As Earth Day approaches, it pays to consider how far we’ve come, as William Ruckelshaus, the first administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, reminds us in an article in the Wall Street Journal, that 40 years ago, “we saw yellow sludge flowing into blue rivers; every day as we drove to work, we saw black smudges against the barely visible blue sky” and “we knew that our indiscriminate use of pesticides and toxic substances was threatening wildlife and public health.”

Through the actions and decisions of those who came before us, we have seen our world move patently away from this reckless destruction and toward a more sustainable future. And despite the often negative barrage of news to the contrary, many businesses have helped lead us in the right direction. Many companies like Quad/Graphics have come to discover that good business and good environmental practices are not mutually exclusive. In fact, in September 2009, Newsweek unveiled its Green Ranking, which ranks the top 500 green businesses in the United States. Orion has always said “you are known by the company you keep,” and we proud to salute the more than 100 customers that made the list.

By working with Orion, these customers have achieved energy savings without compromise, which have allowed them to reduce their energy consumption and spending without sacrificing the overall quality of life in their facilities. These improvements do not only improve the environment by reducing the pollution that is associated with the removed demand, they also allow the customers to reduce their expenses, which make them more competitive in today’s increasing global and competitive markets.

Since 2001, Orion has been able to help its customers reduce their energy consumption by more than 10 billion kilowatt-hours, which translated into a reduction of electricity demand of over 500 megawatts — the size of an average coal plant. These customers, including the more than 100 members of Newsweek’s Green Rankings, have retrofitted more than 850 million square feet of space and saved over $780 million dollars in energy costs since 2001. These savings translate into a reduction in carbon dioxide pollution of more than 6 million tons, and are equivalent to planting a 1.86 million-acre forest, or removing 1.64 million cars from the road.

Orion thanks all of its customers for the commitment to business practices that have significant positive environmental benefits and is especially proud to salute those customers who have been recognized in the leaders in green practices.