Local organization provides new way to celebrate environmentally conscious
EarthE money is a form of “eco cash” or “eco acknowledgment” given to reward and encourage citizens to keep up their environmentally sound behavior. This eco dough is something that you give to others to encourage and reward their eco actions.
Sele Ely, 52, is the founder of EarthE.
“We don’t have the language to honor people when they take action for the planet. EarthE is finding a way to create environmental language and an environmental acknowledgment,” Ely said.
There are several forms of EarthE currency a person can receive for environmentally conscious actions.
An EarthE kiss or EarthE handshake are special greetings to give to friends.
EarthE credit or EarthE discount applies when businesses offer discounts and other perks for signed EarthE money. Businesses wanting to honor customers who have received signed EarthE money usually have “GET EARTHE” credit signs posted to let customers know.
To use EarthE credit at participating business, customers can redeem a signed EarthE money note they have received from a friend or a peer. There is a one EarthE credit limit per person per month at each business.
Allie Zellner, a freshman psychology major, said she has received an EarthE coupon from a friend.
“It felt really good to have someone acknowledge my efforts even though I would have picked up the litter laying in the street either way,” Zellner said. “It’s nice to know that there are people who care enough to create a new way of rewarding people for helping the Earth.”
Most participating businesses offer a sales discount ranging from 1 cent to 20 percent off merchandise. Some businesses also offer an EarthE handshake or an EarthE kiss in addition to a sales discount.
“There have been no problems so far and the program has been going on for about a year now,” Ely said.
In Boulder, Cheba Hut, The Fitter, Crazy Amy’s, Hapa, Old Tibet, Meow Meow, Abo’s, Album’s Bistro, Burnt Toast and Snarf’s are just some of the EarthE participating businesses.
The EarthE organization’s goal is for 95 percent of retail businesses in the U.S. to participate in EarthE Credits by 2012.
EarthE
For more information or to print out EarthE coupons to acknowledge others, go to http://earthe.org/.
Contact Staff Writer Natalie Veltman at natalie.veltman@colorado.edu.
