When you’re looking to green your lifestyle, it helps to learn from the experiences of others rather than trying to reinvent the wheel yourself. That’s why, from time to time, I like to highlight the stories of various “eco-heroes” across the country.
In my last feature — “Going Green? Learn from these Pros” — some of the stars were folks like Mike Turner, who retrofitted an old Honda Civic for a super imrovement in mileage, and Elizabeth Rogers, creator of a new Website (Shift Your Habit) that demonstrates the money-saving power of eco-friendly habits. This time, I’ve got some new green success stories to share:
- Recently featured in Green Options’ own Green Building Elements, Colorado architect Doug Eichelberger has built an inexpensive and energy-efficient barn using bales of scrap plastic and waste paper;
- Ex-Wall Street bankers Stephen Chen, Iris Chau and Alastair Onglingswan have started up GreenSoul Shoes, a venture that works to help local artisans make shoes from recycled materials and donates one pair of shoes to a child for every pair it sells;
- And how about a shout-out to new Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who last week broke an inaugural “People’s Garden” on the grounds of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and announced plans for similar gardens at all USDA facilities?;
- Then there’s Georgia Power executive Mike Joyner and the students at Savannah’s Jenkins High School, which recently put up a solar panel to act as both an energy source and a teaching tool.
All great stories — let’s keep ‘em coming!
