Local website guides consumers to green businesses

Arianna Parsons wants to help consumers do more to help the environment than turn off unnecessary lights. She wants to help shoppers put their money where their beliefs are and get businesses to go green.
Parsons plans to launch mygreencities.com, a website with a searchable geographic database, in a month and add a similar iPhone application in two to six weeks.
The website and iPhone app are designed to help consumers find companies that put environmentalism, social awareness and other criteria into action.
“We vote with our dollars,” said Parsons, a New Jersey native who now lives in Columbia. She hopes the forthcoming resources will create a conversation between businesses and consumers so companies will take a more conscientious approach to doing business.
The site and application will be geographically based, so consumers will be able to find the kind of company they want to do business with throughout the nation by searching by location, industry, sustainability, social awareness, minority involvement and other characteristics.
The site and application will be funded by advertising, a decision Parsons made after taking a vote on Facebook. “It’s a democracy,” said Parsons, who is funding the startup through her own sweat equity as a writer, photographer and graphic designer, in addition to investments from individuals.
“This is something consumers want,” Parsons said.