I have been grateful for the increased coverage that the Oak Leaves has been devoting to the merits of “going green.”
Along with a kitchen and bath designer from my staff, I was fortunate to be among the thousands of people who recently attended the Greenbuild International Conference at McCormick Place in Chicago.
We emerged from the conference with a renewed enthusiasm to do our part in being responsible stewards on planet Earth. We were reminded that individually, it may seem that our choices are trivial in the grand scheme of things. But when enough individuals band together for a common cause, we prove to be a powerful collective force.
At my kitchen and bath studio, we have taken steps to “go green” in ways that go beyond the lime green color of our logo.
- We are displaying samples of green materials in our showroom. So far, we have included cork, bamboo, linoleum, recycled glass tiles and countertops, recycled paper countertops, and low-VOC (Volatile organic compound) paint.
- We are now paying for a recycling service to come to our office. My staff and I have done it at our home for years, and we decided to recycle all the paper, cardboard boxes and other recyclable paper material that flows through our workspace. This step is consistent with our recent incorporation of green elements in our showroom.
- We are making every effort to re-fill our printer and fax cartridges instead of buying new cartridges. While this step may seem small, it is one of many ways that we are raising our consumption-consciousness level.
- We have replaced 20 light bulbs with a special, longer-lasting bulb whose five-year lifespan is more than double that of traditional bulbs.
- During those times when we are not displaying our showroom to prospective clients, we turn off our showroom lights.
- We know that change takes time, but we are encouraging manufacturers with whom we do business to strongly consider striving for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.
You may notice that all of those steps are quite simple. Like so many other businesses and households, we are just trying to do our part as information and inspiration comes our way.
Perhaps the most difficult part of this entire green movement is convincing the skeptical, the cynical and the apathetic that it really is worth it to be willing to take such modest measures.
I urge your continued coverage of this pressing environmental issue, and thank you for shining a light on what we can all do to help preserve our world’s precious resources.
Pamela Polvere, CKD
President, Pamela Polvere Designs
