If anything makes as big a thud on your doorstep as the Yellow Pages books, it has been the JC Penney semi-annual “Big Book.”

The 2009 Big Book - Collector's item?

But the retailer has decided that that thud has outlived its impressiveness and is taking a heavy toll on marketing costs and forests, announcing today that it will no long print the giant catalog. Instead, JC Penney will dedicate its resources to specialty catalogs and online services.

Explained the press release: “The discontinuation of “big book” catalogs aligns with JCPenney’s ongoing commitment to promote the sustainability of forests and other natural resources, and builds upon its legacy of operating in an ethical and socially responsible manner.”

The company expects to use 25 to 30 percent less paper for catalogs in 2010 – which will continue  “a four-year trend of declining paper consumption.”

JC Penney also will be using lighter weight paper in its remaining catalogs to keep down the wood fiber content.

Plano, Texas-based JC Penney is ”keeping pace with consumers’ changing media habits and continued migration to online versus catalog shopping…,” said Myron E. (Mike) Ullman, III, chairman and chief executive officer, in a press release.

“Big book catalogs have become less relevant, as customers have embraced shopping online,” noted Mike Boylson, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, “where they have ready access to our entire assortment at any time on jcp.com, one of the nation’s largest general merchandise sites on the Internet.”

Yellow Pages, the pressure’s on.

A chat with Danny Seo, author of Simply Green Parties: Simple and Resourceful Ideas for Throwing the Perfect Celebration, Event or Get-Together, creator of the Simply Green line of eco-friendly houseware items sold in JCPenney stores, newspaper columnist and green contributor to Better Homes and Gardens magazine:

1. Which of your 50 ideas in the book is your favorite to offer people who are interested in throwing a green party?

That’s such a hard question to answer, but I think I use the summer entertaining tips the most because, frankly, that’s when I entertain.   I like the ideas that reuse or repurpose something we all already have and easily incorporate into a party.  For example, filling a birdbath (scrub it clean first!) or a wheelbarrow as a wine/beer/soda chilling station is one easy idea.  Just fill with ice, insert the beverages and let them chill.  The melted ice can be a cool drink for birds or just used to water plants when the party is over.

I also like to take solar lights — the kind we all have staked in the ground around the driveway or sidewalk — and hang them on hooks in one large tree.  They look like glowing lanterns and you don’t need any special electrical wiring.  When the party is over, just unhook and put them back where you got ‘em.

2. What inspired you to write this particular book?

I’ve been throwing events and parties for a very long time and nothing makes you feel more awful than seeing giant bags of trash filling up at the end of the party.  Nothing festive about that.  So, I thought it would be fun to show some clever, resourceful and inexpensive ideas someone at home could do.  I threw six real parties for my friends and shared all the tips and ideas from those actual parties.

3. What simple advice do you often give to convince people being green is not a struggle?

I tell people it’s easier than ever before.  I’m planning a beach party right now and I have to do it on a budget. So, I just came back from JCPenney (which features Seo’s designs) where they had these great quick-drying cotton towels — it’s a special weave that makes them dry faster — but the faster drying quality means they’ll stay dryer at the beach and won’t get mildew-y.  And, the best part? They were just $7.  You can also get green cleaning supplies dirt cheap and that work effectively, too.  For every party, I have a little bucket with a stack of microfiber towels and Method (for whom he’s a spokesman) all-purpose cleaning spray.  It works on all surfaces and the microfibers are machine washable.

The point is this: green is everywhere now and you can find quality, great products in price-sensitive, value-driven stores. No need to spend a lot; just be wise how you spend.

4. What should people keep in mind when they are throwing a green party?

LESS IS MORE! Food waste is a huge problem. When you throw away uneaten potato salad, burgers and pies, it doesn’t just end up in a landfill to quickly biodegrade. Instead, since landfills are so airtight to prevent leakage of chemicals into the ground, the leftover food degrades into methane gas. That methane gas then contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer, causing the planet to heat up.

Basically, you don’t have to create an all-you-eat buffet for your friends and family. One or two good sides, a good entrée and a light dessert is really all people want. And here’s another tip: try to do it all vegetarian or keep veggie options on hand for your meat-free guests.

And I’ll give a very fun and easy tip: skip the paper napkins for reusable ones. Don’t mess up your fancy antique linens, but use cotton bandannas as napkins.  They’re fun, colorful and machine washable.

5. And where do you find the motivation to live such a completely green lifestyle?

It’s a bit inherent now and I can just tell if something I’m doing is not so kind to the planet. It’s a bit of an obsession of mine to come up with ideas and solutions for people and share them in my magazine columns, books, TV shows, etc.  I really want to make it as accessible and simple for people as possible, and I think we’re achieving that.

I never look at green living like medicine: it’s good for you. Nobody wants to take their medicine. I look at it as a way of life that’s healthier, more gorgeous and just a better way of living. I love it.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

The  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized 25 U.S. cities for having the most Energy Star buildings in 2008.

The top 10 are Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Washington, D.C., Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Atlanta and Seattle.

Los Angeles ranked first with 262 buildings earning the Energy Star rating, which can be applied to rehabbed and new properties. San Francisco had 194 buildings; Houston, 145; Washington D.C., 136 and Dallas, 126.

Energy Star, the EPA’s label for high efficiency, sets standards for everthing from light bulbs and appliances to buildings.

“An Energy Star building,” says Energy Star spokesperson Maura Beard, “uses 35 percent less energy and emits 35 percent less greenhouse gases than average buildings.”

Looking at the list, it might surprise some to see cities such as Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston — known more for their air quality challenges than for green building — at the top of the rankings.

Ms. Beard explains that the list reflects improvements in buildings, which will be reflected in air quality gains later on.

“In terms of this list, we looked specifically at [a building’s] reductions in greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. This is a big concern in states like California and Texas where there is a lot of demand on their infrastructure,” she says.

There were some standout buildings in each of these three cities, she says. She praised a retrofit of a JC Penney store that was built in 1969 in Downey Calif., in Los Angeles County. “They did a beautiful job improving the building’s energy efficiency, starting with its operating characteristics,” says Beard. (Also this week, JC Penney, an early adopter of the Energy Star program with 52 stores that have earned the label, won the first Energy Star Award for Sustained Excellence in Energy Management.)

In Houston, the Green Valley Elementary School involved the student body in its transformation. “Here the kids formed patrol teams making sure lights weren’t left on in the cafeteria and elsewhere when not in use,” says Beard. And in Dallas, the Hines real estate firm, won the Energy Star rating for its Galleria North Tower office building.

The Galleria office building is attached to a spacious, upscale, air-conditioned mall, which raises the question: What about the energy efficiency of malls in general?

“Shopping malls are difficult [structures] to measure efficiency in,” says Beard. “For Energy Star, we collect data from the Department of Energy, then build a model. There are 12 different types of buildings included in the Energy Star ratings. For example, you can’t compare a hospital to a small store. Your have to compare peers, apples to apples.

“For now, we can just measure the efficiency of the anchor stores at a mall. It’s difficult to measure each of the many small stores. We are working with the Simon group, who manages many of the country’s malls, to improve this.”

The EPA reports that in 2008, more than 3,300 commercial buildings and manufacturing plants earned the Energy Star rating. This translates into a savings of more than $1 billion in utility bills and more than 7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The structures range from schools and hospitals to office buildings and assembly plants.

More than 6,200 U.S. buildings have qualified for the Energy Star rating in total, says EPA spokesperson Enesta Jones. This represents an annual savings in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 2 million cars off the road.

Depending on the climate and location, buildings, homes and offices and workplaces, are estimated to be responsible for about 40 percent of the world’s GHG gases.

The Energy Star rating system for buildings is similar to the green certification system devised by the U.S. Green Building Council known as LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Efficiency and Design. But Energy Star is more focused on onsite power savings, while LEED looks at how building materials are sourced and considers broader environmental issues like how close a building is to mass transit opportunities.

“LEED certification tends to be more for new buildings and includes everything, green roofs, supplies and materials, recycling, even the commute,” says Beard. “Energy Star is purely about energy efficiency.”

“It works best if the two [certification systems] are used hand in hand,” she says. “Energy Star is more rigorous in terms of energy efficiency. With LEED, you can get a bunch of points for many different attributes. If a building doesn’t score highly on energy efficiency, it could still earn LEED certification because it might score well on other levels.” (Though LEED standards are currently being tightened and it would be difficult for a building to earn the highest level ratings without being energy efficient.)

EPA’s new chief Lisa P. Jackson is pleased with the results of the Energy Star cities. In a statement released yesterday, she said, “EPA commends all of these cities…[that] are now using more energy efficient appliances and dwellings. They are saving energy, saving money and protecting our environment.”

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Related stories:

• KTRK-Houston: Go inside Houston’s green school
• KGO-San Francisco: North Bay city makes ‘green living’ a law

J.C. Penney Company has announced plans to expand its renewable energy program with solar and wind projects that will provide electricity in 10 stores and one distribution center. In addition to these initiatives, J.C. Penney will also seek Energy Star certification for 200 stores by 2011.

“Hosting these solar and wind projects will add to our knowledge of the benefits and potential applications of renewable energy programs at our facilities,” said Mike Ullman III, J.C. Penney’s chairman and chief executive officer. “We are constantly looking for opportunities to contribute to a cleaner environment.”

SunPower Corporation based in San Jose, Calif., will install the solar power systems on the rooftops of 10 J.C. Penny stores. Four stores are located in California in the cities of El Cajon, Palmdale, Redland and Santa Clarita. The other six stores are located in New Jersey in the cities of Cherry Hill, Deptford, East Brunswick, Freehold, Wayne and Woodbridge.

According to Jim Thomas, vice president and director for corporate social responsibility for J.C. Penney, the benefits of the solar power systems include:

• Producing more than 4 megawatts of clean electric power
• Preventing 146,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over a 30-year expected lifetime — the estimated equivalent of annual greenhouse gas emissions generated by more than 800 cars.

Broadstar Wind Systems of Dallas, Texas, will install wind turbines at J.C. Penney’s 1.6 million-square-foot distribution center in Reno, Nev. Broadstar’s AeroCam wind turbine will be used, which captures and generates more power than conventional three-blade turbines.

Installations of the solar and wind systems are expected to completed in November.

J.C. Penney, based in Plano, Texas, is a participant in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, which recognizes the top 25 percent of commercial buildings and industrial plants for energy efficiency. Last year, four J.C. Penney stores received Energy Star certification. To reach the goal of 200 stores by 2011, J.C. Penney plans to push Energy Management Systems (EMS) and retrofit store equipment.

By the end of this year, 800 stores will be equipped with EMS, which provides remote motoring and control of electrical and mechanical systems, monitors store comfort levels (i.e., air conditioning and heating) and helps identify opportunities for energy savings.

J.C. Penney also will invest in replacing old lighting. In 2007, a total of 167 stores received lighting retrofits that will save 27 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually compared to older systems.
For more information on J.C. Penney’s solar and wind projects, visit their website.

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media