I had the opportunity to read an excellent poll conducted by Gallup last year on how Americans view the environment.. Enjoy:
Author: bgrossman
Sustainability, and why it matters now
What it means
Sustainability means assuring the long-term survival of our planet by conserving and caring for its resources rather than depleting or permanently damaging them. Our growing awareness of the effects of climate change and deforestation makes sustainability and environmental stewardship everyone’s concern today.
Why it matters
For companies, sustainability and profitability go hand-in-hand. A commitment to environmental sustainability makes for good corporate citizenship, which improves a company’s relationship with customers, investors, regulators, neighbors and suppliers. The alternative to environmental sustainability is no longer tolerable. Sustainability is not only good for the earth and its people; it’s increasingly connected to building bottom lines and improving shareholder value.
ABC News Story on Calculating Carbon Footprints
ABC News has a quick story with some helpful links to sites where you can calculate your carbon footprint:
Great video on wind power
This is an awesome video on how the wind has gone from an annoyance to a necessity – and it’s hilarious:
The relevance of wind power
Paper manufacturing, envelope conversion and printing require significant quantities of electricity, which is traditionally produced by generators run by fossil fuels: coal, oil or gas. Since the combustion of fossil fuel creates carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are contributing to global warming, the urgency of changing to cleaner (emission-free) renewable sources of energy has increased. Renewable and therefore sustainable energy sources available today include wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal and ocean tides.
Why Wind?
Wind power is the fastest growing energy source in the world. At present, it is the least expensive, most developed and fastest-to-build alternative to fossil fuel. Because wind turbines (aka windmills) use less than 5% of the land where they are sited, they minimize habitat destruction, help preserve open space and allow for multiple uses of the land.
Power generated by wind turbines is fed into the electric grid and replaces electricity generated by fossil fuel.
Environmental Defense Paper Caluculator
Below is a link to a paper savings calculator that Environmental Defense, a leading environmental organization, has created.
This is a great tool to use on projects to determine the environmental benefits of a specific paper with post-consumer content, versus its virgin fiber alternative. I prefer using this tool over other tools because it is a third-party resource, not affiliated with the paper/print/marketing industries. It’s transparent and backed by an organization that is not-for-profit focused on “tackling the most serious environmental problems.”
About this blog
This site is dedicated to the exploration of sustainable marketing. Over the next generation, it will be critical to use the earth’s resources in the most thoughtful way, and a good first step is in the field of marketing services. Paper, inks and other materials are used in a significant way, most of which are produced using fossil fuels. If we are going to protect the environment, we should start with how we communicate.
Sustainable Ink 