Our 5: Jon Levey and Steve Sherman, GreenChoice Bank

BPGL: What are the five most important things we can do to save the planet?

JON LEVEY and STEVE SHERMAN, Co-Founders, GreenChoice Bank and LEED APs:

Jon Levey, Co-Founder and Chief Lending Officer, GreenChoice Bank

• Ask questions and start a dialogue. The first step is simply getting the dialogue going on what people and businesses are doing to “green” themselves. Learning from others and deciding to take the first small step will lead you to further responsible choices. As a green community bank, we are not here to pass judgment on whether a person or business is “green enough.” But we will ask questions to see what they are doing and to start the dialogue. And, we will reward those who embrace sustainability by offering advantaged loan and deposit products at GreenChoice Bank. In asking questions, we might learn something new that we can share with others or use in our own personal or professional lives. And, often, the simple act of asking the questions causes someone to realize that a small change (e.g., replacing incandescent bulbs with LEDs) can make a big impact on the environment without negatively impacting their quality of life. It all starts with questions and open dialogue.

• Support local businesses. Supporting the local economy and its small businesses is not just the sustainable thing to do, it’s what can help pull the economy out of the recession. It’s the local small businesses that create the innovations and jobs that jump-start the economy and lead to increased productivity and economic security.

• Build green. If you’re not building green, you’re building obsolete. Energy efficiency, improving indoor air quality, and reducing construction waste are just good business principles. It may cost a little more up front, but in the long run, you’re also saving a ton of money on operating costs, and you’re doing the right thing for the planet. Everybody wins!
  

  Steve Sherman, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, GreenChoice Bank

• Don’t print as much from your computer. We all receive tons of emails, newsletters, articles, legal documents, PowerPoint presentations, etc. It takes some getting used to, but just read the document on your monitor, and if you find that you must print, print selectively, choosing to only print those particular pages you actually need. Why waste the trees and ink for something you will only read once? If you absolutely have to print that email with all the signatures and legal disclaimers at the bottom, take the extra moment to selectively print just the first page that has the stuff you need.

• Bank with a green bank. In fact, move your banking relationship to OUR green bank — GreenChoice Bank! Or at least put some deposits in a local community bank that reinvests and supports your local economy. And choose online banking without paper statements. All these little things add up. (Did we mention that you should move your banking to GreenChoice Bank?)

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GreenChoice Bank: Green Services You Can Bank On