Dedication in the Face of Celebration – Volunteering with the Food Project

This past Saturday was a day of celebration for many in Boston. An estimated 2 million made the trek to downtown Boston for a day of revelry honoring the Red Sox 2013 championship win. 15 miles north of Boston, a special group of 11 volunteers from the BBA’s New Lawyers and Environmental Law Section were involved their own celebration of “youth, food , and community” at The Food Project (TFP) in Greater Lynn. Longtime readers will have heard of The Food Project before, but if you haven’t, TSL has you covered.

The Food Project works with over 150 teenagers and thousands of volunteers to farm on 40 acres of land in different locations across Eastern Massachusetts. Food from the farms is distributed through community agriculture programs, farmers markets and local hunger relief organizations. TFP also offers and educational element and training and services, so youth and volunteers can learn more about farming, healthy eating and sustainable processes.

Based on that description, it’s pretty clear why our lawyers decided to volunteer at the Food Project again. We reached out to one of Saturday’s volunteers Phelps Turner, of Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen (who boasts a renown environmental law practice) to get a sense of his experience volunteering.

1) Why did you decide to volunteer for the food project serve and grow program?

I jumped at this opportunity to volunteer with the Food Project’s Serve and Grow program because I’m very interested in urban agriculture as a means to increasing urban residents’ access to healthy, energy-efficient and affordable food. I was also excited to volunteer because I’m inspired by the Food Project’s mission of bringing urban and suburban youth and adults together to work on farms, to learn about the food we eat and to build a sustainable food system.

2) What did you enjoy most about the experience?

We had beautiful weather for our morning of farming. I especially enjoyed transporting compost that had been produced on the farm and using it to create planting beds, in which we planted garlic for next season. I also enjoyed meeting and working with the local youth, who have developed excellent leadership skills, and seeing old friends and new faces among the BBA volunteers.

3) Did you learn anything new or interesting?

This is my third time volunteering with the Food Project, and I learn new things about the Food Project and the food system every time. This time, I learned, among other things, that 25% of young adults are too obese to qualify for military service, and that the average fast food meal consists of over 1,600 calories, compared to 500 in the average homemade meal. Facts like these underline the importance of increasing access to healthy and affordable food in heavily populated urban settings, which can be achieved in part by growing the food locally, at farms like the one in Lynn.

Thanks, Phelps – we couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Kudos to the 11 who spent their Saturday morning making an impact on the local community… and on parade day, no less.

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TSL’s Green Glossary: Energy Star

Welcome back to TSL’s Green Glossary, where we help define and elaborate common sustainability terms, qualifications and certifications. This week, TSL is going to give our readers the low down on Energy Star. One can imagine nearly everyone has heard of Energy Star appliances, electronics and more, but how many people know what qualifies a product for the energy star label or who oversees this process? That’s what TSL is here for.

A quick history — back in 1992, before an inconvenient truth, the global warming debate and countless other landmark environmental events, the United States Environmental Protection Agency introduced Energy Star as a labeling program that identified and promoted energy efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The first labeled products were computers and monitors (I know, who knew there were computers back in 92!? – just joking). In 1995, additional office equipment and residential heating and cooling equipment was added. It didn’t stop there. The next year the EPA partnered with the US Department of Energy to develop particular product categories, which currently include new residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

Now that that’s squared away, let’s get down to the real question: how does a product obtain an Energy Star rating? How the product is rated and evaluated depends on the product, but there are set basic standards for all products. They are:

• Product categories must contribute significant energy savings nationwide.
• Qualified products must deliver the features and performance demanded by consumers, in addition to increased energy efficiency.
• If the qualified product costs more than a conventional, less-efficient counterpart, purchasers will recover their investment in increased energy efficiency through utility bill savings, within a reasonable period of time.
• Energy efficiency can be achieved through broadly available, non-proprietary technologies offered by more than one manufacturer.
• Product energy consumption and performance can be measured and verified with testing.
• Labeling would effectively differentiate products and be visible for purchasers.

Want a specific example? Sure, let’s talk about the process for certifying windows, doors and skylights. In this case, there are three main categories. They are:

1)      Products must be manufactured by Energy Star partners. A comprehensive list of partners can be viewed here.

2)      Products must be independently tested and certified for energy performance by a third party. That party is the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC). If you want to learn more about the nitty gritty of their individual rating system, check it out here.

3)      The NFRC ratings also must meet the energy efficiency guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Energy. These guidelines are greatly dependent on region and can be viewed here.

So there you go. While it’s impossible to delve completely into the complicated world of Energy Star products from process to certification, TSL hopes you have a bit better of an idea what that label means and why it’s important to buy Energy Star products.

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The Moakley Courthouse: Blue on the Outside, Green on the Inside

After a week of chasing around family and friends to remind them to only buy grass fed beef for the cookout, to make sure all the scraps from their exploding fireworks were properly confiscated and yes, making sure all bottles, cans, plates (paper only, no Styrofoam!) and utensils were properly recycled, TSL is back in action. For this week’s post TSL has done some research on another courthouse undertaking green initiatives — the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse.

If you have ever seen the Moakley Courthouse, you would know it is a beautiful building. What you might not know is that the courthouse consumes more energy and water than any building in the GSA New England Region. So…what to do? The answer (in theory) is simple: use less. The courthouse works with the General Services Administration (who oversees and tracks their process on these initiatives) so our courthouse  contact directed us to a GSA Public Affairs Officer who gave us the lowdown on what the Moakley Courthouse has done to reduce their environmental impact.

Moakley Courthouse’s green initiative can be broken down into two main parts, the GSA Shave Energy program and single stream recycling:

• Shave Energy is a new GSA program that assists field offices to identify and implement simple and no cost energy measures on this like inefficiencies in operations, reduction of energy consumption and the like. According to the GSA, the program bridges the gap between identifying energy-saving opportunities and implementing energy retrofits by outlining actionable items based on best practices. If that line confuses you, how about this one: Since 2007, the Moakley Courthouse has reduced its electric consumption by 4.27% and water consumption by 23.49% since 2007.
  • In addition to the no cost energy measures, the GSA installed lighting occupancy sensors, higher efficiency lighting in the garage and demand response ventilation to improve indoor air quality within the courtrooms. As a result of some of the observations from the Shave Energy program, the Moakley courthouse underwent a Variable Refrigerant Flow Project (essentially a modified HVAC system designed to minimize efficiency losses and provide sustainable energy benefits. With a building as big as Moakley courthouse (945,423 gross square feet – whoa!) this can make a huge difference. Expected annual cost savings of this project (completed in May 2011) is $271,800.
• TSL has touched on single stream recycling in past posts, but single stream is the best way to make recycling easy. GSA recently signed a contract with Save THAT Stuff Inc. a full service recycling and solid waste removal business that specializes in single stream. In addition to helping reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, single stream also results in cost savings by eliminating waste hauling fees. AS a result, the courthouse is achieving a 35% recycling rate, recycling over 30 tons from Jan-May2012. This is equivalent to 185 adult trees, 308 cubic yards or landfill space or 9,655 kilowatts of energy or 114 barrels of oil.

Big building = big savings. Hat tip to the GSA and Moakley Courthouse for taking on some serious initiatives.

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BBA Task Force Promotes Sustainability Through Public Service

As our readers have likely noticed, in the past few weeks TSL has been highlighting more environmental public services opportunities,  like the BBA’s Charles River Cleanup, the Sustainability Task Force’s partnership with The Food Project (event on June 16, btw) and their trail transformation event in Roslindale. If you have had enough public service talk for your liking, well…too bad. On June 14^th the BBA’s Environmental Sustainability Task Force will host an impressive group of panelists (including keynote speaker Gregory Bialecki of the Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development) at “Promoting Sustainability Through Public Service.” Rather than offer a long write up on why you should attend, TSL decided to go straight to the source – Pamela Harvey of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Pam, who organized the event with fellow DEP colleague Danah Tench and Task Force Co-Chairs Ben Ericson (also of Mass DEP) and Michelle O’Brien (Mackie Shea O’Brien), offered to answer a few of our questions about the event.

Why did the task force decide to hold an event focusing on public service?

“Many attorneys understand the importance of sustainability, but their practices often focus on traditional legal services to their clients.  Public service allows attorneys to expand their horizons and use their skills to assist community groups within the greater Boston area to promote sustainability within those communities.”

What do you hope to accomplish with this program? 

“The program is designed to provide an introduction to the range of opportunities for attorneys to offer their legal talent to support sustainable community efforts.  Attorneys will learn the types of opportunities available, how the panelists have matched their skills with projects, and tips for getting the most from the experience, both personally and professionally.  The program includes many opportunities for attorneys with transactional skills, as well as for litigators.

The speakers will describe the representation of an environmental justice group concerned about the siting of an industrial facility, assisting a local group transform a vacant lot into a community garden, and market carbon finance.  Other panelists have served on the boards of nonprofits devoted to local food, wresting with the cost of greener facilities, or broadening the role of traditional organizations to include sustainability.  Greg Bialecki will address the importance of sustainability to economic development in Massachusetts, and prior to entering state government he was engaged in public service through his involvement with the Boston Public Market.”

Do you have anything else you would like to add? 

“Sustainability is not just for environmental lawyers.  The program features attorneys with specialized expertise in other fields that they have put to work on incredibly interesting and fulfilling projects.  Attorneys can engage in public service work promoting sustainability as new lawyers to gain experience, or as experienced lawyers to learn something new.”

For those interested in more ways to incorporate a commitment to public service and a passion for sustainability, this is a must attend event. We’ll see you there.

For more information, or to register, click here.

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Nixon Peabody Invests in Energy Efficiency

TSL is always on the lookout for new ways our readers can reduce their carbon footprint. We thought we had provided some pretty solid suggestions, from offering personal tips to highlighting the green initiatives of some law firms and organizations (like the BBA). So when BBA Sustainability Task Force Member Carolyn Kaplan (and Nixon Peabody attorney and Chief Sustainability Officer) told us about the firm’s  participation in EDF Climate Corps, an innovative energy efficiency program, we were pretty impressed. We know Nixon Peabody is “legally green” but when we heard that they were the first law firm to sign onto the program (inspiring EDF to create a new legal category!) we knew we had to find out more.

No worries if you hadn’t heard about EDF Climate Corps, because until we spoke with Carolyn, we hadn’t either. Here’s a quick breakdown: EDF Climate Corps is a fellowship program developed by the Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization that places specially trained MBA and MPA students in companies, cities and universities to identify and assess cost-effective opportunities to save energy and reduce emissions. This summer, 98 fellows (from some pretty fancy schools) will work in 88 organizations across the nation. Where will they be working? Some top notch companies, including Boeing, Facebook, Google, Verizon as well as organizations like Boston Public Schools and UNICEF and of course, Nixon Peabody (see the full list here). The plan is that fellows will develop customized energy efficiency investment plans that cut costs and emissions. Well, that sounds well and good, but how about some tangible results? Don’t worry, EDF has that too. Since 2008 the fellows have identified energy-saving opportunities that:

• Cut enough energy usage to power nearly 100,000 homes a year
• Avoid the annual carbon emissions of 200,000 cars and;
• Saved more than $1 billion in net operating costs over the project lifetimes

Ok ok, we are convinced. In case you are not, we asked Carolyn to speak about why Nixon Peabody decided to join Climate Corps:

“Hiring a Climate Corps fellow seemed to be a great way to fast-track our efforts to demonstrate the financial and environmental benefits of investing in energy efficiency,” says Kaplan. “We liked the idea of developing a customized energy plan to help us prioritize investments for our existing space and provide guidance as we consider renovations and lease renewals. It’s exciting to join the ranks of many leading companies and organizations, including some of our clients, in building the business case for energy efficiency. We’re looking forward to a productive summer.”

So there you have it. Nixon Peabody seems to be leading the way for sustainability in law firms, but it’s not like we are surprised. They have been recognized for their sustainability initiatives again and again (and again and yes…one more time).

Nixon Peabody’s fellow will start working on June 1^st. TSL is looking forward to hearing how productive their summer really was.

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BBA Sustainability Task Force Makes Friends with The Food Project

Last week The Sustainable Lawyer (TSL) asked the BBA’s Sustainability Task Force to keep us abreast of their upcoming activities after we highlighted the Trailhead renovation they took on last month. While we have plenty of confidence in our task force, to be honest, we weren’t expecting a response this quickly (read: two days). The task force let TSL know they already has another public service event planned, a joint effort with The Food Project scheduled for June 16.

A little background on The Food Project for those of you not familiar with the program:

Each year, The Food Project works with over a hundred teens and thousands of volunteers to farm on 37 acres in eastern Massachusetts. Food from their farms is distributed through community supported agriculture programs, farmers’ markets, and to hunger relief organizations. The Food Project also organizes a plethora of Youth and Community programs as well as trainings and other services.

Sounds like a great initiative, right? Task Force members Danna Tench (Mass DEP) and Dylan Sanders of Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak and Cohen thought so too. They serve on the board of The Food Project and helped organize this collaboration. TSL got a chance to ask Dylan a few questions about why the Task Force got involved with the Food project and what the event will help accomplish.

What do you hope to accomplish by holding this event?

Dylan: First off, we want people to get their hands dirty! On a more serious and philosophical level, we want to expose lawyers (some of whom may spent too many hours indoors) to urban agriculture that is very close to them, as well as introduce them to a diverse group of youth who work on these farms. Diversity is important in sustainability, on both the environmental and agricultural fronts.

Can you speak to the importance of urban farms when it comes to sustainability?

Dylan: The farms are valuable in two main ways. They are important to the youth who work on them as well as the community at large. In any city, getting access to fresh organic produce is a challenge. These farms make produce available to more residents, while providing education and tangible skills to urban youth on the development, production and harvesting of produce.

A Food Project youth harvesting lettuce.

So here’s the deal. On June 16, the Task Force will meet at the West Cottage Street Farm in Roxbury at 9am. All BBA members are invited, and are encouraged to bring their families to plant, tend, weed and possibly harvest vegetables. Volunteers will also have a chance to hear from the youth of the Food Project who will share their experience of learning about sustainable agriculture, food justice, diversity, leadership issues.

For more information or to register, contact Dylan Sanders at Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen @ sanders@srbc.com or 617-619-3400.

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BBA Task Force Transforms Trails in Roslindale

Back in fall of 2011, BBA President Lisa Goodheart convened the BBA’s Environmental Sustainability Task to look at the issue of environmental sustainability and determine how the BBA can contribute to the “greening of the profession.” Two principal ways to accomplish this goal are 1) gathering evaluating and presenting green practices for lawyers and law firms and 2) creating public service and pro bono opportunities focused on environmental sustainability. The solution to number 1? – you’re looking at it. The Sustainable Lawyer (TSL) was started to help to create a conversation about sustainability as well as provide green tips, practical examples of law firms and businesses embracing sustainability, and so on. Not to toot our own horn, but we think we are doing a pretty good job at it. As you can see, however, that is only one aspect of the Task Force’s charge. On the public service front, TSL is happy to be the bearer of good news and fill you in on a recent project the Task Force participated in — the Earth Day Trailhead Renovation at the Roslindale Wetlands Urban Wild.

On April 20^th, task force volunteers teamed up with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department to make the trek to Roslindale’s “urban wild” (sounds kinda spooky, doesn’t it?) — 10 acres of forested wetland habitat held by the Boston Conservation Commission.  Volunteers removed invasive plant species, reworked trails, helped prep the land for future plantings and even helped haul heavy boulders in an effort to make the wetlands a more inviting place for the local community to enjoy nature in an urban setting. Their hard work did not go unnoticed. Paul Sutton of the City of Boston Parks Department was quoted as saying: “Thank you! What a great group of Boston Bar Association participants this year! With your enthusiasm and energy, we were able to significantly transform the trail head at the 10-acre oasis.”

Well done, task force! TSL is keeping its ears to the ground to let our readers know about what’s next on the agenda.

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National Grid LEED’s the Way in Sustainability

A few weeks back, TSL’s Green Glossary helped define a LEED certification (but here’s a quick reminder if you forgot – LEED is a green building rating system for designers, developers and new building owners who want to address sustainable design for new core and shell construction). Perhaps our friends at National Grid, Senior Vice President & US General Counsel Colin Owyang, (who also serves on the BBA’s governing Council) and Senior Counsel Wendy Levine, thought we were on to something. When Wendy and Colin told us about National Grid’s New England corporate offices in Waltham, MA that has earned a Platinum-level LEED certification, TSL was anxious to learn more.

Here’s what we found out:

After breaking ground on the project in February 2008, National Grid officially opened its three-story, 312,000 sq. ft. workspace (that has the ability to house 1,500 employees) at Reservoir Woods in Waltham, MA, in May of 2009. While most companies would be breathing a sigh of relief, National Grid was excited for another challenge — its upcoming United States Green Building Council (the non-governmental group who developed the LEED certification, remember?) evaluation.

Obviously, in order to earn a Platinum level certification, green design, construction and amenities have to be top notch. In fact, the building is one of only a handful of single tenant facilities in the world to earn LEED Platinum Certification for both Core and Shell Construction and Commercial interiors. We are not going to give you all the details here, but Colin and Wendy shared a few of the highlights of this building with TSL, and we are happy to share them with you.

Reservoir Woods’ energy and water-saving features include:

• Lighting that uses 40 percent less electricity than a typical commercial building in Massachusetts, with occupancy sensors, task oriented lighting and daylight sensors at workstations that save more than 800,000 kilowatt hours annually – enough to power 133 homes for one year

• High-efficiency heating and cooling systems with adaptable controls to sense outdoor and indoor temperatures

• Water conservation measures including dual-flush toilets, automatic sensor faucets and a rainwater recycling system that together are expected to reduce consumption by about 2.4 million gallons per year

• Approximately 20,000 sq. ft. of roof-top solar panels that generate enough electricity to power about 30 homes each year and offset 400,000 lbs. of CO2 annually

• Exterior shading devices on southern-facing exposures and a highly reflective white roof that help keep the building cool

• Superior air quality systems featuring carbon dioxide sensors installed in ventilation ducts

• Sustainable materials: 28% of the materials and furnishings are recycled; 68.5% of the wood is sourced from sustainably managed forests; café floors made of rapidly renewable bamboo; carpet tiles consisting of 42% pre-consumer recycled materials; workstation fabrics made of 100% recycled content; locally manufactured recycled aluminum ceiling tiles; low-VOC adhesives, sealants, paints and coatings throughout the building

• More than 93% of construction waste was recycled

That is one sustainable building. Good thing it looks pretty cool, too.

Want more info on this building? Find out everything you need to know from this booklet.

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Lawyers Making a Difference, One Tree at a Time

A few posts back, The Sustainable Lawyer pledged that we would try and find more pro bono and public service opportunities that directly relate to helping to protect and restore the environment. Erica Mattison, a particularly driven and focused 3L at Suffolk Law School who is working with Lawyers Accountable to the Earth (LATTE) as part of her internship with Rainforest Maker (a local non-profit started by Suffolk Law Alum Jeff Glassman) recently contacted TSL to let us know about an environmentally focused “for lawyers, by lawyers” initiative. Isn’t it great when people do your work for you?

LATTE is currently teaming up with groups like Boston Natural Areas Network and Foundation for a Green Future to organize tree plantings, recruit volunteers and identify new sites for tree planting opportunities. LATTE recently held a tree planting on April 28^th at the former Emerson School in Roxbury – slated to become the Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School in Fall of 2012. LATTE funded 9 trees, while their planting parting Grow Boston greener planted another 6, making for 15 total trees at the school, which was severely lacking green space.

Want to participate? Don’t worry, LATTE has a planting scheduled on Friday May 18^th, at the Italian Home for Children in Jamaica Plain, for which they are currently signing up planting participants and accepting contributions. Haven’t heard of the Home before? In short, it provides a comprehensive network of services to emotionally disturbed boys and girls between the ages of 4-14.  LATTE is hoping to plant 4 trees at that location, which will cost about $800.

Participating in these plantings is a fun way to give back without giving too much time – the commitment is only a few hours (or no time at all, if would rather send in a contribution), making it ideal for busy lawyers. To find out more, or to participate, contact Erica Mattison at erica@rainforestmaker.org. If you are interested in making a contribution, click here. If you are interested, but can’t participate in the May planting, LATTE is currently planning another planting for June. Check back for more details.

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TSL’s Earth Day Advice: 10 Ways To Help Save The Planet

With Earth Day approaching (April 22nd, don’t forget!), TSL was looking for a way to provide some practical suggestions for our readers to be more sustainable (like we did in our New Years post) and dare we say…save the planet? Fortunately for us, Chris Davis, Director of Investor Program at Ceres (TSL posted on their initiatives a while back) and member of the BBA’s Environmental Sustainability Task Force, sent us a list of “Ten Things You Can Do to Help Save the Planet” that he composed based more than 30 years of experience as an environmental lawyer. TSL is happy to share them with you:

• 1. Stop Eating Beef. Beef is a very energy inefficient and environmentally destructive source of protein. Corn fed, feedlot raised cattle cause a great deal of pollution—from nitrogen fertilizer and massive water use to grow the corn, petroleum to till, harvest and transport it; manure runoff, and methane emissions contributing to global warming, among other negative impacts (e.g., all the antibiotics fed to the cattle). If you can’t give it up, eat local, grass fed beef.
• 2. Drive Less. Carbon dioxide emissions from our cars are a major contributor to climate change, and our gasoline use supports environmentally destructive oil production (e.g., expanded offshore drilling, Canadian tar sands mining). Look for ways to eliminate or combine trips, share rides, walk, bike or take public transportation (take the train to Boston). Keep your car well tuned, your tires fully inflated, and don’t idle. You’ll save money and reduce your contribution to global warming.
• 3. Make Your Home More Energy Efficient. Buildings account for 40% of total energy use and their heating, cooling and lighting causes about 40% of US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that cause global warming. Adding insulation, sealing cracks, and installing a more efficient heating system will save energy and cut your heating and cooling costs. Also, try heating and air conditioning less—wear a sweater, use fans, save money. And of course, use only efficient CFL or LED lighting, and turn off computers and other electronic devices when not in use.
• 4. Buy Organic, Local Food. Minimize the “environmental footprint” of your food—the energy and resources used to grow and transport it. Conventional food is produced using environmentally polluting fertilizers and pesticides, and on average our food travels over 2000 miles, increasing its “carbon footprint” of GHG emissions used to move it. Organic food is much easier on the environment—grown without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. And locally grown organic food has the smallest footprint, is fresher and healthier, and supports local farmers.
• 5. Buy Less Stuff. We Americans comprise only about 4% of the world’s population, but use about 20% of global energy and resources– an unsustainable level of consumption. All of the manufactured goods we buy (think electronics, clothing, toys) use energy, water, oil, and mineral resources, all contributing to pollution in China or wherever our stuff is made. Buy only what you need, buy quality long lasting items, and observe the old Yankee credo: “use it up, wear it out, make do.” Think of all the money (and pollution) you’ll save.
• 6. Use Recycled Products. Recycling all of our paper, glass metal and plastics is a good first step, but to close the circle and make recycling economical (and more widespread) we need to create demand for recycled products by buying them. Use recycled printer and copier paper, toilet paper and paper towels—all now widely available. Look for products made of recycled plastic (like decking) and metal. Ask stores to carry recycled products.
• 7. Buy Green Power. Most of our electricity comes from burning coal (which is environmentally destructive to mine, and the largest source of carbon dioxide (GHG) and mercury emissions) or nuclear power (which generates radioactive wastes that we haven’t figured out how to manage). Renewable energy sources (wind, solar, small scale hydro) generate electricity with no GHG emissions. You can elect to buy 50% or 100% renewable source electricity through National Grid under their “green power” program . It costs more, but supports renewable energy and reduces pollution from your electricity use. Check it out.
• 8. Support Conservation. The Earth’s forests, ecosystems and wildlife habitat are disappearing at an alarming rate, and their destruction exacerbates climate change and loss of biodiversity. Locally, development continues to replace farmland and woodlands with housing developments and strip malls. Support the preservation of our remaining natural areas by joining and contributing to a local land trust, Greenbelt, Mass. Audubon, the National Wildlife Federation, the Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, or another conservation organization.
• 9. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is. We have the choice of contributing either to the problem or the solution both through what we buy and how we invest our money. Stop buying the products of companies with poor environmental records. Patronize “green” companies. And invest in high quality “green” companies and mutual funds, instead of in oil, coal and power companies that perpetuate our unsustainable fossil fuel powered economy.
• 10. Practice Green Politics. Make your vote, your voice, and your political contributions count for the environment, not against it. Support candidates that support environmental protection, and contribute to organizations that lobby for the environment. Let your elected officials know you support strong environmental laws and oppose efforts to weaken them. Contribute to the League of Conservation Voters. Help break the stranglehold of the fossil fuel lobby on our national energy and environmental policies. Collectively, we can make a real difference!

Do you have something you want to contribute to The Sustainable Lawyer? Send us a message or sound off below.

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