The Green Zone

The EDA and the Green Air Project help you leave a lighter footprint

This week yielded sobering news:  the carbon saturation in our atmosphere reached a staggering 400 parts per million (ppm).  Until the industrial revolution a mere 200 years ago, the Earth managed just fine with carbon levels around 250 ppm.

Yes we advocate running your dental practice and your life as ecologically as possible, but even still, our actions continually add to the Earth’s carbon load.  Aside from crawling under a rock and hoping for the best, what can you do?

Our tip: plant trees.  That’s right, planting trees is a win-win.  It’s a win for the environment because trees absorb CO2 and it’s a win for humans because trees “breathe” out oxygen.  But how many of us are actually going to go out and personally do the planting?  Enter the Green Air Project, a non-profit that has already planted more than 220,000 trees!

Plant just one tree a month, costing only $10 each,  and the average person can offset their total carbon footprint.

Partner with the Green Air Project and plant a tree every time a patient completes their treatment plan, or when a current patient refers a family member or colleague, and you can really make a difference.  And not just for the environment, but for your practice, when you share your good works with your patients. Why not plant enough trees to make your whole office carbon neutral?

The Green Air Project ensures that your tree-planting investment will be properly stewarded.  They have partnered with professional foresters in South Carolina to obtain long term leases on the land where the trees are planted, and they offer a unique validation system that provides participants with an on-line code that allows you to track the progress of your sapling.  This system allows you, and your patients, to see the ongoing positive impact that the trees you are responsible for planting are having.  And, they guarantee that your tree is indigenous to the area, and grown without pesticides or fertilizers, or anything other than rainwater.

As the Chinese proverb goes:  The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is today.  Click here to watch the video below and get started www.greenairproject.org.