When I was a kid I was one of two Black boys in my elementary school; the other was Tito Jackson who was recently elected to Boston City Council (You Go Tito!) so maybe the Brookline, MA public education system wasn't the worst. Still, In the 6th grade the African American guidance counselor Mr Parson's said something to me that I would never forget. He said 'These guys are never gonna know how smart you are if you don't show them.' That one bit of advice received while sitting on the bench in the Principal's office probably changed the course of things to come.

Today as I was riding the Tri-met (Portland's local commuter system) to my favorite coffee shop to work I had opportunity to consider just how Green my business is. I've read on some competitor websites that their company uses 'Green Power' and therefor that company is 'Green.'... So what is "Green" really? IMO I think that your choice of utility company is a great start but certainly more can be done to be environmentally conscience which I like better as a term.

Benefit Concert I attended tonight to help 8th Graders from Portland's Sunny-Side Elementary School to travel to France and study Marine Biology






As I rode the train in today I thought about the ways in which I choose to live my life that are (IMO) environmentally conscience that I don't necessarily advertise. Here are a few:

Me Personally
* When I brush my teeth, I turn off the water
* My showers are always between 5 and 10 minutes and usually closer to 5
* I do not own a car
* I pay for the monthly TriMet (public transportation) pass
* I have lived a vegetarian lifestyle for 15 years
* I work primarily from home
* When I built WorldLightASP it was with sustainability in mind

My Business
* WorldLightASP is paperless

I hate receiving paper in the mail unless it is a check or a personal letter and so should you.

* My websites makes broad use of virtual services

This is the computer equivalent of riding the public transportation instead of driving your own Hummer to work. Many companies have one or more, really big server machines in a dark room somewhere, humming really loud, making a lot of noise and burning a lot of electricity (Fossil Fuels).

* My company is run by a person (me) not a corporation

This means my bottom line is your satisfaction. I believe that happy customers are good for the environment.

* WorldLightASP is built on the Win-Win-Win model

This means fair division of proceeds. My affiliate program is still in its natal stages but it is my firm belief that is when we empower others to win that we win also.

* We believe in charity

I'm working on a "member vote" where members can vote to donate a percentage of website fees to a charity that we all agree on.

* Green Power :)

Now that I think of it, I think I'll call PGE tonight and see what my options for Green Energy are; it makes a difference.

In a nutshell, WorldLightASP is not burining excess fossil fuels, not killing trees, not eating animals and not hording funds. Instead we focus on building you awesome websites. Can the competitors say that? I live this way for myself not as a gimick and today, thinking about Mr Parson's thought I should share these thoughts with you.

Is it important to you to support environmentally conscience business? If so then please ask "How Green are you?" and then talk to me about setting up a website!

Sincerely,
Raja (Green like Kermit) Afrika
Owner, programmer, enthusiast

Do you have any recommendations for Greener living? Let me know! Email me at raja@worldlightasp.com