Most of us are reviewing our business and personal expenditures.  Many of us are also becoming more socially responsible as we become attuned to the work of Thomas Friedman, Al Gore, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Kyoto conferences.  Carbon emissions and global warming are threatening the earth’s environment.  We are learning that not only are our businesses at risk - our planet is at risk of becoming seriously damaged.

What are some of the critical issues and possible solutions?  

 An example is the Kyoto climate change conference.The objective of the Kyoto climate change conference was to establish a legally binding international agreement, whereby all the participating nations commit themselves to tackling the issue of global warming and greenhouse gas emissions.  The target agreed upon was an average reduction of 5.2% from 1990 levels by the year 2012.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted an average global rise in temperature of 1.4°C (2.5°F) to 5.8°C (10.4°F) between 1990 and 2100. This affects the entire planet including the oceans, forests, polar ice regions, plants, animals, humans, etc.  No one knows what the exact tipping point is for global warming irreversibility - only that humanity has an opportunity to avoid it  - by holding carbon dioxide concentrations to no more than 450 ppm, to keep the average temperature increase at or below 3.6 degrees F (2 degrees C.)  Once the tipping point occurs, there may not be a way to stop the cumulative effects of climate changes such as droughts, flooding, loss of coastlines, species extinctions, etc.

Fossil fuels are the primary source of human produced greenhouse gases causing global warming.  A wide variety of renewable resources are being developed to take the place of oil, coal and gas. These energies include:

• Geothermal - heat which comes from the warmth of the earth
• Hydro - water power which can turn turbines and create electricity
• Solar - direct heat from the sun
• Waste - methane harnessing (from garbage dumps, byproducts of agriculture)
• Wind -clean electricity generated for homes, businesses, energy grids

 Today, Jim Lane, Editor and Publisher of Biofuels Digest, referred to the controversy of cellulosic ethanol and the debate about whether its production was actually responsible for more carbon emissions than previously thought.  There was also an article about ExxonMobil and its entry into the ‘algae race’.

So what does all this talk of carbon, algae and global warming have to do with your business?

If we think about the PROFITS Principles, the ones that come to mind are:

REALITY

• What is your business doing to both reduce energy costs and at the same time reduce carbon and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere?
• How conscious are you about the affects your business has on the environment, especially if you are producing products that use chemicals and create waste?

 OBTAIN VITAL INFORMATION

• Are you tracking greenhouse gas emissions within your business? This includes energy usage.
• How educated are your staff about the environment and the hazards your business may be contributing to the environment.

INTEGRATION

• Do you have an energy strategy for the current and/or future of your business?
• If so, how do you coordinate your various business functions to work seamlessly to incorporate this strategy?
• How are you creating a strategy that takes into consideration your financial plans and day to day operations as your business contemplates energy resources for the next three years?

 Future blogs will focus on renewable energy issues and global warming trends.  We will also feature specific companies that are dedicated to environmental concerns.  We hope this will be an exciting topic that encourages your business to be thoughtful about how it utilizes natural and renewable resources.

As always, we welcome your experience, wisdom and comments.

 Warm regards,
Rosalie