Earth Day 2012        

All of us as both individuals and venue managers are at different levels when it comes to sustainability. As Earth Day approaches this month on April 22, 2012, the Sustainability committee and Young Professionals work group want to encourage IAVM members to do a little more this month – and this year.

Since sometimes the thought of being sustainable can be overwhelming, we want to encourage members to start somewhere and keep going.

Both the Sustainability and Young Professionals committees want to hear your Green story – whether it's using one of the ideas provided to get you started or doing something completely different. Please submit your personal and venue stories to Kayla.McKinley@IAVM.org. Your story may be published at the Sustainability Showcase at VenueConnect, July 21 - 24, 2012 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida or on the IAVM Sustainability webpage.

While this initiative is for all members, we want to stress that young professionals in our industry have the unique ability to help drive the future of sustainability. Your stories and efforts will be paramount as members, venues, committees and IAVM rethink our role with ecological integrity.

We hope to encourage you in your efforts and know that you will inspire us!

Green Categories:

•	Office
•	Technology
•	Transportation
•	Venue
•	Personal
•	Tips for Better MPG

Office

•	Program all staff PCs to go into sleep mode when idle for more than a minute.
•	Promote recycling and reusing. Don't just stop at paper and plastic but think electronics and office furniture, too!
•	Start trying to convert lighting to fluorescent bulbs where possible in your venues or in the office. One compact fluorescent bulb can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 260 pounds per year!
•	Find creative ways to discourage (or restrict) the use of portable space heaters in staff offices, especially during warmer months.

Technology

•	Install simple motion detectors in office areas, meeting rooms and exhibit halls that automatically turn off lights when the room is vacated.
•	Install touch less toilet flushers and water faucets in main restroom facilities.

Transportation

•	Initiate a Bike to Work Day, including creating a simple incentive program to encourage participation.
•	Organize and promote car pooling to all venue staff, and similarly create incentive programs to encourage participation.
•	Create a partnership with the local transit authority to encourage employees to take public transportation to work for a week (or longer). Possibly propose to the transit system a way to provide your venue staff rider discounts as an incentive for participation.

Venue

•	Offer meeting/convention clients incentives for substituting bottled water or individual snacks/yogurts on break stations with pitchers of tap water or bowls of bulk snack foods.
•	Substitute traditional cleaning products with Green Seal cleaning products.
•	Work with existing service providers and food vendors to come up with new ways that they can be more environmentally conscious with the services and products they provide your venue.
•	Form a small committee to come up with a list of vendor/service provider sustainable practices that can be mandated into the next round of RFPs your venue sends out when in search of new food or other product vendors.
•	Seek out ways to work with vendors or recyclers in your area to experiment with food composting programs that can help divert measurable volumes of food waste from your venue's waste stream.
•	Challenge the building engineers to help reduce energy usage of the facility by programming heating/cooling systems to be powered down or off during overnight hours and when sections of the building are not in use.

Personal

•	Use reusable shopping bags at the grocery store.
•	Use plastic bags again for animal waste when going for a walk or small trash cans around the house.
•	Are you composting?
	- If so, many things you may not compost such as bread, stale cookies, pretzels, crackers, etc, the birds and squirrels will eat.
•	Turn the water off as you brush your teeth.
•	Wait to do laundry until you have a full load.
	- Do you own (and use) a clothesline?
•	Keep your trips to the refrigerator planned so you limit the times you open and close the door.

Tips for better MPG:

•	Be aware of your driving habits. Can you coast to that stop light instead of accelerating then rapidly breaking?
•	Did you know you walk far less and use much less gas to shop downtown then drive around in a mall parking lot circling to find a space that's close?
	- Generally, you end up walking far less than you would to go from the parking lot to the mall shop.
	- Plus, you are getting better bang for your buck buying local, quality items and far more of the money you spend stays in the community.
•	According to auto mechanics, gas and fuel injector additive treatments do help increase mileage.
•	By cleaning out fuel lines and removing clogs from your injectors, your car will run smoother and cleaner, all for usually under $2.00 a bottle.
•	Turning one to two blocks ahead of that busy intersection helps avoid traffic and wait time, which means less idling and less gas used.
•	Call ahead to businesses and be assured they have what you are looking for. It is better to spend a bit more on an item than to drive all over looking for an item or to try to save a few cents.
•	Check the recommended tire pressure from your car's manufacturer and make sure you are at that level. Over or under tire pressure can result in a loss of miles per gallon. A drop of only 5 pounds can reduce your gas mileage by 2%.