WHY IT’S EASY BEING GREEN
V2 is proud to offer a green service by providing skilled Virtual Event Producers that allow our clients to host virtual meetings often with hundreds or even thousands of participants without having to step into a car or a plane. V2 also strives to uphold the green practices of the city we are proud to call home, not only with our business practices, but with our work commute as well. Half of our team commutes by bike to our office, and this last September, we were proud to participate in the annual BTA Bike Commute Challenge. During the challenge our team biked over 300 miles and saved 308 lbs of CO2 emissions! Below are some of the ways Portland excels in being sustainable.
According to the Mother Nature Network, Portland was voted the #1 Greenest U.S. City
“The city of microbrewery mania and home to megastore Powell’s Books — one of the few remaining independent booksellers in the country — is No. 1 in sustainability. Declared the most bikeable city in the United States for its 200 miles of dedicated bike lanes, Portland certainly makes forgoing gas-powered travel easy. And for lessons in DIY sustainable food sources, classes are available for container gardening and cheese making, or beekeeping and chicken keeping.” – Josh Lew, Mother Nature Network
Plan – Portland’s urban planners strive to avoid the blight of urban sprawl by the use of green and practical zoning and legislation. They find strategic and creative solutions that preserve historical and distinctive places while revitalizing the city and creating a prosperous future. One example of Portland’s sustainable practices is its city wide recycling and composting service. Residents are able to compost food scraps along with their yard debris, Yard debris and food scraps go to composting facilities with specialized processes that quickly break down the organic matter – even meat scraps and bones. Compost from these businesses is sold to landscapers and other agricultural users and is even available to residents.
Go –Because of the minimal urban sprawl, it is easy to navigate the city by bike or foot, or with Trimet, which provides a light rail system, buses, streetcars, and a suburban commuter-rail service to those who live outside the city.
Eat – As one of the country’s biggest up and coming “foodie” cities, many Portland restaurants pride themselves on the use of organically and locally sourced food. The farm to table ideology can be found throughout the city from small pizzarias to four star restaurants, many even touting their own rooftop garden. One Portland gem, Meriwether’s Restaurant produces roughly 75% of it’s produce through it’s own Skyline farm, using many creative and sustainable growing practices.
Pedal – With over 200 miles of bicycle trails, and easy to ride streets, Portland is one of the best cities in the country for bikers. According to the Mother Nature Network, “more than 3 percent of workers choose to spend their commute on two wheels rather than four.”
Stay – Along with other West Coast cities such as San Francisco, Portland has many eco-conscious boutique hotels for visitors. Even Hotel Giant Hilton has a green Hilton right in downtown Portland. According to the Mother Nature Network, “Hilton Portland is the largest hotel to be certified by the non-profit organization Green Seal. Criteria for the certification include successful recycling and waste management programs, reliance on nonchemical cleaners, and the implementation of various energy saving measures.” Josh Lew, Mother Nature Network.