Jason Metnick’s passion for the environment and his studies receiving a B.S. in Forestry at Northern Arizona University led him to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, where he is the Vice President for Customer Affairs. An independent, nonprofit, voluntary third-party certification standard, SFI promotes sustainable forestry and the responsible purchasing of forest products. As Metnick states, SFI’s purpose is twofold: to preserve the health of forests for generations to come, as well as to support those communities that rely on forest resources.

“The sustainable use of forest products is really the core of the SFI program,†Metnick explains. “That is how we go about accomplishing the assurances to consumers that the products they are buying are coming from responsibly managed forests.â€

The Healthy Home Dream Team, Ron and Lisa Beres, return to Green is Good to discuss how so many of us are living in toxic homes, creating all sorts of health concerns from sinus issues to cancers. The pair has made it their life’s mission to teach others how to live without toxic chemicals, use low- or no-VOC paints, avoid flame retardants and so much more.

“Every single product you bring into your home is having an effect on you and your well being,†Lisa says. “On average there are 500 chemicals in a home. People don’t realize that because we can’t see, smell [or] taste these chemicals, but that doesn’t mean they are not there.â€

No one needs to tell Laurel Moffat, Senior Communication Specialist at Southwest Airlines, how hard it is for the airline industry to be green. Just last year, Southwest used nearly 2 billion gallons of fuel to operate its fleet. But, that same year, the company invested nearly $400 million to increase its fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. Another innovation the airline is touting is its satellite-based navigation system, which guides pilots on the most efficient routes possible.

“[Green operations] are the right thing to do, and it makes good business sense,” Moffat says. “When we’re more efficient as an airline it helps our bottom line as well, which translates into being able to offer our customers low fares and our employees great benefits.”