Our Military is Going Green

Businesses are going green to reduce their bottom line and adhere to consumer demands but it seems the military is going green because “it has to.” War is one of the greatest threats to the environment. This includes everything that goes into conducting a war, as well as the effects of the war itself, the degradation, desertification in a flash. Although fighting for a cause has the aftereffect of barren land, the military is working on the first mentioned component: that which is produced to conduct war.

It is becoming more difficult to transport fuel to troops and American families as fuel trucks are high priced targets in war zones. So, the military has decided to eliminate the need for fuel. Their goal is for “50% of the power for Navy and Marines to come from renewable sources by 2020.” Let’s give it up for our warriors!!!! Now they are protecting us and the planet.

Golden Arches of Wind Power

More wind turbines! If McD’s has a wind turbine right next to the golden arches, does that mean eating there will make me a better person?? Oh yes, bring on the conflicted perceptions.  This is like when we thought there was a 13th sign - no one knows who they are anymore...

Wal-Mart is Going Local

Sustainability is a hard sell in almost any circumstance. Working with a marketing firm, I approach sustainable business opportunities as a means to save money, but also to meet consumer demand. Small businesses are constantly trying to stay ahead of the game and it used to be that you could only get sustainable products from small businesses. Take organic food for example. Before Wal-Mart and Costco offered organic options, consumers had very little access to organic foods. Increased access to organic food has done several good things: 1) reduced pesticides and preservatives in foods; 2) increased producer accountability for food processing and safety; 3) lowered the price of organic foods as larger producers found it to be profitable to make the necessary production adjustments. But, because the market has had its hand in organic produce, market forces have decreased the quality of organic foods and made it more and more difficult for small businesses to compete. Think Local campaigns around the country are having increased success as consumers demand fresh, healthy food from local farmers. Now that Wal-Mart seems to offer the same thing as farmers markets, what will happen to the these small think local ventures that are allowing small businesses and farmers to make living wages? Wal-Mart is leading the world in environmental standards and has vastly increased access to organic food. They have also led the way in reducing packaging and though it is listed as their environmental initiatives, it’s all about the bottom line. The bigger things get, the lower the quality. If things get too big, they are not sustainable. Does Wal-Mart plan to invest in local farmers? Traditional price reduction of Wal-Mart products leads to a few big guys making money and a lot of little guys trying to make ends meet. I am glad that Wal-Mart is supporting local farms and offering healthier produce to people who would otherwise not be exposed to apples that were picked less than 1 year prior to their sale, but at what cost?

Benefit Corporation (B Corp) is ‘using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.’ It is a set of social and environmental standards which aim to bring up the bar on how businesses certify their social responsibility and environmental protection. Several states have mandated these standards and in California, legislation is moving toward encouraging, and maybe even incentivizing businesses to comply with B Corp Standards (sorry Vermont, California is a bigger deal…). It is difficult to appropriately convey that these standards are not about charitable contribution but rather the interworkings and decision making processes of a business, for example. These standards are meant to work with businesses and allow those willing to declare they are socially and environmentally responsible to stand out from the crowd of wolves. I was working to business practices to IFC standards while in Albania but the companies I worked with were required to comply in order to receive funding. We are a few steps behind Europe with our social protection but I believe B Corp is a step forward. This California Legislator says it best:

Unforeseen Changes

With so many sustainable changes happening in society and with products, interesting unforeseen necessary societal adjustments have started popping up. For example, electric cars may be mandated to have a sound that alerts pedestrians of their approach. Upon, reading the article, I realized how much I depend on sounds to know whether or not a vehicle is in the vicinity. Don’t get me wrong, I like the fact that electric vehicles barely make a peep, but can easily understand the accumulating accidents caused by this negligible peep. I wonder what other charming surprises await us???

Wind and Solar power for the home!

Home Depot is selling residential wind turbines, for $649. Looks like you don’t have to go to your local hay bale home contractor to get low impact energy for the home. You can also throw solar panels into your shopping cart. On top of that, in many states, there are incentives from your local and the federal government. Now if I can just convince my landlord to let me install a few of these guys…

Biodegradable? I just see methane

We started composting at Red Sky Blue Water and our waste was reduced by 60% automatically. The office wasn't sure how composting would contribute to sustainability but once the trashcan remained empty; it was a noticeable change in which people wanted to participate. There have been great advances, in Seattle especially, in the collection and processing of compost and new biodegradable products are popping up everywhere. But, oh but, all of these new products might be worse for the environment. What they don't do is take up space. One of my greatest concerns is how much space we take up so anything that reduces our 'large bum-print' is great. I will keep composting these "biodegradable' plastics but I will also continue to promote non-plastic reusable products. Disposable is still wasteful, no matter how much corn is in your cup. Reduce! Reuse!