philosophy

Someone asked the Dalai Lama what surprises him the most. He responded:

Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money in order to recooperate his health. And then, he is so anxious about the future, that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then he dies, having never really lived.

At Green Living Consulting, we feel that living green is not just about minimizing our environmental impact, it’s about creating a healthy life balance for people and the planet, and living life to the fullest. We want to wake up and go to sleep feeling good every day and want you to be able to do the same. We want to know how to choose food, personal care, and household products that nourish our bodies and keep us healthy rather than put us at risk of illness and disease. We want to see businesses thrive from smart, sustainable solutions that bring more money to their bottom line and boost employee productivity. We want you to join us in this little project to be a more sustainable people and planet, and we’ve got lots of ideas to share with you!

meet the health coach

Hi! I’m Addie Spahr, founder of Green Living Consulting. I received my health coaching training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I was trained in more than one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Drawing on this knowledge, I will help you create a completely personalized “roadmap to health” that suits your unique body, lifestyle, preferences, and goals. As a green living expert, I work with clients on achieving their health goals while considering ways to minimize their impact on the environment and ensure that their home and work environments are equally healthy.

Having spent the last few years working in the sustainability field, I am also a LEED accredited professional with over 15 years experience in the environmental sector. I have an B.A. in environmental studies from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a M.A. in Public Policy from the University of Southern California, focusing on urban planning, transportation policy, and sustainable development. Before jumping to the world of eco-preneurship, I spent 6 years as a strategic planning and policy consultant for the federal government. I’ve appeared as a green expert on tbd.com’s Let’s Talk Live talk show and has been interviewed by various media companies to provide green advice on a range of sustainable living topics. My company is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and a Live Green SPOT (I offer service discounts to Live Green members).

our green commitment

It’s our business to educate as well as embrace healthy, green living. We walk our green living talk, but just like you we are not perfect. We’re always looking for ways to further green our business while promoting eco-practices to our clients. We hold ourselves to the same standards as our clients and recommend solutions that we ourselves have already implemented or that are feasible for our clients’ home or business environment.

We believe that if we all make small changes in our lives, together we’ll have a big impact!

what makes us green?

energy

Powered by 100% wind energy through a green energy contract through Clean Currents
Have Energy Star rated appliances
CFL light bulbs installed throughout the business
Walk, take the metro and carpool as much as possible and offer transit subsidies to employees
Use ceiling fans through parts of the business

water

Never leave the tap water running in between rinsing or washing anything in our sinks
Reuse gray water for our plants (indoor and out)
Have an advanced water filtration system so we never have to buy bottled water and use a seltzer maker to create some fizz without piling up cans in the recycling bin unnecessarily
Have low-flow toilets

air

Use only green cleaning supplies and hand towels to clean instead of paper towels
Painted using zero and low-VOC paints
Have air-purifying plants throughout the office to keep us healthy and productive

waste

Use our own water bottles and coffee mugs in the office and on-the-go
Use 100% recycled content and post-consumer waste printer/copier paper, paper towels, napkins, and toilet paper, as well as minimize our use of any paper products
As well as minimize our use of any paper products
Recycle religiously (more recycling than trash every week) — everything from plastics, cans, bottles to newspapers, magazines, cardboard, and mail inserts
We take our own bags when we make purchases (not just at the grocery store)

green supply chain

Reuse office supplies as much as possible but when we need new ones, we buy those made of recycled content or PCW (our folders, pens — pretty much everything)
Support local businesses and get produce from a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program

green building elements

Take advantage of natural light to reduce our need to have lights on while we are at our desks
Our blinds allow light to pass through but also help insulate in cold months