Environmental Responsibility
What we and you can do to be "green"

Think globally, act locally. Reduce, reuse, recycle. We hear these sayings, but are we actually practicing them? Acting locally is the most powerful tool we as individuals have to protect our environment. Our daily actions and choices affect the world around us, and being aware of this is the first step toward living a more sustainable lifestyle that is low-impact on our environment.

The Mono Lake Committee has long preached this message with regards to water conservation and water recycling, and this page is an articulation of what we also strive to put into practice, in doing our part to help make the world a better place.

On the heels of the California power crisis in summer 2001, the Committee re-affirmed its commitment to energy conservation and environmentally sound—or "green"—business practices. At our July 2001 Board of Directors meeting, the Committee unanimously adopted a resolution that states:

"The Mono Lake Committee will, to the greatest extent practicable, seek to use and promote environmentally friendly products, with a special emphasis on water
and energy efficiency."

Former Committee Board member Guillermo Rodriguez, also Director at Pacific Gas & Electric Company in San Francisco, went even further than this resolution. He took the lead on having the Committee join the Flex Your Power Non-Profit Initiative that calls for such steps as setting thermostats for minimal heating/cooling, reducing lighting levels, closing blinds and shades, and turning off appliances when not in active use.

"Certainly, the effort to be environmentally responsible is not new to the Committee, but it is one that we are formally affirming through this 'greening' resolution," says Executive Director of Operations Geoff McQuilkin. "Here in the Lee Vining office we use compact fluorescent lights, monitor and conserve our energy use, and use passive heating and cooling as much as possible."

Plans for a future remodel of the Lee Vining office incorporate even stronger green energy use practices. Solar and wind power, passive heating/lighting, better insulation, and an interpretive display about renewable energy are all components of the planned remodel. According to former Office Director Jeff Darlington, the renewable energy system the Committee plans to install should reduce energy use and costs by 90%, and pay for itself within 10 years.

The Committee also re-vamped the Mono Lake Newsletter and the focus of the Information Center & Bookstore to better conform with the greening resolution.

"Starting with the Fall 2001 edition, we've made some changes to our Newsletter," says Communications Director Arya Degenhardt. "In addition to improvements in the layout and content, the new Newsletter is much more environmentally friendly."

"I do my part in the Committee Bookstore too," says former Retail & Wholesale Operations Manager Ramona Robbins-Clark. "We carry clothing made of organic cotton and soy-based inks, water conservation products, and products made of recycled materials."

Another thing the Committee is doing to stay green is seeking out partnerships with environmentally responsible businesses such as Planet, Inc., to ensure we're using and promoting green products.

Planet, the leading name in environmentally friendly cleaning products, has agreed to provide the Committee with free cleaning materials for our office use. We are extremely grateful to Planet for their generous donation and their willingness to partner with the Committee in future "greening" efforts. Since its inception in 1989, Planet has become a model of for-profit companies meeting dual goals of making money and respecting the environment. Planet products are certified biodegradable by Scientific Certification Systems, meaning their products break down quickly into carbon dioxide, basic minerals and water. Despite a high level of environmental responsibility, Planet products perform as well as non-biodegradable products, and are comparable in price. For more information on Planet's environmentally-responsible line of cleaning products, see www.planetinc.com.

See our 2007 Annual Report for our first attempt at calculating our ecological footprint!