1. Going Green Edelman Washington, D.C DC Green Team Edelman University Presentation March 11, 2008

2. Edelman Culture

3. Fun Facts about our office How many does Edelman DC use per year? Paper Cups? Sheets of paper? Did you know the average person throws away _______ pounds of trash each day?

4. The Idea =

7. The Myths Nothing I do will make a difference. It’s too difficult or disruptive to change my habits. People who make green choices look cheap and eccentric; I’m not a “tree-hugger”/activist. It’s hypocritical to advocate and practice environmentally friendly behaviors in some, but not all, areas of my life.

9. Terms to know Carbon Footprint: the impact human activities have on the environment, measured in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced Climate Change: human-caused change due to rising carbon footprints ("climate variability" for other changes) CFL: energy efficient c ompact f lorescent l ight bulb CO 2 : carbon dioxide Fossil fuels: traditional nonrenewable energy sources such as petroleum, natural gas and coal = more than 80 percent of our current energy production Greenwash: green + white wash, being intentionally misleading about environmental practices or the benefits of a product or service. GHG: Greenhouse gas, including carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane and ozone Global Warming : a specific type of climate change whereby temperatures are rising

10. Climate Change “ We, the human species, are confronting a planetary emergency – a threat to the survival of our civilization that is gathering ominous and destructive potential even as we gather here.” ~ Al Gore

11. Global Warming 1970 Today 1941 2004 Muir Glacier Mt. Kilimanjaro

15. Growing Consumer Lifestyles The number of televisions in the United States is expected to outnumber citizens by 2010. The average American house size has more than doubled since the 1950s. We throw away 99% of what we have purchased within the first six months of ownership. Each American throws out 4.5 lbs of trash a day – twice the amount we threw out 30 years ago. Were the whole world population to develop the same consumption patterns as Americans, it would be as if the world population ballooned to 72 billion people.

16. Interactive Exercise 1. Every year nearly 900 million trees are cut down to provide raw materials for American paper and pulp mills. Our office alone uses 5 million sheets of paper each year. What can we do about it? 2. The average person uses up to 183 gallons of water per day. It is estimated that an efficient household could save 31% of that, or 57 gallons per person per day. How can we reduce water usage at home? 3. Energy use in the home has increased 16% from 1985 to 2002, costing money and using valuable resources. What can we do at home to curb our growing energy use and lower expensive utility bills? 4. The U.S. service sector – which includes our industry – consumes more energy than any other commercial sector in the developed world (50% by 2030). How can we make our meetings, events and communications more sustainable?

22. Edelman Recycling Policies Newspapers – intern rooms on the 6 th and 9 th floors Plastic bottles and aluminum cans – specially marked recycling bins in the main kitchens Computer paper and notebook pages – personal blue recycling bins at your desk Where do I recycle that?

23. Please do not leave dishes in the sink. Hand-wash used mugs or place them in the dishwasher .

25. Questions?

26. Lauren Cole [email_address] , x1798 Mary Teeter [email_address] , x7967 Green Team Contact Info