Carbon Neutral Territory

Saturday, 20 December 2008 17:57

As most of the country is bracing for shockingly cold temperatures, rumblings of global warming come to mind: The summers get hotter, the winters get colder; polar icecaps are melting at an alarming rate; and unlike the 1900 Galveston Hurricane and 1915 Galveston Hurricane that terraformed the barrier island and killed thousands in their paths, the extent of the damage to life and property of 2008's equally devastating Hurricane Ike were left largely unreported.

Many of us are starting to pay more attention to environmental issues, or at the very least the price of fuel. Being environmentally conscious is now a marketing strategy. Organic produce is getting a larger footprint in supermarkets. City recycling programs are now the norm for most local governments.

How can a business take the next step, up the environmental evolution ladder? Carbon Dioxide Neutrality (a.k.a. Carbon Neutrality).

The first step of achieving Carbon Neutrality is updating your business plan to include environmentally conscious practices. The products you purchase, their transportation to your business, the vendors and clients with whom you choose to do business are goals to weigh decisions on the environment along with other business needs (price, features, quality, etc.). Set definable, attainable, measurable goals, not broad pie-in-the-sky dreams. Instead of saying you want to become a paperless office, pledge to reduce paper waste next year 20% by replacing one-use paper coffee cups with reusable ceramic ones.

Once you have written your plan for increasing environmental awareness for your organization, it is time to act on it. Relay your business plan with your employees so the decisions they make will match your objectives. Everyone must be rowing in the same direction to drive your company where you want to take it.

Reduce your energy dependence by analyzing your current energy consumption. A good place to start is with your utility bill. Does your energy company sell you power from renewable energy sources? Are your airducts properly maintained to prevent leaks in the ventilation system? Do you have faulty plumbing that is flushing water (and money) down the drain? Offer your employees incentives for reducing the carbon fuel it may take them to get to work: Can they work from home more often, or bike to work? You can delve deeper down the rabbit hole of environmental consciousness by examining indirect emissions, like the construction practices of how your building was built.

The goal of Carbon Neutrality is to provide the Earth with enough resources to break down the waste (solid, liquid, gas) produced in our day-to-day activities. Some byproducts are extremely toxic. The producers of these products do not have the resources alone to achieve neutrality. The Kyoto Protocol has offered these producers with an option to buy (offset) their emissions with those who have a negative carbon footprint. Some say that this loophole is abetting unsound environmental practices. Although this observation may be true, we are all on the same team, same planet. For centuries, the Earth provided a negative carbon footprint for the limited industrial use. As industry increased in prominence, the carbon footprint shrunk. We should start giving that area back to the planet.

Are we a day late and a dollar short? Only time will tell. Let's not wait for the people who sounded the alarm four decades ago to tell us "I told you so." The time to act responsibly is now.