Eco Business

Eco Business - Our economy is an integral part of our ecology and the business of fair and responsible trading in the fruits of the earth is the foundation of a healthy society. Our Eco Business section explores Eco Innovations that can make a positive difference to your life. We examine new Eco Technologies that can change the way we live and work in our society. We explore developing Trends in business and in the eco products and services market place. We profile an Eco Business in each issue which is leading the way in its field of enterprise. We look at various ways to add green to both ways of doing business and to the bottom line. We look at ethical and Eco Investing as a means to securing sustainable income that make more than sense. The way we work is very much part of the way we live and the way we treat the planet. The economic future belongs to sustainable businesses. In this section we can help business become part of the solution and true environmental leaders.

Builders and renovators face barriers in the shift to sustainability

Attention: open in a new window.

Written by Jim Verzino

When I talk to architects, builders and trades-people, I often hear the excitement in their voices when they tell me they are finally “taking their company green.” Consistently the entrepreneurs worry that the up-front costs to install green solutions are usually more expensive than conventional features. Will customers pay the extra costs up front?

Certainly price is one of the issues that these dedicated green businesspeople have to overcome, but price is just the tip of the iceberg. Resistance from neighbors, zoning boards, employees and subcontractors are just as difficult to surmount and time-consuming.

Just ask Michael Strong, owner of Greenhaus Builders, Houston's leading green builder.

Ray Anderson Leads Business Down A Sustainable Path

Attention: open in a new window.

Written by The Editor

Known for his advanced and progressive stance on industrial ecology and sustainability Ray Anderson has been described by many as the greenest CEO in North America. A pioneer and visionary, Ray has lead the way by not only transforming his successful carpet and floor covering company into one of the most sustainable corporations in existence but also by actively sharing his experience with other organizations and government.

Sixteen Tips for a Greener Workplace

Attention: open in a new window.

Written by Contributor

Without reinventing the wheel, here are some simple things you can do to make your workplace greener:

alt

1. Recycle. If your workplace doesn't have a formal recycling program, insist one is adopted. Bottles, cans, cardboard, and paper should never be found in landfills.

2. Avoid printing and copying whenever possible. Always think – do I really need a hard copy of this? If you have to copy and print, use both sides of the paper.

Recycling Electronic Equipment

Attention: open in a new window.

Written by Contributor

Unused, outdated, and otherwise unwanted electronic equipment is taking up a large part of the country's landfills. These mostly plastic and metal machines are not biodegradable, certainly non-compostable, and therefore, will remain relatively intact, potentially for generations to come, as they slowly oxidize away. But rust and a lot of other byproducts of this slow, mechanical crawl to oblivion are toxic — bad for the environment, bad for soil they eke into, the water they spill into, the air they blow through. And that's bad for us. With that in mind, recycling electronic equipment is not just an option for individuals and businesses ridding themselves of old machines; it's an imperative!

What is Carbon Offsetting?

Attention: open in a new window.

Written by Contributor

To understand carbon offsetting, one must first have at least a general understanding of carbon emissions, also commonly known as "greenhouse gases." These are atmospheric components — like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane gas— that contribute to the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is responsible for the warming of the atmosphere that, in respectable levels, makes our atmosphere capable of supporting life, but that in extreme levels like those we've been experiencing ever since the industrial revolution and the advent of contemporary, "modern" civilization, can make the Earth unsustainable for life.

That said, carbon offsetting is any act that mitigates (or "alleviates", "lessens" or "diminishes") greenhouse gas emissions. The idea behind it is that instead of reducing one's own greenhouse gas emissions, one compensates by paying to have them reduced elsewhere.