What is Green?

What do we mean when we say a technology or a company is "Green"?

 

Green is natural, like grass and trees.

 

Green protects and preserves the environment.

 

Green is renewable, sustainable and inexhaustable.

 

Green is recyclable.  It can be used again.

 

Green is efficient. It does not waste resources.

 

Green is biodegradable. It breaks down into safe components.

 

Green treats producers, distributors and consumers with respect.

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise: In each of the following situations discuss which of the options or solutions is the most green and which is the least.

 

1. You want to go to New York for a day. There are various ways to get there.

 

Fly

Drive an old car

Take the bus

Rent a new car

Hitchhike

 

2. Your electric company lets you choose what kind of electricity to consume, by how it is generated.  Which should you choose?

 

coal burning plant

oil burning plant

windmill

hydro-electric (waterfall)

nuclear power

natural gas

 

3. You are about to purchase a vehicle.  Which is the "Greenest"?

 

A Mercedes diesel

A Hummer

A Prius

A Harley Davidson motorcycle

A Vespa scooter

A bicycle

 

4. You are planning to take a vacation.  Which is the Greenest?

 

Drive to the top of Cadilac Mountain in Maine.

Fly to Jamaica for a week in a resort

A week on the beach in Cape Cod.

A week in a nature preserve in Hawaii

Fishing from shore in Salem

Off-road ATV racing in Canada

 

5. You want to buy a present for a close friend who tries to be "Green".

 

A shrunken head from a tribe in the Amazon

An ivory chess set

A laptop computer

A basket of local produce, fruits and vegetables

A battery-powered radio-controlled car

A gift certificate to Best Buy

A gift certificate to Starbucks

A pet turtle

 

6. You have decided to take up a hobby. Which is the "Greenest" hobby?

 

downhill skiing

water skiing

cross country skiing

sailing

scuba diving

sky diving

deer hunting

gardening

playing computer games