Friends of the Environment in Unexpected Places

By Elizabeth Archerd, Member Services Director

As one who marched in the first Earth Day celebration in Minneapolis as a high school student, I have mixed feelings about what this day has become. When staff and members ask what the Wedge is doing for Earth Day, an inner twinge reminds me of complicated, contradictory feelings. I started recycling in my college days, when it was not often convenient or easy. I work in an environmentally aware arena and base many lifestyle choices on environmental concerns. (Am I perfect? Is anyone?) But after a few years of corporate PR greenwash, I decided Earth Day was a sell-out.

Enough confession. My problem, not yours. But events compelled me to rethink my comfortable but cynical attitude. I opened a letter from The Nature Conservancy in January, assuming it was solicitation for funds. Instead, to my delight, it was an announcement that a gift to the NC had been made in the name of the Wedge Co-op. The giver was Damschen Wood, Inc. A quick visit to the web informs us that this is a local business specializing in cabinetry and furnishings for homes and commercial properties.

Why the donation? I called Dan Damschen. It seems that Dan was looking to thank clients at the holidays in a way that reflected his values and, he hoped, was congruent with the values of the client. Too many holiday gifts are packed in imported paper and cardboard that ends up in landfills. The Nature Conservancy donation seemed like a good fit for both Wedge Co-op members and his company.

In a phone interview with Dan D. and Dan Korbel, Project Manager, I learned that Damschen Wood provides and promotes environmentally friendly building materials. While they've focused primarily on custom commercial cabinetry and fixtures, they've recently branched out into residential work.

Both Dans have personal histories of environmental concern and are members of local co-ops. Dan K. provided alfalfa sprouts for a number of local co-ops in the 70s. He grew up to 300 pounds a week in his basement, which required air conditioning to counter the heat generated by the germinating seeds. (Now, there's an alternative heat source!)

While they also work with standard materials, Damschen Wood makes an effort to educate clients about environmentally friendly options. It takes a special customer to express interest in environmentally-friendly products. Dan D. estimates that at this point they spend more time educating potential consumers than installing the materials.

Here are a few of the products they offer:

• Environ, a particle board made from soybean waste and recycled newspapers. Used for counter-tops and tables, it looks like granite after it is stained with a water-based finish.
• Dakota Burl, made from sunflower seed hulls - looks like burled wood board.
• Bio-fiber wheat-board, made from wheat straw left after the harvest. Makes a light colored particle board that smells like wheat and uses no formaldahyde.
• Bamboo flooring. Bamboo is harvested at 6" diameter every 5-6 years. It is a grass that regrows quickly after each harvest. Just slice and dice to make a board harder than oak or maple for tongue and groove flooring.
• Eucalyptus wood, with a 15 year harvest cycle. This hybrid plantation tree was developed in the 40s and planted where rainforest was cut down - it sprouts back after being cut and can be used as a lumber or veneer in place of mahogany and cherry. It is denser than oak and has a reddish tone.
• Linoleum Forbo - linseed oil, limestone, jute fiber, pine resin and cork-flour (from cork trees), both harvested without harming the trees. It is completely biodegradable. They also recycle old linoleum into the product.

Dan D. thinks that awareness of these products is growing, and draws a parallel between this and the growth of interest in organic food. He hopes consumers will think about sustainability when purchasing counters, cabinetry and flooring. He wants to get the word out so that more home and business owners request these products, especially when considering green design.

After our conversation, in which the Dans tossed out more details about materials and processes than I can tell you, I realized that concern for the environment isn't always just corporate lipservice. It's time to shed my overworn suspicions. In businesses small and large, entrepreneurs are looking for ways to incorporate earth-friendly values into products and processes. What they need are consumers willing to request their products, ask questions and on occasion, while these industries are young, willing to pay a little more for the long-term health of our world.

Earth Day can be an opportunity to examine our commitment to lifestyle and consumer choices that renew the earth and the economy at the same time.