Americans love to shop, and we love to spend. In the past few decades, Americans have also fallen in love with conscientious consumption, and we have realized that our choices about where to shop can make a difference. Green America wants to help us shop — and live — smarter.
Green America is working at every level in order to change our country’s attitude about the environment. This non-profit organization helps consumers live greener lives by connecting them to businesses that care about their environmental impact. Green America runs several programs that work on a local level to educate citizens about their own impact, such as “Living Green”, “Responsible Shopper”, and “Shop and Unshop”. The organization also hosts programs that promote environment-friendly policy on a national scale, like their “Climate Action” program or their “Sweatshops” program.
Green America knows that in order for everyday citizens to create change, they need information. The organization evaluates businesses nationwide, and they grant their “Green Business Certification” to companies that exercise environmental responsibility. They also produce several publications that educate consumers, like the Green American, the Guide to Socially Responsible Investing, and their National Green Pages, the only nationwide directory of socially responsible, green businesses. Consumers have to demand accountability, commitment to change, and business driven by values as well as profit. We can change the national discourse on the environment with our words, our actions, and our choices.