Regionally, I can barely pick up a newspaper, magazine or other form of media without seeing the word green. I'm challenged by local TV stations to "go green." In other forms of media, I see "green" advertisements ranging from food to cosmetics, landscape to building, clothing to home furnishings and am even enticed to host "green" weddings.

Still, when I recently visited family in Maryland, I noticed a difference – the lack of the use of the word green. Nevertheless, if I compare the state of Maryland's versus Virginia's effort to clean up the Bay, we are by far the losers. So, what is the difference?

"Sustainability," says Ed Snodgrass of Knoll Farms (www.greenroofplants.com) in Street, Md., "means we don't take more out of the Earth than we are able to put back."

Recognized nationally as the 2007 Green Roof Man of the Year, Snodgrass, a committed conservationist, has put most of his property into an agricultural preservation trust. He also supplies plants for more than one million square feet of green roofs in 20 states and the District of Columbia.

Regionally, through working with Greater Richmond area professionals such as Matthew Carr, the Eastern Regional Manager for American Hydrotech Inc. and member of the board of directors for the James River Green Building Council, Snodgrass influenced the development of local commercial sites such as SunTrust Bank's mid-Atlantic headquarters facility located in the downtown area of Richmond and Union Bankshares Corp. located in Caroline County.

Obviously, he has influenced commercial "greening," but are there other differences?

If you look behind the visibility of Snodgrass's commercial commitment, you see that it extends far beyond a business focus. Snodgrass applies his philosophy of "Don't take more out of the Earth than we able to put back" to all facets of his life. To Snodgrass, "green" is a lifestyle choice.  

Dissimilar to Snodgrass, the average U.S. citizen has a total ecological footprint of about 25 acres, meaning that if everyone consumed similar to the average American, it would require several additional Earths to support their lifestyles? Recently, I also heard that the United States makes up approximately 5 percent of the world's population, produce between 40 percent to 50 percent of the world's trash and recycle as little as 27 percent of our goods.

So, while it can be difficult to measure the precise degree to which consumption choices affect immediate and extended eco-systems, there are eco-footprint tools, web conservation sites such as www.conservation.org/ecofootprint or www.earthday.net/footprint/index.asp that will determine  your individual impact. And, more importantly, using such a tool not only identifies an individual's status, but where and how you presently fall short related to "green" lifestyle choices as well.

Numerous greenin' consumer aides exist such as the "dummy" or "everything" book series, but I believe it is a better choice to start by measuring your eco-footprint. Neither participating in nor reviewing an online survey of eco-lifestyle choices is a cumbersome or time consuming process and the process recognizes facets of your lifestyle that affect "green."

During a recent "Today Show," I listened while Matt Lauer questioned the benefits of "green vacations." I heard him describe "back to nature" vacations located in rural or exotic places and likewise questioned the impact of these sites in relation to the resources required to access the designations. An essential element of a green product or service is not simply the product itself, but the units of energy used to produce as well as transport (access) it.

As you apply the definition of green to your lifestyle, make your goal avoiding the experience of "green washed" products or services. Solicit help through Web sites such as www.gogreen.com/choices/getstarted/5.html and make choices that not only protect the environment, but as Snodgrass advocates, focus on the maximum use of reclaimed, recycled and recyclable materials as well. 

Related to "greening" your lifestyle choices, are you aware of what is and is not working? To share your comments, ideas or strategies, contact me at syhwright@msn.com and leave a comment below. Together, let's create a series of column topics that assist the greening of our community: move the Greater Richmond Area from eco-weak to eco-chic, creating a legacy of healthy green.