Green Purchasing
Green Purchasing Executive Order
On April 26, 2008, Governor Paterson released a Green Purchasing Executive Order which requires state agencies to purchase environmentally-friendly products and develop sustainability and stewardship programs. New York purchases over $9 billion worth of goods and services annually, leaving a substantial environmental footprint. The new policy ensures that agencies are using this purchasing power to reduce the environmental impacts of the state’s operations, create markets for sustainable technologies, reduce disposal costs, and create jobs in environmentally preferable goods.
CEC and the Alliance for a Toxic Free Future (ATFF) were instrumental in obtaining the green purchasing policy. We researched model state policies and developed a proposed Executive Order which was submitted to former Governor Eliot Spitzer. The Governor's office then asked us to work with state agencies to refine the proposal. When we reached agreement, the Order was sent to the Governor by an unprecedented coalition of seven state agencies, including the Departments of Health and Environmental Conservation. The Executive Order was issued in April 2008 and is being implemented by the Office of General Services and the Department of Environmental Conservation.
CEC is working with ATFF groups and the state agencies to implement the Executive Order, and is seeking representation on the Green Purchasing Advisory Council.
“Directing all state agencies to purchase safer, healthier products will provide enormous health and environmental benefits plus cost savings, while also helping to green the marketplace.”
Barbara Warren, Executive Director of Citizen’s Environmental Coalition
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Green Purchasing Legislation
CEC is advocating for passage of legislation that will help New York to "green the marketplace" and promote healthy, safe products. On April 15, 2008 during the annual Earth Day Lobby Day, the New York State Assembly passed the “Healthy and Green Procurement Act” (A.7483-A) by a vote of 116 to 11.
The Assembly bill is modeled after the Executive Order, however it is more comprehensive. Specifically, the bill creates minimum requirements for recycled content in purchased goods, waste reduction, green buildings and energy efficiency. In addition, products that are made with priority toxic substances, such as persistent, bioaccumulative toxic chemicals (PBTs), carcinogens, and bisphenol A, will not be purchased, whenever there are safer alternative products available. CEC and ATFF are seeking its passage to ensure that green purchasing becomes the law of the land as Orders are sometimes rescinded after Governors leave office.
For more information, contact CEC Executive Director Barbara Warren at 518-462-5527 X13 or warrenba@msn.com
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Green Building
The World at Home: A Household Guide to Building Green, Materials in Brief
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Would Your Group Like to Receive a Presentation on Our Guide to Building Green?
Please contact CEC at 518-462-5527 or email warrenba@msn.com
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CEC's Green Building Guide
This guide is meant to enable you to compare building materials and make your own educated choices to affordably seek out safer, more sustainable products. it is also meant to help you evaluate the larger life cycle implications of all the products that you buy and use.
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How much $$ could you save by installing a Solar Energy System?
This program will use information on your utility rates, available sunlight, and all available State and Federal incentives to estimate the costs and savings of installing a PV System.
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Green Jobs Corps?
*2008 is the 75th anniversary of FDR's Civilian Conservation Corps *
Working Together for a Green New Deal, by Van Jones
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Check Out our Featured Green Homes and Buildings
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What is Sick Building Syndrome?
The term "sick building syndrome" (SBS) is used to describe situations in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified. The complaints may be localized in a particular room or zone, or may be widespread throughout the building. In contrast, the term "building related illness" (BRI) is used when symptoms of diagnosable illness are identified and can be attributed directly to airborne building contaminants. more>
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Watch Out For Greenwashing
Greenwash is a term used consumers are being misled by a company regarding the environmental practices of the company or the environmental benefits of a product or service. It is a deceptive use of green PR or green marketing
More information on products and companies that are not what they seem comin soon...
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Green Jobs
CEC is promoting a positive vision of a sustainable future that prevents pollution and waste, protects the health of New York residents and invests in a greener economy and jobs, while eliminating environmental degradation.
CEC is organizing meetings on Green Economic Development and Jobs with environmental justice advocates, labor, health and community groups to start to develop principles and criteria for sustainable economic development and green, healthy jobs.
If you are interested in participating in a regional meeting, please contact CEC Executive Director Barbara Warren at 518-462-5527 X13 or warrenba@msn.com
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Working Together for a Green New Deal
By Van Jones
Society faces some huge challenges. The individuals, entrepreneurs and community leaders who will step up to make the repairs and changes are going to need help. They require and deserve a world-class partner in our government. The time has come for a public-private community partnership to fix this country and put it back to work. In the framework of a Green New Deal, the government would become a powerful partner to the problem solvers of the world--and not the problem makers.
Now, we cannot achieve the goal of a Green New Deal just by wishing for it. The first step in getting the government to support an inclusive, green economy is to build a durable political coalition.
On the one hand, there are large and powerful constituencies of white, affluent, college-educated progressives active in the United States. They are passionate about the environment, fair trade, economic justice and global peace. Unfortunately, many do not yet work in concert with people of color in their own country to pursue this agenda; they champion "alternative economic development strategies" across the globe, but not across town. These people could be great allies in uplifting our inner cities if they are given encouragement and a clear opportunity to do so.
To accomplish our tasks today, we need a similar force: an electoral New Deal coalition for our time. Let's call it the Green Growth Alliance. Such an alliance would be a broad effort fusing wise, compassionate forces in civil society with the enlightened self-interest of the rising green business community.
On the civil society side, five main partners should make up the Green Growth Alliance:
Van Jones is the founder and president of Green for All.
Going Green
Going Green:
Citizens' Environmental Coalition Guide to Going Green
