Being Green

It’s not so hard to do these days. And there are many good reasons, for social good and personal benefit, to lighten the load on the environment.

Some say that when it comes to global climate change, the debate is over: Carbon dioxide levels in Earth’s atmosphere are rising, the planet is warming, and human activity is the cause. Others are not convinced.

The thing is, in one important respect, it doesn’t matter. The biggest way to combat the threat of global warming is to burn less fossil fuel. And there are big reasons, beyond global warming, why that’s a good idea.

For one, burning less gasoline and diesel fuel means we depend less for energy on unstable countries that don’t like us. For another, it means we release less nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter and other pollutants, and so make the air a little healthier. On top of that, a switch to more earth-friendly fuels and more efficient vehicles and appliances can help create whole new industries and badly needed jobs.

Finally, saving energy is good business. The higher the prices of oil, coal, natural gas and electricity rise, the more you can gain by making investments that help you use energy efficiently. And because energy is part of the cost of almost everything we use, it makes financial sense in general to use products wisely, waste less and recycle more.

Getting advice

So, what has your business done lately to lighten up on the environment? There’s no shortage of advice available – you can hardly read a newspaper or watch TV these days without seeing a list of energy-saving or pollution-preventing tips. As a small business owner, you can easily:

• Ask your electric or gas utility to do an energy audit of your office and shop.

• Add technologies like GPS and routing software to make fleet travel more efficient and save fuel.

• Keep vehicles tuned up and their tires properly inflated.

• Look into hybrid or other high-efficiency vehicles.

• Educate field technicians to avoid fast acceleration, high speeds, and other energy-wasting driving practices.

• Consider energy-efficiency ratings when buying equipment.

• Shut off lights, appliances and equipment when no one is using them.

• Outfit your office with programmable thermostats that automatically turn down the heat or shut off the air conditioner at night. Consider lower settings in winter and higher settings in summer.

• Use less paper. Communicate by e-mail when appropriate. Print fewer e-mail messages and documents.

• Recycle valuable commodities like paper and metals.

• See if your electric utility has a green power program that lets you buy electricity generated by solar, wind, or hydroelectric sources.

• Buy supplies made from recycled, non-toxic, or biodegradable materials.

• Ask suppliers about their policies on running a green business.

Talk it up

Of course, these are basic steps. None of them alone (or together for that matter) will save the planet or let you save enough money to retire early. But they all make sense, and the benefits can go beyond improvement on the expense side of your ledger.

Today’s consumers are trying to lessen their impact on the environment, and many look to work with businesses that do, too. Is there any potential in talking up your company’s green attributes as a way to set yourself apart from competitors?

All that aside, we at Cleaner want to know what businesses in our industry are doing to save energy and be green. Tell us about the special measures you’re taking and, in particular, about how your business benefits.

We’ll report success stories in future issues of the magazine. To pass along your story, send a note to editor@cleaner.com. By sharing your accomplishments with others, you can help multiply the positive effects of the good things you’re doing.



Discussion

Comments on this site are submitted by users and are not endorsed by nor do they reflect the views or opinions of COLE Publishing, Inc. Comments are moderated before being posted.