"reality must take precedence over public relations,
for Nature cannot be fooled.."

Richard Feynman
US educator & physicist
(1918 - 1988)

Alison & Stephen Vardy have been making environmentally conscious decisions in their private and public lives for decades. The less is more philosophy. What follows on this page is a natural extension of their daily lives. Green policy comes naturally.... going green pays for itself.... climate neutral with a sustainable footprint is the goal.

Carbon Offset Policy - Purchased Annually

Carbon offsets are not meant to be a substitute for operational carbon waste. Alison & Stephen use carbon offsets as the last step in their decision chain that leads to their being carbon neutral.

Alison & Stephen prefer to use The Gold Standard accreditation for ensuring that their carbon offsets are making a positive contribution to the climate with offsets that meet strict recognized standards. The Gold Standard is widely considered to be the highest standard in the world for carbon offsets.

To this end Alison & Stephen have chosen Planetair/MyClimate as their not-for-profit Canadian offset vendor (the same vendor that The David Suzuki Foundation offsets with). Carbon offsets for both Alison's private and business lives are purchased in April for each previous year - see schedule

Note: Alison & Stephen's peak year for their administrative and alisonvardy.com business carbon-use footprint was year 2003.

Office Policy – Administration of all businesses in AV & SV Partnership

• Maximise electronic data storage, filing & back-up.
• Maximise use of open source software with smaller development & acquisition carbon footprint.
• Maximise electronic communications, agreements & invoicing at greater than 90% electronic.
• Minimise office paper product use – now less than 20% of peak year 2003 levels.
• All new office paper products to contain recycled content where possible.
• Paper-based promotion to be reduced to business cards only in the near term as limited previous rack card stocks deplete.
• Yellow page telephone listing restricted to two lines only.
• All future paid text promotion to be internet based only.
• Internet digital distribution for all music recordings & sheet music.
• Musical CD sales format to be phased out as limited previous stocks deplete.
• Compact fluorescent spot lighting only in office.
• Hydro-electric home/office power source.

Travel Policy – Alison Vardy, Harpist

• Maintain reduction of musician's travel for concert tours at less than 25% of peak year 2003 levels.
• Maintain reduction of musician's gig travel at less than 60% of peak year 2003 levels.
• All concert & gig travel to be local & regional only.
• To keep vehicle size & carbon footprints to the minimum necessary to conduct current business.

Gig Set-up Policy – Alison Vardy, Harpist

• No regular use of any disposables other than minimal use of duct & cloth gaffers tape for safety reasons.
• Sound gear to be small light weight & very energy efficient – less than 2 ampere draw for 450 people.
• Halogen spot-lighting only when provided by the artist.
• Re-chargeable battery powered outdoor sound gear & lighting – no gasolene generators.

Shipping Policy – West Coast Harps Sales

• Recycle & acquire used packaging materials where possible.
• Use recycled fiber in new packaging where possible.
• No new plastics used in packaging
• Maximise use of two-way aluminum shipping chests for harps therebye requiring fewer disposable materials.
• Collect harps in bulk from regional suppliers where possible.

Home & Home Office Green Policy - Environmental Footprint

• Use environmentally sustainable cleaners & solvents.
• The 3 R's - Reduce Reuse & Recycle as a matter of course – A & S have done so for 35 years.
• Compost.
• Vegetable garden.
• No gasolene power tools.
• Maximise travel by foot, bicycle & public transport.
• Vehicle uses combined for multiple tasks.
• Buy organic, local, fair trade & unprocessed foodstuffs to minimise carbon footprint & packaging.
• Space heating on demand to minimise heat loss.
• Extensive plastic, paper & metal recycling.

Carbon Use Footprints - Various Businesses in the A & S Partnership

• Alison Vardy.com
• gigging & touring harpist with amplification
• harp teaching studio
• recordings sales
• established 1998
• admin 90% electronic
• service in South Coastal British Columbia only
• Victoria BC
• Vancouver BC
• Whistler BC
• Nanaimo BC
• Courtenay/Comox BC
• Tofino BC
• reduced carbon footprint of 50% or more over peak year 2003
• this business is carbon neutral with carbon offset
  
  
  
• StephenVardy.ca
• Reconnective Healing Practice
• established 2004
• admin 100% electronic
• new service in-house with existing admin & studio resources
• this business is carbon neutral
  
  
• West Coast Harps.com
• new harp sales
• established 2006
• admin 90% electronic
• new service in Canada with existing admin & studio resources
• this business is carbon neutral with carbon offset
  
  
• Celtic Harp Sheet Music.com
• digital sheet music sales
• established 2008
• admin 100% electronic
• new service 100% electronic
• this business is carbon neutral

• Used Harp Mart.ca
• used harp sales listings
• established 2008
• admin 100% electronic
• new service 100% electronic
• this business is carbon neutral

Main AV & SV Partnership Suppliers - Green Achievements

Alison & Stephen endeavour to give preference to suppliers with active green policies.

• WeDoHosting.com – 100% renewable energy powered.
• Great Little Box Company – several green initiatives including 60% fiber recycling.
• Sameday Right-O-Way – 2007 "Shippers Choice Award" for efficient courier & LTL services.
• UPS USA - UPS Supply Chain Solutions ranked 9.3 out of 10 in 2007 as "Green" Outsourcers.