You’ve likely noticed that “going green” is everywhere these days – in the news, politics, technology, and even fashion. You can hardly escape it from most angles of your life. But, what’s the real point of going green, and is it worth the trouble? We probably all have a general idea that going green helps the environment and saves resources and wildlife. But embracing a greener lifestyle isn’t just about helping to preserve rain forests; it is also about improving your health, saving you money, and ultimately, improving your overall quality of life.
While it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the stream of “go green” information everywhere, it’s also easy to begin making a positive impact. As globalization decreases the size of the planet in terms of contact, communication, and interaction with people around the world, it becomes increasingly easy to see how the lives of people, animals, plants, and ecosystems everywhere are closely tied to one another. So, pesticides used in Bolivia can affect the health of people in the U.S; toys made in China can affect the quality of life in Europe, and greenhouse gas emissions from Australia can affect a thinning rainforest in Brazil.
The truth is, everything we do, every day, good or bad, has an impact on the planet.
The good news is that you have the power to control most of your choices at the individual level, and therefore, control your global impact:
- Where You Live
- What You Buy, Eat, and Use
- Where and How You Vacation
- How You Shop
- How You Vote
For example, did you know that 25% of all Western pharmaceuticals are derived from plants that come from the Amazon rainforest? As it turns out, less than one percent of these trees and plants have been tested by scientists. These numbers suggest that we all have a large personal stake in the health and vitality of places far and near and that this stake is growing. It benefits everyone on the planet to help keep our wild spaces alive and growing.
EnviroProfit shows people how to make small changes that add up to big benefits for their wallets, for their health, and, of course, for the health of the planet. Not political or activist, EnviroProfit offers simple, useful ideas broken down into achievable steps that make going green a gradual and affordable process rather than an all-or-nothing plunge.
By educating people about how they can make environmentally conscience choices in their daily lives, we hope to improve their health and the health of our Earth.
Top 5 “Going Green” Tips:
- Eat fish that are caught in an environmentally responsible manner. This culinary practice can help keep the marine ecosystem healthy, without compromising the freshness and taste of your meal.
- If you’re in the market for a car, choose the one in your class with the highest fuel efficiency rating. You’ll save money each time you fill up.
- Check the air in your car tires once a month. Properly inflating your tires improves your gas mileage. Underinflated tires, besides being a safety hazard, waste more than two million gallons of gasoline a day.
- Use LED or CFL bulbs to contribute to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. According to the EPA, a new compact fluorescent bulb uses 75% less energy than a standard incandescent and generally lasts 10 times as long. The newest LEDs can last 100,000 hours and use even less wattage than the CFLs.
- Reduce your purchases of disposable and overpackaged items or reuse more of what you already have. Doing this prevents waste and saves you money. It’s easy!
Why be Green? …NRDC (National Resource Defense Council)
Business and the environment are closely linked. Though some businesses have more obvious impacts on the environment than others, all businesses have some environmental impact, through the products they manufacture or purchase, the energy and water they use, the transportation associated with employee commutes, and many other factors. Similarly, the health of a business is often contingent upon a healthy environment and the availability of abundant natural resources. No business can operate for long without clean water, clean air or a chemically stable atmosphere. By improving the environmental performance of your business, you help to ensure a clean and healthy environment for future generations, as well as a healthy and more efficient economy.
If your company decides to enhance its environmental performance, the process will not be completed overnight. Finding ecologically preferable products and services that meet your company’s operational standards in a cost-competitive way requires a long-term commitment. The steps set forth in this guide are not meant to be prescriptive, and the list of actions for you to consider undertaking is not exhaustive. Rather, this guide offers suggestions to get you started in the right direction and to help you see results.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Any definition of a “Corporation” will explain that they enjoy most of the rights and responsibilities that any individual may possess. As individuals, we are closely linked to the environment for survival, so, simply stated, this is also true of corporations. Some businesses have more obvious impacts on the environment than others. Often, a business will choose a location specifically to capitalize on the availability of abundant natural resources. Regardless of how obvious, all businesses have some environmental impact, through the products they manufacture or purchase, the resources, energy and water they use, the transportation associated with employee commutes, and many other factors.
Improving your company’s environmental performance is good for business. Implementing a Sustainability Plan for your company makes financial sense because it focuses on improving efficiencies. Waste indicates inefficiency: the more waste your business produces, the less efficient it is. By producing less waste, consuming less paper and energy, and using resources more efficiently, your business can cut costs while enhancing the sustainability of its operations. In addition, acting responsibly toward the environment promotes good will among customers, shareholders, and employees.
Committing to sustainability will not only enhance your enterprise’s environmental performance, it will positively affect your bottom line. Certain categories of sustainable retrofits and upgrades are permanently lowering costs by more that 80% and showing ROI’s well under 2 years. Finding sustainable and ecologically preferable products and services that meet your company’s standards and needs can save money, free up working capital, and increase sales. Maximizing efficiencies in energy procurement has become a significant cost saving measure for businesses, while exploring alternative energy sources or cogeneration is increasingly providing viable operating expense relief. All of these things have one thing in common: EnviroProfit. When money is made or saved and the environment benefits that is EnviroProfit!