Gigi goes GREEN: A new Eco-bulary word...

TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE is my new word/s of the week. Sustainability was good, but if I am truly dedicated I need to progress. Here is what I've learned...at least from Wikipedia, and we all know, that if its in Wikipedia it MUST be true ;) So, in honor of this new vocabulary word that I will harp onto everyone who will listen, I have decided that my action of the week will be to take advantage of the real estate on printed paper. Designers are already accused of making the type too small to be readable, but I'll go ahead and use a smaller font size. Not only does it look better, but it can allow you to fit more words on a page, which requires fewer pages, which requires fewer trees, which requires fewer environmental crises. Ha. Brilliant! My apologies to the AARP and the farsighted.

The triple bottom line (or "TBL", "3BL", or "People, Planet, Profit") captures an expanded spectrum of values and criteria for measuring organizational (and societal) success; economic, environmental and social. With the ratification of the UN ICLEI TBL standard for urban and community accounting in early 2007, this became the dominant approach to public
sector full cost accounting. Similar UN standards apply to natural capital and human capital measurement to assist in measurements required by TBL, e.g. the ecoBudget standard for reporting ecological footprint.In the private sector, a commitment to corporate social responsibility implies a commitment to some form of TBL reporting. This is distinct from the more limited changes required to deal only with ecological issues.

In coming weeks, I will write about my experiences in planning my design business from the ground up. Every step of the way, I will consider how to make the most eco-friendly choices. I hope to explore some green design firms that I admire and share what I learn from them. I’ll cover everything from writing a business plan to targeting like-minded clients. I may even write about the endless amount of paperwork that comes along with starting a business (and how to reduce the actual paper used during it). As I get my business off the ground and pursue that triple bottom line (planet, people, profit), I’ll share insight I glean from the experience. I hope to learn from readers’ responses and comments as well, so please share your tips and ideas.

In the meantime, look at these cool sites I've found so far...