“We’re still here”

A simple quote, but it couldn’t be more accurate to describe the state of green business after a very tough 2009. As was the case for most businesses, GreenMark PR included, 2009 was tasking, but we too can proudly say “we’re still here.” In some cases, a recession can actually be good for a business, provided it has the endurance. Similar to one’s personal finances, it demands that we consider what’s important enough to keep and what can be eliminated. This is obvious, of course, it’s simply a matter of trimming the fat. Luckily, folks and businesses who practice green, sustainable living are already quite lean. It’s in our nature to “reduce, reuse, recycle.” And, while the three R’s may come with much adjustment for some folks, may they also consider a greener way of living. Riding a bike to work suddenly doesn’t seem so bad if it means saving money. Once it becomes routine and once the fresh air becomes addicting, maybe it could become a green habit worth keeping once the economy turns around. That’s just one simple example of, well, just pick any green solution.

This puts green business who are lucky enough to still be around in a pretty good place in 2010 and in the future. The report uses some interesting statistics to back up these ideas, namely, “Four out of five people said they were still buying green products and services, even in the midst of the recession.”In tough financial times, people usually tend to focus more on their immediate surroundings, rather than the greater good. Monumental tasks like climate change, fossil fuel reduction, wind and solar power, world hunger, etc. are not going to be the primary concern of the average citizen. Unfortunately, this may always be the case unless the average citizen recognizes a clear cost incentive. In other words, people will live green if they can save (or make) some green.

According to the State of Green Business report, large companies have found cost incentives for adopting greener ways of producing their products, like the recent move by Coca-Cola to produce their plastic bottles with a percentage of bio-degradable vegetable product. IBM, Nokia, Pitney-Bowes, Sony, Best Buy and Nike have begun contributing patents to the public domain and Creative Commons, allowing other green innovators to collaborate with the intellectual property. These movements will create a nice “trickle-down” effect that will eventually hit the average citizen.

GreenMark PR is no stranger to the world of LEED Certification. One of our clients, The Green Exchange, is an LEED-certified green marketplace in Chicago. The report cites GreenerBuildings.com, which says the “floor area registered and certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED green building rating system in 2009 is estimated to grow by over 40% compared to last year’s totals, for a cumulative total of over 7 billion square feet worldwide since the standard was launched in 2000.” This is excellent news, of course, resulting in thousands of jobs and millions of happier people in cities across the country in the years to come. The report says, “By 2030, the annual gasoline savings from LEED-certified green buildings are expected to equal current U.S. imports from the Middle East.”

Is it all just dandy, then? Will green living become commonplace rather than a fringe effort? Not every aspect of green reported well in 2009. A good two-thirds of this report focuses on specific areas of green business that are either “swimming,” “treading,” or “sinking.” It’s quite interesting to read that while the areas of energy efficiency, water intensity and green IT thrive; employee telecommuting, carbon intensity and E-waste are getting water-logged.In some upcoming blog posts, I’ll look into some of the areas that are thriving and why such is the case. I’ll describe some of the information presented in this report and do some research of my own, too.

In the mean time, please take a look at the report mentioned here in this blog at www.greenbiz.com. All of the quotes used in this post are from their fantastic report and so I’ll give credit where credit is due. The report, titled “State of Green Business 2010″ is copyrighted 2010 by Greener World Media, Inc.

This Argentinian guy, Tito Ingenieri, took the classic song literally and then multiplied it by thousands. He’s made a house, an impressively-sized house, out of beer bottles, mud and other “found objects.” He’s not only helped to reduce trash in the streets, he’s helped build a stronger sense of community in his village and he’s accomplished an impressive feat. Ten years ago, he would have seemed crazy, and perhaps he still is to some, but I find his work quite inspirational.

I’m not suggesting that we all crack open some 40s and get started on our summer homes, but rather to consider everything we have, use and discard with a second thought. Be happy with what you have and be mindful of what you throw away. A long time ago, someone looked into an empty bottle and thought, “I wonder if I could build a tiny ship in there.”

Next time you look into an empty bottle, consider what’s possible… other than, of course, “if only this could be re-filled for free.” 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIx6f1DrQIo

In her spare time, Beth applies marketing ideas to our clients businesses, to help them grow. Let us know how we can help you!

Recently, however, National Geographic News recently reported on an exciting new project to be built this year, which is essentially a “sustainable energy oasis” in the desert. The oasis is being designed by the Sahara Forest Project, who is currently scouting locations not just in Africa, but in all of the world’s great deserts. Using high-tech equipment, the oasis is essentially a self-sustaining greenhouse aimed to create jobs, food, water and energy for local communities. Here’s one example from the article: “special greenhouses would use hot desert air and seawater make fresh water for growing crops, solar energy would be collected to generate power, and algae pools would offer a renewable and easily transportable fuel supply.” But of course, click here to read the article in its entirety.

Not everyone seems to be on board, though. Some ecologists believe building trees in a biome that never really had forests could be impractical or create problems to the natural environment. A similar argument could be made that the earth is constantly changing and desertification is a natural part of this change, let nature take its course. So then what is the green choice? I would argue that the green choice is one that recognizes humans as part of earth’s natural environment, not necessarily as antagonists. People need to be fed and they need jobs. Wildlife needs to exist. A balance needs to be struck and the Sahara Forest Project offers an exciting and feasible solution.

See for yourself on their web site.

See the video on WGN, here, for a list of the ten best purification plants.

I mean, green rooftops, how awesome is that?! 

Follow this link, to see Design: The Green Machine on Hulu.

Now that I’ve disregarded all of the “big green trends,” and anyone who wants to be realistic about the issue will be familiar with the arguments against these things, I’d like to point out that individual lifestyle choices aren’t going to save the planet from the realities that underly some of the rational for serious issues like climate change, starvation, natural resource depletion, etc. Not to desparage individual green living choices, which are a great thing, but the only two ways to make a major green impact is to climb the uphill battle through state and national legistlation and find green money reasons for green living solutions. No one would disagree that hybrid cars are better for the environment than a new non-hybrid car, but making them cost-efficient is the key. A new Toyota Prius starting at $22,500 is still too much to get everyone on board. Now, getting large scale government changes might be another issue entirely, as we all saw the results of December’s Copenhagen Conference.

So what do we do? Sit back, bite our nails and hope we don’t wipe ourselves out as a society? Yes. Of course! But while we’re doing that, we should put some distance on the trends. Be green. Be as dark green as possible. Being dark green requires as much a critical eye an measure of practicality as those who look upon green lifestyle changes as expensive alternatives and “not for me.” The irony is that everyone wants to be green. Everyone wants to save the planet, but they also want to save some money. Dark green companies and organizations understand this and use this effectively in whatever product or service they provide. To make an impact on someone’s life, make an impact to their wallet.

In the mean time, here’s some nail-biting photographic proof of extreme polar ice loss from a recent TED conference.

(Click here to see the full size card)

Let’s also not forget that Obama’s goals aren’t much different than the road-map we are currently on in the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, which aims on a state level to lower energy demand across the country by 50%, achieve more than $500 billion in net savings over the next 20 years, and reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 90 million vehicles.

We applaud the leaders of the world for coming together to discuss reducing emissions and we hope talk turns to action carefully, but swiftly. We especially thank President Obama for not backing out of this conference as his predecessors have done (Kyoto Protocol).

According to the Copenhagen Climate Council web site, in order to set a firm foundation for a sustainable economic future it is imperative that the following six steps are implemented:

1. Agreement on a science-based greenhouse gas stabilization path with 2020 and 2050 emissions reduction targets that will achieve it;
2. Effective measurement, reporting and verification of emissions performance by business;
3. Incentives for a dramatic increase in financing low emissions technologies;
4. Deployment of existing low-emissions technologies and the development of new ones;
5. Funds to make communities more resilient and able to adapt to the effects of climate change, and
6. Means to finance forest protection.

Read more about Obama’s pledge and some of the pledges from other nations on the article published by the Wall Street Journal, here.

Learn more about the upcoming event and get more points of view at the Copenhagen Climate Council web site, here.

The web site Power and Energy recently featured a story on Samso, a little green island paradise in Denmark that completely self-sufficient and sustainable. Not only is this island self-sufficient, it generates profit by merely existing. This is bittersweet. Bitter in that it takes a significant amount of one kind of green to tackle (and raise interest) the larger green issues. Sweet in that once these remedies (wind power in this case) are given a chance, they can generate both kinds of green. It is important to mention that a project like this one cost several million euros, giving critics a quick conclusion that such a project would be unrealistic on a larger scale. While it may be true that Samso is something of a paradisaical dream world, it’s also true that it exhibits profitable projects that generate revenue. In the article, a farmer owns some of the wind turbines that power the island. Though he paid 1.2 million euro for his land, he claims to earn 3,000 euro each day from his windmills alone. This cost/value ratio of establishing private green energy on a wider scale could spark an economic boon to a country or individual seeking to climb out of the economic pits, while being sustainable, possibly creating green jobs and better yet saving the planet from becoming a polluted, resource-drained wasteland.

But back on to Samso. It just looks cool. Check out the video too.

Click here to visit Power & Energy’s web site.