It’s not often I see a press release for a new site and talk about them on Hart of Green.  Today we welcome to the world wide web [GGT] “Going Green Today”.

My FAQ’s are always a place for me to work out whether I like a site or not so, almost immediately when I arrived at this site I clicked FAQ. I’m like a teenager on Black Friday at a Wal-Mart front door ready to bolt in and find my Nintendo. In this case, find my FAQ’s.  I’ll share some really interesting things I found, but first

The short of who they are, “Going Green Today, and what they do:

They want to make a collective impact on the environment by making individual lifestyle changes. Through the utilization of their coaching tools over a self-chosen time period, individuals will be guided to make green lifestyle decisions, save money and address global climate change.  The GGT program uses an in-depth lifestyle survey to develop a clear picture of your life and habits. They then calculate your environmental impact to reduce your carbon footprint by creating a customized action plan. Your customized action plan can be implemented over 30, 60 or 90 days to reduce your personal impact by 30% and save you $2000 per year.

Pretty cool. Within 90 days, this site will help me reduce my total carbon footprint down by 30%.  So, off to the FAQ’s to learn about our new friends at GGT and if we understand their business and value.

Here is a question I didn’t even think of asking

My lifestyle really isn’t adding to the problem…is it?
The great folks who own this site must be targeting a complete newbie like me.  My impression is the visitor would most likely be somewhat green and at the very least recycles.  This question is targeting someone that in my opinion, probably just found out yesterday what the word “green” means.  You would be amazed at how many people I ask “Do you know what being green means?” and they, respectfully, have no clue.

At first, I laughed out loud when I saw this question. My first thought was there is no way that anyone would come to this site and click on FAQ’s who would be interested enough in being green to even read that far. Then, my second thought was, I give GGT credit for wanting to reach out to newbie green people like me, that have just entered the realm of  living green. My point is, if I wasn’t so committed to changing my life I’m not sure my attention span would last long enough to get to that question. This is an interesting exercise to examine how this site is targeting newbies like me and how a visitor might feel in such a new space.

Because I’m new to green I’m not as familiar with some of the language or vernacular used in this industry. For example, the last sentence of this question talks about dangerous cel phone signals.
“The cell also has “embodied energy” that must be taken into account.”    …embodied energy? What the heck is that?

I’m monitoring my feelings as I run across information. I was a bit turned off by not being offered a link to click on  a definition explanation of  ‘embodied energy.”  I get a bit miffed at sites that are talking to newbies and then throw around certain phrases or acronyms and expect a newbie to know them, or want to leave the page to instantly look it up on Google.

One easy remedy to losing a valued visitor on an FAQ page is to create a link on that newly underlined and linked phrase that drops you to the glossary that’s located much further down the page. I’m a newbie and could abandon a page when I feel stupid.

Here’s the definition of “Embodied Energy”
For the purposes of this program, it is a term to describe the energy and resources that goes into making and getting a product to you. So, an electric hybrid might have a low MPG but depending on how it was made and what it was manufactured from, it might have a very high “embodied energy”. Finding the right level of embodied energy, while shopping, for the task at hand is a good habit to consider.

This was a good one

It seems to me that living “green” is going to cost a lot of “green.”

This is not true. While it’s true that some “green” items cost more than “non-green” items, green living will actually save you a lot of money in the long run. For instance, downgrading to a smaller car with a 4-cylindar engine will save you gas money, insurance expense, and carbon output. Simplifying your life, you will naturally spend less money. And your choice of consumer products may emphasize quality over quantity, thus saving you money in the long run.

The Going Green Today program will not advise any purchases in your customized plan unless they are:
1. In your budget
2. Provide extensive savings, even with the initial cost
3. You were going to spend the money anyway, like on a new car or remodel

This is so true, if you really compare organic to regular (pesticide sprayed, hormone-caged, non-recyclable) item for purchase. I noticed organic carrots that are individual are much less than what the stores shove in our face by showcasing the most expensive organic baby carrotts resting in fresh water for only $9.95.  I know, it depends on what it is that determines if it’s less priced.

Now this is weird, in a good way.

Do you measure our waste stream or carbon footprint? First, what is my waste stream and how do I limit it? Have I found a tool to measure my ability to limit my stream of waste? Again, the glossary is further down the page.

Wastestream
In very simple terms a waste stream is the energy it takes to make a product and the pollution it causes when it is thrown away. It is the adding together of how something is made, used, and discarded. Much of what we use is largely based on unsustainable systems, yet when we become aware of this, we can make a difference by having new choices.

Their response to that question is a good one. “No. Since you found us, we assume you know that your footprint is too large. ¦Your current levels of consumption are a moot point. We will focus on where to go from where you are to where you want to be, as far as limiting your waste stream”

I’m sorry, I’m just not ready to tell anyone I’m limiting my wastestream. Are you? Oh, then you’re a few days ahead of me:)

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