How Businesses Can Get Involved in Green Living to Help Our Environment
1. Businesses Can Profit by Using Green Power
Corporations stand to profit by using renewable energy sources (known collectively as green power). On average, utilizing green power means higher start-up costs when compared to the traditionally employed fossil fuels. However, making the switch to green power can signify greater cost stability for a corporation, as the fluctuation of fossil fuel prices is no longer a hindrance. Businesses using green power are in compliance with environmental regulations. Using green power emits less pollution when compared to traditional energy sources like coal, oil, and natural gas. Stricter environmental regulations in the future could spawn either higher costs for conventional energy sources or greater monetary rewards for businesses that use green power.
2. Green Power Partnership
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers a program for corporations committed to using renewable energy sources. This Green Power Partnership provides corporations and communities choosing to use green power with resources and recognition. The EPA website offers a downloadable guide to buying green power. It also offers an online green power locator tool. Use this tool to find where to buy green power products within the United States. For instance, clicking on Texas shows there are three utility companies in this state offering green power programs. One of them, Austin Energy, has a green power program called GreenChoice that utilizes wind, landfill gas, and low-impact hydropower. Additional information, such as premium and launch year, is also onscreen. The locator tool also lists green power products obtainable to consumers at the retail level.
3. The Environmental Protection Agency Defends Against Pollution
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970 by the U.S. government in an effort to reduce pollutants found in air, water, and soil. The Agency serves the American people in several ways. The EPA creates and implements business regulations for sustaining a healthy environment. It provides funding for State environmental programs found in higher learning institutions and non-profit organizations. The EPA helps small businesses and local governments find ways to pay for implementation of environmental services and projects. Environmental research is performed by the EPA at facilities across the United States. These laboratories serve to solve current and future environment-related problems. The Agency sponsors over 40 voluntary programs and conservation efforts that work to decrease pollution. In addition, the EPA offers informative publications that can be either read online or downloaded to a computer and printed out.
4. Energy Star
Energy Star is a government sponsored program created in 1992 that enables both businesses and consumers to help the environment. This program offers strategies to businesses for improving the energy efficiency of their products. In order to earn the Energy Star label, a product must meet or exceed set guidelines by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the EPA. The Energy Star program provides consumers with a quick and reliable way to measure a product’s energy efficiency. The Energy Star label can also be found on approved houses.
5. National Clean Diesel Campaign
The National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) is an EPA-sponsored program that seeks to reduce the pollution caused by diesel engine usage around the United States. The NCDC has several strategies for reducing diesel pollution that effectively combine national, state, and local entities. Members must actively seek out ways to improve air quality. The NCDC is responsible for creating rigorous emission standards for transportation mediums using diesel engines. At the same time, members strive to keep the costs for these technological advances within reason. NCDC members also research ways to implement usage of cleaner fuels and improve the emissions of older-model diesel vehicles.
6. Compliance Assistance Centers
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has more than a dozen Compliance Assistance Centers. Each Center offers online information about environmental concerns that is specific to a particular industry. Relevant environmental regulation information for any type of business or government agency can be found in just a few clicks of the mouse. In addition to the online modes of help (websites and email-based groups), information is also provided via phone and fax. These Compliance Assistance Centers answer common environmental regulation problems and offer advice on how to save money while helping the environment.
7. Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP)
The Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) is an EPA program that aims to decrease pesticide pollution by working with pesticide users to reduce the problem while seeking preventative measures. A PESP member joins on a volunteer basis and agrees to use the program’s established steps for reducing pesticide pollution. Each member is also eligible to apply for an EPA Regional Initiative Grant. A grant may be awarded for research such as assessing pesticide drift potential or applying an alternative method to pesticide usage for crop harvesting. In 2005, ten universities in the U.S. received grants, ranging from $40,200 to $47,000.
8. SmartWay Transportation Partnership
The SmartWay Transportation Partnership is a volunteer program between the EPA and the freight industry. Its members range from the big chain store shipping products to the independent truck driver. This program seeks to decrease greenhouse gases and air pollution while increasing the energy efficiency of fleet transportation. Both the public and the freight industry stand to gain from these goals. The public gets a cleaner environment and the freight industry saves money. Forming partnerships, eradicating all preventable engine idling, and improving rail placement to obtain maximum energy efficiency are the three primary parts of the SmartWay Transportation Partnership program.
9. Reduce Municipal and Industrial Garbage with WasteWise
WasteWise is an EPA program that serves to reduce municipal and industrial wastes. It is a voluntary program encouraging all organizations to sign up, whether it’s a hospital, government agency, or private business. WasteWise provides all its members with free assistance in the implementation of a successful waste management program. The majority of successful WasteWise programs have:
� A team leader who provides managerial support
� A waste assessment to identify opportunities for reducing garbage and use as a basis for measuring progress
� Ways of educating employees, such as making sure employees receive the WasteWise newsletter
� A system for tracking progress and reporting results to WasteWise
� Ways of maintaining the program, such as actively seeking new waste management ideas from employees
10. Incentives for Employees Who Go Green
A new trend in business today asks employers to ‘go green’. For example, certain business owners in Canada’s Vancouver area are participating in the Go Green campaign. Local businesses there can help the environment by encouraging employees to use earth-friendly transportation to and from work. Carpooling, riding a bike, using the public transit system, and walking are all encouraged means of transportation in a Go Green campaign. The most successful businesses implement incentives for employees. Guaranteeing a ride home to employees that work late and offering a weekly prize for responsible commuters are two ideas for sustaining employee motivation. At New Enough Motorcycle Leathers, owner Paul Thompson really knows how to give an incentive. Mr. Thompson, tired of high gasoline prices, recently traded in his gas guzzler for a Honda Civic Hybrid. Satisfied with his decision, he then offered a monthly incentive of $300 in gross pay to all of his employees who’d buy a car that gets at least 40 miles per gallon. So, whether it involves buying a hybrid car or taking the bus to work, we can all do our part to ‘go green’.
