Green is the word--Reduce

Well, if green isn't the word, then I don't know what is. After a couple of very busy weeks, I'd like to get back to our green discussion.
Reduce. Reuse, Recycle. The three most critical words in the green movement. They aren't new, are they? No, they have been around for years, following the "Don't litter!" campaigns and then the adding of deposits on certain beverage containers and so on. This way of thinking and doing is nothing new. But then came the reduce, reuse, recycle campaigns that were designed to cover it all and they really do.

Let's start with reduce. The main idea is to reduce consumption. Of what? Everything. Eliminate waste, improve efficiencies, and lessen our overall impact on our environment.
Not a bad concept. Sounds good. If we all pitch in and everyone does a little, the impact can be huge. Right? RIGHT.
So what am I talking about? Well, like I said this stuff is nothing new. As it relates to Paulson's Construction being a green company or even to our industry, we've been reducing for years. We have always looked for ways to reduce: using short pieces of lumber instead of cutting down a long one, using both ends of shingles and siding wherever possible, and generally making sure ALL of our materials are put to use and only TRUE scrap is discarded. This lessens the amount of materials needed to be purchased and also what ends up in the landfill. For years we have been looking at ways to become more efficient: fewer trips to the suppliers, fewer trips from them to us, and better and more efficient products (ie furnaces and air conditioners) and practices. I won't take space here touting the virtues of increased efficiencies and what that means to the environment.
These are but a few examples of reducing our impact. And we do a darn good job of it. The real point is that this is nothing new. Somehow, some glamor is being attached to being green. That's nice but that's not what it's supposed to be about. It's supposed to be about practical solutions to everyday issues and what can we do to help lessen the overall impact. "We" here is all of us. And Paulson's is part of "us".
Being green is more than saying it or putting fancy logos on some stationary. It's just common sense and we try to use it regularly. But when it's taken to extremes, where's the common sense? Compact fluorescent light bulbs, ethanol, and battery cars are three that, on the surface, seem great but that's the glamor. The WHOLE picture needs to be evaluated not just what's on the surface. Remember, the idea is to reduce not trade or increase.
More to come. Thanks for reading. Send your comments through www.paulsonsconstruction.com