The traditional American dream of opportunity, progress and freedom speaks to the hearts of most people. Yet the prevailing "more is better" definition of the dream has many hidden costs. Skyrocketing consumption in northern industrial countries is causing extraordinary damage to the natural world and contributing to a colossal gap between rich and poor. Our system of ever-expanding production and consumption is rapidly depleting the planet?s natural resources, degrading its renewable support systems of water, soil, and air, and producing more waste than the Earth and its atmosphere can absorb. Recognizing a critical need to protect the environment, promote social justice, and improve quality of life for all of the world's citizens, the Center for a New American Dream works with individuals, institutions, communities and businesses to conserve natural resources, counter the commercialization of our culture and promote positive changes in the way goods are produced and consumed.

More resources and information about the Center for a New American Dream is available on our website at www.newdream.org.

The Center for a New American Dream is dedicated to building a powerful network of individuals and institutions capable of moving from education to action on consumption issues. Our Conscious Consumer Program targets individuals choosing to live consciously, buy wisely and make a difference creating a major shift in consumption, and demand for green products resulting in increased quality of life and a more sustainable environment and economy. Our Climate and Consumption Program connects environmental issues to consumption and highlights actions we can take to reduce carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency. Our Responsible Purchasing Network targets institutions through its many campaigns resulting in a major increase in dollars spent on environmentally preferable products and a shift in policies for high priority products such as vehicles, clean energy and paper.

The traditional American dream of opportunity, progress and freedom speaks to the hearts of most people. Yet the prevailing "more is better" definition of the dream has many hidden costs. Skyrocketing consumption in northern industrial countries is causing extraordinary damage to the natural world and contributing to a colossal gap between rich and poor. Our system of ever-expanding production and consumption is rapidly depleting the planet's natural resources, degrading its renewable support systems of water, soil, and air, and producing more waste than the Earth and its atmosphere can absorb.  

Recognizing a critical need to protect the environment, promote social justice, and improve quality of life for all of the world's citizens, the Center for a New American Dream works with individuals, institutions, communities and businesses to conserve natural resources, counter the commercialization of our culture and promote positive changes in the way goods are produced and consumed.  

More resources and information about the Center for a New American Dream is available on our website at www.newdream.org .

Created national network of 100,000 New Dream Community Members

Successfully persuaded AAA to withdraw its 45 million members from a pro-highway trade association 

Worked in coalition with the Grassroots Recycling Network to convince Coca-Cola to increase the percentage of recycled plastic in its bottles 

Worked in coalition with Forest Ethics, Dogwood Alliance and others to help convince Staples and Office Depot to increase the percentage of post-consumer waste in their recycled paper products and to stop stocking paper from endangered forests 

Created a national network of state and local government procurement officials in 2000 dedicated to buying environmentally and socially responsible products.  Since then, our Responsible Purchasing Network team has:   
o        Increased the quantity of certified green cleaning products from zero in 2000 to 240 available now from more than 70 manufacturers.  New American Dream staff personally helped nine states and five city/county governments adopt green cleaning policies by the end of 2004.
o        Played a catalytic role in helping the U.S. EPA create guidelines for the creation of computers that are more energy-efficient, contain fewer toxins, and are easier to recycle.  As a result, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Apple and 10 other manufacturers have created 332 new computers/monitors to meet these standards to date.  As of January 2006, EPEAT standards have been referenced in contracts worth over $235 billion (thanks in part to the large number of federal contracts).
o        Helped convince Toyota to make more hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) available to the U.S. market and compelled the company to provide government fleets with HEVs as a direct result of a letter we sent to the company in March 2006 signed by over 50 state and local government officials. 

Was told by Ford in 2005 that we played an “influential” role in helping the company decide to multiply hybrid production ten-fold in five years (they subsequently reneged on this promise due to internal financial problems) 

Helped more than 60,000 people get off junk mail lists using forms on our website 

Convinced international toy manufacturer Lego to stop buying ads on Channel One in November 2006.  The company also pledged to begin developing an internal marketing policy which will voluntarily restrict their ability to advertise to children while they’re in school. 

Successfully doubled our membership base in 2000 without resorting to junk mail and secured a $250,000 challenge grant in the process. 

Supported hundreds of alternative gift fairs nationwide from 1999 to 2002 which raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for domestic and international charities.  In 2003, we spun-off a new non-profit, Alternative Gifts of Greater Washington, to support and promote alternative gift fairs independent of New American Dream. 

Helped nearly 7,500 individuals to date reduce their environmental impact through our nine-step Turn the Tide program which collectively saves 95 million pounds of carbon dioxide; 1.5 billion gallons of water; and 40,000 pounds of sea life annually. n       Helped shift the culture in a more sustainable direction by: 
o        Conducting more than one dozen highly effective campaigns that raised public awareness and generated more than 6,000 mentions in print, TV, or radio by the end of 2006.  We were also named one of the best places to work in the D.C. area by Washingtonian magazine in 2005.
o        Convincing Warner Press to publish What Kids Really Want that Money Can’t Buy:  Parenting in a Commercial World in February 2003
o        Convincing Beacon Press to publish Sustainable Planet:  Solutions for the 21st Century in November 2002
o        Securing endorsements from prominent opinion leaders such as former Vice-President Al Gore, Actor Danny Glover, Actor Meryl Streep, author Barbara Kingsolver, former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, former chair of the NAACP Julian Bond, former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley, and actor Ed Begley, Jr.

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