Live Green
2009 Mayor's Environmental Excellence Award Winner:
Partner of the Year
Live Green is dedicated to significantly expanding the green economy in the District of Columbia and beyond by making it easier and more affordable for businesses and regular folk to make green choices. Live Green searches the District for the best triple-bottom line businesses (businesses that are not only focused on making money, but also serving their workers and communities, and protecting the planet) and do whatever they can to make sure the people of DC frequent those businesses. From community events where DC residents can meet the owners of these enterprises, to a litany of discounts and deals that help ordinary consumers save money, they are taking steps to foster greener lifestyles and business practices. Live Green is also working with builders to create more affordable green housing options, empowering residents to make improvements in their communities, and partnering with non-profit organizations focused on a variety of important initiatives.
One of Live Green’s priorities is to direct consumers to their Live Green Spots: green businesses and organizations throughout the DC area. Each consumer that chooses one of these businesses over a non-green alternative helps to reduce their negative impact on the earth. Ultimately, Live Green recognizes that to meet our environmental challenges, we need to join forces and support one another. Starting in DC, Live Green plans to unite green consumers across the country and connect them to green enterprises that are not simply concerned about today, but generations to come.
Live Green’s senior management puts its money where its mouth is. Internally, Live Green operates under the highest of green standards. Their office desks are made from reclaimed doors from community forklift, the staff bike or use mass transit to get to work, Live Green’s primary computer is an EPEAT gold machine, and they use shared office space, which reduces the need for energy, furniture, and business equipment.
Reuse of old door, converted into desk; biodegradable recycling bin
Steve Ma
“Live Green is encouraging everybody to switch their homes and businesses to renewable energy. Not only is it vital for the environment, but the price is now on par or cheaper than dirty power! In DC and MD, all one needs to do to switch to 100% wind power is to sign up at www.cleancurrents.com. Pepco still supplies the power through their lines, but the electricity would come from wind farms feeding into the electrical grid. Switching to wind power is now easy AND cost-effective – any reasons to delay making the switch are gone.”
-- Steve Ma