Green America

Green America (known as Co-op America until January 1, 2009) is a nonprofit membership organization based in the United States that promotes environmentally aware, ethical consumerism. Founded in 1982, by Paul Freundlich,[1][2] The approach of helping consumers find environmentally compliant companies[3] in the marketplace. Green America provides businesses with the Green America Seal of Approval, after completing Green America's screening process and have been approved to be listed in their National Green Pages[4] directory. The Green America Approved seal is given to applicant businesses that operate in ways that support workers, communities, and protect the environment.[5][6]

History

Co-op America (now Green America) had its roots in the environmental and social justice movements of the '70s. Founder Paul Freundlich thought that there was a significant segment of Americans who had been changed by the culture of recent decades,[7] yet had not found a way to express that in their lives.[8] Some regional businesses had grown out of similar values, yet lacked access to a customer base sufficient for growth.[9] Co-op America began as a collaborative marketplace, speaking to the shared interests of consumers and business, by a staff and an elected governance structure. Co-op America published a quarterly journal, Building Economic Alternatives, and a catalog of goods and services.[9]

Co-op America received support from Consumers United's President, James P. Gibbons. The Co-op Catalog was developed and supervised by Denise Hamler, who joined the staff in 1982, and has continued to manage major programs including National Green Pages and Green Festivals. In 2016, Denise Hamler retired from Green America after 34 years.[10]

Alisa Gravitz became a consultant in 1983 and in 1990 succeeded Paul Freundlich as executive director. Paul remained on the board of directors as founder and president emeritus.

Programs

Green America has programs to promote environmental preservation and improve human rights in food, finance, labor, social justice, and climate. In 2019, these were some of the programs were available:

Cocoa season in Cameroon
  • The true cost of two-day shipping is a program exposing the poor conditions in the warehouses that pack and ship for Amazon.[11][12][13]
  • The immigrants who feed the country,[14] exposing the low wages and poor working conditions of workers who harvest food crops in the US.[15]
  • Raise the Bar, Hershey is a campaign to urge the Hershey chocolate company to go fair trade, as well as adopt more transparent sourcing policies.[16]

Green America is part of Voice, a watchdog coalition for a reformed cocoa industry.[17] Godiva chocolates and child labor is one focus.[18][19] Global Exchange and International Labor Rights Forum are also part of the program.[20]

Publications

Green America publishes the National Green Pages,[21][4][22] a nationwide directory of screened, socially, and environmental responsible businesses in the United States.[23] It is intended to connect consumers with green products from green businesses.

Your Green Life is an annual publication that is a guide for consumers who wish to make responsible choices when purchasing goods or services.[24]

References
  1. "20 Years of Green Living : Columbia River". www.greenlivingjournal.com. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  2. The new village green : living light, living local, living large. Morris, Stephen, 1948-. Gabriola, B.C.: New Society Publishers. 2007. ISBN 978-1550923445. OCLC 567901307.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. Sustainability in America's cities : creating the green metropolis. Slavin, Matthew I. Washington: Island Press. 2011. ISBN 9781610910286. OCLC 755081438.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. "National Green Pages". www.sustainable.org. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  5. Ottman, Jacquelyn A. (1992-04-01). "Industry's Response to Green Consumerism". Journal of Business Strategy. 13 (4): 3–7. doi:10.1108/eb039498. ISSN 0275-6668. PMID 10120307.
  6. "Can Trustmarks Be Trusted? BBMG Report Finds That Very Few Green Certifications Having an Impact – Press Releases on CSRwire.com". www.csrwire.com. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  7. Mazar, Nina; Zhong, Chen-Bo (April 2010). "Do Green Products Make Us Better People?". Psychological Science. 21 (4): 494–498. doi:10.1177/0956797610363538. ISSN 0956-7976. PMID 20424089. S2CID 5728562.
  8. Green culture : environmental rhetoric in contemporary America. Herndl, Carl George., Brown, Stuart C. (Stuart Cameron), 1955-. Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin Press. 1996. ISBN 0299149900. OCLC 33335361.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  9. Boström, Magnus. (2008). Eco-standards, product labelling and green consumerism. Klintman, Mikael, 1968-. Basingstoke [England]: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9780230584006. OCLC 314769591.
  10. "Green America". www.greenamerica.org. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  11. Spitznagel, Eric (2019-07-13). "Inside the hellish workday of an Amazon warehouse employee". New York Post. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  12. Glaser, April (2019-07-16). "What's Prime Day Like for Amazon Warehouse Workers? We Asked One". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  13. Gurley, Lauren Kaori (2019-10-03). "60 Amazon Workers Walked Out Over Warehouse Working Conditions". Vice. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  14. "The Hands That Feed Us". Emerson Collective. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  15. "America cannot eat without immigrant food workers. These are their stories". New Food Economy. 2018-10-29. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  16. Satre, Lowell J. (Lowell Joseph), 1942- (2005). Chocolate on trial : slavery, politics, and the ethics of business (1st ed.). Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press. ISBN 0821416251. OCLC 58478938.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. "VOICE Network – A watchdog and catalyst for a reformed cocoa sector". Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  18. "Hershey, Nestle and Mars won't promise their chocolate is free of child labor". Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  19. "Child Labor and Slavery in the Chocolate Industry". Food Empowerment Project. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  20. "Raise the Bar, Hershey! Campaign Welcomes Hershey's Announcement to Source 100% Certified Cocoa by 2020 | International Labor Rights Forum". laborrights.org. 3 October 2012. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  21. DC, Green America, Washington. "New 2017 "National Green Pages" is Definitive Consumer Resource for Responsible Shopping for the Holidays and Every Day". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2019-11-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. Ottman, Jacqueline. "Know Thy Target | Sustainability Marketing, The New Rules of Green Marketing Book | J. Ottman Consulting". www.greenmarketing.com. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  23. Scruton, Roger. (2012). How to think seriously about the planet : the case for an environmental conservatism. Scruton, Roger. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199895588. OCLC 794003747.
  24. Green America. (2012). National green pages. [the directory of products and services for people and the planet]. Green America. OCLC 841811305.
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