Local businesses helping to change behavior to improve environment

A new class of businessmen and women are breaking the old rules and proving that loving Mother Earth and loving a healthy profit margin aren't mutually exclusive. Money is green, after all.

According to Oklahoma City native Mike Aaron, president of Greensender LLC, all it takes is knowing where to start.

"People know there's a problem and they want to make a change," he said. "The thing is, there's this huge chasm between those good intentions and actually taking action."

The task is so daunting that many people seem to think only drastic changes " commuting to work on a bicycle or only showering once a week " will help the planet. Faced with making monumental shifts in the way they live, people will stand pat, he said.

 "Our company motto is, 'Let's get it started,'" Aaron said. "You're not going to save the world tomorrow by using our products, but every little bit helps."

CHANGING BEHAVIOR
The New Jersey-based company's main product is a box with a few commonsense items to help would-be environmentalists make small changes with big impacts:

a cotton grocery bag, a reusable water bottle and an energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulb.

The focus is on behavior-changing products, Aaron said.

"If you have it and use it, there's a positive impact," he said. "We wanted things that were easy for people to use and integrate into daily life." "Greg Elwell

  • or