
wage in safe working conditions. “Shade Grown” means the coffee was grown according to Smithsonian Institution
guidelines to protect migrating birds. And finally, “Rainforest Alliance Certified” is yet another assurance that the beans
were grown according to proper “green” standards. Any or all of these labels are emblazoned on the packaging of the
coffees you should be buying.

Next, abandon paper cups in favor of reusable mugs. These insulated mugs are usually
made of aluminum, stainless steel, ceramic, rubber and in some cases BPA-free plas-
tic. They are durable, keep your drink hot, and offer spill-proof tops. Bring your own if
you are buying your morning brew from a coffee shop. In case you think they get
stained and are hard to clean, not so. Simply soak them a bit with a little vinegar and
lemon with water, they’ll be good as new with a little bit of scrubbing. And you’ll be
saving many pounds of paper per year.

I happen to like both coffee and tea. Nothing against the coffee industry, but tea is significantly better for our
planet. Why? Because for every seven gallons of water needed in the manufacturing process for tea, coffee requires 36
gallons to yield the same amount of final product. That is an enormous water savings that can be recognized by crossing
over to become a tea-only person.

Use an electric heating pot or mug to heat your water, for either coffee or tea. This is more energy efficient than heating
it on the stove. If you don’t have one available, use the microwave it’s second best for energy efficiency.

Finally, compost your used coffee grounds, even with the filter if you don’t have a coffee press. In a short time, you will
have high quality fertilizer that can be used in your garden. How’s that for closing the circle on “greening your caffeine”?

Read other articles by Jennifer at “My Inner Green” on SCGH.com

27 October 2010

GreenCheck is a great source of credibility for your company and ensures to

your clients, old and new, that you are taking the extra steps towards environ-
mental responsibility. Learn more about our GreenCheck.

Fuel Cells 101

Clean energy, a thing of the present…and future

Fuel cells provide an alternative to solar, wind and other types of renewable energy. They can power your home and take you “off
grid.” They can also work in concert with solar, wind and other renewable energy sources to power a home or commercial struc-
ture. Fuel cells were once considered the technology of the future, but have quickly become a clean energy solution for today.
Unlike petroleum-based fossil fuels, fuel cells are a clean energy source creating virtually no toxins or pollutants. The main byproducts
are water, heat, and carbon dioxide, The CO2 emissions are substantially less than those produced by conventional power systems.

Advantages
Although fuel cells create their electricity through a chemical reaction, they are more efficient than conventional energy sources.
Fuel cells will continue to function as long as the adequate amount of reactants and oxidants are present.
One of the byproducts of fuel cells is heat. This heat can be harnessed to heat water or other desired sectors within the commer-
cial or residential property.
Fuel cells have proven to produce at least twice as much energy as conventional fuels. If the standard power bill for a typical
3,500 square foot home is $XXXX per month, that bill would normally be only $XXX (the cost of natural gas) with a fuel cell system.
Fuel cell systems operate quietly, thus making them a perfect addition to your residential property.
Fuel cell technology may run on ecologically derived substances like ethanol and methanol.
Fuel cell will allow individuals, companies, and even communities to be more energy efficient, while gaining energy independence
from foreign fuels.

Disadvantages
At least for now, a typical residential fuel cell system must have a plentiful supply of natural
gas to operate efficiently. They also tend to operate most efficiently in homes of 3,000 square
feet or more.
Incentive availability for fuel cell systems may be limited, or nonexistent, in your area. To de-
termine the incentives in your region please visit the Database of State Incentives for Renew-
ables and Efficiency (DSIRE) website.
Many argue that incorporating fuel cells on a national level, let alone independently, is too
costly. Not many home or business owners have the budget to invest and maintain a fuel cell
system.

Click Here to Continue Article

See all partners

Climate Crossroads
Student Coalition
Sierra Trails
27 October 2010

Sierra Club Green Home and the SCGH GreenCheck™ Abi Wright, Marketing Coordinator for SCGH
awright@scgh.com
Sierra Club Green Home (www.sierraclubgreenhome.com) is a destination
website designed to educate and inspire homeowners and individuals who are seeking to live more energy-efficient, environ-
mentally sustainable and healthy lives. We also connect our users and visitors with thousands of providers of Green services
and products throughout the country by way of our GreenPages. We are partnered with The Sierra Club, the nation’s oldest,
largest, most well-respected grassroots environmental organization. Sierra Club is major, competitive advantage as it brings
instant credibility in a space where authenticity is crucial! Together, The Sierra Club and Sierra Club Green Home brands
collectively hold over 120 years of environmental experience, activism and trust.

The SCGH GreenCheck™

Many people ask what the requirements of a GreenCheck™ Provider are to become listed within the SCGH GreenPages. Be-
fore a provider or product is included on our site, an applicant must submit a brief description of their company and explain
why they are a green or sustainable business. We then review their company website and SCGH application, and then de-
pending on the categories from our site which they fall under, we look for specific actions in one or more of the following
areas that they must meet:
1. Indoor air quality impact Gaining acceptance through the SCGH
2. Energy usage GreenCheck™ process indicates that
3. Water usage
the business makes a legitimate and
4. Material usage
meaningful effort to offer a product or
5. Waste
service that is more sustainable than
6. Customer education
what is commonly sold.
7. Provider health
8. Provider business practices
Become a GreenCheck™ Provider
Being an SCGH GreenCheck™ comes with many benefits aside from advertising to a highly saturated, target-specific mar-
ket. Sierra Club Green Home is able to offer you two different GreenCheck™ packages (General and Premium), at ultra-
affordable prices and we even offer a $50 discount to our valued Sierra Club members, or for those who want to join Sierra
Club. Please see our comparison chart on Page 5 to view our different packages and what they include. In addition to the
packages, all GreenCheck™ providers are given the official SCGH GreenCheck™ logo to be used as a website badge or for
any company marketing purposes (flyers, brochures, business cards, etc.) All providers listings within our site are optimized
by Google and GreenCheck™ providers also receive recognition our monthly newsletters.

Getting Started
The easiest way to become an SCGH GreenCheck™ provider is to create a Provider profile on our homepage. Once you are
logged in, you can choose the “Get GreenChecked” tab in your back office to schedule your GreenCheck™ or simply contact
Abi Wright at 888-854-3990 ext. 1000 or email at: awright@scgh.com anytime M-F from 9a-5p PST. The GreenCheck™
itself only takes 15-20 minutes to conduct via telephone with an SCGH GreenCheck™ specialist and can be scheduled at
your convenience. Once approved, you will be sent a welcome email, with the SCGH GreenCheck™ logo, a printable certifi-
cate of completion and a special gift– our SCGH toolbar to be used for easy access to your provider account. We look for-
ward to your business and appreciate your interest. Please feel free to contact us directly for more information.

In this issue:

Want to join the Sierra Club Green Home community? Fuel Cell 101 PG 3

Make a username or a provider account on Green Caffeine (Cont) PG 2

www.sierraclubgreenhome.com. GreenCheck™ Packages PG 5
27 October 2010

Sierra Club Green Home is proud to present our featured GreenCheck providers
Thank you for being green!

Featured Premium GreenCheck™ Providers:

Featured GreenCheck™ Providers:

Earth Bound Homes

IHS Home Building, Inc.
GreenCheck™ Packages Star energy construction
DreamSacks Inc.
Energy Beyond Design Inc.
Pacific Sun Technologies, Inc
SealwiZe Northwest
Environmental Systems Associates Inc.
Infrared Diagnostic LLC
Green Dream Group LLC
Green Girl Gift Wrap
eZing Inc
Pure Eco Environmental Solutions
Dropwise Essentials
Apple Air Conditioning and Heating Inc
R.A. NIELSEN & SONS

Contact SCGH:
8912 Spanish Ridge Ave In this issue:
Suite 210
Fuel Cells 101 PG 3
Las Vegas, NV 89148-1306
Jennifer Schwab on GMA
P: 888-SCGH-COM (724-4266)
’Green your Caffeine’ PG 1
F: 877-SCGH-555 (724-4555)
sierraclubgreenhome.com Sierra Club Green Home
GreenCheck™ PG 4