"It's not easy being green." - Kermit the Frog
KNOW THE BASICS
With a basic understanding of where environment intersects energy, you can fit your organization into a sustainable world.
With a basic understanding of where environment intersects energy, you can fit your organization into a sustainable world.
- Sustainability, turning "Blue Chips" Green.
- Be introduced to sustainable Energy solutions.
- Understand impacts to the Environment.
- Distinguish between Resources and Waste.
- Dispel Common Misconceptions.
- Take some links to Other Resources.
SUSTAINABILITY is where productive activity is performed with no direct or indirect environmental consequences.
Essentially, an organization has reached sustainability when their products and/or services have no impact on the environment, from cradle to cradle. This reflects a perpetual nature to the resources and processes of doing business, and thus is sustainable.
Some examples of sustainability goals include:
Although sustainability does not require improving upon the environment, goals for carbon sequestration and environmental recovery promote environmental stewardship and corporate citizenship.
Some examples of sustainability goals include:
- All packaging to use only recyclable materials
- All fleet vehicles to operate on renewable bio fuels
- All electricity to come from renewable energy sources
- All water consumption is limited to naturally replenishable sources
- Become a net negative greenhouse gas emissions company
Although sustainability does not require improving upon the environment, goals for carbon sequestration and environmental recovery promote environmental stewardship and corporate citizenship.
Although it can seem like being sustainable will be costly, uncompromised profitability is often achievable by making simple changes to processes or sources of materials, or converting liabilities into assets.
For example, many "Blue Chip" corporations with extensive campuses can generate up to 50 tons of trash per day of post recycle waste (landfill trash). With typical removal and disposal fees of $50/ton, the cost of managing this liability is about $1M/yr. Just a part of the cost of doing business.
However, the same company with an effective sustainability plan could look at their waste as an asset with 4000 BTUs of energy per pound. This translates to as much as 250 watts of electricity per pound. Scaled up to 50 tons/day, this company could generate power with their own waste while saving up to $1M/yr in trash removal fees and up to $2M/yr in electricity. Thereby, turning a $1M liability into a $3M asset.
This "Blue Chip" company is now a "Green Chip" company by acting as a Good Corporate Citizen through their Sustainability Program.
And..., it saves them $3M/yr.
For example, many "Blue Chip" corporations with extensive campuses can generate up to 50 tons of trash per day of post recycle waste (landfill trash). With typical removal and disposal fees of $50/ton, the cost of managing this liability is about $1M/yr. Just a part of the cost of doing business.
However, the same company with an effective sustainability plan could look at their waste as an asset with 4000 BTUs of energy per pound. This translates to as much as 250 watts of electricity per pound. Scaled up to 50 tons/day, this company could generate power with their own waste while saving up to $1M/yr in trash removal fees and up to $2M/yr in electricity. Thereby, turning a $1M liability into a $3M asset.
This "Blue Chip" company is now a "Green Chip" company by acting as a Good Corporate Citizen through their Sustainability Program.
And..., it saves them $3M/yr.
ENERGY is found in many forms on our planet. Common forms include petroleum, coal, natural gas, and nuclear. However, these common energy sources are not necessarily sustainable. They require the consumption of previously stored energy without consideration of replenishing the energy and they are generally environment altering. They are certainly energy dense and since they need not be replaced, are consumable at low cost.
Sustainable Energy solutions are indefinitely replenishable with no adverse environmental impacts. This burdens sustainable energy sources with requirements not found in common energy solutions.
Solar, Wind, Bio-Fuels, Waste, Waves, Geological, Hydro, Natural Gas, Clean Diesel, Nuclear, Lightning (yes, lightning...), Storms, Oceanic Currents, Underground Rivers,
Sustainable energy is available in many forms. Some common forms are wind, solar, waves, hydro, geological and oceanic (waves).
Solar, Wind, Bio-Fuels, Waste, Waves, Geological, Hydro, Natural Gas, Clean Diesel, Nuclear, Lightning (yes, lightning...), Storms, Oceanic Currents, Underground Rivers,
Sustainable energy is available in many forms. Some common forms are wind, solar, waves, hydro, geological and oceanic (waves).
ENVIRONMENT is subject to the activities of all creatures. However, humans are the only creatures capable of making conscious choices about managing the environment from a local, regional and global perspective.
Potential Environmental Goals:
Emissions: Health versus Climate
- Produce net zero greenhouse gas emissions
- Establish a net sequestration of greenhouse gases
- Send zero waste to landfill
- Establish a net positive effect on ecosystems
Emissions: Health versus Climate
RESOURCES AND WASTE are a matter of perspective. Resources are, among other things, sources of energy, material and information. Waste is typically the byproducts of the consumption of resources. However, if we consider the complete life cycle of a resource (from cradle to cradle...), we discover that waste can indeed be the seeds of resources.
To be competitive, most products and services
If we disregard the true cost of disposition of traditional resources such as air, water, fuels and materials, the cost of products and services can be very low. For example, a fossil fuel power generation plant transforms solar energy captured over 100,000,000 years ago into electricity today. What took eons to collect is harvested and consumed in the blink of the geological eye.
If we disregard the true cost of disposition of traditional resources such as air, water, fuels and materials, the cost of products and services can be very low. For example, a fossil fuel power generation plant transforms solar energy captured over 100,000,000 years ago into electricity today. What took eons to collect is harvested and consumed in the blink of the geological eye.
ON COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS
People have misconceptions about the cost of renewable energy largely because the public conversation about these resources has been in the form of TV campaign ads and campaign debates, where the truth is, at best, elusive. When wind sells for 3 cents per kwh it will never be a front-page story. But when a state passes an RPS, it is on the front page, top of the fold, with the detractors making unfounded claims that this will make energy unaffordable for America's middle class.
http://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/campaigns/Climate-change/renewable-energy-myths/
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that the solar energy resource in a 100-square-mile (259-square-kilometer) area of Nevada could supply the United States with all its electricity. We're talking 800 gigawatts of power, and that's using modestly efficient commercial PV modules. Break all that down and each state would only need to devote 17 x 17 miles (27 x 27 kilometers) of solar cells (not all states are quite as sunny as Nevada). Where would all that land come from in each state? The DOE points to the country's estimated 5 million acres (2.02 million hectares) of abandoned industrial sites as a potential candidate that could contribute a whopping 90 percent of U.S. electrical consumption.
In the meantime, PV technology continues to develop and the U.S. industry alone is expected to reach the $10-$15 billion level by 2025. At this rate, solar electricity in the United States will offset 11.02 million tons (10 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide per year by 2027.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/top-10-myths-about-sustainability/
http://drsuneelsethi.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/sustainability-myths-and-misconceptions/
http://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/campaigns/Climate-change/renewable-energy-myths/
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that the solar energy resource in a 100-square-mile (259-square-kilometer) area of Nevada could supply the United States with all its electricity. We're talking 800 gigawatts of power, and that's using modestly efficient commercial PV modules. Break all that down and each state would only need to devote 17 x 17 miles (27 x 27 kilometers) of solar cells (not all states are quite as sunny as Nevada). Where would all that land come from in each state? The DOE points to the country's estimated 5 million acres (2.02 million hectares) of abandoned industrial sites as a potential candidate that could contribute a whopping 90 percent of U.S. electrical consumption.
In the meantime, PV technology continues to develop and the U.S. industry alone is expected to reach the $10-$15 billion level by 2025. At this rate, solar electricity in the United States will offset 11.02 million tons (10 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide per year by 2027.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/top-10-myths-about-sustainability/
http://drsuneelsethi.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/sustainability-myths-and-misconceptions/
OTHER RESOURCES
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/home