Whole Foods Market Receives EPA Green Power Partner of the Year Award
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized Whole Foods Market of Austin, Texas, as a Green Power Partner of the Year for its achievement in using green power, helping grow the nation’s voluntary green power market and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Presented with a Green Power Leadership Award,it was presented on October 20, 2010 during the annual Green Power Leadership Awards Banquet in Portland, Oregon. Awards are given in four categories:
- Partner of the Year
- Green Power Purchasing
- On-Site Generation
- Green Power Community of the Year (new this year)
Whole Foods Market was one of only four organizations nationwide to be chosen as a Green Power Partner of the Year. The award recognizes EPA Green Power Partners who have distinguished themselves through their purchase, leadership, overall strategy, and impact on the green power market. Whole Foods Market is currently purchasing nearly 818 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, which is 100 percent of the company’s purchased electricity use. The purchase of nearly 818 million kWh is equivalent to reducing the carbon dioxide emissions of more than 112,000 passenger vehicles per year and is the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power more than 71,000 average American homes annually.
EPA, through the Green Power Partnership, works with nearly 1,300 partner organizations to voluntarily purchase green power to reduce the environmental impacts of conventional electricity use. Green power is electricity generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, and low-impact hydro. Green power produces no net increase of greenhouse gas emissions.
The award should not be a surprise to anyone who has shopped at a Whole Foods Market. It is company policy to support environmental initiatives. Clearly labelled recycled bins are available for paper and plastics as well as containers to recycle toothbrushes and more. Supportive of organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and community outreach efforts, the company is to be praised and sets an example for how a business should conduct itself as a social, economic and environmentalyl sustainable entity.
More information on the awards is available at http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/awards/winners.htm
More information on EPA’s Green Power Partnership is available at http://www.epa.gov/greenpower
More about activities in EPA Region 6 is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6
EPA audio file is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/oct2010.html
Want to know what is going on on the local level? Visit Fort Lauderdale Green Culture Examiner and BrowardNetonline.
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As an architectural consultant, LEED AP, LEED certification reviewer, real estate broker and AIA associate, Valerie J. Amor is dynamically engaged in sustainability and issues regarding the built environment. Actively participating in several local, county and national organizations and committees focused on sustainability issues, she is also owner/principal of Drawing Conclusions and founder/president of Green Collar Connection, companies engaged in sustainable design, real estate development, green job training and research. Knowledgeable and well connected she brings you timely and thoughtful articles. Reach her at . |
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Posted by Valerie J. Amor on Nov 7 2010. Filed under Broward County, Emerging Green, Fort Lauderdale, Local news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
