…and Better World Books (whose Dustin Holland was a 2007 LJ Mover & Shaker) are two of today’s most popular discard solutions. Both help libraries make the most of the marketing principles of the long tail, as coined by Wired magazine’s Chris Anderson, wherein obscure titles are able to find a larger audience owing to the efficiencies of e-commerce.

…contributors to Better World Books are pleased with the results. “The Brooklyn Public Library sees a real value in this relationship and has been more than happy with the revenues it generates,” over $155,000 since 2005, says Barbara Genco, director of collection development. Western Kentucky University Libraries, Bowling Green, succeeded in building a $200 Alibris credit over a two-year period. Southwestern University earned $300 with Better World Books during the 2006–07 academic year.

Thanks, Library Journal!  We do our best to bring libraries the best value while providing a much needed service.

What is Green Washing?  Simply put it is the misleading/untrue statements to suggest a product is of some benefit or reduced impact to the environment.  Much like a light beer being marketed to athletes or a smoothie loaded down with high fructose corn syrup; the benefits are not there when you scratch below the surface.

A 1990 study by the Federal Trade Commission found that the buzz words “environmentally friendly”, “ozone friendly” and “degradable” have no scientific basis.  They also lay out guidelines for proper truth in advertising when referencing your environmental claims.  They are:

• Environmental claims should be as specific as possible, not general, vague, incomplete or overly broad.
• Environmental claims relating to disposability (e.g., “degradable” or “recyclable”) should not be made unless the advertised disposal option is currently available to consumers in the area in which the product is sold and the product complies with the requirements of the relevant waste disposal programs.
• Environmental claims should be substantive.
• Environmental claims should, of course, be supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence.

Better World Books recognizes these trends in Green Marketing.  Green Washing has pervaded the industry so much that consumers are growing skeptical of any claims that aren’t substantiated.  That’s why we are working to publish a report that will detail exactly what environmentally sustainable choices we have made to lessen our overall impact.  We are sure that we are environmentally responsible but would like to assess the true impact of the choices we have made to determine what we can do in the pursuit of a certifiable environmentally sustainable business model.  Stay tuned for more updates as we have already collected a wealth of sources and data to begin the assessment.  We will definitely provide updates through one or more of our external communications (i.e. blog, newsletter, website).

As an added bonus, Dustin and Nicole brought Cairo along to supervise. As you can see, she did a great job of making sure everything ran smoothly.

I was revved for the newest of alternative holidays and had a bunch of folks were over to enjoy a nice candlelit dinner between 8-9, central time.  I turned out every light, unplugged each appliance, followed the instructions to a T.  I even unplugged things like unused phone chargers – no energy seepage allowed.  Once the house was dark and we were ready to go, it turned out that in my whole house – seriously the whole house — there was only one candle.  Oops…  So, our candlelit dinner was the darkest candlelit dinner of my life.  Dark like “How far is the fork from my mouth?” dark.  Next year, I will have enough candles that folks walking past will think there is a raging fire inside my house.

Our participation stemmed from all the e-mails that circulated here at Better World Books (word of mouth is always the best form of promotion).  That got me wondering how many other folks participated this year.  I can’t find any real estimates of bodies involved, but I do know (from Earth Hour’s website) that in 2008, 38 countries participated in Earth Hour!

Among these were both Canada and the US, and get this: 146 cities in 12 of the 13 Canadian provinces participated!  This then made me realize that since the Rocky Mountain Region was expanded to include Canada, I’ve communicated with so many generous, globally conscious students and bookstores that of course Canada would have rockstar representation.

So, my point: If Sydney can reduce energy usage by 10.2% in one hour, imagine the awesome results of having 38 countries involved!  Imagine the results of just the 146 cities in Canada!

There are 1000s of easy ways to help keep our planet green, but Earth Hour is a crazy easy way to support a greener globe. So, spread the word to your friends and family that Earth Hour 2009 starts at 8 p.m. local time in roughly 356 days.  While spreading the word, remind your loved-ones to buy some candles.

The Earth Hour website highlights some energy saving tips for your home/school/work life — but our purchasing habits are another great place to make a difference!  All the books you buy from Betterworld.com are shipped to you carbon neutral and most of them are used; so buy a book, save some trees, reduce some carbon outputs – hooray!

“‘We used to say ‘where there’s muck there’s brass’ but we’d had enough muck when mining came to an end,’ says Stan Crawford, the former president of the National Union of Mineworkers in Nottinghamshire, who heads the group’s remarkable creation, Sherwood Energy Village.

Looking out over wind turbines, ponds and modern offices angled to trap sunlight, he can now count 600 jobs on the site, as many as when Ollerton colliery finally closed in 1995.

‘We knew two other things back then: that we wanted a diverse economy, after years of the pit for the men and the clothes factory for the women, and we didn’t want anyone else imposing our future on us,’ says Crawford.

The energy village also includes rainwater harvesting, and is currently the construction site for some 196 sustainable homes. The project has been so successful that it has won the Silver Jubilee Cup, the Royal Town Planning Institute’s highest award.”

It can be done, folks.  We can convert to more sustainable sources of energy, the question is, what are you doing to affect the change?

Sure I showed you where you can check out how the presidential candidates feel about the environment but environmental change doesn’t start with your vote, it starts with your home and work.  Try these facts on for size:

1. 17,000: the number of petrochemicals available for home use, only 30% of which have been tested for exposure to human health and the environment.

2. 63: the number of synthetic chemical products found in the average American home, translating to roughly 10 gallons of harmful chemicals.

3. 100: the number of times higher that indoor air pollution levels can be above outdoor air pollution levels, according to US EPA estimates.

4. 275: the number of active ingredients in antimicrobials (those little hand cleansers like Purell) that the EPA classifies as pesticides because they are designed to kill microbes.

5. 5 billion: the number of pounds of chemicals that the institutional cleaning industry uses each year.

6. 23: the average gallons in chemicals (87 liters) that a janitor uses each year, 25% of which are hazardous.

Eye opening, right?  Check out this article at Treehugger for more information and what you can do to make changes in your green cleaning.  Considering last night I saw a Clorox commercial on ESPN for an all green cleaner (during that great Illinois v Indiana game) you can be certain that this isn’t just a small industry anymore either.  Get on board!

Check it out.

Or check out the more aesthetically pleasing and more comprehensive version, spurred on by Tom’s ideas.

I am excited to share with you some news regarding Better World Books’ support of “Green for All”.   See this from Brad Weirich, Employee Development Manager, who will be involved with this effort going forward (representing Better World Books):

Green for All, a new campaign focused on bringing “green collar” jobs to urban areas, launched on Friday, September 26th, at the Clinton Global Initiative.  The group, created by Van Jones, Co-Founder of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, seeks to capitalize on the exploding green economy while ensuring that the coming green economic wave impacts on more than one level.

The Green for All campaign is a bold effort to harness the growing power of the green economic revolution to fight the war on poverty.  By securing job training for 250,000 workers from urban communities for the emerging green job market, the program will provide new avenues of opportunity for those who have traditionally been left behind by the nation’s economic growth.

Green for All was launched with the support of over 200 businesses and organizations, including Better World Books.

If you would like to see the full press release, please go here