Sustainability

Corporate sustainability has become a big issue lately, with large companies trying to balance their need for constant growth and expansion with the need to account for environmental concerns and sustainability.  It seems like every day I see a press release from yet another company announcing that it will begin disclosing its greenhouse gas emissions, or commit to using recycled materials.  Even Walmart has a list of long-term goals that includes getting 100% of its energy supply from renewable sources, and creating zero waste.  Both of these seem a long way off, but it still surprises me that Walmart is considering these issues.  Why is this happening now?  What caused the shift?

Does Walmart see growth slowing in the future due to market saturation or a slowing of population growth?  Maybe this is an attempt to influence Wall Street and shift expectations---from future growth targets that they know they can’t match---to sustainability.  Or do they actually really care about the environment?

Gerd Leonhard  has a different take: he believes that the “sharing economy” (i.e.,  airbnb and Zipcar) will soon extend into collaborative consumption of energy sources as well, and that the shift from a competition-based economy to a collaboration-based economy, one that rewards sustainability, will occur within the next five years.  That seems like an optimistic estimate to me but hey, I’m not a futurist.

A fascinating video that touches on a number of other topics as well, take a look:

Good News Everyone

We have introduced social sharing option to our blog so you can easily share posts on your favorite social networks. 

PS: do not forget to feed fishes in a pond located on the bottom of the page.

Is your PC green?

Wouldn't it be wonderful if all the electronics you bought were green? Possibly as green as the bamboo keyboard (scroll to previous posts to read about it). When searching to purchase a product, you consider price, functionality, battery life, customer feedback and eco-friendliness. It can also be highly influenced by ads. You'll find that many electronics brands selling TVs, PCs and the like constantly - what feels like - brag about their environmental friendliness, when it may not be true.

Gaya is fragile.

We came across a mind boggling app called “Fragile Earth” which helps raise awareness towards the effects of changes in climate, urbanization, among other factors. It reveals this through shocking images of how our earth is changing over time. It reveals before and after images such as droughts, disappearing lakes and the effects of deforestation as a result of these factors. The app covers six sections: Natural Phenomena, Warming World, Water’s Power, Deserts and Drought, Man’s Impact and Wild Weather.

This is a clear example of how environmentalists have evolved their methods technologically through the use of apps to generate a higher level of reach among consumers to raise awareness as well as to hopefully impact their behavior, though there isn't much evidence to substantiate the second claim.

 

P.S. You can share the site’s images and reasons behind these effects via the app, Facebook or twitter. You can have access to this app for a mere $ 2.99.

@ITisgreener

https://twitter.com/#!/ITisgreener

A shot of virus for a shot of power

The so-called “good” virus

 Scientists from Berkley Labs discovered a good virus, aka M13, that can convert mechanical energy into electricity through a process called “piezoelectric”[1]. Sounds weird huh? While most of us are trying to kill off viruses, these scientists are trying to find ways to use their replicable nature and energy into everyday use. Though they are still in the very beginning stages of their research, the M13 virus was able to produce enough energy comparable to a 1/4 voltage of a common, AAA battery, which was enough to flash a number in a LCD display[2].

Bamboo Keys?

The world is so uncertain that it is impossible to predict what is going to happen in the next few months or even next 2 weeks. Companies used to plan lengthy developed strategies but the rules are completely changing! Companies need to think fast and react fast in order to stay innovative… why not innovate in a green way? We present iZen, a company that created the bamboo keyboard

Electronic Waste

I have six cellphones at my apartment.  I only need one, so what should I do with the rest of them?  If you’re thinking “throw them in the trash” then you’re not alone.  According to the EPA: “In the United States, only about 18% of e-waste is collected for recycling, with the remaining 80% sent to landfill and 2% for incineration”[1].  But is this the right way to be disposing of old electronics?  Should I try to recycle them instead?  I’m not really sure, which is probably why I still have six phones.

Throwing everything in the trash is, by far, the quickest and easiest solution, but it’s also the least environmentally friendly.  When you throw your electronic waste in the trash, it ends up in either a landfill or an incinerator, both of which cause environmental damage.  From the landfill, toxic chemicals can leak out into the surrounding ground and streams, whereas incineration releases the toxic chemicals into the air.[2] Some of the most damaging chemicals released include lead, cadmium, and mercury, which have been linked to tumors, mental health disorders, and even cancer.[3]