PROFILE

An Interview with Wendy Gordon and Alix Clyburn
by Jackie Papandrew

In a recent article about the rise of the “ecomom,” The New York Times describes a growing movement of environmentally conscious mothers seeking ways to live a “greener” life. That’s just the audience National Geographic is aiming to reach with its quarterly magazine, The Green Guide. The publication, founded by Wendy Gordon in 1994 and available online (www.thegreenguide.com) and in print, offers its readers practical, affordable advice on green living. Gordon, an environmentalist and mother of two, says her magazine helps moms with simple tips for incorporating an earth-friendly lifestyle into their busy schedules.

The Green Guide Web site specifically targets moms with its Mommy Greenest blog (www.thegreenguide.com/blog/mommy/), which is written by New Jersey mom Alix Clyburn. The mother of two young sons, Clyburn uses the blog to document her real-life experiences as she seeks to “go green,” and she hopes her blog posts will inspire and help other mothers.

Interview with Wendy Gordon, publisher of The Green Guide:

MWLM: Tell us about The Green Guide. Why did you create this magazine and what do you hope to accomplish with it? What kind of reaction have you had to the publication from the general public and also from the scientific/environmental community? Has the publication changed in focus since being acquired by National Geographic last year?

WG: The Green Guide was started back in 1994 as a very short, faxable newsletter, containing a brief description of a concern (environmental, health-related or social) and what you can do to address it in your everyday life. We added a dynamic, content-rich Web site in 2002 and then because we could reach many more people with a magazine available on newsstands, we converted the newsletter into a magazine in 2008 with the help of National Geographic. Whereas Green Guide has published a number of books and produced several how-to videos, the same purpose runs through all our products – to inform and engage concerned consumers in sensible actions they can take in their everyday lives that improve health, save money and protect the planet.

Green Guide has always had a good readership, but thanks to the tremendous platform National Geographic affords us, and to timing – the general public today seems more aware of environmental concerns and more willing to act on those concerns – the magazine has been very well received, and the Web site traffic has never been so good. Moreover, Green Guide’s high standards in research and reporting have earned it the respect of the scientific and environmental establishments; our publications are considered authoritative, objective and trustworthy.

MWLM: Tell us a little about your background and what led you to become an advocate for a green lifestyle.

WG: I studied to be an environmentalist, earning a BA in geological and geophysical sciences from Princeton and an MS in environmental health from Harvard’s School of Public Health, and worked for a decade at the Natural Resources Defense Council advocating on behalf of laws and regulations that better protected our air, water, land and health. It was in the late 1980s, when I had my second child, that I felt the need to focus more on consumer education, personal action and market-based change. Together with Meryl Streep, in 1989, I founded an organization called Mothers & Others for a Livable Planet. Our first project was to bring attention to the issue of pesticides in the diet of infants and children. Through ours and others’ efforts, demand for organic food would grow and low-input farming would take off.

When we launched the Green Guide in 1994, we took on other consumer, market-based issues – hormones in milk, toxins in plastics, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in paints, pesticides on lawns, etc. – becoming the go-to source for consumers who wanted to know which products were safest for their families, and what they should and shouldn’t do that would be best for the environment. This has been our core purpose throughout.

MWLM: The Green Guide seeks to offer simple, affordable steps that allow ordinary people to live a more environmentally friendly life. Where do you get your ideas? What research do you do to ensure they are viable and truly “green”? How do you ensure that the Green Guide itself, especially the print version, is green?

WG: Green Guide covers virtually every consumer topic imaginable from food and personal care products to home building supplies and appliances to sports equipment and travel gear. Why? Because whatever the consumer decision, there are health, environmental and/or social consequences to that decision. So we get our ideas from life, every aspect.

In its reporting, Green Guide’s editorial team maintains exemplary principles of fairness, objectivity and responsible, independent reporting. Our team of researchers/reporters carefully reviews the science, the manufacturer's detailed product information, their claims and third-party certifications when developing the product recommendations and shopping suggestions you'll find in our Product Reports and Smart Shopper's Cards, as well as many of our articles. These recommendations are not product approvals; we do not endorse products. Our aim is to inform and engage consumers, [to encourage them] to ask for and try those products in the marketplace that have been manufactured in such a way as to reduce the health and environmental impacts associated with one or more stages in their life cycle, from production through use and disposal. In this way, we hope to encourage more manufacturers to improve what they make and how they make it.  

People often ask us how do we ensure that the Green Guide is green, particularly the magazine. We thought long and hard before launching the magazine since it meant printing on paper. But we know that people learn in different ways, and many prefer to get information from magazines. Nevertheless, Green Guide staff carefully considered just the sort of magazine that would adequately inform and engage readers, while minimizing its overall eco-footprint. Making the magazine available digitally in Publishing Web Format, as well as in print and available on newsstands, publishing it no more frequently than quarterly, and ensuring the content was the sort of “keeper” content that readers would want to hold on to, return to over and over again, are just three ways by which we aim to be a responsible publisher.

In addition, we made certain that the paper company (Verso Paper) and printer (Quad/Graphics) we chose to work with shared our sense of environmental stewardship. The Verso paper on which Green Guide is being printed carries the FSC Mixed Source Label, meaning the wood comes from Forest Stewardship Council – certified, well- managed forests, company-controlled sources (meaning sources controlled in accordance with FSC standards to exclude illegally harvested timber, forests where high conservation values are threatened, genetically modified organisms, violation of people’s civil and traditional rights, and wood from forests harvested for the purpose of converting the land to plantations or other non-forest use), and/or recycled material. And the printer, Quad/Graphics, based in Sussex, Wisconsin, has long been known for its environmental stewardship and social responsibility. Quad has garnered a long list of local, state and national honors, including the 2007 Wisconsin Going Green Award, the Rainforest Alliance's Sustainability Award and most recently, the Environmental Excellence Award from the U.S. EPA's SmartWay Transport Partnership for having prevented the emissions of 11,878 tons of CO2 – the equivalent of taking 2,332 passenger cars off the road.

MWLM: Do you address the more controversial aspects of the environmental movement – things like global warming issues and government actions?

WG: We tend to leave governmental matters to other organizations, but focus instead on all the many ways that consumers, voting with their dollars, can take action. Quite a number of the actions we encourage consumers to take are intended to help in the battle against global warming.

MWLM: How do you appeal to “ecomoms” – mothers who want to “go green” and teach their children how to do it? What reactions have you received from moms to the suggestions in your publication?

WG: Parents, keen to protect their kids, are especially receptive to Green Guide’s message. They appreciate our non-preachy tone, our ready-to-use tips and tools. Time and time again, they remind us that Green Guide is a resource they trust and on which they rely to do the research that they are too busy to do themselves.

MWLM: Are you a mom? If so, how do you incorporate the green lifestyle into your family life?

WG: Yes, I am a mom. We have two sons, 23 and 20, who we raised in a small apartment in New York City. We didn’t go overboard to be green, but we did make certain choices that we thought were best for their health and the health of the planet, and as it turns out, our wallet. For the most part, we only drank organic milk, and whenever available we chose organic chicken, eggs and beef. Our diets were rich in fruits and vegetables, and while we always had some sort of protein at dinner, it was most often chicken, fish or pork, with beef the least often. We made most of our own meals and treated ourselves to take-out pizza on Fridays. We washed the dishes and the laundry in products made without problem chemicals. We used cloth napkins and recycled everything we could. Living in the city, we had only one car and ran virtually all of our errands on foot. We put CFL bulbs in all our table and floor lamps in the ‘90s; I think I’ve only changed one in the last 10 years. Much of our conservation ethic, I would say, comes from my parents, who saved and reused everything and only bought things we needed.

MWLM: The Green Guide Web site includes a “Mommy Greenest” blog written by Alix Clyburn, a mother of two in New Jersey. Alix uses the blog to chronicle her own attempts to go green as she raises her children. What kind of reaction have you had to the blog? How big do you think the “ecomom” force is within the green movement? Is there a misperception, do you think, among mothers that living green, especially with children, is more difficult than it really is?

WG: Mommy Greenest is a new blog for Green Guide but the reception appears to be very good. The problem moms face is while they may be well intentioned, they have so little time. It’s easy to get into a rut, or rather routine, and not know how to get out of it. Ecomom bloggers like Alix can help moms to see they are not alone, that we’re all feeling we should do more or do better, but just don’t have the time or the energy to think about how. Alix’s job is to bring moms and dads to www.thegreenguide.com. Once they find us, they’re much better positioned to start on the right track since Green Guide breaks things down, providing the step-by-step tools to make small but meaningful changes to their daily routine.

Interview with Alix Clyburn:

MWLM: Tell us how you got interested in “living green” and how you became a blogger for the Green Guide.

AC: I was always intellectually committed to the idea of living green, but too lazy to actually change my life in any way. When we moved to New Jersey, the change of moving was the trigger I needed to commit. And the more you do it the easier it gets. As I’m a writer, of course, it struck me that the foibles of a typically lazy, harassed American mom’s efforts to reduce the family carbon footprint might be amusing. And I think it largely is.

MWLM: Tell us a little about your background – do you do other writing? If so, do you write mainly on environmental issues? What other writing projects do you have in the works?

AC: I do not just do environmental writing at all. In fact, I know very little about this –I’m learning as I go. I have done plenty of writing, however. I’ve been a freelance writer for about 10 years. I’ve written a book about artists with disabilities, a guide to DC nightlife for hip young women, and [I’ve] edited a bestseller called Honeymoon with My Brother by Franz Wisner. I’ve also helped produce documentaries and museum exhibits, and written magazine articles, speeches, Web copy, marketing copy, annual reports and brochures.

MWLM: How do you come up with the topics you write about on your Green Guide blog? Do you mainly blog about what you’re doing personally to live a green lifestyle or do you also discuss the latest environmental news/research? Do you discuss topics that might be more controversial like global warming or government actions?

AC: My source material is everywhere. I’ll write about what I’m trying to do at home –like changing to homemade household cleansers or registering for clean power. I’ll write about what captures my attention in the media. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of doodling out my thoughts about the act of transforming my family.

MWLM: What kind of reactions have you received to the blog? Do you get a lot of comments from readers? How often do you blog? How many readers do you typically get in a week or a month?

AC: I blog once a week. I am always working on a few at one time, but we post one a week right now. I love getting comments from readers.

MWLM: What do your kids think of your “green” efforts? Do they enjoy being part of the process? How do you get them interested in and excited about environmental issues and the green lifestyle?

AC: The way they incorporate my green efforts with no resistance is part of what makes children so beautiful. They have a natural sense of wonder and excitement about the trees, the animals, the ocean. At this point in their lives, it is completely natural to them to recycle, minimize their waste, grow things, etc. It’s just a matter of my setting the example, so I try. For instance, I don’t buy juice boxes, single-serving packs or paper napkins or plates. At the same time, toddlers are toddlers, and they want to waste so much water while they make mudpies outside, use too much paper for art projects, or fill the bathroom sink for no apparent reason. I am still working on denying them those simple pleasures.

MWLM: Is living green more difficult than you expected? What has surprised you about your efforts to go green and about doing the blog?

AC: In so many ways, I have discovered that going green is easier than not going green. The hardest part was making that commitment to change. I’m surprised by how simple it is to live this way, and how it feeds itself. The more I do the more I want to do. It’s a quick walk from no more juice boxes to no more plastic shopping bags, for instance. Another big surprise for me is how I find it rejuvenating in a bigger way for me to make these changes in my life. I’m almost 40 years old, and it’s easy to get locked into your habits. Changing even small elements of your lifestyle can lift your spirits in big ways. On a totally personal level, writing the blog is the best part. It’s fun to do, it fuels my creativity and it is exciting to get response from my work.

MWLM: Are more and more moms (and families) attempting to go green, and how many do you think actually stick with it? How big do you think the “ecomom” force is within the green movement and within society at large?

AC: Yes, I do think more and more families are making the effort, and I think moms are leading the charge. Increasingly, I find myself surprised at playdates or on the sidelines of soccer practice to hear moms talk about their concerns and efforts. One mom recently bought SIGG™ bottles and a set of reusable nylon shopping bags at IKEA®. Another mom routinely brings her snacks in reused takeout containers. My neighbor just sent out an e-mail wondering about a reusable training pant from Fuzzi Bunz. In the course of conversations during birthday parties and at playgrounds, the conversation routinely and naturally revolves to feeding the kids organic meals, minimizing the trash and wastefulness, and conserving energy. I think young families are a good fit for going green since it frequently coincides with saving money.

MWLM: Anything else you’d like us to know?

AC: Yes! Read the blog to find out more!

Jackie Papandrew is an award-winning writer and editor. Her humor column – Airing My Dirty Laundry – appears in several newspapers in the United States and Canada. Visit www.jackiepapandrew.com to read more of her work.

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