The area and focus of sustainability entered into the fray like a lamb but is now the lion of most corporations. It is embedded and engrained as part of doing business and it doesn’t look like this is a trend, but a long term fact. There are some companies that have gone above and beyond the call of duty and they are now the benchmarks for other corporations to emulate in the area of sustainability.

Statoil, the Norwegian energy company has remained the ‘top dog’ of sustainability for a number of years running. Other companies that have remained on the top of the list include: Johnson & Johnson (US based packaged goods and pharmaceutical company) as well as Novozymes, the Danish bio-industrial company. Nokia, the mobile company in Finland, has managed to maintain its fourth place and has set standards for the telecommunications industry.

Other companies within the top ten include: Umicore, the Belgian materials and technology group; Intel, the well-known U.S. technology company; Astrazeneca, the United Kingdom based pharmaceutical company; Credit Agricole, the banking group in France, Storebrand, the financial services corporation based in Norway and Denmark’s Danske Bank.

There have been a lot of other companies that have shifted positions, many of them lowering their ranks on the top one hundred. One of the previous giants of sustainability was General Electric. G.E. fell to the eleventh spot this year. Tata Steel in India dropped to 27th position; U.S. based Johnson Controls to number twenty nine and Japan’s Sony was immediately behind. Other companies that have experienced a change in positioning include Proctor & Gamble and Kraft Foods in the U.S., as well as Tokyo Gas Company; with Stora Enso, a Finnish pulp and paper company also trailing in the ranks.

An interesting note is that of the top ten companies on the sustainability chart, eight are European. This may be due to the increased regulations within the European arena, but also may reflect the fact that the U.S. is not including sustainability as a priority incentive for the U.S. based companies.

Compiling the list of those corporations that qualify as well as the methods used are an intricate process and involves outside companies without vested interests in any of the company names submitted. The criteria is evaluated long and hard and, it might seem rather strange that an oil and gas company would be included in the top ranking numbers, but they have proven a high level of waste management with a lot of investment in renewable energy dollars.

Each year, the list of success stories will change, new companies will enter the fray and others will drop in their ranking. While the goal is a friendly competition, the real winner in all of this is the only home we have ever known: earth. As a species we have to clean up the mess we have made and give all life on the planet a chance to thrive. It appears the message has been heard loud and clear.

Sources:
http://www.bus-ex.com/article/sustainability-top-100-companies

In a questionable economy, when everyone is turning to new avenues for employment, it’s not surprising that environmental awareness has opened some fantastic opportunities. One of the hottest trends has been consultants that specialize in advising companies on the various aspects and choices of sustainability. More and more companies are going green but typically just don’t have a clue where to start. Sustainability consultants step in and not only offer guidelines but show corporate America how they can save money in the process.

When a company decides that they want to go down the path of sustainability, they quickly realize that there are all kinds of compliancy and regulatory requirement hoops that they have to jump through. Making the right sustainability choices for the company also involves some financial investment with the requirement for either a long term or short term return-on-investment goal.

Happily, there are now educational courses that are available for an individual to extend their knowledge base and become a sustainability consultant. Some courses are available in a standard college setting, but there are many more that are available online. The demand for these types of specialists is growing exponentially. Companies now know it makes good business sense to show the public their green intentions and they can’t get to that level of success without the assistance of sustainability consultants.

There are a variety of specialty services within this consulting field. These include corporate, community and on the educational level. Within the corporate level, there have been spinoffs for every line of business imaginable: law, health, medical, etc… The growth of this particular field is experiencing a never before seen situation and as a consultant, the returns to the specialist are quite lucrative. It has now expanded out past the national level to the international arena, so that countries are seeking some of the top sustainability consultants to help them with their environmental plans.

A good sustainability consultant will be equipped with a number of tools of the trade that they learn in the educational process. These tools will be based on the direction they are heading in, the companies they are assisting and both Federal, State and Country guidelines that are required for compliance. They will have to brush up on all costs and have bottom line templates to be able to whip out with the kind of results and expected ROI that the board of directors will want to see. If you specialize in one particular field of sustainability, you will also want success story examples and contacts that will be shown on the display slides. If you think about this paragraph, it’s not that much different than the expectation level involved in any project that is proposed in any business on a daily basis.

Becoming a sustainability consultant is a position that will help a company make a climate change direction for their business. The fact that they have you on board is the first major hurtle, because they are already looking forward to the savings they can get and the positive affect they will have on the earth. That, in itself, is an accomplishment because you don’t have to sell yourself; they already believe in the direction.

Sources:
http://www.companiesgoinggreen.net/sustainability-consultants/

If there is one place that exemplifies waste, it is in a typical office. I have worked in a variety of lines of business in many states and was always astounded at how much waste actually occurs in the business office. In the early days, trying to coordinate even a recycling program was literally like pulling-teeth! Thankfully, now there are a number of ways that we can have a green office and actually save the company some money!

Speaking of recycling, that’s the very first consideration. A bin for plastic and metal, paper and the always irritating plastic bags. The next thing you have to do is look around the office to examine the areas of waste. Paper is always on the top of my list. We print and throw away more paper in most businesses than we need to. Office supply stores are now featuring a variety of paper products that are made from a larger percentage of recycled materials. Examining that printer (or printers) is another key focus. Making sure the printer you use as well as all of the other electrical products are Energy Star rated. This will reduce the amount of electricity, which saves money.

Talking with the individual or department that actually does the purchasing for the company to have them focus on buying and replacing business products with environmentally friendly products. Developing a green office involves all of the decision makers and if they see that it will help the bottom line, they will be more apt to make those earth friendly choices.

Printer cartridges are pricey. Coordinating a cartridge recycling program with the local office supply store that gives credit for the cartridges will offer savings for other items that you purchase as well. Another option is to use refillable cartridges. The price is a lot less and you can reuse the cartridges to save all around.

Encouraging your company to use fluorescent bulbs for the lighting can save quite a bit of energy. Energy Star rated bulbs can save up to 75% of the electricity used. This may be a slower process to switch the bulbs out as they are needed, but the savings will be reflected in the electric bill. Ensure that any window shades are open during the day. Using daylight instead of overhead lighting saves on the electric bill as well. Another way to save is to make sure that you turn off any power strips that are not in use. Even equipment that is turned off will draw power if the power strip is on.

While recycling was mentioned above, another way to recycle is to donate any unwanted items to a local shelter. It is a tax write-off for the company, but more than that: it ensures that it will be reused and not just thrown away.

Having a green office is not really that difficult in today’s world. It does, however, take a team effort and you must be able to show savings for everyone to join the bandwagon.

Sources:
http://www.community.officedepot.com/top20list.asp

In the past number of years a majority of companies have jumped on the bandwagon of going green, but with less fervor and more focus on the bottom line. Those that misrepresented themselves were quickly tagged and marked as ‘green washing’ and they received rather nasty names in the process. As corporations have learned their lessons, they seem to have shifted the focus to a more serious mode, realizing that sustainability not only gives them a more favorable public image but can actually offer a better bottom line. Some of the more recent sustainability trends may be a little surprising, but, they are making excellent strides of success.

The topic of indirect emissions control may sound logical, but it is actually quite complicated. This relates to every action that a company takes that may involve some kind of emission. This can involve business travel all the way to ordering supplies for the business with delivery in a high carbon emission vehicle. Companies are now making intelligent choices and partnering with fellow organizations that are focused on sustainability trends and earth-friendly habits.

Green employees is another term that is starting to show an increase in use. The staff of a company that participates in the green efforts, both at work and at home will ultimately increase the sustainability position on the temperature gauge. Employees that assist in a green office environment also help save money.

Saving our precious water resources has come to the front and center in the last few years. The population is increasing and it is anticipated that in just a short period of time, there won’t be enough fresh water for both humans and animals. Water reclamation programs, water retention ponds, drought related plans, waste water reclamation and saving in the use of water is a newer topic to help keep ourselves and our planet safe.

It may not be a shock to also find out that cloud computing and other IT related topics have entered the sustainability arena. The overall methodologies that are involved in saving energy through these sources while maintaining the speed, accuracy and efficiency is actually the benchmark that is being used for future design. In another words, doing more, faster at a lesser overall cost and earth impact.

Individual companies are looking to energy sustainability as the costs of solar, windmill and hydrothermal are being reduced. As companies look to Energy Star equipment they are seeing more and more that can be connected via alternative energy programs. In some cases, the energy can be connected to the grid and not only pay for existing energy use, but add back to the grid for credits and even dollar revenue. This particular sustainable area has become more important in both the large corporate environment as well as smaller businesses.

Sustainability consultants are now a hot new employment opportunity. As companies change their directions towards becoming green, they need the resources of these consultants to help them get through the various nooks and crannies of Federal, State, Local and general compliancy.

Sources:
http://www.fastcompany.com/1803277/top-corporate-sustainability-trends-to-watch-in-2012

As the world becomes more conscientious about the amount of waste we produce, the focus of going green and recycling has come to the forefront in job about every area of life. It is therefore not surprising that the topic of weddings has been included in the methods of keeping our planet healthy. Magazines all over the country, including some of the topic bridal magazines are offering hints, ideas, success stories and wedding companies that involve making a happy day for the bride and groom just as happy for the earth.

Planning a wedding can be a daunting task. It doesn’t matter if you have a small intimate get together or an overall huge blast that includes every friend and relative; there are so many things to consider. The latest trend that has taken hold and taken off is planning a green wedding. While you may wonder where would you start, that’s actually the answer to the question. You start at the beginning, making every wedding choice with a focus on the environmental impact on the earth. What you will be surprised at is the number of businesses that support the wedding industry and are there to help you create a green wedding.

Typically, the venue choice is the basis for the wedding. Selecting an outdoor venue as opposed to indoor saves on overall energy use. The decisions that follow that become easier as you work with car-pooling in hybrid vehicles, check out thrift shops for decorations and even have the brides and bridesmaids in dresses that can be worn outside of the wedding event itself.

There are a number of businesses that work with the couple to coordinate organic, locally grown food for the reception as well as standard china and silver instead of throw away paper products. Other ideas for the bride will be to register in an online gift registry (saves gas) and make sure their selections are items that reinforce their efforts to ‘go green’.

A green wedding can actually add a bit of fun to the planning. There are now companies that will supply invitations that are made from recycled paper, offer alternative and green oriented gift selections for the members of your bridal party and even work with you in some of the small planning steps for the reception. A bride and groom that begin the planning of a green wedding is a fantastic first step in sharing their lives together.

The bridal dress is a very personal choice. A newer trend has returned to some of the older traditions by using a dress from a relative or friend and having it remade via a seamstress to their own style. There are now thrift shops that specialize in some of the higher end gowns and a bride may be able to find a high end dress for a very small price. If that choice isn’t an option for you, you can always search out a seamstress that specializes in replicating the couture look. Bringing a picture of the gown in and selecting local fabric not only saves all around, but will support a local business.

The final moment of a wedding has traditionally involved the throwing of rice. That tradition was replaced due to the hazards of uncooked rice on birds and nature. The latest concept has been to throw flower petals that are collected as extras from the florist. These are petals that would normally be discarded but would make a beautiful exit for the newlywed couple.

Sources:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19054513/ns/business-going_green/t/hottest-wedding-trend-going-green/

The migration of the Monarch butterfly is an absolutely breathtaking event of nature. Generations of these butterflies migrate to and from Canada and Mexico, often taking years to complete the migration process. Somehow, each generation knows the journey it must take to arrive and then send other generations back to Mexico. But a problem has been seen in the last couple of years when the population of Monarch butterflies arriving in Mexico for their winter season dropped seventy five percent.

The arrival of the Monarch butterfly to Mexico is something to behold. Millions and millions of the butterflies cover the pine and fir trees. These are the trees that the Monarchs prefer. If you are witness to this miracle, you realize that the trees themselves are almost not visible but are instead covered by the glorious colors of the Monarchs themselves. The Monarchs are affixed to the trees, gently moving, so that the trees seem to have an additional rustle of life.

In the last two years, scientists that monitor the Monarch butterfly migration have become quite alarmed. They have been monitoring the Monarch since 1993 and discovered that the population is decreasing at an astounding rate. Some scientists dismiss the alarm, stating that the variations in the population occur in a cyclical method. This has occurred over the years of record keeping, with the population rebounding the following year. Other scientists are not so sure. The forest areas of Mexico have undergone some rather severe deforestation, thereby reducing the quantity of trees that the Monarch prefers and the deforestation is continuing.

A survey conducted by the World Wildlife Fund, private funding and the National Commission of Protected Areas in Mexico, must measure the Monarch butterfly coverage based on the quantity of acres/hectares. This is required since the butterflies hang together and they cannot be counted individually. Something to note is that this year, approximately eighteen percent of the butterflies migrated to areas that were outside of the standard protected areas. There is a request to expand the protected areas, however, most of this land is currently owned by private farmers.

Another factor that is in play is that the Monarch butterfly depends largely on the milkweed plant for feeding. Much of the milkweed has been destroyed and replaced in the local farming process. This process includes the spraying of herbicides and pesticides, which have may also have harmful effects on the Monarch’s existence.

Since Monarch butterflies pass through many areas of the United States, additional assistance has been requested from a variety of experts in the states where the Monarchs land. The migratory path includes the State of Texas, where they witnessed some devastating effects due to the extreme drought that afflicted the state. The combination of the drought with the massive wildfires wreaked havoc on the state. This removed the ability for the Monarch to thrive and continue their journey to Mexico.

Whether from deforestation, severe weather or just a regular cyclical change, there is a definite problem with part of Mother Nature’s balance. These are often signals of greater problems. Scientists and world organizations will continue to monitor the situation and we hope that we will once again see resurgence in the Monarch butterfly population.

Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/16/monarch-butterflies-mexico-migration_n_1353473.html?ref=green

In the last twenty years, the content of GMO (genetically modified organisms) in foods has increased to almost eighty percent of the packaged foods that we consume. Most of these GMO’s have not been examined for long term affects in the human body. Dr. Oz, famed physician, along with other scientific experts examines what we are doing and how Monsanto is making a big killing at our expense.

Genetically modified foods involve an alteration in the genetic DNA makeup to create a food type that can grow faster or is resistant to disease or insects, as compared to the standard product. This process can involve a combination of breed types as well as a change in the specific DNA structure. It has come to such an alarm that six European countries have banned GMO’s so that they cannot enter their country and potentially contaminate their own food sources.

The most common GMO foods that are consumed in the U.S. include: soy, cottonseed oil, corn oil, cotton oil, sugar beets. Most of the sugar in our products is derived from sugar beets. The more recent concern over GMO foods has led to some manufacturers actually adding a non-GMO label to their foods. Physicians and scientists are also raising an alarm that the addition of GMO has actually increased the use of pesticides on crops. The American Academy of Medicine stated that all doctors should be prescribing a non-GMO diet. On the other side there seems to be university studies that repute the negative studies that are warning against GMO’s.

Monsanto is the major company that has led the GMO products. Monsanto insists that there is no known proven harm that is involved in GMO. The mega corporation insists that the GMO process has addressed the topic of world hunger, offering GMO food for both people and livestock. In the next few years, Monsanto may be receiving approval from the FDA for a type of GMO salmon.

In the European market, if a company wishes to bring a GMO crop to the market, there is a high level of testing requirement. In the U.S., the FDA does not require this kind of testing. There are sixty five disorders that have been associated with GMO’s around the world. Most of these disorders are appearing in the livestock that are being fed the GMO’s.

According the interviews, nine out of ten people would purchase non-GMO products if they see that GMO is listed on a label. The non-GMO labels are a more recent addition to some of the grocery store choices, but are still not adopted in many of the products that we buy. The question has arisen that if Monsanto is so proud of their GMO products, why won’t they add the facts and data to their labels?

While there is a controversy that seems to be maintained over genetically modified organisms and the long term effects they will have on the ecosystem, it seems that under the guise of no long-term testing and the banner of less global hunger, the only one benefiting from the process is Monsanto.

The question arises: if all food is labeled with the GMO or non-GMO labels, which would you buy for yourself and your family?

Sources:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_25036.cfm

It has been a long time since the first Earth Day, but finally both the general public and businesses are stepping up to the plate to realize that we must take care of the only home that we have ever had. Global awareness on the topic of ‘going green’ has seen resurgence in the business world as they realize that it means better profit margins. While this is the major reason for a business to make the transition to a green outlook, it isn’t the only reason.

The term ‘going green’ can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Overall, the general description translates to making changes to incorporate every aspect of business and life to have little or no impact on the ecology as well as contribute to sustainable energy policies. Quite a topic and a large undertaking when you are talking about the business world. You see, they simply don’t adopt change easily. Transitioning does take time and many businesses are seeing small savings to start out with as they make internal changes to more energy efficient systems. This can include everything from the energy savings light bulb to encouraging email instead of standard paper mailing. Email alone has been shown to save around $2 million per year.

As public awareness increases on the topic of a healthy ecology, so do their purchasing choices. The general public is now proving that they prefer to buy from companies that are making smart ecological choices and will especially support those companies that are taking these choices to the top levels of going green in a carbonNeutral effort. The carbonNeutral effort reduced the carbon footprint of a company so that it equates to zero, thereby not impacting the ecology. There is even a better investment of the public dollar when they find out a company has reversed the pollution process completely and are using sustainable energies to actually ‘give back’ to our ecology.

More and more companies are producing their products with less fossil fuel based packaging and increasing their packaging using recyclable or earth friendly containers. The shipping industry has been slow to adopt any kind of replacement of the typical Styrofoam packing materials. In the 1980’s there was a plant based edible version, but the cost during that time didn’t allow the widespread use of the ‘edible peanuts’ (as they were known). The cosmetic and beauty aids industry has been particularly behind the times when it comes to earth-friendly packaging. Many of the companies pack and repack in layers of plastic, which is fossil-fuel based. Boxes and containers are not made of any recycled materials and yet the prices for these products continue to skyrocket. Manufacturing facilities in these areas have also been slow at adding any earth-friendly or sustainable energy practices.

It is becoming quite common for businesses to tout the use of recycled materials for all kinds of things: building and construction, recycled boxes and containers, and packaging and shipping. We are starting to see more companies add earth-friendly practices, products and attitudes. It seems going green is good for both the business and the planet.

Sources:
http://jennifer-boyes.suite101.com/why-businesses-are-going-green-a47985

Those that do not believe in global warming and hide their heads in the sand, are being given yet another group of reports on the now high risk of flooding in the world’s coastal areas. The floods that were once believed to be once in a century are predicted to be a common occurrence and approximately forty eight of the contiguous states in the United States will be affected by rising tides and storm surges.

Three reports were done on the global warming effect on low lying areas of the United States due to rising water. The first was a non-profit organization called Climate Central. The other two reports were submitted and published in the Environmental Research letters. All of the studies and their results dictated that the low lying coastal areas of the United States will have a devastating effect from the rising waters due to global warming. Global warming has been caused by the greenhouse effect due to high pollution emissions into the atmosphere.

The cost estimate for the damage to Florida is over thirty billion dollars. In the State of California, areas that never experienced flooding problems are expected to see major flooding situations in the next ten years. This is all due to a rise in oceanic waters due to global warming that will be around eight inches. The forecast gets worse as it is anticipated that sea levels will rise from two to seven feet within this century.

Flooding is not the only problem. As the sea level rises, there is an increase in storms and storm surges. This means that major storms, such as hurricanes, will increase in both number and intensity. Two hundred and eighty five coastal cities in the United States are expected to have the highest impact. Many of these cities are built in low lying, sea level or in some cases below sea level areas of the coast. Florida is anticipated to have the most difficulty due to the geography and logistics. The state has a unique aquifer and drainage system and has been compared to land with a bit of Swiss cheese bedrock. It will be impossible to build protective barriers because water will seep up through the bedrock. Other states at risk include: Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Maryland, New York and Virginia.

The major storms that were often not seen except every two or three hundred years are predicted to become more common. The problem is going to affect larger densely populated cities and is anticipated to affect ninety percent of the population currently living in the high risk zones. Situations that occurred with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the southern gulf coast area are also anticipated to be more common. Flooding of biblical proportions, of the type seen in New Orleans, Louisiana will not only happen more often, but will repetitively occur, sometimes in the same season.

If the news sounds grim, it is. The reports for the rise of water, storm surges and flooding is anticipated to affect 4.9 million people in the high risk zones.

Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/14/global-warming-flood_n_1343652.html

A United Nations report in January, 2012 is point blank and honest: we are running out of time to ensure that the world has enough food and fuel to accommodate the anticipated nine billion people by the year 2040. At this rate, it is estimated that over three billion people will be thrown in the frays of total poverty without appropriate supplies of food, water and fuel.

At the current rate, the human population growth is anticipated to require at least a fifty percent increase in food, forty five percent increase in energy and thirty percent increase in water by the year 2030. The growth model that exists today is not based on any sustainable reality and a majority of the contributing factors lean towards placing global natural resources in a strained situation. Another contributing factor is based on global warming, which will add to the devastation through flooding.

The Rio+ summit that is planned for June, 2012 in Brazil has the topic of planetary sustainability on the topics of discussion. The hope is that there can be an agreement for an overall plan of global development goals that will involve international involvement. This will encompass both private sector as well as national participation to develop an action framework called “the evergreen revolution”.

The outcome of the summit and plans are the goals of reducing natural resource use while at the same time doubling productivity and resulting in less biodiversity loss. Ecosystems of marine and water management will be addressed for more efficiency and use for sustainable energy. The use of natural resource and carbon will have a global control with a taxation process towards a more balanced approach and the goal is to eventually reduce the use of fossil fuels completely. Countries that do not comply with the world requirements will be given disincentives for their practices. This will be balanced by a more reward-oriented international system, giving incentives to those countries that adopt longer-term sustainable practices.

The investment, banking and sovereign wealth of the world will also be involved in the plan to encourage development and investing in the sustainable attitude with watch dog organizations to oversee that those that do not adopt and participate in the policies. Scientists and governments themselves will be involved in the decision process to examine relationships between science and policies adopted. Guidelines to advise in environmental ‘tip over points’ for the thresholds will be used for the ultimate decision making.

One might think this is not only a drastic but potentially daunting task to undertake on a global scale. In essence, this is the truth, but sometimes extreme measures are needed before the world goes beyond the point of reversing the process. We are on the very edge of total global collapse, with the potential of placing every ecosystem in danger and increasing the complete poverty level for over three billion people. This kind of step is not only cautionary, but has become a requirement. It will involve the participation of every nation, scientist, engineer and person in the world to create environmentally friendly and sustainable processes around the globe.

Sources:
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/center/articles/2012/scientific-american-01-31-2012.html