In honor of Earth Day on April 22, here at Green Mountain we’re reflecting on the many ways our customers and communities are helping put the Earth first by living more environmentally-friendly. We recently met a Green Mountain customer whose choice to support renewable energy inspired her to be green in other aspects of her life – which inspired us too!
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Anna Clark, a Green Mountain Energy Company customer since 2002, is also the author of a green book. In her book Green, American Style: Becoming Earth-Friendly and Reaping the Benefits, Anna shares insights from her journey into sustainability and reasons why “green is good.” Anna recently spoke to a group of Green Mountain employees and shared the impetus for her personal sustainability journey. It all started ten years ago when she and her husband, Mike, switched their power provider to Green Mountain.
“It was my husband’s idea to sign up, actually,” Anna said. “He said this new company was offering cleaner energy, so we thought it would be an easy way to make a difference. Honestly, before that, green wasn’t even on my radar.”
But year by year, month by month, Anna got reminders – in the form of her energy bills – that through the simple act of choosing renewable energy, she was doing something to help the environment. She felt inspired to do more. As she explains, “Green Mountain gave me proof that I was able to do something positive as a consumer. I am still amazed how one small decision could lead to so many exciting things.”
By 2005, Anna had come so far on her sustainability path that she launched EarthPeople, a sustainability consulting and communications firm. When the company moved into its Dallas office, she signed up for commercial power with Green Mountain, too. Two years later, Anna and her husband took yet another step towards embracing a green lifestyle when they hired Dallas builder Alan Hoffmann to build their home to meet Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, one of only 29 homes in the State of Texas to achieve this classification according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). By 2010, Anna published her first book. When Anna isn’t speaking to clients about sustainability she’s blogging on eco-leadership for Greenbiz.com and on her company blog, EarthPeople Speak.
“Of all the big things I’ve tried to do on my green journey, using cleaner energy from Green Mountain has turned out to be one of easiest, most significant changes I have made,” said Anna. “It has made me realize that green living comes out of small modifications in our everyday lives, many of which lead to better health and costs savings. Green is not just good for the earth – it’s good for us.”
Today Anna serves clients and speaks to groups of all sizes, including JCPenney, Inc., The Salvation Army, The Rotary Club, and many more. “I’m passionate about spreading this message and showing people how to save thousands of dollars a year while making a difference,” she said. “This really isn’t about me. It’s about my kids – and yours. If I could improve on the definition of sustainability, I would make it simpler because green doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s really nothing more than the Golden Rule.”
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Has becoming a Green Mountain customer inspired you to be greener in other aspects of your life? If so, we’d love to hear about it! Comment here or tell us your story on our Facebook wall.
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