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Green-house Counsel

This feature delivers resources, tips and facts to help your company adopt policies that are environmentally friendly and often cost-effective, too. Check back each week for more “green” tips.

Tip Archive

You May Have More Environmental Issues than You Think

The citations and penalties we see issued by federal, state and local environmental agencies often involve entities that manufacture nothing.
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“Green” Your Lease: Landlord and Tenant Perspectives on Lease Provisions for Green Buildings

Landlords and commercial tenants are finding “green” (such as LEED-certified) buildings increasingly attractive for a variety of reasons.
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Know Your Company's Chemical Footprint -- Your Compliance Depends On It!

A facility's chemical footprint can cause significant concern to the public, as well as environmental agencies -- know your company's chemical footprint so you can be sure to comply with applicable regulations.
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Are You a Liability? Ethical Issues and the Disclosure of Potential Liability Arising from Greenhouse Gas Regulation

Virtually every business contributes greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions -- find out how recent regulation will affect your business and what you need to do.
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Don’t Dig a Watery Grave: Stay Current on the Latest Water Regulations and Available Funding

What do you need to know about water regulation? Changes in regulation may require increased compliance, and you may be able to obtain government funding to achieve compliance and carry on "green infrastructure" projects.
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Introducing: New Green-house Counsel Sponsor Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox, LLP

Two decades ago, Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox, LLP (MGKF) started a new and different firm - concentrating its practice in environmental, land use and energy law.
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Reduce the Amount of Ink You Use (Consider Using “Ecofont”)

Reduce your ink consumption by using environmentally friendly fonts such as "Ecofont" and printer settings that require less ink.
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Calculate Your Carbon Footprint

As a first step towards reducing your organization's carbon footprint, encourage your organization to determine what that footprint is today.
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Reduce Paper Consumption

These simple tips for reducing paper consumption can have a big impact -- on the environment, and on your bottom line.
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Employ Sustainable Development Principles

Explore ways your organization can promote sustainability through strategies such as smart growth, new urbanism and green building.
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Consider Investor Interest in Going Green

Many investors are now demanding corporate social responsibility structures; your business's focus on sustainability can thus add extra-financial value, beyond a company's bottom line.
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Conduct Virtual Meetings

You can greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save your company thousands of dollars by conducting virtual meetings in lieu of some on-site meetings.
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Encourage Carpooling

Automobile emissions are responsible for large amounts of greenhouse gas. To cut down on emissions, encourage carpooling and other forms of public transportation.
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Encourage Telecommuting

Consider allowing workers to telecommute at least one day a week. Telecommuting saves energy and boosts office morale, and can also increase productivity and decrease overhead costs.
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Turn Off Your Computer and Printer

Save energy by turning off your office electronics when not in use, and consider changing settings so that your computer will go into a low-power mode when you are away from your desk.
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BYOCM -- Bring Your Own Coffee Mug

Green your coffee by bringing your own refillable mug to work.
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Promote Green Computing

Promote green computing by using energy efficient computers and electronic equipment. ENERGY STAR guidelines evaluate products' energy efficiency.
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Apply for Green Jobs Training Grants

Training budgets are under stress in these difficult economic times, but your organization may be able to apply for federal government funds to train your employees for green jobs.
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Build Green Buildings

Building and renovating your offices and other facilities to green standards not only benefits the environment, but also may be increasingly required by state and local ordinances.
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Donate Old Office Equipment

Is it time for an office technology upgrade? Check out this week's Green-house Counsel tip to see if you need to spruce up your technology.
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Eliminate the Bottled Water

Bottled water shows up in meetings, break rooms and your office. Recycling is not enough. Learn what you can do for the environment while quenching your thirst.
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Pay Attention to Your Thermostat

Heating and cooling office buildings requires large amounts of energy. Conserve some of that energy by turning the temperature up during the summer and down during the winter.
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Green Your Conferences and Events

Use your organization's purchasing leverage to promote green practices at offsite conferences, meetings, and events.
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Take Advantage of Tax Deductions for Commercial Buildings

Read this week's Green-house Counsel tip to learn how to take advantage of tax deductions for commercial buildings.
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Investigate the Benefits of Energy Performance Contracting

If your organization is housed in an older building, investigate the potential benefits of energy performance contracting.
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Use Energy-Efficient Lighting

Check out this week's Green-house Counsel tip on the use of energy-efficient lighting.
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Pay Attention to Environmental Issues in Emerging Markets

As many industries wish to expand into China, it is vital to understand its environmental regulations, and goals for future environmentally-friendly changes. Read this week's Green-house Counsel tip to learn more.
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Celebrate Earth Day

Celebrate Earth Day! Read this week's Green-house Counsel for tips on how to help the environment.
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Encourage Paperless Billing

Help your company encourage customers to participate in ebilling to cut down on your use of paper.
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Participate in the ABA SEER One Million Trees Public Service Initiative

Check out this week's Green-house Counsel tip and be a part of the ABA's national tree planting day.
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Take Advantage of New Federal Green Initiatives

Organizations should be poised to take advantage of federal funding and incentives that may be available for going green.
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Choose Your Bank Wisely

In these days of economic turmoil, the banking industry seems to be grabbing its share of negative headlines. Check out this week's Green-house Counsel tip.
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Is Your Building Sick?

Heard of "Sick Building Syndrome?" Learn the cause and effect of sick building syndrome in this Green-house Counsel tip.
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Complying With the EU's Environmental Regulations

Consumer electronics have special rules to minimize the amount of hazardous materials.
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Keep Your Environmental Program Running in an Economic Downturn

Tips on convincing your boss to keep "going green" programs running in an economic downturn.
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Incorporate EMS Into Your Organization

Many benefits can come from EMS, such cost saving, risk reduction, and increased community support.
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Help The Nation Rebuild Its Infrastructure

President Obama has vowed to create jobs while rebuilding the nation's infrastructure. Most of this infrastructure has important environmental implications‹consider the significance of the power grid, transportation system, and sewage treatment plants.
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Get In Sync With The New Administration

DC is abuzz right now with the energy of a new president and Congress. Part of the excitement is President-elect Obama's talk about his big changes that will affect the environment.
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Put Some "Green" in Your New Year's Resolutions

You hopefully have already set some goals for 2009‹are any of them "green"? Resolve this year to move your organization a little closer to sustainability. Energy conservation? Start today by scheduling an audit.
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Turn the Economic Lemon into Lemonade

We all know of the economic crisis facing the country. Indeed, most of our organizations have been affected to varying degrees. For most of us, "bailout" is not an option; we must cut costs, eliminate services, and lay off people.
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Track Additions to the Obama Administration

President-elect Obama has pledged to change Washington. The regulated community is especially interested in who will head the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Interior, key environmental agencies.
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Have a Green Holiday

Holidays are times for good cheer‹and, too often, excess waste.
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Get a Handle on Your Hazmat

Does your organization use hazardous materials? Presumably you already have a program in place for the safe storage, use, transport, and disposal of such materials.
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Perform Environmental Pro Bono Work

Lawyers, of course, are encouraged to perform pro bono work. Have you every considered donating some legal time to helping out with a worthwhile environmental cause? Environmental justice issues especially need your skills.
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Audit Your Greenness

If you really want your organization to be green, you need to perform an environmental audit.
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Buy Carbon Offsets.

A carbon offset is a financial instrument representing a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
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Make Information Available

To speed up the greening of your organization, make sure your people have the information they need.
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Commit to Using 20% Less Water Per Month

Chart the number of gallons of water used in the last 12 months (for comparison to each month this year), make specific changes in products used and habits:
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Buy Renewable Energy From Your Supplier

Certain sources of power, like electricity from burning coal, are not renewable; other sources, like hydro and wind, are. What source do you use at work?
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Perform an Energy Audit

Before you can save energy—and save money—you need to know where your energy is going. An energy audit will study your facility's building envelope, lighting, HVAC, controls, heat recovery, thermal storage, electrical systems, and utilities.
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Create Green-collar Jobs

The market's emphasis on sustainable business is creating "green collar" jobs. What is your organization doing to position itself for job growth in this rapidly growing business sector?
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Tell your employees of all the green things you do.

Don't keep your green activities a secret—especially from your own employees. Some of your steps are expensive or involve a major policy shift. Tell your people.
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What gets measured gets done.

Most organizations can identify five key numbers that sum up the organizations' financial health. "Revenue per employee," for example, might be applicable to your workplace.
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Give Mail Recipients a Chance to "Go Paperless".

On a recent monthly statement, a large mortgage company had printed on the envelope, "In 2007, people who switched to online-only statements helped save the equivalent of 3,888 trees."
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Ask Your Customers What They Want.

Going green is a group effort. And what better way than to involve the people and businesses that buy your goods or services? Survey your clients and ask them how your organization could be more sustainable.
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Start a Climate Action Team.

If you haven't heard, global warming and climate change are hot topics these days! What is your organization doing about it? What are your competitors doing about it? How will climate change affect your operations?
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Start a Climate Action Team

How will climate change affect your operations? How will climate change affect your line-up of products and services ten years from now?
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Minimize Waste.

One 3M employee once remarked that "waste is the byproduct of inefficiency." Think of waste minimization in terms of the 4Rs: reduction, reuse, recycle, and recovery.
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Purchase Green Materials.

One way we can help the environment is to purchase materials that are "lighter" on the Earth. Examine your organization's purchases. Have you asked suppliers to decrease packaging?
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Explore Green Business Opportunities.

Many organizations fight environmental regulations and blame the regulations and groups like Sierra Club for all their business woes. Putting all that aside, ask yourself:
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Recycle.

Most companies have at least a rudimentary recycling program. How's yours? At the minimum, your organization should recycle office paper, beverage containers, and cardboard boxes.
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Explore Green Leasing.

A "green lease" sets out environmental and social objectives as part of the relationship between building owner and tenant.
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Provide Green Benefits.

Your benefit program has environmental consequences. Do you offer subsidies for public transportation?
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Hold Green Meetings.

One way to show your Greenhouse Counsel leadership is to make sure all of your meetings are "green." Here are some starter ideas:
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Print on Both Sides of the Paper.

Simple, yes, but as lawyers we use a lot of paper! To lower your environmental footprint, use both sides of a sheet of paper. First, make sure your printer is capable of printing on both sides.
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Sustainable Development.

"Sustainable development" is one of those concepts that will no doubt affect your legal practice, if it has not already.
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Green the Bottom Line.

As in-house counsel with a conscience, one of your added responsibilities is to help your organization improve its "triple bottom line":
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Help the Environment and Your People.

Your organization's environmental well being starts with your employees' health and safety. Well-trained staff and properly maintained equipment can prevent a dangerous chemical spill, for example.
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Practice What You Preach.

Ok, you want to help make your organization environmentally sustainable, right? Your first step is to make sure you are environmentally sustainable.
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"LEED" the Way to Greener Buildings.

If you are involved in any way with your organization's real estate (including leasing, new construction, or renovation), you need to know about Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ("LEED").
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Help Your Organization Go Green.

As in-house counsel, you can play a critical role in helping your organization become "green."
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Happy Earth Day, Green-house Counselors!

Today is Earth Day—the perfect day for ACC to roll out its new program called "Green-house Counsel."™
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ACC Newsstand

Environmental Information Regulations - Supreme Court refers interpretation of public interest test to the European Court of Justice

Mar 10, 2010 - The Supreme Court in Office of Communications v Information Commissioner [2010] UKSC 3 has made a reference to the European Court of Justice ("European Court") in relation to the Environmental Information ...

Environmental Information Regulations - Supreme Court refers interpretation of public interest test to the European Court of Justice

You first! Copenhagen Accord emissions reduction pledges announced

Mar 10, 2010 - On February 1st, the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (the "Convention") announced the pledges made by countries under the Copenhagen Accord (the "Accord")....

Franchisors: are you prepared for the UK's Carbon Reduction Commitment?

Mar 10, 2010 - In earlier postings we introduced the UK's Carbon Reduction Commitment (Energy Efficiency) Scheme ("CRC").