Green Building Construction for 2011

The U.S. green building market has defied the economic downturn and has a strong outlook for 2011. According to McGraw-Hill Construction’s Green Outlook 2011: Green Trends Driving Growth report the value of green building construction starts was up from $42B to $71B from 2008 to 2010 which is approximately 50% increase and represents 25% of all new construction activity in 2010. According to projections, the green building market size is expected to reach $135 billion by 2015.

Nonresidential Growth

Nonresidential buildings construction has proven to be the strongest sector for green building and represents a $54B market opportunity. Today a third of all new nonresidential construction is green. In five years nonresidential green building activity is expected to triple, representing $120 billion to $145 billion in new construction (40%-48% of the nonresidential market) and $14 billion to $18 billion in major retrofit and renovation projects.

Health Care Construction

Health care construction this year is expected to grow its green share to as much as 40% (valued at $8 billion-$9 billion in 2010) — phenomenal growth in just two years. Education (valued at $13 billion–$16 billion in 2010) and office green construction (valued at $7 billion–$8 billion in 2010) also remain strong sectors, showing high increases in market share, due in part to the fact that bigger projects are the most likely to “go green.” This year, the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED specification is mentioned in 71% of all projects valued at over $50 million.

Primary Reasons for Green Building Growth

* Reduction in operating costs of 13.6% on average for new buildings and 8.5% for retrofits;
* Increase in building values of 10.9% for new buildings and 6.8% for retrofits; and
* Increase in return on investment (ROI) of 9.9% for new buildings and 19.2% for retrofits.

California will add to this growth because on January. 1st California's CalGreen building code takes effect, mandating eco-friendly practices that were previously voluntary.

Green Housing Trends for 2011

The current housing crisis means fewer new homes being built. But are those that are being built designed based on what the crisis has shown us? According to Green House there is a new emphasis on smaller homes with fewer luxuries. The median size of new single-family homes fell from a peak of 2,268 square feet in 2006 to to 2,100 square feet in 2009, says the study by Paul Emrath, vice president for survey and housing policy research at the National Association of Home Builders He says part of the current decline may also be recession-related but he sees other factors at play, such as the desire to lower energy costs and less emphasis on homes as investments. "Not all of these trends are likely to reverse themselves immediately at the end of a recession," he writes. Jenny Sullivan, a senior editor of BUILDER, calls this "portion control." She cites nine other trends for 2011.

Glitz is gone (for now)

Simple and honest architecture is what is in demand as homeowners look to simplify and manage their lives easily – and their houses. Simple beauty will be the focus of interior design with a modest ‘Zen’ approach. Natural finishes, clean lines and less frivolous embellishments will be in style.

Healthy Homes

As people become more aware of wellness aspects more will want to surround themselves with healthier home options such as low VOC paints, stains, and sealants. There will be an increased demand for natural furnishing products made of hay, wheat, bamboo, aspen and other natural fibers that bring more of the outdoor elements inside.

Multigenerational Homes

As more families rely on each other for financial support including mortgage payments multigenerational households are proliferating. These types of homes are increasing for various reasons: boomerang kids moving home to save money; elderly parents who need family support; young parents relying on grandparent care for their kids; and rapid growth among immigrant families for whom shared living is a cultural tradition.

Urbanizing the Burbs

Along with the trend toward smaller homes is the growing interest in urbanism. City planners and developers are creating ways to create artisan shops and walkability into existing hotspots.

DYI Alive and Strong

Homeowners will continue to take care of their own leaky roofs, remodeling projects and other home improvement projects themselves. The value of homeowner improvements is on track to top $117.6 billion in 2010 and $133.7 billion in 2011, according to IBISWorld. Retrofitting existing homes to meet energy-efficient standards is expected to be a boon to business. According to Entrepreneur.com, the aging population's desire to "age in place" is fueling an uptick in universal design. More boomers are bypassing assisted living facilities--for their parents and themselves--and renovating their homes to be tastefully functional and accessible.

I scanned the web for some of the latest food trends and here are a few that caught my eye. They are from a variety of sources including Rachel Ray, Mintel, The Food Channel and Good Food World.

Organic Gardening and Urban Agriculture
Canned, tinned and frozen foods are likely to benefit from consumers’ bunker mentality and the search for stability in a tumultuous world. Certainly there is greater awareness that freezing foods early locks in their nutritious benefits. The continuance of record setting seed sales from garden centres and supermarkets indicates the continued trend towards self-sufficiency such as organic gardening and herb window boxes. Market research firm Packaged Facts in January 2009 estimated that the organic lawn and garden sector reached $460 million in retail sales in 2008, a gain of 12% over 2007. This trend is also created from the foods scares we saw in 2010 of contaminated tomatoes, peanut butter and eggs. People want to take control of what they have on their tables. This also develops self-customization of food. Home canning lets you control the amount of sodium, sugar, or spice. You can season those fruits and veggies to suit your own taste or dietary needs. You can make salsas or pasta sauces that are as spicy or mild as your family likes them, or as low in sodium as your doctor advises. Plus – homemade handmade treats are great inexpensive gifts to others in a time when money is tight.

Role Reversal in Kitchens
The economic slump has hit men hard in traditionally male dominant fields such as finance and construction. Women in the workforce are now better qualified, command higher salaries and work longer hours – which mean men need to do more of the shopping. Plus, many women are employed in fields that are expected to thrive the next few years.  This is leading to a new balance of power and the rise of the “Sheconomy”. About a third of women outearn their husbands according to Reach Advisors. Men will do a lot of bread buying instead of bread winning. Compared to 1970, men have tripled the amount of time they’re spending in the kitchen. The rise of the male metrosexual in recent years may have something to do with it as well. With the success of cooking shows featuring male cooks or hosts have made it more than permissible for men to don an apron; it’s actually become quite fashionable to do so while chopping vegetables and experimenting with obscure spices and exotic ingredients. But as the jobless rate continues to hover near 10 percent, look for more men to cook, not just for fun, but also because their wives will be working late to help fuel the Sheconomy.

Rise in Food Oriented Apps
As smart phones become commonplace more apps will be available for people to find local organic restaurants and grocery stores, Open Table helps reserve a table at a restaurant. Groupon provides specialty coupons to your email inbox, Facebook or Twitter profile from local stores. With the recession not likely to change soon consumers are hungry for bargains, and the new deal-oriented apps let you find them without the need for clipping coupons. It’s the new weapon of choice for the bargain hunter stalking his dinner prey. New apps allow customers to scan barcodes on products for instant savings or by checking in on social networking sites like Foursquare and connecting with other shoppers we’re becoming rewarded in more ways than ever!

Supporting Local growers and Specialty Shops
More people want their local economies to succeed and are choosing to support local farms and restaurants. For many of us, eating honest, fresh and real food has taken on a higher priority in our lives. More consumers are willing to take the time to visit specialty shops for foods of a higher quality and relationship with the merchant. There is a movement that is returning to neighborhood butcher shops, specialty bread stores, and boutique shops for buying food needs. Grocery stores aren’t going away but there is a surge in farmer markets with one-on-one relationships. These may cost a bit more but is attractive for people with the time and money to do it, such as empty nesters and those young singles we used to call yuppies. This trend is about growing and tending—if someone, somewhere, is personally growing and tending to this product, as opposed to packing and sorting on the assembly line, then it’s local. It means someone is personally committed to it. Someone has made sacrifices to bring it to market.

Rise of Superfoods for a Healthy Active Life
Boomers will be seeking natural solutions for energy, health and even sex from cultural foods such as acai, gogi berry, mangosteen and nutmeg.  Many boomers will continue to work—and they’ll demand foods that provide the energy and vitality to get them through the day. And, as sales for Viagra prove, boomers want to stay in shape for nighttime activities, too.  People are working longer into retirement, there is a greater need for products geared towards vitality and health in a more senior workforce. Products such as energy drinks so far have been targeting the younger demographic. Get ready for them and others to be targeted to an older crowd.

Obesity is the New tobacco
We all know the obesity epidemic is rampant in the U.S. More awareness of issues have been brought up by efforts from Jamie Oliver and The Biggest Loser. But despite these efforts it doesn’t look like it is slowing down. There is more social pressure on people to eat healthily. Obesity is being called “the new tobacco” as people are unhappy about their taxes being used to pay for gastric band surgery. Fast food restaurants are facing a decision as to whether they cater to it, or try to counter it with healthier alternatives. We may see some brands embrace gluttony as we saw with the KFC Double Down sandwich. However doing too much of this can damage a brand. Other companies like McDonalds are re-designing their restaurants to have a healthier appeal but they still revolve around essentially unhealthy burgers. But there have been some noticeable changes in food options in places like airports where they are providing healthy food options such as salads, fruits and vegetables and organic chocolate. We are also seeing the rise of natural sweeteners such as agave and stevia in brands such as Fanta and Odwalla We will see fast foods adjust to the demands that their foods are unhealthy in order for them to stay relevant to consumers.

GMO Awareness
With food scares continuing many people have taken it upon themselves to investigate sourcing and ingredients of products and have become more aware of genetically modified foods (GMOs). Despite the claim from companies like Monsanto that GMOs are sustainable and are the only way to feed the world’s growing populations, opponents contest that they do more harm to the environment, farming economies and our health than good. Books such as the Unhealthy Truth and websites such as the Non GMO project that provide scientific data and ways for consumers to identify and shop for non GMO foods. Companies such as Horizon Dairy, Whole Foods 365 private label, and Natures Path are now using labeling to identify themselves as non GMO ingredient products. Unfortunately it is an uphill battle. However there has been a rise in superweeds – weeds resistant to pesticides – and increasing evidence of biotech companies inflating yield estimates and the industry on its heals and plummeting stock.  But GMO products are currently ubiquitous in our food supply. If you are not choosing organic or if it doesn’t say non-GMO on the label, chances are your food contains GMOs, as it is estimated that 80% of conventional grocery products now contain GMO ingredients.

Organic Acreage Continues to Grow
Compared to overall acreage dedicated to conventional agriculture production, the amount of land under organic production is still very small. But it is growing. In the first wide-scale survey of organic farming, published this past year, USDA counted 14,540 U.S. farms and ranches that were under organic production, comprising 4.8 million acres of land in 2008. Certified U.S. organic cropland acreage between 2002 and 2008 averaged 15% annual growth. Globally, organic acreage grew by 9% in 2008, with more than 35 million hectares in organic production. The highest increases came in Latin America and Europe, according to the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in Switzerland.


BPA Awareness
2010 saw a rise in concen with BPA (Bisphenol A) used in containers for food and drinks - mostly canned goods. BPA was developed in the 1930s, and commercial uses exploded in the 1950s after scientists discovered its ability to make plastics more durable and shatterproof. BPA is used in thousands of consumer goods, including compact discs, dental sealants, and credit card and ATM receipts, but health advocates say they are most concerned about BPA's presence in plastic food containers, bottles and the epoxy linings of metal cans because it can leach into food and beverages. It is found in the urine of more than 90 percent of the U.S. population, according to federal estimates. Recent FDA research has linked the chemical to cancer, heart disease, Type-II diabetes, obesity, sexual dysfunction and early-onset puberty. FDA officials said they are especially concerned about its developmental  impact on fetuses, infants and young children. Various indepented tests have shown that there are higher levels of BPA exposure than the FDA reports in canned goods. Despite these findings there is resistance by Congress to ban it. As consumers and new parents become more aware of BPA they will seek alternatives to plastic and canned goods such as glass bottled or frozen foods.  Concerns such as BPA will also drive people to freeze and can their own foods and shop locally as previously stated.


Sustainable Packaging on the Rise
Despite the failure of the biodegradable but ultra-loud SunChip bag, there is more interest in biodegradable packaging options and less packaging to emphasize sustainability.  Pike Research estimates that eco-friendly packaging will nearly double in revenues between 2009 and 2014, rising from $88 billion to $170 billion. According to Mintel there will be a greater focus on reduced packaging that promotes environmental responsibility in combination with uniqueness, such as boxless cereal bars or more cereals without the inner bag. Paper Mate recently introduced biodegradable pens with compostable outer shells that break down into organic matter within a year. Following a more traditional route, Kraft Foods plans to reduce its carbon footprint in 2011 by decreasing waste from its plants, eliminating 150 million pounds of packaging material, and cutting CO2 emissions by 25 percent.

Do you have others that you feel I have missed or wish to add? I’d love to hear them.

LOHAS (acronym for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) provided three days of insightful panels and networking opportunities attended by thought leaders across industries, government, non-profit organizations, research organizations and academic institutions including Faith Popcorn, Joel Makower, Dr. Alan Greene, Philippe Cousteau, U.S. EPA’s Stephanie Owens, Coca-Cola’s Tom LaForge, eBay’s Elisabeth Charles, Edelman’s Henk Campher, Alex Bogusky, Dr. Larry Dossey, 1% for the Planet’s Terry Kellogg, Mother Jones’ Madeleine Buckingham, Malika Chopra, Ode Magazine’s Jurriaan Kamp, among others.

 

Key insights from the LOHAS 2010 Forum include:

“Learning from the Past to Shape the Future”
• “We are in the midst of an evolution of our Cultural mindset from a ‘me’ mentality to a ‘we’ point of view.  This transition is a response to a society where economics, ethics and environment are collapsing simultaneously,” said Faith Popcorn, founder of BrainReserve and best-selling author of EVEolution, Clicking, The Popcorn Report, and most recently Dictionary of the Future.

“LOHAS and LOHOE: How Health & Sustainability are Complemented by Hedonics or Economics”
• The mainstream is more often motivated to act upon hedonic reasoning (i.e. seeking pleasure and avoiding pain) and their choices are constrained by economic realities. 42 percent of the population considers buying eco-friendly or ‘green’ versions of big-ticket items if the price is about the same as conventional versions.
• “Frankly, there is a little HOE [hedonics or economics] in everyone.  It is natural human instinct to gravitate toward those things that bring us both temporal pleasure and long-term satisfaction.  We are all able to act upon our desires within the constraints of our personal economic situations,” said Wendy Cobdra, president of Earthsense.

“The Situation in the Gulf”
• “We spend 1,000 times more money every year in our federal budget for space exploration than we do to understand our oceans,” said Philippe Cousteau, environmentalist and founder of EarthEcho International.  “Knowing whether there was ever water on Mars – not critical to surviving on this planet.  The oceans are.”
• “There’s a lot of talk about boycotting BP while a lot of [BP] gas stations are owned by small business owners…it hurts those people.  What we need to be boycotting is our dependence on oil, single use plastic bags, plastic bottles, coal; shutting off the power; and living in more reasonable houses,” said Philippe Cousteau.
• “The type of dispersant that was chosen, Corexit, was only proved 56 percent effective in a lab.  There were 12 other EPA-approved dispersants, and two were 100 percent effective and they were not chosen.  That was an inside oil industry thing because Corexit is produced as a by-product from the refining process,” said Charles Hambleton, producer of Oscar-winning documentary The Cove.

“Where are the Green Jobs?”
• The Obama administration has made it a priority to connect low-income communities to green jobs based on the billions of dollars placed into the Stimulus Bill.  For example, the U.S. Department of Labor put out $148 million of green job training grants through its Pathways Out of Poverty grants. 
• “The economic business case for sustainability is being made every day by companies as diverse as Patagonia and Walmart. Their effort to green their supply chains is driving the economy and creating new business opportunities, innovations and jobs in support of sustainable business practices,” said Andre Pettigrew, executive director of Denver’s Office of Economic Development.

“Phood and Kids”
• The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has stated that children born in the year 2000 in the U.S. will be the first generation in our country’s history to have a lower life expectancy than their parents due to a projected 33 percent of Caucasians and 66 percent of African Americans and Hispanics contracting diabetes in their lifetime as a result of poor diet.  “We are actually killing our kids with food and this must stop,” said Ann Cooper, author of Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children, chef and educator.
• One in three American children now have autism, allergies, ADHD or asthma.  “As we work together, to inform and inspire each other about ways in which we can protect our children from toxins like growth hormones, pesticides, synthetic dyes and genetically altered ingredients in food, we realize that there is so much that we can do together to create the change that we want to see in our food supply,” said Robyn O’Brien -- author of The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It and founder of Allergy Kids.

“Understanding the Carbon Economy”
• The US represents five percent of the population yet emits 25 percent of the world’s carbon.  “We need to reduce our energy use now and promote renewable energy to offset the remaining energy we consume.  If we all do our part today, we can create a bountiful, healthy future together,” said Margi Gardner, CEO of Bonneville Environmental Foundation.

“Spirituality and Health: What the Fuss Is All About?”
• In 1993, three of the 125 medical schools in the U.S. taught courses in spirituality and health and now 90 schools have such courses.
• In 1997, the Joint Commission on Accreditation strongly recommended that every healthcare institution have a vehicle in place to assess the spiritual history of incoming patients, which is now a requirement.

“Global LOHAS”
• Mobium Group data shows that the Australian consumer market for LOHAS products and services has grown from $12 billion in 2007 to $19 billion in 2009 with 2011 projected at $27 billion.  (Source: Mobium Group)
• “LOHAS in Asia is a brand rather than a movement and, as such, offers a great opportunity for LOHAS companies trying to enter the markets.  By using LOHAS on their marketing material, they are appealing immediately to their target audiences in Asia,” said Adam Horler, founder of LOHAS Asia.

“Convincing Mainstream Consumers to Go Green: What really motivates them to make sustainable choices?”
• Conversations matter – when kids talk to their parents about green issues, it results in behavior change 68 percent of the time.  Those conversations with neighbors and co-workers result in behavior change 56 percent of the time. (Source: Shelton Group)

 

“New Paradigms in Health & Sustainability: What's Working and What's Not”
• Mainstream consumers comprise the majority of users for many LOHAS products such as compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), organic food, natural personal care and natural household cleaning products. There has been an increase in usage of many LOHAS products despite the recession, such as organic foods.  (Source: Natural Marketing Institute)

“The Social Currency of Social Media”
• If Facebook were a nation, it would be the third largest in the world with 50 percent of users logging in daily and over 70 percent of users outside the U.S.  “Measuring ROI with social media marketing is tricky, but the consensus is that more engagement correlates to achieving more marketing objectives.  So your goal should be to cultivate customer communities,” said Joey Shepp, founder of Earthsite.

“The Storytelling Value of Location-based Services”
• “Location-based social media is rapidly increasing in value, popularity and relevance.  LOHAS businesses will benefit from experimenting with tools like Foursquare, Gowalla and Twitter Places to get a feel for how these applications can help engage consumers and grow business,” said Nathan Rice, interactive director for Haberman Group.

Promoting lifestyles of health and sustainability, the annual LOHAS Forum brings together entrepreneurs, government heads, Fortune 1000 executives, investors, research institutions, academics and media for a program designed to inspire innovation and further expand the LOHAS market share.  The 2010 Forum was held from June 23rd to 25th at the St. Julien Hotel in Boulder, Colorado. 

We are globe trotting with a mission!Traveling to the fashion capitals of the world, FASHIONmeGREEN uses local eco-fashion designers to give style influencers from their city an eco-fashion
makeover.

We kicked off this sustainable fashion awareness project and style site with an eco-fashion makeover in Los Angeles, known as The LA Project.Pulling pieces from five eco-designers’
collections; Popomomo, Curatorial, The Battalion, Brigid Catiis and Calleen Cordero, FASHIONmeGREEN chose Lucrecia Chan as the source of LA’s style inspiration for the eco-fashion makeover.

Chan, author of the LA-based fashion blog Fashion Is Poison, fits the bill of a style influencer in every way. With an avid online following and fierce style that is coveted and replicated, Lucrecia had a strong sense of fashion that came through during the FASHIONmeGREEN eco-makeover and photo shoot.

“Versatility, comfort, and the right fit all go hand in hand; wearing clothes that feel like a second skin is very important to me,” states Chan.

So, what happens when you bring a style savvy influencer and the hottest ecodesignerlabels together for a shoot?...Let’s just say that this Fashion Is Poison blogger’s eco-makeover was deadly! Be sure to check out FASHIONmeGREEN’s Shop the Shoot section to scoop up the eco-fabulous pieces worn by Chan in her eco-fashion makeover, and fashion yourself green!

And don’t miss FASHIONmeGREEN’s daily feed called the FMG Daily where of-the-moment celebrity and runway trends are featured with their eco-alternatives.

FASHIONmeGREEN is re-defining eco-fashion, providing a style resource with a conscience!

“For anyones who has ever felt the dilemma of choosing to be eco or chic- FASHIONmeGREEN is their resource for ecofashionwith style standards just as high as the eco ones.” -Greta Eagan, Founder
FASHIONmeGREEN

Originally content by Andy Baker of the Mobium Group

With LOHAS spreading across the globe over recent years, LOHAS Journal thought it timely to reflect on what is driving the phenomenon globally, some of the key differences in interpretation across the world, and what binds LOHAS and LOHASians together—wherever they are.

Businesses the world over are leveraging LOHAS as a way to understand the consumption preferences of a growing number of people who care deeply about personal, community and planetary health and well-being, and are willing to spend accordingly.

While this theme acts as a backbone for LOHAS globally, significant differences exist in the interpretation of LOHAS from one geography to another. Not surprisingly, these differences tend to be largely driven by local cultural, environmental and social nuances.

For example, according to Peter Salmon from Moxie Design Group, LOHASians in New Zealand express their LOHAS values through outdoor experiences, seeking a connection with the landscape and concern about social issues.  This differs from U.S.-based LOHAS consumers, who typically have a stronger focus on personal well-being.  In Australia, the situation is different again, with environmental issues of drought and climate change hitting many Australians hard in their own backyard. Severe water restrictions are forcing Aussies to change how they think about their much-loved gardens and lawns.

CERTIFICATION KEY TO MARKET ACCEPTANCE
A key theme emerging from European and Australian studies is consumers’ desire for certification marks or “trust” marks from credible certification bodies, providing independent verification that the product lives up to its LOHAS claims. Supporting this claim are the findings of a  recent Porter Novelli report, which revealed that Europeans were 32 percent more likely than American consumers to buy products with such marks, and Mobium Group’s Living LOHAS report, which found similar conclusions among the Australian population.

LOHAS IN ASIA
Despite many similarities, key differences have emerged in the use of LOHAS between Western countries and the countries of East Asia—including Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, where LOHAS is a booming consumer term. The emergence of LOHAS-branded foods and beverages, fashion labels and even LOHAS department stores heralds a new use of the LOHAS term as it crosses from business-speak into the consumer vocabulary.
While most Western consumers would draw a blank if asked for a definition of LOHAS, approximately 70 percent of Japanese adults at least recognize the term while up to 40 percent can articulate its meaning, according to Toshi Ide of the Japan-based LOHAS Business Alliance.

But how is LOHAS really interpreted in Asia? In China, LOHAS has been roughly translated to mean “good life” and has even been picked up by Chinese state radio. And English-language website Chinadaily.com.cn has published several articles referring to “escaping city life” and enjoying LOHAS experiences on the weekends in the countryside surrounding Beijing.

In Singapore, the city state’s Tourism Board markets the country to its Asian visitors as the LOHAS city—focusing on its spa resorts, authentic Nyonya-style cooking and its water recycling efforts (a necessity in such a small island nation, as the key to its LOHAS claims).

The emergence of LOHAS as a consumer brand has brought with it a range of organizations seeking to capitalize on the term, with varying levels of commitment to the values of core LOHAS consumers offered through a wide a range of products and services.

INNOVATION
Small and medium-size enterprises comprise one sector where serious efforts have been made to address the needs and desires of LOHAS consumers on platforms of personal and planetary health and wellness. In many cases, these businesses have been the keys to LOHAS innovation.

One example of this sort of innovation is U.S.-based Terracycle.net, a company achieving mainstream distribution and significant success turning waste streams into value through a range of innovative products and services, including a novel approach to garden fertilizer.  With major distribution agreements across North America and licensing interest from across the globe, Terracycle has demonstrated that LOHAS innovation can deliver clear business value.

Another example is Australia-based professional garment cleaners, Daisy (www.daisy.net.au). Daisy has managed to eliminate the harmful chemical, perchloroethylene (tetrachloroethylene) from its dry cleaning process, using a water-based alternative to deliver an odorless dry cleaning solution free from harmful toxins. Such is the popularity of the Daisy service, excess demand currently means a wait of three days to have your suit cleaned! But based on the volume of customers prepared to wait, the LOHAS approach to dry cleaning has again demonstrated a commercial payoff.

Similarly, this year saw the launch in France of Velib (www.velib.paris.fr), a Paris-based commercial bicycle sharing operation that provides bicycles for commuters for a nominal fee. With over 10,000 bikes in circulation across 750 self-service docking stations throughout the city, this model is providing inspiration for cities the world over.
It seems that everywhere you look, there are examples of innovations, often by small and medium enterprises that are working toward more sustainable and healthier outcomes for people and the planet.

CONNECTIVITY
One of the difficulties faced by LOHAS consumers and the businesses that supply their needs is seeking out and finding each other—and connecting.
This key theme is driving the emergence of media platforms that respond to LOHAS consumers’ desire for greater connectivity—to other LOHASians and the organizations that manufacture and retail products and services that meet their values criteria.

Examples of recent activity in this space include Gaiam’s acquisition of Lime.com and zaadz.com, two strongly LOHAS-oriented information and social networking sites. Businesses, including U.S.-based Sustainlane, New Zealand-based Celsias, and a range of other sites across Europe, are springing up across the globe to fill this gap for information, referrals and advice. Discovery Channel recently purchased website Treehugger.com as the online property for its soon-to-be-launched Planet Green program.

Across the globe, mainstream consumer and investor interest in opportunities related to renewable energy, organic food, complementary medicine, low-impact transportation and other LOHAS products and services clearly demonstrates that LOHAS businesses have moved out of the fringes and are now attracting significant investor capital and expertise. Companies and investors that embrace the opportunity that LOHAS presents have the opportunity to take a leading position in the industries that will define the 21st century.

Key Facts: LOHAS in Australia
• Nearly 4 million adult Australians (26 percent of adult population) are LOHAS aligned. 
• Individuals with a LOHAS outlook are drawn from all parts of society; their values and world view are not strongly tied to income, geography or gender.
• Australian consumers currently spend $12 billion on goods and services in the LOHAS market segments, with an overall growth rate of 20 percent expected to continue. The market is expected to reach $21 billion by 2010.
• While 8 percent of the population are LOHAS “Leaders” who are highly committed and active participants in fully integrated healthier, more sustainable lives, the LOHAS “Learners” are the largest of the four segments, identified at 46 percent and standing as a largely untapped opportunity. 
• Learners would like to do the “right thing” but are not sure where to start. Solving for their key barriers, which include price and availability, are paramount to unlocking this market.
Source: Mobium Group, www.mobium.com.au, Living LOHAS Report, 2007.

Key Facts: LOHAS, New Zealand
• 32 percent of population Solution Seekers (NZ Equivalent of LOHAS)
• 57 percent female
• Greatest concentration (29 percent) are in the 45-54 year age bracket
• Slight skew toward rural rather than metropolitan locations
• Income profile of NZ LOHAS is growing over time
Source: Peter Salmon, Moxie Design Group, www.moxie.co.nz
Examples:
1. Media/online:
2. Lime – online portal to information, help and advice on LOHAS lifestyle
3. Zaadz and Riverwired – online LOHAS-oriented social networking sites
4. treehugger.com, Celsias.com – innovative online information sources for LOHAS-related themes and online collaboration
5. lohasguide.de (Germany), Sustainlane.com – LOHAS-related product and service listings and market information
6. Mobium Group – Australian research and strategy business focusing on sustainability and well-being; conducted the first research into Australian LOHAS consumers
7. Macro Wholefoods (Australia) – organic and natural foods retail store chain
8. Eco Age (eco-age.com) – a new store in London claiming to provide “a store, showroom, consultancy and destination that will offer inspiration, ideas and specific domestic solutions for all those who want to lead a greener and more energy efficient life”
9. Terracycle – Innovative company that re-uses waste streams and turns them into value-added products
10. Velib – Paris-based bicycle-share company
11. Flexicar.com.au – Australian car-share business winning support from local governments for their eco-friendly and cost-effective car-sharing program
 

Who knew that a laptop bag could be practical, eco-friendly and offer cutting-edge style? Thanks to English Retreads, who recently debuted the Bentley Luxe Laptop Bag, sustainability meets functionality, as well as fashion. English Retreads turns recycling into a bold fashion statement with eco-chic vegan handbags and accessories handcrafted in Boulder, Colorado. The Bentley Luxe is made from repurposed rubber and recycled PET, and expands a growing line of English Retreads vegan totes, clutches, and accessories which combine to make a high-impact fashion statement with low impact on the environment.

The Bentley Luxe accommodates 17” MacBook or 15” PC laptops in a padded and secured compartment; additional features include specialized inside and outside zippered pockets, a mesh bottle holder and adjustable padded shoulder strap. Reclaimed tire inner-tubes are given new life as the external material for the eco-bag and five internal color options of Scarlet Red, Quarry Blue, Jet Black, Apple Green, and Pumpkin are available using a 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottle PET material. 

When asked about the Bentley Luxe, Heather English, Founder and President of English Retreads, said “We recognize the emerging opportunity to integrate fashion and environmental consciousness on behalf of the green consumer's need for a stylish and sophisticated laptop carrier. With the addition of the Bentley Luxe, we are excited to lead the market in innovative repurposed raw material use, while simultaneously delivering on functionality with a unique style all our own – our Company could not be more excited to be able to go to market with our new eco-bag on this very special 40^th anniversary of Earth Day.”

Thanks to English Retreads, every day is a day to honor the earth. Let the new Bentley Luxe Laptop Bag, as well as other English Retreads products, act as reminders of your contribution to reducing, reusing and recycling, all while looking good!

For more on English Retreads go to www.englishretreads.com

For those who are seeking LOHAS atributes for spa and skincare here are some thoughts from the green spa specialist of Univesal Companies Lisa Sykes.

Serious money is being spent on natural and organic personal care products. According to Mintel, a leading market research company, the natural and organic personal care market has risen from $345 million to $465 million since 2005. Furthermore, Mintel’s Global New Products Database reveals a 53% increase in new natural or organic product lines in the past two years.

In the wake of the paraben scare and the petrochemical backlash, consumers are becoming more concerned about what they apply to their skin, and their demand for chemical-free personal care products has been the call to action for many spas to enthusiastically adopt clean, green retail and treatment protocols. This cumulative buying power has cultivated the once meager selection of natural, organic spa products to grow into an overabundant cornucopia of choices. Tradeshow aisles and magazines have recently bombarded spa professionals with vibrant, foliage-rich advertisements boasting natural, food-grade ingredients. And although it may be satisfying to have a wide array from which to choose, it is also incredibly frustrating for spa professionals to translate marketing claims and decode ingredient lists so they can make wise purchasing decisions. However, there are some simple label “tests” the besieged spa professional can perform for prudent product assessments:

Determine if you want “natural” and/or “organic” products

Contrary to popular belief, these terms aren’t synonymous. The term “natural” is generally assigned to products containing plant or mineral ingredients. “Organic” describes the non-pesticide/herbicide/ GMO method in which a product’s plant-based ingredients are grown. However, sometimes these claims are made without regard for the percentage of natural or organic ingredients in them.

Look beyond labels
Labels that boast glistening fruit, grassy fields, and fanciful butterflies may belie the contents. Here’s what to do:

Search for third-party certification seals
There are third-party organizations that strictly assess for natural criteria (e.g., Natural Products Association), organic (e.g., U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program), or both (NaTrue). These unbiased boards require manufacturers to undergo evaluations to verify that a given set of standards are met. If a manufacturer meets or exceeds these standards, then it is awarded product-claim certification depending on the percentage of natural or organic ingredients (e.g., USDA NOP requires a product to be at least 95% organic for the seal to be visible on a label and a minimum of 70% organic materials to use the “made with” term). Other considerations include whether water is regarded as “natural” or “neutral” and manufacturing processes.

Read ingredient lists
Sometimes quality brands do not display seals on their labels because they are in the middle of a lengthy certification process, the cost may be too high, or they choose to keep their labels simplistic. If you do not see a third-party seal, look at the ingredient list.

Retail packaging
Ingredient lists should display all contents—both actives and inactives—in descending order of predominance. Note two exceptions: 1) The FDA does not require colorants or ingredients present at <1% to be listed in order of predominance; and 2) The FDA does exempt manufacturers who claim “trade secret” status for a particular ingredient but stipulates the tag line “and other ingredients”.

Professional or sample packaging, literature, and websites
The FDA does not impose ingredient declaration on these materials, so many companies will only list “natural” active ingredients for marketing reasons. This is troublesome for the consumer because inactive ingredients are commonly the causes for concern. In these instances, ask for complete ingredient lists.

Know which ingredients to avoid
If you can’t pronounce it, chances are it’s a petrochemical. Petrochemicals are derived from nonrenewable sources and are potentially harmful due to their manufacturing processes, which include metal catalysts and contaminates. The nonprofit Campaign for Safe Cosmetics states that “consumers use as many as 25 different cosmetics and personal care products containing more than 150 different chemical compounds daily.” This staggering statistic is compounded with the fact that “1 in 5 of all products contain chemicals linked to cancer, 80% contain ingredients that commonly contain hazardous impurities, and 56% contain penetration enhancers,” according to the Environmental Working Group. You should also be aware that some chemicals are more hazardous than others. For a list of “dirty dozen” ingredients to avoid, easy-to-read charts, and more information about skin care, enlist the help of the Green Spa Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting environmental awareness throughout the spa community, by visiting their website www.greenspanetwork.org.

Packaging
If it is designed with post-consumer materials, printed with eco-friendly inks, or readily biodegradable, the brand will boast about it in marketing materials. However, if you don’t see it, ask. You can also look for the official recycling symbol (the “mobius loop”), which shows three arrows in a triangular shape. Frequently, on paper products, a loop in the center of a shaded circle means the package contains recycled materials. Conversely, a plain loop (no circle) indicates that the package is recyclable. On the bottom of most plastic containers, the loop features a number in the center, but this doesn’t always mean that the container is feasibly recycled. Note that numbers 1, 2, and 5 are easily recyclable; the others are not. In fact, recycling #3 (PVC) is actually hazardous to the environment.
As daunting as it may seem, undertaking these initiatives is something that your clients will deeply appreciate because it will help you offer more well-informed advice. Transparency is desperately needed in the personal care market, and spa professionals are perfect advocates for this cause, but they must have a lucid understanding of the subject before they can reflect the changes they wish to make.

SACRED BOTANICALS MASSAGE OILS ARE CERTIFIED ORGANIC, UNSCENTED, HYPO-ALLERGENIC, AND DO NOT CONTAIN SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCES OR COLORS.

FARMESTHETICS SKIN CARE LINE ARE 100% NATURAL UTILIZING CERTIFIED ORGANIC HERBS, FLOWERS AND GRAINS FROM AMERICAN FAMILY FARMS.

AROMAFLORIA DEVELOPS NATURAL PRESERVATIVE SYSTEMS UTILIZING ESSENTIAL OILS AND MINERALS THAT REPLACE THE STANDARD SYNTHETIC
PRESERVATIVES. AS A RESULT, SALTS, SCRUBS AND MASSAGE OILS ARE 100% PRESERVATIVE FREE.

Lisa Sykes works as a full-time eco-friendly specialist for Universal Companies, where she researches, writes informative articles, helps initiate greening policies for the company, and makes an art out of decoding marketing materials and product labels.

Authored by The SOAP Group

Language shapes the way we think and determines what we can think about,” said linguist Benjamin Whorf. Since advertising is the most read text in our culture (we’re hit with between 300 and 3,000 messages each day), the role that advertising’s language plays in shaping thinking about sustainability should not be ignored.

To look at this issue in a bit more depth, we surveyed 100 green print advertisements from both mainstream and
green-minded publications. The ads were for a variety of goods and services, including building products, food and beverages, automobiles, airlines, investing, electronics, detergents, pet food, and cosmetics among others.

Understanding the most commonly used green words of today, reveals insight into the communications trends of tomorrow. As a marketer, understanding ubiquity and saturation is one of the first steps in identifying what’s next. It is then important to recognize that the pulse of modern language provides the market advantage of differentiation.

Emotion vs. Science
The advertising survey bisected operative words (headlines and positioning content in copy) and word families (e.g.,
carbon, CO2, and carbon offset were grouped as one set) into Emotive (“change,” “progress,” “clean”) and Scientific (“carbon,” ”planet,” ”hybrid”) categories. Hyphenated words, like ”eco-friendly,” were considered emotive. We also looked at language intent: Was the phrase intended to be emotional or scientific? For example, in nearly all cases “green” was used emotionally or aspirationally, not scientifically.

At this primary grouping, science-derived words were used 168 times as opposed to emotional words at 116. This
represents marketers’ awareness that prevailing consumers are looking for factual data when making purchases in green contexts. That said, most of the science was fairly vapid, relying more on the language of science than on science itself. This means that science, as a brand differentiator, still has unclaimed potential.

More interesting, however, is the emotive side of the ledger. “Green” was toppled as the leading operative word in its
own category of goods and services. “Less” is today’s operative. “Less” represented the most common linguistic turn
of phrase, showing up 28 times in 100  ads (“green” appeared 23 times). The phrase “go green” is all but abandoned
today. “Green” and its variations are telltales of greenwashing. Still, it seems that it has been relegated to serving as a shortcut to define the category, but doesn’t offer much depth beyond that.

Is “Less” the New “Green”?
Maybe. Green marketing often takes the shape of its current cultural condition. When energy (fuel, etc.) prices were
painfully inflated, marketing language (and solutions) turned to saving money and distance efficiency. Way back in
2008, one could be green and indulge at the same time, as long as they drove a hybrid to get there. Today, energy prices have fallen, but less immediately controllable economic hardships have replaced them. The current condition is one of anti-overindulgence, simplicity (noted eight times, it is a form of “less,” but not classified as such in our survey), and doing more with well...less. This is a cultural condition of the economic turn. “Less” is on the lips of CEOs, school administrators, advertising sales teams, governors, and kitchen-table budgeters. And, apparently, green marketers have picked up on this fact. No surprise there. But, “less” in these ads is a factor of economics, not life philosophy. This was the case with “green” too, where it was arguably more about social status and trend than a
change in values.

It’s odd how a phrase intrinsically linked to anti-consumption can become the most popular word in marketing goods and services. Like “green,” this is the co-opting of the LOHAS language by the mainstream all over again.

But advertising has never been accused of being “accurate” language, so in a sense what’s odd is that we expect authenticity to play a role in it at all. Or at the very least, we should.

Most advertising is based on use of the superlative. “Very” lost its meaning through overuse, so we installed “very, very” into the language set. “Yes” has had to become “absolutely.” “Green” is currently interviewing for hyper-replacements, both in terms of movement and language. This is evolutionary language theory at its quickest. It will be interesting to watch “less” become a superlative. And, of course, we await lesswashing — where the consumption of less is a contrived illusion.

Encouraging consumers to consume less is an emerging marketing strategy. Engineering ways for them to have the same reward consumption offers is a sustainability strategy.

Author Edward Abbey said, “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.” In more theoretic terms, according to ecopedagogy, sustainability is not being realized because it represents the antithesis to the political, economic, and cultural status quo of the powerful forces needed to fuel growth. The ‘less’ backlash is a response to this and marks a real milestone along the pathway to culture change and LOHAS ubiquity.

What is a LOHAS Ad?
What’s the difference between a mainstream ad and a LOHAS ad? Maybe a LOHAS ad is a gadfly. A LOHAS ad may be one that challenges the status quo of not just health and sustainability, but of advertising itself. Maybe LOHAS advertising needs to do more than promote and educate. On some level, LOHAS ads have both an opportunity to simultaneously inspire and make a mess.

Shakespeare said, “Past is prologue.” So how can we use these linguistic trends as an opportunity to create more authentic culture change stemming from the LOHAS business community and emerge into the mainstream (as opposed to mainstream marketing to LOHAS)? There are some new frontiers that are ready for marketing to embrace.
• Local as the new niche market (“The 100 Mile Diet” goes mainstream)
• Overwhelming positivity
• Authentic “me” instead of purchased badges of community
• The acquisition of experience over products
• Activist-based marketing (not guerilla, rather marketing that has a purpose beyond marketing)

Advertisements tend to signify cultural trends. They enforce classic structures of economy and politics. But they can also subvert the same. We are advocating for LOHAS marketers to push harder now more than ever to promote their goods and services through the principles and ideals of the LOHAS marketplace, not just the associated signs and signifiers. Move beyond language, go deeper into the trends, and create new levels of business consumer dialogue and engagement.

In 1968, when Garrett Hardin wrote “The Tragedy of the Commons” he was describing a particular dilemma in which individuals acting independently in their own self-interest ultimately destroy a shared resource—even where it’s clear that it is not in anyone’s long-term interest for this to happen. Today’s green ads may be serving the interest in meeting a company’s quarterly bottom line, but few are acting in the interest of communal sustainability.

Unfortunately, advertising shapes American culture; it shapes our image of ourselves. But it is through deconstructing the codes of advertising that we can begin to learn the limits of these codes. And, in turn, improve the odds of sustainability, social equity, and enduring value.

So I was wondering, why is it that commercial air travel is considered so non-green? It seems unjust that my efforts to live green all year are negated by a few flights to Sierra Club headquarters and a trip or two to visit my parents.

Most carbon calculators - but notably not ours at Sierra Club Green Home (www.sierraclubgreenhome.com) - penalize even the dark green citizen who is required to fly commercial for work. Let's say you're a sales manager, you diligently recycle, you watch the thermostats, you have low-water landscaping, you eat organic vegetables, you're doing everything right except your job requires you to fly from Denver to Cincinnati twice a month. According to most evaluations, you are a serious carbon emitter. I don't think this is right, it's not fair to call this person a polluter. In ecological thinking, his or her lifestyle and home are green, and should be respected as such.

Although a pitch to the boss for teleconferencing in lieu of so many business trips is the best antidote, the real modern day quest is to achieve eco-friendly air travel. And what about the concept of full vs. empty flights? Nobody will dispute that the least green way to travel (sorry celebrities, CEOs and pro athletes) is by private jet. The amount of carbon produced vs. the number of people moved is not a favorable equation. Consider a 727 stretch packed with 300 people. It would seem that this calculation would be a lot more efficient in terms of carbon produced vs. passenger miles traveled. Kind of like watching a mom drive thru a Starbucks with her 25 pound kid in the passenger seat of a giant SUV - can it get more non-green? Whereas, you can justify driving a stretch Chevy Suburban if it is packed with six or seven passengers and their baggage, this is highly efficient per passenger mile, even at 15 mpg. A better way to quantify your transport emissions would be number of people miles moved per gallon.

Speaking of automobiles, the gains made in emissions control over the past 40 years are mind-blowing. As in, it would take about 50 2009 Corvettes to match the bad exhaust gases produced by one 1969 Corvette big block in an hour of driving. The introduction of computer-controlled engine management and high tech catalytic converters makes this possible. This also explains why the cloud of smog that used to hang over Los Angeles has dissipated significantly over the past few decades. You now can actually see the skyline!

So why, then, haven't airplanes matched this remarkable improvement demonstrated by the car industry? Or have they? To find out, we called Boeing, the world's largest maker of commercial aircraft. We spoke with Billy Glover, Managing Director of Environmental Strategy for Boeing's Commercial Airplane division. In this role, Mr. Glover is primarily responsible for all environmental aspects of the next generation of commercial jets that Boeing will build.

"Fuel efficiency of commercial jets has improved since the 60s by 70 percent," Glover declared. "This must be balanced with the economic consideration that our customers face: their number one cash expense is fuel. They demand improvements each time they order new aircraft."

The efficient marketplace has greatly improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions accordingly. Not to mention, the noise, unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and other yucky stuff produced by commercial jets has been significantly reduced since the 90s. Indeed, take a look at the sky next time a big commercial flight passes overhead. Remember the deafening sound if the plane was below 5,000 feet? And how much visible smoke used to trail behind? That deafening noise has been replaced by near-silence, and those jet streams are for the most part no longer visible. What we are no longer seeing or hearing is technological improvement and reduced emissions. "This has been accomplished by a fundamental change in the architecture of the engine design. The high bypass engine moves higher volumes of air at lower speeds, thus noise is reduced and fuel is saved," explains Glover.

This is all great, but what's next for the sustainable airplane? Boeing and others, most  notably Richard Branson's Virgin Air are working on commercial jets that will fly on sustainable biofuels and clean technologies. An industry trade group, Sustainable Aviation Fuels Users Group, is working to establish a sustainable biofuel supply that all aircraft can run on without costly conversions of existing jet engines. One example of biofuel in action was a test in January 2009 -- Continental took a Boeing 737 up for a test flight burning a 50/50 mixture of conventional jet fuel and biofuels. In this particular scenario the biofuel came from algae. The results indicated that this mix could work and it would save the airlines a lot of fuel expense dollars.

Hopefully, advances in jet engine efficiency and emissions control will accelerate, so that at some point our poor sales manager from Denver won't be penalized by the green world for having customers in Cincinnati. A lofty (I can't resist an occasional bad pun) but seemingly achievable goal.

      There is nothing like the birth on one’s first child to command one’s attention—as in my first child, (David Joshua), a couple of weeks ago. The demands of being a parent can be rather overwhelming; sustainability has somehow become slightly less important with 2 am diaper changes. Hopefully I can incorporate my values of sustainability into my parenting. This is both a short term and long term issue (as is parenting, for that matter).

   The most obvious environmental issue for new parents is diapers—specifically cloth or disposables.  However, since I firmly believe that there is more to parenting than diapers, I will for now not discuss cloth vs disposable diapers (I will in a future post).  Babies have other needs beyond being diapered—like clothes, food, and myriad other “stuff”. If I did not know this before my wife got pregnant, I certainly discovered it when filling out the registry at the baby store.
      
     This was not a happy experience for me. I wanted to be as sustainable as possible, but we needed so much stuff. I was now part of the demand for more baby “stuff”. I had one general success in that I did manage to find some sheets and pads made from organic cotton vs regular cotton. I figured by buying organic cotton when possible I was doing less damage to the environment. I highly recommend Confessions of an Eco-Sinner, by Fred Pearce. Pearce examines the sources of many items of Western consumerism, including cotton clothes (and other items), Suffice it to say that conventional cotton production has devastated many areas where the cotton is produced. Also, we have found the organic cotton to be softer—must be the lack of hard chemicals in the production.
      
     For other purchases, sustainability was not the operative factor. For example, we found a double sided mattress that had a harder infant side and softer toddler side. The mattress with the organic cotton could not compete. And being able to lift the mattress in the middle of the night to change a sheet was a key consideration. So this is one of those times when sustainability was nudged out as a basis for purchase of a particular product. This also applied to the stroller—the operative criteria were light weight and ease of collapsing. I do not know what specific materials are in it, but I do know that it is really easy to work with.

   Another critical question new parents face is whether to breastfeed or to use formula. Breastfeeding is clearly better for everyone involved—if it works. While both Mommy and Baby are set up for breastfeeding, success is by no means guaranteed. We are very lucky; for us breastfeeding is working, and we can avoid the chemicals and expense of formula. But feeding the baby is by far the paramount concern; if breastfeeding did not work, we would have gone to formula with no questions asked. (After breastfeeding, we will continue to buy as much organic and/or relatively locally sourced food as possible).

    The above is only a very small part of the stuff needed to raise a baby, toddler, and child. From a sustainability perspective, parental demand for stuff increases as the baby becomes a toddler, then a child, then a teenager, and then a young adult. Parents with siblings or friends who have had children have an advantage when it comes to sustainability. This is because these siblings or friends give them the clothes, toys, etc that their own kids have outgrown. So they do not need to buy a new item, thereby demanding less stuff. Another alternative is consignment shops and buying used, but this may not always be feasible.

     We were told that parenting will completely change our lives. On one level, it has; but on many others, it has not. We still have the same values this month as we had last month before David was born. I still want to incorporate sustainability into my life as much as possible. How much I can do so while being a parent at the same time is an open question. 

I just returned from the International Spa Association Annual Conference held in Austin Texas. This was my 4th ISPA event and it is always a treat. It certainly is the most well groomed, beautiful person event I go to. Spa is a big piece of LOHAS as it incorporates
health and wellness along with personal care and green building. The last few years has seen a surge in green health spas have seen a surge in green orientation with things like eco-friendly towels and robes along with natural and organic skincare, essential oils and body treatments. These elements are a no brainer for modern LOHAS consumers who want LOHAS products without sacrificing quality. LOHAS consumers are also a main target audience for spas as many are those who frequent spas for massage treatments or other forms of wellness for the body and soul. (that would be me!)

The spa market has exploded in the last 10 years but the term 'spa' has been butchered quite a bit. I can go to my local Wal Mart or strip mall and find nail and hair salons with spa incorporated into their name - (usually in bright neon lights). However when I go into them nose gets singed with smells of chemical toxins from manicures or hair products or get blasted into the street from techno music. I often see  articles and pictures of exotic locations with luxurious hotels with spas included in glossy magazine spreads. All of course with a hefty price tag that limit me to my imagination as to what the lifestyles of the rich and famous is like. Call me old fashioned and snobby but that is not what I consider the true meaning of spa. The whole point of the creation of the industry was to generate awareness of self and healthy lifestyles. These initially were wellness centers that provided space for integrative alternative medicine practices such as massage, acupuncture, energy healing and meditation. Somewhere along the way external beauty, pampering and opulence founds its way into the mix and led the growth of the industry. When I was growing up hotels that had golf courses were all the rage and was a status symbol of a quality hotel. Now if the hotel has a spa it is considered a luxury hotel.

The economic crisis has caused many hotels to reconsider this paradigm. Insiders of the industry have told me that many hotels that incorporated spas into their properties from a 'me too' type of keeping up with the Jones attitude often did not factor the costs of operation into their profit/loss margins. Rather it was blended enigmatically into overall hotel costs. A spa on hotel property was a thing to have and since business was good the scrutiny on spas was limited. Nothing like a crisis to mix things up. Now that hotels are struggling with occupancy so are hotel spas. Those that did not have a structure to measure costs and profits are really floundering. This is also true with destination spas. Some say the wealthy are still booking and traveling - that market will stay the same regardless. But the so called 'wealthy wannabe' are the ones who are not spending. Overall spas are seeing their customers still come to their spas but are spending less per visit. This was echoed by many who I spoke to over the course of the event. For us to have a sustainable economy on all fronts we need to hit the reset button.

The spa industry was visibly hit at the event as well. Last year the ISPA conference had over 3000 people. This year there were about 1700. The exhibit space was also about half as many vendors as last year. Obviously the foot traffic was much quieter than years past. Yet I was surprised when I spoke to most vendors that they felt positive about the event. They said that although the traffic was less those that were walking the floor were serious buyers who were purchasing orders from them and there was more time for a deeper discussions and relationship building.

I think this brings up a very significant point for all businesses - how deep does a relationship go once the transaction is taken out of the equation? This is something that many companies are facing as many people are not spending. The old ways of business are being re-evaluated to figure out how to maintain relevancy in an environment that is transaction less. If you have ideas on next steps please share your thoughts.

I think that this is also a time of opportunity for spa leaders to refocus attentions on wellness. Health care is on the forefront of many people's minds with the debates on health care reform getting a lot of media attention. I think spas are a great place for educating people on preventative care and relaxation. Plus if you think a massage or organic living is expensive you should look at the price of health care. The spa industry has seen a purge of businesses. Now if they can re-establish the focus on the reasons for wellness I think we would all find that refreshing. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Ironically, massive pesticide spraying actually causes massive pest outbreaks.[2] The boll weevil has been a major cotton pest longer, and has caused greater cash losses, than any other insect in the history of agriculture. Since the mid-twentieth century, all attempts to eliminate boll weevils with pesticides, including DDT, toxaphene and methyl parathion have failed. Many of these efforts have led to major ecosystem imbalance and crop failures. Advocates of continued spraying acknowledge that while the cost could reach $650 million, such expenditures would likely have little effect on the boll weevil.[3]

Organic cotton is grown using methods and materials that have minimal impact on the environment. Unlike conventional chemical agriculture, organic farming systems help preserve our air, water and soil, supporting biologically diverse agriculture. These days, organic cotton is showing up in everything from personal care products to home furnishings, all kinds of apparel, toys, diapers and even stationery.

The greening of the apparel industry is a trend driven by consumer awareness of health and environmental concerns and the issues surrounding ethical production practices. Organic apparel and home consumer goods are the second fastest-growing category of all organic products, with sales jumping from $85 million in 2003 to $160 million in 2005.  In 2006, sales of organic linens and clothing reached $203 million in the US, a twenty-six percent increase over 2005.[4]

The organic movement has made a significant impact on the Food market sector and is making inroads into sustainable apparel and home goods. Manufacturers and niche retailers Nike and Patagonia have joined and mainstream retailers such as Wal-Mart and Nordstrom’s in actively promoting stylish eco-conscious goods.

A growing number of designers and manufacturers are marketing goods with sustainable practices, which could include Fair Trade ethical labor practices, certified organic natural fibers, use of low-impact or natural dyes, and minimal or environmentally appropriate packaging.

A few years ago Wal-Mart became the biggest purchaser of organic cotton, launching a full-on organic offensive in 2006. However, supply did not seem to meet their demand. The up-front investment required to convert crops to organic is difficult for many farmers. They need to be in the game for three years before their crop can be certified “organic” and profits begin to kick in. Transitional cotton is cotton that has been grown organically, but for less than three years.

According to Wal-Mart spokesperson Tara Raddohl, “In order to encourage farmers to switch to organic cotton farming, Wal-Mart purchased more than 12 million pounds of transitional cotton from approximately 1,000 farmers at the same premium cost of certified organic cotton. “We heard from our supplier and other partners … that this was necessary in the market,” Raddohl said. 

"It is about carrying on what has been our legacy: making items accessible to a broad spectrum of consumers.  Our research found that folks said if it (organic clothing) were available and affordably priced, they would be likely to buy it."



There has been a tremendous shift in the way companies and people do business unfamiliar to many of us. We are in the midst of one of the largest global economic downturns of our time. Six U.S. states have unemployment rates since jobless records began in 1976. The mortgage crisis is still unresolved and the stock market has yet to instill confidence in investors. Clearly all of us in some way have been affected by the downturn. It is times like these that business needs to either evolve or be dissolved. One of the best teachers of survival is nature. Evolution is crucial for any species to adapt and survive the changing environmental circumstances of its surroundings. They either do this or become extinct. This is also true in business as we have seen formidable companies such as GM declare bankruptcy because of its inability to adapt to the changing consumer and global competitors.

So how do we make a shift in a consumer driven economy that is propelled by people buying stuff even if we are trying to promote better stuff? LOHAS products are still just products but with a more mindfulness. They still have a price tag and in many cases it is a premium price tag. Remember how the green craze took hold? People were touting their green built mansions and biodiesel hummers. There was big opportunity for companies to jump on the green bandwagon with green-products, eco-tours and green bling. All of this was just green lipstick on the pig of our larger consumer driven society. Our overspending that has put us in a trillion dollar credit card debt. The average U.S. household debt at the end of 2008 was $8,329.

Now bling is out. Flaunting wealth now is to be out of touch with current circumstances and seen as arrogant. Runway fashion is touting more mute colors and darker tones instead of shimmering silver and gold. There has been a shift in attitudes across the board from companies to individuals on spending. There is more of a focus on quality rather than quantity. Currently, people are focusing more on their spending habits and not overspending but are saving. The personal savings rate is at a 10 year high of over 4.5%. It does not sound like much but it is a huge step for many. The National Gardening Association states that home gardening is anticipated to increase 19%. They claim it is not necessarily because produce is expensive but rather that people like to hunker down and want some old fashioned comfort.

People are beginning to evaluate their relationship with money and their definitions of happiness. The New Economics Foundation conducted a global ranking of the ecological efficiency with which the world's nations deliver long and happy lives for the people who live there. This index is called the Happy Planet Index and concluded that although USA, China and India were all 'greener and happier' twenty years ago than today, Latin America tops the Index with Costa Rica the 'greenest and happiest' country.  Nine of the ten highest-scoring nations are Latin American. Costa Ricans report the highest life satisfaction in the world, have the second-highest average life expectancy of the New World (second only to Canada) and have an ecological footprint that means that the country only narrowly fails to achieve the goal of 'one-planet living': consuming its fair share of the Earth's natural resources. The UK comes 74th, USA 114th out of 143 nations surveyed. Money can’t buy you love.

We are set up on a system that programs us to think we need to buy things to make us happy. Like a drug addict we lose the happiness high and need to go out and buy more to maintain the happiness. How can we break the vicious cycle? And more importantly, how can we do this and come out of the recession?  Simplicity does not mean we go back to crude and regressive tactics of living in caves and huts. We are too smart for that. Simplicity however means that we reduce much of the distracting noise that can surround us and focus on elements that really matter to our hearts. If one reads classic economic texts they tell you the only way to grow is to consume. I think that we need to reconsider what we consume. There are many ways that our society can grow. We need to grow infrastructure, clean technology, education and healthcare. But do we need to grow the volume of our stuff?  We have so much stuff we have created an industry just to store it. According to an interview recently on Marketplace Radio the square footage of the self storage industry in the U.S. would now cover all of San Francisco and Manhattan combined.
We are in a critical time that this shift is possible and people are receptive to listening to new ideas on how to rework old paradigms. Not only can the economy recover it can be reinvented. We can have new policy implemented that can curb consumption and improve welfare. For example, Sweden currently bans advertising directed at children. This is good for overall society. Thoughtful trade agreements that consider job growth and green job opportunities. Decisions that include ecological thinking on the environment will allow an economy to grow intelligently and wisely. The U.S. is affluent enough to consider new ways of distributing that wealth and sharing that knowledge with others. This sharing of knowledge is what fosters relationships, community and overall happiness. The happiness you receive when you are with family and friends is unparalleled can never be bought.  This change needs to come from individual ad community mindfulness of what they can do to foster growth of a new economy and a new society.