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Four Easy Steps

Boy Do We Have It Easy: Four Easy Steps to Being A Wood Floor Environmentalist

Now is the time to arm our members with the positives about wood and the facts to dispel the myths.

A few weeks ago an editor of a floor covering magazine related her conversation with a home style magazine writer. Upon hearing that some people thought carpets give people allergies the writer said, “And I know why. Carpets hold all those dust mites and germs.” The editor wrote, “If she thinks that, what must her readers think?” This week the same magazine had several articles about how the carpet and linoleum industry is working to become more environmentally responsible.

We wood people have it much easier. We don’t have to talk about how our manufacturing processes are becoming more environmentally friendly, because our products already are. And now is the time to crank up the volume. Our kids are being taught in school not to buy excess plastic packaging, to reuse shopping bags, to conserve water and to carpool to reduce air pollution, among other things. Forest issues are no longer the major target.

Forestry environmentalists and forest industry are working together on forest futures. The American Forest and Paper Association’s Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council’s wood certification programs are being compared right now by the Meridian Institute in DC with a report due out soon. A better alignment of those groups could benefit the forests and the forest owners alike.

With those events in the making, let’s all start blowing our own horn. Consider these four brief points on how to campaign on the positives about wood:

  • Find one compelling thing to say that supports our environment and say it often, such as:
  1. “Did you know that the U.S. is the only country in the world to have increased our forest cover in the 1990s, according to the World Resources Institute Report?”
  2. “North America is being called a ‘carbon sink’ according to a Princeton University study. New trees soak up more carbon dioxide and help prevent global warming.”
  3. Green taxes are a good idea. People who selectively cut and replant trees should get a ‘carbon offset’ tax break much like the oil industry has done with sulphur offsets.”
  • Don’t take adverse comments about wood products or the environment personally. Avoiding a defensive position preserves your power to objectively hear the other person’s views and offer other ways of thinking.
  • Ask questions when someone starts to talk about their views on the environment. They may or may not have your understanding of the good news about wood and the environment. Don’t assume they know the obvious. Spread the word.
  • Do your best by the environment. It’s not always easy. For example it can be hard to recycle everything we would like to, but find a few things you can do consistently to ‘green’ your businesses and your lives. Try these ‘tips on greening your business’:
  1. Take any unused wood flooring or supplies to your local Habitat for Humanity.
  2. Order some environmental forestry videos and play them in your showroom.
  3. Host a toxic round up day. Your clients and the hazard