| v> | | | | of Us’,” says Chronis. Her belief is |
| It is impossible to open a newspaper or turn on a | | | | that every single environmentally responsible thing |
| TV these days without being inundated with | | | | you do, no matter how small, is critical. Each piece |
| information about the disastrous plight of our | | | | of newspaper you recycle and each energy |
| environment. Global warming is causing ice to melt, | | | | efficient light bulb you use will make you a part of |
| threatening rising sea levels across the globe. The | | | | the solution. Consider this… the average |
| use of highly toxic chemicals is causing dangerous | | | | bathroom faucet flows at a rate of two gallons |
| health problems to spread more quickly each day. | | | | per minute. If each person in a four person |
| Undeniably something must change; we must | | | | household turned off the faucet for the two |
| make a change. Implementing a total lifestyle | | | | minutes, twice a day that they brush their teeth, |
| makeover however, can be daunting and | | | | 32 gallons of water would be saved per day. |
| according to one green business owner, | | | | It is facts like this that inspired Kimi Chronis to |
| “paralyzing”. Kimi Chronis, owner | | | | start Fish Lips Paper Designs. “I want to |
| of Fish Lips Paper Designs, says it is easy to fall | | | | help bridge the gap between designer aesthetics |
| into the trap of believing that environmentalism is | | | | and environmental responsibility and to help people |
| all or nothing and thinking if you can’t | | | | easily implement sustainability in their daily |
| commit to large scale changes, then there is no | | | | lives.” Jacksonville, FL based Fish Lips |
| point in trying to be green at all. This type of | | | | Paper Designs creates gift wraps, note cards and |
| thinking, while common, is “dangerous and | | | | blank books all designed, printed and packaged in |
| unproductive,” according to Chronis. | | | | the USA on 100% recycled paper (minimum 50% |
| There are people in the world who are giving up | | | | PCW) with non-toxic soy inks. In 2009, if each |
| all of the comforts of modern life, using | | | | person in the state of Florida wrapped one shirt |
| composting toilets and covering their houses in | | | | box size gift with Fish Lips’ green gift |
| solar panels - all in the name of environmentalism. | | | | wraps, rather than standard wraps made from |
| These activists are surely the dedicated leaders | | | | virgin pulp, more than 21,710 fully grown trees |
| of this critical time. However, the value of the | | | | and 9,264,000 gallons of water would be saved. |
| major changes made by these few cannot | | | | In addition, if every person in the state replaced |
| overshadow the importance of small changes | | | | one greeting card this year with Fish Lips’ |
| made by the masses, or as Chronis likes to refer | | | | 100% recycled cards, over 4,500 fully grown |
| to it, “The Rest of Us”. | | | | tress and 1,564,000 gallons of water would be |
| “Most people are not financially, physically | | | | saved. This is undeniable evidence of the power |
| or emotionally prepared to make extreme | | | | of “The Rest of Us”. |
| changes; these people make up ‘The Rest | | | | |