Chamber Insider Blog

Post by Carol Kearney, Chair of the Green Business Committee

Thank you to Carol for reminding us of some simple ways we can start 2015 our right by “going green” and a little bit of what the Loudoun Dulles Green Business Challenge is about.

Carol (above left) at the 2014 Green Business Awards Reception. (View Album)

I have been passionate about the environment since I tried to clean up Great Falls Park by myself at age 12.  I was contacted by a county employee when the Green Business Challenge was being developed to give some input.  I have been hooked ever since.

I had hoped the Chamber would become a part of the challenge and was on cloud 9 when a partnership was formed.

I am honored to co-chair and now chair the committee.

This is a passion of mine because as business owners we can really make a difference.  Unfortunately, many business owners don’t see how easy it is to make a difference and the environmental impact they can make. What I do is explain to the businesses that I meet that this is a great way to meet some new businesses, get some additional publicity and increase their bottom line.  By “going green” they can increase their “green”.  This gets their attention.

I am not certain that this has impacted my chamber membership as it was the other way around.  I was a part of the Green Business Challenge before it became connected to the Chamber.  I love leading this amazing group of professionals.  By being a part of this committee I interact with professional primarily business owners I would not have the chance to interact with otherwise.  I think this is the beauty of “our Chamber”. Your passions can be pursued through the variety of committees and things we are doing.

Some tips:

• Take the challenge EVERY YEAR.
• Basic things like turn off computers.
• Attach all of your electronics to power strips and turn them off when you are done.
• Recycle, reuse and then recycle more.  
• You can donate just about anything.  
• Take the challenge and look at the energy you save year to year.  We have built in calculators that do this thanks to Najib with the county. Check out the resources the Green Business Initiative has on the Chamber’s website.
• If you are a home based business install a rain barrel, recycle all of your kitchen waste, get an energy audit done for free, don’t use plastic water bottles and just become more conscious by taking the challenge every year.  We strive to update and improve it yearly.

Have a great & healthy week!

Carol A. Kearney, Realtor – “Carol Cares”

Top Producer, ABR, GRI, SRES – Momentum Realty, Potomac Falls, Va.

carolcares@hotmail.com